Page 73 of The Politician

Kendra smiled as the woman with an American accent flashed her phone in their direction. Well, they did have Yellowstone, the Everglades, and the Grand Canyon, all of which were on Kendra’s list of places to visit. It was hard to compete on scale but what the camp lacked in size, it made up for in biodiversity and wonder.

“Welcome.” Malee secured the front of the boat to the jetty.

She and Kendra held out their hand to assist the babbling guests from the craft.

“Look at those little huts. They’re so dinky.”

Kendra smiled.Wait until they find out where the loos are.That was the thing that freaked guests out the most in the first few hours of their stay, even though the advertising literature was explicit about the style of the external facilities. Walking up a track late at night, even though it was well-lit, with the sounds of the jungle and the occasional critter for company had resulted in many a scream or squeal.

Malee read the names from her list and gave details of who was staying in which hut and the format for the evening, and the guests dispersed. Kendra marvelled at the size of some of the suitcases and wondered how many items would never see the light of day. With only a couple of charging points for phones in the office, and an internet signal that could drop out anytime along with the electric supply, some people would struggle, but that was also part of the appeal of the place.

“Where are the toilets, please?” a woman called Nichola asked. She had a round peachy face, rosy cheeks, and an enthusiastic grin.

Malee answered, and Kendra smiled as Nichola’s eyes widened, making her look something closer to terrified.

Nichola stared towards the small gap between the trees that looked as though it led straight into the depths of the jungle and pointed. “Up there?”

The women’s joyful tones in the background drowned out the jungle’s voice. Kendra led Nichola up the track. “I’ll show you.”

“Is it safe?” Nichola asked.

“I wouldn’t stray too far at night unless you have a guide with you but otherwise, yes. You’ll see lots of insects and snakes but—”

“Snakes.” Nichola squealed and hopped from foot to foot, staring at the ground, one hand over her mouth and the other flailing in the air.

She looked like she was doing a tribal dance of some kind, though she lacked rhythm. Kendra bit her lip to stop the laugh that bubbled in her chest. “They won’t harm you,” she said. “You’ll get used to them.”

Nichola tiptoed the rest of the way up the steep track.

“There you go.” Kendra pointed to the facilities.

“There’s no roof,” Nichola said.

If her eyes widened any further, Kendra was sure they would pop out of her head. “The trees are your roof. And we have loo paper and a flush system.”

“Oh.” Nichola slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

“Are you okay if I leave you? You’ll get back safely.”

Nichola nodded and closed the door.

Kendra ambled down the slope, her ears pricked for what she knew would come. She thought about Sarah and the week they’d shared, and how effortlessly Sarah had adjusted to being here.If only you’d stayed with me.

She hadn’t reached the bottom of the hill when the shrill squeal came that said she’d encountered a creature she wouldn’t normally expect to see in a toilet. Within seconds, Nichola came hurtling past, mumbling to herself. Kendra chuckled. It was light relief though it passed quickly, and she continued down to the camp with the ache in her chest.

33.

SARAH STARED OUT THEwindow of her office, beyond the treeline overlooking their neighbour’s rear garden and house. It was so very different from the lake, impossible to compare, beautiful and yet so desperately uninspiring. The London air had been cooler on her return and so thick with pollution it had clawed in her throat for days. The constant rumble of traffic into the night and indiscriminate clattering noises that drowned out the birdsong had elevated her stress levels even before she’d got into work the first day after her holiday. Now, of course, she’d reacclimatised to it, and the noises faded into a constant, they seeped into the background. It was how it had always been, but she knew in her heart it wasn’t what she wanted.

She downed the whisky from her glass, barely registering the warm sensation as she swallowed, and poured another. Was the numbing for comfort or just preferable to the emptiness that had taken up residence inside her? That emptiness had been with her for years but never had it been so insistent. The hours had flown into days, the days into weeks, distracted with the campaign, but the nights had given her too much time to reflect on Kendra’s parting words. She would have taken the money because she had become exactly the person Kendra described. She saw herself in the reflection in the window and knocked back the drink. Self-sabotage tasted of malt with an earthy afternote. She poured another. She held up the glass at the window and stared through it for a different view. The blossom on the trees had fallen and the leaves had become lush and filled with life, just as she had been in Khao Sok.

She turned towards the gentle knock on the door.

Mark smiled as he entered. “You’ve got this, Sarah. The latest figures are predicting a landslide. Well done, love.”

She nodded. She wasn’t one for presumption or arrogance, but he was right. The knowledge didn’t fill the vacuum inside her. It would be a hollow victory without Kendra at her side. She studied his rugged appearance. He hadn’t shaved for a couple of days, and it suited him. He had been there for her when she’d returned from Thailand with her heart ripped to shreds. He had always been there for her. He was her saint. But he couldn’t be her saviour. That was something she had to be for herself.

She was still livid with Jeremy for lying to her, and Mark had talked her out of addressing it with him until after she’d been appointed as PM. Mark was right. But there was something else that had started to niggle her, and she couldn’t let it drop. He had shown Kendra a transcript of a conversation between them, but he hadn’t shown anything of the kind to her. If he had, she would have questioned its origin, because she’d been advised that her phone was protected and couldn’t be tapped. She’d only spoken to Kendra a couple of times and hadn’t said anything that could be construed as inappropriate. Plus, she would have sued whoeverhadmanaged to tap her phone. He’d presented her with photographs of them together at various times, and every time he’d managed to keep the images from hitting the press. There were only so many favours he could pull in, and if the media had a will to bring her down, they wouldn’t be easily bribed. Jeremy must have had her followed to get the photos. He’d fabricated the transcript, and he’d lied about Kendra taking the money.

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