Page 36 of The Key to the Last House Before the Sea

‘This will all take time.’

Gabriel could hear his father tapping his pen on his desk.

‘Sorting this out through the courts could be expensive but, more than that, it’s bound to be time-consuming. And it will draw attention to what we’re doing, and we don’t want to stir up local antagonism. Locals can be a nuisance in these circumstances.’

‘They don’t seem to visit the site much so I don’t think they’ll be particularly bothered. Ness— I mean the woman who has the lease, has a family link to the site so she feels strongly about the planned development.’

‘Strong feelings. They’ll be the death of me.’ His father groaned. ‘So what do you propose?’

‘The lease has a particular clause, a criterion that has to be met. The leaseholder has to live in the property for thirty days and nights continuously for it to be valid.’

‘Well.’ His father sounded more cheerful all of a sudden. ‘In that case, I don’t see what the problem is. You said the property is more sheltered but, presumably, it’s still in a bad state of repair and she hasn’t been living there.’

‘She hasn’t, but she’s about to move in.’

‘For goodness’ sake!’ All hint of cheer had vanished. ‘Tell me more about this idiot woman.’

‘She’s about my age, a single parent who lives in Heaven’s Cove.’

‘And what’s she like?’

Gabriel reviewed what he knew of Nessa – bossy, tired, opinionated, sad, a loving mum, quite pretty, and extremely annoying when it came to thwarting his plans to make himself look good in his father’s eyes.

He said none of that. ‘She’s a regular single parent who’s trying to get by, I guess.’

‘Does she have much of a support network around her?’

‘I don’t think so.’

She certainly hadn’t mentioned any family in the area, apart from her former mother-in-law. And there didn’t seem to be any love lost in that relationship.

‘So there’s no partner around?’

‘I don’t believe so. Her ex-husband lives up north somewhere.’

And he was never around, from the little Gabriel had gleaned. But he didn’t say that either.

‘And her child is how old?’

‘Five.’

‘Well, that’s fine. She won’t want to move her child into a derelict property.’

‘I believe the child will stay elsewhere for the month.’

There was another loaded silence and then his father spoke very quietly. Ironically, Gabriel knew that when his father was quiet, that was when he was at his most volatile. He’d seen business colleagues and competitors relax prematurely often enough.

‘If this woman is causing problems, Gabriel, you have to solve them. That is your job and part of your role within this family. You do whatever it takes to nail the deal. She’ll never stay thirty nights in an abandoned cottage in the middle of nowhere, and you need to catch her out when she sneaks back to her comfortable bed. Move in with her, if you have to.’

He paused to draw breath, before continuing. ‘We’ll query the lease, of course, but it will be far less problematic if you prove that she’s not upholding the terms of the lease in the first place.’

‘So you want me to spy on her?’

‘Of course I do. Do you have a problem with that?’

‘Well, yes. I can hardly barge my way into a secluded cottage with a young woman I hardly know. She’d certainly never agree to me moving in. Quite rightly.’

‘Just get it sorted, Gabriel. I have every faith in your ability to make this problem go away.’

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