For Your Own Protection(31)

‘Ah,’ Eddie said, sitting back, satisfied with the answer. ‘So she got found out, and she went running off. You’ve not seen her since?’

‘No. I went to her flat, but she’s already moved out.’

‘You know where her flat is?’ he cried. ‘That’s more than I knew.’ He smiled a tight smile. ‘Little slapper didn’t take me back to hers. Always wanted to go to hotels. I should have realised then that everything wasn’t as it seemed.’

‘What wasn’t as it seemed?’

The man appeared surprised, then amused. ‘You still don’t get it, do you?’

‘Get what?’

Eddie shook his head in disbelief. ‘You really don’t get it – Catherine, Kirsten, whatever she decides to call herself, she’s into deceit. She’s a deceiver. You’ve been set up, my friend. All those wonderful times you’ve had together, the walks in the park, the fancy meals in lovely restaurants, the sex – it’s all lies.’

Matt’s eyes narrowed.

‘You’ve been set up, like I was, like the rest of those poor bastards whose lives have been ruined by that woman. Entrapment, they call it, don’t they?’ He lifted up the newly bought pint and poured the contents down his throat in one. Matt didn’t even see him gulp.

Eddie brought the now-empty glass down hard on to the table. ‘And there it is, my friend, you’ve officially been screwed. Congratulations.’

‘She sets up men?’

‘Give the man a prize! Yes, my friend, she does just that. She destroyed my marriage, my life. My wife, she paid her to seduce me – can you believe that? My own wife paid another woman to sleep with me. And for what? To prove I wanted more than she could give me? My God, she could have just asked that, and I’d have told her straight. If she’d actually given a damn, she’d have realised that for herself. But no, she pays that slapper to seduce me and report back, and then – bam! – that’s it, she has everything and I have nothing. All those years on the road spent selling crap, for what? To feather her nest and then be kicked out into the cold. Is it any wonder I’m drinking myself to death? But I’ll tell you what, when I die, I’m coming back to haunt the witch.’ He now picked up his original pint and downed that, too. ‘So, who was it in your case? The wife?’

If it was as the man said, then Beth seemed the only candidate. Who else was there? But Beth paying that woman to seduce him seemed nonsensical. She was in a new relationship, which seemed to be going very well. Why would she be bothered? It would have made sense if they had still been together, given Matt’s infidelity, but why do it now?

Unless there was another motive.

Maybe Beth wanted evidence to undermine Matt’s case as a trustworthy father, in the event of a custody battle for Charlie. But then, he wasn’t doing anything wrong by dating Catherine, or whatever her real name was, given that his relationship with Beth was seemingly dead.

It just didn’t make sense.

Eddie was still waiting for an answer. ‘So, who was it?’

‘I don’t know,’ Matt replied.

Eddie laughed in disbelief. ‘You don’t want to tell me. Fair enough – that’s your choice. I don’t really care, to be honest. You know, I’m surprised she’s still at it. I thought I might have put her off, when I rumbled her. I tracked her down, you see. She thought she was too clever for me, that she was untraceable. Except she wasn’t. She’d mentioned her local supermarket – probably didn’t mean to, but I remembered.’ He tapped a finger against the side of his forehead. ‘I remembered, and when I needed that information, it was right there, ready to use.’

Matt wanted to leave now, but it was too early to extricate himself. And maybe there would still be some useful information to be had from this vile man.

‘It took three visits, but on the third I saw her, at the top of the aisle. She didn’t see me coming, and before she realised, it was too late. I hit her with both barrels. Told her exactly what she was – a prostitute.’

In other circumstances, Matt would have argued that point, but it really wasn’t worth it.

‘Anyway, I said she was lucky I wasn’t the violent kind. You know – she should look out for who she screws with, because some men in my position would talk with their fists.’

Matt didn’t particularly want to meet this man’s gaze – didn’t want to be part of this conversation. He looked off towards the side exit. Eddie noticed.

‘You know, you should be thanking me!’

Matt resisted saying what he really wanted to say.

‘If it wasn’t for me, she’d still be playing you for a fool, my friend.’ Eddie thought of something and his eyes lit up. He clicked his fingers. ‘Or maybe that’s why you’re not too happy with me – I shattered your illusion, your dream. I bet you miss the sex, eh? Not getting much in the way of bedroom action with your missus?’

Eddie had finally overstepped the line.

‘You don’t know a thing about me.’

‘I don’t need to,’ he replied. He went to take another drink, before realising both his glasses were empty. He looked at Matt and glanced down at the untouched pint.

Matt pushed the glass across to him. Eddie took it without a word and gulped down a large mouthful.