Page 251 of The Hallmarked Man
‘That he doesn’t want to talk to you. He says he knows who’s hired you.’
‘Did he say who?’
‘“Fucking Faber Whitehead”,’ quoted Pat sniffily.
‘That’s the father of the boy who crashed Tyler’s car,’ said Robin. ‘I don’t suppose you saved Jones’ number?’ she added hopefully.
‘I did, yeah,’ said Pat.
‘Please could you send it to me?’ said Robin, as a beeping in her ear told her she had a call waiting.
‘Will do,’ said Pat, and she rang off, leaving Robin to check the screen of her mobile. When she saw Murphy’s name, she had a strange sense of foreboding. Sure enough, when she answered, his first words were:
‘We’ve been fucking gazumped.’
‘What?’
‘Some bastard’s offered the seller another five grand. The estate agent’s just called me.’
‘Oh, shit,’ said Robin.
But she was shocked by the relief that had just washed over her.
‘You don’t sound exactly upset,’ said Murphy.
‘Of course I’m upset, but I’m in the middle of Selfridges, Ryan, I can’t burst into tears without attracting attention,’ said Robin quietly, while Mrs Two-Times tried on a pair of emerald green stilettos. ‘What’s the estate agent’s advice?’
‘Offer more, obviously.’
‘OK, well – d’you want to? Or shall we look for something el—?’
‘I don’t fancy another twelve months of this. I’ve had to virtually drag you just to see three bloody houses.’
‘That isn’t true,’ said Robin, taken aback by his sudden aggression, and certain he was pushing for an argument to vent his frustration about the gazumping. ‘I like this one, I was the one who argued for getting it, remember?’
‘But you’re happy to let it go and keep looking.’
‘I’m nothappy, I’m just asking whether we can afford another five thousand!’ said Robin, as Mrs Two-Times admired herself in a full-length mirror.
‘What’s the end game, finish up with something even smaller?’
‘I haven’t got an “end game”, I’d just rather we didn’t bankrupt—’
‘Well, it’s not like you need to save for a new car, now Strike’s bought you a Land—’
‘Hedidn’t buy me a Land Rover, it’s owned by the business of which I’m a partner,’ said Robin, keeping her voice low with immensedifficulty, because she’d now lost the struggle not to become openly angry, ‘and if you’ve got something you want to say about the smallness of houses, go right ahead and say it.’
‘I’m not—’
‘Oh,aren’tyou?’ said Robin in a loud, furious whisper. ‘Don’t tell me “no pressure”, then hint that I don’t want space for kids!’
‘That’s in your head, not mine!’
‘Don’t gaslight me, Ryan, I’m not a fool. I’ve got to go.’
She hung up.
A few minutes later, Murphy called her back. Robin didn’t pick up, because she was still feeling anxious and upset, not only about this fresh burst of temper from Murphy, but by her own feeling of relief, which she knew was telling her something that she’d been suppressing and denying ever since she’d first agreed to move in with him.
