Heart of Bone: A gripping novel of psychological suspense, page 8
Isla wasn’t getting rid of her that easily. Greer tamped down her fury; she’d not gain anything by provoking the woman. She stood up as well. ‘If that’s what you’ve decided, there’s nothing more to say. I’ll be on my way.’
Isla followed Greer down the hallway. ‘Please don’t think me ungrateful. But you need to let this go.’ The second Greer was through the door, Isla slammed it behind her.
Greer walked towards her car. As she unlocked it, she glanced at the house. A movement at one of the upper windows caught her eye. A young woman, her hair cut in a mousy bob, stared back at her, then disappeared. Isla’s daughter Jessica, recognisable from the family photo Greer had seen.
Greer sat behind the wheel, her jaw set tight, her hands clenched in her lap. How dare Isla say that grief was clouding her judgement? The woman could patronise her all she liked, but Greer was going to meet Nathan, come what may. How she wished she’d booked a hotel room so she could follow Isla the next day to Nathan’s house.
Maybe it wasn’t so bad having to return to Bristol. She’d use the time to plan a strategy. One that would end with her listening to Tom’s heartbeat.
THE NEXT MORNING, GREER rose early to drive back up the M5 to Birmingham. Her plan was to tail Isla after she left to visit Nathan.
Once she reached Spence Terrace, Greer parked twenty metres further down the street, in case Isla recognised her Fiat. She settled herself down to wait. In her tote bag, she had a thermos of coffee, a cheese sandwich and a packet of crisps. With any luck, this wouldn’t take long.
It didn’t. Greer had been waiting less than an hour when Isla’s front door opened and she appeared, complete with coat and handbag. She got into her car and drove away while Greer fumbled with her key in the ignition. She had to hope Isla was going to visit Nathan and not to wherever she worked.
Greer stayed two cars behind Isla as the streets grew ever more upmarket. Before long, Isla signalled left into the car park of a block of flats. Greer’s pulse pounded; this must be where Nathan lived. She stopped her Fiat on the double yellow lines opposite and switched off the engine.
The building had a central glass panel that rose for five floors to the roof, revealing the staircase inside. Greer held her breath as Isla walked up three flights of stairs. Then she turned right and disappeared from view.
With any luck, Greer had found where Nathan lived. Time to get off these pesky double yellows. She drove until she located a multi-storey car park, parked up, and found a little backstreet bistro for lunch. Her sandwich and crisps held no appeal, not when she now had a reason to celebrate.
Greer checked Google Maps while she toyed with her tuna salad. Nathan, it seemed, lived in the upmarket suburb of Edgbaston. She glanced out of the window. The passers-by were well-dressed, the shops opposite her quirky boutiques. Not that it mattered. The only thing that was important was Tom’s heart.
Once she’d finished eating, Greer walked the short distance to Nathan’s block of flats, noting the name of the building, Wansbeck Heights, and the road, Nightingale Avenue. Now all she needed was the number of his flat.
It was vital to wait until Isla left, of course. Time to explore those intriguing Edgbaston shops. She’d come back in a few hours.
Greer lost herself in the joys of window shopping. Ooh, a Peter Chauncey dress, similar to the one she’d worn yesterday. No tag, but probably priced two hundred pounds higher than what she’d paid. Today she had on a Pierre Dupont trench coat that had cost all of twenty pounds. Appearances mattered. If she was going to meet Nathan, she needed to look her best.
At four o’clock, Greer trudged back to Wansbeck Heights. She headed into the car park, searching for Isla’s Mercedes, but it had gone. Thank God for that. It didn’t take long before she spotted an elderly man punching a code into the keypad mounted by the door. As he shuffled through, Greer followed him.
The lobby proclaimed wealth and affluence. A thick burgundy-coloured carpet covered the floor and stairwell, and the fixtures were solid and well made. A hint of citrus freshener lingered in the air. Greer glanced around. On one wall was a bank of post boxes. Eight in total, all of them locked, but bearing name tags. Nathan lived in flat six.
Oh, the temptation to run upstairs and pound on his door. Almost overwhelming, but she’d do better to wait. Her next move needed to be calculated carefully, back in Bristol. Time to drive back home, then.
She was too close to Tom’s heart to screw up now.
CHAPTER 27
Two days later, Greer booked into a cheap hotel in Birmingham, having driven there that afternoon. The place was shabby, dirty, and miles from Edgbaston, but all Greer could afford. It hadn’t taken long to unpack; she’d only brought one large suitcase and her laptop.
Excitement swelled inside her. Tomorrow, she was going to meet Nathan, although he didn’t know that yet. With any luck, she’d get to listen to Tom’s heart.
Greer’s brain buzzed with anticipation. Various scenarios played out in her head. Nathan, a smile on his face, telling her how grateful he was to Tom. His fingers opening his shirt. Her head pressed against his chest.
More meetings would follow. The two of them strolling through a park, arm in arm. Drinks at his flat, long lunches together. Nathan confiding how cold Isla was, how he related much better to Greer. Almost like you’re my mother, not her, he’d say.
How she yearned for that intimacy. Now she just needed to make it happen.
ONCE SHE HAD SHOWERED the next day, Greer dressed with as much care as for a first date. She pulled on a blue woollen dress and braided her hair into a French pleat. On went black patent leather court shoes, teamed with a matching handbag. A light application of mascara and lipstick, a squirt of perfume, and she was done.
Greer surveyed herself in the mirror. Would Nathan like what he saw?
She put on a thick coat—the weather looked cold and windy—and set off from her hotel towards Nathan’s place. To save petrol, she walked, but it took ages; her feet were sore by the time she arrived.
Greer glanced at her watch: eleven o’clock, not so early that Nathan would still be in bed. Unless he was sick, of course. A terrifying prospect. Nathan dying, Tom’s heart lost forever—she mustn’t think about it. Suppose such negativity ruined the meeting she had so longed for, like some weird jinx?
Time to get her head together. Positive vibes only.
Greer pulled her coat around her, shivering while she waited for someone to enter or exit Nathan’s block of flats so she could gain access. Within a couple of minutes, a woman shoved open the door, and Greer nipped inside. Not long after, she arrived at Nathan’s flat. This was it: show-time.
Greer pressed her finger on the buzzer, the sound echoing inside the flat. She pumped up and down on her toes, her bag clutched in her hands. Her breathing sped up when she detected footsteps walking towards the door. Then it opened. Nathan Taylor stood in the gap.
The saliva drained from Greer’s mouth, leaving her incapable of speech. All she could do was stare at him.
His complexion was pale, his face haggard, and dark circles ringed his eyes. In the flesh, he looked less like Tom, although his height and hair colour weren’t too different. But no, his features were definitely coarser, his expression more guarded. No real similarity existed between the two men.
A prick of disappointment stabbed Greer. She was being unreasonable. It was silly to expect Nathan to resemble Tom, even if he was male and only a few years older.
She must remember why she’d come. Tom’s heart was all that mattered.
Thank goodness she’d worn her designer gear. She offered Nathan a beaming smile.
His gaze raked over Greer. ‘Who are you? What do you want?’
Nathan’s brusqueness stole Greer’s breath away. So uncalled for. Why be so unfriendly? Did he, like Isla and her neighbour, assume she was selling something? She stepped forward, her eyes drawn to Nathan’s shirt. Incredible to think that Tom’s heart beat beneath it.
‘My name is Greer Maddox. I’m—’
‘Mum warned me about you.’ Nathan’s tone had dropped several degrees. ‘Didn’t you get the message? Yeah, we’re both grateful, blah blah blah, but the fact is, you shouldn’t be here.’
Greer moistened her dry lips. ‘Is there any chance I can come in for a few minutes? Just to talk?’
‘Now is a bad time. So, no, you can’t. How did you find this address, anyway?’
If she admitted she’d followed Isla, Nathan’s anger might escalate. ‘It’s easy to find somebody through an online search if you know where to look. Aren’t you interested in hearing me out?’
‘No. Just leave.’
How rude. Ungrateful, too; an insult to Tom. Greer thrust aside her anger with some difficulty.
Her gaze trailed over Nathan’s shirt again. ‘My son died, but he’s the reason you’re alive. All I ask is that you let me hear his heart beating. It’s all I have left of him, you see.’ She smiled, confident that the man before her wouldn’t reject such a fervent plea.
A dull flush crept into Nathan’s cheeks. His jaw clenched. ‘My mother said she had been very explicit. Both in a letter, and when you tracked her down. She told you, in plain English, that neither of us wants any contact with you. Why the hell can’t you respect our wishes?’ With that, he stepped back and slammed the door in Greer’s face.
Shocked, she burst into noisy tears. How could he be so cruel?
Greer pressed the buzzer. When Nathan didn’t respond, she tried again. A third time. Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Seconds later, she found herself before an enraged Nathan Taylor.
‘What the hell is wrong with you? Fuck off! Leave me alone!’ The door banged shut.
Her breath coming in anguished gasps, Greer retreated until she was flat against the wall opposite, shock pounding through her. She’d realised this first meeting wouldn’t be easy. But never had she expected such a rude reception.
She swallowed hard. What on earth did she do next?
CHAPTER 28
Greer stumbled down the stairs to the entrance lobby and into the cold and wind outside. Coffee was what she needed. That little cafe over the road would do.
After the door to Nathan’s block of flats closed behind Greer, a black Kia Picanto pulled into the car park. A young woman stepped out and headed towards Greer. She looked familiar; where had she seen that mousy bob before? Ah, yes. Jessica Taylor.
The two of them established eye contact, and Greer saw recognition sweep over the other’s face.
‘I know you.’ Her voice held surprise, and something Greer couldn’t identify. ‘You visited Mum the other day. I saw you from my bedroom window. She told me about you after you left. My name’s Jessica. I’m Nathan’s sister.’
Greer stepped forward, oblivious to the biting wind. The other woman’s face was a younger version of Isla Taylor’s. She had little doubt that they were mother and daughter.
‘Can I buy you a coffee?’ The offer came before Greer had time to consider what she was doing. Really, though, was it such a bad idea? Jessica, unlike Isla and Nathan, seemed friendly, and Greer might gain useful information.
Jessica looked surprised, but nodded. ‘Sure, but I can’t stay long. I have to cook for Nathan and do his laundry.’
Over espressos, Greer probed her about her brother. ‘Can I ask—is Nathan always so unpleasant? He was really rude just now.’
Jessica shrugged. ‘Nathan can be awful, like you wouldn’t believe. His behaviour’s got worse since his cardiac problems started. I’m sorry he gave you a hard time.’
Greer moistened her dry lips. ‘All I wanted was to listen to his heart. To know that part of Tom lives on.’
‘I understand that. I have to tell you, though—it’s unlikely. Not if he’s already told you no.’
‘Could you talk to him? Please?’
Jessica laughed, the sound bitter. ‘Nathan wouldn’t listen to anything I say.’
Echoes of Isla. Was Nathan really so stubborn? ‘What if I wait a while? Give him some space?’
‘It’s possible. But don’t count on it.’
Greer grabbed her phone. ‘Can I give you my number in case he changes his mind?’ She stopped. Hard to imagine the enraged man she’d met earlier softening his stance.
Jessica nodded. Well, that was a start. They swapped mobile numbers, then Jessica finished her coffee. ‘I need to leave. It was nice to meet you, Greer.’
Greer ordered another espresso while she pondered her options. They seemed few if Nathan Taylor wasn’t willing to talk to her.
Number one: admit defeat and return to Bristol. How humiliating. Not to mention cowardly. She’d done so well in locating Nathan—was she really going to give up so easily?
No, she damn well wouldn’t.
Surely Nathan would see sense, given enough time? Her visit must have come as a shock; she should probably have written first.
Wait. Could that be option number two?
The idea seized hold of Greer and wouldn’t let go. She drained her coffee and hurried into a nearby Tesco, where she bought a blank greeting card with a spray of white lilies on the front. Hunched over yet another espresso, Greer wrote her contact details inside the card. Along with a heartfelt message, begging him to reconsider. Nathan could read it, let her carefully worded plea sink in, and perhaps he’d change his mind.
Greer was prepared to overlook his rudeness. She wouldn’t even expect an apology when they met a second time. Tom’s heart was all that mattered.
She drained her cup, then hurried back to Nathan’s flat. Once she’d gained access, she made her way to the third floor and slipped the card under his door.
This would work. It had to.
Greer trudged back to her hotel, her feet getting sorer with every step. If she hadn’t heard from Nathan within a couple of days, she’d pay him another visit. Somehow, she’d make him listen.
CHAPTER 29
Greer passed a restless night, tortured by the memory of Nathan slamming the door on her. She finally dozed off around five o’clock and awoke at ten. God, she felt exhausted. If only she could sleep for a week, and regain consciousness to find Tom’s suicide had been a hideous nightmare.
She stumbled out of bed, her fingers groping for her mobile. Nathan must have left her a message, surely?
He hadn’t, damn him.
Beth’s cautionary words sounded in Greer’s head. You can’t barge into other people’s lives and demand their time, their attention. It’s not fair.
Greer brushed them aside. What did Beth know about a mother’s grief?
No, she’d stick to her plan, at least for now. Wait and see if the card she’d slipped under Nathan’s door produced results. She’d rushed him, and he’d got annoyed, defensive. Understandable, given that he hadn’t been well. Once Nathan had had time to reflect, he’d change his mind.
Greer spent the rest of the morning exploring Edgbaston. She could picture herself living here, no doubt about it, but the house prices were so far beyond her budget they were a joke.
A small local deli proved a good choice for lunch. Just after Greer finished her sandwich, her phone buzzed with a message. Unknown number. Her fingers shook as she tapped her mobile. Might the card she’d slipped under Nathan’s door have had the desired effect?
It seemed it had.
Sorry for the way I behaved yesterday. Wasn’t feeling great, and you took me by surprise. Could we meet again? So I can apologise in person? Nathan.
Greer stifled a gasp. Her mobile clattered onto the table. This was more than she could have hoped for, coming so soon. Yes, she’d allow him to apologise, if only he’d let her listen to Tom’s heart.
She tapped out a reply. Of course. When and where?
Greer waited, every nerve on fire. A minute later, a reply came through. My place? Are you free now?
Yes. I can come right away. Your mother won’t be there, will she?
No. Just me. I think that’s best, don’t you?
I’ll be with you in a few minutes. Nathan’s last message gave her the entrance code to his apartment block.
Greer’s heart beat fast in her chest. Should she return to the hotel and change her clothes? But no, there wasn’t time, and besides, she was wearing her Pierre Dupont coat. That would have to do. Tom’s heart was calling to her, pulling her to him. Greer needed to leave right away.
She called the guy who’d served her over to her table. ‘Can I have the bill? Quickly, please. I’m in a hurry.’
Minutes later, Greer was rushing upstairs to Nathan’s flat. She jabbed her finger at the buzzer, her breathing harsh and shallow. Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Seconds later, Nathan pulled open the door.
What a contrast between yesterday and today. His face was a better colour, the dark circles less pronounced. He looked much healthier.
Nathan gave Greer a rueful smile. ‘Hi. Listen, I’m really sorry about before. Like I said, I was feeling pretty rough. That’s how it goes after major surgery. You get good days and bad days.’
‘I realise my visit must have come as a shock.’
‘Yes, but not an unwelcome one, once I’d got my head in gear.’ He stepped backwards, waving Greer inside.
‘Make yourself comfortable, please.’ Greer stared around Nathan’s living room once she’d settled herself on his sofa, which was upholstered in cream leather and looked expensive. The walls were white and decorated with abstract art; from where Greer was sitting, they looked like originals, not prints. Vases of flowers stood at various points throughout the room, which could easily have featured in Homes and Gardens magazine. The scent of polish hung in the air; Greer guessed Jessica must have been in to clean for Nathan.
