“What about the new wife?” Manus asked, writing everything down in a small notebook.
“I’ve not met her, nor the boy and girl with her, but I did make a couple of calls to some friends back home and they’ve filled me in with what they know.” Kylie took her own notebook from her apron pocket and read out loud from it.
“The new wife is called Sonia. She’s forty, into Yoga and healthy eating. She married young and divorced her first husband when he had an affair. Apparently she’s a stunner; very slim, very attractive and used to be a model; sometimes dubiously.” I understood what she meant by that and, after a moment, the others nodded along.
“Porn?” Sara asked.
“Not full porn, just naked shots apparently when she was younger. She has a good body and looks after it. She doesn’t work now. She looks after the house, my parents’ house, doing the garden, housework and keeping herself fit and pretty.” Kylie seemed to get a bit upset mentioning the house she grew up in being in the hands of almost complete strangers.
Katy noticed this and moved next to her and, despite being naked, wrapped her arm around her asking, “And the others?”
“Kylie read from her notebook and was visibly relaxed as Katy comforted her.
“The boy and girl were fifteen when they were fostered then adopted separately by Sonia and her ex. So, none of them are related. Apparently, they are both very nice, unlike their stepbrother and sister. The boy is called Tom, twenty and works as a full-time stagehand at a west end theatre. The girl is called Milly, also twenty and all I could find out about her is that she’s very pretty. sweet, but shy. My friends think she works in a local arts and crafts shop, but that’s all.”
Manus wrote everything down and then asked for the house address, the house layout and where exactly the paintings were hanging. Kylie described it all in good detail which satisfied Manus who shut the notebook, walked over and hugged her. He knelt before her and said, “I promise you; we will do all we can to get them back for you. Trust us. Okay?”
Kylie nodded, smiled looked at us all and said,”Thank you, all of you. Thank you so much.”
“How did the evening go with Paul?” Jay asked.
“Oh, he is lovely,” Kylie replied, a big smile appearing on her face. “He’s such a gentlemen. After you left we had a meal in Wimbledon at a very nice restaurant and then he escorted me home. He didn’t try anything on, just a peck on the cheek, but we’re going out again Saturday night.”
“I’m glad it all worked out for you. I think you’ll both be very happy.” Jay said moving over and hugging Kylie.
“So do I,” she replied hugging Jay back. “And he’s honest. Very honest. He told me everything and I mean everything. His crevette slipped down and I saw the love bite. So I was honest with him.”
“You told each other about how you met us?” Jay said looking shocked, but Kylie was smiling at her. “Yes,” she replied. “And it’s okay. We have a familiar bond and we like each other, so, it doesn’t matter how we all know each other and what went on. We now have an honest bond.” Kylie stood up and went over to her trolley. “But I think I should really do your room now. Keep me updated and if me and Paul can help, we will.”
We all took the hint. Katy got dressed and said she had to go as she had a photoshoot in the afternoon and needed to go home and change first. She promised to ring later to meet up with us tonight. She left with Manus and Sara who said they would wait for us downstairs. Jay quickly had a shower, dried and dressed in her shortest summer dress while I helped Kylie change the bedsheets.
“We’ll ring you later,” I said to Kylie as we left the room getting a smile and a wave back. We went downstairs and met up with Manus and Sara. Sara told us that she would have to leave us for the day as she had a last-minute meeting arranged with a gallery owner. Apparently, this was part of the plan
“What’s our plan for today?” I asked Manus.
“We have to get in that house. We need to know the layout exactly; mainly the room where the paintings are.” He replied.
“And how do we do that?” I asked.
“You do whatever you have to do to get in there.” Sara replied, looking serious. “And I mean anything. Right Jay?”
Jay seemed to understand, probably wondering what her role in the trip would be. She nodded and said, “Okay. Whatever has to be done to get in that house will be done.”
As we headed to the door to leave I had a familiar voice close by. I turned and realised that we had been noticed by the wives; Cheryl, Mary and Sue, all dressed in skimpy, summer outfits and looking like they were heading out for the day. They saw us and came straight over smiling and waving, saying, ‘Hi,’ as they approached.
We introduced everybody to each other, giving a sly wink to Manus when I mentioned who the wives were and explained that Manus and Sara were old friends of ours. Kisses on lips were proffered by the wives, which bought an odd look from Manus, before Sara announced that she had to leave.
“You’re Dutch?” Cheryl asked Sara to which she nodded. “Oh, I love the Dutch.” Cheryl said, a small smile coming on her face, the other wives nodding along in agreement. Sara asked Manus to ring her later then left.
“What are your plans today?” Cheryl asked us, but mainly at Jay.
“We’re going on a quick trip to Dorking,” Manus replied before me and Jay could say anything.
“Doing anything interesting in Dorking?” Mary asked, also aimed at Jay.
“Looking at property for a business,” Manus added quickly.
Cheryl faced Jay and said, “Oh, that just sounds so, so boring. Why don’t you spend the day with us, Jay? Let the men do the boring stuff. We’re going for a perusal around the shops, a fancy lunch on our husband’s expenses then coming back here for drinkies.”
“That’s very sweet for you to invite me, but I think I’ll stay with the boys. They’re hopeless on their own.” She replied, gripping my hand tight.
“Nonsense,” Sue said and took Jay’s other hand. “Come with us. It’ll be fun. The boys can meet up with us later once they’re done all that boring rubbish. We girls have to stick together when the men go out to work.” Jay let go of my hand and was a bit speechless, struggling to think of an excuse before Cheryl said to me, “We’ll look after her. Our husband’s expenses accounts are vast. We’ll get her a new dress or some sexy underwear as a treat on us?”
Jay let go of my hand and said, “Okay, if you’re sure?”
“Oh, I’m sure.” Cheryl said, winking at me as she took Jay’s other hand. I gave Jay a quick peck and told her to have fun to which Cheryl replied, “Don’t worry. She will.” They led her out the door and started hailing a taxi. Just then Simon and Jim exited the lift and seeing us, came over and I introduced Manus.
“Is that Jay with the wives?” Simon asked, watching the woman getting in a black cab.
“Yes,” I replied. “We have some business to do in Dorking so they offered to take Jay out for shopping, lunch then ‘drinkies’ here later.”
We watched the cab drive off then Jim said, “Poor Jay.” He looked at me and shook his head. “Those women are fucking mental. They’ll eat her alive.”