Chapter Six

It was amazing being back in Cornwall, the sun seemed stronger, the luscious beaches stretched out for miles, and Corinne's doorbell hadn't stopped ringing since they'd arrived, she had no idea she knew so many people, but it seemed half the town wanted to come and say hello. It was the first time she'd seen anyone other than Corinne since her husband had died. Her grief had been too great.

Corinne's mother was like a mother hen and insisted that she babysit for the girls to go out together that night, and where Sammy might have declined, but suddenly she was happy leaving her daughter, the lunch with Joel had gone reasonably well, Janet had coped almost easily. And she'd almost enjoyed an hour without Eleanor. Her first child free hour in months. Dinner and wine in the local pub peppered by hellos from so many people was a great way to pass an evening, and in a rare lull in company, Corinne leaned over and whispered, "I never thought I'd see you this happy again."

Sammy smiled at her warmly, "really? I'm sorry; I've been THE worst friend this last year."

Corinne lifted an eyebrow and looked at her quizzically, "what!? You are crazy woman, you have been through SO much, and I've felt so helpless, I just wish I could have helped more."

"You have been my rock. I wouldn't be here without you."

She laughed, "think that the change is due to Joel Edwards taking the flak."

"I really thought it was him, trying to get us evicted."

Corinne shook her head, "I told you, I always liked him, and you know me and my instinct."

Sammy rolled her eyes, and at that moment Mike, Corinne's latest flame entered the place and her eyes widened.

"Look I'm going to head back to yours, your mother will be glad to be relieved, and I'm missing my little gal."

"Don't go because of me!" Mike announced as he moved towards them.

Sammy laughed, "it's not because of you, I swear. This is the first night I've had out in a year, AND I got a train at six am this morning. I am about to fall asleep standing up!"

Eleanor was asleep in the travel cot in Corinne's spare room when Sammy got home, and for the first time in a year she went to bed with a thick head and wondered if she'd have a hangover the next morning.

The only time that Joel 'switched' off to the stress of his life, was the ninety minutes after three o'clock on a Saturday when he played football. The team he'd played for since he'd left university had morphed from a good team full of fresh faced good players, to a group of older men who were enjoying the luxuries of life far more than they had. But it was fun, they were a good group of guys, it was a great work out, and now that they'd dropped a couple of divisions, they won as much as they lost. And afterwards they met in a pub somewhere near the ground that they'd played at. The league took them all over London, and whilst he never missed a game if he could help it, he didn't always stay for a few beers. But he did that Saturday. His mind was far too active trying to decipher all that had landed on his plate, and the temptation of beer and curry in a nearby pub was far too tempting.

He'd known the boys for years, and instantly dropped into banter, across a table as they all ate bowls of chicken curry washed down with pints of beer. It was the first time in months that he'd literally sat back and stepped away from his responsibilities. And it was definitely what he needed. For months Marcus had occupied his every thought, he'd been so distant when he'd died. His choice, well...his decision and he would regret that distance for as long as he lived. Now, it was a slightly different focus in his mind. Now he was constantly wondering what the hell he had been up to in the weeks and months before his death.

They'd always been so close, they were like brothers, but in the months leading up to his death he had kept away. And that had been for so many reasons. Now he regretted it more than anything, in fact his guilt of the last year was magnified when he knew that Sammy had struggled, that he'd been in a financial hell, he'd needed him, he knew that. Marcus Turner, the man who'd been there for him forever had needed him, and he'd run away. Kept away. Abandoned him. For childish and selfish reasons, that was what it amounted to. How could he live with that?

Thankfully, good friends brought laughter and beer, and that seemed to replace those thoughts.

Hours later he let himself into his apartment drunker than he'd been in a while.

It had been a sad goodbye at the station, Corinne had taken her and they'd sat hugging each other as they waited for the train to arrive.

"I'm gonna miss you two." Corinne sighed reaching out to Eleanor, "it's been so much fun having you to stay."

Sammy smiled, "well at least someone appreciates us!"

There was silence then, Sammy had tried to reach out to Monica, her mother whilst they were local to her, but she was 'busy'. And whilst that was not an unusual occurrence, for some reason it really hurt her this time.

Corinne squeezed her, arm around her shoulder, "we all love you. Honestly. That's all you need to know. You sure you won't come back, come live with us?"

Sammy shook her head slowly, "I always needed to be close to Marcus, or his memory, and that has changed, but now I have to find out what happened. Because it seems I didn't really know him, and that hurts."

Her friend sighed, "I'll come up...next week?"

She was such an amazing friend, "no, no. You have a business to run. Don't be silly. I'm a big girl and I LOVE that you're at the end of the phone. OK?"

She nodded, "ok. Call me when you get back."

The train journey was uneventful, Eleanor was such a good baby that she didn't disturb anyone, and Sammy drank tea and actually started to read the book her friend had loaned her as a 'must read'. She hadn't read a book in over a year.

But by the time she spotted the apartment on the horizon, she was exhausted and wanted a bath and a sleep more than anything. The elevators across the foyer were like an oasis in the desert. And as she pressed the call button she almost groaned when she heard her name.

"Sam?"

Turning slowly she groaned to see Daniel stood at the doorway smiling apologetically at her. She was still angry with him, and she wasn't ready to deal with all that yet.

"Daniel, I'm not ready for this. I've had a busy few days."

He rushed over and reached for the bags she was struggling to juggle as she pushed the pram. "Let me help you."

Gritting her teeth she was about to snap at him when Eleanor started to stir, so instead she muttered, "fine," then thrust her bag in his direction.

The apartment seemed almost spookily quiet when she opened the door, but as she entered the hallway, she scooped up Eleanor and walked into the lounge without speaking to Daniel. Placing her daughter on the soft cushioned gym on the floor in the middle of the room, she finally turned and looked at him. He was leaning against the doorway watching her.

"You're angry with me?"

She shrugged, "I don't have time to be angry, but I am annoyed that you tried to make demands of me and when I refuse you disappear. But I'm starting to think that's what you Turners do. Run away!"

It was too much, she was tired and the last thing she wanted to do was deal with how she felt about the lies Marcus had obviously told. She knew she had to deal with it, but tonight, tired...that wasn't the time.

But the words had piqued Daniel's attention.

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged, "you, your parents...it's all pick and choose, YOU lot decide when we fit into your life."

He looked a little stunned, "it's not like that."

"It's EXACTLY that. Don't you see?"

"I only want things to be right..."

Sammy moved across the room to hover over Eleanor, "you want me to make your mother feel better when she hasn't given a shit about me for a year. She's never seen her only grandchild."

"It's what Marcus..."

"DON'T!" She held up a hand and shouted at him, "do NOT tell me what my husband would want because he'd be disgusted! You Turners all think you're perfect, but you're not, none of you."

Daniel looked anxious as he stepped towards her, "you're a Turner."

She laughed at that, "and where has that left me? A widow at twenty six, a fatherless daughter, and on the verge of being evicted."

"You said it was sorted?" Daniel asked quietly.

"Joel is helping me...but..." She paused, she wasn't happy to share her doubts with him.

"Joel was always a trouble maker; I told you this home is company property. He pulls all the strings."

Shaking her head she jiggled the arch of toys that dangled over Eleanor, then smiled as she tried to bat one of them with a clumsy hand. "He's helping me...he's the only one who offered."

Daniel flinched at that, "and why is that? What could he possibly get out of that?"

"Don't be so childish," she snipped. "He was my husband's best friend, why wouldn't he help me out?"

"He doesn't do anything without an agenda."

"Oh, he has an agenda, helping me and Eleanor be safe and provided for. That's more than anyone else has done."

When she didn't reply he stepped towards her again, "I want to help you, let me try? I am more appropriate than him!"

She laughed, "where were you? You weren't here sorting out the things I couldn't face. You had ample opportunities to help me."

"He wasn't here either!"

She laughed, "that's true, but when I showed you that eviction notice you clammed up, you floundered. I showed Joel and he took control, I didn't have to ask him, he just did it. You didn't."

His eyes were wide as he stared her up and down for a moment, "you can't trust Joel, he always has an ulterior motive. You might think he's helping you but he'll be planning to take more behind your back."

"WHAT?" She gasped, "you are deluded."

He shook his head, "he's always been jealous of Marcus, always wanted all that he had. Why do you think he stopped visiting?"

She swallowed hard at that, not knowing what to say for a moment, "what are you saying?"

He shrugged, "just that. Since he was a kid all he's ever wanted is what Marcus had."

Hating what he was insinuating she started to pace and he added, "why do you think he disappeared? Have you never thought about that? He wanted the wife, the life that Marcus had...he wanted you!"

She laughed out loud, "I don't believe that. You're being cruel and nasty because I won't humour your mother."

He shrugged, "and you're being childish. You don't believe me? Ask him. You'll see. " She didn't answer, silence being her preferable option as she tried to digest the things he was saying. "I'll prove to you that he's probably behind all this, I swear, but don't let him have any information until I do, don't let him get too deep and don't let him take anything else."

She trusted Joel, she had believed him over his reasons for being distant, none of them were based on jealousy, she had no loyalty to Daniel and that wasn't about to change.

As he made for the door knowing that the conversation was over, he turned to her, "like I say, he'll want everything that Marcus had, and by that I mean money. Don't tell him your bank details or any other details he asks for, and if you need support, if he harasses you, call me?"

As he opened the door he smiled at her, then he was gone.