Jane went into the bathroom. The shower unit was attached to the bath taps, and there was a small, plastic curtained rail around the bath. She turned on the shower and hurried into her bedroom to decide what to wear. The Coronation Street theme tune echoed from the spare bedroom, but Pearl had not appeared. Just as Jane was hurrying back to the bathroom, naked but carrying a towelling robe, Pearl’s door opened.
‘Oh, sorry! I was just going to make myself some supper.’
Jane quickly wrapped the robe around herself. ‘I’m going out, so I’m just about to have a quick shower… but I shouldn’t be too late.’
‘There were a couple of calls for you earlier. A guy called Church, who said he’d ring back later, and one from someone called Natalie. She said it was nothing urgent, but I left the number in the kitchen.’
‘Thank you… I didn’t see your note.’
‘I thought that call might have been her calling you back. You’re obviously very popular.’
‘Oh, it was just work…’ Jane said, going into the bathroom. Whilst she stood under the shower she couldn’t help smiling. When she came out, she found Pearl in the kitchen, chopping up vegetables.
‘Could I have my hairdryer back?’
‘Sorry, I put it on your dressing table.’
Jane didn’t like the fact that Pearl had gone into her bedroom, but didn’t say anything. As she closed her door behind her, she decided that she would get a lock for it.
Jane dried her hair and pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of fawn trousers. She used a magnifying mirror on her dressing table to quickly apply some foundation, mascara and eyeshadow, finishing with a light lipstick. She put a matching fawn jacket around her shoulders. After checking herself in the mirror, she walked out into the hallway and closed her bedroom door behind her.
Pearl was sitting on one of the kitchen stools, drinking a glass of a greenish liquid. There was a strong smell of cabbage permeating the hall. She glanced at Jane as she passed the doorway.
‘You look very nice.’
‘Thank you… Is that cabbage I can smell?’
‘Yes, I’m making a soup with lentils, onions, spinach, carrots… and cabbage. I usually make a big pot so I can have it when I get home. It becomes thicker the longer I keep on boiling it up.’
Jane was tight-lipped as she went out. The cabbage smell lingered all the way down the stairs, and the thought that Pearl would be boiling it up every night made her feel sick.
Dexter was as good as his word, and Jane only waited a few minutes before he drew up in a silver Porsche. He leaned over to push open the passenger door.
‘A Porsche — I’m impressed!’ Jane said, as she bent down to get inside.
‘It’s my pride and joy. Used to belong to my father. I keep it garaged at a pal’s place, and he keeps it tuned up for me.’
The engine roared as they pulled out, but then he slowed to drive down Melcombe Street, past Balcombe Street and Marylebone Station, before turning right towards Ladbroke Grove. Dexter was wearing pale blue jeans and a leather jacket, and Jane smiled to herself as she remembered Daphne’s description of him looking like Steve McQueen. He was quite similar, although Dexter was much taller. He parked a few yards from a fish and chip shop that had a line of people waiting to be served.
‘I told you this was the best in London… they get customers from all over.’
Dexter was very much the gentleman and moved around the car from his side to open the passenger door for Jane. He held out his hand to help her out, locked the car, then took her by the elbow to join the queue of waiting customers. Jane was unsure how to react. She hadn’t expected to be eating her dinner from a newspaper, and there didn’t appear to be any dining tables inside. Before they reached the counter, Dexter told Jane to look at the blackboard for the fresh fish of the day, or to choose from the lit-up menus above the counter.
‘I’ll have cod and chips, please,’ she said to him.
‘D’you want mushy peas, and salt and vinegar?’
‘Yes, please.’
Dexter ordered the same and their portions were dished up in cardboard take-out cartons with plastic forks, then wrapped in newspaper. Jane was still unsure where they were going to be eating, as she followed him back to the car. Dexter unlocked the passenger door, and because he was holding the fish and chips she opened it and got back into the car.
Dexter then opened the boot, put their dinner inside and got in to the driver’s seat.
‘Right, we’ll eat at my place… I’ve got a nice bottle of Chablis in the fridge, and if I put my foot down the food will still be hot.’
‘Do you live near here?’ Jane asked.
‘Not far… just off Kilburn High Street.’
He leant forward and switched on the cassette player, his choice of Mozart surprising Jane. The journey was longer than he had implied, and they drove past her parents’ block of flats before turning off the Edgware Road and reaching Kilburn High Street. Dexter turned left into a wide street of four-storey Victorian houses. He parked, jumped out and retrieved the fish and chips from the boot, whilst Jane pushed open her door.
‘Out you come!’ he said, holding out his hand towards her. She clasped onto it and heaved herself up from the low-slung Porsche. Dexter locked the car and waited for her as she straightened her jacket, then gestured for her to follow him up wide stone steps to the front door. It was not exactly run-down, but the property had obviously seen better days. There was a row of bells by the front door. Dexter swung his set of keys around to unlock it and on pushing it open he gestured for her to walk ahead, kicking the door shut behind them both.
‘Keep going… up to the first floor.’
Jane climbed up the wide staircase, which would have been light and airy in daylight, as it was overlooked by big windows. A dark stair runner held down by old brass clips, and the stone steps either side, were rather grubby. She arrived at a wide corridor with a fitted grey carpet and whitewashed walls. There were two doors, both of which were painted a similar shade of grey to the carpet.
‘Number 2,’ Dexter said, selecting another door key.
Jane stood to one side as he opened it, and he let her go in ahead of him as he banged the door closed with his hip.
The floor in the hallway was stripped pinewood.
‘The kitchen is straight ahead of you,’ he said, gesturing with his head.
Jane was taken aback by the large kitchen, which was full of modern steel equipment. There was a double-doored fridge-freezer, and a large six-ringed cooker. The counters were granite, and the floor was covered in dark grey lino tiles, whilst the sinks and taps were more suited to a restaurant than a flat. There was a small utility room with a washing machine and dryer. Everything had been designed in a very modern style.
Dexter put the food down on the counter and unwrapped it, switching on the oven and putting the fish and chips into a large white oven dish.
‘Keep them nice and hot… I hate soggy chips. If you open the fridge there’s a bottle of uncorked wine. I’ll be back in a minute.’
Jane was completely surprised by his dexterity in the kitchen. She hesitated in front of the big fridge-freezer, then found the wine bottle and placed it on the counter, then she opened a few cupboards to look for some wine glasses. Jane was eager to keep occupied as she was feeling ill at ease, even more so as in every cupboard she opened she found neatly stacked white plates, cups, saucers, cereal bowls, milk jugs, and a sugar bowl. But she couldn’t find any glasses.
Dexter appeared at the door holding two fluted wine glasses. ‘The cutlery is in the top drawer. If you take these through, I’ll bring in the fish and chips.’