New beginnings by the su.., p.25
New Beginnings by the Sunflower Cliffs, page 25
‘What happened?’ she asked, horrified. No wonder he’d left in such a hurry. ‘Is he going to be all right?’
He nodded. ‘Yes, thankfully. It turns out he has severe concussion.’ He looked as if he was going to say something further, but changed his mind.
Bea wished she could hold him and try to take away some of the pain he was obviously struggling with. There was more to the story, she was certain. ‘What is it? Tell me.’
‘It’s nothing to do with you,’ he insisted quietly, taking a sip from his coffee. Lost in thought for a moment he looked at her. ‘He was caught at the harbour, trying to abscond from the island.’
‘But I thought he went missing ages ago?’
‘Three years. He’d sneaked back onto the island and probably never thought anyone would still be looking for him after so long.’
‘Is there anything I can do?’ she asked, stunned. Sensing he was keeping something from her, it occurred to her that whatever it was involved her in some way. ‘Will you tell me what else is bothering you?’
He rubbed his eyes, then lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘Fine, but if I do, I want you to try not to hold what I tell you against me.’
Her stomach tensed. Was she finally going to have to hear him confess to his part in the money laundering? She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it after all. ‘Why would I do that?’
‘Because it’s to do with Tom. At least, I’m fairly sure it is. The authorities will just need proof.’
Bea clasped her hands under the table. ‘Tom?’ Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper.
Luke nodded. ‘I know you and he go way back, but how well do you really know him?’
‘I assumed I knew him very well.’ She thought back to Luke’s insistence that Tom wasn’t all he seemed. She rested her hands on the table. ‘Why?’ She swallowed. ‘What he’s supposed to have done?’
Luke took a deep breath. ‘I think he’s probably involved in Chris’s activities, but I’m not sure how yet.’
Bea felt as if she’d been slapped. ‘Seriously?’ She shook her head in disbelief. ‘I don’t think you understand how serious an allegation that is.’
‘I can see you’re shocked. I didn’t mean to upset you.’
She struggled to take in what she’d just been told, but something niggled at her. ‘You can’t be serious about Tom. I know you don’t like each other, but this is ridiculous. What grounds do you have for accusing him of anything? Anyway, why would Tom have anything to do with anything illegal?’ She closed her mouth to stop herself from saying anything further. He still hadn’t mentioned money laundering, and to tip him off now would be stupid. She wasn’t going to lose her house and risk prison.
‘Money problems, that’s why.’ Luke looked around to check he wasn’t being overheard and leant closer to her.
Bea shook her head. ‘I can’t believe this.’ She felt sick at the thought of Tom accusing Luke if he had been the one involved in illegal activities.
‘Chris had Tom’s contact details on him when they brought him in, so he’s obviously contacted him recently. Chris knew he’d be arrested if he showed his face back here again, so he must have thought coming here worth it to risk a prison sentence. I assume Tom got sucked in to his scheme in a moment of weakness, and once you’re involved with these things, I imagine it’s almost impossible to back out.’
‘I feel awful,’ she said, wishing she’d not believed Tom so readily.
‘Don’t be silly, it’s not as if you could have done anything.’ He studied her face for a moment. Was he looking for assurance? she wondered.
‘No, but I can do something about it now.’
Luke grabbed her wrist when she went to stand. ‘What do you mean? Listen, Bea, I don’t have time to argue, but you need to promise me that you’ll let the authorities deal with Tom. I was hoping to get to the bottom of this myself, but I’ve had to hand all the information I’ve gathered to them.’
She didn’t answer.
‘You don’t know who else could be behind this and I don’t want you getting involved. It could be dangerous.’ He turned to walk away, pulling his car keys from his pocket.
‘Well, I happen to believe I am involved,’ she said. ‘He’s my manager.’ Damn, she’d said it.
Luke turned and scowled at her. ‘I don’t care what he is to you, you need to stay away from him. Let the authorities sort this out. Promise?’ He sighed wearily. ‘I’m aware that money laundering is about the worst thing you could be involved with in business, and that if you mention this to him, you’d become involved and you don’t need that.’ He sighed wearily. ‘Tom is dangerous. And my guess is that he won’t think twice about implicating you, if he hasn’t already.’ He stared at her questioningly for a moment. ‘I really have to go. He’ll probably suspect that the authorities have been informed by now, as well as the police. Even the nicest people can turn when cornered, Bea, and despite what you may believe, Tom isn’t a nice bloke.’
‘You leave Bea to us,’ Paul, who had sat quietly listening, said. ‘She can be hot-headed sometimes, but she’s no fool.’
Luke stared at her. ‘I have to go. Bea, please don’t do anything rash.’
Bea was too stunned to realise Luke knew the dangers of tipping someone off to reply. Did he realise she had been suspicious of him all this time? She hoped not.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.’ Paul glanced at Bea, and Guy stroked her rigid back. ‘He’s right. If Tom can do this, then you never really knew him at all.’
‘I can’t sit here and do nothing,’ she said, frustrated by the injustice of it all. ‘Anyway, I agreed to go and see him at his flat later.’
‘What did you say?’ Luke stopped walking away and hurried back to her. She repeated what she had said. He took her face gently in his hands. ‘Then make an excuse. You mustn’t try and deal with this yourself. Please leave it to people trained for this.’
Bea relented. ‘Fine, I will.’
‘Thank you.’ Luke’s hands fell away.
After Luke had left, they were allowed to see Shani. ‘I thought you were only going to be twenty minutes,’ she grumbled, pulling on her jacket and smiling down at her sleeping baby.
‘How was Harry?’ Paul asked, settling himself at the end of the bed.
‘He was okay.’ She shrugged and couldn’t quite hide a satisfied smile. ‘He’s promised to set up a standing order for Poppy. It’s not what I hoped for in terms of a father for my baby, but it serves me right for getting into this mess in the first place. He said he wants to see her occasionally though, so that’s something. He believes she should know her father, but that I can only contact him via the surgery.’ Shani straightened her baggy top, and Bea couldn’t help suspecting her friend was trying very hard to appear braver than she felt. ‘It’s better than nothing, and maybe one day he’ll tell his wife about his other daughter. For now though, I have to be satisfied with that. At least he’s acknowledged her and I could tell he regretted the way he’s treated me.’
‘It’s a start,’ Bea said, giving Shani a hug. ‘It’s going to be lovely having you both at The Brae. The house needs a bit of life put back into it.’
‘Thanks, Bea.’ Shani stood up and winced. ‘I think I’m going to need a rubber ring to sit on for a few days.’
Paul grimaced. ‘Too much information, thank you,’ he said, picking up Shani’s overnight bag. ‘You can take those,’ he said to Guy, indicating the two flower arrangements she’d received. ‘Let’s get a move on. I need my bed even if the rest of you don’t.’ He narrowed his eyes at Bea and gave her a pointed look. ‘We all need to get to our beds, don’t we?’
Bea pulled a face. She still felt the need to see Tom and find out what he was up to, even if the others thought it a bad idea.
Shani stopped them before they left the room. ‘Hold on. What’s going on? Tell me now, or I’m going to keep you all waiting, so you can’t get home.’ She picked up the baby and gave her a cuddle.
Bea listened while Paul explained about their meeting downstairs with Luke. ‘You see, Miss I’m-gonna-take-charge has decided to ignore Luke’s advice.’
‘I never said that.’ Why did Paul know her so well?
Paul tilted his head to one side. ‘You might not have done, but we all know what you’re like when you make your mind up about something.’
Shani put the baby back in her crib and sat down carefully on the edge of the bed. ‘What are you up to, Bea?’
Bea groaned, closing her eyes with tiredness. ‘Come on, Shan, I’m exhausted.’
‘We all are, but no one’s leaving this room until I hear you tell Tom you won’t be seeing him tonight.’
Knowing when she was beaten and too tired to argue any further, Bea dialled Tom’s number and spoke to him briefly.
‘He wasn’t very happy,’ she said after the call ended. ‘I’ve agreed to meet him in the office early tomorrow morning instead. I can chat with him there, before I leave for court. Happy now?’
Bea settled Shani and Poppy into their bedroom and saw Paul and Guy off in a taxi. She couldn’t help thinking that maybe Tom had been using their relationship so that he had an alibi for Vanessa. It would have allowed him the space and time to arrange meetings with his criminal connections. She still couldn’t quite believe he was callous enough to do that, or be involved in anything illegal. Then she recalled his furtive calls during their trip to New York.
She wasn’t sure what emotion she felt more strongly – fury with Tom and his involvement in something so underhand, or indignation that he had used her in any way. She couldn’t believe she had remained friendly with him all this time and not suspected his occasionally erratic behaviour. Surely she should have noticed something? She yawned. She was exhausted and would find out more in the morning, whether he liked it or not.
26
MAY 10 – FINAL HARVEST
Bea woke to a balmy, sunny day. The stillness of the morning did nothing to help calm her nerves. D-Day. If only Simon had agreed to the Martin order she wouldn’t have to sit across from him in court today. She stood in the shower, certain Claire would have put the idea to him, but unsurprised he hadn’t agreed to it. ‘There’s still time,’ she whispered, as she rubbed her legs dry with a large fluffy white towel. Maybe not though. Simon had never taken the decent way out of anything.
‘You’d only have been suspicious if he had agreed to it,’ Shani said sagely, a snoring Poppy in her arms as they sat quietly in the garden a little later. She checked her watch. ‘You’re not due in court until ten-thirty, and who knows, maybe Simon will have agreed to your idea by then? He was probably too busy taking part in one of the posh Liberation Day parties yesterday to be bothered phoning you.’
‘You think?’ Bea raised her eyebrows but not her hopes at the thought. ‘I suppose I was caught up with the wedding and little miss here having just been born.’ She held back from mentioning how hard it had been trying to enjoy the wedding when she’d been grieving for Aunt Annabel.
Shani kissed Poppy’s forehead. ‘No, I don’t. You’re just going to have to face him in court and hope for the best.’
Bea made a few more notes to the already lengthy list of points she hoped to bring up at the hearing. ‘At least by this afternoon I should know whether I’ll be keeping my home.’
Shani placed her free hand on Bea’s arm. ‘Whatever happens today you mustn’t worry about what Annabel wanted for you. She loved this place and her garden, but above all she loved you. You would have been what worried her. So, whatever happens, we’ll deal with it. I promise I’ll be there every step of the way.’
Bea sniffed back the tears. ‘Thanks, Shan. I know she only wanted the best for me. My whole life the only constant thing has been her and coming here. I don’t know how I’d bear to sell it.’
Bea swatted away a fly. ‘I suppose I’d better get moving if I’m to meet Tom. He wants to chat to me before the others get to the office and I daren’t be late for my own hearing.’
‘Best of luck in court.’ Shani gave her a one-armed hug, waking Poppy who immediately began to cry. ‘Are you sure you don’t want me there? I could always ask Mum to look after Pops for a couple of hours.’
Bea shook her head. This was something she needed to do herself. ‘I’ll be fine. One way or another I’m going to be okay. I promise I’ll phone you as soon as I know anything.’
Bea parked the car in the closest space she could find to the office and hurried through the car park. She could have done without this, she thought as she waited to cross the road. If Tom was involved in something illegal, she would feel guilty for not picking up on any suspicious behaviour. Tom was her manager and she worked closely with him each day. The lights changed, and Bea stepped out into the road.
‘Bea, wait.’
She stopped at the urgency in Luke’s tone and stepped back onto the pavement. ‘What are you doing here?’ she shouted angrily, as Luke ran up to her.
‘I know you’re unhappy to see me here, but when Shani told me you were going to meet Tom, I had to stop you.’ He bent over, hands on his thighs as he recovered from the exertion of running. ‘I called your house, but you’d already left,’ he panted. ‘You can’t go in there.’
‘Of course, I can.’
‘No, listen. Tom is going to be arrested.’ He kept his voice low as others passed by. ‘I’m sorry, but he’s definitely involved in something with Chris and there’s enough evidence now to arrest him.’
Bea felt sick. ‘Seriously?’ Had Tom insisted she meet him at the office to implicate her in some way? It dawned on her that Tom wouldn’t have given a thought to her future, to try and save himself. What the hell had he been going to ask of her? ‘Do you think Tom was trying to entangle me in all this in some way?’ She could hardly believe she was accusing him of something so terrible.
Luke shrugged. ‘Who knows? I think he was desperate for someone to help him.’ He stared at her silently for a minute. ‘And you’re probably the obvious one to ask, as his colleague and friend. I’m sorry, I know this must be hard for you.’
They both looked up as two police cars came around the corner and parked outside the office. Bea tensed. If Luke hadn’t stopped her when he did, she’d be in there now. She began to tremble at the prospect of what might have happened.
‘Come here,’ he murmured, taking her into his arms and holding her tightly. ‘I’m sorry this has happened, Bea’
She put her arms around him, enjoying the comforting hug. ‘I can’t believe he’d expect me to go along with something like that. The very first thing we’re trained to do is look out for cases where people might be laundering, although I’ve never experienced anyone doing it, until now.’ She looked up at Luke. ‘He knew he’d get caught eventually, surely? The authorities here are so on the ball about this sort of thing.’
‘He must have done.’ He sighed. ‘Who knows what happened to make him do this.’
Bea stepped back from him. ‘But what about you? Chris was your business partner.’ She thought of the documents Tom had shown her about the investigation into Luke’s business dealings. Were they false and Tom’s way to ensure she didn’t suspect him in any way? Bea stared into Luke’s eyes trying to ascertain whether she was being naive to believe him like she had believed Tom.
‘You surely don’t think I’m involved in all this, too?’ He narrowed his eyes, then widened them as a thought came to him. ‘You actually suspect that I’m the one who’s involved with Chris, don’t you?’
Even now she couldn’t tell him about the paperwork Tom had shown her. ‘I’m trying to be logical. Both you and Tom suspect your business partner of being involved in money laundering activities. Tom has…’ Damn, she wasn’t allowed to say what she desperately needed to.
‘Tom has shown you proof, is that it?’ He glared at her. ‘So now you think I’m here to twist your mind into helping me cover up for what? My involvement?’
Bea hated seeing such hurt on his face, but after falling for Tom’s lies had lost any confidence in her powers of judgement. She rubbed her temple with her fingers, trying to ease the headache that felt like it had her brain in a vice. Tom. Luke. Both could be involved in one way or another, purely by their association with Chris. Both were clever enough. Tom had shown her proof, but as she stared into Luke’s eyes his disappointment in her hurt like a physical pain.
‘I’m sorry, Luke, but I can’t talk to you about this.’ He looked aghast and she hated herself for what she must say. ‘I really want to, believe me, but legally I can’t.’
He looked stunned and raised his hands before dropping them back down to his sides. ‘I understand – I think – but please do one thing for me.’
‘What’s that?’ Bea waited for him to speak, wishing more than anything that she worked in some other profession.
‘Do not go into that office. If you trust nothing else I’ve said to you, please do as I ask just this once. You can call Tom later. If I’ve lied to you about his arrest, he’ll still be around for you to chat to; if he’s not, you’ll know I was telling the truth.’
‘You’re quite clear what’s going to happen?’ her lawyer asked her for at least the third time since they’d arrived at the Royal Court.
‘Yes,’ she said struggling to focus with so much already on her mind. ‘I’m going to leave all the talking to you, unless they allow me to ask one or two questions.’
‘That’s correct.’ He glanced down at the buff folder in his hand and pushed his tortoise-shell glasses onto the bridge of his nose. ‘I put in a request for you to speak when we filed the papers a couple of days ago, and if the judge does ask you to speak, you must keep to the point. Be clear and do not bring emotions into it at all. The legal points are all that matter to the court. And it will be on that basis that a decision will be made as to whether your ex-husband be awarded half the value of the house.’
