Lost In You Read online

  ‘Hey are you okay?’ Simone gently tapped her back.

  Heidi nodded, as she inhaled and exhaled slowly. After a few seconds, she smiled at Simone who was eyeing her with concern. ‘I’m fine, thanks.’

  ‘I thought she only said that to shut the interviewer up,’ Mel said when Heidi gestured for her to talk.

  ‘So did I but her secretary just called,’ Heidi said. ‘I suppose she had to follow through.’

  ‘Oh, I love Priscilla’s tactics. Just when you think you’re winning—bam—she has you on the ropes,’ Christina said.

  ‘And that’s exactly what she did with Vanessa yesterday,’ Harry said.

  ‘Good on Priscilla. I know she looks a bit clueless but that’s what’s so great about her. A wolf in sheep’s clothing,’ Simone said.

  The others round the table nodded in agreement.

  ‘So, we’re only getting one crack at this and we have to hit the jackpot first time. This is not the lottery,’ Heidi said seriously. ‘We can’t choose as many lines as we want. It’s make or break.’

  ‘What time is she coming?’ Harry asked.

  ‘At midday, which gives us …’ Heidi glanced at her wrist watch, ‘Exactly two hours to get this place into shape. I want all hands on deck. Anything that doesn’t need to be on display I want gone—’

  ‘We can hide all the junk in the store room. She won’t need to look in there,’ Kirsty piped up.

  ‘Good idea,’ Heidi said nodding. ‘Right guys, let’s get moving. And please make sure all hallways are mopped and swept. We want to give a good impression. I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me.’

  Time conscious, Heidi rushed back to her office. The place was a mess. Yes, she was happy that Vanessa was coming, more like ecstatic, but she really would have appreciated a little more than two hours’ notice. It had taken many years for her office to get into the state it was in, so it was going to take a little longer than a couple of hours to clear it. Heidi rushed through her notes and gathered all the pertinent financial and social files. Sweat trickled down her back and her heart pumped more rapidly with every shift of the wall clock’s arm.

  Relief flooded her when Simone walked in an hour later. ‘I thought you might need some help,’ she said looking around the room. ‘Looks like I was right. Your mother would be ashamed if she saw this place.’

  ‘Ha ha, very funny. Instead of standing there, make those files disappear.’

  Simone grabbed an armful of files stacked in a corner and, with all her weight, forced them into a dusty wall cabinet. ‘If she doesn’t change her mind after all this effort, I’ll throttle her.’ Simone groaned as she shoved the doors of the cupboard hard and slapped the padlock through the bolt before the folders could counterattack and tumble to the ground. Victorious, she clicked in the lock and grinned at her triumph.

  Heidi applauded her and Simone gave a curtsy in return. ‘Right, that’s done, what else?’

  ‘Open the windows. A quick wipe down of the desk and then … we wait.’

  Chapter Nine

  Sunshine eluded Kensington even though the forecast didn’t predict rain. From her kitchen window, Vanessa watched the shadows cast by clouds ebb and flow over the bushes in her garden. She was enjoying the tranquil atmosphere that crept over her like a soothing, cool stream when the moment was shattered by the sound of her mobile phone ringing.

  Probably Gina, she told herself and answered the anonymous call.

  ‘Ms O’Neil?’

  Vanessa didn’t catch the first part of the conversation. All she heard was, ‘We have your niece in custody.’

  ‘Jesus,’ she muttered. It had taken one sentence for her day to fall to pieces.

  Maggie walked into the kitchen holding a shopping bag and frowned, but her expression soon changed and Vanessa knew she’d guessed the call was about Kelli.

  ‘I’m on my way,’ Vanessa told the police officer. Her core temperature shot up to a near fever as she disconnected the call. ‘Kelli just had to mess up my day, didn’t she?’

  Sorry, Heidi. Looks like we’ll have to postpone destiny.

  Maggie kept quiet while Vanessa punched in another number on her phone.

  ‘Craig,’ Vanessa said when he answered.

  ‘What?’ he growled. ‘I’m right in the middle of a meeting.’

  ‘Of course you are. Just tell her to powder her nose for a minute while I talk to you,’ she retorted. Being pissed off was strangely liberating.

  ‘Just get to the point.’

  ‘The police have Kelli. I have to go and pick her up.’

  After a considerable silence with no insults or condescension, Craig said, ‘Where exactly are you when she gets into trouble?’

  ‘I don’t have time for this. Just go to the centre and show your face,’ she said. ‘And for Christ’s sake, look interested.’

  She hung up before he could reply, knowing he wouldn’t have anything constructive to say. Maggie simply shook her head sadly as Vanessa left to perform her duty as guardian for the girl she couldn’t get through to.

  Traffic was horrendous, as it always was when she had to get somewhere in a hurry.

  When Vanessa finally arrived at the police station, a tired-looking desk officer was busy talking to someone on the phone. When she finished, she glanced up at Vanessa.

  ‘Can I help you?’ the police officer asked, adjusting her clothing and her hair.

  ‘I’m here to pick up my niece, Kelli O’Neil.’

  Vanessa made a point of not exploding in a torrent of shouts when Kelli strolled into the waiting area, guided by a tall, bald police officer with huge light blue eyes. He reminded her of an army sergeant, a man who took no crap from teenagers that’s for sure.

  ‘Ms. O’Neil, you’re Kelli’s aunt?’ he said coarsely.

  ‘Yes I am, officer,’ she replied, slightly intimidated by the man’s height.

  ‘We picked her up at Highbury Station this morning, causing all manner of bother with a couple of lads,’ he said, glancing at Kelli.

  Kelli was dead quiet. She was obviously wary of the officer which was good—she needed someone to make her think about her actions. Because I certainly can’t.

  ‘I’ve told young Kelli here that she should be kept in for the day to teach her a lesson. I don’t believe in rapping knuckles, Ms. O’Neil. I believe in stern reprimanding and a bit of discipline the first time round. You’d be amazed how few young repeat offenders we get if we teach them the ugly side of life.’

  ‘I agree. I’ll make sure that she’s punished accordingly.’

  Kelli didn’t look at her. Instead she hung her head. Vanessa refused to enable her by asking what had happened, knowing that showing interest in delinquent conduct could be misconstrued as attention. She wouldn’t give Kelli that at the risk of provoking similar outbursts.

  ‘Good,’ the officer said sternly. ‘If I see her here again, there will be a more severe penalty.’

  Kelli looked up at him as if to challenge his statement. The officer read Kelli’s body language and pushed his chest out.

  ‘Yes girl. Next time I’ll misplace your aunt’s number for a few hours while you’re held over there,’ he bellowed aggressively, pointing towards the holding cells down the hallway. ‘In there you’ll soon learn the true meaning of attention. We’ll see how quickly you want to come back after a bit of a dance with our other guests. They don’t have aunts to look out for them when they misbehave.’

  The officer obviously didn’t know Kelli’s background, including her current emotional turmoil, but he was beginning to badger her and Vanessa felt Kelli had suffered enough.

  ‘We should get going,’ Vanessa said in a lighter tone.

  She took hold of Kelli’s arm with one hand and shook the officer’s hand gratefully with the other before she marched Kelli out of the building.

  ‘What the hell were you thinking?’ Vanessa asked as she manoeuvred her car onto the dual carriageway and in the direction of home.

/>   ‘Just leave me alone,’ Kelli mumbled.

  ‘Leave you alone? Do you really want that? Because if I do, you really will be on your own,’ Vanessa snapped at her.

  ‘Like you would know. You grew up with everything, right? Your life is so perfect with Mummy and Daddy’s money.’

  ‘You listen to me,’ Vanessa retorted loudly, trying not to shout. ‘Had it not been for my parent’s money, you’d be way worse off than you are. And I’ll tell you, kiddo, there’s not much farther you can sink before you’re buried.’

  Kelli looked out of the window as they turned into their street.

  ‘We haven’t talked about your suspension yet. Don’t think I didn’t know,’ Vanessa said, but Kelli simply ignored her.

  Before she even parked the car, Kelli opened the door and jumped out.

  ‘I’m talking to you!’ Vanessa called out as she brought the car to a standstill.

  ‘You’re never home anyway “Aunty”. What do you care?’ she shouted back. ‘I wish you were dead instead of my mother. At least she was there when I needed her.’

  Kelli ran into the house.

  Her words had sliced through Vanessa like a cleaver. She couldn’t say much to that. Maybe Kelli was right. It should have been her. But it wasn’t and unfortunately, Kelli was stuck with her—the incompetent aunt who had just as much trouble getting over Lauren’s suicide as Kelli did. Vanessa hadn’t been there when Lauren needed someone. The least she could do was to save her daughter from the same fate.

  Chapter Ten

  Kelli hadn’t seen Vanessa so livid since the day of her mum’s funeral, where she’d had heated words with Craig. Maybe she’s reached breaking point like I have.

  Kelli still couldn’t believe the police officer had arrested her. She wasn’t even being a nuisance. Two wannabe ‘filmmakers’ had thought she’d make for an entertaining ‘punch and kick a stranger’ YouTube video, but they’d got more than they’d bargained for when she retaliated. The martial arts lessons she used to take had paid off. Predictably, she was the one who got collared and accused of being disorderly for defending herself. What a joke.

  Kelli tried to push the incident to the back of her mind by playing her Xbox, but it wasn’t working. She couldn’t forget the expression on Vanessa’s face when Kelli told her she wished Vanessa had been the one that died.

  Kelli regretted it the moment the words left her mouth, but it was too late to take it back. She’d only wanted Vanessa to feel her pain, which wasn’t likely. Vanessa had no problem funnelling her attention into her work and pushing everything else to the side. It didn’t make things easier to pretend her mum had never existed. Just because Vanessa didn’t speak about her, it didn’t mean Kelli would somehow forget her.

  Kelli dropped the controller on the floor and rose to her feet. For some time now she had wondered if it would be better if she left Vanessa’s home. That way she wouldn’t be a constant reminder of the unwanted responsibility Vanessa had been left.

  Suddenly, a plan came to her. Kelli walked to her door and popped her head into the hallway. The TV was on downstairs which meant Maggie was occupied with Countdown. Good. I can be in and out of Vanessa’s office and she’ll be none the wiser.

  Kelli was convinced Maggie only pretended to be busy around the house so she could spy on her and then give Vanessa a report of her movements for the day.

  She crept along the hallway and entered Vanessa’s office. The room smelt strongly of her perfume and for a minute, Kelli thought Vanessa might walk in behind her and give her a bollocking. She gave a quick glance over her shoulder but it was all clear. Good. Now, where has she hidden my passport? I won’t get far without it if I intend to leave this prison.

  Kelli searched in Vanessa’s desk drawers. Nothing. She moved on to the filing cabinet, and was pleasantly surprised to find it open. She flicked through the tabs, startled to see one named ‘Craig’. Why is Vanessa keeping tabs on Craig?

  She withdrew the folder and pulled out the plans for the Kentish Town development, as well as sheets of financial papers. What are they up to?

  Kelli slid onto the office chair and fanned the papers out in front of her, carefully scrutinising each of them. Some time later, she leant back and ran both her hands through her hair. Oh boy, this just doesn’t add up.

  Thoughts of what Kelli had originally been searching for were long forgotten. What she had just discovered was far more interesting.

  Chapter Eleven

  The preparations at the centre were finished just before midday. All members of staff stood proudly at the clean and tidy décor. Even Mel, who had an aversion to cleaning, had stayed right until the end, dusting and hoovering like it was going out of fashion. Heidi unscrewed a bottle of fizzy apple juice and poured everyone a glass. Lifting her plastic cup in the air she said, ‘I’d like to propose a toast.’

  They all followed suit.

  ‘No matter how today turns out, I want you all to know that for five years, we’ve had great success in helping those who needed us.’ The words caught in her throat. ‘Regardless of what Vanessa and her company decide, we know that we did everything … we could.’

  ‘To us!’ Her colleagues’ voices resounded as one.

  ‘I’m late for my session with Lydia,’ Richie said monotonously and made his way to his office down the hall.

  ‘Beam of sunshine, that one,’ Christina said before slurping her juice.

  ‘She’s here,’ Simone called excitedly from where she was standing by the window. ‘A car’s just pulled up outside.’

  A bolt of lightning shot through Heidi. The moment of truth had arrived. It was time to make amends.

  Heidi descended the steps to reception as steadily as she could. In the entrance stood an overweight forty-something man. It wasn’t until he took off his sunglasses that she recognised him. Craig O’Neil. Heidi looked towards the entrance waiting a few seconds for Vanessa to appear. Craig gave her a knowing look as she realised Vanessa wasn’t coming. She had failed to keep her promise. Why doesn’t that surprise me? Swallowing her disappointment, Heidi told herself she should be grateful that one of them had cared to show up.

  Heidi plastered a smile on her face and held out her hand. ‘Heidi Cross, manager of Young Minds.’

  ‘If you say so, sweetheart.’ Craig ignored her hand, brushed past her and started up the stairs.

  ‘I thought your sister was coming today?’ She ignored his slight and trailed behind him.

  ‘Vanessa? Nah, she had better things to do,’ he replied without taking the time to look at her. When he reached the landing, panting slightly, he said, ‘Now, show me what’s so great about this place.’

  She persisted with her charm offensive and suppressed her rising anger. ‘Can I get you something to drink before we start?’

  ‘Whisky,’ he said, checking out Simone’s voluptuous form as she bent over to pick something up off the floor.

  ‘I’m afraid we don’t serve alcohol.’ Heidi smiled to keep things relaxed. ‘As you know we deal with teenagers—’

  ‘Then I don’t want anything. I’m not a teenager, am I?’ he scoffed, turning to her and ogling her cleavage without even trying to conceal it.

  ‘No, you’re not,’ she said, feeling sick to her stomach. You’re an arsehole. ‘Come this way and I’ll introduce you to our staff and explain what their roles are.’

  Mentally counting to ten on loop, Heidi took Craig around the office, cheerfully introducing one colleague after the other. ‘And we also run workshops every month for parents who need advice and support when they feel they’re unable to connect with their children.’

  Heidi gestured for Craig to follow her to the conference room, speaking as they walked.

  ‘Gay and lesbian teenagers come to us for anything they might feel overwhelmed by. Most come to talk about how to find acceptance or about the hostility they may encounter from their families,’ she recited in her most professional manner, wondering if anything was getti
ng through to him.

  ‘How about a session right now?’ Craig asked as they entered the room.

  ‘Our sessions are usually by appointment only,’ she explained, ignoring his innuendo.

  ‘No, sweetheart, you and me. Horizontal tango. Right here on this nice big table.’ The corners of Craig’s mouth curled upwards into a leery grin.

  Heidi’s hand itched to slap him, but she somehow managed to refrain. ‘Not today, Mr. O’Neil.’ She laughed, trying not to sound awkward. ‘I have a schedule.’

  He snorted at her reply. ‘Do you offer sex workshops?’

  ‘Sex therapy,’ she corrected.

  ‘You do? Hmm, I’m sure you’re well qualified in that area,’ he said grinning like an imp.

  ‘Shall we move on?’ Heidi said and quickly walked out of the empty room into the hallway. She could literally feel Craig’s eyes undressing her and it sickened her.

  ‘I tell you what, Heidi.’ His words sounded like the prelude to a deal, maybe keeping her cool had actually paid off. ‘Why don’t we discuss the outcome of this building over dinner tonight? Maybe, if you play your cards right, we can work something out.’

  There was no denying what he was suggesting and it was not what she wanted to hear.

  ‘I’ll tell you what, Craig. How about no?’ It was at this point Heidi had had enough. She wouldn’t normally allow anyone to talk to her the way Craig had, and she didn’t care who he was or what carrot was dangling in front of her. She had more respect for herself. What is it with these O’Neils? ‘I’m not that desperate and I really don’t appreciate you wasting my time with your impotent attempts at flirting.’

  ‘What did you say?’ he sneered.

  ‘I said: it’s a good thing you’re filthy rich because money is the only thing that could ever afford you sex.’

  ‘Are you sure you want to insult me?’ Craig asked, pressing his lips into a thin white line.

  Heidi detected a quiver in his voice and saw tremors in his hands. ‘Oh, don’t you like being rejected? That’s odd, because I thought it was something you’d be used to by now.’