‘I thought you were kidding.’ Maddie’s voice was barely above a whisper.
‘Why would I?’
Maddie’s head shot up. ‘Because people kid about these things. You know, they say, I could strangle him all the time, but they don’t mean it! I never wanted him dead!’
Her face was a mask of disbelief and horror.
‘Is that true, though? Really? If that’s what you have to tell yourself, then go ahead,’ Jade said and shrugged. ‘Regardless, it’s done now and you have to help me to even the score.’
‘I don’t have to do anything for you. I was not involved. This is all on you. I’ll just go to the police, tell them what you’ve done. There’ll be evidence.’ Maddie rushed towards the front door with the look of someone who was trying not to throw up.
‘Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong,’ Jade said loudly, stopping Maddie in her tracks. ‘You see, I built in a bit of a security blanket if you will. It’s funny, but for a rich fella, he really should invest in one of those doorbells with a camera. You know, so you can see who’s at the door? He just opened it, quite happily. Jemima is very cute, by the way.’
Maddie’s face morphed from disbelief into horror.
Jade continued. ‘No one saw me arriving. No one saw me leave. But if the police ever look into it, the bakery box has your fingerprints on it and I have a receipt for the cakes that were bought with your debit card.’
‘But… how?’
‘I used the box from your red velvet cupcake. You know, the one laced with laxatives? Wow, that little joke escalated quickly. I hadn’t realised I’d put that much in, but you were a mess that day.’ She made fake retching noises and laughed. ‘Your fingerprints are all over that box. You know me, I always tuck my hands in my sleeves. That’s the thing with long hoodies, they’re very useful. And your debit card? You can have that back now. It’s on the counter over there. You really should be more careful about leaving your purse lying around. Anyone could walk in to, oh, I don’t know, maybe borrow some antihistamines and then take off with your card. No need for PIN numbers these days.’
Jade really did think Maddie was going to throw up. She had gone from a translucent white to sickly green in seconds.
‘So if you ever go to the police or even suggest it wasn’t an accident to anyone, I’ll have you.’ Jade smiled sweetly, her teeth showing like a rabid animal, enjoying the game she was playing. ‘All it will take is one little call to the police suggesting they fingerprint the box. Now, maybe you should go and lie down. You look a little pale. Let me know when you’re ready to discuss our little arrangement again though.’
*
Maddie burst into her flat and did in fact rush straight to the bathroom to throw up. When it was over, she sat and hugged the toilet, gasping and panting, feeling her chest ache.
Maybe she was having a heart attack.
Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
She couldn’t take in what Jade had told her. How had they got to this? She thought back to all the conversations they had had, the times Jade had talked about their apparent ‘deal’. She was so sure Jade had been joking… wasn’t she?
The more she thought about it, the more she started to question herself. All those weird outbursts when she had felt uncomfortable with Jade’s words, her demeanour. She had ignored it, brushed it away as if it was nothing, good manners dictating that she politely ignore what was right in front of her. But what about all those thoughts she’d been having herself? Running away with Jemima? Wishing ill on Gemma? Was this karma?
She pushed away from the toilet, flushed it and stood staring at herself in the mirror above the sink. She was waxen, her skin slick with oily sweat. She looked away.
She needed to think, to figure out what to do, but all her mind kept thinking about was whether he had suffered. Had he been scared? Of course he had. Oh God, had Jemima been with him at the time? Maddie could feel panic clutching at her chest again.
She lurched into the kitchen to the corner cupboard where she kept the few bottles of booze she owned. There was an unopened bottle of whiskey in the back of the cupboard. She’d bought it in case Greg wanted a drink when he came over. She usually hated the stuff, but it seemed fitting that this was what she latched onto now, cracking open the seal and pouring three fingers into a glass. She necked it, feeling the heat of it jolt her. She poured another more sensible measure and sat down heavily on the kitchen floor, the bottle between her legs.
Time to think.
What did Jade want? Mark out of the picture so that she had Ben to herself.
Which means she would be expecting Maddie to return the favour, maybe by killing Mark somehow.
There was no way she could do that.
Maybe she could talk to Mark, get him to drop the custody battle altogether. But then she’d have to explain why she was there, wouldn’t she? Jade hadn’t actually told her how to find Mark yet, but she wouldn’t be happy with Maddie just giving him a stern talking to, would she? Not after what Jade had just done.
But what about Ben? The idea that
