‘I see. Is he bothering you?’
She shrugged her shoulders. ‘Would it matter? It’s something I have to deal with, it’s personal and I’m managing.’
‘Are you managing? You looked like you were panicking back there, in the incident room. Don’t let your team see you lose it.’
He was right. She could have looked less angered, treated it as a joke or brushed it off. ‘You’re right. It won’t happen again.’ She didn’t want to tell Briggs that Rex had turned up at her house too. She didn’t want him to see that she wasn’t as in control as she wanted to be.
‘I’m also worried that you haven’t looked too well these past couple of days and the welfare of everyone here is my responsibility.’
‘I think I just ate something dicky, one of my dodgy takeaways, sir. I’m okay now, I just had a bad night.’ She knew her unruly hair and pale face probably made her look sicker than she had felt. She also knew that her upset stomach was just a reaction to the things Steven had said to her outside the station. She couldn’t exactly tell Briggs that her abusive dead husband brought a prostitute home and forced her and the woman to do things to each other while they cried at knifepoint. Her neck began to prickle and the redness seeped up, covering her nose, chin and cheeks. Briggs also knew her intimately and at this precise moment, he could sense exactly how she was feeling. She wondered how long he would make her squirm.
He smiled. ‘If that’s all it is. Just don’t go spreading anything over this way and let’s hope it was just a takeaway and not some icky bug. As for later, I think we should meet at the location around six this evening and scope it out. Is that okay for you?’
She unlinked her fingers. ‘Yes, six is fine. See you there.’ She stood to leave, relieved it was over.
‘I’m looking forward to staking someone out. It’s been a while since I’ve got away from the old desk. Here’s to something more exciting!’ He held his cup up and took a sip of his drink.
‘Well, I’ll see you later then.’
‘Look, if you ever need to talk, I’m always here, in a personal and professional capacity. You know that, don’t you?’ She knew he had a soft spot for her, he had for a long time. He would keep her on the case and he’d be there for her no matter what. She considered if the roles were reversed, if some woman was bugging him when he didn’t want to hear from her, or if he looked upset. Would she be there too?
She nodded and returned his smile. She also knew that he never believed her when she said she was fine. Would he be there if ever he knew the whole truth about her past? She shivered as she closed his office door.
Thirty-Seven
‘I hate work, still wish I was in Tenerife,’ Nicole said as she grabbed her keys and waved goodbye to Aimee.
‘Catch you later,’ she replied as she sat at the kitchen table, head in hands. Her slightly greasy hair was falling from the loose hair clip, tickling her face and nose.
Her mobile buzzed on the table. Rhys was calling. Swallowing, she felt her heartbeat speed up. She couldn’t answer. She’d told him it was over and to never come back. She remembered the grip he’d had on her chin, him squeezing hard. She wouldn’t answer. The buzzing stopped as her voicemail kicked in.
A few seconds passed, he called again, hung up, called again and again. She scraped the chair and stood to attention as Barney began to bark. A breeze picked up and the old shed began to creak at the bottom of the garden. A strip of asphalt fell to the floor. Another job that Rhys had promised to do. She shivered as a splash of raindrops began to tap on the window. He was out there, she knew it. The phone rang again.
Tears fell down her face as she stared at the lit up phone and slid down the wall sobbing. Shed banging, rain tapping, dog barking and the damn phone. She wanted to scream and shout for help. Nicole – she wished her friend was still here. ‘Go away,’ she yelled.
The phone stopped ringing. She reached out and looked at the screen. Twelve missed calls in less than five minutes. Her heart was in her mouth as it rang again. ‘What?’ she yelled as she answered. He knew she’d answer eventually, he was always right. Mr bloody always right.
‘I’m struggling out here, babe. Please don’t tell me it’s over. I know I upset you—’
‘You hurt me.’ Tears slid down her cheeks.
‘You had a knife to me. I forgive you, Aimee, I love you. None of that matters. I’ll do anything. Don’t listen to Nicole. She’s just trying to poison what we have. She’s just a jealous bitch who can’t get anyone and she wants you all to herself.’
The same old story. The one that had almost made Aimee tell Nicole it would be best if she found a place of her own. She wasn’t falling for it any more. It was as if a veil had been lifted. She could now see what was once so invisible to only her. Rhys was trying to distance her from everyone who meant something to her and Nicole was her oldest friend. ‘Rhys, it’s over! Just get over it. You think I’m going to dump my oldest friend for you? That’s never going to happen.’
‘And this is why you’ll never be happy, Aimee. She’s holding you back.’
‘No. You are. You always were and I can see it now. I had that knife in the kitchen because I was petrified of you, not because I wanted to hurt you. You know the detective, she has a witness. Someone saw you with Jade and you were being rough with her, hurting her. Did it end there or did you follow her? Did you pin her to something like you do to me, not allowing her to move? Maybe she wasn’t a doormat like I was. Maybe she told you to get off her and you didn’t. Maybe she was about to report you or tell the others what you did to her. Like the things you did to me—’ She sobbed like she’d never stop, hyperventilating. Breathe, she couldn’t breathe. She gasped and coughed.
‘Don’t come the victim with me. You tell me you like it the way we do it and that you love me and now this. Aimee, don’t make me out to be a monster. Making things up will only make you look stupid in the end.’
Shaking she held the phone to her ear. She could simply end the call to end the torture but she wouldn’t. He’d be angrier if she hung up on him and she didn’t need his rage coming to her doorstep. She needed him to go quietly and never bother her again. ‘Please, Rhys, please just go and never call me again. Please.’
‘But, I love you, babe. I. Love. You.’
She could hear a warmth in his voice confusing her even more. It was the same warmth she’d originally fallen for. ‘You’re slowly killing me. Please stop.’
‘You’re killing me. I love you and I never hurt Jade. The whole Swap Fun thing was a stupid idea and it’s made me realise what I stand to lose. When this mess is over and I can prove I’m innocent, I just want to come home and be with the woman I love. We can get married, maybe have a child. Remember, we always said we’d like a little girl called Rachel after your mum or a little boy called Henry. We can have it all. I’m ready to commit to you with everything I have. I’ll be the husband you deserve. I promise you. Please just give me a chance.’
