The Guilty Couple(52)

‘To Olivia,’ Lee says, raising his glass. ‘And freedom!’

‘To Olivia!’ the others chorus, but only Smithy clinks her glass against Lee’s. It’s the fifth or sixth time someone has proposed a toast to me in the last two hours and the novelty is fast wearing off.

‘I should probably go,’ Nancy says, shifting awkwardly onto her knees. ‘Ian’s already sent me three texts asking when I’m coming home.’

‘Not yet!’ The words come out louder than I intended them to and all eyes turn to me. ‘There’s something important I need to talk to you all about first.’

‘Okay …’ Nancy drops back down onto her bum. Ayesha, sitting opposite me, raises an inquisitive eyebrow.

‘Particularly you,’ I tell her.

She places her elbows on the coffee table and leans towards me. ‘Go on …’

‘I need to get into the safe in Dom’s office at work.’ My gaze rests on each one of my friends. For my plan to work I need each of them to say they’re onboard.

‘A safe?’ Nancy says. ‘What’s inside it?’ Out of everyone here she’s the least clued up. I haven’t spoken to her since I got off the train from Audley End and we discussed Jack’s email. He still hasn’t replied but I’ve got more important things to worry about now.

‘Evidence that proves my innocence. Six days ago Grace rang me when I was at work and I overheard a phone conversation Dominic was having. He was talking about me, breaking in. He said, “She can’t know about that” then said it was in his safe at work.’

Nancy still looks confused. ‘What is?’

‘I think it’s a repayment schedule that proves Dom paid Dani to frame me. Dani who, incidentally, he’s also been sleeping with.’

Nancy clamps a hand to her mouth and Smithy reaches for the wine bottle. She tops up her glass, necks half, then tops it up again.

‘Thirsty, are you, Kelly?’ Lee comments, catching my eye.

Cracking open the wine before I shared all this was a mistake. Everyone’s tipsy and Smithy’s well on her way to being passed-out drunk.

‘You need to talk to your lawyer,’ Ayesha says, ‘then go over Dani’s head to her superior. The police can get a warrant to search Dominic’s office. Leave it to them.’

‘Won’t work.’ Smithy tops up her glass again. I’m not sure what’s going on but she’s been weirdly twitchy since she arrived. Whenever I try and make eye contact she glances away.

‘And you know that how?’ Ayesha asks her.

‘Because they all stick together, don’t they?’

‘Who? The police and the legal profession?’ Lee rolls his eyes. ‘Come on, Smithy. Just because Dani’s bent it doesn’t mean everyone else is.’

‘Lee.’ I know he doesn’t trust Smithy but now’s not the time for in-fighting. ‘I can’t risk going to the police in case Dani hears about it. If she manages to get a message to Dominic he’ll move what’s in the safe.’

‘She wouldn’t tell him though, would she?’ Ayesha says. ‘She’d try and take it.’

‘Either way, I can’t risk telling anyone outside of this room or …’

I’m distracted by Smithy who’s shifted round to the side of the sofa where I keep my things.

‘Smithy, what are you doing?’

‘I found this!’ She lifts the blue and white lanyard into the air and jiggles it so the keys clash together. ‘We can break in.’

I’ve never seen her this drunk before and she’s starting to annoy me. ‘We don’t need those.’ I snatch the keys out of her hand and put them on the coffee table. ‘I’ve still got Jakub’s cleaning card. My boss didn’t take it off me at the end of my shift. I’m hoping it’ll get me into The Radcliffe Building again.’

‘Hoping?’ Smithy sighs dramatically. ‘What did I tell you about that?’

‘That it’s never a good idea, but what can I do? Ring the office and ask? Because that’s not going to look suspicious, is it?’

‘All right. Keep your hair on. Have another drink and—’

‘Moving on …’ Nancy interrupts. ‘Assuming you manage to get up to Dom’s office, Liv … how are you going to open the safe? Unless …’ She glances at Smithy who pulls a face.

‘What are you looking at me for?’

‘Smithy can’t crack safes,’ I tell Nancy. ‘I’ve already asked her.’

‘So, how are you going to do it?’

‘With a diversion.’

Ayesha meets my eye. ‘What kind of diversion?’

It seemed like a brilliant idea when I came up with it yesterday and Lee was totally on board when I shared it with him, so was Smithy. This is the first time Ayesha and Nancy have heard about it and Ayesha is the voice, or rather the face, of reason. Right now she’s looking at me like I’ve gone insane.

‘Excuse me a sec.’ Lee levers himself up from the floor and heads for the bathroom.

I take a sip of wine, suddenly aware of the strained silence that’s descended on the living room. ‘You won’t like the plan, Aysh. Which is why I’ve told my probation officer that I’ve moved house. From tomorrow I’ll be living with Smithy.’