The One You Really Want (48 page)

The front door of number sixty-two burst open and Rose and William - forbidden from joining the stake-out - came rushing down the steps.

‘I've got this if they need tying up.' William brandished what looked like Rose's washing line.

‘Is Doreen all right?' cried Rose.

‘Doreen,' Zac croaked, breaking into a run. ‘Is she dead?
Doreen
. . .'

Mia carefully unzipped her navy jacket. ‘She's not dead. She's OK. Just shaken.'

Zac let out a sob of relief and took Doreen into his arms. As the little dog snuffled and clung to him, her tail began to wag, slowly at first, then gathering speed. Burying his face in her fur, Zac kissed the top of her head and Nancy, watching the reunion from a distance, felt a lump form in her throat.

‘They hung her from the railings in a bag.' Tears were still pouring down Mia's cheeks. ‘She was just dangling there. I saw her little eyes looking up at me . . . oh God, the look on her face when she saw—'

A roar of fury from further down the road caused Nancy to jump. Connor, cursing loudly and still hanging on to his abductor, gazed helplessly as a flurry of banknotes escaped from the unfastened carrier bag and swirled like autumn leaves up into the air. ‘If anybody wants to come and give us a hand,' he shouted, ‘there's some money that needs to be caught.'

 

The police arrived a couple of minutes later. Most of the escaped banknotes were retrieved, although eighty pounds' worth was last seen making an exultant bid for freedom down Merivale Street. The abductors, who turned out to be teenagers rather than men, were arrested and carted off to the Brompton police station in Lucan Place.

Zac went with them to make his statement, reluctantly handing Doreen over to the care of Nancy and promising to be back as soon as possible. Aware of his father's gaze upon them, he had planted a fervent kiss on Nancy's mouth. When she glanced over Zac's shoulder and saw Connor grinning broadly, Nancy flicked a quick V sign at him and waited a discreet length of time before wiping her hand across the place where the kiss had landed.

‘Right,' Rennie announced, rubbing his cold hands. ‘I think we've earned ourselves a drink. Last one to down a large Scotch is a cissy.'

Mia said brightly, ‘Even me?'

‘Well, I'll be off.' The Brigadier gestured awkwardly as Rennie led the way up the steps to number sixty-two.

Rennie turned to look at him. ‘We're celebrating getting Doreen back. You could stay for one drink, surely?'

‘Well . . .'

‘Come on, pet . . . er, Geoffrey,' Rose urged kindly. ‘Bring Marjorie with you if you like.'

‘Marjorie's away until tomorrow. Visiting an old school-friend in Kent.'

‘Then just bring yourself,' said Rennie. ‘You know, we couldn't have managed without you tonight. You did a fine job.'

The Brigadier's Adam's apple bobbed with embarrassment. At last he said stiffly, ‘Well, I suppose one drink can't hurt.'

‘Great. I'll be on my very best behaviour.' Ushering him in through the front door, Rennie said cheerfully, ‘And I promise not to bite the heads off any bats.'

 

One drink turned to several. Exhausted by her ordeal but clearly relieved to be back among friends, Doreen wolfed down half a tin of Marks and Spencer steak casserole and seven Maltesers before curling up and falling asleep in the living room on William's lap. Much to their astonishment, Rennie and the Brigadier discovered a shared passion for Second World War films and military museums. Rose, meanwhile, was in her element rustling up bacon sandwiches and a huge bowl of cheese fondue.

Nancy, halfway down her third glass of wine, did her best to look nonchalant when Connor wandered into the kitchen with Mia in tow. So long as she didn't blurt out
I love you
at the top of her voice, she should be all right.

‘I used to do that when my aunties came to visit,' Connor told her with a grin.

So big, so handsome,
so Tabitha's
.

‘Do what?'

He mimed being given a noisy kiss, then grimacing and wiping his mouth with his hand.

‘I know.' Nancy shook her head. ‘I'm ashamed of myself. Just couldn't help it.'

‘It's a reflex.' Connor's tone was consoling. ‘If you don't want someone to kiss you but they go ahead and do it anyway, you have to wipe it off.'

‘Eamonn O'Hara tried to kiss me once, on a school trip,' said Mia. ‘I wiped it away. Then I punched him so hard he landed on Shona Murphy's sandwiches.'

‘Nancy didn't really want to do that to Zac,' Connor said patiently.

‘Poor Zac. I don't suppose he enjoyed it much either,' said Nancy, to be fair. ‘He probably wiped his mouth too, when we weren't looking.'

‘If Johnny Depp kissed me, I wouldn't wipe my mouth.' Mia beamed. ‘Not for weeks.'

‘You might if he dribbled.'

‘He wouldn't. Johnny would never do that.'

‘Ah, but you don't know,' said Nancy. ‘He could be the slobberiest kisser on the planet, but nobody's ever told him so he just doesn't realise.'

‘You know, I always thought I liked you.' Mia looked wounded. ‘But I don't any more. That's a terrible thing to say about the love of my life.'

‘Sweetheart, take these through.' Having assembled another pile of bacon sandwiches, Rose pushed the plate into Mia's hands. ‘Before that greedy father of yours guzzles the lot.'

‘Rose, do you think Johnny Depp's a slobbery kisser?' said Mia.

‘Oh pet, of course he isn't. He's always been perfectly lovely when he's kissed me.'

Doreen was in the middle of a dream. Mia hoped it was a happy one. Sitting down carefully next to William on the sofa in the living room, she watched Doreen's paws twitch and her eyelids flicker, for all the world as if she was chasing rabbits.

Or was that just Irish dogs? Could a London one, born and bred in the city, dream of chasing something it had probably never seen in its life? Maybe urban dogs dreamed of chasing taxis or traffic wardens, or just old discarded burger wrappers as they blew down the street.

It was one of those things you'd never know.

William, careful not to disturb Doreen while he ate a bacon sandwich, said comfortably, ‘Don't blame yourself, love. It wasn't your fault.'

Forcing herself to get a grip, Mia thought how nice he was.

‘You and Rose seem to be getting along well.'

‘We are,' William agreed. ‘Well, who wouldn't get on with a lady like that? What you see is what you get with Rose.'

Mia nodded. This was true, more or less. Apart from the fact that Rose knew something he didn't know.

Quite a big something actually.

The beginnings of an idea began to unfurl inside Mia's head. It was so unfair that Nancy and Zac should have to pretend to be a couple purely for William's benefit. In fact, more than that, it was ridiculous.

Taking a sip of her drink, she said, ‘Can I ask you a question? '

William shrugged and swallowed a mouthful of sandwich. ‘So long as it isn't about quantum physics.'

‘Do you think my dad seems like a kind of . . . forgiving person?'

‘Forgiving? In what way?'

‘OK,' said Mia. ‘There's something I really should tell him, but I can't because I'm scared he'll hate me for it.'

William, watching Doreen's ears twitch, said easily, ‘I can't believe that. Fathers don't think that way. What kind of something?'

Exactly the question Mia had wanted him to ask. This was going perfectly to plan. Fiddling with the stem of her glass, she said, ‘I can't tell you. It's . . . difficult.'

‘Well, are you a mass murderer?'

‘No.'

William tilted his head to one side. ‘Worse than that?'

‘No. At least, I don't think so.' Mia paused. ‘Dad might.'

‘It's hard for me to judge if I don't know what it is that's worrying you.'

‘OK.' Taking a deep breath, Mia said, ‘I'm gay.'

William gazed steadily at her. Doreen opened one eye then closed it again as he stroked her head.

Finally he said, ‘Well, that's not so terrible, is it? I've only met Connor a couple of times but I can't imagine he'd refuse to speak to you again. You're his daughter, his own flesh and blood. He loves you. He just wants you to be happy.'

Mia took another swig from her glass. ‘You think?'

‘Definitely,' said William.

‘Oh. Good. Well, thanks.'

‘Don't mention it, love.'

‘Actually, I was lying,' said Mia. ‘I'm not gay.'

William looked at her. ‘No?'

‘No.'

‘Why did you say it, then?'

‘Because Zac is.'

William said nothing. He carried on stroking Doreen's head. Then he exhaled slowly, stirring the hairs on her silky ears.

‘But you already knew that,' Mia said finally. ‘Didn't you.'

‘I didn't. Not for sure.' Shaking his head, William said, ‘But I suspected he was. He never told me, though. Never dropped any hints, never said anything. Which made things difficult. I mean, it wasn't something that ever came up in conversation. We just aren't that kind of family. And it wasn't up to me to force the issue. How could I ever ask Zac if he was gay? What if he wasn't? He'd never have forgiven me.'

‘So you just left it,' said Mia.

‘I just left it.' William nodded. ‘I figured if Zac wanted me to know, he'd tell me. If he didn't want me to know, he wouldn't. And maybe he wasn't gay after all, in which case all the more reason not to say anything.' He frowned slightly. ‘Does Nancy know?'

‘Everyone knows,' said Mia.

‘So there's nothing going on between them?'

‘Nothing. It was all for show. To be honest, I had high hopes for Nancy and my dad, but she isn't his type. I've done my best.' Mia gestured ruefully in the direction of the noisy kitchen. ‘But this lot are hopeless. Everyone's destined to be just good friends.'

‘Rose did mention that you were a bit of a meddler.'

‘I don't meddle. I just try and help out.'

‘Was Zac really afraid to tell me because he thought I'd hate him?'

‘I don't know. But that's why people generally hide that kind of thing from their parents, isn't it? I just think it's better to get it out in the open,' Mia said simply. ‘Then everyone can relax.'

 

‘You what?' Dazed, Zac stared at Nancy, who had opened the front door.

‘Your dad knows you're gay. He'd pretty much guessed anyway.'

‘H-how does he know?'

‘Mia told him.'

‘Jesus, did she get drunk again?'

‘No. She just thought it was time you came clean. It's all right,' said Nancy. ‘You don't have to worry.' Her mouth twitching, she added, ‘You won't have to kiss me any more either.'

‘It wasn't very nice, was it? Sorry about that.' Anxiously Zac said, ‘Are you sure Dad's OK?'

Nancy pulled him into the hall. ‘Why don't you go and see for yourself? He's in the sitting room with Doreen.'

Bracing himself, Zac went to meet his father. As he entered the sitting room, Doreen leapt down from William's lap and launched herself joyfully at Zac. Picking her up and cuddling her, Zac wordlessly met his father's gaze.

‘It's fine, son. You don't have to say anything.' Rising to his feet, William made his way across the room to Zac.

‘Dad, I'm sorry.'

‘Nothing to apologise for.' Slightly awkwardly - they'd never been a demonstrative family - William rested his roughened hand on Zac's shoulder. ‘I'm as proud of you today as I was the day you were born. No one could have asked for a better son.'

Zac's eyes filled with tears as the weight of keeping his secret all these years fell away. ‘I've had a good dad.'

Evidently terrified that Zac might be about to hug him, William gave his shoulder a series of jerky pats, while Doreen licked Zac's face.

‘Come on then, son. It's been quite a day. Let's go through to the kitchen, shall we? I reckon we could both do with another drink.'

 

Rennie stood in the kitchen and silently re-read the copy of the press release faxed through by his agent.

Biba Keyes had been rushed to hospital last night in excruciating pain and had undergone an emergency caesarean. The baby, born five weeks prematurely, was a healthy boy - name yet to be announced. Biba was currently exhausted and recovering from the trauma of surgery but delighted by the safe arrival of her beautiful son.

A boy.

Biba had a son.

Did
he
?

‘All right, pet? You've gone pale.' Rose, busy making a plum crumble, looked anxious. ‘Bad news?'

How could the birth of a child be bad news? His emotions scarily mixed, Rennie offered the fax to Rose, who held up her sticky hands.

‘I'm all messy. You'll have to hold it, pet.'

Rennie's hand shook as she read the press release. Rose's expression changed and she said, ‘Oh, sweetheart, and they didn't even ring you. Well, I suppose it all happened too fast. Thank goodness they're both OK.' Wiping her hands on a cloth and pushing the bowl of crumble away, Rose said tentatively, ‘Am I allowed to say congratulations?'

‘I don't know. It feels a bit weird.' The phone in Rennie's jeans pocket burst into life.