The art of deception Read online

  She got through the rest of the morning unscathed. Her confidence grew and by the afternoon she was dealing with everything herself without assistance.

  But in her apartment, the gloom descended once more. Everyone was conspiring against her; even her beloved father had gone off with another woman.

  Only drink helped – wine, in particular, but not the whole bottle this time. Just enough to send her to sleep.

  The week passed; she settled in and gave Susie no further cause for complaint. But the approaching weekend filled her with dread. Isolated, she worried over how to get through the days. On the Thursday night she thought of John, and wondered how he was coping with baby AJ. Maybe she’d drive past, see what he was doing. She was reluctant to admit it, but she missed him. Perhaps she should contact him about a divorce – or a reconciliation. She didn’t know which.

  pg. 198

  Chapter 39

  ohn had just put AJ down and was watching TV when the phone rang that Thursday night. When he saw it was Alan, his heart flipped.

  J ‘Hallo, John, it’s Alan here. Sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to speak to you about Angie. Have you got a minute?’

  ‘Oh God, now what? Is she OK?’

  ‘Good question, John – one I haven’t an answer for. But she’s been living with me for the last few weeks. She made me promise not to say anything. The thing is, though, a fortnight ago she flitted away from me too. She’d threatened to walk out because she found out I had a girlfriend – but I never thought she’d go through with it. She left while we were out and didn’t say where she was going.

  I rang her but she refused to return my calls. Her employers said she’d left but wouldn’t tell me where she’d gone.’

  John nodded. He knew the feeling. ‘Yes. I drove past the estate agent’s a few days ago and saw her leaving, but when I went after her I lost her in the crowds. I went in and spoke to them, but I got much the same answer as you. And how was she when she was with you?’

  ‘Oh, she was all right until I mentioned that Rachel, my girlfriend, is a psychiatrist. That’s when she got nervous. And now I haven’t a clue where she is, or what she’s doing. Rachel wanted to try and help her, but Angie refused. I’m sure that’s why she left. I kept thinking she’d come back, but now it’s been so long without hearing from her, I’m beginning to worry.’

  ‘Hope she hasn’t done anything stupid.’

  ‘That’s why I’ve contacted you.’

  ‘Maybe I should make a few enquires with the police, hospitals, that kind of thing – see what they turn up. And I’ll keep you in the loop, all right?’

  ‘Thanks, bud. I’m so worried. One minute she was full of beans, the next she was so low.’

  ‘Leave it with me.’

  ‘Thanks. Let’s just pray nothing’s happened to her.’

  John switched his phone off, butterflies flying around in his stomach. He felt guilty and wished he’d done more after she’d left him. Might he live to regret this?

  He made the calls at once, hoping he might get some answers soon.

  <><><>

  He got in to work early the next morning and filled Sarah in on the developments.

  After he’d told her, she said, ‘Do whatever you think’s best. I hope she’s OK, John, but if you’re thinking of getting back together, you’d better tell me now.’

  ‘No – not a chance, but I am concerned about her welfare. And she’s the mother of my child. Forgive me, Sarah. I have to do the right thing.’

  pg. 199

  ‘I know. Don’t be long finding her, eh? We have little time together as it is.’

  ‘I realise that. Once I’m sure she’s all right, I’ll be back, I promise.’

  ‘But John, just remember: she walked out on you and your son. How can any woman do that? I’d say she’s a cold callous bitch and the more you fall for her drama, the worse she’ll be.’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘Remember, I’m working hard to pluck up the courage to leave Jack – I’ll do it very soon but not if I’m not sure of you.’

  ‘I realise that. I promise I’ll never jeopardise our happiness.’

  ‘You’d better mean that.’

  When the police and the hospital returned his calls, neither had any record of Angie; he couldn’t decide if that was good news or bad. When he mentioned she’d left her job and her former employers wouldn’t say where she’d gone, the police promised to make some enquires. But since he was no longer the next of kin, as they’d split up, it would be down to her father to chase up.

  John rang Alan that night.

  ‘They know where she is, but they won’t give me any information because we’ve split up. You’ll have to ring them since you’re the next of kin now.’

  ‘That’s understandable, John. Glad you’ve made progress; I feared the worst.’

  ‘They didn’t sound unduly worried, but you’re to inform them if there’s any news. Can you let me know what you’ve found out tomorrow night?’

  ‘Yes, of course – that’s the least I can do.’

  Next, he rang Sarah on her mobile, hoping Jack wasn’t on the scene.

  ‘Can you talk?’

  ‘Yes, he’s out football training.’

  He then told her what he’d learnt.

  ‘Brilliant. Now, forget about it. And, listen – Jack’s out on Saturday, from first thing in the morning until midnight. An away match in Southampton. If the weather’s decent, I could come over, spend the day with you? We could take the baby out. What do you reckon?’

  ‘Great idea. I’ll look forward to it.’

  He felt able to smile again.

  <><><>

  Saturday afternoon; Angie had the TV on low, a glass of wine in her hand. Her eyes were heavy, and she was dozing when a beep came from the intercom at the front door. She jumped, wondering who it could be. Someone must have pressed the button by mistake.

  ‘Hallo, Angie, it’s Dad.’

  pg. 200

  She had to catch her breath before answering. ‘Oh my God. How did you find me?’

  ‘It wasn’t difficult. Can I come up?’

  ‘You must be joking! Not if you’re trying to get me to see that psychiatrist girlfriend of yours.’

  ‘No, I’m not here for that. I just want to talk, make sure you’re OK.’

  ‘All right – but don’t badger me or I’ll ask you to leave.’

  ‘Fair enough. Thanks, love.’

  She pressed the button to open the main door, and let him into the flat without smiling. He sighed with relief when he saw her.

  ‘Very impressive,’ he said. ‘It’s a nice apartment – you’ve done well. Nice job, too, by the look of it. On more money than before?’

  ‘Yes. I’ve been lucky.’

  ‘And how are you?’

  ‘Not too bad.’

  He raised his eyebrows at her. ‘Oh, Angie. Why did you leave without telling me? I’ve been worried sick and searching all over for you. I had to inform the police you were missing – John suggested we ask them for help. They got Elliott’s to tell them your new employer’s address, and that’s how we found you.’

  ‘You haven’t said anything to John, have you?’

  ‘Not yet.’

  ‘Don’t. I’d rather he didn’t know.’

  ‘Angie, you’re being silly. The man won’t wait around forever. He’s on his own with your baby son – how long before he finds someone else? And then what will you do?’

  She winced. ‘He wouldn’t dare do that.’

  Anger spread through her body. Her legs shook.

  ‘You have to go back to him while you still can. Or you’ll lose him and little AJ, and neither of us will ever see him again. Surely that’s not what you want? And it’s certainly not what I want. Come on, Angie, swallow your pride and go back to him.’

  ‘He’d never dare go with someone else, not while he hopes I’ll come back to him.’

  ‘Well, if this goes on much longer, he’ll
lose all hope. You couldn’t blame him for looking at other women. I mean, it might be too late already – have you thought of that? You can’t afford to waste any more time.’

  ‘No. John wouldn’t.’

  ‘Wouldn’t he? Dare you take that chance?’

  ‘Shut up, shut up, will you?’ She covered her ears with her hands.

  He pulled them away. ‘Stop trying to avoid your responsibilities, Angela.

  Now’s the time to face them. Sort this out with John once and for all. The man knew you were sick when you left, so I’m sure he’ll make allowances for you – God knows, he’s made enough already. But he won’t wait around forever.’

  pg. 201

  She shook her head. ‘My John will wait forever if that’s how long it takes.’

  ‘You can’t take that for granted.’

  She burst into tears. ‘Dad, what shall I do? What if I get what Mum had and AJ has it too? It’ll be a nightmare. I keep having these horrible dreams about Mum on that cliff top. I dream I was the one who pushed her off because she didn’t love me. It’s as if my head’s going to burst.’

  He took her in her arms and comforted her, his hand smoothing her hair.

  ‘Don’t, my darling. Once you’ve sorted this out with John, the pain will disappear. You’ve made a great start by getting a new job and a new home. With John and the baby back, you’ll live in peace. It will change your life forever.

  That’s what I felt when for your mum before she died and now with Rachel, I’ve been born again too.’

  ‘I can’t take this, Dad. I need you to go. I’ll sort out my own mess, in my own good time.’

  ‘You can’t afford to waste time, love. But don’t forget – even if the worst did happen, Rachel and I are here to help. I’ve been through it with your mum, so I know what to expect. And Rachel has studied this condition for years; she’s an expert.’

  ‘Please, Dad, just go.’

  ‘If we can help, ring us.’

  She gave him a forced smile.

  When he’d gone, she took out another bottle of wine from the fridge and drank a third of it from a mug. As she sat there, many images went through her brain: of her mum screaming as she fell off the cliff, of her dad shouting and then of herself, riddled with guilt for not grabbing hold of her in time. Why couldn’t she shake the impression that she’d been outside, when her dad had told her she stayed in the car? Those pictures wouldn’t go away.

  The next morning was a Sunday. When she woke, she was lying on the settee, groggy, sick and tired. And her first thoughts were of her dad, angry at her for running away and for leaving John in the lurch. She was annoyed at him for insinuating he might find another woman; had he said it to make her go back with John, or was there something else?

  It nagged at her over the next few hours as her hangover slowly receded.

  Lunchtime came and went, with only a sandwich and a black coffee to help her think straight. She took her antidepressants, too, and they helped for a while.

  By two o’clock, she’d decided to return to Dexford herself to see if anything untoward was going on.

  She parked away from the house and lay in wait.

  The afternoon was dragging, with no sign of activity, even though his car was outside. It was cold out here; she shivered and buttoned her coat, but despite her discomfort she was determined to stay until she learned the truth.

  She was brought out of her reverie when the door to her former home opened.

  pg. 202

  Out came John, followed by a pram … and a woman who looked vaguely familiar, young and pretty. They lifted the pram over the threshold like a well-practised team.

  Angie’s heart beat like an express train. She banged her hands on the steering wheel, her whole body shaking with rage.

  They were walking away from where her car was parked. She started up the engine and rolled behind them, windows open. The sound of them laughing and joking and the sight of them holding hands made her feel sick.

  She watched them walk into the nearby park without a care in the world.

  As they turned into the gateway, she finally recognised the woman: Sarah from his work. To find out he was going with someone she knew made her worse.

  ‘You bastards. You dirty stinking fucking toe-rag. You’ll regret you ever walked on this earth.’

  pg. 203

  Chapter 40

  he sun was bright, but it was cold; they wore thick jumpers, and baby AJ

  had two blankets covering his padded pram suit. The hood of the pram T was up to keep out the cold wind.

  ‘What a beautiful afternoon,’ Sarah said.

  ‘Yeah, it is, even though it’s freezing. They say nice weather improves your state of mind. Glad your Jack’s playing football this afternoon.’

  ‘Me too. Nice of him to give us an extra afternoon!’ She smiled. ‘I’m so glad Angie’s OK. Now you can forget her troubles and concentrate on your own life.’

  ‘Yes – her dad says she’s on the road to recovery and seems to be making a new start there. He told me where she lives and works, but not her phone number; she still won’t speak to me. Well, if that’s how she wants it, very soon she’ll be receiving a letter from my solicitor. I wanted to tell her face to face, but why should I waste any more energy on her? She doesn’t want me or the baby – I should have realised that a long time ago.’

  ‘Seems that way, yes.’

  ‘I worry more about what Jack will do to you when you tell him you’ve met someone else.’

  ‘I’m saying nothing. He’d kill me. I’ll have to sneak out and leave him a note. Hopefully, he’ll never find me.’

  ‘What if he comes to work?’

  ‘I don’t think he will. Anyway, without a pass he won’t get past the front entrance – and if he makes a nuisance of himself, security will call the police.’

  ‘I suppose so.’

  ‘So Tuesday’s still on. I’ve made an appointment with the solicitor, to file for divorce. I want to set this in motion as soon as possible. You’ll have your own little family again, John – and we might even add to it! What do you say?’

  ‘That would be fantastic.’

  AJ woke with a yawn and a sigh. John smiled at his son, sad at how his life with Angie had panned out – but to meet Sarah was a godsend; maybe in later years, AJ would even think of her as his mother. The truth would come out one day, but that was for the future.

  Sarah took the baby out of his pram and held him close. John noticed how drawn she was to him, and he, her.

  ‘He’s gorgeous, isn’t he? Looking more like his dad every day.’

  ‘It’s hard for me to make comparisons this early. I leave that to other people,’ John said as AJ grabbed hold of his father’s little finger. ‘Hey, he has a hell of a grip, even at his age.’

  ‘Hasn’t he just!’ Sarah squeezed his hand and moved to kiss John on the lips.

  pg. 204

  <><><>

  Seven o’clock Tuesday morning. Sarah was up as usual, wanting Jack to think she was off to work. So she forced herself to eat breakfast while he occupied the bathroom, readying himself for his trip to Russia for a Champions League game.

  He stomped down the stairs, wearing his blue replica shirt, and an excited smile on his face. He dropped his overnight bag – in the club colours, of course – on the floor.

  ‘Hi,’ she said, glancing up from the kitchen table.

  ‘How are you, my sweet?’ He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  ‘You’re in a good mood.’

  ‘Yeah, well I’m looking forward to my trip. Never been to Russia before, heard so much about it, can’t wait to see it for myself.’

  ‘Maybe we should book a holiday there.’

  ‘Sounds cool. I’ll check it out while I’m over there.’

  ‘What time are you starting out?’

  ‘Soon. I’ve checked I’ve got everything – match tickets, plane tickets, passport, money. Got to pick up Roy, Ewan and Barry an
d we need to be at the airport by eight-thirty, so I’ll get breakfast there. And maybe a cheeky pint, eh?’

  He picked up his bag.

  ‘Best be off, my sweet,’ he said, kissing her again.

  She tried not to flinch.

  ‘So when will you be back?’

  ‘Stopping overnight, the plane leaves at about ten tomorrow morning, so it’ll be sometime in the afternoon. You’ll still be at work. How about I get the dinner on, eh?’

  ‘That’ll be the day!’

  He laughed. ‘No, I will, and that’s a promise.’

  She smiled. She’d be long gone by then.

  He slammed the front door shut and drove off. She pulled back the curtain and waved, waiting until he’d disappeared before getting herself ready to start her new life.

  It took two hours to get her things packed. Amazing what you accumulate over the years, and so difficult to decide what to take. She had three large suitcases ready and was about to put them in the car when she heard a noise at the back of the house. Her heart raced and, turning, she rushed to the kitchen. The back door was open, much to her surprise. Fuck – it couldn’t be Jack, could it?

  What if something had gone wrong with the trip? She moved towards the door, her breathing irregular, her hands shaking. A hand enveloped her mouth and nose, stifling her scream. He was so strong; she had no chance of escape. And then he stuck something sharp into her back, again and again and again. Blood was everywhere. Death overcame her before she hit the ground.

  pg. 205

  <><><>

  John took the day off, excited by the prospect of Sarah moving in. Her text had told him to expect her by twelve o’clock, so he imagined they’d spend the best part of the afternoon putting her belongings away, in the spare room for the time being as some of Angie’s stuff still remained. He’d speak to Alan and tell him to ask Angie to remove her things, pronto. Or maybe he’d just put them in bin bags in the garage.

  When she hadn’t come by twelve-thirty, he started to worry.