Cold as Ice (Willis/Carter #2)(16)

‘Oh – I always seem to be busy working and we haven’t really had the money in the last few years. Before that we went to Spain usually, Majorca sometimes.

‘What about work-wise? What about your career?’

‘I pootle along. I’ve always been in the beauty industry one way or another. I used to have my own beauty salon; saw several clients a day – always had my regulars for a wax, for a facial. I like that, looking after people – but, well, it didn’t work out.’ Tracy finished off her sentence with a tight smile. Danielle didn’t ask why. Tracy went back to pushing Jackson. ‘Do you get help from Jackson’s father financially?’

‘Ha! I wouldn’t take it. We’re better off without him.’

‘Still . . . it’s a lot to manage on your own.’

Danielle didn’t reply to this. She came over and lifted Jackson down from the swing. ‘We have to go now. I’m going to be late for my class otherwise. Jackson’s booked in at the crèche there. He likes it. But I need to give him lunch first.’

‘Oh. Okay. Is it far to go?’

‘No, we’ll go home first. We live just over there.’ Danielle pointed to tower blocks on the edge of the park.

‘Oh . . . that’s handy. I live in Hornsey.’

‘Yes I know. I looked you up in the phone book. You can come and have a cup of tea with us, Tracy, if you want.’

‘Yes. I’d like that.’ Tracy smiled. ‘Maybe I could look after Jackson for you sometime if you’d like to go out?’ Danielle looked at Tracy. ‘I could do your make-up for you. Style you. I’d like that.’ Danielle didn’t answer. She rolled her eyes and looked away. ‘I don’t mean you’re not a pretty girl,’ Tracy said hurriedly. ‘It’s just something I could do; it’s what I do every day. I make people up. I expect you don’t get out much? I bet you don’t have much chance to find yourself a boyfriend.’

‘So the women you make up – they all look like Barbie dolls?’

‘No, no. Of course I wouldn’t make you look like that.’

‘Like you?’ Danielle smiled at Tracy but she meant to be hurtful.

‘No. As I said—’ Tracy’s tone turned frosty – ‘this look is not for everyone.’ Tracy stared at Danielle as she watched her strap Jackson back into his buggy. She didn’t know her daughter well enough yet to know what to make of her swings between liking and loathing Tracy. She seemed to be still so young, so unforgiving. They would have an uphill battle on their hands if Danielle was determined to harbour so many grudges.

‘Maybe not then. It was just a thought.’ Tracy said sighing.

Danielle glanced up at Tracy apologetically. ‘Sorry – I didn’t mean it. I’m just tired. I would appreciate it if you could babysit for me though, just once in a while. I wouldn’t take the piss.’

‘Of course.’ Tracy recovered her composure. She was used to people talking about her looks when she was behind the counter – especially the young girls that came in. One of them had said she looked like an ageing porn star. Tracy looked on it as her job to wear make-up. They could criticize it all they liked. ‘I’d love to babysit. You’ll have to show me what to do. I’ve never had children.’

‘No. You gave yours away.’ Tracy just looked at Danielle; she didn’t know what to say. Danielle turned away. ‘Come on, Jackson. Let’s show Nanny where we live.’

Tracy was too flustered to know what to reply.

‘What, now?’

She stayed where she was as Danielle started walking away.

‘Yes. You coming, Nanny?’ Danielle pushed Jackson towards the crossing at the traffic lights on Seven Sisters Road.

Tracy looked at her watch as she caught them up.

‘Just for ten minutes then. A quick cup of tea. That will be lovely.’

It was short walk to the block of flats with a parade of shabby shops with reinforced shutters on their windows that made them look shut when they weren’t. Tracy had never been inside a tower block before. She’s been to high-rise hotels in Spain. This was nothing like that.

The lift was out of order, so Tracy helped Danielle with the buggy up the flights of stairs. Jackson got out and walked, holding Tracy’s hand.

‘I must be so unfit.’ Despite the cold Tracy felt herself beginning to perspire beneath her coat. ‘I need to get to the gym. I can’t remember the last time I did any exercise. We used to go regularly, me and Steve. We couldn’t keep up with the membership in the end. Still, no excuse. Back to the gym for me. I’ll have to get fit if I’m going to chase after Jackson. Hey, scallywag?’ Tracy smoothed Jackson’s hair to one side.

‘Here we are.’ Danielle ruffled his hair back into peaks.

Leaving the stairwell at the third floor they walked along the landing until they came to a pink door. Number 372. It would be easy for Tracy to remember. She was good with numbers. She could always remember exactly how much stock was left of every product on the counter. She knew the serial numbers of each product. She knew the lipstick colours by their codes.

‘What’s happened here?’ she asked, looking at the dents in the metal plate that was put on to reinforce the door.

‘Someone tried to break in,’ Danielle said. Tracy opened her mouth to say something but then shut it and didn’t say anything. She waited while Danielle found her key and unlocked locks top and bottom, then pushed the door back until it jammed on the wood laminate flooring. Jackson ran in, excited. Scruffy followed.