I made a left into Towai Crescent and blinked at the upmarket houses lining the wide, leafy street. It was a step or three up from the modest suburb where Chloe resided.
“Austin bought this when he and Belinda got together, just after Brendon died.” Chloe leaned forward in her seat, one hand resting on Nick’s shoulder. “He was promoted to head of themusic department at his school and the extra salary gave him a boost.”
Nick said nothing, his gaze roaming the expensive houses. I figured he was thinking the same as me. It was a hell of a lot of property for a schoolteacher, even a head of department.
“You said Belinda’s a nurse, right?”
“Yes, she—oh, there.” Chloe pointed to a concrete and glass house at the end of the street. “That one is theirs.”
I approached the house at a crawl, giving Nick ample time for a good look. Painted black with tinted glass windows, a bright green lawn, large trees, and a pretty garden, the home was simple but eye-catching. Not the biggest on the street but not the smallest, either. It had to have cost a pretty penny.
“Belinda has green fingers and quite the eye for design,” Chloe chatted away. “Austin wouldn’t know a colour swatch if it bit him in the butt, but thanks to Belinda’s talent, the interior looks like something out of a magazine. Austin certainly lucked out there. And Belinda loves a good bargain. A small amount of money goes a long way in her capable hands.”
I came to a stop across the road from Austin’s driveway and stared at the manicured lawn, carefully tended garden, and the large properties either side. Someone was telling big fat porkies. It would take more than a bit of clever bargain hunting and a small rise in a teacher’s salary to maintain a house on this street.
Chloe pointed to the triple garage. “They have a granny flat at back of that. Austin wants me to sell up and move in with them.”
Beside me, Nick tensed, anger pouring off him in waves. “But that’s not what you want, I take it?”
Chloe shook her head. “I value my independence too much, what I have left of it, anyways. It was a long time coming, as you well know.”
Nick patted Chloe’s hand, which was still resting on his shoulder. “Good for you.”
I caught her quick smile in my rear-vision mirror before she slid back into her seat. “I think it’s time you boys got me home.”
“Good idea.” I pulled away from the kerb and turned right at the end of the street.
Nick’s hand found my thigh, and he shot me a troubled look. I answered with one of my own. The morning had been far from reassuring.
Pulling into the driveway of Chloe’s townhouse, the downward spiral continued. A dark blue nineties Honda was parked in Chloe’s carport.
“Bugger,” Chloe grumbled. “Belinda’s here.”
“Shit.” Nick caught my eye, then turned in his seat. “How do you want to play this?”
Chloe shrugged. “I... I don’t know.” Her gaze flitted to the townhouse and back to me, almost panicked. “I... can’t think. She can’t know about you. I’m not ready. Not yet. She’s nice enough, but she’ll tell Austin, and he’ll be angry,”
Nick looked helplessly to me. “You’re the story expert.”
I thought quickly. “How about we tell her Chloe wanted to post something, so we gave her a ride.”
“Oh, yes. A birthday present,” Chloe agreed excitedly. “I’ll come up with a name. Those two have no clue about family birthdays.”
“Not bad.” I pulled into the visitor’s car park and cut the engine. “But it doesn’t explain us being here in the first place. Tell her that we couldn’t reach you by phone and so we called in just to give you our contact details before we left.”
Nick looked to Chloe. “What do you think? Will it work?”
Chloe nodded. “It should. Belinda’s much softer than Austin. She and I get along well.”
“All right, then.” Nick unplugged the new phone and its charger and passed them to Chloe. “Put these in your handbag and remember to charge it when she’s gone.”
Chloe snapped her bag shut moments before the front door opened and a pretty blonde woman began making her way down the path toward us.
“She’s coming,” I warned. “And she doesn’t look happy.”
“I’m ready.” Chloe took a deep breath and got out of the car.
Nick and I shared a worried look before joining her.
