Maddie held her breath.
‘You’d do that for me?’ Gemma said in a whisper.
Maddie exhaled. ‘Yes, of course. You and Jemima are still family, regardless of what has happened. I will always be here for you.’
Tears started to roll down Gemma’s cheeks again. ‘You’re an amazing person, Maddie. You have every reason to hate me and yet you’re being so lovely. I do need some time. I can’t do this on my own, not right now, maybe not ever.’
‘Don’t be silly. First, you’re not alone. You have me and you can always ask me for anything. Jemima is probably the closest thing I will ever have to a daughter. She is very special to me, so all you have to do is ask. Secondly, you’ll feel differently in a few days when you’ve had some space to breathe. Look, let’s pack up some of her things – a few clothes, some of her favourite toys or a couple of books and we’ll make it into a holiday for her. And when you’re ready, I’ll bring her back home. Take as long as you need – a day, a week, a month even.’
*
Maddie strapped Jemima into the car seat in the back of Gemma’s enormous Range Rover that had never seen a country lane or a muddy path. Gemma had insisted that Maddie take her car and Maddie hadn’t argued too much. She packed the pushchair and bags into the boot and looked over to where Gemma stood like a ghost in the doorway of the house, chewing on her fingernails.
Jemima was gurgling happily now, her earlier ferocity forgotten. Maddie smiled at her as she slid the clasp into place.
‘Do you want to give her a kiss goodbye?’
Gemma looked momentarily frightened by the idea. ‘No, no, I don’t want to set her off again. Go, it’s fine.’
‘Ok, well, I’ll let you know how we’re getting on and please call me if you need me. I’m only down the road.’
Gemma nodded, then shuffled back inside and closed the door.
Maddie climbed into the car and sat for a moment, watching Jemima in the back seat through the mirror. She smiled, then started the car.
As she pulled up outside the flat, she saw Jade standing outside, a cigarette clasped between pursed lips. Maddie’s good mood evaporated.
She climbed out and went around to the passenger door. She could feel Jade’s eyes burning into her.
Then Jade was right behind her, the smell of nicotine giving her away.
‘What’s all this then?’ Jade said.
‘Jemima is coming to stay with me for a few days.’
‘Clever. Giving yourself an alibi – and a different car for the CCTV cameras.’ Maddie ignored the admiration painted all over Jade’s face.
‘No, I’m giving her heartbroken mother a break. You know, the wife of the man you murdered?’
‘Yeah, you’re a saint. Convenient though, isn’t it?’
‘Whatever, Jade.’ Maddie’s voice was a growl. ‘But whatever happens today, I want you to stay the hell away from me from now on.’
Jade’s eyes narrowed to slits. ‘Ben has been asking after you.’
Maddie paused. ‘Jemima is my priority now,’ she replied, ignoring the tightness in her chest.
‘Oh, I see. It’s like that, is it?’
‘Where is he anyway?’
‘Upstairs, naptime.’
‘Then you’d better get back to him.’
Jade watched her closely. ‘You’ll let me know when it’s done.’
Maddie nodded and turned away to open the car door. She felt more than heard Jade move away.
She exhaled.
What the hell was she thinking? She now had Jemima to factor into this whole mess. She scooped Jemima and her bags up and hurried inside. As she juggled with the bags and a weighty Jemima in her arms, her grip on her keys slipped and they clattered to the floor. Before she could stoop to pick them up, Peggy from across the hall appeared from nowhere, her hair wrapped in a headscarf knotted under her chin and her raincoat buttoned tight.
‘Here, love, I’ll get them. Ah, who’s this then?’ She smiled at Jemima.
‘This is Jemima. I’m looking after her for a few days for a friend.’
‘She’s bonny, isn’t she?’
‘She’s a bit unsettled at the moment, so I hope there isn’t too much noise for you.’
Peggy slid the key in Maddie’s front door for her. ‘Oh, don’t worry. That kind of noise can’t be helped. They’re just trying to tell you something in the only way they know how.’
Maddie smiled in relief. ‘Yes, but two children in one building could get a bit noisy if they both start shouting at the same time.’
Peggy patted Maddie on the arm. ‘There are no other children here today, dear, and I doubt this little angel could be anything other than delightful.’
Maddie frowned as Peggy waddled away. The bag weighed heavy on her shoulder, so she shoved the door open with her hip and dumped everything just inside the door.
‘Right then, missy. We need to get your travel cot set up in my room, then I think a trip to the shop for some of your favourite food.’
Jemima giggled in response and Maddie felt elated, but the feeling evaporated just as quickly. What would she do with Jemima later? She had to go and see Mark. She had to finish this.
But maybe Jade was right. Jemima was the perfect cover. She could pick her up a Halloween costume at the shop and use that as her way to get Mark to open the door.
Just another friendly trick or treater.
16
Mark Bennett was a simple bloke. Easy to please, his mother would say. And yet his life was anything but. He worked with a nice group of lads. There was plenty of banter, a couple of pints after work on a Friday and some good-natured ribbing about the football on a Monday. Not quite the camaraderie of the rigs, but still a nice place to work. And when he was finished at the end of the day, all he wanted was to get home, have a hot bath and then collapse in front of the telly with a cold beer.
But pregnancy had turned his girlfriend Gloria into a nightmare, truth be told. Before she was pregnant, they’d been strong. They liked a laugh, she enjoyed a few drinks and hanging out with his mates, and she was really good at her job as a hairdresser, which also meant he got free haircuts on the weekend.
But since the pregnancy, she’d become a lot more high maintenance. She didn’t want to go out anymore, was always tired and now that she was a few weeks off the baby coming, everything was an issue. It was like she was sitting at home just finding things to complain about.
It hadn’t been like this with Jade. That had been the perfect pregnancy from his point of view. A text message to say she was pregnant and a few photos of her swollen belly. Another message to say she was in labour but not to worry as she had her friend with her. She’d even sent him a smiling photo of the two of them in the hospital, then followed it up with a photo of a tiny Ben after he was born.
No worry; no stress. Pregnancy from a distance meant he wasn’t bossed around, snapped at, sent on late night shopping trips for weird snacks – all that stuff you hear about and think your girlfriend won’t inflict on you. Turns out she will.
He had been thrilled to hear he had a son. When he finally got off the rigs, he arranged to meet Jade at her flat and there he was. A pink, squirming three-month-old, with intense eyes and a strong pair of lungs on him. Mark fell in love immediately.