* * *
When the train arrived the next morning it was packed. As I squeezed my way on, I couldn’t help checking every face even though it meant raising my head.
As the train pulled into Vauxhall, my phone rang.
‘Barney?’
‘Olivia. Thought I’d let you know. I’ve spoken to the police and gave them Peter’s address.’
‘Great. So you spoke to the person who recommended him? What did they say?’
‘Not much. But I gave him short shrift for being so casual about it all. He was horrified. Got a feeling he might have words with Peter, even though I told him to leave it to the police. I’ve drafted up some new terms and conditions to make sure this doesn’t happen again.’
That was unexpected. ‘Thanks,’ I said, voicing my surprise.
He sighed. ‘Olivia, you’re family. This guy’s been terrorising you and it’s indirectly my fault. I’m not all bad you know.’
‘No,’ I said grudgingly. ‘I suppose you have improved a bit since you were eighteen.’
‘Don’t overdo it, will you.’
‘I wouldn’t want you to get big-headed,’ I replied sweetly, and then more sincerely. ‘Thanks Barney.’
‘Speak to you later.’
* * *
Emily made a brief appearance in the office and then left just after lunch to go to the dentist, which I thought was odd as she’d not mentioned it before. Taking advantage of a client meeting finishing early, I decided not to go back to the office. It wasn’t like I didn’t put the hours in normally.
When I got home, I surprised Emily.
Black bin liners and boxes overflowing with clothes were spilling from the open boot of the cab parked outside the flat. No wonder she’d been avoiding me for the last twenty-four hours.
The driver was lazily smoking a cigarette, leaning against his car door, jabbering unconcernedly on his mobile. A box emerged from the flat, piled with books, CDs, one of my saucepans and a bedside lamp and was dumped into the back of the cab. Emily’s bottom backed out, straightened and turned, walking right into me.
‘Olivia!’ Her voice was high-pitched and strangled. I was obviously just that bit too early.
‘Going somewhere?’ I asked.
She squared up, her jaw thrusting out pugnaciously. ‘I’m moving out. Well, you’d hardly expect me to stay... a stalker-in-waiting and you mooning all over my boyfriend.’ Rehearsed to perfection, her bitter words came tumbling out. ‘Let’s face it. You’ve been making eyes at him for ever. Idiot... do you think he’s interested in you?’
She stalked past me up the stairs back towards her room.
She grabbed another bag from her bedroom and turned to face me.
Feebly my response was, ‘So where are you going?’
Every bit of pity and disdain she could muster was summoned up and delivered in her scathing glance. It was completely wasted on me, bouncing right off into the ether. My mind was busy lighting candles, setting the scene for seduction.
‘I’m going to stay with someone. You know him quite well.’
I had a pretty good idea. All the clues suggested Mr Loathsome from the speed-date who liked sushi and knew someone who could get tickets forPhantom, but a little gut instinct kept telling me it didn’t stack up. He was a bit too smooth.
I pulled a face and shuddered very deliberately which was a bit theatrical and downright rude but she deserved it.
‘You’re just jealous,’ she said, dismissing my childish gesture, flouncing past me towards the stairs, ‘that your cousin likes me more than you.’
Cousin!
