Chapter 25

‘Are you winding us up?' I exclaim. Zelda shakes her head. ‘You actually handed over two thousand pounds to a man you'd been dating for five minutes?' I cringe at my hypocrisy – wasn't I willing to give him ten thousand to leave her just hours ago?

‘It was to make a payment on his car – he was in arrears. What? They were threatening to repossess it,' she exclaims, ‘He showed me the emails.'

‘How could you be so bloody na?ve?' I cry.

‘Bella,' Linda says wearily, ‘calm down.'

‘Calm down? She got fleeced by a moron. Have you any idea how many cakes she has to bake to earn that much cash?'

‘I felt sorry for him. He was always so generous, paid for everything – bought me expensive stuff. Took me on that luxury break. He was even talking about booking an overnight stay at The Savoy for my birthday, with a west-end show and dinner at the Ivy Grill. That watch he wears is a Patek Phillipe. It's worth over a hundred and fifty thousand pounds.' The one I saw on his wrist the Friday before last. It looked expensive, but I didn't think it was worth that much. ‘I thought he was good for it.'

Folding my arms, I shake my head at my sister. ‘If it was so valuable why didn't he flog it?'

‘It was his grandfather's. An heirloom.'

‘Oh, Zelda. What were you thinking?'

‘Shut up, Bella. She got a decent holiday out of it and expensive clothes,' Linda says. ‘Just write it off, Zelda. Money comes and goes.'

‘Trouble is, I need it now to pay my own rent.' Zelda rubs her eyes with the heels of her hands.

‘Come on, let's not divert.' Linda sighs heavily. ‘We've got a dead man in the garden, remember.'

Linda's right. ‘Come on, tell us what happened next?' I say, ‘after you refused to hand over any more of your hard-earned cash?'

‘He didn't believe me. He was like, how can you not have fifteen-hundred-quid when you run your own business, when your mum's paintings sell for thousands?' Mum's artwork again. ‘Honestly, by this time I just wanted him to go. I told him it wasn't working out and we should call it a day. He could transfer the 2k I lent him into my bank account whenever he could. And that's when he went mental.' That's exactly how he reacted when I refused to re-join the gym. ‘He started pacing up and down the kitchen, scratching his arms and neck, called me a mean bitch, said I was still in love with my ex, accused me of using him, called me horrible names.' Zelda pauses, looks at me.

‘Go on, sweetheart,' I say.

‘I tried to calm him down, explained that my decision had nothing to do with Chris – we were moving too fast, too soon. He wouldn't believe me, called me a slag, refused to give me my money back, suggested I flog all the designer gear he bought me instead. Then he sat down and started scratching his legs, saying he didn't feel right, that I'd poisoned him with my lemon cake.' Zelda's eyes dart from me to Linda, face incredulous. ‘I was like, hello, you did just snort a bag of shit you bought from some corner street dealer. Maybe that's why you're feeling ill. Then he seemed to snap out of it, started pleading with me for another chance, said he'd fallen in love with me, that he'd sooner kill me and go to prison than lose me. I went to pick up my phone to call you, Bella, when he grabbed me by my ponytail and pinned me against the wall, holding me by the jaw. I couldn't speak and then he goes, "No one dumps me. I'll leave when I'm good and ready." And then…'

‘It's okay, honey,' I say, ‘take a few breaths.'

‘Take your time, sweetie,' Linda adds, curling a hand around Zelda's forearm.

Zelda inhales deeply, then lets out a trembly breath through her mouth. ‘He squeezed my jawbone. I thought it was going to crack. I couldn't move my head, and then he began to unbuckle his belt with his free hand.'

I close my eyes. He was going to rape her.