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I look down at Leia. “No, thank you. I think I’ll go to bed.”
“It’s only nine p.m.”
“I’m tired. It’s been a busy few days.”
He watches as I pick up Leia. “I’ve upset you.”
“I’m just tired, James. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I stop in the doorway to Leia’s room. “Goodnight.”
He hesitates, and for a moment I think he’s going to argue with me. But he just says, “’Night,” and then he goes out and closes the door behind him.
*
The next day, there’s a subtle shift in James’s attitude toward me. He’s pleasant and polite, but I can feel his detachment, his slight coolness, as though he’s made a personal vow to keep a distance between us, the same way he would if I were someone he’d never met who he’d hired to look after Leia.
I suppose I should be relieved that he understood what I was saying, but it makes me sad. I don’t say anything though, and I don’t argue when, as I make myself some breakfast, he doesn’t join me, but instead retires to his office to work.
I prepare a bottle and take it out onto the deck with Leia, and sit on the sofa in the shade, watching the fantails hopping along the branches while Leia quietly sucks. I kiss her forehead, feeling a surge of tenderness for the tiny baby. James still hasn’t said what he plans to do, but I have a feeling he’s going to offer her up for adoption. The thought makes me sad, but I guess it’ll be better for her in the long run. A couple somewhere who have been childless up until now will get the chance to have this beautiful baby girl, and that has to be a good thing.
Chapter Twenty
James
It’s around twelve thirty when I finally leave my office and walk out into the kitchen, my hands in the pockets of my jeans.
I find Aroha on the deck, Leia lying on her tummy, asleep. Aroha is reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. For some reason, it makes me smile.
“I’m going to make myself a coffee,” I say to her. “Would you like one?”
She looks up, surprised. “Oh. Yes, please.”
“Stay there, don’t get up. I won’t be long.” I go back into the kitchen, make the two coffees, then take them out onto the deck. I place hers on the table and take the seat opposite her.
Our conversation yesterday revealed that she doesn’t think of herself as a friend who’s helping me out, but rather as a member of my staff. I can understand that, and in essence she’s right. I’m paying her for a service, so in that sense she’s no different from Ginny or Sue. It disappointed me, though, and made me angry at myself that I’ve somehow made her uncomfortable by flirting with her. Determined to make up for it, I’ve distanced myself this morning, keeping to my office, but now something’s happened, and I need to talk about it, and to my surprise my feet brought me to her.
“I heard from the police,” I say, warming my hands on the mug. Even though the good weather is continuing and it’s a beautiful day, I feel cold all the way through. I sip the coffee—its earthy flavor grounds me and takes away some of the lightheadedness I feel.
Aroha’s eyebrows have risen. Man, she looks amazing today. She’s wearing a plain light-blue tee and a denim mini skirt. Her feet are bare, and her toenails are still cherry red. I know her light-brown skin is soft all the way up her thighs, and that she’s hairless and smooth in all the places that matter.
My brain wants to linger on her because it stops me thinking about Maddie. But I have to tell her what happened.
“What did they say?” she asks.
“They’ve found Blue and interviewed him this morning. Blue said Maddie called him and told him about Leia. He said he was shocked, but they agreed to meet in the afternoon at a local coffee shop. But she never turned up.”
Aroha sips her coffee, stroking Leia’s back with her other hand. “Did they believe him?”
“Yes.”
“How do you feel about that?” she asks. “It puts a different perspective on things, doesn’t it?”
I lean forward, elbows on my knees, cradling the mug. “Yeah. And that’s not all. The results of the post-mortem have revealed that she died from injuries she sustained after the fall. The police have also investigated the top of the cliff. They found that part of it had crumbled away, and they discovered loose stones around her body. They’ve sent the results to the coroner, but the DI said it’s likely the report will conclude her death was accidental.”
She’s silent for a moment. Eventually, she says, “So, for some reason, she called Blue to tell him about Leia, agreed to meet him, then went for a walk to think about things. And she just went too close to the edge, and fell?”
“That’s what they’re thinking.”
She dips her head to catch my eye. “Are you okay with that?”
