Finders Keepers by Edie Baylis (epub ebook reader txt) 📕

Gwen stared at Jonah in shock, his expression frightening her.

‘I’m going to fucking kill him,’ Jonah added, his voice dripping with venom. ‘No one and I mean, no one puts their hands on my child.’

Gwen swallowed sharply. This was bad. If this was true, Saul was in deep shit. Jonah’s inbuilt want of Lena’s pregnancy had unleashed a protective side. But he was protecting the very person whom Gwen believed to be lying about everything.

DULCIE’S GAZE RESTED INTENTLY ON TEAGAN. How she wanted to tell her to pack her bags and get out, but she couldn’t. Not yet. Not whilst the girl still had the box. She needed it back, but dare not risk having it in her own possession – not whilst everything was still up in the air.

Even though inside her anger pulsed like a strobe light, she had to keep things on an even keel until she knew where she stood. Until it was safe. But she would say something. She had to. She had to pull on her best acting skills and make the girl feel bad. Like, really bad. Putting a mammoth guilt trip on the silly little cow would be more useful in the long run.

Dulcie’s mouth formed into a small smirk. If she played it correctly, then it would also help with any designs Teagan may have on Robert too. Her anger pulsed once more. Just thinking of something developing between the two of them made her blood boil.

She hadn’t seen the prospect of this coming at all. Robert had only previously displayed contempt for the girl, but since Helen, something had changed. Dulcie’s eyes narrowed. Trust Helen to have the capacity to cause issues in her otherwise perfect plan from beyond the grave. The conceited, spiteful bitch of a daughter that she was and always had been. Always thinking of herself – just like her bloody father, that girl.

But she hadn’t mistaken the atmosphere between Teagan and Robert. It looked like something had happened between them, but she wasn’t sure what.

A kiss? Sex? She didn’t know. Either was bad enough, but Dulcie couldn’t risk the small chance of it becoming more than that.

Dulcie watched Teagan potter around, clearly stuck for something to do. It wasn’t like she had much left to clean in Robert’s poky flat. She’d already cleaned it a thousand times. The girl felt awkward - that was plain as day. Oh, Teagan knew full well that Robert must have spoken about his father whilst she’d made herself scarce at the shops, yet she hadn’t said a word and the silence sat like an elephant in the room.

Robert had disappeared today too. For the first time in years he’d gone into the office and Dulcie couldn’t quite work out whether his motive was to put space between her or Teagan. Robert had always stuck to his rigid cast-iron routines; nothing ever changed how and when he did things – it never had, but now it was...

The thought of her beloved son drifting away grated painfully. It was thanks to Teagan that he’d discovered the truth about his father in the worst way. She’d had it all planned how she would tell him, but now it was spoilt and if that girl had ruined the relationship she had with Robert, then she’d be making her pay.

‘Is there anything you want to watch on the television? I can see if that antique program you like is on or maybe find you a film?’ Teagan said brightly, jolting Dulcie from her thoughts.

‘No thank you,’ Dulcie said frostily.

Teagan caught Dulcie’s eyes, then looked away. ‘Oh, ok... erm... well, how about a game of cards? I know Helen’s funeral tomorrow must be playing on your mind, so I...’

‘Yes, the funeral is playing on my mind, but so is why you felt the need to tell my son about Michael,’ Dulcie snapped, her voice icy.

Teagan froze. She’d been waiting for this. Actually, she’d wanted to broach it and explain, but she didn’t know how to. Dulcie was so fragile lately and the guilt she felt about inadvertently making things worse hung around her neck like a dumbbell. ‘I’m sorry... I...’

‘You knew how important it was for me to tell Robert myself.’ Dulcie’s eyes shot daggers at Teagan and she willed herself to rein in her wrath. For now at least.

Teagan sat next to Dulcie and hesitatingly reached for her hand. ‘I know and I’m really sorry,’ she spluttered. ‘The last thing I wanted was to make things worse.’

‘Hmph!’ Dulcie snorted. ‘Well, you have. It’s really upset him. And it’s really upset me!’ Her face crumpled. ‘I can’t lose another child.’

Teagan watched in horror as tears poured down Dulcie’s face and felt her own eyes brim. She clutched harder at the old lady’s hand. ‘Oh Dulcie, I’m so sorry. I...’

‘I trusted you!’ Dulcie wailed. ‘Is it not bad enough that Helen betrayed me so badly without you doing it too?’

Teagan’s heart shattered into a thousand pieces and her tears fell freely. ‘That newspaper clipping... It was on the floor... I’d gone to get some bin bags and when I came back, Robert... Robert was looking at it,’ she sobbed.

‘On the floor? No, you showed him. You knew where it was kept,’ Dulcie cried. ‘You showed him, didn’t you?’

Teagan looked aghast. ‘I didn’t, I swear. I care for you so much, I’d never do anything to hurt you. He found it screwed up into a ball. I swear I didn’t show him.’

Dulcie continued sobbing but her mind was whirring. You do want to hurt me though, because you want to steal my son from me. The memory of Helen screwing up the clipping and chucking it onto the floor seeped into Dulcie’s mind, but she wasn’t going to admit that. ‘How else could he have known the details if it wasn’t for you? I’ll lose him now.’

Teagan