Unspoken: A story of secrets, love and revenge T. Belshaw (good books to read for beginners txt) 📖

He parked in the Uni building car park and at eleven fifty-seven, precisely, he walked through the ground floor of the Uni building and stood by the plate-glass entrance, ready to ambush his victim as she passed by.

Calvin had only just got into position when he heard a friendly, female voice behind him.

‘Hola, Calvin.’

He turned to see the pretty Spanish receptionist waving to him. He took a quick glance out of the window and sauntered over towards her.

‘Hello, Alana. It’s lovely to see you.’ Calvin flashed his best smile and rested a hand on her desk.

He wondered whether it was worth his while asking her out. She did wear an engagement ring, but sometimes women did, just to put off the men they didn’t fancy. His thoughts were interrupted when her phone rang. With a shrug, she reached forward to answer it.

Alana was on the call for a good three minutes. She looked up at him twice and pulled a sad face as if in apology. As soon as she put the phone down, it rang again. Calvin gave her another two minutes before he waved goodbye to her, and walked back to his observation post. Five minutes after that, thinking he must have missed Tania, he left the Uni and walked the few yards to the café. Tania was sitting in her window seat, a steaming mug of Latte in front of her. She waved as she spotted him and patted the empty seat next to her. Calvin had used up the last of his pleasantries on the pretty Spanish girl, and with his anger rising, he stormed into the café to confront her.

Chapter 86

Jess

Jess had only just begun her interview when she heard the sound of the café door bang against the wall. It was followed by the voice of an angry man, hurling abuse at someone he was accusing of being a slut, a whore, and a bitch. Jess groaned and got quickly to her feet. She knew that voice, that temper, she had heard the same abuse hurled at her. She stepped out of the nook and saw Calvin standing near the window table of the café. Seated close by was a pretty woman, who seemed to be amused by his antics.

‘Calvin, do one. I sleep with whoever I want to sleep with. I am not your property.’

‘You’re on the game, aren’t you? I knew it,’ Calvin stormed.

‘Calvin, you’re making a fool of yourself.’ The woman was keeping her cool.

‘You’ll sleep with anyone, Tania, admit it.’

‘I suppose you’re living proof of that, Calvin,’ the woman called Tania replied.

‘You fucking bitch.’ Calvin pulled back his fist.

Quick as a flash, Tania produced a can of Mace spray. ‘It’s yours if you want it, big mouth,’ she said calmly.

Calvin backed off, as Jess stepped forward to enter the fray.

‘Calvin?’

He spun around, his jaw almost hitting his chest. ‘Jess… Jess, it’s not what it looks like.’

‘What is it then, Calvin? Because I’ll tell you exactly what it looks like from where I’m standing.’ Jess fixed him with a narrow-eyed stare.

‘She’s a student, she’s pissed off with me because I won’t sleep with her,’ Calvin said, lamely.

‘I wish to God that was true,’ Tania said, laughing.

Calvin’s startled face looked from Tania to Jess and back again, as if he was sitting in the front row at Wimbledon. His face darkened as Ewan stepped out from the corner nook.

‘So, this is what you get up to behind my back, you two-timing bitch.’ Calvin fixed his eyes on Jess accusingly and tried to lay off some of the blame.

‘I’m here for an interview, which I told you—’

‘LIAR!’ Calvin yelled. He took a step forward, his fist raised.

Ewan leapt forward and stood in front of Jess. ‘Come on, mate, have a go if you think you can do it, or are women the only people you hit?’

Calvin’s bravado crumpled as the ex-rugby player made ‘come on’ motions at him. He thought about calling Ewan’s bluff for a split second, but decided against it. A broken nose was all he needed today. He turned away, and with a final glare at Tania, he stomped out into the street.

‘He wasn’t much of a man in bed, either,’ Tania informed anyone who wanted to listen.

‘I knew he was married or something,’ Tania said when Calvin had gone. She looked at Jess sympathetically. ‘You’re the woman who was in the foursome with him the other night. I’m a waitress at the Venetian.’

‘I thought I’d seen you before,’ Jess replied in a not too friendly a manner.

‘Look, love, it’s like this. He pulled me, in here, a couple of weeks ago. I quizzed him on who you were, but he swore on everything holy that he was only there to make up the four, because you had been stood up. I didn’t know he had a partner, did I? When he came round, he stayed all night, that’s what persuaded me more than anything else. I’m sorry but there it is. I thought he was single.’

Jess sighed. ‘I should have seen it. He was too eager to get me out of the way.’

‘He’s a cunning bastard, that’s for sure. He’s far too full of himself. Men like that are always trouble. I was going to finish with him last night, or today at least. That performance was the cherry on the cake.’

Jess sighed again.

‘I suppose I’d better go back and do the same. It’s not his day, is it?’

Outside the café, Ewan offered to see Jess home but she politely refused.

‘Thanks, Ewan, but this is something I need to do myself. I should have done it weeks ago if I’m honest.’

Jess walked back to her car. The BMW had gone already. She started up the little Toyota and drove back to the flat.

Chapter 87

Alice

Alice stared at the clock and closed her eyes. Yesterday’s dream hadn’t been so bad, the tunnel had seemed so far away, and there were no grasping hands trying to pull her