‘What d’you mean? Into submission?’ I stared at the kid, whose face was set.
‘God, you’re so naïve.’ Joel tutted crossly. ‘All the stuff that’s been happening up at The White House?’
‘Trolls that are continuing the harassment of Fabian for taking on the Soho Slasher!’ I said. ‘Happens all the time.’ I went on, ‘According to Sally Maynard, one of the restaurant consultants Kamran had us meet with. She warned us that physical obstruction or intimidation are often a sign that a rival’s out to get you. And don’t forget, the Sattars are not the most popular family round here, now that they’re on a mission to pull down St Mede’s.’
‘As I said, Jess, you’re effing naïve.’ Joel sat back in his chair, arms folded.
‘Excuse me…!’ I started.
‘Listen, has Kamran been targeted personally in the way Fabian has?’ Joel asked. ‘Has he, Jess?’
‘Idon’t know! I’m sure he’d have kept it to himself, if he had.’ I looked directly at Joel. ‘OK, not that I know of, I mean, not personally, like Fabian’s slashed tyres.’
‘Exactly. It’s Fabian they’re after. Not the Sattars; not the restaurant itself. And now it’s pretty obvious George Sattar has some involvement with Darren Singleton’s lot; well, it’salso obviousFabian is Daniel’s target rather than the Sattars or The White House.’
‘George? So Georgewasthere this evening? I wasn’t mistaken then?’ I felt another huge disappointment hitting me head-on. I liked George. More than liked him, I realised. Mind you, I’d liked Joel too.And, bloody hell, come on, admit it, Jess, you really liked Henry.I was obviously one very rubbish judge of character.
‘I saw his car,’ Joel was saying now.
‘Me too.’
Joel nodded. ‘I wasn’t quite sure it was him, but once I saw the very distinctive registration, I knew immediately it was George. He came racing out of the main gates as I was looking for a way in. Lucky for me.’
‘Lucky?’
‘That’s how I managed to sneak in, before the main gates closed on me again. How I was going to get out again, I hadn’t really worked out. Expected those big dogs of Darren’s to come out at any moment and tear me limb from limb…’
‘You’ll be great as Danny inGrease.’ I sniffed.
‘Sorry?’
‘Well, you’re one hell of an actor.’
Joel shook his head and glared at me and, for a moment, neither of us said anything.
‘So, what then?’ I finally asked. ‘Go on, finish this fairy tale.’
‘I hid Dean’s bike in a hedge…’
‘Not very well. The police soon found it.’
‘…and made my way round to those big windows. I saw the four of you eating. Jess, I just wanted to warn you that Henry wasn’t who you thought he was.’
‘Didn’t occur to you to text me, then? You know, while you were peering in at us…?’ (Oh, please don’t say he’d seen me on the sofa with Henry!)
‘Couldn’t get a signal being outside,’ Joel went on. ‘And then it all kicked off. So, I kept to the shadows and made my way back towards the main gates. You know, tried to find Dean’s bike. But saw a couple of uniforms going over to it. The main gates were bashed in. So I simply walked out.’
‘And then?’
‘And then I walked home.’
‘Home?’
‘I meanhere. To you.’ Joel looked embarrassed at his words.
‘Seven miles?’
Joel bent to unfasten his trainers, peeling off obviously damp and grubby white socks.
