Frozen Grave

Chapter 41

Esme and Fifi were finishing their turn when Ellerman stuck his head around the door of the ballet class. Paula didn’t think she’d manage it, but she did – her eyes said it all – she was glad to see him but she was hurt.

She took her coat and bag from the seat next to her and waved him in. He walked in, grinning apologetically to the teacher, who smiled and looked as if she were delighted to see a dad in the ballet class. Esme and Fifi skipped over to say hello before being ushered back.

They sat in silence, watching the girls for five minutes, before Ellerman reached out a tentative hand and placed it on Paula’s. She gently removed it whilst still smiling at the girls. Ellerman leant forward in his seat and watched intently as the two girls hopped and skipped and pretended to be trees opening in spring and then, when the class was finished, they ran over, excited.

‘Come on, let’s go for pizza.’ Ellerman looked at Paula for approval. The girls shrieked with excitement. He knew there was no way that she could refuse now.

‘Okay then.’

She stood and picked up her belongings and sent the girls off to pick up theirs.

When they got outside they looked for his car.

‘I am driving that Kia four-by-four, the white one,’ said Ellerman.

‘New car?’ Paula asked.

‘Thought I could do with a change. Family car, really. Now I can fit the girls in the back. And I know it’s Saturday but I hoped you wouldn’t mind if I called in.’

The girls got in, thrilled.

Paula looked at him.

‘Did you get this car for us?’

Ellerman didn’t answer. He just smiled and looked pleased with himself. He’d been loaned the car whilst the Range Rover was in for a service.

After the pizza they went home. The girls were read a story and put to bed by Ellerman, and Paula stood awkwardly in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of white wine. Ellerman came up behind her; he knew he’d done the best job he could possibly do at remaining credible in her eyes. He stood behind her, not touching, just being close.

‘The girls were so sweet today. Like little fairies, jumping around.’

‘Yeah – they love their ballet.’

‘We should take them to see The Nutcracker, or Swan Lake. They’d love it.’

‘Yeah, maybe.’

‘We could make a weekend of it in London.’

‘Yeah, perhaps.’

‘Paula – I want you to know that I really do love you and the girls. I wouldn’t spoil that for the world. You know that, don’t you?’

‘Talk is cheap.’

‘But not for me… I mean every word. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.’

She turned round, her glass of wine in her hand.

‘I know that. I know you care about me – about the girls. But… I also know that I might not be all you want. I know I’m not the most intellectual person on earth. I don’t have a lot to say about certain subjects but I do my best and I feel a lot for you. I didn’t realize how much until I got the letter.’

‘That fucking letter.’

‘Yeah.’ She turned away and began tidying the kitchen. ‘It was a massive shock. At first, I thought it must be some kind of scam and then I saw my name, my address, all my numbers written on that sheet of paper.’

He reached out for her and she didn’t resist this time. ‘I cannot tell you how sorry I am, baby.’ He kissed her forehead. ‘I love you more than you know. I promise you that’s true. Paula, I thought I explained to you – I can’t say it any more clearly – I love you and someone has been trying to split us up. You mean the world to me.’

‘And all those women on the list?’

‘It’s all a pack of lies. I have no idea who most of them are.’

‘Really?’

‘Well, some of them I recognize – they are past girlfriends – well in the past – they were work colleagues or friends, friends’ wives even! It’s like someone has gone through all my contacts and picked out the women and decided that I’m having a relationship with them all. It’s absolute nonsense.’

‘I want to understand this, JJ. I know I contacted you on the Sugar Daddies site but I’ve always been honest with you. I am willing to give up a lot for you. I have turned down a lot of dates with other men for you.’

‘I know. I understand.’

She swung round, angry. ‘Yeah, but I don’t think you do. I have put up with so much – I can’t see you weekends, I can’t visit you in your home. I can’t even meet your son…’

‘Now you know why that is. It’s Craig.’

She laughed sarcastically. ‘I thought I did. The letter even said that he had died.’

‘You must understand: in my position there will always be jealous people. There will always be people who want to see you fail. One of those people has got hold of my personal information and has decided to stir up trouble. I am not what they have accused me of. I am not a philanderer – I promise – I swear – I love you, babe.’

She turned from him and shook her head.

‘I want to believe you.’

‘Then do. You should support me now, Paula. I think I’ve always been good to you and the girls. I’ve taken you on holiday, I’ve paid for the girls to do things they wanted to; I’ve always bought them presents. Don’t let some nutty woman come between us. Don’t let her spoil what we have – what we’ve built up between us.’

‘Not this Christmas, you didn’t.’

‘Didn’t what?’

‘You didn’t buy anything for the girls.’

‘It’s been a hard year for me. You know that. I told you, I’ve had a difficult time of it money-wise.’

‘The thing is, JJ, that’s not the only thing that’s been thin on the ground this year. You seem to have gone off me a bit, even in the bedroom. Every time I talk about a future with us, you change the subject.’

Ellerman’s phone rang. He tried to ignore it.

‘You’d better answer that.’ Paula turned and walked from the kitchen, sighing. ‘On your way out.’ She looked back at him and shook her head sadly. ‘I need more from you, JJ.’

‘Paula, I need you to have faith in me, that’s all.’

‘You can’t stay tonight, JJ. I still love you but I’m hurt. Come and see me again soon and we’ll talk properly.’

‘Okay – I understand. I will always want what’s best for us. I’ll go but I’ll be back soon, baby.’

He went across and held her and kissed her forehead. Her eyes welled up. She hated the deception but, right at that moment, she hated him more.

Ellerman got outside and took a deep breath before he looked at who was calling him. It was Emily. He declined the call and sent her a text message, telling her he’d phone her later. He had a text from Megan:

Hope you’re having a good day. Ring me when you get time for a chat. Miss you. M

Lisa had sent a text, saying that she was going to the police.

‘Bitch!’ he said out loud, and felt his anger ignite when he got back into the car.

Ellerman sat in a lay-by in his car and pulled his collar up. The temperature outside had dropped to freezing. Dee wasn’t answering the phone. Ellerman sat back in his seat and listened to the whoosh and spray of the passing traffic. He clenched and unclenched his hands on the steering wheel. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply from his diaphragm. He was boiling over with the feeling of injustice. How dare someone expose him in this way? His first thought was Lisa. She could have easily looked at his phone. He had been lax a few times now. He’d drunk a bit too much some evenings and didn’t remember the latter part of them. Not just with Lisa, with all of them. He could have left it unlocked. If one of them had got into his phone they could have also seen all his emails, transferred lots of data whilst he was asleep. Whoever did this, hated him. They wanted his blood. They wanted to ruin his life. It was all about the end gain. Nothing mattered but winning. When he was sitting in his Spanish home with Dee; when they were happy again and when money was coming in – after all, the deal for three yachts was so nearly signed – then all this would have been worth it. He needed to find more women with more money. The truth was that he couldn’t juggle all of them successfully without losing a few along the way. The ones that fell were casualties to the cause. It would all blow over and then he could regroup. If he lost some women along the way, then okay. But the money worried him. Lisa had been particularly vocal in her venom. Did the police know it all by now? He opened the glove compartment and took out his list. He crossed through Olivia’s and Gillian’s details. He circled Lisa and turned to the next page, ran his pen down the list until he came to Harding.

His phone rang.

‘JJ Ellerman speaking.’

‘Mr Ellerman, Inspector Carter here. I need you to come back into Archway Police Station again – we need to clarify a few things.’

‘Next week.’

‘Tomorrow morning, Mr Ellerman, at nine o’ clock. You know where to come. You’ll need to bring your lawyer with you this time, Mr Ellerman, and I want to see all your company accounts.’

Ellerman got out of the car and vomited. He held his stomach, tried to press in his guts as they heaved. He felt like he was vomiting up his insides. It took him three minutes to stop retching. He wiped his mouth as the traffic whizzed past and then he leant against the passenger side of the car as he took deep breaths and tried to calm himself. He opened his lungs, stuck out his chest and breathed in deeply through his nose.

Ellerman looked into the passenger footwell for some water and couldn’t find any. He rummaged round in the boot and found a plastic bottle half full of water. He drank it a few gulps at a time.

Back in the car he rang Lisa.

‘I just wanted to say I’m sorry for the way things have turned out.’

‘I don’t believe you. You’re a liar through and through.’

‘Well, if that’s the way you feel about things then there’s no altering it. I am sorry that you prefer to believe the words of a malicious trouble-maker instead of someone who has supported and loved you for the last year and a half, but I cannot stop you believing what you will.’

‘Give me my money back now.’

‘Yeah – that’s right – stick the knife in, why don’t you? You’re a petulant bitch. You can go and whistle for your fucking money. You bore me stupid anyway.’ He hung up.

Lisa took a few deep breaths. She felt so angry she badly needed to calm down. The letter shook in her hand. She picked it up and put it down several times before settling down to read the list of names again. When she was ready she picked up the phone.

‘Who is this?’

Dee Ellerman was in the kitchen when she answered the phone. She was watching the gardener pick up the rest of the debris he hadn’t been able to fit in his van the week before.

‘My name is Lisa.’ Lisa’s words stuck on her tongue. ‘Look… I just wanted to say that I’ve been seeing your husband but he told me that you knew all about it and that you were cool about it – you had your own life… hello?’

‘Yes, I’m listening.’

‘Look – I just rang to say I’m sorry. It’s not my style – married men. He told me he was separated, just stuck living in the same house as you. And he told me he had to stay because of your son.’

‘He’s dead.’

‘Yes. I heard. I’m truly sorry.’

‘Thanks for calling. Goodbye.’

‘No, please, please wait just a minute. I need JJ to give me back the money I gave him for the Spanish house we were supposed to be going to live in.’

‘I think you’ve lost your money.’

‘No, well, I’m sorry and all that, but that’s where you’re wrong, because I will take him to court if he doesn’t give me it back.’

‘How much is it?’

‘Twenty thousand.’

‘Why did you give him such a lot of money?’

‘I didn’t give it to him. It was a loan. He said the house needed urgent work before the winter; he said he’d pay me back and then it became an investment in our future.’

‘I can’t help you.’

‘Look – I don’t like to cause you more problems but I need you to impress upon him that he either pays me or I’m going to sue him and you, both of you. I’m sorry.’

‘Do what you must.’