Ghigau 21

Sunday 16th July

Exa was worrying; the visit from the detective had set her mind racing. It had been a long time since she’d asked her father for any help and it wasn’t something she contemplated easily. But she knew when it came to making problems disappear, money talked. 

    The last time she had seen Aidan Hulme there had been a scene; anger, recriminations, shouting — mostly him; and tears, all hers. He wasn’t a man to show emotion, at least not to her. He’d made her feel small and worthless, referring to her art as ‘the doodles of a spoilt brat’ and had suggested that it if weren’t for her surname no-one would take her paintings seriously. Just thinking about him made her feel anxious. He had this way of twisting your words; and he never forgot anything. But somehow she still found herself craving his approval. As a little girl, their relationship had been closer, more loving. She could remember the warm feeling it gave her when he had held up a drawing she brought home from school and pronounced it ‘Another example of Hulme genius’. That was before her mother had gone; before the alcohol induced rages, the holes punched in walls and doors, the paranoia and the obsessive controlling. In more recent years Aidan had expressed regret at his earlier behaviour and tried to make amends, up to a point. Still, it was hard to truly trust a man who had once brandished a knife in your face and threatened to remove your tattoo himself.

    She picked up her phone and dialled a number.

    A girl with a soft Irish accent answered and told Exa her father wasn’t there, but her stepmother was available. Reluctantly, Exa asked to speak to her.

    “Hello?” The voice at the other end was thick with surprise.

    “Hello Anastasia,” she said.

    “Well, this is a surprise I must say,” her stepmother said, ambiguously.

    “How are you?” Exa tried to sound neutral, though the sound of Anastasia’s voice always set her teeth on edge.

    “Perfectly well Bella,” said Anastasia, using the shortened version of her name, just as her father always did. “Or should I say Exa? Or perhaps Miss Hughes? You have so many names these days my dear, it’s a little confusing.”

    That gave Exa a jolt, she hadn’t known her family knew of her nom-de-brosse. When she had started using Hughes instead of Hulme it had been because she wanted to be successful in her own right, without the help of her billionaire parent, not because she was ashamed of being the daughter of Aidan Hulme, though since she’d grown old enough to understand them, she had been appalled at his business practices.

    Exa ignored the comment. “Are you with Dad?”

    “He’s away on business darling, you know how he is.” Anastasia said. “He would be pleased to hear from you though, I’m sure.”

    She couldn’t tell if this remark was sincere or not, Anastasia’s baltic drawl made her sound sarcastic, even when she was paying you a compliment. 

    “Is he due home soon?” She asked.

    Anastasia laughed “As if he would bother to tell me when he is coming home Bella, I barely see him. We live separate lives, I am a widow in all but name as you know.”

    Exa rolled her eyes at her stepmother’s theatrical tone. “I need to speak to him.” She knew this would pique Anastasia’s interest as she very rarely phoned her father; the last time had been months ago, and then only to tell him to stop trying to interfere in her life. 

    “Oh! Do tell Bella, is it something I can help with?” Anastasia whispered conspiratorially.

    Exa hesitated, she couldn’t think of a reason not to tell Anastasia what she wanted but something told her to be discreet. “I just need some…” she hesitated. “Some advice” 

    “I see.” Said Anastasia, clearly curious. “Tell me are you still living in that horrible little flat?”

    “It’s not horrible, and you seemed to think it was good enough when you sent Tilly here.” Exa said, hotly. Somehow Anastasia always got under her skin, and she hated that she let it happen.

    There was a long pause and Exa was about to say, ‘Hello?’ thinking her stepmother had terminated the call.

    “I had my reasons, us girls have to stick together you know.” Anastasia finally said,“How is she by the way?”

    Exa took a deep breath, telling herself to calm down. “You know Tilly, a force of nature. She’s fine, getting on with her life”

    “That’s good,” said Anastasia, actually sounding like she meant it.

    “Do you know when he’ll be back?” Exa said, steering the conversation back to her father.

    Rather than answer the question, Anastasia asked one, “Would you like to meet up Bella?

    “Um, meet up, you mean down here, in London?” said Exa, stalling and trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.

    “Yes, or course in London. I’m flying down on Thursday. I’d like to see you. We could have lunch perhaps?” 

    “Are you on the estate?” Exa was referring to the 800 acre Scottish Highland estate, whose eastern flank covered almost two miles of the shore of Loch Linnhe, that Aidan Hulme had bought some years before as part of his grand plan to woo gullible investors with free hunting, shooting and fishing trips.

    “Yes, but I have to be in London on Thursday,” Anastasia said. “You never know I may be able to help, I have a little experience in business matters, not that your father ever gives me any credit for it.”

    “It’s not really a business thing.” Said Exa, feeling flustered and like she was being manipulated somehow.

    “Oh? Not business?”Anastasia said with interest, making Exa wince with regret at letting this detail slip. “If it’s something personal, perhaps it would help to talk to a woman darling? I mean, what do men know about anything?” She enunciated a hard ‘k’ after the silent ‘g’ in both ‘darling and anything’.

    “I suppose we could — ”  

    Anastasia cut her off. “Wonderful! I’m taking the helicopter so I will be at the Savoy by twelve, shall we say twelve-thirty?

    Exa was cornered, she gave in. “Um, yes, sure, I can do that. In the American bar?”

    “Perfect! Then we can have a chat over drinks and a little something to eat afterwards.” Anastasia sounded genuinely pleased. “And will you bring Tilly? She is very welcome, it would be nice to see her too.”

    Exa could just imagine how that invitation would go down. In fact she was already worrying about explaining to Tilly why she was meeting with the Queen Bitch — as Tilly had named her — at all.

    “I’ll mention it, but you know what she’s like, she’s probably got something going on with her friends.” She said diplomatically.

    Anastasia was now in too good a humour to mind. “Ah well, if it’s just you and me that’s fine. I can’t wait to escape these damned moskits, they’re eating me alive. I’ll see you on Thursday, don’t be late.” She blew kisses and then ended the call.