Snow Going Back

Chapter 41

FORTY-ONE

Kate walked outside, zipped up her coat and walked down Main Street in the opposite direction for a change. Pulling out her phone, she wandered down a bit further, then leaned against a wall at the end of a row of industrial buildings that ran the length of a small side road as she scrolled through her contacts to Sam’s number. She pressed dial and waited.

At the same time her call connected, she heard the shrill ring of Sam’s ringtone resound through the air. She frowned and pulled her phone down to look at the screen, confused. She put it back to her ear, but the shrill ring continued. She looked around, wondering who it was. It would be just one of those random coincidences, of course. Two phones connecting at the same time. It was a fairly common ringtone. Still, it was annoying her not knowing where it was coming from. She frowned, stepping forward and circling back for a better look around as she waited for Sam to pick up. As she leaned to the side and glanced down the industrial side road, she almost missed it, but then suddenly he moved his arm.

Kate darted her head back across, her eyes widening under her frown. Just a few metres down there was an opening into the building she was leaning on. And someone was leaning against the inside frame of that opening, facing away from her. Someone with a thick khaki coat and a mass of dark hair. Someone with his hand coming out of his pocket holding a phone. And as someone checked the phone and rejected the call, simultaneously ending her call, Kate’s mouth opened in a wide O of indignant shock.

She almost marched down there to confront him, to tell him she was only calling out of concern, to make sure he was OK after he’d not returned the night before. But then the swish of blonde that flicked out made her pause. She frowned and leaned around a little more. Was that Aubrey? They were talking, she realised in shock, their voices low. What the hell was going on? This made no sense. Sam hated Aubrey. And why would they meet somewhere like this? Somewhere so secretive?

Aubrey’s arm suddenly came into view, too, and Kate instinctively ducked. But neither of them looked her way.

‘ Listen to me…’ Aubrey’s voice grew louder momentarily, and Kate leaned further, her eyebrows shooting up as she heard her own name. ‘… just checking Kate doesn’t know .’

‘No,’ Sam replied firmly. ‘She doesn’t. Not yet anyway.’

‘Good,’ Aubrey purred, wrapping her arm around his neck and, from what little Kate could see, pressing her body to Sam’s. ‘Keep it that way, you absolute animal . God, you’re hot.’

Kate recoiled like she’d been stung. What was happening ? This can’t be what it looks like , she told herself. It just can’t . But as Aubrey’s words and the image of her arm around his neck looped on replay through her mind, she knew she was just trying to fool herself. Feeling sick to her stomach, Kate rolled back around the end of the building, unable to look anymore.

‘ Listen …’

As she heard Sam’s voice again, she glanced down the road, debating whether she should leave or stay. She didn’t want to hear any more of this. The thought of him being with her of all people felt like a punch to the stomach. The shock alone had knocked her for six. She needed to leave, she decided. She couldn’t hear any more. But she wasn’t quick enough to evade Sam’s next few words, and as he spoke, it felt like he’d stabbed a knife right into her chest.

‘Once Kate’s done what I need her to, I don’t care what she knows. It’ll be done. Legally sealed.’

Kate gasped and then clapped a hand over her mouth, realising too late that she’d been too loud. They stopped talking.

‘What was that?’ Aubrey snapped. ‘ Go ,’ she ordered. ‘Check it out.’

Kate panicked and looked around desperately for somewhere to hide. She heard Sam turning around and, realising she had maybe three seconds at best, threw herself under the branches of a large overhanging wall plant. It didn’t cover her fully, long thin vertical gaps between every branch, but her long weather-friendly coat was bright white, and they were surrounded by snow. She squatted down and pulled her hood up, quickly tucking her hair in and huddling down.

She froze, the sound of her breath suddenly horribly loud in the silence. She pressed her mouth under the zipped part of her coat in the hope it hid both sound and clouded breath as she heard Sam walk out onto the road. She moved a fraction of an inch, just enough to see Sam’s brown boots. He stood just feet away, turning in a circle and pacing away as he looked around. Then suddenly the boots turned in her direction. Her eyes widened, and she froze as he stopped just a step away. He was so close she could have reached out and touched him, and if he thought to check inside this bush, the game would be up. Her heart thumped, and her breathing hitched, and it was all so loud she was sure he had to have heard her. But then he turned and just walked away, back to Aubrey.

‘Nothing there,’ Kate heard him say.

With the danger over, she heaved in a deep breath and released it heavily. Tears stung her eyes as she thought about what she’d just heard. They’d been working together all along, she realised. They’d set her up together. Aubrey had acted out the threat, and Sam had saved the day. It was so cleverly simple, when she looked back. Aubrey had never been the real enemy. She’d just been a distraction. The wall of smoke and mirrors. Sam was the enemy. He had always been the enemy. From the very first second until now.

She pressed her hands to her eyes as she thought about how hard they must have laughed at her. Kate had gone from hating Sam’s guts to seeing him as a shining hero within the space of a minute. She was such a fool . Sam had never stopped playing the game at all. He’d just upped his . And Kate had played right into his hands.