Daffodils in March (12 page)

10

When Eden woke in the morning, David had already gone. She got up and dressed and made her way downstairs.

It was ten o'clock when Mum brought Marc. Eden settled the sleeping infant in his cot upstairs.

“Would you like a cup of tea, Mum?” Eden whispered.

“That would be lovely.”

“It isn't proper, you living in the same house as that David,” Mum said as she seated herself at the table. “I dearly loved Hanna, but I just never approved of you and her brother, especially the way he's turned out. People are going to talk you with living here with him.”

“We're not living together. At least not in the way you mean. Hanna wanted us both to raise Marc,” Eden replied as she poured the boiling water into the teapot. “Even if I do have sole custody.”

Her mother took the offered cup and sighed. “Oh, this smells wonderful.” Mum took a sip and sighed. “You don't have to stay here in this house. I don't like you being here. Nor does your father.”

“It's what Hanna wanted. And this house is half mine.”

“She was a dreamer, and I know she wanted you to marry that brother of hers, but it's time to face facts. David is up to no good. Even I can see that. I wanted Hanna to live with us after Eric's death but she wouldn't have it. She was so set on rescuing her brother from whatever mess he's gotten into this time.”

“David isn't a bad man. He's just caught up in stuff, that's all.”

“Then you're just as blind as Hanna was. Come back home before David drags you down to his level. Stop pining for him and find a good man like your father, dear. Next week it will be forty blessed years of marriage for your dad and me.”

After her mum left, Marc sat in his bouncy chair, the activity gym in front of him. Eden glanced at the coffee table. A sheet of folded paper with her name on it lay beside her phone.

See you tonight. I'll bring dinner home with me so don't cook.

Those weren't the words of a bad man, but they were perhaps the words of a man downing in his troubles, a man who needed rescuing.

Eden rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the baby. “I'm going to get my phone, I left it upstairs. Be right back.” She headed upstairs and paused as the door to David's old room swung open.

Hanna hadn't over exaggerated the size or the complexity of the train track. Eden took a step into the room, intrigued, but not wanting to pry. It must have taken years of collecting and hours of putting together. The station at the far end wasn't level. She moved over to it and picked it up. There was a hole underneath it. Maybe David was going to add electrics to it.

Something poked up through the hole and she pushed it down. Powder covered her finger. It was the wrong consistency to be talc. She pulled a face. Drugs? “Oh, David, what kind of a mess are you caught up in?”

She put the room to rights, and then after washing her hands, retrieved her phone and went downstairs.

Marc gurgled as she entered the lounge. She glanced at her phone. No messages, but then she didn't really expect any. “So, plan of action for the rest of today. We need to go to the florist to buy Nanny and Grandad flowers for their wedding anniversary. It isn't far and I could do with some fresh air. And I need to speak to DS Holmes.”

She dialed Nate's home number from the church directory.

“Vianne speaking. Can I help you?” The voice belonged to a teenager by the sounds of it.

“Could I speak to Nate Holmes, please?”

“Uncle Nate's at work. I can give him a message when he gets home tonight.”

“Just tell him Eden rang. I'll try to call again later.”

“OK. If it's urgent you can leave a message at Manor Road Police Station.”

“Thank you.” Eden hung up and looked at the phone for a long moment. Was this urgent? She had no definite proof—just feelings and snippets of an overheard conversation. Or was it a fever-induced hallucination? Would that and a few bits of powered who-knows-what be enough to warrant police involvement? Taking a deep breath, after all, she was just finishing a conversation Nate had started the other day, she rang the police station. “Could I speak with Sgt. Holmes, please?”

There was a brief pause, and then another voice answered. “Hi, this is Sgt. Philips, Sgt. Holmes partner. He's in a meeting right now. Can I help?”

“I don't know…”

“How about we start with your name and go from there?”

“My name's Eden Jameson. Nate and I were talking the other day about a friend who was in trouble and he said he'd help if he could.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“I don't know. Umm…” Her nerve failed. Talking to Nate was one thing. Talking to someone else was a whole other kettle of fish. What if she were wrong? “Can you tell Nate I called?”

“Sure. Leave a number he can call you back on, and I'll have him do that as soon as he gets back to his desk.”

Eden gave him her mobile phone number and hung up. She'd go to the florist before it started raining again. She put Marc into his sling and pulled it over her shoulders. “You're getting too heavy for this now.”

He giggled at her and pulled her hair.

Eden buttoned the coat over the sling, tucked her phone into her pocket, and slid her bag over her head. Locking the front door behind her, she headed down the road.

Grace Chadwick smiled at her as she pushed open the door of the florist. “Hi, are you better?”

Eden raised an eyebrow. “Yes, but how did you know?”

“Jackson Parker delivered the baby over the road last night. We got talking when he came in for flowers because I was doing David's standing order, and I said I hadn't seen you in church last weekend. Did you come to collect the daffodils?”

“No, I came to order some flowers of my own. But I can do.” She looked at the daffodils on the side. “A standing order?”

Grace nodded. “Fresh flowers every day. When you see him, remind him his tab needs paying. It's starting to mount up.”

“I'll clear it now. But first I need to order some flowers for my parents. A bunch of something red, please, for a ruby wedding anniversary.”

“Forty years?” Grace beamed. “Wow. That's impressive.”

Eden nodded. She pointed to a picture on the counter. “That one.” She picked a card and wrote it. “They live locally…well the other side of town, and any day next week is fine.”

“Not a problem,” Grace said.

“What does David owe?”

“Two hundred and fifty as of today.”

Eden raised an eyebrow.
How much?
She handed over her card. “I can do that. That must be several months' worth of flowers. Or does that include the funeral flowers, too?”

“That's a separate bill, which again he hasn't paid.”

Eden sighed. “Figures. Add that on as well.”

“Are you sure? It'll come to a fair amount.”

“I'm sure. I've got more money in my account than I know what to do with, so it's fine.”

“Thank you.” Grace rang up the bill. “It's the end of the financial year, and I'd like the books to balance—if that's possible.”

Mandy laughed from where she served another customer. “There speaks an ex-accountant.”

Eden laughed. She typed in her PIN. “The books had better balance then.”

Grace printed off the receipt. “There you go. And there are David's flowers.”

The shop bell tinkled as the door opened. Elliott's beam matched the one on Grace's face. “Hey, gorgeous,” he said.

She almost ran into his arms and hugged him.

Eden pushed down the spark of jealousy. Once upon a time, David had looked at her like that, instilled that instant reaction in her when he walked into a room. Once upon a time David had loved her.

Her phone rang as she headed out onto the street and she reached in her pocket. “Hello?”

“Hello Eden, Nate Holmes here. Is there a problem?”

“It's about what I mentioned the other day. We need to talk. Something's really wrong.”

“Are you in any danger?”

What should she say? How could anyone quantify feelings and bits of conversation into something meaningful? “Possibly…I...it's kind of hard to explain on the phone.” She flagged down a taxi.

“I'll send a car for you. We can talk here at the station.”

“I'm getting in a taxi. I'll be there in ten minutes.” She looked at the driver. “Could you drop me at Manor Road police station, please?”

“I'm afraid I can't do that.”

Her heart leapt and fear ran through her turning her to ice as she ended the call without saying goodbye. She'd heard that voice before.

11

Business completed, David returned to his car. It was just gone twelve. He had two hours before Valhalla. His pulse raced at the thought and he could feel the adrenaline start to flood his system. A few more hours and all this would be over. Then maybe he and Eden could…

He stopped short at the sight of Joey leaning on his cab, boxing him into the parking space. “What are you doing here?” David asked.

“You won't believe who I have in my cab. Your nanny. We're going to have to silence her. She was going to the cop shop. Told you she was a pig. I'm going to waste her now.”

“Even if she is a cop she's my loose end.” David snarled. “I will handle her as I see fit.”

“Granger won't like it. We all know you—”

David shoved his gun into Joey's side. “If I were you I would shut up. Granger already told me I get to dispose of her. Now get out of my way and let me handle this.”

“If you insist.” Joey moved.

David prayed silently for strength to do this and look convincing as he opened the taxi door. “Out. Go get in my car. Now.”

David gave an inward groan as Eden opened her coat and lifted Marc from his sling. Could this get any worse?

Eden strapped Marc in the car seat, and hesitated. She looked terrified.

He hardened his gaze; he had no choice but to look furious with her. He waved the gun at her, knowing he was being watched. “Get in the car slowly.”

“Or what?” she asked with a show of bravado.

David leaned in. “If I have to shoot, I will, but I would rather not kill you or the baby in public. You're making enough of a show as it is.” He kept the tone low and menacing.

Eden hesitated.

“Do it!” he yelled. “And give me your phone!”

Visibly shaken, Eden did as he asked, looking at the gun.

“Don't even think it,” he muttered, shoving her phone into his coat pocket. “Now belt up.”

Trembling hands struggled to push the belt home. “I can't.”

“For crying out loud.” David snatched the belt from her and shoved the belt into the catch. “Don't you dare say another word.” He put the gun into the holster and started the car. Half way home, her phone rang in his pocket.

“I should answer that. It'll be Nate. He's probably wondering what happened because I hung up on him.”

“Fine. But you say anything to alert him and you will die.” Then he mouthed the words. “I'm wired.”

She shook her head. He repeated and her eyes went wide as realization dawned.

“OK.” Eden took the handset and hit the green button. “H…hello? Oh, hello, Sgt. Holmes. No, I'm delayed. It's really nothing I'm sure. No, no. ”

David scowled and put his finger on his lips. Nate's timing, as always was lousy. But he had a part to play here and had to keep this up. Keeping an eye on Eden, David sent up telegram prayers. He hadn't wanted this to play out the way it was, it was the last thing he wanted and honestly had no idea how he was going to extract either of them from the mess they were now in.

But he needed to text Adam and tell him to postpone Valhalla for a while. He'd need twenty-four hours to sort this mess out and get Eden safe.

He snatched the phone back as Eden hung up. “What did Nate want?”

“He was asking how I was.”

“Why would he do that?” David asked as he started driving again. The sooner they got home, the better.

“I guess word got around that I'd been sick. Even Grace in the florist knew.”

He shot her a horrified glance. “What were you doing in the florist?”

“Paying your bills,” she shot back. “And sending my parents flowers for their wedding anniversary.”

David stifled his groan of annoyance. He drove like a mad man. How did he get out of this now?

Even before Joey had picked up Eden, Granger gave the order to kill her. David said he'd do it rather than anyone else—give it the personal touch. Granger wanted to see it on the news, and David promised he'd handle it. With the car bugged, and the wire he was wearing, he had no choice but to keep up the act until he got home.

He swung onto the drive and glared at Eden. “Stay here until I get back.”

“I have to as I can't undo the seatbelt.”

“Good,” he muttered, as he got out of the car. He picked up the car seat and carried the sleeping baby inside the house. Then, he hurried back outside and flung open the passenger door.

Leaning across Eden to undo the belt, he was assailed by the scent of her perfume. His gaze caught hers. She looked terrified, but the trademark Eden stubbornness was setting in. She wasn't going to make this easy, which meant he had to play hardball. She should never have moved in. His hand closed over her wrist. “Get out and get in the house.” He winked, trying to let her know that things weren't as bad as he was making out.

“Make me,” she whispered. She made her eyes go wide as if to ask about her performance.

“Why do you have to be so difficult?” He pulled her from the car, slammed the door shut with his hip, and dragged Eden into the house. He locked the front door behind them. “Get upstairs.”

“What?”

“Don't argue, Eden!” he yelled. “You've done enough.” He pushed her to the stairs, but she tripped and collided with the bannisters.