Chapter 5

“Lottie!” The curtain through which David had run was still moving when Susie opened the door and entered the shop.

“Susie, what are you doing here? And where’s little Ben?”

“Mother’s taken him to see Alfie. I needed a break from all his crying and attention-seeking. I had enough of him this morning.”

“He’s only nine months old.”

“I know, I know, but I’m with him all day, every day. Sometimes a girl just needs a break. Are you free for lunch?”

“You’re asking me to lunch? There’s a first.”

“Don’t be like that, Lottie.”

“Sorry. Look, I don’t know if I can get away.”

“You have staff, don’t you? What’s the point of being the boss if you can’t take lunch when you want? Besides, you don’t look all that busy. Come on, Lottie. I need some adult company. David’s always at the office, not that I mind. At least he’s raking in the cash while he’s there.”

Charlotte thought for a moment. “Okay, I’ll come. But only for a quick bite. I really should be here.”

“Excellent!”

“And there better not be any ulterior motive.”

“Is there ever?”

“Normally, yes there is.”

Charlotte went back to the stockroom while Susie browsed the shop. She put on the knickers she’d abandoned earlier and picked up her coat from the back of the chair. She turned to leave but stopped when a handwritten note caught her eye. She picked it up. It was from David.

Charlie, I’m looking forward to receiving my delivery on Monday. Come by the office after you close up. I’ll be the only one there by then. × David.

She screwed up the paper in her fist and held it to her mouth. She sighed and said, “What am I getting myself into? You should know better than this, my girl.”

She thought back to when she’d first met him, five long years ago. He was a fresh-faced accountant at the town’s biggest firm. They met at the local business club and hit it off straight away. It took him just six days to ask her out on a date. They’d been happy for over two years. They talked about getting married and starting a family. They mapped out their whole life together. But then he’d got drunk at her thirtieth birthday party. It was unusual because he rarely drank to excess. She’d trusted her sister to look after him. In retrospect, she should have known better. She wasn’t the least bit surprised when he asked Susie to marry him after she’d announced she was having his baby. Family was important to David.

Charlotte tossed the paper into the bin at the side of the desk, put her jacket on and left. She found Susie looking at the same underwear set that David had first seen.

“Lottie, this thong is fabulous. Look at these diamonds. Any chance of a family discount?”

“I don’t know, Susie. You do it for one; you have to do it for all.”

“But, I’m your only sister. Come on, just a little discount. Ten percent? Five? Go on.”

“We’ll see. Where are we going for lunch?”

They ate at an Italian bistro on High Street. The food was fantastic but the conversation was forced and awkward. It had always been like that between them. She expected her sister to reveal the real reason she’d come to see her, but there didn’t appear to be one. Perhaps she was being paranoid. Perhaps, after all these years, Susie was finally making an effort to behave like a big sister. Maybe having a family had taught her something after all.

They finished their meals and looked at the dessert menus. Charlotte was tempted by the chocolate tart. She was about to suggest it when Susie’s mobile phone beeped. She picked it up, pushed a button and read the text message, then giggled.

“Lottie, I’m sorry. I really have to go and make a call. I’ve had a lovely time. We should do this more often.”

“Sure. That’d be nice.”

Susie smiled. “Great.” She reached into her handbag and pulled out her purse. She handed Charlotte a ten-pound note. “That should cover lunch, but you pay next time. Call me later and we’ll make a date.”

Charlotte watched her sister pick out a number from the mobile’s memory and lift the phone to her ear as she left the restaurant. She wondered who Susie would be calling so urgently. It certainly wasn’t business because Susie didn’t have a job. She made up her mind to find out.

She left the money Susie had given her on the table, along with a tenner of her own, and hurried out of the bistro. Susie had turned left. Charlotte followed, looking up the street for a glimpse of her sibling. High Street was too crowded with Saturday shoppers for her to see. Susie had headed away from Charlotte’s Secret, where she’d parked her car. There were no shops she’d be interested in on this end of the town, Susie’s destination had to be Memorial Park.

Charlotte strolled through the park gates and tried her best to look casual as she strolled around the edge of the well-maintained lawn—the largest green space in town. She watched Susie meet a man in front of the bandstand by the boating lake. They kissed, then held hands and made for one of the woodland walks that took up a third of the park. Charlotte gasped and whispered to herself, “That’s Mike Liggins. What a bitch!”

She hesitated. She wanted to follow and find out what her sister was up to, although she already had a fair idea, but something held her back. She knew that if she found evidence of Susie’s philandering, she’d have to tell David. She didn’t know how he’d react.

Susie and Mike disappeared around a corner onto one of the park’s most notorious walks. ‘Rubber Road’ was well known for its numerous hiding places. Charlotte took her mobile phone out of her pocket and called the shop. “Jakki? It’s me. No, no, everything’s fine, I’m just going to be late back. Something’s come up. Will you and Ruth be okay on your own? Sure? Okay. I’ll see you in a little while.”

She hung up and looked at the phone. It was only two months old and had all the latest gadgetry, including a digital camera. She knew what she had to do. She snuck along Rubber Road and kept a look out for Susie and her lover. She knew Susie’s favourite spot—a clearing off the pathway about two hundred yards along. It gave a clear view of anyone approaching on the path from either direction but hid the occupier completely. Fortunately for Charlotte, she’d learned how to sneak up on the spot without being seen when she was a young girl intent on spying on her older sister.

She slipped into the trees fifty yards before the clearing and fought through the undergrowth. She tried to make as little noise as possible. In her youth, there had been a large bush to hide behind while she watched. It was still there. She crouched behind the bush and searched for a peephole. Susie and Mike were in the centre of the clearing, arms around each other and lips locked together. Charlotte switched her mobile phone into camera mode and silently snapped off a picture. The guy who had sold her the phone told her that, at 3.1 megapixels, the camera-phone was one of the best on the market. He was right. The image was sharp and Susie was unmistakable.