Page 92 of The Girl in Room 12

Paula stares at the queue. ‘I don’t fancy your chances of getting it any time soon. Which one is your friend?’

‘The one in the black puffa jacket. Blue hat.’

Paula squints, then her face turns pale. ‘That’s Shane Roberts,’ she hisses. ‘What are you doing withhim?’

I shake my head. ‘No, my friend is Taylor Stone. I know him through?—’

Paula turns and walks closer to the café. Within seconds she runs back. ‘I don’t know what the hell is going on, but that man is definitely Shane Roberts. He used to work for us!’

Her words don’t make sense. I stare at Taylor, still convinced Paula’s mistaken.

‘Didn’t Max tell you about him? Max had to fire him,’ she says. ‘And it all got nasty. First Shane said he was going to sue the company, then when that didn’t get him anywhere he started threatening Max. He’s a sick and twisted man. I don’t know what you’re doing with him, but you need to get as far away from him as possible.’

But I can’t move. None of this makes sense. I glance back at Taylor, who’s now moved closer to the front of the line.

‘I’ll show you.’ Paula pulls her phone from her bag and scrolls through her photos. ‘Here. This is from the Christmas party last year. Look. That’s Shane!’ She shows me her phone and on it is a picture of Max, Stefan, Paula, and a few other people I don’t know.

And right next to them is Taylor.

Without another word, I run to Poppy and grab her hand, telling her we have to go now.

And then we run to the Tube station without looking back.

TWENTY-SIX

‘What on earth’s going on?’ Mum asks, ushering us inside. ‘Is it Max? What’s happened?’

Poppy clings to my coat, and not even Peach, who is snuffling at her feet, can part her from me. All the way here she was asking why we had to leave without her ice cream, and I couldn’t think of an answer. I’d stopped in a shop and got her a Magnum before we got home to get the car. I’d hoped it would help, and it did for a while, until her question changed to why we left without saying goodbye to Taylor.

‘It’s not Max, Mum. I can’t explain now. Can you please have Poppy tonight? It’s late already so I’ll pick her up in the morning. There are some things I need to do.’

‘No!’ Poppy says. ‘I want to come with you, Mummy!’

‘What on earth is going on?’ Mum asks again. ‘You’re worrying me, Hannah.’

In my pocket, my phone buzzes with another message from Taylor. Or Shane. Whoever he is. There’s been a flurry of them since Poppy and I ran from Leicester Square. And I haven’t read any of them, or listened to the voicemails he’s left. ‘Please, Mum. I need you not to ask any questions right now. I’ll explain everything, I promise. I just need Poppy to be here with you.’

She stares at me for a moment, and I can tell she’s trying to read me, as she always does, and that there is a multitude of questions buzzing around her head. ‘Of course I’ll look after Poppy. But this is all a bit strange.’ She turns to Poppy. ‘Why don’t you see if Peach needs some water? She’s been very thirsty today.’ Mum turns back to me. ‘Have you had dinner?’

‘We haven’t had a chance to eat.’

‘Then stay for some. Surely whatever you have to do can wait an hour?’

‘I can’t. Sorry.’

For a moment Poppy doesn’t move, and I wonder if I’ll ever be able to leave her here, but then finally she hugs me and slowly wanders to the kitchen.

‘Just one more thing,’ I say to Mum before I leave. ‘Please don’t let Poppy out of your sight.’

It’s hard to order my thoughts as I drive to Sarah’s. It’s dark now, and rain spatters against the windscreen. It’s not just the weather that’s changed, though. Everything I thought I knew has changed. Again.

There’s a black BMW parked outside Sarah’s house when I get there. Probably Dean’s; she was introducing Ivy to Dean today.

I hesitate for a moment. This is an important day for Sarah and I’m about to go in and interrupt. But Dean will have been there for hours and Ivy will be in bed soon. This can’t wait – Sarah will understand.

I ring the doorbell and wait. Seconds tick by, turning to a minute. I ring again. Finally she opens the door, a smile on her face that seems unfamiliar.

‘Hannah! You’re here! I was just talking about you.’ She lowers her voice. ‘Dean’s still here. We were just putting Ivy to bed.’

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