Questions of Trust A Medical Romance - By Sam Archer Page 0,29

fantasy out of the flimsiest of threads. Besides, even if Rebecca did pay Chloe a visit, she was hardly likely to do anything more than make a fool of herself. She wasn’t going to slash her tyres or attack her physically or do anything drastic like that.

With a jolt Tom realised he was late for the babysitter and, turning the key in the ignition, he put his foot down.

***

The call came as Chloe was watching the ten o’clock television news. Jake was long in bed, and fast asleep when she’d checked on him an hour ago.

At first she assumed the late phone call at that hour was the long-awaited confirmation from the councillors’ offices that one of the politicians would meet Chloe for an interview, and she jumped up to grab the buzzing handset from the table. But when she glanced at the number on the screen, she recognised it as the one that had come up earlier that day, nearly twelve hours ago.

Tom Carlyle’s.

Chloe put the phone to her ear. ‘Hello? Tom?’

‘Chloe, I’m so sorry to trouble you again, and at this hour. Is everything all right?’

‘Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?’

She could sense his relief down the line. ‘I know this is quite a thing to ask, especially after all you’ve done for me today, so feel free to say no. But would you be able to meet me briefly? Tonight?’

Oh, wait a minute, thought Chloe. What’s this? She said carefully, ‘Is there something wrong?’

‘No. Well, not really. I don’t know. Look, I’m not making much sense, I know. And I know Jake must be asleep, and Kelly is too. I could wake her up –’

‘No,’ Chloe said, making her mind up. She’d told herself earlier that day that she would try to help Tom, to be a friend to him, and this was a good place to start. ‘I should be able to get my neighbour to sit in with Jake for an hour. Let me come round to your place.’

Margaret McFarland was only too happy to come over, in spite of the hour. She was of course intrigued as to where Chloe was going at that time of night. Chloe said only that it was a friend of hers who needed some support, and promised she’d be gone an hour and a half at the most. She was amused to note that Mrs McFarland was desperate to ask who this “friend” was, but managed to keep herself from doing so.

Twenty minutes later, Chloe stepped out of her Astra and walked up the driveway to Tom’s front door. The night was warm and she wore only a thin sweater, no jacket. Tom must have heard or seen her pull up because he opened the door as she approached. He grinned, his expression apologetic once more.

As he ushered Chloe into the living room she glanced about, unable to stop herself casting an appraising eye over his home. The house was tastefully but simply furnished in a country style, neither the lounge-lizard bachelor pad it might have been nor the chaotic mess of some of the single men she’d known over the years. One wall was dominated by a huge stone fireplace which must create quite a cosy effect in the winter, she thought.

He offered beverages – she accepted a decaffeinated coffee – and she propped herself on a kitchen stool while he prepared the drinks in two earthenware mugs. A shelf was crammed precariously with well-worn cookbooks, and Chloe noticed an exotically stocked spice rack, strings of onions and garlic, and window trays blooming with herbs of various assortments. A country kitchen, and one that clearly saw a lot of use.

Tom noticed her looking around and said, ‘Never used to be much of a cook, but I’ve learned through necessity.’

‘Do you like it?’

He chuckled. ‘To my surprise, yes, I do. You?’

‘I’ll burn water when making coffee if I’m not careful.’

‘Somehow,’ he said, ‘I doubt that.’

Chloe watched him over the rim of her mug as he sat opposite her across the kitchen table. Despite his cheerful demeanour, tiredness was dragging at him, tautening the skin around his eyes.

After a short silence Tom said, ‘I asked to see you because I wanted to warn you about Rebecca, my ex-wife.’

‘Warn me?’

He sighed. ‘Maybe that’s too strong a word.’

And he told Chloe about his meeting with his ex an hour earlier. Chloe was startled when she heard that Rebecca had seen her pick up Kelly. She tried to remember any signs that she