‘Did you hear me, you son of a bitch? I need painkillers.’
‘I’ll need to buy some,’ he says.
The line goes dead, and I stare at the receiver before slamming it back down. There’s nothing to do but lie on the small sofa and wait until he comes.
Chapter Ten
Neville. Before the kidnapping.
Iarrive before the Neals. The house they’ve made an offer on sits at the very end of Millwall Lane, tucked far back from the road, with sprawling fields behind it. The place is rundown – both the house and the land. I can’t help wondering if they’ve thought through how much the renovation will cost.
A black BMW pulls up. They’ve brought their son along. He’s a cute kid, looks like his mother. They approach, expectant.
‘So, what do you think?’ asks Neal.
‘It’s a lovely area,’ I say. ‘The house is detached so there are no really close neighbours nearby to object to planning permission and the house is way back from the street. But this won’t be a cheap job,’ I warn him. ‘We’re essentially starting from scratch, and there’s a good chance we’ll hit some surprises along the way. I’ll keep you in the loop, but you should be prepared for the challenges, and the cost.’
The Neals exchange a glance. There’s a quiet kind of warmth between them, and for a second I wonder if they know how lucky they are.
‘Money’s not a problem,’ he says, calm and confident.
His wife gazes at the house with soft eyes, as if she can already see it transformed. Their son runs laughing across the field, kicking a football.
‘I showed your plans to Alan Parker,’ I continue. ‘He’s a brilliant architect. He’s already put some ideas together. If you’re happy with them, we can get moving.’
Daniel suggests we go over them at a tearoom in the village, so we walk down there. While Neal orders at the counter, Joanna Neal studies the architect’s drawings.
‘These are amazing,’ she says, her voice tinged with awe. ‘It’s like he read my mind.’
‘You’re happy with the long driveway?’ I ask. ‘Alan thought it’d give you more privacy. There’s certainly enough land for it.’
‘Absolutely,’ she says with a smile.
Daniel returns with the tea, and crayons and colouring pages for their son.
‘The plans are great, Danny, look,’ Joanna says, handing them to him.
He nods, although he is less enthusiastic. ‘Yeah, they look good.’
I take a sip of tea. It’s too hot, and I try to hide the wince as it burns my tongue. I decide it’s time to bring up the question of money. I’m braced for them to say no. After last time, I can’t afford to start without an advance.
‘There’s something I should mention,’ I begin. ‘I don’t usually ask for this, but…’
Daniel raises a hand to stop me. ‘We expect to pay half up front.’
I pause. ‘Oh. Right. That’s… great.’
His wife gives me a slightly apologetic look. ‘We did a bit of checking up on you. I hope you don’t mind.’
I’m caught off guard, but I can’t blame them. I would have done the same. ‘Of course not,’ I say.
She lifts their son onto her lap. ‘This is Joel, by the way.’
‘Hi, Joel,’ I say, smiling.
‘So when can you start? And how much do you need?’ Daniel asks, glancing at his phone. He seems pressed for time.
‘I haven’t calculated everything yet, materials, labour, that sort of thing…’
