TOYL

head.
    ‘Then what?’
    ‘Emma found our number on Dan’s mobile phone memory,’ Miranda explained.
    ‘Is that important? I mean, he’s called here loads of times.’
    ‘He called here in the last couple of days,’ Emma said. ‘But Miranda says that she hasn’t spoken to him.’
    ‘And you think I have? You think I’d speak to Dan and not tell you about it, with all that you’re going through?’
    ‘I just need to ask.’
    ‘I haven’t spoken with him,’ said Edward, his voice cracking with emotion. ‘I promise I haven’t.’
    ‘I believe you,’ Emma said, wanting to retract the accusation and saddened by the hurt expression on her father’s face.
    ‘I would never do anything to hurt you, Em,’ he said. ‘I know things haven’t been easy for us, but I always want the best for you, and your brother.’
    ‘Okay,’ Emma said, ‘just try to keep calm.’
    ‘Dan must have called when no one was home,’ Miranda offered.
    ‘It just doesn’t make sense,’ Emma said. ‘Why doesn’t he just call me?’
    ‘I don’t know why he would have called us,’ said Edward, still sounding like someone on the defensive. ‘Just like I don’t know why he put that phone through the letterbox. Nothing about this makes sense, Emma.’
    ‘I met up with Stuart the other day,’ Emma said suddenly.
    ‘Pardon?’ said Edward. ‘You spoke with who?’
    ‘Stuart,’ Emma repeated. ‘Stuart Harris.’
    ‘What?’ Edward’s face flushed crimson. ‘I… I don’t understand. Why would you want to speak with him, after all that happened? After everything that man did to you? This wasn’t something just to get back at Dan, was it?’
    ‘No, of course not,’ Emma protested. ‘I wouldn’t do that. It wasn’t planned.’ Now she was feeling defensive herself.
    ‘Then why?’
    ‘I found out that he’d recommended me for the role in the film.’
    ‘He recommended you?’
    ‘The casting director told me, so I wanted to speak with Stuart to ask him why.’
    ‘And you met up with him?’
    She nodded.
    ‘So what did he say?’ he said, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice.
    ‘Not much. He said that he recommended me for the part because he knew I would be good in the role. He said it wasn’t a way to get me back – he didn’t even want me to know that he’d recommended me.’
    ‘And you believed him?’
    ‘I think so.’
    Edward turned his head slightly, rubbing at his face as if he was trying to wash away the images of Emma and Stuart meeting up again.
    ‘Dad,’ Emma said, ‘I’m okay. It was fine.’
    When he looked back at her, the sight was shocking. Although it was impossible, he seemed to have aged ten years in those few seconds of contemplation. He looked drained, defeated and broken.
    ‘Promise me that you’ll never see him again,’ he said softly. ‘Just that one time – never again.’
    Emma paused.
    ‘ Emma. You might have forgotten what that man did to you, but I haven’t. And I won’t let him just walk back into your life, when you’re already feeling so vulnerable, and risk it happening again. I won’t allow it.’
    ‘I have met him again,’ Emma admitted.
    Edward closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He stood up and walked towards the bay window and held onto the window ledge as if needing support.
    ‘It was at the casting party last night,’ Emma explained. ‘I didn’t know he would be there.’
    ‘Will you see him again?’ said Edward, still looking out of the window.
    ‘I… I don’t know.’
    ‘For God’s sake,’ he shouted, turning around. ‘Haven’t you had enough of being messed around?’
    Emma flinched. Her father never lost his cool.
    ‘Edward.’ Miranda stood up and moved to intercept him as he approached Emma. She placed a hand on his chest. ‘Please, calm down. We can all discuss this calmly over a nice cup of tea.’
    ‘I don’t want a bloody cup of tea,’ he bawled, straight into her face. ‘I want my daughter to stop ruining her life.’
    This time Miranda was the one to flinch.
    Suddenly Edward’s face contorted with pain and he thrust a hand to his chest.
    ‘Edward!’ Miranda said, wrapping an arm around his back.
    ‘I’m okay,’ he said, letting Miranda sit him down on one of the straight-backed chairs. ‘Just get my spray. It’s in my coat.’
    ‘Spray?’ Emma said. ‘What’s the matter? Why do you need spray?’
    ‘Angina,’ he said, grimacing.
    ‘But, why…’
    ‘He didn’t want to worry you,’