Behind a Closed Door (The Estate, Book 2) (22 page)

‘Josie. I –’

‘Christ on a bike,’ Josie interrupted, noticing the time. ‘I have to go – I’ll catch you later in the week. Bye.’

Kelly closed the door and made her way back up the stairs. Already she was searching her memory, running through previous conversations with Josie. Hadn’t she said that they’d both lost their parents?

So that left one question: why did the men at work call the man in the photograph ‘mummy’s boy’?

CHAPTER NINETEEN

At half past two, Josie was sorting out the eviction paperwork when she received a phone call to say that Stewart was in the main reception asking for her. A little bit taken aback, she rushed up to see him, but at the sight of him, she felt anger tear through her. She pointed to an interview cubicle and Stewart followed her in.

‘I came to see how you were,’ he said. ‘I haven’t seen you since…’

‘Since you punched me in the face?’

‘Sorry.’ Stewart lowered his eyes for a moment. ‘I got it into my head that you were seeing someone else.’

‘So you thought you’d spy on me?’

‘I was worried about you!’

‘I don’t think you’ll ever worry about anyone other than yourself. And I can’t see why you’re so bothered. You haven’t really liked living with me for a while now, have you?’

Stewart shrugged like a spoilt child.

‘You’ve wanted out of this marriage for ages,’ Josie continued into the silence that had followed. ‘So I’ve given you the opportunity. Now tell me the real reason that you’re here.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘What do you want, Stewart?’

‘I – I want to know what you’re doing about the house.’

‘My house?’

Stewart looked uncomfortable. ‘I paid towards it too.’

The penny clicked and Josie gasped. ‘You’ve come here to talk money?’

‘I –’

‘That house belongs to me! It was left to me by my mother. Granted, you paid towards its keep in the early years of our marriage, but you’ve hardly given anything towards the bills lately. I know you may be entitled to something – I’m not that heartless – but I’ll be damned if you think you’re getting thousands from me.’

‘I’m entitled to half.’

‘Oh, no you’re not,’ Josie raged. She lowered her voice before continuing. ‘We need to talk but now isn’t the time. I can meet you tonight in the Cat and Fiddle.’

‘I’ll come to the house.’

‘No, you won’t.’

‘But –’

‘I have work to do. I’ll meet you in the pub later – six o’clock, take it or leave it.’

Josie let out a breath as she watched Stewart walk away. Tears filled her eyes and her hands began to shake uncontrollably. How dare he show up unannounced? She didn’t like mixing her home life with her working days and he knew that.

She sat down for a moment to calm herself. After what they’d discussed, she felt totally let down. Seeing him now made her realise that she had no feelings left for him. She didn’t love him; she didn’t even like him anymore. Especially when it seemed he was more interested in the house than her welfare.

Finally, she stood up. She couldn’t let him get away with treating her like this. If Stewart thought for a minute she was willing to bargain with him, he had another think coming.

At ten to three, Kelly thought she’d given Scott enough time to return home. He’d promised to look after Emily that evening but, no sooner had he walked back into her life, than the meetings of before had started up again. He’d been gone since he’d taken a phone call at eleven that morning.   

Kelly grabbed her keys. ‘Come on, Em. Let’s see if Dot’s in. Would you mind staying with her while I go to work, just for today?’

The grateful look on her daughter’s face was enough to make Kelly blink away tears. Why had she thought she could leave Emily with Scott as soon as he returned? She’d known things were going to be rough while they got reacquainted but she hadn’t thought they would be
this
rough. It was like living with a different person.

Or maybe he’d always been like this and she’d never noticed.

As she was about to fly down the stairs, Kelly heard the key turn in the door.

‘I think she’s gone,’ she heard Scott say. Putting a finger over her lips, Kelly pulled Emily into the bathroom and quietly closed the door.

‘Won’t she go mental if you keep them in here?’ someone else spoke. Kelly frowned, vaguely recognising the voice.

‘She doesn’t have any choice.’ The bathroom door flew open. Scott freaked when he saw them both.

‘What the fuck –’

‘I might ask you the same thing.’ Kelly pointed to the tank he was holding. ‘What is that?’

Emily peeped out from behind Kelly’s legs. She let out an ear-piercing scream. ‘Spiders! Mummy, I hate spiders!’

‘Stop your whining.’ Scott placed the tank of creepy crawlies into the bath. ‘They won’t hurt you – well, most of them won’t.’

Kelly stared at the man standing behind Scott. It was that Matson guy she’d fetched Scott’s parcel from.

‘Get them out of here,’ she said, at the same time trying to console Emily by pulling her close.

‘No, it’s only for a few days. Since that bitch of a housing officer,’ Scott turned towards Kelly with a sneer, ‘you know, the one you’re so friendly with – chucked him out of his house, he’s nowhere to put them.’

‘They can’t stay in here.’

Emily was sniffling uncontrollably now.

‘Em, don’t be a baby.’ Scott delved into the tank, picked up a spider and thrust it into her face. Emily turned away and screamed again. He laughed at her look of dismay.

‘Grow up, Scott,’ Kelly cried. ‘She’s frightened, for God’s sake. Are you too bloody stupid to see that?’

‘But where else can they go?’

‘If they must stay, put them in the bin store outside. The key’s hanging up in the kitchen.’ Kelly pushed past them. Emily tightened her gip on her hand. ‘They’d better not be in here when I get home.’

‘Okay, okay! Keep your knickers on.’ Scott knew when he was beat. ‘I’ll put them outside.’

 Kelly managed to get down the stairs with Emily still clinging to her. She checked her watch after she’d pressed the tinny bell on Dot’s door frame. It was nearing quarter past three; she was going to be late for work now.

‘One minute!’

Kelly’s shoulders drooped, thankful for small mercies. At least Dot could keep an eye on Scott to see if anything else unpleasant found its way into her bathroom. God knows what else that creepy guy had with him.

‘I’m beginning to wish I’d kept hold of Patrick Street,’ Scott muttered as he pushed past her rudely.

‘That’s funny,’ Kelly replied sharply. ‘So am I.’

Josie turned the dial up on the shower and stepped under the hot water, hoping to wash her troubles down the plug hole along with her shower gel. Sighing loudly, she stood for what seemed like an age as she recalled the last few hours. What a day. When Philip Matson had eventually vacated the property, he’d also ripped the washing machine away from the wall, leaving damaged pipe-work and water pouring everywhere. Josie had had to call out the emergency plumber. Then there had been the meeting with Stewart that never was, as he hadn’t turned up at the Cat and Fiddle. She hoped he’d come to his senses, that he wouldn’t turn up unannounced again.

Luckily for her, she’d returned the favour and invited Livvy for something to eat that evening. She was glad to have some company.

‘He’s a right prick, messing you about like that,’ Livvy said, as they sat down in the living room. ‘What are you going to do now?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Josie handed her a glass of red wine. ‘It’s early days yet. I bet he thinks I won’t be able to hack it in the real world without him.’

‘Why don’t you call his bluff and put the house up for sale?’

Josie stopped with the glass near her lips. ‘I don’t get you.’

Livvy shrugged. ‘Let him know that you’re moving on regardless.’

‘But I don’t want to sell it.’

‘I’m not saying that you have to, but it might make him realise that you’re serious about not taking him back. You won’t change your mind about that, will you?’

Josie shook her head. It had been a shock when Stewart had lashed out at her, but even before that she’d known the marriage was dead on its feet. There was no point going back to that.

‘Good, it will give him something to worry about for a change.’

But Josie wasn’t sure that Stewart would worry about that. She assumed he’d think she was putting the house on the market so that she could pay him his half when it sold. However, if it gave her a bit of time and kept him at bay for a while, she would certainly give it some thought.

‘I’ll definitely think about it.’

She went to check on the food and came back a few minutes later to find Livvy staring into space. Livvy had been reluctant to open up the first time they’d met – maybe she needed to talk now.

‘Want to tell me what’s weighing you down?’ she asked.

Livvy sighed. ‘You remember I left the association to work with my family?’

‘Yes, I do.’ Libby’s parents owned their own franchise of recruitment agencies. ‘I thought you were doing well. Did something go wrong?’

‘Leyton Goldstraw.’

‘Ah.’ Josie pulled her legs up beside her. ‘A man.’

‘I’d been going out with him for six months. My parents and my brother and sister never took to him. They didn’t like the way he pestered me for money all the time. So, after one almighty row, I quit.’

‘You left the family business!’

Livvy shrugged. ‘It was hard, I know, but they were never going to approve. I would have thought twice about it, had I known how Leyton would react.’

‘Oh?’

‘He was far from impressed. My brother and sister had both been given their own branches to run and, being the youngest, I was in line for mine. My dad had picked out the office space and was just about to sign the lease on the building when we fell out. I managed to find work with an agency before getting back on at head office but the money was nowhere near what I’d been earning before. And then, over the next year, Leyton bled me dry.’ Livvy pushed her long hair behind her ears and sighed. ‘I was a fool, Josie. I loaned him money towards starting his own business, yet his promises to pay me back never materialised. Eventually he just upped and left, leaving me with all his debts. I couldn’t face asking my parents to help me out because I felt so humiliated.’

‘I don’t believe it.’ Josie felt angry about Livvy’s quandary. It never failed to amaze her just how similar people were. No matter what beginnings they’d had in life, it only took one event to turn everything upside down. ‘So what did you do? I mean, they would have been okay with you, surely?’

‘Yes, without a doubt I know they would have bailed me out. But me, being pigheaded Livvy, carried on with life as I did before – a life I could no longer afford, I hasten to add.  I don’t go out much now but when I do, I still have to spend to keep everyone in the dark. At least the argument with my family blew over almost immediately and I still see them regularly. We’re really close and I like that. They do still think I’m seeing Leyton, though.’  

‘What?’ Josie was surprised. ‘You haven’t told them he’s gone?’

Livvy shook her head. ‘Maybe I hate the words ‘I told you so.’ But they’d be right.’

‘And what about the flat? Are you behind on your rent?’

Livvy shook her head again. ‘I lease it from my parents. I pay hardly anything so I’ve managed to keep up with those payments. It’s the other things I’m having trouble with, like my credit cards and the instalments on my car. I can’t let them take away my Bessie.’

‘I can help, if you like?’ Josie volunteered. ‘It’s part of my job to offer debt advice.’

‘If you can sort me out, I’d be eternally grateful,’ Livvy laughed, but it was tinged with sadness.

‘Okay.’ Josie thought it was time to throw in a compromise. ‘Providing you tell your parents about Leyton.’

Livvy paused before speaking. ‘Okay, providing you at least think about putting the house up for sale.’

‘I’m not sure. I’m not usually any kind of risk taker. I’m more your average Joe, anything for a quiet existence. Does that make sense?’

Livvy nodded slightly. ‘It does in a strange kind of way. I think what you’re trying to
say is that you feel trapped living here. Like a bird with clipped wings – never knowing what’s out there, but you’re too frightened to take a gamble.’

Josie was impressed. ‘Wow. You have me down to a tee. I think I’ve fused my home life with my job. I always feel the need to be looking after someone.’

‘Can’t you specialise in that for your work?’

Josie wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at. ‘My job is specialised,’ she said.

‘I mean, more dedicated to one subject. You seem good with people. You coaxed all that out of me.’ Livvy referred to their earlier conversation. ‘I’ve never told anyone about my debt problem, but you’re so easy to talk to. You listen and you don’t judge. That’s the difference.’