Sara understood exactly where her sister’s thinking was heading, and their eyes met across the table. ‘Surely we can work out how to get into that office and see what Matt’s up to? I think he’s the key to this. Because someone sent him that video of me and he must know where it came from.’ She sat bolt upright, her brain rebooted now there was something constructive she could do. ‘What if this site he’s been setting up is for people who do that sort of thing – you know, covert filming? People with that sort of fetish.’ She frowned, an idea starting to form in her mind, but not yet clear enough to see. ‘There’s something weird behind all this. And I think Matt has the answer.’
Hailey pursed her lips, pensive for a moment. ‘There’s another thing I have to tell you about tonight.’ She hesitated. ‘I saw Matt with a woman.’
Sara’s heart leapt into her throat. ‘I bloody knew it! He tried to make me think I was imagining things.’
‘I didn’t see her face. I nipped off to get a coffee at half-time and saw her getting out of his car. She had a baseball hat on, and running gear, and she jogged off before I could follow her.’
‘Bloody hypocrite!’ Sara seethed.
Hailey reached across the table and grabbed her hand. ‘Look, we’re going to get this sorted. You and me. We’ve been through worse and come out the other side.’
Sara’s jaw hardened, and she knew she was up for whatever trouble lay ahead. One way or another, they would get to the truth.
Chapter Thirty-One
The girls wouldn’t talk to Sara, so Hailey spoke to them and explained about the holiday, while Sara listened on speakerphone.
‘Four days at Center Parcs, who doesn’t want to do that?’ Hailey asked, incredulous when they didn’t seem keen. She glanced at Sara and pulled a face, obviously puzzled.
‘It’s short notice,’ Sophia said.
‘Fiona and your mum thought it would be a nice surprise. You deserve a treat and it’ll give you some time away while we sort out what’s been going on at the football club.’
‘Milly doesn’t want to go.’ It seemed that Sophia was spokeswoman as usual, dressing her own feelings up as her sister’s.
Hailey sighed. ‘Look, guys. It’s not always about what you two want. You’d be doing your dad a favour. He’s got an important bit of work to get on with. Think about it – Fiona won’t be skimping on the treats. You’ll have a brilliant time. You always do when you stay with her, don’t you?’
‘Not always,’ Amelia mumbled in the background, making Sara wonder if there had been a falling-out since the weekend. Then she remembered what her daughter was going through and thought she understood her reticence: she felt humiliated, just as Sara did. Perhaps Chelsea had teased her about the video.
Hailey gave Sara an exasperated look, obviously struggling to know what else to say to persuade them.
‘Hey, girls,’ Sara said.
‘We’re not talking to you,’ Sophia snapped, and Sara’s breath caught in her throat before she forced herself to speak.
‘No, no, please listen. I don’t know what your dad’s told you, but it’s not true. The problem is… well, it’s a misunderstanding, and we need to sort it out. If you go on holiday for a few days, it’ll give us a chance to talk things through.’ She tried to insert a note of reassurance, put a smile in her voice. ‘Hopefully everything will be back to normal when you come home.’
There was silence, then a whispered conversation. Hailey and Sara looked at each other, waited.
‘Okay,’ Sophia said. ‘I hope you’re telling the truth, Mum.’
Sara bit her lip. What were the chances of normality, of her and Matt staying together, after all this? Slim, was the answer. But she needed to buy this time, needed the girls out of the house, then Matt would think he was on his own and might not be quite so security-conscious. There was a chance he might leave his office door unlocked when he went into the house for a break.
‘I’m doing my best for our family,’ she said with conviction, because whatever happened, that was the truth. ‘I love you girls. You kids are my world and I’ve hated not being there with you, and I hate it even more that you’re angry and upset with me.’
‘Love you, Mum,’ Amelia said, voice thick with tears.
‘Me too,’ Sophia echoed, before they said their goodbyes.
The words worked their way into Sara’s heart, soothing the wounds of the last few days. I’m going to make this right for them. I’ve got to.
Later, with arrangements made, Sara and Hailey settled down to lay out everything they knew and make plans for the following day.
‘Fiona’s picking them up just before lunch, so we’ll have all afternoon to try and get into Matt’s office and find evidence of what he’s up to.’ Sara was looking at her notebook, scanning through all the things she’d jotted down, which now amounted to a few pages. ‘That’s got to be a priority, hasn’t it? When he was telling me about his contract, he said he just did the nuts-and-bolts work, but I suppose he has to check that the website’s working, and verify users and all that stuff?’ She scrunched up her nose. ‘What do you think, Hailey? Are we jumping to conclusions, or do you think the video of me was posted on whatever site he’s been building?’
Hailey was deep in thought, tracing the pattern of knots in the wood of the kitchen table with a finger. When she didn’t respond, Sara carried on with her train of logic, arriving at the question she couldn’t answer. ‘Why else would someone send it to him?’
Hailey looked up and leant across the table.
‘Like I said before, what if it’s someone who wants to break up your marriage? Someone like James. As I see it, he’s using this debt to slowly take control of your life.’ Their eyes met, Hailey’s words articulating thoughts that had already been gathering in Sara’s mind, like storm clouds massing in the distance. ‘The video has separated you from your husband and broken up your family. Then there’s this new job offer, which is just another way of getting closer to you, manipulating you, because as a single mum you’ll be dependent on him for your income.’ Hailey gave her a hard stare. ‘And he still hasn’t told you the terms of the deal, has he?’ Sara shook her head. ‘It’s not a deal at all. He’s bought you. I think that’s how he sees it. He’s playing a game, getting his kicks from knowing what’s going on, while you’re clueless.’
Sara sighed, certain her sister was right. ‘He said I could stay with him as well, if I was stuck.’
Hailey snorted. ‘Yeah, like that’s going to happen. No way are you going to do that.’ She stared at Sara, eyes narrowing. ‘Tell me you didn’t actually consider it.’
Sara blushed, flapped a hand, dismissing the suggestion. ‘God, no. But the point is, he was really shocked about the video. Honestly, he was. I’m convinced nobody could act his response. And I just felt… he was properly worried about me.’ She stared at the wall as she re-enacted the scene in her mind. ‘He wanted to go to the police about it. If he had sent the video to Matt, why would he suggest that?’ She rubbed her temples with her fingers. ‘God, my head’s going to burst with all this. I’m so confused. I don’t know what to believe.’