I kept the phone to my ear as the dead tone of the phone rang in my ear. Mark was out of his seat and ready to leave. I put the phone back in its cradle with a hard clunk. “Its not what you think.” I said to him.
“You don’t have to explain.”
“Mark please?”
“Do you know you almost had me then? You can’t love anyone can you? Not really.”
He shot me an angry look and walked out of the room and I did the one thing I promised my self I would never do. I ran after him. “Please don’t go.” I begged, my dignity was long out the window.
I ran ahead of him and blocked his way, my fingers stretched across the door frame like some crazed idiot. “I won’t let you leave, not again.”
“Vanessa, you have someone.”
“Let me explain, and then you can leave. Please Mark.”
He paused and I prayed as I watched him thinking I prayed that he would stay and hear me out. I had no idea what I was going to say, I couldn’t tell him, if I did they would kill Robin, but then this time they never said I couldn’t tell did they?
“Ok explain.” He said, he held his hands out, not for me to take, but demonstrating his openness to an explanation.
I rubbed both of my temples with my fingers to try and relieve the pain that was already building up. My head was so low that my chin was almost resting on my chest, but I couldn’t lift it. I couldn’t look him in the eye while I betrayed my daughter in the most awful way.
“My grandmother wasn’t in hospital because of an accident. She was there because of me. I have hardly spoken to them since, my grandfather knows that I know what happened, and I am too ashamed that I can’t tell him.”
“And what did happen?”
“Coffee?”
“No I don’t wont coffee.” He said sternly his brows knitting together.
“Well I do.”
I pulled the blind shut and boiled the kettle. Mark sat himself down on the same bar stool he used before. I slid a piece of paper across the table that I had written next to the kettle where I couldn’t be seen.
Someone is threatening to kill Robin.He read the note and searched my eyes to see if I was lying. I don’t know how I managed to hold my self together, but I did and passed him another.
They want £2,000,000.
He got up off the stool and for a split second I panicked and thought he was going to leave, but he didn’t, he ran into my studio. I focused my attention back onto making the coffee. I nearly spilt the water everywhere; my hands were shaking so much.
“I see you have all of our pictures still.” He said as he came back with pen and paper.
“Huh?”
“On the wall in your studio. You have all the pictures from uni, me you and Keller.” He smiled and I frowned at him confused until he pushed his own not over to me.
Have you called the police? Have you told Keller?“Yes I er... put them up when I moved here.”
I cant they will kill her if I do.“They were happier times weren’t they? It seems like so long ago now.” He said.
What else?“I’ve missed you both you know.” I said. “I used to imagine when we were little that we would grow up and all live together.”
They had a million a while ago now they want more. That was the first call since I paid them.We played this game until I had told him everything. About how they had set my grandparents house on fire and me having to evict Macey. Mark thought that it was someone with a grudge against me and he nearly blew our game when I told him that the only person that hated me was him.
Mark stayed the night; we curled up together on the sofa. I didn’t want to stay in my room; I wanted to sleep where they would have to get passed me to Robin. Mark checked all the windows were locked and that the house was secure. We placed Bexley at the foot of Robin’s bed and he seemed happy to be there, he just wasn’t pleased that we had woken him up.
Mark held me all night and we talk about anything and everything. It was like having him back again, I just wish it hadn’t have been under those circumstances, but it was nice to be in his arms, I felt secure and for the first time I felt loved.
I was shaken awake by Robin who was stood next to us. Her face was confused as she looked from me to Mark. “Hey baby.” I said trying to sound normal.
“Why are you sleeping on the sofa?” she asked.
“I was watching telly in bed that’s all.” I lied.
“But you have a television in your room.”
“Yes but this one is bigger.” Interrupted Mark and I was grateful for his quick thinking.
“Why are there notes on the floor Mummy? Is it like a treasure hunt?”
“Notes?”
“Yes look.”
I sat up leaning on Marks chest to lean over. Our notes from the night before were laid out on the floor from Robin’s room to the back door. “Stay here.” Said Mark as he swung his legs off the sofa and put his shoes on.
Mark ran to the back door and Robin was out of the house and after him before I had time to stop her. Her scream ripped though the house and tore through my like an ice filled knife embedded right through me.
