Creeping Ivy by Natasha Cooper

Author:Natasha Cooper [Cooper, Natasha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: UK
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK
Published: 1998-05-31T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Trish tried to work while she waited for Emma, who had promised to come straight to Southwark to report after she had tested Nicky, but it was impossible to keep her mind off Charlotte – and Ben.

When Emma eventually reached the flat, she looked worn and irritable, but Trish could not be sure whether that was because of what Hal was doing to her or the things she had learned from Nicky. Trish kissed her, took her briefcase, and offered tea, coffee or wine.

Snatching a quick look at her watch, Emma said, ‘Would you be shocked if I said wine? It’s past lunchtime.’

‘Of course I wouldn’t be shocked. Don’t be an idiot. Red or white?’

‘Oh, I don’t mind. Anything. Red please,’ said Emma.

Trish fetched a bottle of Rioja from the rack, collected glasses and a corkscrew and a bag of crisps she’d found at the back of one of the cupboards. If Emma was going to drink at the rate she had the previous evening, she’d need something to sop up the alcohol.

‘OK,’ she said when they were sitting with their glasses in front of them. ‘What did you think of Nicky?’

‘I’m not sure she’s the most interesting one,’ said Emma with rare harshness. ‘That cousin of yours was something else.’

‘Antonia? Oh, nonsense, Emma. I know she can be a bit robust, but it’s just her manner. And she’s not at her best right now, for obvious reasons.’

‘No. But I’m glad I don’t work for her.’ Emma took a sip of wine and then another. Then she put the glass down and opened her briefcase, saying, ‘She took me up to Nicky’s room, flung open the door without knocking and told her in the most appallingly bullying voice to get up and pull herself together. Then, while Nicky was surreptitiously trying to wipe her eyes and nose, Antonia told her who I was and ordered her to answer everything I asked, saying that there was no point trying to lie any longer, because I was trained to see through lies told by people like her.’

‘Oh God,’ said Trish. ‘It does sound embarrassing. I’m sorry, Emma. I didn’t realise she’d be as bad as that or I’d have warned you.’

‘I wouldn’t have cared less about embarrassment. But it was damaging, what she did. Nicky was so jangled by it that her physical responses to my questions were all over the place. I did what I could to calm her down before I started the test, but I’d say your cousin probably scuppered all my chances of getting anything useful.’

‘Shit. But, look, Emma, you can’t really blame Antonia. She’s desperate about Charlotte.’

‘Yeah, maybe. But …’

‘And she’s sure that the whole thing is Nicky’s fault.’

‘She’s not the only one,’ said Emma drily.

‘What?’

‘Nicky’s not stupid, Trish, and as far as I can tell she’s a thoroughly decent human being. No one could blame her more than she blames herself for what happened. Now, here are the charts. I’ll go through them more stringently later, but I’ve had a preliminary look.

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