Night Watcher (18 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Ken jabbed his finger onto the on switch and listened as his computer hummed into life. It immediately went into a virus check and while he waited he leaned his elbows on the desk and let his mind drift.

He was happier now he had made his decision. His problems were over and Nicole was history. Once rid of her, Claire would come round, she always did. And Nicole would be gone, from his life and from the store.

Ken was sure Patrick would agree with him when he suggested that Nicole was past it, and that he was the best person to take the firm forward. After all, Patrick had returned to Dundee last night specifically to meet him, and Nicole had not been invited. He had never been more certain, Nicole’s days were numbered. And with her departure his problems would be over.

He leaned back in his executive chair, savouring the smell of the leather. Last night Patrick had been so positive. ‘You have a great future with Drake’s,’ he had said, patting Ken on the shoulder. ‘I like the way you think. New ideas are the lifeblood of business.’ He had smiled as he said it, that little tight-lipped smile that always reminded Ken to be careful because Patrick was a man with no scruples.

‘What about Nicole?’ Ken asked him, not really caring about her, but checking out where she stood with Patrick.

‘What about her?’ he had replied in an inscrutable tone that Ken interpreted as a signal of Nicole’s demise in the company. ‘You are the man I want in the driving seat,’ Patrick paused, ‘but no need to tell Nicole yet.’ There was a cruel tinge to his smile this time.

‘She won’t be pleased. I expect she’ll fight it.’ Ken looked at Patrick, wondering if he would have second thoughts.

Patrick just shrugged. ‘Another drink, Ken?’

The two men smiled at each other. Conspirators working for the good of the store and, of course, for themselves.

Ken liked his office on the executive floor, which was just as well, because even though he moved to a more elevated position in the company, which he expected to do very soon, it was doubtful if his accommodation would change. Still, he thought, looking around him, maybe Patrick would agree to a makeover. He swivelled his chair round and sat for a moment in front of the computer, watching the cannibal fish on his screen saver gobbling anything that came near them. This suited his mood perfectly. It was what business was all about. His hand rested on the mouse, reluctant to move it and send the fish into monitor oblivion, but eventually he gave it the slightest nudge and brought his project back onto the screen. His concentration intensified and he became immersed in the fine detail of his plan. Already he had forgotten it was Nicole’s ideas that initiated the plan. If he thought of her at all it was only to consider how he would handle her.

He did not worry about Nicole. They’d had fun together, but now it had to end and he did not see any problem with that. There would be no difficulties for him finishing the affair, knowing what he now knew. But for a brief moment Ken felt pity for her because her fate was predetermined. However, he knew that given the opportunity Nicole would double-cross him without a second thought.

Ken worked for quite a long time before he heard the lift stop and the doors open with a noise that grated his nerves. ‘Damned maintenance man, I reported that yesterday,’ he muttered to himself as he closed the lid of his laptop, kicked his shoes off and rose from his chair. However, he was glad of the noise because it signalled Nicole’s arrival. He moved silently to the door and turned the key. He did not have time to return to his desk before he heard Nicole stop outside so he stood still, afraid to move in case she detected a sound, although that was doubtful given the solidity of the oak-panelled door.

The handle turned and he held his breath. After a moment he heard her walk along the corridor to her own office. Ken breathed out, unlocked his door and returned to his desk where he was soon immersed in his work.

***

Nicole froze. Another scream bubbled up in her throat, but it stuck there in a painful lump unable to escape. She forced herself to approach her desk, not believing what she was looking at. But there was no mistake.

‘Oh, Freddie,’ she moaned, biting her lip to prevent the tears gathering. She could not cry over a pigeon. Not her, not Nicole, who never let anything faze her because she had her reputation for toughness to maintain. But she loved animals and birds they were so defenceless and innocent, and there had been too many deaths already. Besides, Freddie had been special to her, maybe because he was so tame and she was always the one he came to. He had been there every morning, tapping on the window to attract her attention, and looking at her with those large sad eyes.

One tear escaped and trickled down her cheek. Had it been only yesterday that she had crumbled one of her biscuits and scattered it on the windowsill for the bird? And now here he was crucified, his wings spread and secured to the desk by the brass tin-tacks skewering the tips of his feathers to the wooden surface.

Nicole reached out a finger to stroke him, hoping to feel a heartbeat or some kind of life-flicker, but he was cold and rigid. She had not really expected anything else, and yet, the shock vibrated through her, up into her throat where it stuck and throbbed until a keening moan escaped her lips. The sight of Freddie brought back other memories, hateful memories. The blackbird she had found on the seat of her car. The arrangement of small bodies lined up on her kitchen floor in some strange ritualistic sacrifice. Who was doing this to her?

The room shifted out of focus and her earlier nausea returned as she backed away from the desk. The sound of faraway voices and running feet in the corridor trickled over her, but nothing made any sense. She had the strangest sensation that she was encased in cotton wool. She continued to back away from the desk, but her movements were disjointed, her feet and body did not seem to be connected and she was floating. The world dimmed and faded away as she fell.

***

‘Yes, Evelyn?’ Ken had become so engrossed in improving his business plan for the store he had been oblivious to the rumpus in the corridor until the senior administrative assistant burst in allowing the noise to soar to a level that was impossible to ignore. He turned to stare at her; he had never seen her in this condition before. Usually she was so calm and self controlled.

‘What on earth’s going on?’ He closed the file he had been working on, slipped his feet into his shoes, and rose from the chair.

Evelyn’s breath was coming in short gasps and she held her throat with one hand when she spoke. ‘It’s Mrs Ralston,’ she panted. ‘We can’t calm her down. I think you should come.’

Ken heard screams resounding along the corridor. ‘Is that Mrs Ralston screaming?’ He strode to the door.

Evelyn nodded. ‘She’s in hysterics and won’t stop.’ She backed out of the door. ‘I’ve phoned the police, but I think someone should be with her.’

Ken halted. ‘The police?’

‘Yes. There’s something in her room.’ Evelyn shuddered. ‘I can’t describe it. You’ll see when you get there.’

Ken started to walk in the direction of the screams, but then stopped as a vision of Nicole clutching him and sobbing on his shoulder hit him like a blow. He remembered Patrick’s offer, Claire’s ultimatum, and his resolve to end it with Nicole. How could he end it if he went to her now? Nicole would never let him go. He would mess up with Patrick, and Claire was bound to find out. He took another two steps then turned round as the urge to run and stay as far away from Nicole as possible overtook him. Whatever it was that had given her the screaming heebie-jeebies, he did not want to know.

‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to come,’ Ken said. He could almost feel Evelyn’s eyes boring into him and was not sure what she knew, or guessed about him and Nicole. ‘I’m not very good at calming screaming women,’ he added. ‘Besides she’d be better with a woman. I’ll go get her friend, Julie.’

He hurried to the lift muttering a little prayer of thanks that he had been listening when Nicole talked about Julie. The knowledge had saved him from an embarrassing scene.

Ken rarely visited the food hall and was not sure where he would find Julie at this time of the morning. He wandered up and down various aisles, smiling at customers, while his eyes searched for a member of staff.

‘Miss Forbes, where can I find her?’ He smiled at the young girl to whom he had addressed his question. Poor thing she didn’t have a lot going for her, however, it was second nature for him to try to charm women.

The girl adjusted her spectacles and blushed. ‘Try the office,’ she stammered.

‘And where would I find the office?’ Ken raised one of his eyebrows. It was a trick he practised regularly because it seemed to have an effect on women.

She giggled and pointed to the rear of the food hall.

‘Thank you,’ he peered at her name badge, ‘Debbie. You’ve been very helpful.’ Ken sauntered down the aisle, aware that Debbie was watching.

The office was right at the back of the food hall, tucked away in a corner so that if he had not been looking he might have walked past it without noticing it was there.

He turned the handle and pushed the door open without troubling to knock.

***

Julie’s finger stopped in the middle of dialling the last number. It had taken her all morning to get herself in the right frame of mind to phone Adrian and now that she was ready, Ken had to walk into her office.

She replaced the phone on its cradle. ‘Can I help you?’

Ken had never recognized or acknowledged her up to now and she wondered what he wanted. She knew he had made advances to a lot of the women in the store and she toyed briefly with the thought that if she responded that would be a way to get back at Nicole. However, she dismissed the thought almost as fast as it occurred to her. There were some things she drew the line at, besides she did not fancy him.

It wasn’t that he was unattractive. There was an appealing quality about him. He had that little boy lost, hangdog kind of look that made him interesting to a lot of women. However, she got the impression he knew it and played on it. He looked at her now and she could almost feel him trying to exert his charm on her, but she decided she was having none of it.

‘Can I help you?’ she repeated in a slightly sharper tone. The annoyance she had felt, when he came into her office without knocking, increased as he stood there looking at her. She had really wanted to make that phone call and if Ken had not disturbed her it would have been done. Now the chance had slipped away and she knew it might take her a long time to generate the courage again. Besides, she might change her mind about phoning Adrian and she did not want to do that.

Ken slid further into her office and closed the door behind him. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you when you’re busy,’ he mumbled.

Julie’s annoyance lessened and she almost believed him. There was a tone of sincerity in his voice that started her thinking she had misjudged him. However, she caught sight of a glint in his eye that seemed ever so slightly calculating and it rekindled her exasperation.

‘Yes, I’m busy,’ she said, not caring whether she offended him. After all she was going to leave the job anyway. She picked up her pen and rolled it between her fingers before starting to flick her thumb up and down on the button at the end of it making the ink-refill click in and out of the barrel in a staccato movement that reflected her impatience.

Ken sat on the edge of her desk and swung his leg. He leaned towards her making her draw back further in her chair.

Julie’s dislike increased. The man had no manners, no finesse and did not know when he was not wanted. The scars on her arms started to ache as her muscles tightened and she sighed with displeasure. It would be so easy to let her suppressed anger at Nicole spill over onto Ken. But she knew she should not allow her emotions to take over, although she supposed that anger was maybe a healthier reaction than the bitterness she had been feeling, which made her life an emotional desert.

Julie inhaled several times becoming calmer with each breath. At last she was ready to listen to him. ‘Yes? What is it you want?’

Ken seemed nervous as if he had sensed her dislike and annoyance. ‘It’s Nicole,’ he said. ‘She’s having hysterics in her office.’ There was a look that Julie thought might almost be pleading in his soft, brown eyes. ‘I thought you might be able to calm her down, you being her friend and all.’

Julie stared at him. Help Nicole? It was the last thing in the world she wanted to do, but then Ken would not know that. She was tempted to refuse, but curiosity grabbed her. If Nicole was having hysterics, she would love to know why.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

When the darkness cleared, Nicole thought she had gone mad. She had never considered herself capable of fainting or having hysterics, considering this to be weakness, and within the space of a few minutes she had done both.

She sat with her back pressed against the office wall and her arms clasped tightly round her knees trying to make herself as small as possible. She tried to struggle up from the floor, but Evelyn’s firm hand pressed on her head. ‘Don’t move,’ the woman said, ‘stay still and put your head between your knees. You’ll feel better.’

Nicole’s resentment flared. She had never liked Evelyn, thinking the woman was far too smart for her own good and she wanted to shake the woman’s hand off her neck. But she did not have the energy. Instead she did as she was told and, because her throat was raw from screaming, nodded her assent.

‘Take deep slow breaths,’ Evelyn said. ‘It’ll make you feel better.’

Nicole nodded again. She hated having to agree to everything, but she did not have enough strength to do anything else. At last she croaked, ‘Ken? Will someone fetch Ken?’

Evelyn’s hand on the back of her head pushed a little harder. ‘Ken’s gone to fetch Julie. He thought she would be more help to you.’ She did not have to say, ‘Useless men,’ but the implication was there in the tone of her voice. ‘I’ve also sent for the police. Whoever did this must be sick in the head.’

The room swirled. Bile burned in her gullet pushing acid into her throat, forcing her to raise her head again. She pushed back against the pressure of Evelyn’s hand. ‘Water,’ she croaked, in a voice that did not sound like her own. She needed something to wash the taste out of her mouth and thin the acid bile.

‘Nicky!’ Evelyn snapped. ‘Fetch Mrs Ralston a glass of water from the cooler instead of standing at the door looking gormless.’

The smallest and youngest of the office girls clustering round the doorway flinched as if she had been struck. ‘Yes, Evelyn,’ she mumbled, scuttling out of the door.

Evelyn sighed. ‘I don’t know where they get them nowadays. Not a brain cell between any of them.’ She glared at the other girls grouped round the open doorway, ‘And you lot – back to work. We don’t need you standing there gawping, we’ll manage fine without you.’ The caustic tone in her voice was unmistakable and the girls, mumbling under their breath, scattered.

‘They think I don’t know they call me the dragon,’ Evelyn confided in Nicole. A smile twisted the corner of her mouth before it was replaced by a frown. ‘Where’s that damned water,’ she shouted. ‘I could have gone to China for it by this time.’

‘It’s here, Evelyn,’ the junior was almost running as she reappeared. She pushed the glass into Evelyn’s hand, slopping some of the water over her fingers.

‘Careful, girl, careful,’ Evelyn grasped the glass. ‘Now shoot off back to your work, like a good lass.’

She watched the junior as she fled up the corridor, then turning to Nicole she held the tumbler to her lips. ‘Sip it slowly,’ she warned. ‘You’ve had a bit of a shock.’

Nicole grabbed the glass from her. ‘I’m not a baby,’ she croaked. ‘I don’t need help to drink.’

‘Ah, you’re coming round, I see. Back to your usual self.’

Nicole glared at her, ‘What d’you mean by that little remark?’

‘Nothing at all.’ Evelyn stood up, towering over Nicole. ‘Just trying to be helpful, that’s all.’

Nicole struggled to her feet. ‘When I want your help I’ll ask for it, and believe me it’ll be a cold day in hell before that happens. So just fuck off.’

Evelyn shrugged giving the impression she could not care less, although Nicole guessed the older woman was seething underneath her calm appearance. ‘If that’s what you want,’ she said, her voice brittle and cold, then that’s how it will be.’ Evelyn turned and left the office, quietly closing the door behind her.

The room started to revolve again and Nicole leaned against the wall. Taking several, long, shuddering breaths, she tried to ignore the thumping in her chest. At last the spinning stopped and she was able to approach the desk where Freddie was laid out. ‘Poor Freddie,’ she said, ‘you didn’t deserve this.’ A tear dribbled down her cheek, but she made no attempt to touch the bird. Instead she walked to the window and rested her forehead on the cool glass. In the street below cars and buses moved in a graceless ballet while pedestrians, ant-like, went about their business. It was as if nothing had happened – and of course, for them, nothing had. She opened the window, leaned out and screamed at them, ‘Who is doing this to me?’ There was no answer apart from the rumble of engines and the usual city-centre sounds.

***

Ken fidgeted. He stood up, straightened his tie, ran his fingers through his hair and adjusted his weight from one foot to the other. He had lost the cocky look he’d had when he opened her office door and really did look like a little boy who was unsure of himself.

Julie ignored him. She was damned if she would agree to his demands as soon as he snapped his fingers, even though she was consumed by curiosity. She riffled through some of the invoices spread out on her desk and deliberately allowed the silence to continue, so that his discomfiture would increase. At last she looked up at him, ‘I would have thought she’d have preferred you to be with her and, as you can see, I have a lot of work to catch up with.’

‘The work can wait.’ Ken levered himself off the doorframe on which he had been leaning. ‘She needs you now.’

‘What if I can’t come now.’ Julie stared at him, challenging him. She could see the realization creeping over him that she was not the kind of woman who would do anything to please him just because he asked.

‘I could make it an order.’ Ken leaned over and placed the palms of his hands on her desk as he glared at her.

‘And I could refuse.’ Julie glared back. ‘Oh, never mind,’ she said, ‘I’ll go to her, but not because you’re ordering me. If I didn’t want to do it there’s no force on this earth that could make me.’ She stood up and pushed past him to get to the door. ‘Anyway, I still don’t know why you can’t help her, everything else considered.’

Julie smiled to herself as she walked away from him. She did not look back, but she would lay bets that Ken would have a bemused look on his face. He was not used to anyone standing up to him or refusing him anything.