Hannah remembered Maisie saying something about … ‘Antiques – I think.’
‘Antiques?’
Hannah narrowed her eyes. She wagged a finger at him. ‘Don’t get any ideas.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You know very well. And before you ask, I’m not telling you where the antique shop is.’
He shrugged. ‘You don’t have to, but if you want to keep your expensive wheels, you better bring me back a souvenir from your trip to Suffolk.’ He smirked.
Hannah shook her head, eyes wide. She knew what he was asking. ‘I can’t.’
‘Why not? It’s not like she’s there anymore. What would she care? I suggest you break a window or force the back door. Make it look like a rob—’
‘Shh, keep your voice down! She’s in the kitchen.’ Hannah closed the front door. ‘No, I won’t do it.’
Kyle stopped smiling. ‘Where do you think all this comes from?’
By all this, he was referring to the house, the clothes, the parties – the car. Hannah glared at him. ‘I’m not stupid.’ She knew very well where it came from.
‘I know this is what you’ve always wanted.’
Hannah bit her lower lip and looked at him sheepishly. She’dthoughtit was. She’d always aspired to be a WAG, but the funny thing was that she finally had what she’d craved, but she wasn’t sure it was all it was cracked up to be.
The party hadn’t been much fun. Her new friends were boring, the food was expensive, the house was all show; the only thing she really liked was her shiny new car, and even that was coming at a price – in fact, it all was. She’d rather have spent the afternoon with Lili and Maisie upstairs.
Hannah started walking towards her car.
‘I think I’ll come with you.’
She paused and turned around. ‘I want some time on my own.’ That was the whole point of the trip.
‘Okay, have it your way – but you’d better bring me something back.’
Hannah rolled her eyes. ‘Fine – whatever.’ If the shop was brimming full of stuff, surely there would be a small item she could take that the owner wouldn’t miss. Then she had a better idea; she could stop at a cash machine on the way and withdraw some money, then pay for an item. That way, nothing would go missing. She didn’t want to get Lili in trouble.
‘It had better be worth something.’
Hannah shrugged. ‘What do I know about antiques? It’s probably a load of old junk, anyway.’
‘Well then, bring back a selection, so at least it will increase your chances.’
‘You saidonething.’
‘Well, I changed my mind.’
Hannah threw him a cold, hard stare. She was quickly changing her mind too – about him. She was aware, though, that for the first time, she didn’t have Lili to fall back on; she couldn’t crash on Lili’s sofa or in her spare room if she decided one day that she wanted to walk out. Shewaswell and truly stuck. Then it occurred to her that if she had a job, she wouldn’t have to depend on a man.
‘What a silly thought,’ she said to herself under her breath. It was easier to have a partner, a husband to support her and Maisie – wasn’t it? She frowned. Not if her partner made her do things she didn’t want to do – like steal from a shop. What a way to pay her best friend back for all the times she’d helped her out. Hannah didn’t want to think about that. This was an absolute one-off. She had no intention of making a habit of joining Kyle’s business. However, she was considering taking his advice; if she made it look like a break-in, no one would be any the wiser.
On the other hand, thought Hannah as she sped off down the street, if she didn’t do that, perhaps whatever she took wouldn’t be missed? Then the police wouldn’t get involved. From what Lili had told her, the owner of the shop who was in hospital was old and confused; he might not remember a couple of missing items.
By the time Hannah was well on her way, she’d decided that she wouldn’t break a window. Pulling the car to a stop at a red light, Hannah was just slipping the key into the pocket of the jacket she’d flung on the passenger seat, when she noticed she had grabbed the wrong coat – it was Lili’s. Hannah rolled her eyes. At least it had a hood; it was raining.
The traffic lights changed. Lili patted the coat pocket before setting off again. At least she didn’t have to break in. Nobody would even know she had been there.