‘Here’s what I propose,’ Emilia eventually continued, trying to keep a lid on her emotions.‘I will give them back the gold, I will get you off the hook, but I will only hand it back tohim.’
There was a long, heavy silence, before a startled Ernesto found his voice.
‘You can’t be serious?’
Emilia’s stern look told him that she was.
‘He’s a dangerous guy, Emilia.Anexperiencedguy.You try and negotiate with him and he’ll take your head off.’
‘Well, he can certainly try,’ she replied, forcefully.
‘I mean it.Think of your siblings, think of yourself.Please don’t do this.’
‘Ihaveto do this.I have to look him in the eye, see what manner of man could do this to a child …’ she gestured to the side of her face once more ‘… and still sleep soundly at night.And I want him to ask politely for his gold back.’
‘Emilia, this is completely crazy.You don’t tell this guy what to do.You don’t ask him to grovel.’
‘That’s the deal.Take it or leave it.I trust you can get a message to him?’
‘Well, yes, I can, but …’
And now he paused, a dark suspicion stealing over him.
‘Is this some kind of trap?Are the police involved?’
He was looking at her shrewdly, as if concerned she was wearing a wire.
‘Of course not,’ she replied, waving her hand dismissively.‘I’m as deeply involved in this as everyone else.I stole the gold from Louisa, attacked Tommy Barnes, lied to the police.I’ve got no interest in coughing up to any of this.’
She paused, gathering herself before she continued:
‘What does interest me is meeting the man who tried to destroy me.Who shattered my kneecaps, who melted my face.I will meet him, I will tell him what I think of him.Then he will politely ask for his haul and I will hand it over to him.That’s it.So, you tell him.You tell him what I propose.If he’s amenable, he can text me and I will set the time and place.Is that clear?’
Ernesto nodded, still dumbfounded by the boldness of her play.Smiling, Emilia rose to her feet, casting a triumphant eye over the grim surroundings.
‘Good, because we’re done here.’
Chapter 61
‘And you’re sure you’ve thought this through?’
Helen nodded soberly, not trusting herself to speak.
‘The emotional and psychological impact of a termination can be significant,’ the doctor cautioned, her tight ponytail swinging gently back and forth as she spoke.‘Women sometimes feel guilty, ashamed, angry and, in some cases, suffer from depression.I’m not saying that you would experience any of these reactions, nor am I saying that a termination isn’t the right choice for you, I just don’t want you to rush into anything.’
‘I understand that and I’m grateful for your concern,’ Helen replied, feeling all those things.
‘So, you first discovered you were pregnant two days ago?’
‘That’s right,’ Helen replied, maintaining eye contact, trying not to sound sheepish.
‘And what was your reaction?’
‘Shock, disbelief.’
Doctor Moorhouse nodded sympathetically, but didn’t respond.
‘It’s never been on my agenda really, because of my job, because of my relationship history.It’s never been a priority, put it that way.’
