For Your Own Protection(12)

‘Don’t know what?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said.

She decided to let the strange comment pass. ‘I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for days. You’re not answering your phone, and work didn’t know where you were. I couldn’t even reach Annabelle.’

‘We’ve split up.’

‘What? When?’

‘Yesterday. She’s moved out.’

‘But . . .’

‘Took all her stuff. I’m not sure where she’s gone. But she won’t be back. That’s the end of it. The end of us.’

Annabelle and Michael splitting up? This was yet another shift in what just a short time ago was their unshakeable world. Two weeks ago, the four of them had been out on a double date in Soho. It had been a fantastic evening. Four friends with the future ahead of them, and few cares to restrict the view. Yet now only two of them were left standing. ‘But you and Annabelle, I thought . . .’

‘So did I. We’d always be together.’

‘I don’t understand, Michael. What happened?’

‘Things haven’t been good for a few months,’ he said. ‘Something to do with this, possibly.’ He smiled sadly as he raised the glass.

‘So the drinking, it began some time ago?’ Rachel had assumed it was Alex’s death that had thrown him back into the grip of the demon drink, but it didn’t look like that was the case now.

‘Two months ago. I really don’t want to talk about it. I’m far too pissed.’

But Rachel was undeterred. ‘Annabelle left you because of your drinking?’

‘Annabelle is far too good a woman to have to spend her life with a drunkard. So I broke things off.’

‘You ended it?’

‘Yes.’

‘But it’s not what you want, is it? You don’t really want that. You’re just trying to protect her from getting hurt.’

He snorted. ‘You know, Rachel, you really don’t know how right you are about that. Alex, he’d have done anything to protect you, wouldn’t he?’

Rachel nodded.

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t protect him.’

‘There was nothing anyone could have done,’ Rachel replied. Although she didn’t truly believe that. Why had the offending vehicle not seen Alex? Why had the driver fled after the collision, instead of trying to save Alex’s life? And why had Alex not been wearing his cycle helmet? Maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference, but without it there had been no chance of surviving the impact.

‘I want answers,’ Rachel continued. ‘I know it won’t bring Alex back, but if I can just try to understand what happened, it might help us all come to terms with it. Maybe I could even get to speak to the driver.’

‘Not a hope in hell,’ Michael said, with a surprising strength of conviction.

‘You can’t know that. They might come forward. Their conscience might be pricked.’

Michael shook his head. ‘People like that don’t have a conscience.’

‘Driving off was a horrendous thing to do, but maybe they just panicked and now really regret it. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a bad person.’

Michael put a hand to his head, kneading his temple to fight what Rachel assumed was a growing headache. ‘You don’t understand, Rachel. You haven’t got a clue.’

‘About what?’

‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘Michael, you’re not making any sense.’

‘Please, Rachel, just leave me alone.’





CHAPTER TEN


Matt didn’t have much time for dinner, as the class started in just over an hour. He threw in a microwave meal for one and stared at the rotating plate, thinking about the day’s events. Maybe he’d been hasty to think the worst about Catherine.

He ate quickly and hungrily, hardly even looking at the pasta before forking it into his mouth. Eating alone night after night was no fun.

Matt pushed aside thoughts about Catherine, and Beth’s proposed move to Australia, and instead turned his attention to the coming class. He wondered what mood the group would be in tonight.



‘Matt . . .’ Amy smiled as he entered the staffroom. ‘All ready for another character-building experience?’

‘Kind of,’ he said, pulling out a circular from his pigeonhole. It was from the teaching union, promoting an upcoming vote on strike action.

‘That’s the spirit,’ she said, deadpan. ‘Seriously, what’s up? You feeling bad about the Beth/Australia thing?’

‘That’s part of it,’ he said, glancing at his watch as he deposited the circular in the recycling bin. There were a couple of minutes still until kick-off.

‘We can catch up later,’ Amy said. After all, she’d been the one to warn him how tricky things could get if the teacher arrived late.

‘I might have to rush off afterwards.’ He was considering visiting Sean to apologise in person.

She looked disappointed. ‘I think Harvey was hoping to catch you for a chat.’

‘Oh, sorry, you did say he wanted to talk. What about?’

‘Not sure. But it would be good to give him some time. If you could?’