Destroy Me by Karen Cole (red queen ebook .txt) 📕

‘I have to say, you don’t look so great.’

‘Thanks a lot.’

‘You know what I mean,’ he sighs. ‘Why don’t you come in for a cup of coffee? Do you need any painkillers?’

‘No, I’ll be all right. I should probably go home, have a lie down.’ Seeing Harper is the last thing I need right now.

‘Harper’s not here,’ he says, as if he’s read my mind. ‘Come in . . . please,’ he puts his hand on my shoulder and I stare at it until he drops it awkwardly. ‘It’s been a long time since we had a good chat.’

‘Well—’

‘Please Mummy,’ Dylan chimes in, tugging my hand. ‘I want to show you my new dinosaur.’

I weaken, ‘Oh, all right. Just for a minute.’

Dylan drags me by the hand to his room. He has everything in there: a bed like a space rocket and matching space-themed bedding and curtains, a night light that spins around and casts moving images of the planets on the ceiling. There’s a large flat-screen TV with a PlayStation attached and even the latest iPad. Why does a five-year-old need all this? I think, wearily. And how in hell am I supposed to compete? But I don’t have the energy to get annoyed. I’m still in shock about Luke and just generally worn down by the constant stress I’ve been under.

I sink on to Dylan’s bed feeling dizzy. My head is throbbing.

‘Look. This is Dino,’ says Dylan, fetching the dinosaur from an overflowing toy chest.

‘Cool,’ I say weakly. He shows me the dinosaur’s features which, as I suspected, include walking and roaring.

‘Ms Hamlyn gave me this,’ he says flitting around from object to object, unable to focus. He hands me a smooth, rounded stone; one side has broken off, exposing a dark spiralling pattern. ‘Do you know what this is, Mummy?’

I nod, glancing at it absent-mindedly. ‘It’s a fossil. An animal that lived a long time ago.’

Dylan picks up his PlayStation controller. ‘Can I play Minecraft now?’

‘I expect so.’

I wander into the kitchen where Theo is spooning fresh-smelling coffee into a cafetière and I sit down at the table. He plonks a glass of water and a packet of Nurofen on the table in front of me and I swallow a couple.

‘So . . .’ Theo says, turning his dark eyes on me, searching my face.

‘So . . .’

‘How is everything?’

‘Okay,’ I say defensively. ‘How about you? How’s Harper?’

‘I saw the news report.’ He ignores my question. ‘What’s going on, Cat?’

‘Nothing.’

‘It doesn’t seem like nothing to me. My God, Cat. Those journalists. I couldn’t bear to watch those bastards hounding you.’ He runs his fingers through his hair. ‘My offer still stands, by the way. I can get Duncan to help you, if you want. I’ll pay any legal fees.’

I look at the tired bags under his eyes, the stubble on his chin and find myself longing for a time when we were everything to each other, when I could tell him anything and he would always have my back.

‘There’s no need for that. It will all be sorted very soon,’ I say. ‘I’ve got a watertight alibi.’

He raises his eyebrows, ‘That’s great. Why didn’t you mention this before?’

I explain about Luke, meeting him at the Black Bear with Gaby. Theo winces when I reach the part about him staying the night. ‘Spare me the details,’ he mutters under his breath.

I don’t spare him the details. Why should I? And I enjoy watching him squirm. But then I get on to how Luke lied to the police and he listens wide-eyed when I tell him I just found out that Luke is Dylan’s friend’s father.

‘He’s terrified that his wife will find out,’ I continue. ‘So I think I can persuade him it’s in his best interests to tell the police the truth.’

Theo looks worried. ‘Threaten him, you mean?’

‘Well, yes, if you want to put it like that.’

‘Do you want me to come with you to talk to him? You don’t know how he’ll react. He could become violent.’

It’s tempting to accept his offer. I think about how angry Luke seemed on the landing and I have to admit I am a little scared of him. But I can’t keep running to Theo every time I have a problem.

‘I can manage,’ I say stiffly.

Theo shakes his head. ‘What were you thinking of, inviting a stranger into your house, Cat? He could have been dangerous. Look at what happened to Charlotte Holbrooke.’

I bite back my anger. What gives him the right to advise me on who I can and can’t have in my own house? ‘The police think she was murdered by someone she knew, not a stranger,’ I say coldly. ‘Anyway, I can look after myself. I’ve had to for quite a while now,’ I add pointedly.

‘I’m sure you can. I just thought—’

‘How’s Harper? Where is she, anyway?’ I interrupt.

He frowns and looks down at his shoes. ‘She’s gone back to her place. We had an argument just last night.’

I stare at him in surprise and wonder how I feel about this piece of information. It’s something I’ve been hoping for, praying for, for months but now it’s happened I feel strangely flat.

‘So – what? You’ve split up?’

‘I don’t know.’ He lifts his eyes reluctantly to mine. ‘We’re having a break for a little while to think things through.’

I wonder who initiated the break. My money’s on Harper. I doubt she was ever seriously interested in Theo. Objectively, he’s punching above his weight with her. Besides which, she must be at least ten years younger than him. My theory is that she picked him up like a new toy and played with him for a while, but now she’s bored and wants to move on to the next new, shiny thing. Well, it serves him right. He’ll get no sympathy from me.

‘That’s a shame,’ I say sarcastically.

‘Yes, I’m sure you’re gutted,’ Theo smiles wryly. Then he gives himself a little shake. ‘I was going to take Dylan