‘Oh, she is,’ he shouted, above the music. ‘She really is. But she’s also ruthlessly ambitious.’
I laughed. ‘She’s a midwife.’
‘Yeah. For now. Look, I’ve known Simone for years. She’s a hard worker, I’ll give her that. And she likes babies. Who doesn’t? But being a midwife isn’t her passion. She fell into it.’
That sounded like me and I perked up. ‘Not everyone is lucky enough to know what they want to do with their life.’
‘Look, you seem like a nice girl. I don’t want her to drag you down.’
‘How is she going to drag me down?’
He lit a cigarette, then offered me one. I shook my head.
‘Let’s just say she’s not afraid to get involved in anything illegal if it means she can make a quick buck.’
I laughed. ‘What? Like drugs? Yeah, I’d kind of noticed her going off to the bogs every five minutes.’
‘That’s purely recreational.’
I felt uncomfortable and wanted the conversation to end. ‘It’s none of my business.’
He didn’t listen. He leaned into me, his hot, rancid breath on my ear. ‘She’s involved in something at the hospital where she works. She told me once when she was drunk.’
A chill settled over my skin. ‘What?’
‘Just be careful is all I’m saying. When it comes to money her morals go out the window.’
I stared at him in disbelief.
He raised his eyebrows at me and carried on puffing at his cigarette, looking smug. I wanted to punch him in the face.
I didn’t want my illusion of Simone to be shattered.
But I should have listened to him. I should have asked what he meant, asked exactly what Simone was involved in.
Instead I found out the hard way.
39
LENA
It’s awkward at work on Wednesday. Susi stays in her office most of the day and I get the impression she’s deliberately avoiding me. Every now and again Kath glances up from her desk on the other side of the room and smiles at me in sympathy. She knows Susi is angry with me but not the reason why. I’m tempted to ask Susi how she found out I’d visited Drew at his home, but I’m too embarrassed to bring it up again. So I keep my head down and hope that Drew sticks to his promise and doesn’t come in. It was good to talk to someone who agreed with me about Henry Morgan. Jo was supportive, as she always is, but I know she thinks I’m paranoid. But Drew has witnessed Henry’s dark side and his lies.
When I get home that evening I google Simone Harvey again, hoping that something might have popped up since yesterday, all the while knowing how unlikely it is. I’m not surprised when I don’t find anything. The relentless sunshine streams through the patio doors, picking out every smudge on the stainless-steel cooker and my ivory cabinets. From the living room I can hear the faint strainsof a guitar. When I got home Kit was already here giving Rufus a lesson. He’s finished college now for the summer and starts his work experience next week.
I sit back in my chair with a sigh. I’m not getting anywhere with looking up Simone. But if thereisa link between her and the Morgans, the only way to find out is to call the electrical company and ask to speak to her. My mouth goes dry at the thought of talking to Simone again after all these years. She tried to reach out to me once, after the court case, but I had already left London and, wanting to put the past behind me, I never returned her call. The jury might have found her not guilty, but I know very well that she was. And there is no coming back from that. Our friendship couldn’t be saved. If I ring her now she might hang up, but the possibility of discovering something about the Morgans is too tantalizing a prospect to pass up.
Before I can change my mind I find the number of the electrical company and call it. A woman with a singsong voice answers after two rings: ‘Herman, Hardy and Sullivans.’
I clear my throat. ‘Hi, I was wondering if I could speak to one of your electricians, Simone Harvey.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she says smoothly. ‘We don’t have a Simone Harvey working here.’
‘Ah, okay. I’m wondering, have you ever … um … had a Simone Harvey working for you?’
‘No, my love, at least not in the fifteen years I’ve been with the company. We’re a small family firm so I would know if we had anyone of that name here. Can I help you with anything else?’
‘I’m looking for a female electrician,’ I say, thinking quickly. ‘And I think you’ve got one working for you?’
