“Shit. I didn’t think of that.”
I gave a wry laugh. “Neither did I at first.” There hadn’t been many who had tried to contact me, just a couple with barrels of abuse and threats because they considered it my fault that Eliot was in prison. “I’ve never let it bother me. Was Lauren okay this morning?” She’d woken briefly last night when I’d gotten to Jack’s, asked me if I would attend her next show, and then had gone back to bed.
“She was fine. You know what it’s like working in a kitchen: someone has a meltdown at work and can’t go home so they end up crashing on your sofa. She’s been used to people coming in late.” His fingers were now intertwined with mine.
I didn’t quite like what he’d said. “Have you been with anyone else from work?”
He looked at me calmly. “No. I would’ve told you if I had because that could’ve been awkward. I’ve always been careful with who I’ve introduced to Lauren. She likes you, by the way.”
I couldn’t help but smile. That actually made me feel warm inside.
“We should go to Toad Hall. See the damage before it gets repaired.” He stood up. “Killian and Nick have sorted a team to put it right.”
“That’s good of them.”
“They seem like good people.”
The damage wasabout what I thought it would be from what Killian had described last night. The door the person had set fire to had been a fire door so there was no damage inside. The graffiti was emblazoned across the back walls; my name with various slurs, including one about how I sucked dick, which made Jack chuckle. The scene of crime officers had already been, collecting anything that could be evidence, although it was doubtful that anything useful would be found.
The police station we went to was the same one I attended to report the abusive behaviours Eliot had shown after he’d murdered Sally. She’d been a nursery teacher and she’d thought that Eliot and I had split months before.
When I moved out, he took it out on her and didn’t know where to stop. He’d ended up beating her so badly she’d died; extensive trauma to the head, plus numerous broken bones and a punctured lung.
I knew it could’ve been me.
He was one argument away from hitting me and I’d gone.
Sally had taken the battering instead.
Sitting there in the police station made me remember that day, made me think of the guilt I still carried and how I always would. But it also reminded me that I’d walked away and that it could’ve been me. I had to live my life and the life Sally couldn’t.
That wasn’t about being a workaholic.
Jack came over with two plastic cups of coffee in his hands. “This is probably going to abuse your palette.” He passed me one.
“I love you.”
He dropped both cups. Coffee splattered everywhere.
“Shit. This wasn’t the right time to say that, was it?” I’d never told anyone that before. I’d married Phillip because I’d been wooed and the wedding was organised before I’d really thought about how I felt about my rescuer. Eliot had been a whirlwind and what I thought I should’ve been doing.
And I realised there was a rule somewhere about blurting out I love yous in a police station.
Then Jack smiled, broad and wide and he laughed, that deep, quiet chuckle that told me more about how he was feeling than a thousand words.
“I don’t think there’s ever a wrong time to say those words. I was just a bit surprised.” He sat down next to me and wrapped his arms around me.
“Simone Wood?” A police officer stuck her head round the door to the room where we were waiting. “I’ll get a mop. Those cups are rubbish. We’re ready to ask you some questions.”
I didn’t find out how Jack was going to respond, because we were led into an interview room, luckily not the same one I’d been in before.
The officer went through what had happened and where I was. Killian had given them CCTV footage of me going into my house which proved it couldn’t be an attempt to create an insurance claim which made things straightforward, relatively.
“Can you think of anyone who wants to target you, Simone? I appreciate you might not have considered it before…”
“There are several people.” I interrupted because I had thought about it. “My second husband is in jail for murder. He has fans who will occasionally try to contact me.” I gave them a little more background. “There are a couple of restaurant owners who aren’t happy about the success I’ve had.”
“Can you give us names?”
