Chapter 46
Clare made her way into the kitchen and poured herself a cold coffee from the pot she had made earlier that morning. There was something vaguely familiar about the woman she had just seen.
Jonathan waited a few more seconds. The van pulled away, he turned back the other way and headed for his car. He had been away from the office for nearly an hour. The last thing he wanted now was for Billie to start asking more questions. He had been a fool to even bring up Clare again earlier that morning.
Nathalie messaged her boyfriend. I am going to have to work late tonight. Let’s take a rain check for early next week. She hit send.
No problem. Came the response. Nathalie’s heart lurched; she really hated lying to Jonas. He was a good man and these days they were hard to find.
Back in the office, Jonathan sidled up to Billie’s desk. “Where did you disappear off to this morning?” He asked him directly. Billie did not say anything for a few seconds. “Nowhere special. I had a family matter to sort out, didn’t want to handle it at the office that’s all.” Jonathan was not entirely satisfied; it had never stopped Billie before.
“Listen,” he hesitated “about the whole Clare thing. Let’s just forget it. You’re right. There is no way it could have been her.”
“Tell me about this new situation with the project.” Was all Billie responded with. “I met Nathalie in the car park; she told me there’d been some new developments. This is going to cost us more I expect.” He stated rather than asked.
“Right. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. And yes, it’ll put a whole lot more on it, but like I said to Nathalie. We need to scale up and make this the largest eco-project they have seen. We have got to throw everything at it. I have no doubt the investment will pay off Billie.” Jonathan said pointedly.
“You know we’re already running up against the wall don’t you Jonathan? We are not in the same place financially as we used to be. The fire took a lot out of the business, the re-start, we’ve not exactly scaled down on our own drawings either. We really need to have a talk about that.”
“Save it Billie. We’re not on skid row. This project will make us. Stop worrying. I will have Nathalie send you the bigger picture over. Besides our business States side isn’t doing too badly.”
His partner did not want to remind him, that actually they still were not breaking even. He would save it for another day.
He sat at his desk; his mind distracted by Clare. What would her next move be? Idly staring into space.
Billie was restless, the woman he had spoken to had unsettled him, and he needed to get to the bottom of it. Clare was an innocent woman who had been trapped in a relationship that had almost broken her; he had seen how she had lost her will to live. He knew that if she was close by, he had to try to save her.
He caught Jonathan studying him over his screens. All of a sudden Billie felt claustrophobic, he felt like he could not breathe. He needed to get out of this hostile environment, unfortunately he had a job to do and he was not about to see himself or his family down the river. He had a lot of work on his hands to ensure that Jonathan and his high-flying ideas were not going to completely run the firm into the ground because of his egotistical nature.
Nathalie did not go back to the office, she sent her secretary a brief message, that she would be working from home for the rest of the day then messaged Clare.
How did it go? XX She typed and sent
I’ve been in. Nathalie I’m sure I just saw Lauren xx
Not possible, she has no idea where you are. We’ve not contacted her since you left Glenveal. What makes you think that?
I came out of his house and there was a delivery van parked in the middle of the street. It just stopped and made no delivery. When I looked the woman, driving was the splitting image of Lauren.
Are you sure you’re not imagining it?
I’m sure, very sure. She pulled her cap further over her face, but I know it was her Nathalie, I just know it.
Listen just hold on ok. I’m seeing Jonathan tonight and he’s in for the shock of his life.
Are you sure, you want to go through with this Nathalie? I mean really sure? You detest him as much as I do. To get that close to him, I mean. She trailed off not finishing the text message.
What has to be done has to be done. To be honest Clare, I need this to be over with.
And Jonas, you’re still seeing him, right?
Of course. XX
Okay well take care later; you know he’s going to be gunning for us after this.
I know and that is the plan right. We stick to it no matter what. I’ll be fine don’t worry. And so will you be.
I’m not so sure about that. I think he knows it’s me across the street. It’s freaking me out.
Just breathe you know you are strong; you’ve spent years planning for this, you’ve got it. Just stay strong and when he does come for you, you know what you need to do.
I know xx
Ok then. Well look I’ve got work to do and you need to rest and for goodness sake, get out of that house whilst he is working. Get some air, go for a proper run. We still have a long way to go and then you’ll be able to breathe Clare. No more looking over your shoulder, no more running away xx
Clare was drained, so drained. The last four years had really taken a toll on her. The constant running and hiding, starting a new life, a new persona. It had not been easy. There were days where she had felt numb with exhaustion, to the point that she could not carry on. Yet her will to survive in a world without Jonathan in it, or having to look over her shoulder was stronger than her will to succumb.
She had lived in different villages and towns up and down the country, constantly being on the move, for fear Jonathan would find her. She had trained hard to be a strong runner, taken self-defense classes all to make her feel confident that if one day she needed to, she’d be able to take care of herself.
You’re right Nat xx you’re always right. Speak to you later and take care.
Always xx