Chapter 16
*****
And I think, that is that….
Until, at six pm, just as I am about finish for the day, Ben marches in again. “Come on,” he says. “I want
you toe with me.”
“Come with you? Where?”
“Up to Mike’s ce.”
“What? You want me to go there? What for? I barely know them.”
“Mike’s not at home. He’s workingte. I want to catch James and Charlotte in the act, and I want a
witness, so the bastard, and the bitch can’t deny it when I confront them.”
“Ben, you can’t do this. And haven’t you forgotten something? James Alexanders is my boss. I could
lose my job…”
He stands, arms akimbo. “Fuck you, then. I’m going anyway. If you won’te with me, I’ll go by
myself. I’ll take a camera.”
Jeez…. I’d better go with him. See if I can stop him doing anything too stupid….
“Alright. I’lle with you. Let me get my stuff and clear up my desk.”
“Good. I’ll fetch the car and pick you up at the front in five minutes.”
As soon as he is out of sight, I stab buttons on the internal phone, trying to get an answer. First
James.… No reply…. Then Charlotte…. No reply…. Francis maybe? Still no reply. It’s toote in the
day. No-one’s here. And I have no idea how to contact Michael….
Ben pulls up at the front and I get in. Staring into traffic, my mouth dry, I give it another go: “Ben, this
isn’t right. You can’t just barge into someone else’s house to check up on their personal arrangements.”
“Personal arrangements?” he snorts. “What are you talking about? We’re discussing a man fucking my
brother’s wife. Of course, I’m entitled to check what’s going on.”
“I don’t think you are.”
Still driving, he twists to face me, his face flushing. “I suppose you think it’s okay for my her to make a
fool of my brother?” Then he turns to face the traffic again, swerving to avoid another car.
He drives us out of the City and up the mountain. The views are amazing, but I can’t enjoy them, my
stomach churning in anticipation of what’sing.
We pull up by a spa hotel, ‘Life and Beauty’. It’s rather beautiful and very expensive looking.
“Mike’s ce is around the back,” says Ben. “But I don’t want them to see me arrive. Follow me. It’s
this way.”
He leads me around to the rear and through gardens which are a mixture of well-kept and maintained,
and hopelessly overgrown. The whole has the look of ongoing restoration.
Further through, and there is a beautiful old house which also looks to be in mid-renovation, a mixture
of old and new, dpidated and restored. Standing over high meadows overlooking ake, the position
is incredible. In any other circumstances, I would just stand and Wow! the ce, but right now….
“Look,” hisses Ben, pointing, “the bedroom curtains are drawn.”
“Ben, you can’t.” I try to hang back, but he ignores me, walking quietly to the front door and turning the
handle….
Oh, please be locked….
…. which turns, and the door opens.
Ben enters, turning to me on the threshold. “Are youing or not?”
I shake my head. “Not.”
He glowers at me. “I know where you stand, don’t I?” and he goes in.
I follow but only as far as the threshold, then from the window above me, I hear the unmistakable
sounds of sex; a woman on the build to climax. Broken wails drift above me, gaining power with each
breath.
A car turns in from around the front of the hotel. It’s Michael.
Thank God!
I rush up to the driver’s door as he lowers the window. “Kirstie?” he says, looking startled. “What are
you doing here?”
I point at the house. “It’s Ben. He’s here. I tried, but I couldn’t stop him. He thinks James and Charlotte
are….
What are the words I use here?
…. being unfaithful to you.”
He scrambles out of the car. “Ben’s here? What the fuck’s he ying at?”
Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.
“He wanted to catch them in the act, and….” I head-point upwards…. “I think he has.”
Michael charges into the house and this time, I follow. He runs through the hall and we reach the
bottom of the stairs just in time to hear pandemonium break out upstairs.
*****