This Could Change Everything(81)

It was almost a relief to hear it. ‘Of course you did,’ Zillah said. ‘You’re only human.’

‘Not for much longer,’ Alice replied with a wry smile.





Chapter 39


Essie’s phone buzzed yet again to let her know the calls were still coming in. Once they’d passed Birmingham, she and Lucas had switched seats and she’d taken over behind the wheel. Luckily the motorway was clear and conditions were good, ensuring a smooth journey. It was actually quite thrilling to be driving such a fantastic car. She had the radio on low and a guilty sensation lurking inside her chest because this expedition, despite being potentially one of the most traumatic events of Lucas’s life, was secretly turning out to be rather enjoyable.

Not that she’d ever admit it to another living soul.

Well, apart from Scarlett maybe.

Checking on Lucas, Essie saw that he was still out for the count. Practically the moment he’d moved into the passenger seat, forty-eight hours of stress and exhaustion had caught up with him. She’d only glanced sideways briefly and occasionally, but each time had confirmed that he looked absolutely beautiful when he was asleep. And yes, of course it was wrong to be thinking this right now, but it was true.

He didn’t snore either.

Well, you couldn’t help noticing that, could you? Always good to know.

But the buzzing phone was starting to get annoying now, and they were only a mile from the next services. When she reached them a minute later, Essie found a space in the car park and climbed out of the BMW as quietly as possible. Stepping away from the car, she looked at her phone and called Paul.

‘Finally. Do you have any idea how many messages I’ve left for you?’ He sounded like an angry wasp.

‘Eleven,’ said Essie. ‘And three texts.’

‘So why haven’t you answered any of them? Where are you?’

‘Somewhere near Manchester.’

‘What?’

‘I didn’t have time to let you know. Giselle’s disappeared and I’m with Lucas. We need to track her down and find out what’s going on.’

After a stunned silence, Paul said, ‘And Lucas couldn’t go on his own?’

‘I’m driving, he’s catching up on some sleep. Look, this is serious, he’s worried sick about Giselle. It’s completely out of character for her to do something like this.’

‘Why you, though? Why not someone else?’

‘Because it made the most sense for it to be me. I’ll be away for a couple of days,’ she added.

‘But I booked tickets for the Pinter play at the theatre tonight. They weren’t cheap, you know.’

He was definitely annoyed. The good news was that being taken to see Pinter plays at the theatre was one of her least favourite things to do. ‘Well I’m sorry about that, but you can still see it. You’ll have more room to stretch out. OK, I have to go now, bye!’

When she turned back, Lucas was out of the car, watching her. He raised an eyebrow. ‘That was Paul. Is he mad at you?’

He had evidently been listening too. Essie said, ‘How do you know it was Paul?’

‘You always sound different when you’re speaking to him. Out of ten, how mad is he?’

‘Six, maybe seven.’

‘I’m sorry. I don’t want to cause trouble between you.’

If he only knew how much trouble he’d caused. Essie smiled. ‘Don’t worry, you aren’t.’

At least not the kind of trouble that was bothering her.

Back at the house, Zillah made herself a cup of coffee. Then she threw it away and poured a large glass of whisky instead.

Sometimes you just needed one.

Oh God, though, that had to count as one of the most mortifying experiences of her life. And the fact that Alice had been so nice about it only made her feel that much worse.

Maybe this was the punishment she’d always deserved.

The photographs were stored in boxes on top of the wardrobe in her bedroom. She’d scanned all the important ones onto her iPad, but there were many hundreds more that hadn’t made the cut, including plenty taken all those years ago when she’d been in her twenties. If memory served, there was one particularly lovely one taken at a party, of Alice and Matthew together back when they’d been a happy couple.

Would it be a nice gesture, or unbelievably crass, to pass the photograph on to Alice? Crass probably, but she’d find it first, then decide. And there were other less contentious group photos too, of the friends they’d all socialised with during that time – Alice might enjoy seeing them.

Zillah kicked off her shoes and dragged the chair over from the dressing table. It was a stretch, but she’d done it many times before. She even knew which of the boxes to reach for; it was the black-and-white one on the left . . .

Reaching up on tiptoe, she felt a sharp jab of pain in her ankle, a remnant of her stumble at the racing stables. It wasn’t excruciating but it was enough to tip her off balance just as she’d managed to grab the box. In the split second that followed, a torrent of thoughts zipped through Zillah’s brain . . . She was falling, and the landing wasn’t going to be a comfortable one onto the soft mattress of her bed . . . No, sadly she was several feet short of that happening and the best she could hope for was the carpeted floor, whereas the worst she could hope for was hitting the corner of the carved oak frame at the foot of the bed. She closed her eyes and fell backwards through the air, bracing herself for whatever hideous pain was about to ensue . . .