I really hope they’re in, I think nervously as I approach Julio and Holly’s road a few hours later. A sensible person probably would have rung ahead to check, but I’m just going to have to take my chances. If I had told them I was coming, I’m fairly certain they would have tried to put me off. As it is, I’m just hoping they won’t have the heart to turn me away. Not when I’ve driven all this way.
To my relief, there’s a dismembered old Beetle blocking their driveway. And where there’s a beaten up old car, you can usually find Julio. There he is, sure enough, delving around in the engine.
“Julio?”
“Izzy!” he looks up sharply, nearly banging his head on the bonnet.
“I’m really sorry to bother you, but I’ve found out something important and I need to talk to Holly.”
Julio frowns. “Well, it will have to wait until she gets home from work.”
He produces a cloth from his pocket and wipes his greasy hands.
“Oh,” I say, unable to hide my disappointment. “Well, I suppose I could wait in the car.”
He takes in the state of me – the lack of make-up, the unkempt hair, the dark rings around my eyes and seems to relent.
“Don’t be silly. Come on inside. I’m due for a tea break, anyway.”
“I don’t even remember her,” I babble, as I finish telling him about the girl in the picture. “So why in the world has she got it in for me?”
“Are you sure it’s not just Alicia winding you up again?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, how do you know the picture’s genuine? It could have been photoshopped.”
“It looks real enough.”
“Show me.”
I pull up the picture on my phone. “Here.”
He stares at it for a moment, a strange expression forming on his face.
“What? Is it real or do you think it’s been messed with?”
“Yeah it’s real,” he says, his face a little pale now. “And, I think… no, I’m sure… I used to go out with that girl.”
Chapter Seventeen
“But you didn’t even go to Camp Windylake!”
“No, but I came to visit you often enough, didn’t I?”
“So this is all about you?”
I don’t know why I’m so surprised. Julio has gone out with most of the women I know at one time or another. Why should this girl be any different?
“Oh, what was her name? Josie. No, Jody!”
“Jody,” I repeat. “You’re sure?”
“I think so.”
“Do you recall a last name?”
“Erm…”
“Could it be McBride?”
It’s a stab in the dark. I mean, I don’t even know if that’s really Alicia’s last name, but a flicker of recognition appears on Julio’s face.
“Could be. Definitely Mc something or rather.”
“Honey, I’m home!” Holly calls out, as she walks through the door. Then she sees me.
“Oh, hello Isabel.” She shoots Julio a worried look. I can’t really blame her, after all those endless phone calls.
Quickly, we fill her in on what we’ve just discovered.
“Did you break up with her?” Holly asks him.
“Of course he did,” I snort. As far as I know, Julio’s never been dumped in his life, more’s the pity. And even those girls who know of his reputation don’t seem to be put off by it. Kate was adamant that she was going to be the one to change him, just as Holly is now.
“But do you remember why?” I press. “Was there another girl?”
Julio frowns. “It was a long time ago. I really can’t remember.”
“Do you remember anything about her at all?” I ask. “I mean, what was she like?”
“I don’t know. Kind of… quiet. And serious.”
“What I can’t understand is why she’s going after Isabel,” Holly says. “Why not you? And why now?”
“Search me.”
“We are in the phonebook, after all. You wouldn’t be too hard to find.”
“She is crazy,” I point out. “At least, if she’s anything like Alicia, she is.”
But Holly isn’t satisfied.
“Wait a minute – Julio did you… two-time this girl?”
“What?”
“Oh, don’t look so shocked. “I know what you were like.”
She turns to me. “The question is, if he did two-time her, did you know about it?”
Julio and I look at each other helplessly.
“I honestly can’t remember.”
“Me neither.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’ve both got memories like sieves! Well, let’s say that’s what happened. Julio cheated on her and Isabel knew about it. That will have to be our working assumption for the time being, unless anyone can come up with a better one.”
“It still doesn’t make sense,” Julio says. “Why would she even care about some bloke who dumped her ten years ago?”
Holly says nothing. She doesn’t have to. I know what effect Julio has on women. I’ve seen it too many times before.
“What if she never got over it? What if she hasn’t had another boyfriend since?”
“Oh come on,” Julio laughs. “Give me a break!”
But I’m not so sure and by the looks of it, nor is Holly.
“Do you think we should go to the police?”
“And tell them what exactly? They’d think we were nuts.”
“Yeah, I’ve been getting that a lot lately.” I sigh. “So what should I do in the meantime?”
“Act as if everything’s normal,” Holly says, decisively. “Surround yourself with people. And don’t take the same route to and from work every day. You need to vary your routine. Swap things around a bit. Make some last minute changes. Make it hard for them to figure out where you’re going to be and what you’re going to do next.”
I nod. I don’t tell them that I’ve been off work for the last couple of weeks. I’m too embarrassed to admit how much Alicia and Jody have got to me.
“Meanwhile, I’ll see what I can find out about this Jody person.”
She eyes my bulging bag, sitting by the door.
“Are you staying the night, Isabel? I can make up the spare room.”
“No thanks,” I say, getting to my feet.
“I’ve got work in the morning.”
Now I’ve got them on side again, I don’t feel quite so hopeless. It’s time to take control of my life and it’s definitely time I went back to my job. If I still have one, that is. I mean – Sonya’s been understanding and all, but there’s only so far you can push it. Especially as I haven’t even bothered to return her phone calls for the last few days.
I drive home, ready and alert for Jody’s white Escort to appear in the rear mirror, but to my relief, it doesn’t. Once home, I set my alarm for 6.00AM and get an early night.
Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I march into Robertson’s the next day, ignoring the nosey looks of the checkout girls. Everybody knows about my meltdown. Alicia’s taken care of that.
Sonya is in the office, swearing at the computer.
I knock gently. “Can I come in?”
“Oh, thank heaven! See if you can fix this. I don’t know what the hell I’ve pressed, but it’s coming out sideways!”
“Let me see,” I lean over her shoulder and correct the error with a few strokes of the keys.
“Thanks – ruddy thing’s out to get me.”
“Bastard. Yeah, it’s got a mind of its own.”
“So you’re back?” she asks, seriously.
“Yes.” I meet her gaze.
“You’re sure? Because I can’t really afford to be left in the lurch again. In fact, Human Resources have just sent over a pile of CVs from people who would love to interview for your job.” She drops her gaze. “But you know I’d much rather have you.”