The Society Karen Guyler (best books to read .TXT) 📖

The door opened. Eva stood still. They were coming. A single figure closed the door, the sight of her bright red bobble hat catching at Eva’s throat. Lily ran over to her.

Eva gathered her into a hug. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“No, what’s going on? He’s a horrible man. What’s Dad talking about?”

“I have no idea.”

How long should they stand there waiting?

With every second that passed and Charles stayed on the other side of the closed door, Eva could feel an unravelling of them, as though an integral thread of their relationship was fraying away to nothing. Then, unanchored, they’d be adrift, the scaffolding on which they’d built their marriage collapsed in a heap of unknowing and mistrust. They were supposed to be forever, their reunion seven years ago had promised it, their wedding vows underlined it.

Frost had begun icing patterns on car roofs and windscreens when she allowed herself to acknowledge the unwanted truth and took Lily home, arguing with herself all the way. But there was nowhere, no one else. Eva’s mother would put up with them for a couple of days, maybe even be pleased to see them, for the first hour anyway. Charles would understand where they’d gone.

But she didn’t have to stay there. The relief made her legs feel weak. She could take Gordon up on his offer now, with no Every Drop work she could help him. Gordon could protect her, he’d said. They’d be okay, they just had to get through tonight.

It took until they’d turned into their road before Lily agreed to stay with their neighbour for a few minutes.

Eva rang Hugo’s doorbell. “So sorry to knock so late.”

“Eva, Lily, sweetness, it’s no trouble, Cynthia is being quite the diva, aren’t you, pet?” Hugo rubbed the ears of the dog he clutched in his arms. “So am I. It’s far too cold to be standing out there waiting for her to do her thing.”

“Hey, Cynthia,” Lily ruffled the tiny dog’s chest.

“Is it okay if Lily sits with you for a little while, I just have to run a quick errand and it’s a bit late to drag her around.”

As if on cue, Lily yawned.

“Of course, she can help me with the diva dog. I’ve got some flapjack I made earlier, all vegan, not so naughty.” He winked at Lily. “Take as long as you need, we’ll be good but can’t promise there’ll be any flapjack left if you’re too long.”

Lily smiled at Hugo, but her gaze at Eva tightened.

“I’ll be quick, promise.” Eva hugged her. “Thanks so much, Hugo.”

When he’d closed his door Eva prayed the distance of bricks between his house and theirs would be enough to keep Lily safe, just for the few minutes it’d take her to pack.

Trying to be fast, silent, wanting to be far away from there already, she fumbled at the front door lock, let herself in.

Their house felt as it always did, if anyone was in there she couldn’t tell from the hallway. She peeked in the lounge, a quick in out. Ridiculous, what would she do if she saw someone?

Still, she checked the kitchen diner and every room upstairs. All empty. Eva sank onto her bed, lay on her side, laid her hand on Charles’ pillow. How different things were now than the last time she’d woken up there.

How did Charles know CJ? What work did he do for him? How could there be a part of Charles’ life she knew nothing about? And then, in the replaying of his cryptic conversation with CJ, it hit her what he’d said, what it meant. He’d said he owed money to The Society. Charles, her stolid husband, obsessed only with his work, had paid a group of assassins. Her mind floundered to make sense of it. Who had he wanted killed? Charles, who have you become? She closed her eyes against the sadness.

Charles’ urgent voice reached for her. Eva sat up, 2:00 am the alarm clock told her, she’d slept for—Lily!

Eva got up to go downstairs but from where he was pacing in the kitchen, something about it—his tone?—made her cautious, on edge, before she’d got halfway along the landing.

“Tell him he will speak to me if he knows what’s good for him. I realise that you’re an exceptional gatekeeper, but this is a life-and-death matter. Why else would I be calling. . .Get him out of it, he’ll want to speak to me. . .He’ll be more angry if you don’t.”

Who was Charles not happy with? Who was she now, eavesdropping on her husband?

Eva glanced at the front door, superseded by the remembered image of the green one she’d grown up with. Her and Daddy creeping into the house like cartoon characters trying to be quiet, fingers on lips, exaggerated tiptoeing. His eyes crinkled from his smile at her, “you can learn more from listening than talking.” But it had only been Mummy in the lounge, on the phone, having a conversation Eva didn’t understand. Daddy didn’t want to go in and surprise her, so they waited in their half-frozen crouch, while his face changed until she reached for him. He swept her up into his arms, taking her back to the front door, opening it quietly, closing it loudly, calling out to her mother that they were home.

Eva understood as little now from Charles’ end of the conversation as she had her mother’s then. He stalked through the hallway out of the front door, closing it behind him.

Eva picked up the landline and pressed redial on the last number. When it was answered, she slammed it down.

Charles, what have you done?

27

“You know what time it is?” Nancy had never woken well in the middle of the night.

The sound of her grumpiness reached right into the heart of him, made him smile. “It’s Charles.”

Her gasp made him hope, she hadn’t slammed the phone down.

“I. . .How did you get my number?”

He’d always had it, memorised it, followed it as it had changed,