Before We Met(84)

‘He’s here,’ she said. ‘In Parsons Green.’

‘What? At the house? Christ – fuck.’

‘No – no.’ She took a shuddering breath. ‘Outside the deli. I thought it was you. He looked just—’

‘Where are you?’ he demanded. ‘Where’s Nick?’

‘I’m at the pub – the White Horse. I don’t know where he is – I just ran. I just saw him and ran.’

‘Okay, look,’ he said, and she knew he was trying to think, to sound calm for her sake. ‘Stay where you are. Get a drink and stay where you are. I’m leaving right now – this minute. Stay inside. Don’t move until I get there.’



‘You’re sure he knew who you were?’

‘Yes, sure. I don’t know if he did before – how could he? – but when he saw my reaction . . . Who else could I have been? I was fifty yards from our house and I stopped – I honestly thought it was you. I was about to talk to him.’

Mark stabbed at the fire as if he hated it. His knuckles were white on the handle of the poker. ‘Jesus Christ,’ he said. ‘I can’t believe that he . . . But I can – of course I can. Why did I even think for a minute he would phone first? Why would he do that when he could show up here and terrify my wife instead?’

‘We should call the police.’

Mark stabbed again, sending up a shower of sparks. An artery was leaping at the side of his neck. ‘What could they do, Hannah? What could they actually do? Technically, Nick’s done nothing. He’s a free man; he’s served his time. He didn’t even talk to you.’

‘It’s harassment. Coming here, to where you live, and . . .’

‘He’s my brother. There’s no restraining order, he’s not breaking any laws. And it’s not like he’s even trying to extort the money – he’s a DataPro shareholder, there’s paperwork that says I have to pay him the value of his twelve per cent on the day of his release. If anyone’s on the back foot legally, it’s me.’

Hannah hugged her knees tighter. She couldn’t stop shaking – neither of them could. When he’d arrived at the pub, Mark had looked almost wild. She’d been sitting at a corner table, hidden from view from the door, and he’d come in and scanned the place so desperately it was as if he was expecting to find she’d been taken. When he’d put his arms round her, crushing her face into his chest, his heart had been hammering so fast she could barely differentiate the beats. It was a five-minute walk to the house, if that, but he’d kept his cab waiting at the kerb outside and he’d stood right behind her and almost pushed her into it, looking over his shoulder all the time.

‘He must have been here,’ she said. ‘He must have come to the house. What if I’d been in? Through the glass I would have thought it was you, that you’d forgotten your keys or something.’

Mark dropped the poker on to the hearth with a clatter and stood up. He couldn’t sit still – he’d been sitting then standing then sitting again every two minutes. ‘I’ve got to warn Hermione.’ His coat was slung over the arm of the sofa; he got his phone from the pocket and brought up her number, fingers fumbling on the touchscreen. With the phone pressed to his ear, he crossed to the window, pulled the curtain aside and looked out.

‘Herm,’ he said, ‘it’s Mark.’ He paused and for a moment Hannah thought he’d got through. ‘Look, I don’t want to panic you but Nick’s been here in Parsons Green this evening. I didn’t see him; Hannah did, my wife – I think you’ve met.’ Despite everything, there was a hint of humour in his tone at that. ‘Call me when you get this. He’s obviously come out all guns blazing so . . . Anyway, I thought I should let you know in case you wanted to organise some company for tonight or stay with someone. You’re welcome to stay with us, too, obviously – give me a ring or just get in a cab and come over. We’ll be here all night.’ He hung up but held on to the phone, gripping it tightly.

‘Does Nick know where she lives?’ Hannah said.

‘I don’t know. She’s moved since it happened – she was still junior then, she lived in residences at the hospital – but if he wants to know, he’ll find out.’ Mark went back to the window then turned to look at her again. ‘He doesn’t even need to know where she lives.’

For a moment she didn’t understand.

‘You found her, didn’t you?’

He was right. All Nick had to do was go to the hospital.