Page 21 of The Happy Family

I turn to see a man in a grey hoody walking towards me across the car park and, at first sight, he doesn’t look like he belongs here, at this office for well-heeled solicitors. But I shouldn’t judge people by their appearance. This guy could be the multi-millionaire owner of the company I am newly employed by, for all I know.

‘Yes?’ I reply.

‘I have a message for you,’ the mysterious man says.

‘Sorry, who are you?’

‘I better not give you my name for now. But I can give you the name of the person who has sent me here. It’s Gemma.’

The name of the woman I was once involved with brings all sorts of memories flooding back. Memories like how she was once a work colleague of mine in my previous job. Memories like how I found myself attracted to her and foolishly began swapping messages with her that weren’t appropriate for me to send. And memories like Sadie discovering this, and the whole thing putting a dagger through the heart of our marriage. My most recent memory of Gemma is seeing her go to prison after being found guilty of starting the fire at Sadie’s parents’ house, the one that could have killed them and my children if they hadn’t got out in time. That’s why hearing her name now is not very welcome.

‘Gemma sent you here?’

‘Yes.’

‘I don’t know what she wants but I don’t want to hear it,’ I say before starting to walk away.

‘I think you should,’ the man tells me and, against my better judgement, I stop.

‘Gemma is trying to help you and I guess that’s what I’m trying to do too,’ the man says.

‘Help me how?’

‘By letting you know that you are in danger.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Your ex-wife, Sadie, is in a coma in hospital, correct?’

That information has been in the local news, so there’s no point asking how he knows that.

‘Yes.’

‘After an altercation with your current partner, Luna.’

‘Sadie broke in and attacked her with a knife,’ I say, unsure where the man is going with this.

‘Did you know that Gemma had sent a message to Sadie shortly before that incident, telling her that she believed Luna was the one responsible for framing her?’

I did not know that and I can’t disguise the surprise on my face.

‘What are you talking about?’ I ask.

‘I’m talking about how, on your previous visit to see Gemma in prison after she asked to speak to you, you revealed that you had a new girlfriend. At that moment, Gemma told you that she suspected her of being behind everything that has happened to you and your family.’

‘I remember that and I ignored it at the time because it was utter nonsense.’

‘You might have thought that, but Gemma believed Luna was behind everything, so she informed Sadie. After receiving that message, Sadie must have gone to your home to confront Luna or perhaps try to warn you and the children that she may be dangerous. Now she is in a coma and Luna appears to have got away with it scot-free.’

‘Luna has done nothing wrong. Sadie is the one who attacked her with a knife. And Sadie is only in a coma because she slipped while running. Luna did not physically hurt her.’

‘Why was she running?’ the man asks me before answering his own question. ‘Because she was the one who was afraid. Not Luna.’

I shake my head in disbelief. Can my life get any more complicated?

‘How did you find me?’ I have to ask.

‘Gemma sent me to your previous workplace and when you weren’t there, I asked for a new address for you. They passed it on.’