When he woke up, Noah could only focus on one thing – raising the money to pay off that lowlife, Paul. He could do it,just about. And so he drafted an ad for his car. The car he loved. A shiny, black Volkswagen that should sell for around half of what Paul was asking for. He’d add in what he had in his current account and the small amount in his savings and there was the potential for another thousand he could withdraw on his credit card if he said sod the extortionate interest charges.
Panic gripped Noah that this might not be the end of it. What if Paul was to come back for more money after this? Money Noah didn’t have.
A knock at the door sent him into a panic. He peeked out from behind the curtain.
It wasn’t Paul. And it wasn’t Conrad. It was Maya.
He thought about ignoring her, but he knew she’d seen him leave the airbase and his car was parked outside. The car he wouldn’t have for much longer.
He opened the door and forced a smile onto his face. ‘Maya, what can I do for you?’
She got straight to the point. ‘Have I done something to offend you?’
‘No. Whatever makes you think that?’
God, he was a rubbish liar.
And she wasn’t buying it. She was a clever woman, her intelligence all part of one heck of a package.
She delivered her next words with a distance he hated. ‘I’ve had enough games with the men in my life to last for the rest of my days; I don’t need any more. I’ll say what I have to say and then I’ll leave you alone.’
‘Maya—’
‘I’ve asked my dad for some help, legal wise. He’s willing to talk to you about your legal stance, at no charge, as a favour to me.’
‘But you don’t speak to your dad.’
‘That’s all you got from what I just said?’ She huffed and began to walk away, calling over her shoulder, ‘Take it or leave it.’
He checked the street for signs of Conrad or Paul lurking and before he could think too much about it, he ran after her, catching her before she reached the gate at the end of the path. ‘Please, come inside and I promise I’ll explain everything.’
She looked at him as if trying to work out whether he was worth it.
‘Please, Maya.’ He couldn’t leave it like this.
She relented and after they went back into the cottage, Noah closed the door, locked it and ushered Maya into the lounge. He’d figured out the best way to let light in when the curtains were closed was to fling open the door to the hallway, the door to Eva’s room and his and the one to the kitchen so the light could come from that direction. Of course the curtains weren’t closed when Geraldine was here – he’d encouraged Geraldine to spend as much time out of the house with Eva as she liked, for fear that Paul would show up, but so far he hadn’t. Perhaps Paul knew that if the curtains were open, he’d have no luck hassling Noah.
When he noticed Maya looking around, presumably for Eva, he said, ‘We won’t be interrupted for now; Eva is with Geraldine at a soft play centre. They’ll be gone at least another hour by the sounds of things. She texted me to say they were having a great time.’
The smile he loved was back momentarily. ‘Those places are hell.’
‘I can imagine.’ He peeked out of the curtains to check the street for any signs of company again.
‘You’re worried Paul will turn up.’
‘Yes.’ He let the curtain drop back in place. ‘But not just Paul, there’s your ex to think about too.’
‘Conrad? I’m not afraid of him.’
‘Me neither, as it happens, but there’s something you should know.’ He gestured for her to sit down on the armchair and he took the sofa. ‘Conrad came here to see me.’
Maya’s brow furrowed.
He explained their conversation, that Paul was apparently involved in some criminal activity, that Conrad’s first suspicion was that Noah was too. And then he revealed the brown folder, that Conrad said he had information that could end this nightmare for him.
‘How does he know it’s a nightmare for you?’ Maya wanted to know. ‘I promise I never said a word to him.’
‘He’d have his ways given his job.’
