Page 102 of The Cottage in the Highlands

She dumped the extinguisher down on the floor. “Shit, Leonie! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

I stumbled over Seth Gordon’s sprawled and groaning form and Kerry bundled me into her arms. She smelled of camomile shampoo. I struggled to compose myself. “He was going to throw me down the stairs,” I gulped into her shoulder, letting out panicked sobs. “He was going to kill me.”

“But he didn’t,” rumbled a male voice.

I looked up through a mist of panic to see Flynn Talbot senior striding towards us both.

“Mr Talbot? What on earth are you doing here?” I wriggled myself out of Kerry’s concerned arms, gawping at them both.

“Rick Askew warned me that Seth Gordon was just about capable of anything,” said Kerry. “Then when I spoke to Simone Wales, I got really scared. I think Askew was terrified about getting implicated in anything violent, to add to his list of other misdemeanours.”

“So, you came along to check I was ok?” I asked, glaring down at the outstretched Seth Gordon at our feet.

“Yes. When Rick Askew and Simone Wales said how ruthless Gordon was, I got worried and wasn’t prepared to take any chances.”

“Well, thank goodness you did,” I mumbled, trying to steady my breath. I rubbed at my aching waist, trying not to think of what could have happened.

My attention focused on Flynn senior again. “But what are you doing here, Mr Talbot? I don’t understand.” Under my coat, my bruised upper arms gave a dull, painful throb of protest.

Flynn senior shot Kerry a charged look. “I rang your magazine office.” He glowered down at Seth Gordon “I asked to speak to you because I was concerned too. I saw you and my grandson exchanging words when we visited Lily.”

“Mr Talbot spoke to me instead,” explained Kerry in an excited, eager rush. “When he said who he was, I knew I had to tell him the truth; that it wasn’t you who revealed to Athena about him being Chandler.” She let out a long, embarrassed breath. “It was me. All me.”

My stunned expression flicked to Kerry and then to Flynn senior.

“Mr Talbot said he wanted to speak to you not only to apologise but to talk about his grandson, and that was when I told him you were out on a story but that I was getting worried about you.”

Flynn senior nodded. “That was when I insisted on coming along with this young lady to make sure you were all right. She flashed her ID at the security chappie downstairs and I made a scene, pretending I was the grandfather of some young starlet this Gordon character was involved with.” Then he chuckled. “We were making such a fuss that he let us through.”

Flynn senior flashed me a shy smile from under his dashing moustache. “I can’t resist a damsel in distress.”

His smile evaporated as he watched me. “Seriously, Ms Baxter, I wanted to apologise. I assumed it was you who revealed my Chandler identity, when my grandson warned me that news about my alter ego was set to hit the newsstands. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. And neither should that grandson of mine.”

From down on the stairwell floor, Seth Gordon let out a self-pitying groan. Flynn senior snorted with derision. He lowered himself down beside him and wrestled off Seth Gordon’s yellow tie. “Give me your hands,” he snapped to the groaning man, yanking both arms behind his back and securing both his wrists with the tie.

Flynn senior examined me as he checked the knot he had made. “I know a couple of police officers. They’re members of the same bridge club as me. I’ll give them a ring about this idiot.”

Seth Gordon jerked his head up and let out a series of fruity swear words as he struggled ineffectually on the floor like a trussed-up turtle.

Flynn senior extended one hand. “Now I really would appreciate it if either or both of you two lovely ladies could help me to my feet, please? I know I’m incredibly dashing and it’s hard to believe, but I’m not in my first flush of youth.”

I grabbed one arm, Kerry the other, and we hoisted Flynn senior upright. “Many thanks.” He smoothed his flop of silver hair. “And in the meantime, you, young lady, need to go and speak to my stubborn idiot of a grandson. Tell him exactly what’s what and clear the air between the two of you. I can’t think for the life of me where he gets that stubborn streak from.”

I rubbed my upper arms again. Heat flared in my cheeks as I recalled Flynn’s wounded expression when he thought I’d betrayed his family secret. “I don’t think we have anything to say to one another.”

“Crap!” burst out Flynn senior, making Kerry start. “You both have a lot to talk about.” He hesitated. “I know what it’s like to be so stubborn that you make a life for yourself made up of unhappiness and regret.” He jerked his head towards the fire door. “Now, I want both of you ladies to go and explain to my pig-headed grandson about the Chandler issue, once we’ve spoken to the police.” He gave Seth Gordon, trussed up on the floor, an aggressive prod with his foot. ““The sooner we have this waste of space dealt with, the better.”

A dark sinking feeling took over. “I’m doing all I can to try and stop my boss revealing who Chandler is,” I assured him. “I don’t know how successful I will be, Mr Talbot, as it’s a huge story with a great deal of public interest and our editor is chomping at the bit.”

“I’ve been giving that a great deal of thought,” interrupted Flynn senior, his mobile connecting to the police. “We’ll discuss that soon.”

His words were cryptic, his eyes unreadable. At the other end of the line, I heard a voice announcing he was through to the police. He clamped his hand over the phone. “I think I might have come up with a suggestion that will solve all our problems.”

Flynn senior then explained to the police what had happened and that an attempted murder had taken place.

Much to my relief, a couple of police officers arrived very soon afterwards and took details from the three of us, before handcuffing and preparing to escort a foul-mouthed, dishevelled Seth Gordon away to their vehicle. Flynn senior insisted to the two officers that he would accompany them to the station.

Kerry gave me another reassuring hug as we prepared to leave the stairwell and the empty reception area behind.