‘I know. I will,’ I promise. ‘Can I ask you something, Jemma?’ I go on tentatively. She’s known Jack longer than I have and she must have known Natalia. We haven’t really talked about her, because it felt wrong, I suppose, but she might have some idea of what their relationship was like.
‘Ask away,’ she says, placing the mugs on the table.
‘Jack and Natalia, were they happy together? I only saw her that once,’ I remind her, forcing from my mind the memory of how tragically the night of Jemma’s party had ended for me, ‘but I never really got to talk to her.’
‘She was a bit of a social butterfly flitting about, wasn’t she?’ Jemma says reflectively and takes a sip from her mug. ‘I can’t say I knew her that well, but from what I saw of them together, they appeared to be happy. You never know what goes on beneath the surface, though, do you?’ she adds with a sigh.
‘No.’ I nod. ‘It’s true we all put on a show for other people, I suppose.’ I hesitate, sipping my own coffee thoughtfully, then ask the question I need to. ‘Do you think Jack might have been unfaithful, Jem? That he might have had an affair? I wondered, after what happened, you know…’
‘Jack?’ Jemma’s eyes shoot wide with surprise. ‘No,’ she says with an adamant shake of her head. ‘He’s just not the type. Well, not in my estimation anyway. If he did, it certainly wasn’t with anyone local. It would have been all over the village in one second flat. I mean, it’s possible, but?—’
She stops as her phone rings. ‘Sorry,’ she says, a deep furrow settling in her brow as she jumps up to answer it. She doesn’t speak, listening instead. It’s a woman calling, I glean from the strident female tones emerging from the phone. A client? I wonder, as Jemma attempts to say something. ‘No,’ she manages eventually, a panicky edge to her voice. ‘Don’t do that.’
She glances quickly at me and then goes back to her call. ‘I can’t talk right now,’ she says. ‘I have someone here. Yes, I do. Yes. Look, could you just hold on for a second, I…’
Sensing there must be some kind of emergency and that she might need privacy, I get to my feet. Jemma starts when I place a hand on her arm. ‘I have to go,’ I mouth, indicating the door and giving her a reassuring smile.
She nods, looking relieved. I sense that there’s something else behind her eyes as they lock briefly on mine, a wariness almost. I assume it’s an emergency – a patient needing an urgent consultation? But I can’t help thinking that her wariness and the panic I’d sensed was because she didn’t want me overhearing the conversation.
TWENTY-ONE
JACK
Going down the stairs to find Kara helping Lina through the front door, Jack felt his gut tighten. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked, eyeing her cautiously.
‘I called you earlier but you weren’t answering,’ Kara said, by way of no explanation. ‘And then I came home to grab a shower and left my phone upstairs. I’ll have a word in a minute.’ Giving him a brief smile, she shepherded the woman through to the lounge. She wasn’t meeting his gaze, he noted, which was disconcerting. As was the fact that she surely could have used Evie’s phone if she hadn’t wanted to present what he dreaded might be happening here as a fait accompli.
His apprehension quadrupled as Evie appeared, lugging several carrier bags in with her. ‘It’s okay, I can manage,’ she said, shooting him a despairing look as she dumped them on the floor and then turned around to go back outside.
Torn between following Kara to the lounge and asking her outright what was happening or going after Evie, he chose the latter. He wasn’t sufficiently in control of his emotions to be anywhere near Lina, despite her stroke scare.
Reaching the car, he picked up a bag Evie had placed on the drive, and his heart sank as he noticed the dog-eared stuffedrabbit on top of it. It used to be Natalia’s. Her comfort toy, one she’d kept into adulthood. She’d given it to Evie when she was small and having nightmares. Evie had obviously taken it with her to Lina’s. He swallowed back the choking lump in his throat. ‘What’s going on here, Evie?’ he asked.
After fetching another bag from the car, Evie closed the boot and turned to face him. ‘You should ask Kara,’ she said, glancing at him guardedly as she moved past him towards the house.
Jack took a second to compose himself and then went after her. Dropping the bag down next to the others, he went to the kitchen, poured a large brandy from the bottle he’d brought from the lounge earlier and knocked half of it back. He tried to avoid drinking to excess, but that bloody woman was enough to drive anyone to drink.
Kara came in after a moment, her gaze travelling cautiously from his face to the glass he had in his hand. ‘Well?’ he asked. He really didn’t want to appear to be demanding explanations, but he felt he was owed one.
She drew in a breath. ‘I’ve offered Lina the use of the annexe,’ she announced.
‘Right.’ Jack took a large swig of his drink and tried to take stock. ‘For how long?’
Kara hesitated, and the knot in his stomach tied itself tighter. ‘For as long as she needs,’ she replied eventually. ‘She obviously needs help and?—’
‘Jesus!’ Bewildered, Jack banged the glass down. ‘Are you out of your mind?’ He stared hard at her.
Kara stepped back, clearly shaken, and he immediately regretted his outburst, but surely she couldn’t be serious. ‘No,’ she answered calmly. ‘I believe Lina might be struggling with her cognitive thinking, and I accept that your wife had issues, but I can assure you I’m perfectly sound of mind. Thanks for your concern, though.’
Seeing her disillusionment, Jack wished he could reel the words back, but could she not see what was happening here? ‘She’s manipulating you, Kara,’ he said, his voice heavy with despair. ‘You and Evie both. She’s trying to turn Evie against me, you must see that.’
Kara studied him carefully. ‘She’s ill, Jack,’ she pointed out. ‘She needs help.’
‘It’s anact,’ he reiterated.
Kara ignored that. ‘She can’t stay in the place she’s renting. It’s a dump,’ she said, going across to turn the kettle on. ‘Not fit for habitation. Plus, she’s about to be served an eviction notice.’
‘Says who?’ Jack asked, unconvinced. He would bet that was bullshit too.
