‘Adam, who’s so caring and obviously ten times the man you are,’ Kim talked over him, ‘what do you thinkhewould think? Do you think he’d turn his back on a woman who was carrying his baby? Treat her the way you seem to believe you can treat me? I think not. Don’t you?’
Josh’s mouth ran dry. ‘Don’t you dare, Kim,’ he warned her, a hard knot of anger tightening inside him. That was the reason for this charade, he realised. Her reason for wanting to meet here. So she could threaten him.Coercehim. Into doing what, for fuck’s sake?’
‘You probably hoped I’d get rid of it, didn’t you?’ she said, narrowing her eyes. ‘That would have solved your problem, wouldn’t it, me killing my baby?’
He was scarcely able to believe what he was hearing. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. I would never—’
‘It’s people likeyouwho should be got rid of!’ She glared at him. ‘You’re despicable.’
‘Just stop this, Kim, will you?’ Josh said shakily. ‘I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to have done, but whatever you’re thinking of doing, please don’t. My mother really hasn’t been well. My parents both have enough on their plates without my problems.’
She didn’t answer, notching her chin up instead.
‘Kim, please come back and sit down,’ he begged. ‘Let’s try and work this out calmly.’
She cocked her head to one side, studying him now as if she felt sorry for him. ‘No need, Josh.’ She looked away. ‘You’ve said all I need to hear.’
Bewildered, Josh watched her leave. With all eyes on him, he didn’t dare follow her. Didn’t have a clue what to do. She actually said he’dforcedher. Jesus. She’d instigated what had gone on between them. She’d been all over him. What in God’s name was he going to do? His career would be over before it started, his life ruined. His mother… Kim wouldn’t go and see her, would she? Speak to Adam?Whywould she? But Josh had a sick feeling in his gut. She’d grilled him about Adam, said he sounded like her sort of guy. He pictured again the figure standing outside his house. Would an opportunist thief really have just stood there, knowing they’d been seen? She’d witnessed his meeting with Jemma. She’d denied it, but… The hairs rose on his skin as he recalled her tearful apology after falling down the station steps:My ex accused me of all sorts of things. He said it was me stalking him, when it was the other way around. He told my friends I was obsessed with him…
How was it she’d always been on the same train he was on? That he’d seen her outside his school, somewhere else she claimed not to have been? Jesus Christ, had she been stalkinghim? It seemed incomprehensible, but what if it wasn’t? What if she had moved on and was targeting someone else now? He might be way off the mark here, suffering from delusions himself, but was it possible she’d made up her mind to extract from Adam what Josh plainly couldn’t offer her? Not just support, but security for the foreseeable future. He needed to talk to his stepfather. At least to make him aware.
Forty-Three
Kimberley
Noting the absence of Cassie’s car on the drive, Kim approached the house. Adam had been frantic when he’d rung, telling her that Cassie had gone off somewhere after the awful scene on the patio and he had no idea where. He’d wondered whether she might have been in contact with Kim. Kim imagined that she was the last person Cassie would contact when she believed she was having an affair with her husband. Poor Adam. He would be distraught with his mentally unbalanced wife gone missing. He hadn’t asked her to come over, but she guessed he would need a shoulder.
Taking a fortifying breath, she knocked on the door.
‘Hi.’ She offered him a tentative smile when he opened it, his expression distracted. He looked worryingly pale, with dark circles under his eyes. Kim was sure there was another worry line etched into his brow. He would be better off if Cassie stayed away. He needed someone to look after him for a change, not someone who heaped endless worry on his shoulders.
‘Hey.’ He mustered up a smile and stepped back to allow her in. ‘Sorry, my mind’s all over the place.’
‘I’m not surprised.’ She gave him a sympathetic smile back. ‘Has she been in touch?’
He nodded. ‘She’s safe,’ he said, heaving out a sigh. Kim couldn’t tell whether it was one of relief or despair. The latter, probably. He must be at his wits’ end with his wife becoming progressively more unstable.
On which subject, she braced herself to broach something that was bound to have been troubling him since Cassie had made a big point of it. ‘I need to mention something, Adam.’ She glanced warily at him.
Adam nodded apprehensively. ‘Go on,’ he said.
‘What Cassie said about Josh’s allergy… I knew about it, obviously. I could hardly not when we ate together most evenings, but…’ She paused, making sure to convey that she was reluctant to bring it up. ‘She never mentioned it to me. As far as I can remember, we’ve never had a conversation about cake.’
Adam looked troubled, scrutinising her carefully.
‘I’m not that bothered. I know Josh’s death will have derailed Cassie, emotionally and mentally. She was obviously confused,’ she pushed on, ‘but when she hinted that she thought I was making him miserable…’
She paused again, her eyes fixed down, communicating how miserable Cassie had madeherfeel.
‘I’m sure she didn’t mean it,’ Adam said, after an interminably long pause, during which Kim began to panic. ‘She said a lot of things she’s probably regretting. I’m hoping she is anyway, that once she’s had time to think…’ He stopped and tugged in a breath.
Kim answered with a small nod. ‘I did make him a dairy-free chocolate mousse once,’ she said, looking up with a cautious smile. ‘He didn’t like it. Mind you, it was awful.’
Adam laughed at that, albeit sadly. ‘He was probably too polite to tell you he wasn’t much into chocolate,’ he said, nodding towards the lounge.
‘I gathered.’ Kim rolled her eyes good-naturedly and followed. ‘So you know where she is then?’ she asked.
‘In Herefordshire. We have a holiday place there.’
