Frozen Grave (Willis/Carter #3)(32)

She sighed. ‘Okay. But I wonder if you’re ever going to leave your wife.’

‘I promise you when Craig goes to uni in two years’ time, I will start divorce proceedings. Once I know that my son is away from home and old enough to make up his own mind. It’s not safe to leave my wife with him.’

‘You said – many times.’

‘She has bouts of depression. She hardly leaves the house. She is paranoid.’

‘Why don’t you put her on medication?’

‘I don’t want to have to stay and look after her. I need a life. I need you.’

He tried to kiss her but she turned her face from him.

‘I can’t wait for ever and I’ve seen you back on the dating site.’

He shook his head. ‘You know what the sites are like. I’m not paying a subscription. They get hold of your photo and then suddenly you’re on every site. I’ll get hold of Love Uniform Dating and I’ll demand that they delete my profile.’

‘I didn’t see it on there, I saw it on Single Parents Looking For Love.’

‘There, that proves my point. Why is my photo on that, for Christ’s sake? It makes me really angry.’

Gillian stared at him coldly.

‘My friend is on it and she sent you a message. You answered.’

‘Can’t have been me. Must have been a scam. You should tell your friend to be careful. All sorts of shady characters on the net. Anyway, darling, what were you doing on there? If you saw a photo of me then you must have been looking for men.’

‘Yeah, I had a look.’ Gillian stood, shoulders raised, eyes glaring. ‘I even had a drink with a policeman last week but he wasn’t right for me.’

‘I promise to come down more often. I’ll book us a weekend in Spain and we can see how the house is getting on. That’s if it hasn’t been repossessed. Is that what you want? Will that do?’

‘Don’t sound so enthusiastic! It better not have been repossessed. I’ve put a lot of money into it.’ Ellerman was seething as he watched her face turning the colour of her lingerie. ‘That’s another thing . . . I want some of it back now. You said it was just a loan. Otherwise I want it in writing that I own part of that house. I’ve put in twenty thousand. That would probably mean I’m entitled to a share of it, like a timeshare.’

Ellerman was beginning to feel like he was about to explode. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket – telling him he had received a message. He thought about the bank again. If he could get Gillian to transfer more money over via the Internet then he might just be able to swing it. Gillian handed him an official-looking letter.

He looked at it. ‘What’s this?’

‘I need some guarantee. I asked a girlfriend of mine who works in a solicitors’ office to help me draw up something.’

‘This is not for real?’ He read it through. ‘You want a share of the house – is that really it? Christ, you’ve really been waiting to spring this on me, haven’t you?’

‘Yes, I have actually. I’ve been waiting and hoping that you would give back the money but you don’t seem to have any intention of doing that voluntarily.’

‘It was a loan between friends, for God’s sake.’

‘Then why do I feel less and less like a friend and more like someone who’s been conned? Added to that – you can’t even get it up. So what do I have left? I should charge you bed-and-breakfast rates. Sign that or I’m going to the police to see about bringing fraud charges against you.’

‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’

‘You took my money.’

‘You gave it to me.’

‘No, I didn’t. I lent it to you to do up the Spanish house and now I want proof that the Spanish house exists and that I own part of it.’

‘I can’t give you that. It’s too complicated.’

‘Doesn’t seem complicated to me. You sign it or I’m going to your house to see your wife and tell her that I own part of a house that her husband is renovating in Spain. I’m sure she’d like to know that you intend to leave her.’

‘She knows I intend to leave her. She’s got to be given time to deal with it. She’s unbalanced. I told you. Now promise me you won’t go near her. You will put my son at risk if you do.’

‘Then sign it.’

‘I can’t. You know I can’t. It’s not as easy as that. It would be stupid . . .’

‘So now you’re calling me stupid.’

‘No. Of course not. But na?ve maybe?’

‘Na?ve? Does that mean you conned me and I didn’t notice?’

‘Look, I’ve had enough. I’m leaving. We’ll talk later. Hopefully, you’ll have seen sense by then.’ Ellerman picked up his bag and coat and started walking towards the door.

‘I know where you live. I traced you. Say hello to your wife and tell her I’ll be up to see her soon.’

Ellerman turned round when he got to the front door.

‘Gillian – I’m warning you – don’t go near my family. Just think about it. We’ve had good times. They may be a bit thin on the ground at the moment but they’ll come back. When I get this contract for the yachts done and dusted, I’ll give you your money back and much more besides. Don’t blow it now. Don’t throw what we have away. I am very fond of you.’ Ellerman pinched the bridge of his nose and his eyes began to sting with tears. ‘I’ll phone you later.’