‘I’ll be out, I promise. I was just going to see if your mum wanted a rest.’
Linda took a break from guzzling champagne to practise her best indignant stare.
‘I’ve told you I’m fine, haven’t I?’
‘Mum, lay off the booze,’ said Jason, wearily authoritative. ‘Or I’ll kick you out myself.’
‘Well, can you hear him?’ Linda’s indignant stare went into ‘ultra’ mode. ‘His own mother. I’m standing lookout here.’
‘Lookout? What d’you mean?’
Jason straightened up and peered into the darkening corners of the garden.
‘Nothing,’ said Jenna hastily, but Linda wouldn’t have this.
‘Oh, come on. You said yourself. Someone you didn’t want to see. Not invited. There’s an intruder on . . .’ She belched. ‘The premises.’
‘What? What’s this?’
Jason walked out across the patio, squinting in every direction.
‘Come back,’ said Jenna. ‘It’s fine. He’s gone.’
‘Who’s gone?’
Kayley appeared through the side door.
‘Ah, there you are, Jen. It’s OK. He’s gone. I had a word with security and they said they’d seen him get in his car and leave.’
‘For fuck’s sake,’ Jason exploded. ‘Who?’
Kayley blinked. ‘Lawrence,’ she said. ‘Did Jenna not say?’
Jenna put her hands to her face and shook her head.
‘Lawrence? You aren’t telling me . . .?’
Jason stared wildly at each of the three women.
‘Don’t look at me,’ slurred Linda. ‘Nobody told me.’
‘He’s been here? Lawrence Harville? Tonight?’
‘But he’s gone now,’ said Kayley urgently.
‘Just as well,’ seethed Jason. ‘Or I’d have belted the fucker into next week. What was he doing? Jen?’
Jenna shook her head.
‘Nothing. Just wanted to tell me the CPS had dropped the case. Can we forget about it now, and concentrate on the exhibition?’
But it didn’t seem so, not judging by the ferocious light in Jason’s eyes.
‘Forget about it? That scrote gets off scot free after all he did and you want me to forget about it? Not fucking likely. I’m going to kill him.’
‘Then that’ll be the shortest-lived artistic success of all time,’ urged Jenna. ‘Because you’ll be straight back in prison.’
‘I don’t care. I’d happily swing for him. Where is he? Where’s he staying?’