‘No, he won’t,’ Valentina responded reprovingly. ‘Because it’s all going to be dug out and lawned. A very little lawn,’ she admitted. ‘Let me show you one of the reasons I wanted the house.’
They trooped back through the mouldy kitchen and musty living room, and then cautiously up the creaking stairs. ‘Some of the treads could do with replacing,’ Valentina allowed. ‘But come into the biggest bedroom.’
She led the way into a room where the carpet was filthy with mould and mouse droppings and the wallpaper was no better than downstairs. ‘Look.’ Valentina had had the foresight to bring up a scrunch of newspaper and now she rubbed fiercely at the largest window to reveal a view of Rothach Bay. The mist shifted just in time for a shaft of light to touch the grey wintry sea. ‘Wow,’ Ezz breathed. ‘This is going to be awesome.’
‘It is,’ Valentina agreed gleefully. ‘And the garden will have a wonderful view of the sea too, when the jungle’s chopped down.’
‘Fantastic.’ Thea gave Valentina a big hug, obviously sharing her sister’s excitement. ‘Where will the new bathroom be?’
‘In here.’ Valentina showed them the other bedroom, which would have a fine view of the beach at the front and a less lovely one of the cliff face at the rear. ‘The back section will become the bathroom, leaving Barnaby a nice room at the front.’
Then she looked at her watch. ‘Keith should be here soon. I think it might be an idea to start collecting the rubbish to bag up— Damn! I bought rubble sacksespecially for that, but I’ve left them in my room at your house, Ezz.’ Frowning, she glanced at her watch.
Ezz turned towards the stairs. ‘No problem. I’ll nip back. You wait for the builder.’
After the fusty interior of the cottage, it was great to be in the fresh air again even when enveloped in the soft mist. As far as Ezz could see, Harbour View was deserted except for gulls bickering loudly over something on the road, threatening each other with hooked beaks and flapping grey wings. Taking deep breaths to clear her lungs of dust and mould, it took only five minutes for Ezz to get home, panting from the steepness of Creag an Lolaire.
When she reached her front path, she was just reflecting that the muffling mist felt like a cocoon, if a damned chilly one, when a man climbed from a nearby car. The likelihood of this being Brodie or some other neighbour made her glance up with a smile and a greeting ready on her lips.
But then the man said, ‘Ezzie,’ and she froze. It was Mats Larsson. He hovered closer. ‘Can we talk?’
Before, her heart had lurched once or twice when she’d seen him, but now it pounded as if she was in one of those videos where a human comes face to face with a bear and doesn’t know whether to freeze or run like hell. It took her an instant to remember that she also had words to draw on. ‘I’m busy.’ She sidled a step up her front path.
Mats took two steps forward, his smile rueful. ‘I thought of calling first, but knew you’d ignore me.’
She waggled her head, the universal body language for ‘maybe’. Keys in hand, she took the last few steps to her door, the wet, long grass either side of the path stooping as if to wipe her boots.
She could step inside and slam the door in his face.
Satisfying as that thought was, she’d need to come out again in a few minutes, so all he’d have to do was wait. There was no way out of the back of her house apart from scrambling over the fence and then risking the steep rock and scree between Chapel Road and Friday Furlong.
That would be idiocy.Would it, though … ?Yeah, it would.
Reluctantly, she turned to face him. He paused. His golden hair poked from below his black beanie hat and his expression was hard to read.
She tried not to let her voice wobble. ‘I’m in the middle of something.’
‘Ah, yes.’ He nodded. ‘Your big sister’s visit. You told me about it. But nobody answered my knock at your door, so I presume she’s not here. Maybe she’s at Thea’s?’
Sweat broke out on the back of Ezz’s neck. Thea’s address was a matter of record at Rothach Hall, just like hers, and she wanted him there even less than she wanted him here. Sooner or later, he’d run across Valentina, who’d demand to know what was going on and treat Mats like the knobhead and entitled arse that Ezz and Thea had dubbed him. Anger made her lips tingle. ‘What do you want?’
‘Can I come in?’ He even took a half-stride, as if certain she’d say ‘yes’.
‘No. Say what you need to say out here.’ She stared him down.
But then he took her by surprise. He said, ‘I think you’re in trouble and I want to help.’
Trouble.Pain shot through her temples as tension clamped its steely hands on her skull. ‘No idea what you’re on about.’
He took another half-step. She could see every line inhis face now, and the shades of grey and blue in his eyes. Even flecks of green. His voice was husky as he held her gaze. ‘People don’t resign without notice unless they’re staring down the barrel of a gun. You’ve been a perfect employee for nearly a decade, so I think you’re scared. And if you’re not scared of getting hurt yourself, you’re afraid for someone you love,’ he added. ‘At first, I was angry when you wouldn’t explain what I overheard about a criminal record. Then, of course, my mother was upset when you resigned.’ He gave her another rueful half-smile. ‘But later, after Astrid and Alvin were asleep, I went down to your office to switch off the computer and the lights. I sat in your chair and saw the email half-written, your pad full of notes and reminders, and I knew that for you to abandon us like that, the gun barrel must be very big.’
Shockingly, Ezz’s throat began to ache with unshed tears.
When she didn’t – couldn’t – answer him, he added, ‘Mum’s sad and baffled. She’d only told me a couple of days earlier that the Wynter sisters ran Rothach Hall and it’s obvious that she’s fond of you both. I explained yesterday’s conversation as best I could, but I hardly understood it myself – except that I defended my family blindly and was accusatory, demanding explanations instead of inviting confidences.’ Grimacing, he added, ‘I haven’t told Dad yet. I wanted to talk to you first.’
Ezz could no longer see him, not because the mist had swallowed him up but because of a veil of tears.
A sigh came from deep in his chest. ‘Any HR department at Larsson Fiskeri would be horrified at me. But I’m not your employer, Ezz. My parents are. Can you confide in me as a friend?’
