Page 56 of The Soulmate

‘It’s my fault ultimately,’ Max conceded. ‘I approved it.’

‘Can you reject his investment?’

‘It’s too late. The deal is done.’

‘So . . . what happens now? What are you going to do?’

Max wouldn’t meet my eyes, which made me worry. ‘Same as last time,’ he said. ‘We have to be creative.’

There were several more meetings at the house between Max, Baz and Gabe after that. I didn’t eavesdrop on them again. I remembered how they’d involved Arthur Spriggs’s two-year-old daughter previously; I had no interest in knowing what they were planning this time.

Still, it was impossible not to notice the increase in security around that time. Baz brought on an assistant, a young guy who was almost as big and scary-looking as Baz himself, and who was either stationed outside the house or accompanied me wherever I went. For the first time in years, I had to start wearing my panic button again. And Max was always on edge, almost jumpy.

It was a Saturday night, around 9 pm, when it happened. Max had been tense all evening, constantly checking his phone. When it finally rang, he leaped up and ran to his home office. I’d known this was coming. I’d been on tenterhooks for weeks, waiting for this whole episode to be over, while fantasising that it would just go away on its own. No such luck.

I couldn’t help it; I had to know. I hurried down the hall and slipped into my study to listen at the wall.

‘Arthur,’ Max said. ‘I hope my team are treating you well?’

I was relieved to know that it was Arthur himself, and not his daughter, who was with Max’s ‘team’.

‘I understand – and they have been instructed not to harm you,’ Max said. ‘All we need is for you to sell your shares back to me and then you will be returned to your home.’

There was silence for a few seconds; I presumed Arthur Spriggs was favouring my husband with some choice words.

‘You’re in a van,’ Max said patiently. ‘Where we drive it is up to you. I’m hoping you cooperate, so we drive you home, after which we never have to cross paths again. If that’s what you want, you’re going to have to –’

Max stopped, presumably because Arthur had cut him off. After a moment, he said, ‘You don’t seem to understand that you’re not in a position to negotiate. I have no wish to harm you, but if you don’t cooperate, I will.’

Another silence. When Max spoke again, he sounded irritated. ‘Look, Arthur, we can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. It’s up to you.’

Now the longest silence of them all. I wondered what was happening. Was Arthur calling his bluff? Surely not. But if he did . . . what did that mean? Max couldn’t actually kill him. Hewouldn’t. Was that what Arthur was banking on?

When the silence continued, I found myself walking out of my study into the hall and through the door to Max’s office.

Max turned to face me, but his attention was elsewhere. It allowed me to get up close beside him and put my ear to the phone.

‘Fine,’ Max said. ‘Have it your way. Baz –’

‘No!’ I shouted, and then I heard the gunshot.

54

PIPPA

NOW

Mei calls while I’m still in bed. It’s just after 7 am – an ungodly time for most, but not a bad time to catch me. Gabe has gone for a surf; the girls are asleep. Normally I’d be in the kitchen, unloading the dishwasher and getting a head start on the day, but I haven’t been able to motivate myself to get out of bed, not even for coffee. It seems as good a time as any to talk to Mei.

‘Hi,’ I say, settling back against the pillows.

‘You’re a hard lady to catch,’ Mei says. ‘I called twice yesterday.’

‘I know, sorry.’

I hear the girls stirring in the next room. It always starts this way, with Asha letting out a spectacular yawn. In a few minutes, she’ll roll over and try to rouse Freya, who will protest for exactly three seconds. Then they’ll scamper into the living room, bright-eyed and mischievous and aggressively hungry.

Mei still hasn’t spoken.