The Babysitter(86)

‘You have ten minutes,’ he said, his gaze flicking back to hers as he ended the call. ‘Get dressed.’

Jade felt her heart settle like a stone in her chest. ‘What about my things?’ she asked, notching her chin high.

‘I’ll send them on,’ Mark said impassively.

Noting the unflinching look in his eyes, his utter indifference to her feelings, Jade nodded slowly. He’d shown himself in his true colours. They all did, eventually. So be it. He would live to regret this. She would make damn sure of it. Peeling her eyes away from him, she wrapped the shirt tightly about herself and turned to walk to the door.

She stopped as she realised he was actually following her. Clearly, he was going to make sure she left with nothing other than the clothes on her back. Without her baby. Her baby, who she’d loved and nurtured far more than his useless bitch of a wife ever had. She wouldn’t abandon her, and DI Mark-bastard-Cain had badly underestimated her if he imagined she would. If he imagined for one second he wouldn’t suffer for feeding her empty promises, keeping his options open and then callously abandoning her.

Hush, little baby, don’t say a word. Jade hummed silently as she walked past the nursery ahead of him. Daddy loves you, and so do I… Mummy will be back, my sweet Angel.





Sixty-Three





MELISSA





Mel had debated whether to take her medication. She was feeling woozy, again, as she had every morning in what seemed liked forever, but she’d set the alarm and dragged herself out of bed, determined to get some control back over her life, her emotions, for the sake of the children. She would take the tablets, she’d decided, but later, once Poppy was at school. She would speak to the doctor again too. If she hadn’t needed counselling before, she thought she might need it now, to help her through the break-up of her marriage.

Willing herself not to go there, not to think about any of it, for fear she might never stop falling, she was stepping into the shower when Mark came into the room. She reached hurriedly to close the door, wishing she could close the door so easily on her emotions, the memory that immediately sprang to her mind causing her stomach to clench painfully: the last time they’d made love. Right here, in the shower. Such meaningful love, she’d thought then. Mark being so gentle, so caring of her needs. She’d thought she’d known him, all of him, every inch, inside and out. But she hadn’t. She hadn’t known him at all. Mel lifted her face, allowing the cool water to wash the tears from her cheeks.

He was sitting on the bed when she came out, his hands hanging loosely between his knees, looking utterly dejected, so exhausted, Mel’s heart would have bled for him, once.

‘Where’s Poppy?’ she asked, noticing the empty space in the bed as she looked past him.

Mark looked at her, his expression one of tired despair. ‘Playing in her room,’ he said quietly.

Mel nodded, relieved, her gaze flicking to the cot, where Evie was still sleeping.

‘I’m not going to take them, Mel.’ Following her gaze, Mark sighed hopelessly. ‘I just don’t want to leave them.’

‘With a mad woman?’ Mel added facetiously.

‘You’re not mad, Mel.’ Mark rubbed a hand tiredly over his eyes. ‘You’re depressed.’

‘So I’m told. Don’t worry, I’m taking the tablets,’ Mel retorted, walking across to the dressing table to brush her hair and at least put some foundation on. She had no intention of walking around looking how she felt. Not any more.

‘Did you want something?’ she asked him. ‘It’s just that I need to get dressed.’

Mark obviously got the message that she’d no intention of getting dressed in front of him. But he didn’t move. ‘It’s Jade,’ he said after a second. ‘She’s gone.’

‘Gone?’ Confused, Mel turned to face him. ‘Gone where?’

‘To her friend’s in London.’ Mark looked up at her, his expression now uncomfortable. ‘She, er, won’t be coming back.’

Won’t be… Mel stared at him, stunned for a second, and then her anger, her sheer bloody fury with this man she’d thought was her rock, unleashed. ‘You know, I’m really not surprised,’ she said, her voice loaded with contempt. ‘Learning that the man she’s working for, the respectable Detective Inspector Cain, is a serial-shagging bastard is enough to drive any vulnerable young woman away!’

‘Oh, for fu…’ Mark heaved himself to his feet. ‘Can we not do this now, Mel?’ he said, his voice tight with anger. ‘The kids,’ he added, glancing towards Evie.

Using the fact that she was prepared to argue in front of them against her? Mel looked him over, scarcely able to believe that this was the man she’d once trusted implicitly.

‘I came to see if there was anything I could do to help.’ Mark shrugged, pushing his hands in his pockets and dropping his gaze, clearly unable to meet hers.

Mel was about to tell him there was; he could collect his things and leave, when Poppy spoke timidly from the door. ‘Daddy, are you still annoyed with me?’





Sixty-Four





MARK





Mark snapped his gaze towards where Poppy stood on the landing, looking warily at him over her Bedtime Peppa clutched to her chin, and his heart sank to a whole new level. He looked questioningly at Mel, who looked as confused as he felt.