‘But he is.’ Zoe felt sick. This was her fault. If she’d done something about the complaints she’d already heard about Lennon, if she’d gone to see her dad, perhaps this could have been avoided. ‘Is he all right?’ she asked in a small voice.
Ottilie nodded. ‘Probably…Where’s Anthony?’
‘He’s with Lavender and Shabana. I wanted to see?—’
Her sentence was cut short by Simon’s arrival. ‘Lavender’s filled me in a little, but would you mind taking it from the top for me?’
‘I was in the shop,’ Flo said. ‘And that thug from up the hill came in. I only asked him to move out of the way of the fridges,and then I got a whole mouthful of things I wouldn’t dare repeat in polite company. The names he called me! So you know me, I give as good as I get, and I said, the thing that’s wrong with the country these days is that there’s no national service, and young men would be a lot more respectful if there was. And if I was a few years younger I’d give him a clip round the ear because that’s obviously something he’s never had, and then he…’ Flo shuddered and lowered her voice to a dramatic whisper. ‘He said, try it because he’d find out where I lived…’
‘Ah…’ Simon looked at Heath. ‘And your grandma told you about it, and you decided you’d administer the clip round the ear.’
Heath gave a rueful nod and then winced at the movement. ‘I caught him outside the shop. Turns out,’ he slurred through a barely open mouth, ‘he’s handier than I thought. I won’t be caught out next time.’
‘There won’t be a next time!’ Ottilie snapped. ‘You’ll stay away from him!’
‘It only takes the right dark alley—’ Flo began but stopped, blushing, at the burning stare of disapproval Ottilie sent her way.
‘Don’t you dare encourage him! I’d rather have Anthony’s father in one piece, thank you. All this manly pride business is ridiculous!’ She turned back to Heath. ‘Pride will get you more than a split lip if you’re not careful. It wouldn’t matter to me if you turned and ran like a little girl – you have nothing to prove where I’m concerned.’
‘It’s a question of honour,’ Flo said, emboldened. ‘He was defending me.’
‘Easy to say when you’re not the one in the fight,’ Ottilie said. ‘Would you have him in a coma for your honour?’
‘I wouldn’t—’ Heath began, but Ottilie shushed him.
‘Here…’ Simon joined her. ‘Mind if I take a look?’
Ottilie nodded and moved back to give him room. She stood next to Zoe, who watched, her mind racing. What was she meant to do? She felt responsible, even though she had no control over what Lennon did. What did this mean for her and her family? Would Ottilie now reveal what had happened to Stacey? Would Stacey herself say something in the hope Lennon would be forced to leave before anyone else got hurt?
‘I don’t think anything’s broken,’ Simon announced after a couple of minutes. ‘But you’ll need some stitches to that lip, so you might as well go to the A&E department where they’ll likely do an X-ray as well to be sure.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ Ottilie said. ‘I just wanted a second opinion. And to grab some dressings to see us through until we get there. Thank you, Simon.’
The calmness of their GP told Zoe one thing – Stacey hadn’t yet mentioned her encounter with Lennon to him because if she had, the sight of Heath’s battered face would have compelled him to take immediate action.
His next sentence, however, made Zoe realise that the situation was more serious than she’d comprehended.
‘I think you ought to report it to the police too.’
Now, everyone in the room seemed to look at Zoe. What was she meant to say? Much as she hated the distress it would cause Chantal and her father, Simon was right – she would have done the same if Alex had been the one Lennon attacked.
‘We’ll give it some thought,’ Ottilie said finally.
‘I’ll go and see him,’ Zoe said.
Ottilie shook her head. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
‘I’ll speak to Dad then. Or Chantal. Perhaps they can have a word with him in a way that won’t rile him.’
‘I think someone looking his way with the wind in the wrong direction would rile him,’ Flo said.
‘It’s worth a try,’ Zoe insisted. ‘Maybe he’ll leave of his own accord when he realises the police might get involved. I could tell Dad that the matter will be dropped if Lennon packs his bags and goes.’
‘I think that would be the best solution,’ Ottilie said.
Simon looked unconvinced. ‘In my experience, someone who keeps getting away with things like that will keep on doing them. If not here, then wherever he goes next. And next time the person he attacks might not be as lucky as Heath. I still think the police ought to be involved.’
‘Please…’ Zoe looked up at Simon. He didn’t owe her anything. She didn’t owe Lennon anything either, but she was desperate to spare Chantal, and her dad, from the stress police involvement would bring. And then that thing Tom had said about Chantal’s family having some sort of hold over her dad came to mind again, filling her with a vague sense of panic. What if it was true and reporting Lennon to the police made him retaliate by causing real damage to Nigel?
