Bad Sister(39)

His voice, assured and confident, bellowed in her ear. ‘Darling, this is a surprise. How are you?’

‘Me calling you is a surprise? Wouldn’t you class the bigger surprise as you being in Devon but failing to come and see me, Dad?’

‘I know how busy you’ve been, setting up your practice and working long hours.’ His reply was quick. Practised? ‘Chip off the old block and all that.’

Connie recoiled from the phone. Did he just compare her to him?

‘Even so, I thought you’d make some time to squeeze in a visit with your only child.’

‘I’m sorry, love.’ His tone was lowered. Her comment had caught him. ‘Maybe next month, I should be down again then. Couldn’t leave Max in charge for too long, so much going on at the moment. Big deals on the horizon.’ His deep, strong voice was back. Talking about his precious antiques business did that. Not like talking about his family.

‘Anyway, Dad, I need to speak to you.’ She wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. Straight to the point? Or subtly?

‘Sounds important. Do you need some business advice?’

‘No. Nothing like that. It’s about Luke.’

She heard a sharp intake of breath. Then nothing.

‘Dad?’

‘Look, darling. I don’t really have time to reminisce, although I’d love to …’

‘Not exactly reminiscing, more a case of you telling me what, exactly, went down that day. And why. I don’t think you’ve been honest with me about it.’ Once the words had left her mouth, the rest flowed. Years’ worth of words that’d been unspoken, left strangled in her throat, unable to form. She glanced at the clock on the lounge wall. She’d been speaking, without stopping for a response, for several minutes. The release was immense, she felt lighter, almost woozy from the outpouring. The heavy silence at the other end signalled to Connie that the weight that she’d lost had just piled on to her dad. Had she even asked a question in all of that?

‘Are you still there, Dad?’

‘Yes. Yes, I’m here.’ His voice was weak. Even though she’d been doing the talking, she’d drained him. Perhaps it hadn’t been such a good idea, doing this over the phone. She needed to see him, his reactions, to fully assess the situation. Maybe this was too much for him all in one go. A release for her, but clearly not for him. She didn’t want to give the old bugger a heart attack.

‘Sorry. I realise this might feel as though it’s all a bit sudden. And I guess it is. Things that have been happening here have brought it all to the forefront. And I realise how much I don’t know. About Luke. And about you, Dad.’

‘We need to get together, Connie, love. Have a good chat about it.’

‘But I need answers now. Things are happening and I need you to help me.’

‘What things? What’s happening to you?’ His words were laced with concern, as though for the first time during the conversation he realised it wasn’t merely Connie being dramatic, or acting up. That there was a reason for her sudden outburst.

She paced up and down, the receiver firm to her ear, wondering how much to reveal. With an ongoing police investigation, which she was involved in both personally and professionally, she didn’t want to give details that could get her in trouble. Because her dad would kick up a fuss and get involved himself, she was certain of that. And how would that affect her mum?

She took a deep breath. ‘Things have been shown to me, articles that were written when Luke was killed. But there were also, well, accusations, I suppose, that it wasn’t an accident. That Luke was a target.’

‘That’s nonsense, Connie. Whoever is telling you this?’

‘That’s just it. I don’t know. It’s anonymous.’

‘Well, there you go, then. If they can’t even be open about who they are then they clearly have nothing real to say. It’ll be some random idiot who wants to dig up the past.’

‘But what for? Why would they want to, and why now?’

‘Who knows, darling. I wouldn’t worry. There’s been nothing more?’

‘Well, actually, there was another message left on my counselling page on the internet. It came across as threatening.’

‘What! What did it say?’ Connie imagined her father getting hot and bothered, loosening his tie, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

‘That you didn’t learn the first time.’

‘Ah, well, it’ll be someone I’ve crossed in business no doubt.’ He sounded relieved. ‘Don’t know why on earth they’re involving you. The fact is, Luke was killed because of a football crowd that got out of hand and he got caught in a fight. Bloody hooligans. Hooligans were responsible for his death … not me.’

‘But how would they even link me with you, Dad? I changed my surname, remember?’ Connie’s attention was drawn to outside her front window. A dark blue Volvo had pulled up, and a woman was climbing out. She slammed the driver door and stood, hands in her trouser pockets, looking up at the house. Her dad’s mumbling became inaudible.

‘I’ve got to go, Dad. Speak later.’ Connie brought the conversation to an abrupt end and went to the front door.





CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE