Touched (28 page)

‘The next morning, as soon as Alex left the hotel to go to his meetings there was a knock at the door. It was the chambermaid. She looked so scared. She told me that she had something important to tell me about Alex, and that I had to believe her.

‘I listened. She told me that the previous year she had been working in a hotel in Abu Dhabi. Alex had been staying there and got talking to her. He told her that he could get work for her in Britain and a visa and work permits and persuaded her to come back to his room. He was nice there too at first, then he changed. He started to feel her up and when she said no and tried to leave he raped her and half killed her.’

‘Didn’t he get arrested?’

‘No. He went to the hotel management and told them it was consensual, that she let herself into his room, wanted to be dominated, wanted it rough and then she’d screamed “Rape” and asked for money. They believed him – I think he had friends in some very high places there and the hotel just wanted to hush things up.’

‘But you believed her?’

‘Totally. She was a really lovely girl, married, kids back in Mumbai living with her mother, her husband away in Saudi working on construction sites. She showed me her scars too. And, don’t forget, I’d seen his temper too.’

Dan nodded. ‘So what did you do?’

‘I packed, went to the airport and bought a ticket home on the next available flight. I left him a note to explain why I had gone, not the truth though; I just gave some lame excuse about it being too soon for me after Henry and that I wasn’t ready to be with anyone.’

‘Did you see him again?’

‘Yes. He came round to my flat – once.’

‘And?’

‘The same pattern as before; at first smooth, convincing, trying to persuade me to come back to him but then, when I wouldn’t, he got really abusive. I was really scared; I knew now what he was capable of. Luckily the phone went and I was able to answer it. He just left. I never saw him after that.’

‘When was this?’

Tess thought for a moment.

‘I guess about 6 weeks before…well, you know.’

‘Who rang you?’

‘My sister.’

‘Did you tell her what had happened?’

Tess shook her head.

‘No. I think I felt a bit ashamed about it all. I’d been really stupid, it just wasn’t like me.’

Dan rubbed his chin and frowned,

‘What is it? You changed your opinion of me?’

‘No! Not at all,’ said Dan looking surprised, ‘No, what I’m really worried about is that this is who Jenny went out with last week.’

‘Oh,’ she said, understanding, ‘Well…as long as he…got his own way, so to speak, she would probably be fine.’

Dan shook his head.

‘Tess, that was the conclusion I jumped to about her. She’s not like that, in private she’s the complete opposite of what you’d think. She’s quite shy and doesn’t sleep around.’

‘Sorry. That was a bit cheap of me.’

‘Hey,’ said Dan, ‘I should have told you.’

He leant over and kissed her.

She smiled, ‘Thanks,’ she said.

He leant back and sighed again. This was going to be difficult, he thought.

‘I need to ask you something,’ he said.

Tess nodded.

‘It’s OK, I think I know what it is. You want to know whether it was Alex who killed me.’

‘Yes. Sorry.’

She stood up and walked to the window, back to her “thinking” place.

‘You have
realised that I try not to think about that night,’ she said.

‘I have. It must be upsetting.’

‘But I have to though.’

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

‘I only saw the person who attacked me for a moment,’ she said, ‘I had been watching telly but was feeling very uneasy. I still don’t know why; maybe it was a sixth sense, maybe I’d heard something but it hadn’t registered. Whatever I was really spooked. Anyway I got up to have a look around and he was just there, right next to me. He just came out of the shadows. I couldn’t do anything.’

Dan stood and went over to her. She turned to meet him and let him draw her to him. His touch warmed her and she rested her head on his chest.

‘He had a knife,’ she whispered, ‘I didn’t see it at first, not until after he had stabbed me. He never said anything, he just stuck it in me. It hurt so much.’

He squeezed her tighter, cold against warmth.

‘Did you see his face?’

‘No. He wore a ski mask. Black. He was all in black.’

‘How did he get in? Wasn’t your door locked?’

‘It was locked definitely. I always lock myself in. I usually put the chain on too.’

‘But not that night?’

‘Probably not,’ she whispered, ‘I’d been shopping, my hands would have been full when I came in. I must have forgotten.’

Dan kissed the top of her head.

‘Could it have been him?’ he asked again.

She didn’t reply straight away.

‘I don’t know,’ she said at last, ‘He was about the right height and build I guess but that applies to a lot of men – you included. So I just don’t know.’

Dan thought for a moment. What could she have seen that might have helped? Then it came to him. He knew what she had been looking at in the moment that she considered that it might have been him.

‘Did you see his eyes?’  he said.

She frowned. Dan could tell exactly what she was thinking: Yes, his eyes. I did, I looked into them, when he plunged the knife deep into me, before the pain hit. Think about those eyes. Dan had seen them in the bar, not that he was used to looking in a man's eyes but they were striking. Blue. Flecks of hazel, almost orangey those highlights. She’d seen them before. He knew the moment that she knew.

Alex’s eyes.

‘Oh God!’ she said pushing Dan away in shock, ‘Oh my God, yes! It was him Danny, it was him! We have to tell her…I mean, you have to tell her!’

‘Calm down love. How am I going to do that? How would I explain how I knew?’

‘I don’t know!’ This was the most upset Dan had ever seen her, she seemed close to panic, ‘How the hell did he get in to my flat? How?’

‘Did you give him a key?’

‘No!’

‘Did you lose a set?’

‘I only ever had one,’ she said, ‘I actually had big arguments with the developers about it. They were holding my flat for an investor who never paid up. For some reason they gave me what was going to be the tenant’s set, they’d mislaid the investor’s set somewhere.’

‘Who were the developers?’

‘Blue Castle. You know them?’

‘Yeah. They’re OK, not the best but not bad.’ Dan had a sudden thought, ‘Wait; Blue Castle is run by two guys, an architect and a surveyor – Denis O’Reilly and Dermot Curry. I’d never made the connection before. I bet Dermot is a relative of Alex!’

‘That’s how he got the key!’ said Tess, ‘Oh Dan, we have to tell her, warn her.’

Dan looked at his watch; 7 pm. Not too late.

‘I’ll call her,’ he said.

Tess nodded, ‘But ask to go round and see her, and right now. Don’t take no for an answer.’

‘Why?’

‘Just
humour me, OK?’

‘OK darling,’ he said, picking up his phone and searching for Jenny’s number, ‘What do I say when I get there?’

‘When
we
get there. I’m coming with you.’

Chapter Nineteen

Saturday night

The door opened a crack and part of a face framed with a shock of blonde hair appeared.

‘Hey Dan,’

‘Hi Jen, you all right?’

‘Yeah.’

Her voice did not back up the word. It sounded higher than normal and slightly strained to Dan, but he accepted that he could have been imagining it.

‘Can I come in?’ he said.

‘Oh, yes, sorry.’

She fumbled with the chain, getting it off at the third attempt, then opened the door to let him in. She tried to close it again as soon as he was in but Dan caught it with his hand.

‘Sorry Jen, I don’t think I’ve locked the car.’

He opened the door wider and aimed the key fob at the Skoda that was parked on the kerb outside.

‘You’re getting better at lying,’ whispered Tess as she stepped past him into the hall. Jenny pushed the door shut as soon as Dan stepped back inside, and put the chain back on with trembling hands.

‘I think I’m coming down with something,’ she said, ‘I don’t know what’s up with me. Come on let’s get into the warmth.’

She walked through into the lounge.

‘She’s been crying,’ said Tess.

‘I know.’

‘What?’ said Jenny, looking back.

‘I said I know it’s cold,’ he said.

Jenny looked puzzled but said; ‘Yeah.’

She sat on the settee, fiddling with her fingers. Her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was untidy.

Dan sat on the chair. There was an awkward silence.

‘Did you have a nice time in Scotland?’ said Jenny at last, without real interest or enthusiasm.

‘Yes it was good.’

Jenny played with her hair. She didn’t seem to have really registered the reply.

‘Did you really go on your own?’ she said.

‘Tell her, yes,’ said Tess who had sat next to Jenny on the settee.

‘Yes I did,’ said Dan.

‘What about that girl you told me about?’

‘I went on my own.’

‘Ask her about Alex,’ urged Tess.

‘Jen, I wanted to apologise about last week. I think it was all a bit soon for me. I thought I was OK but I wasn’t. I was confused and I didn’t want to hurt you. It was the last thing I wanted to do. I just needed to sort things out in my own head.’

Tess looked at him in surprise.

‘Hey, you’re smoother than I thought,’ she said.

Jenny gave a weak little smile.

‘You really are sweet. Most guys would have just shagged me anyway and then told me afterwards.’

‘Ask her, Dan,’ urged Tess.

‘What’s happened to you, Jen?’ Dan asked, his voice gentle.

‘Nothing’s happened,’ said Jen rather too quickly.

‘Hey Jen!’

Jenny’s
flatmate had popped her head around the lounge door.

‘Oh hi,’ she said to Dan.

‘Fi this is Dan,’ said Jenny, ‘Dan this is my flatmate Fiona.’

‘Hi, yeah we met briefly the other week,’ said Dan.

‘Oh yeah,’ said Fiona, ‘I was just going to ask you if you’d changed your mind about going out but I see you have better things to do!’ She winked at Jen and gave a little nod in Dan’s direction, ‘See ya , sweetie,’ she said and left.

‘See
ya, Fi,’ called Jenny after her.

A moment later the front door opened then slammed shut.

‘Did you want to go? It’s fine, I don’t mind,’ said Dan, ignoring Tess’s frown.

Jen shook her head. ‘No. I don’t fancy going out,’ she said.

‘I don’t care what she said, something bad has happened. Ask her again,’ urged Tess.

‘Would you like something to drink,’ Jenny said before he could.

‘Er, yes, tea please,’ said Dan.

‘Tea? Since when do you drink tea?’ said Tess.

‘I do sometimes.’

‘You do sometimes what?’ Jenny had stood up.

‘Drink tea, ‘ said Dan, ‘Sometimes. Rather than coffee or alcohol.’

‘Oh. Right.’

Jenny headed towards the door, then hesitated. The hall was dark.

‘Would you come with me?’ she said, looking appealingly at Dan, biting her lip.

‘Yes, of course,’ said Dan getting up. Tess followed.

‘She’s scared to bits,’ she muttered.

Dan went with Jenny into the kitchen, which was also in darkness. She stopped at the door and reached in for the switch. Only when the light came on did she go inside. When she picked the kettle up she almost dropped it, then fumbled with the lid. Dan stepped over and took it off her; she said nothing but meekly let him, watching him fill it and then switch it on.

‘Now,’ he said. ‘Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?’

Suddenly his world was filled with blonde; Jenny had flung herself at him.

‘Oh Dan, Dan, I was so stupid,’ she sobbed, her face buried in his chest. Startled, Dan put his arms around her. She felt warm, soft – real. Dan couldn’t help but look at Tess, into her face. She was tight-lipped, her eyes looked to be rimmed with moisture. He felt a prickle in his own too and screwed them tight shut, partly to hold them back and partly so he couldn’t see the look on Tess’s face.

‘It’s all right,’ whispered Tess, ‘ask her.’

Dan opened his eyes.

‘Jenny,’ he said, ‘Was it Alex? Alex Curry?’