The Guilty Couple(31)

Ayesha listens, sipping her tea as I tell her everything – from meeting up with Smithy, to breaking into Dominic’s house, to Grace’s teary phone call and the conversation I overheard.

‘Hold on.’ Ayesha makes a rewind motion with her hand. ‘What were you doing in your ex-husband’s house? Liv, there’s a restraining order against you and—’

‘I know, I know. It was risky—’

‘Risky?’ She puts down her tea and shifts onto the edge of her seat. ‘Liv, the police officer who testified against you in court knew what you were doing!’ She pauses, a frown creasing her brow. ‘If she was outside why didn’t she arrest you? Why aren’t you in a cell right now?’

‘I’m not sure. We outran her and—’

‘You’re not sure? That woman knows where you live. Here,’ she jabs a painted fingernail into the arm of her chair, ‘in my flat. It’ll be my block they’ll park outside, with the lights flashing, when they come to arrest you. My door they bang on. A black woman’s door! Seriously, Olivia? You’d do that to me? When you know how hard it’s been for me to get where I am and how many obstacles have been thrown in my path?’

A wave of horrified shame courses through me as Ayesha stares at me, waiting for my reply. But there’s nothing I can say that can justify the choice I made because she’s right. I didn’t give a single thought to how my actions would impact her life. She’s right to be angry with me. There’s no justification for what I did. None at all.

‘I’m sorry.’ I stand up on shaky legs and gather up the few possessions I own. ‘I am really, really sorry. I screwed up. I’ll move out and hand myself in. I’ll make sure they don’t turn up here. I’m so sorry, Ayesha. You’ve been such a good friend and I’ve been so thoughtless. I honestly don’t know what to—’

‘Sit down.’ She waves a hand in the direction of the sofa. ‘Just sit down.’

I do as I’m told.

‘If the police come here,’ Ayesha says, ‘then they come. We can’t undo that now. But I won’t let you hand yourself in. You’ve spent enough time in jail already and Grace has suffered enough.’

Tears prick at my eyes. I’m such an arsehole. I don’t deserve a friend like her.

‘I should have known you wouldn’t behave yourself after you got me to drive you to see Grace. I never should have gone away and left you alone.’

‘Aysh, it’s really not your—’

‘Of course it’s not my fault!’ She cuts me off. ‘I’m kidding. Sort of. Look, Liv, I understand your motivations. In your shoes I’d be doing exactly the same thing but you have to keep me in the loop. I don’t want to find out what you’ve been up to when the police turn up at my door, especially when I’ve just got back from Birmingham.’ Her expression softens into a smile. ‘Now, let’s go through the bit about your phone conversation with Grace.’

‘There’s something else,’ I tell her. ‘Something that happened while you were away.’

She shifts in her seat. ‘Am I going to need something stronger than tea?’

‘Jack sent me an email, saying he was sorry.’

‘Okay.’ She makes a flicking motion with her hand. ‘Now you need to open the wine.’

I sit down with my glass and reach for my phone. It’s been bleeping intermittently all day with messages from Grace. I had hoped that speaking to me on the phone, and a good night’s sleep, would have made her a little happier but, if anything, she’s even more fraught than she was last night. She’s hanging everything on the promise I made her about moving out of London and living with me.

‘Is that Jack?’ Ayesha asks.

I shake my head. ‘No, it’s Grace. I did receive a second email from Jack this morning though.’

‘Go on.’

‘He’s in hiding. He said he’s too scared to tell me where, and that sending the emails was risky enough.’

She raises an eyebrow. ‘Do you believe him?’

‘It explains a few things. I’d have gone into hiding too if I’d got wind of the arrest.’

‘No you wouldn’t. You were certain you could prove your innocence.’

‘True.’

‘Why didn’t he phone you?’

‘Maybe he tried. I haven’t got the same phone number anymore.’

Ayesha takes a sip of her wine and looks thoughtful. ‘You need to send him your new number; talk to him properly, find out what’s going on. Assuming you do want to talk to him. I think it’s strange that he’s waited until now to get in touch.’

That’s something that’s been bugging me too. Why dump me and then wait five years before he got in touch again? He must know that I’m out of jail.

‘I think he wants something,’ Ayesha says. ‘And he’s building up to ask you.’

‘Wants what though?’

She runs a hand over her hair. ‘Who knows? But I think he’s bad news. He’s a coward and he let you down when you needed him most. I think you should tell the police about the emails and let their tech guys deal with it. I’m sure they can trace his IP.’