The Other Woman(76)

‘Sure,’ I said casually, though my heart was beating double-time. ‘It’ll be nice to spend some time with her. Don’t tell her. Let it be a surprise.’

He looked at me sceptically, knowing just as well as I did that I’d like nothing less.

I had it all planned, and I felt confident and in control as I drove down to Sevenoaks, my desire to expose her seemingly far greater than the fear I’d been carrying around for the past couple of weeks. But, as I walked up the path to her cottage, all my resolve disappeared, and I felt like a hand was rummaging around in my stomach, pulling my insides out. I fought through it, refusing to let myself down.

‘Pamela!’ I exclaimed, as she opened the door.

She looked around me, expecting to see Adam walking up the path.

‘Surprise!’ I said enthusiastically. ‘Bet you weren’t expecting to see me.’

‘Where’s Adam? I thought he was taking me today.’ She was still looking past me.

‘Nope, he had to work, so you’ve got me, I’m afraid.’

‘Well, there’s no need. I can get myself there.’

‘Don’t be silly,’ I sang. ‘I’m here now, so let’s get going. We don’t want to be late for your appointment.’

I watched as she fretted and fussed over the contents of her bag, her mind seemingly distracted by my unexpected arrival. She couldn’t find her keys, or remember which book she was reading. I smiled as I listened to her ramblings.

She didn’t say another word until we pulled up in the hospital car park and I went to get out.

‘What are you doing?’ she said. I could hear the panic in her voice. ‘Where are you going?’

‘I’m just going to take you in. Adam said to make sure you get in okay.’

‘I’m perfectly capable of seeing to that myself,’ she sneered. ‘I know where to go.’

‘Yes, but you were very shaky on your feet last time,’ I said, loudly and slowly, as if I was talking to someone hard of hearing.

‘I’ll not be needing your help,’ she said huffily. ‘I’ll take it from here.’

‘Are you sure?’ I asked. ‘I’d feel happier if I took you in.’

I smiled as she nimbly jumped out of the car and made her way across the car park.

‘I’ll come back for you in a couple of hours, then?’ I called out, but she didn’t even look back. I watched as she walked through the automatic doors and into the main reception.

I’d downloaded a map of the vast hospital building, and noticed that there were two other exits, both at the rear of the site. I’d estimated that it would take her four or five minutes to navigate her way through the various corridors and departments to either of the other exits. She wouldn’t just come straight back out here, that was too risky. She’d go for one of the others – I’d plump for the one nearest the shopping centre. Once she was in there, she could lose herself for hours, hence the reason why I needed to catch her before she got there. I swung the car round and headed out onto the ring road, through the estate, past Sainsbury’s, and into the pay-and-display car park for the town centre. I’d done it in less than two minutes.

I parked up so that I could see the hospital exit between the stationary cars, and waited. My mouth was dry, and I was sure I was forgetting to breathe. When I saw a flash of burgundy, the same as her cardigan, my chest caught as I gasped for air.

I slammed the steering wheel. ‘Shit,’ I said out loud, as if I was surprised to see her, and I suddenly wished that I hadn’t. As much as I knew I was right, the revelation that she had lied about having cancer made everything so much more complicated. How was I going to tell Adam? How would he react? Would he believe me? What would I have to do to prove I was right?

I sat there dumbly. I hadn’t thought much past this point. She was getting close to the entrance of the precinct and, if I didn’t move fast, I was going to lose her.

‘Shit,’ I said again, as I grabbed the keys from the ignition and pushed the door open. I’d have to take my chances on the pay-and-display. I didn’t have time to get a ticket.

I kept a fair distance behind her, shadowing her movements. I didn’t know what I was doing, but an impending sense of dread began to engulf me as I realized that I was going to have to confront her. There was no point in doing all this if I didn’t. I tried to reason with myself that I could just take the information home with me and deal with it from there, but I knew, even as I was thinking it, that that course of action wouldn’t achieve anything. This had to be dealt with here and now.

I followed her for twenty minutes, darting in and out of shops, hiding behind pillars. My chest tightened as I watched her disappear into a Costa Coffee.

‘Just sit back and watch it unravel,’ I said to myself, as I followed her in five minutes later.

Relief flooded through me as I saw her sitting with her back to the front of the shop, giving me another chance to back out, another ten seconds to change my mind.

‘What can I get you?’ asked the perky barista.

Too late. ‘A cappuccino to go, please.’

I looked over at Pammie, imagining that she must have heard my voice, yet knowing it was nigh on impossible to hear anything over the din of the milk-frother.

I don’t take sugar, but I took myself over to the stirring station, so that I came at Pammie head on as I walked out. It needed to look like a happy coincidence.