Chapter 5 Kate Calls For Help

Today was interesting, Darius sent me off on a tour of the bank, and it was quite illuminating, Somehow they got hold of puddle-gate, and I was treated as though I'd just scored the winning penalty in the World Cup. It was fun, and I made some friends. Darius had a meeting this morning, but he said it was nothing important and Marsha would cover for me. He'd done a quick and unexpected trip to Beijing as someone there had cocked up. He was totally jet-lagged so he'd gone home. He left me a note on my desk saying he'd see me tomorrow and left me a pile of work to get on with. That was okay.  I typed all the emails he had dictated and got them sent off.

I left the building at five and got home after six. It wasn’t such a long journey, and I was glad to be home. I have an upstairs flat in a large Victorian house. Decorating was my passion and my home was perfect for me. The flat was mine, I had bought my home thanks to an inheritance I had received from Nan. She always looked after me very well. It wasn’t cheap, but I didn’t expect to move house for a long time, if ever. It was so relaxing to be home and never even turned the lights on. Although it was dark outside, the glass lantern built into the roof lit my hallway with moonlight.

As I settled into the warm, Jasmine-scented bath, I pondered over my day. My thoughts revolved around Darius Graves, my new boss. Undeniably, he was incredibly attractive, and his work ethic seemed commendable. However, I couldn’t decide about him just yet. It was too early to judge his character based on our initial interactions. I wondered if Darius's true nature would come out in the following weeks. I could only wait and see.

I was just getting out of the bath when the doorbell rang, and rang, and rang. I wrapped the warm towel around my body. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Not many people knew me here, just my friend Marsha and her husband Derrick. I knew the retired couple who lived in the downstairs flat. It couldn’t be them. They were away visiting their daughter in California. It was probably someone selling double-glazing or broadband. If they wanted to talk, they could always call me. Besides, no one knew I was here. All the lights were off except the bathroom light and that was at the back of the house, so they couldn’t see that.

I put my bathrobe on and went to look out of the sitting room window. It took me only a second to recognize the car parked in front of the gate. it was Greg’s, my ex. I moved to the side of the bay window, sure that he couldn’t see me in the dark. What the hell did he want? There was no way I was going to open the door to him, especially after our last interaction. I peeked out of the window again. I could see that he wasn’t in his car. Was he still at the front door? Then I saw him. He must have been to the back of the house. What in God’s name was he playing at?

I rushed to my bag and grabbed my phone, calling Marsha, and praying that Derrick was in.

“Marsha,” I whispered when she answered the phone.

“Kate, is that you? Why are you whispering? Are you okay?”

“Greg is here, he’s been ringing the doorbell, and he’s been around the back of the house. I saw him through the window. He doesn’t know I’m here.” I felt as if I was going to panic, and I took big deep breaths. He would not ruin my life. I would not have my life ruined again especially now I had put everything in the past.

“Oh Kate, don’t let him see you. I’ll send Derrick over.” I could hear Derrick’s voice in the background asking what was wrong. The next thing I knew, Derrick was on the phone.

“Hello Kate,” his voice came from somewhere underground. “I’m going to come over and see what he’s up to. I have your spare key, so I’m going to unlock the door. If he’s there, I’ll tell him I’ve rented the property. I’ll keep the phone on all the time, so you will know what he’s saying. Is that ok?”

“Thank you Derrick. You do not know what this means.” I let out a sigh of relief.

“You stay on the phone. I’ll be two minutes.”

I could hear this six foot-five bodyguard who had worked for several celebrities running to my house, it wasn’t far, just a couple of roads away. He wasn't even out of breath when he came back to me.

“Hey, Kate I’m here, I can see him on the path, say nothing, just listen.”

“Okay,” I whispered. I watched from the windows as Derrick came through the gate and walked to my door.

“Kate? I know you’re in there. Open the door and let’s talk, ” Greg yelled through the letterbox.

“Hey, man, what are you doing?”

“Who are you?” I heard Greg ask.

“I live here. Just rented this property last week. What's that gotta do with you?” Derrick’s voice bore no aggression. He didn’t need to. He was a mountain of a man and I’m sure he could squash Greg with his little finger.

“What? You can’t. My girlfriend lives here.”

There was a deep rumbling laugh. It sounded like the start of a landslide. “Not anymore. The woman who owned the flat moved out, and got a new job from what the estate agent told me." Now if you don’t mind, I want my dinner. Goodnight, and don’t come back.”

I heard the key in the door and also Greg’s voice getting louder. “Where has she gone?”

“How would I know? It’s nothing to do with me? If she didn’t tell you, then it's nothing to do with you either. I live here now, and I don’t want to see you here again.”

I heard the door close and footsteps running up the stairs. I met Derrick in the hallway.

“Hey Kate, are you okay?” He said, wrapping me in a bear hug. It was his usual greeting to me.

I nodded, “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you so much. I didn’t know what to do.”

“No worries, Katie. I’m going to draw the blinds and make some tea. If that little runt is still watching, seeing me doing things in the house will reinforce the fact that I live here.”

When Derrick had drawn the blinds and put the light on in the sitting room, he went to the kitchen and stood looking out of the window.

“Little runt is still out there watching,” he muttered. He moved to put the light on and filled the kettle. I knew Greg couldn’t see what was going on, but he could see the shape of Derrick moving about in the kitchen.

It took about thirty minutes before Derrick left. Greg drove off after about ten minutes. I wondered what was going to happen tomorrow. Did Greg believe Derrick? or would I come home tomorrow to find him sitting on my doorstep waiting for me?

I went to bed early and set my alarm knowing that I had to be at work at seven. I tried to sleep, but Greg turning up at the door worried me, and I had that awful feeling in my stomach, like a big knot. I hadn’t had that since I was a child. It was the most awful feeling for me. Reminding me of terrible memories. I had promised myself that I would never feel like that again. I had coping strategies, but they were not working for me tonight.

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