Chapter 33

“But he’s not like that. This is just ... He swore he’d changed.”

Will hit a speed dial number on his phone and held it to his ear as he walked towards his car. He wanted John to see him make the call, thinking he’d assume he was calling Amy.

“Jeremy, it’s Will. Where are you?”

“At home. Just got in.”

“I need you to meet me at the office. Go now, I shouldn’t be long. Half an hour at most. Park around the back of the building so that your car can’t be seen from the road.”

“Want to tell me what this is about?”

“I’ll tell you when I get there. Just meet me in my office. And do you have the name of the contact at SOCA you spoke to about Nugent?”

“It’s in the file I gave you.”

“Good.”

“What’s going on Will? You sound worried.”

“I’ll tell you when I get there.”

If Will thought speed was a way to shake John from his tail, he was wrong. When he looked in his mirror as he turned into the business park on the edge of Westmouth where the JMS offices were located, John’s car still loomed large. The building had a secure car park which was only accessible through a rising barrier operated by the entry of a key code or by requesting entry via an intercom to the reception. Since the office was closed, it meant that Nugent wouldn’t be able to get onto the car park and would have to park in the road. Will parked his car next to Jeremy’s Jaguar around the back of the building where John couldn’t see it. He walked back across the road to John’s car rather than go straight into the office. John wound down his window.

“What?”

Will gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. “Just going to call my partner. The family lawyer I told you about. I’d ask you in for a coffee, but it’s against security policy for anyone other than employees to enter the building after hours. There’s a cafe over there if you want a drink.” He pointed to a small truck-stop style cafe a few plots down the road.

“Yeah, right. Like I’m that fucking stupid. As soon as I move, you’ll be gone. I’m not going to stop tailing you until you lead me to my wife. My wife, Billy-boy. Not yours.”

“I’m not married, John. Divorced.”

“Whatever. I’ll wait here all night if I have to.”

“You won’t. This shouldn’t take me long. Just want to make sure she comes out to see Amy before the bruises go down. The photos will have more impact that way.”

“What fucking photos?”

“The ones we’ll need to get the restraining order against you. I’ll be sure to deliver it personally when we get it. Just to be sure you understand it. Wouldn’t want you to break it by accident, now would we?”

He turned his back and walked away, entering the office through the main doors and waving at John before he went in. Jeremy was waiting for him in his room.

“You took your sweet time.”

“I got chatting to someone outside.”

“What’s this about, Will?”

“I need to borrow your car.”

“What?”

“You can have mine, but I need to borrow yours.”

“You’ll let me have the R8? This must be serious. What’s going on?”

Will stepped over to the large window that gave his office a view over the road. “Out there.”

Jeremy looked down into the street.

“It’s Nugent,” Will said. “In the BMW. He’s been following me since I left Lizzie’s.”

“Why?”

“He thinks I’ll lead him to his wife.”

“Will, what have you done?”

“Nothing.” He breathed deeply. “He’s a wife-beater. That call I got earlier was from Lizzie. Amy had gone over there after that piece of shit smacked the living daylights out of her. You should see her. He really messed her up.”

“Where is she now? Not at yours? Tell me you’re not that stupid.”

“It’s the safest place for her. As long as he doesn’t find out where I live.” He gave Jeremy a stern look. “That’s why I need your car.”

“I don’t like the sound of this.”

“Come on, Jem. We leave here together, I get in your car, you drive mine and he’ll follow you instead of me.”

“You sure?”

Will shrugged. “As sure as I can be. The windows in the Audi are tinted so he won’t be able to see it’s not me. If he doesn’t fall for it, then I’ll go back to Lizzie’s and stay the night there. You’ve still got a spare key to my place, right?”

“You know I have.”

“So if needs be, you can go stay in my spare room tonight to make sure Amy’s safe. But I don’t think it’ll come to that. Tomorrow, I’ll get Sally Clapton out to see Amy so we can get a court order against him.”

“Do you think she’ll go for it? The wife, I mean.”

“Why wouldn’t she?”

“You hear stories, don’t you? Battered wife syndrome or whatever they call it. You know, where the wife winds up feeling as if she deserves to be beaten up, defends her husband for doing it and refuses to leave him.”

Will shook his head. “Amy’s stronger than that.”

“How do you know? How long has this been going on?”

“I don’t know. But I do know it’s not the first time.”

“So she might find it really hard to leave him.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not? Because of you?”