ever saw her walk around the city, she just used to speed around on – what’s up?’
A shudder has gripped Felicity. ‘Nothing,’ she says. ‘I must have left a window open. Go on.’
‘Sarah called me one evening in April, seriously worried. Ezzy was skating up and down the drive, screaming abuse about me. I called Mum and headed round there myself.’
His glass is empty. She tops it up from the bottle.
‘We had a confrontation in the street,’ he says. ‘I told her she had to leave my family alone, she told me I was a cheating bastard who would get what was coming to me.’
‘Did your kids see this?’
‘No, thank God. Sarah kept them at the back of the house. So, the police car pulled into the estate, Ezzy realised I’d shopped her and she came at me. She could move like lightning.’
Joe finds he can no longer sit down.
‘I honestly didn’t know what had hit me. I just remember lying on the road, hearing her wheels speeding away, and knowing I was in a whole heap of trouble.’
‘Were you badly hurt?’
‘I lost a lot of blood and went into shock. Luckily, the police were on hand and paramedics arrived very quickly. There was some damage to my small intestine that was fixed by surgery. Could have been worse.’
‘What happened to Ezzy?’
‘She vanished. A couple of weeks later, while I was still in hospital, some of her belongings were pulled out of the Cam. We assumed she’d drowned, whether accidentally or by taking her own life, we had no idea. Officially, she’s missing, presumed dead.’
‘But she might not be? Dead, I mean.’
‘No confirmed sightings in nearly four months. She’s either dead, or long gone.’
Joe’s breathing has spiralled, as it always does when he thinks about Ezzy Sheeran. He feels the need for fresh air and is about to go to the back door when Felicity puts down her drink and gets down off her stool. He watches her take the three steps that will bring her close enough to touch. Slowly, as though approaching a nervous animal she reaches out and takes hold of his shirt.
‘What are you doing?’ His breathing is quickening again.
The buttons slip apart easily. ‘Checking on your progress,’ she says.
‘Felicity.’ He takes a step back, but she is holding on to his shirt. He can’t easily get away. She opens the fabric and her eyes drop to his stomach. The scar she has revealed is ugly and obvious. Before he can stop her, she drops to her knees and presses her lips against it.
He gasps aloud.
She runs her lips along the ridge of the scar, tilting her head to reach its upper edge. He puts his hands on her shoulders to pull her back to her feet and finds there is no strength left in his arms.
‘This is a really bad idea,’ he says, and his voice has the undercurrent of a moan.
She stands, so that they are almost face to face. ‘I am not your patient any more,’ she reminds him.
He sees her lean in and knows she is about to kiss him. He doesn’t give her chance. His hands grasp hold of her hair and he sees the snarl of triumph on her face. As his mouth finds hers, the dumbest thought occurs to him, and then he loses the ability to think. They kiss for long, long seconds, until he thinks that perhaps he has stopped breathing.
He breaks away and gasps for breath. She pulls his shirt from his shoulders. Her hair falls around his hands as he pulls her top over her head. He clasps her around the waist, they are staggering backwards towards the island. A glass falls to the floor and shatters. They ignore it.
A loud hammering sounds on her front door. They freeze and look at each other in shock.
‘It’s him,’ she whimpers. ‘He’s here. He’s found me.’
The banging sounds again. ‘Open up, police!’ calls a voice.
Joe bends to pick up his shirt. He pulls it on and hands Felicity her top. When they are both dressed again, a matter of only seconds, he steps to the kitchen door and looks down the hallway to the glass panel in the front door.
‘It’s my mother,’ he says.
56
Joe
‘Are you out of your mind?’
Joe closes the door of Delilah’s car feeling as though he has gone back in time. He is twelve again and about to get the mother of all bollockings.
Delilah looks a mess. There are mascara smudges under her eyes