A Calculating Heart (33 page)

‘No, you can’t.’ Sandy’s voice was sullen, but it held a new note. A listening note.

‘I can. If you come with me, we can make it there. You’ll be completely safe.’ A long silence. On sudden inspiration, Henry said, ‘You know where I’m talking about, don’t you?’

Sandy said slowly, cleverly, ‘Yeah, man, I know. I know where you mean.’

Felicity listened in amazement, not daring to say a word.

‘Okay, listen. We need to get out of here, and downstairs. Think you can do that?’

Slowly Sandy shuffled from behind the sofa on all fours. His face was pale, slack, but his eyes were focused. They found Henry, and fixed on him. Henry nodded but didn’t smile, remaining entirely serious. ‘Ready?’ he asked.

Sandy nodded, still staring at Henry as though trying to imprint his features. He stood up. ‘The government know about this, don’t they?’

‘That’s why they sent me,’ said Henry.

He moved towards the door, and Sandy followed. When they reached the landing outside the flat, Henry nodded to Felicity to follow. She picked up her key and closed the door behind her. She was convinced Henry wouldn’t get Sandy as far as the street.

They reached the main door of the building, and Henry waved Sandy and Felicity back, while he opened it himself
and looked out in either direction. Felicity was astonished by the pantomime.

‘Okay!’ hissed Henry. He motioned to Sandy and Felicity, and Sandy shuffled out cautiously into the street behind Henry, never taking his eyes off him.

‘Come on,’ said Henry, ‘I’ve got a car across the road.’

Sandy shook his head. ‘I’m not getting in a car.’

‘It’s a government car.’

‘They wire bombs to them.’

Henry took a deep breath. ‘We’ve got to get there, Sandy. Got to get where we’ll be safe.’

Sandy glanced round. ‘We’ll walk.’ He kept looking round, checking the street.

Henry turned to Felicity and said in a low voice, ‘How far’s the hospital?’

Felicity looked at him frantically. ‘A mile, two miles?’

Henry looked at Sandy. ‘Okay, Sandy. If you think we can make it, we’ll walk.’

They set off down the street, which was relatively quiet at that time of night. Only the odd car went by, which didn’t seem to spook Sandy. When they reached the corner, however, he stopped. This isn’t going to work, Felicity thought.

‘They’re going to hear us,’ said Sandy. ‘On the main road, they’ll hear us.’

‘We’ll walk really quietly,’ said Henry.

‘We’ve got to take off our shoes.’

Felicity’s eyes met Henry’s. ‘You’re right,’ said Henry. ‘We’ll have to take off our shoes.’

I don’t believe this, thought Felicity. The three of them walked down the main road, Sandy looking from right to left, keeping close between Henry and Felicity. They all carried their shoes in their hands. Felicity kept checking the pavement for glass and dog turds. She was convinced that the night traffic would freak Sandy out, that they’d never get there. Or if they did, that Sandy would see it was the hospital and run off screaming into the night.

When they came within sight of the hospital, Henry stopped. ‘Right. See the building over there?’

Sandy gazed across at the entrance to A & E. He’s not going to buy this, thought Felicity. He’s not that mad. But Sandy merely nodded.

‘That’s it. That’s where you’ll be safe. You knew this was where we were going, didn’t you?’

Sandy nodded. ‘Yeah.’

‘Come on, then.’

They crossed the car park, Henry in his socks, Felicity and Sandy barefoot. They went through the automatic door to reception. Felicity kept waiting for something to go wrong. They approached the desk. Felicity watched the look of apprehension on Sandy’s face with mounting alarm. Any minute now.

Henry looked straight at the receptionist. ‘I’ve brought Sandy,’ he said. ‘It’s right that he’ll be safe here, isn’t it? He says there are people after him, and I’ve told him this is a government place, where he’ll be safe.’

The receptionist’s gaze shifted from Henry to Sandy, then back to Henry.

‘That’s right,’ she said. ‘You take a seat over there.’

Henry nodded, and led Sandy to the waiting area, carefully seating him away from the other patients. Sandy’s expression was watchful, truculent, but he seemed reassured by Henry’s presence.

Almost in tears, Felicity said in a low voice to the receptionist, ‘My brother’s seriously unwell. He’s hearing voices. He’s completely paranoid. We had to walk him all the way here. He needs to see a doctor right away. Please, please …’ She began to weep, not wanting Sandy to see her. They’d got him this far, someone had to help now, but still she didn’t want him to see her crying.

Sometime later, in the early hours of the morning, Felicity and Henry left the hospital. Felicity felt utterly drained. ‘I feel I’ve betrayed him, Henry. Letting them section him. It’s like I’ve abandoned him.’

‘Come on, you haven’t abandoned him. You’ve looked after him. He’s safe. The doctors will help him. They know what they’re doing.’

‘That was what he wanted, wasn’t it? To be safe.’

‘Exactly.’

They stood in the gusty forecourt of the hospital, waiting for the minicab to arrive. When it did, they got in and drove back to Felicity’s flat.

‘Would you like a coffee before you get back?’ asked Felicity as she fished for her key.

‘Thanks, but I’d better get back and try to catch some sleep,’ said Henry.

Felicity nodded. ‘I can’t thank you enough, Henry. You were brilliant. I don’t know how you thought of all that, getting him to go with you. I never could have. He trusted you so completely.’ She smiled. ‘But then, anyone would. You’re such a nice bloke. Solid gold.’

‘Happy to help,’ said Henry. He bent his head and kissed her softly, hesitantly on the mouth. Just a brief one, but nice. She didn’t seem to mind. ‘See you in the morning.’

‘Night,’ said Felicity, and watched him cross the road to his car. Give her ten Henrys to one Peter any day, she thought. It was at times like these that you found out who your real friends were. She thought of Henry with warmth and grateful love as she went upstairs to clear up the mess in the flat.

On Thursday Leo took possession of the keys to his new house. The contents of the Belgravia flat, which was in the process of being sold, were moved to Gratton Crescent. Leo spent Friday arranging furniture and unpacking boxes. He enjoyed the solitude, sitting in the garden under the mulberry tree with a scrappy lunch of bread and cheese and an apple. He contemplated the garden, picturing Oliver there in a week’s time, when he had his room ready. This would be a place of permanence. No more mad fantasies about a life of wealthy and luxury with some Greek heiress, who would probably only have stabbed him in the back in due course. He hoped she was going to pay his bill. Not that he wouldn’t always think fondly and wistfully of that voluptuous little body of hers. But for the moment
his energies in that direction were pretty much exhausted. What he craved at the moment was simply friendship, companionship, things he had lost with Camilla. He would miss her, because she was an endearing and loving girl, but their future had been uncertain and fraught. No doubt it was for his own good, as well as hers, that things had turned out as they had. She really had been ridiculously young. He thought of Ann Halliday, of the easy and pleasant times they had spent together during the past few months. There was a lot to be said for maturity, for the easy and kindly cynicism of someone who knew you from way back when. He was looking forward to being with her tomorrow evening. He would confide in her the whole bizarre story of Adriana. It would be a relief to share it with someone. Perhaps it would help him to see the ridiculous side of it all.

It was almost midnight when Leo and Ann left the Treeves’ party. Leo opened the door of the taxi for Ann, then got in next to her.

‘Thank you. I had a lovely evening. Simply lovely.’ Ann sighed and leant back against the seat. ‘The Brahms was perfect. Didn’t you think?’ She turned to Leo, gazing at his sharply handsome profile, thinking for the hundredth time how well he looked in evening dress.

Leo nodded. ‘I’m very glad you came. Very glad indeed.’ He turned to smile at her. It was true. Had he taken Camilla, he would have spent the whole evening wondering whether she was enjoying herself or not. Not, more than likely. ‘Do you have to go back straight away?’ he asked. ‘I’d rather like to show you my new house.’

Ann hesitated, a little surprised, then said, ‘Yes, I’d love to see it. I shan’t stay very long, though.’

Ten minutes later the taxi pulled up outside Gratton Crescent. ‘Shall I ask him to wait?’ said Leo. ‘Taxis can be difficult to find at this time of night.’

‘Probably a good idea,’ said Ann. After all, it was she who’d said she wouldn’t stay long. She’d had no expectations from the very outset, beyond a pleasant evening with an old friend.

Leo opened the door and switched off the alarm. He flicked on some lights. ‘Since you don’t have long, I’ll just show you the ground floor, and the garden. Indulge me – I’m extremely proud of my new property.’

Ann smiled and followed him through the rooms. It certainly was a very lovely house, though it seemed rather large for one person. There had been talk that Leo was seeing Camilla Lawrence. She wasn’t in evidence this evening, at any rate. Leo hadn’t mentioned anyone else in connection with the house, except his son. He had talked about Oliver quite a lot during the evening, and Ann liked him for that. It was a side to Leo she had never seen before.

As she was admiring the kitchen, Leo opened a cupboard. ‘Would you like a drink? I’m having a Scotch, myself.’

‘What about the taxi?’

‘He’s perfectly happy to wait. He’s twenty quid up, so far.’

‘Leo, you shouldn’t have …’

‘I didn’t want you to feel you had to rush off.’

She smiled. ‘I’ll have a Scotch, too, in that case.’

When he’d made their drinks, Leo crossed to the back of the kitchen and nicked a switch. The entire garden was suddenly bathed in soft light.

‘How beautiful!’ said Ann, gazing through the window.

‘Let’s go outside,’ said Leo. He unlocked the back door and they stepped out into the fresh summer night. They walked round the garden, discussing the shrubs and flowers. It was, reflected Leo, a constant pleasure to discover the extent of Ann’s knowledge and interests. He stood sipping his drink, watching her as she reached up to finger the leaves of a Japanese maple, thinking how pretty the light was on her hair. She was an attractive woman – the more time he spent with her, the more he felt that. He felt a mild stirring of desire, of longing for something that was beyond mere sex. How good it would be to find oneself with someone entirely compatible, easy … Life, he had realised of late, threatened to be very lonely.

A small breeze swept the night air, rustling the leaves of the plants, and Ann shivered. Leo stretched out a hand to her pashmina and lifted it lightly on to her shoulder. She turned and smiled, and he let his hand rest there. He contemplated her face, then touched it lightly. When he took her in his arms and kissed her, he felt her whole body tremble slightly.

He drew back after a moment and said softly, ‘I could send the taxi away.’

She gazed at him, at the strong lines of his face and the magnetic blue of his eyes. She thought about the tale he had told her this evening of Adriana – their affair,
her unscrupulous behaviour. She had wondered at the time why he felt the need to tell anyone. She shook her head slowly. ‘No, Leo, I don’t think so. It wouldn’t do. I’m really not your kind of woman.’ She left his arms and crossed the lawn to the house, before he could do or say anything that might make her change her mind. One thing middle age gave you, she reflected wistfully, was an instinct for self-preservation. Leo was too beautiful, and too dangerous. He always had been.

Leo followed her across the lawn and opened the back door for her. Ann went into the kitchen and put her glass. down. She turned to him. ‘Thank you again, Leo.’ She went through the house to the front door, and out to the waiting taxi.

Leo walked between the packing cases and pieces of furniture to the window of the front room. He stood and watched as the taxi drew away, then stayed there for some time, gazing out at the empty street.

C
ARO
F
RASER
is the daughter of George MacDonald Fraser, author of the Flashman novels. She attended art school and worked as an advertising copywriter before deciding to pursue a career in law. Fraser began to write full-time while bringing up the third of her four children, and published her first novel,
The Pupil,
in 1993. Since then she has written several novels, including the critically acclaimed Caper Court series. She is currently a full-time shipping lawyer and lives in London.

T
HE
C
APER
C
OURT
SERIES

The Pupil

Judicial Whispers

An Immoral Code

A Hallowed Place

A Perfect Obsession

A Calculating Heart

Breath of Corruption

Errors of Judgment

LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT BOOK IN
THE CAPER COURT SERIES …

The charismatic and brilliant lawyer, Leo Davies, is now head of chambers at 5 Caper Court and he’s beginning to feel the weight of his responsibilities. There’s discontent among his fellow barristers, and Leo begins to question whether he wants to continue the nine to five grind when he could be working from home and spending more time with his young son.

When irregularities crop up in the paperwork of a case Leo is working on for the construction magnate, Sir Dudley Humble, Leo finds himself drawn into a world of Ukrainian gangsters, money-laundering and prostitute trafficking with potentially dire consequences for himself and his family