Heartbreaker (3 page)
Authors: Susan Howatch
Tags: #Psychological, #Romance, #Suspense, #General, #Fiction
XI
The street was a cul-de-sac in the shape of the letter T, with the crossbar of the T blocked to traffic at both ends; cars could only enter at the bottom of the T by driving under the arch from Old Broad Street, but as a pedestrian I was able to slip into one end of the crossbar. Number forty-nine, I found, was one of the tall, slim Edwardian houses which had somehow survived the Blitz.
In the porch I examined the list of names by the buzzers. The basement, ground floor and first floor formed the offices of a company called Austin Trading International, but although I expected to find other firms occupying the rest of the building, it seemed that the remaining floors were in residential use and I wondered why Richard had talked of an office suite. Obviously he had wanted to mislead me, but what had made him so reluctant to admit that G worked from home? I took a closer look at the names. The fourth-floor slot, the top slot, was marked G. BLAKE.
There was no video-entryphone, and although I expected G to use the intercom to check who I was, the front door clicked open as soon as I rang the buzzer. I mentally awarded G bad marks for security. Violent crime is low in London’s financial district, but no woman living alone, even in the City, should let someone into her building without first making sure of her visitor’s identity.
The building itself had clearly been renovated in recent years for the lift was modern, equipped with a phone for use in emergencies, and the ride was so smooth that there was barely a jolt when the car stopped at the fourth floor.
G was waiting for me. Automatically I stepped out onto the landing, but I never heard the doors whisper shut again and I never heard the lift return to the lobby.
I was absolutely dumbfounded.
And so was he.
CHAPTER TWO
Gavin
Youth culture is not unaware of sexual love and its implied commitments, but it has a tolerant attitude to what it calls
shagging.
In one significant section of youth culture, many young people shag or have sexual intercourse with each other whenever they feel like it, the way they have a cup of coffee or a hamburger.
Godless Morality
RICHARD HOLLOWAY
This cool blonde’s creamed into my life like a chilled-out meteor. Her legs are luscious and she’s got the kind of feet a fetishist would kill for, dainty little numbers wrapped in low-cut, skin-tight black leather. Phwoar! WIKKID, as the teeny-totties croak, the little innocents who have no idea what wickedness really is. I take one look and my eyes are instantly spherical. This babe’s mega-shagworthy. In fact she’s exactly the kind of babe I dream of shagging when I’m slogging away at pushbutton sex with a load of masculine lard.
But what the hell’s she doing here? And where’s Richard? And just what the fuck’s going on?
“Hullo, Gorgeous!” I say casually. “Looking for something?”
She turns a ritzy shade of pink. That’s probably because I’m wearing nothing except a pair of CK jeans low on the hips with the zip peeled back to reveal an eye-popping portion of sub-navel hair. In contrast she’s glossed up in a beige-coloured ball-breaker’s business suit and a virgin-white silk shirt. I wonder what she’s got on underneath, and at once I’m picturing an onward-and-upward lacy number and a couple of non-silicone knockers that remind the old soaks of champagne glasses— traditional champagne glasses, I mean, not those bloody flutes that get plonked in front of you nowadays in any shithole that calls itself a wine bar.
Ms. Shaggable’s about to speak, and I’ll bet my best Rolex I shan’t hear estuary English. We’re talking class here. We’re talking style.
With an oddly precise inflection she says: “I’m a friend of Richard Slaney’s.”
At once I fling the door wide open. “Then come on in!” I purr, voice smooth as liquid chocolate. “Any friend of Richard Slaney’s is a friend of mine!”
She takes the plunge and crosses the threshold.
I’ve recovered from my shock and my eyes have returned to their normal shape after their seconds of being spherical, but I’m more baffled than ever. Can she be Richard’s PA? No, she’d have said so. And she’s not Moira playing games either. I saw a photo of Moira when I was at Richard’s home in Hampshire.
Golden Girl’s speaking again. What
is
that precise little inflection she gives to her careful Home Counties accent? There’s something foreign there, but I can’t identify the country. Fascinating.
“What’s the G stand for?” she says, and of course I think of G-spots and G-strings and assume this is some kind of upmarket verbal foreplay, but it turns out she just wants to know my first name.
“Gavin,” I say, and find I’m unable to take the suspense a moment longer. “Who the hell are you?”
“Carta Graham. I used to be a partner with Richard at Curtis, Towers, but now I’m—”
“—fundraising for that clergy-bloke who’s fixing Bridget—yeah, Richard told me about you. Okay, what’s going on?”
She looks me straight in the eyes and says: “He had a coronary this morning.”
“Shit!”
“He’s still alive but I don’t know what the prognosis is. His PA’s promised to—”
I’m too shocked to listen. In fury I yell: “Those bloody cigarettes! I told him again and again he ought to quit!” But then I get my act together and ask how she knew Richard had a date with me today. It turns out he made an entry in his desk diary which meant nothing to his PA but everything to Ms. Shaggable. I feel my eyes go spherical again. This is definitely the day I get slammed by surprises.
“Richard told you about me?” I say incredulously. “He actually told you?”
“Last night, yes. But he only referred to you as G and he didn’t disclose your gender.”
“Ah, I see! Mystery solved. I couldn’t imagine Richard coming out of the closet, even for a good friend.” I start to drift across the living-room into the kitchen area. “Have a seat at the counter,” I say, “and I’ll pour you a glass of wine.” The living-room has no furniture in it except for a swivel chair, the matching footstool and a TV/video on a cart. Sometimes between shifts I like to put my feet up and watch trash.
The babe’s saying doubtfully: “I’d better not stay.”
“Why not? Since Richard won’t be here I’m free until my next appointment.”
The penny finally drops with such a crash that her jaw sags. How typical of Richard to tell her everything yet tell her nothing! These closet gays play their cards so close to their chests it’s a wonder the cards don’t take root there. And what was he doing talking to this gorgeous piece, for God’s sake? Of course I realised the last time he took me sailing that he was getting much too emotional, but I never thought he’d do a total freak-out.
Wiping the memory of the sailing trip I refocus on my visitor who’s now realised why my living-room’s so under-furnished: it’s because nothing much ever happens there. “Yes, I’m in the leisure industry,” I say amused to help her along. “I give stressed-out City executives some essential relaxation.” Extracting a Waterford crystal wine-glass from the cupboard over the sink I open the refrigerator to take out the Chablis Premier Cru. Orange juice for me, of course. I never drink at work. I’m a top-of-the-market professional, not some pathetic amateur pill-popping in Piccadilly Circus.
When I turn to hand her the drink I see she’s looking at me as if I’m a pervy version of Batman who’s just about to be sent down for abusing that silly wimp Robin. So the lady’s a prig. Tough! Specially as she’s also nearly wetting herself because she wants to shag me. I give her a high-wattage smile and casually zip up my jeans.
“Which hospital’s Richard at?” I say, gesturing to the stools by the counter, but she won’t sit down. She stands stiff as a soldier on the edge of the kitchen area and clasps her glass as if it’s a bayonet.
“Barts,” she says, very chilly.
“Great. Hey, did you see in the paper that Barts is threatened with closure? What the fuck does the Government think it’s doing?”
Not a muscle of her face moves when I toss the f-word into the conversation. This is one cool, cool babe who fancies herself as ultra-controlled and thinks she’s far too smart to end up in the sack with a leisure-worker. Dream on, baby! I’m going to melt that ice even if I have to hire a blowtorch to do it. I’m going to make you steam.
Opening one of the drawers below the kitchen counter I take out a business card. “If I give you my number,” I say soberly, turning on the class-act, “could you please let me know how Richard’s getting on? I’d be really grateful if you would.” And I give her a serious, appealing look designed to go straight to her tough little heart.
It works. She agrees. Having scribbled on the back of the card I explain: “Ignore the printed phone number—that just connects to the office at my home in Lambeth, and you’ll only get my manager or her secretary. But the number I’ve written down is the number of this flat. Call me here at five minutes before either eight, noon or four-thirty and I’ll always pick up. Those are the times before my shifts begin.”
“Don’t you have a mobile?”
I never answer yes to this question. Clients and chicks would give me no peace if I did, and anyway the aging techno-lump which lives mainly in my car doesn’t exactly fit my image. I’m waiting for the new wave of mobiles before I update, the digital-satellite-made-in-heaven wonder-toys which the nerd department of
The Times
is always predicting.
“I’m not interested in mobiles,” I lie. “They weigh too much and die at the wrong moment.”
“But don’t you need a mobile for your business?”
“Sweetie, I don’t have the kind of business where I’m shitting bricks in case I miss a vital call! I’m available at set hours Monday through Friday, and if a bloke wants to see me he rings the office and makes an appointment—if his credit card pans out, and if he’s lucky enough not to go on the waiting list. God, why would I want a mobile? I’m not interested in forming social relationships with these guys—I don’t even do escort work! I’m strictly bedroom.”
“In that case,” says Ms. Ultra-Cool with all the killer-skills of a leading QC, “what did you think you were doing when you went sailing with Richard?”
She’s blown me away.
Shit, I’m going to shag this piece one day even if it’s the last bloody thing I ever do . . .
I hurl back a tough reply. “Richard’s the exception that proves the rule,” I snap, and add before I can stop myself: “Richard and I are friends. We like each other.”
“He loves you!”
It’s clear she’s furious about this, but why? Is she in love with him herself and feels conned now that she knows he’s gay? I can’t work it out. “Okay, but so what?” I demand. “And what the hell’s it got to do with you anyway?”
“Richard’s my friend too!” she snarls back, “so it’s certainly my business if you’ve put him on the rack!”
“If Richard’s on the rack, that’s not my fault. Hey, you look so sexy when you’re angry and I just love sexy blondes! You busy next weekend?”
She’s devastated. She’s been thinking I’m gay, camping it up by faking a cod-hetero attraction, but now another big penny drops and she’s shocked rigid again. In fact she’s so shocked that she fights against believing the truth that’s staring her in the face.
Shakily she says: “You’re bisexual?”
“Oh, puh-leeze!”
“You mean—”
“I’m straight as a ruler, sweetheart. Now how about a date?”
But she’s pole-axed. All she can say is: “So Richard’s not just in love with a hustler. He’s in love with someone who’s constitutionally incapable of loving him in return.”
I fake a puke. “Wow, wheel on the soaring violins and bring out the Kleenex—it’s soap-opera time!”
“Why, you—”
“Pussycat, get real—my clients are smart, sophisticated businessmen who know the score. I don’t know what kind of crap Richard’s been spewing out when pissed on martinis, but don’t try and tell me he’s the kind of bloke who dies for love!”
“He nearly died this morning!”
Shit, she’s done it again. What
is
this shredding machine on extra-lush legs? The Attorney-General in drag? Margaret Thatcher’s illegitimate daughter?
“You’ve got him so stressed out,” she storms at me, “that he’s been over-working, over-eating, over-drinking and over-smoking! No wonder he had a coronary! And it was all because of you!”
“Bullshit!” I yell. “I’m not responsible for his decision to stay in the closet! I’m not responsible for his decision to marry and have kids! I’m not responsible for his successful career and high-powered job! I
ease
the stress, I don’t add to it, so don’t you try to lay this fucking guilt-trip on me! Just who the hell do you think you are anyway?”
“I’m the friend of Richard Slaney’s who’s telling you you’ve got an attitude problem!” Slamming her glass down so violently that wine slops over the rim she stalks off towards the door.
“Hey!” I say quickly. “You’ve forgotten my card!”
She tells me what I can do with my card but I shout back: “Don’t you think Richard would want me to be kept informed about how he is?”
That stops her, and in my most reasonable voice I add: “Look, we both want Richard to get well. It’s crazy to quarrel like this. Let me buy you a drink next weekend.”
“I’m busy,” she says, cramming the card into her chic little handbag.
I go fishing. “Husband?” I murmur sympathetically.
“That’s my business.”
“You mean no. If you’d got one you’d say so to slap me down.”
“Sod off!”
“So does the lover live in or out? A sexy chick like you has to have a lover. And where do you live anyway?”
“You’ll never know.” She snaps the bag shut and starts the march to the front door again. “You needn’t worry,” she says dryly over her shoulder, and suddenly I identify a Scottish inflection in the way she speaks each word with such unEnglish precision. “I accept that Richard would want me to keep you informed. I’ll call you.”
“Thanks, Frosty-Puss. And thanks for coming to tell me the news. That was good of you and I appreciate it.” I count to five before adding: “Or did you just come out of curiosity to see who Richard was shagging?”
She storms out and slams the door so hard it nearly drops off its hinges.
Bull’s-eye.
I sit sipping OJ at the counter. I’m upset about Richard. In my head Hugo laughs but I shove him back into the crevice in my mind where he lives. Then I can think of Richard without being interrupted.
Ms. Iceball doesn’t understand that I’m Richard’s friend. She’s mentally slagged me off like a mindless moral bigot, but she works for a church, doesn’t she, so what can one expect? I hate religion. And as for a clergyman who ponces around pretending to be a healer—that’s gross! There ought to be a law against it. Mum took Hugo to a healer and the bastard just grabbed her money and faked miraculous powers. I told Richard that story when he began talking about the St. Benet’s Healing Centre, but this disclosure was a mistake because he started asking about my family and I never discuss the past with my clients.
But Richard’s not like the other clients and that’s why I’m sitting here feeling upset. I’m as upset as any friend of Richard’s would be, and as Richard’s famous for his friends there are going to be a whole lot of upset people out there besides me.
I think of him being a friend.
“I know you don’t work on weekends,” he said when he first invited me to go sailing with him, “but you won’t have to work on this occasion, I promise. We’ll just be friends.” Hey, pull the other one, mate, I thought to myself, who do you think you’re kidding? But he was as good as his word. He only cracked the weekend before last on our sixth trip, but I felt so grateful to him for all the sailing that I didn’t mind giving him a freebie. I never normally give freebies, never. When I say you have to pay me to do gay sex that’s the literal truth. But I made an exception for Richard because I owed him—and anyway it turned out not to be a freebie after all because he promised me a ten-thousand-pound hit of stocks and shares (which I’ll ask him later to convert into cash).