A TRIAL SEPARATION
She jumped at the sudden rap on the door, she hadn't really believed he would answer her peremptory summons and it almost caught her unprepared. She looked in the mirror, she'd done her best to conceal the sleepless night but she had to concede she looked pale and drawn, hardly the face she wanted to show him. She had dressed as she would have done long ago as if for school, cool, smart, businesslike, definitely in charge. She'd thought about it during the long hours of wakefulness, it was her last card and she had to play the part well but now in the cold light of approaching day she wasn't so sure. Another sharp rap at the door made her heart pound but she took a deep breath and walked through to open the door. For a moment she looked into his eyes and her heart stopped, the hairs on the back of her neck rose and the familiar butterflies fizzed in her stomach, for that second she remembered every day of wanting, no needing, to be near him, a flashback of passion and lost love. She gave herself a mental shake and deliberately stamped on every memory, every feeling, she had no room for them now. He smirked at her, "This isn't very clever Becca, it'd better be worth my while" She didn't bother to answer, walking away and leaving him to follow her into the flat and close the door. She said nothing, turned to face him, her expression inscrutable. He continued to smirk but his inability to settle betrayed his underlying nervousness. "I've asked you here to give you a chance to withdraw your allegations" she said quietly. He swung round to face her and laughed "And why should I? It's not only my word against yours, I've got the police eating out of my hand, a social worker's shoulder to cry on, and a new family who believe every word, so go on tell me why should I back down now?" "Because in spite of everything you still love me?" she replied "Because your so obsessed with me still you break in here and leave little love tokens?" The smirk vanished to be replaced by one of bewilderment, "Hang on a minute, I've never been back here since I left the keys weeks ago, I never left anything, I've never been near you!" he protested. Unfazed by his denials she moved to next part of the plan, "Whatever Justin, I didn't think you'd be man enough to admit it but it still leaves us with the charges and I'm sure that you wouldn't want to be joining me in the dock?" The smirk, temporarily banished, returned "If you think you can prove perjury, you just go ahead and try, I think you'll find they'll be more inclined to believe me after my performance in the witness box!" "Ah" she said "I think you'll find my performance to the insurance company will just about match anything you could do" He looked puzzled "Insurance?" "Oh yes" she said "my conscience has been pricking me since this whole thing began, covering for you last summer over the explosion. Mrs Hunter was always convinced you were behind it but when me and you concocted our little defence she was persuaded it was Macki, don't you remember?" He stared at her, she stared him out "But none of that's true, it was Macki, the pictures proved it!" I know that, you know that but it would be so easy to twist the truth don't you think? Macki's not here to say either way, and it would ring true coming from me, lets face it if everything you've told the police is true then it would make sense I was so infatuated with you I'd do anything to get you off the hook, even conspire to dispose of the one person who could say different?" He took a sharp intake of breath, shocked by her suggestion he could have murdered Macki, shocked that she could have used that against him. She steeled herself to continue, "The insurance company paid up for the damage but they never completely close a case if there's a possibility the culprit could be caught, you of all people know the results of arson, so sad to think you could go to prison for it when..." she stopped, she didn't think it would be this hard, to throw at him Mel and Sophie's fate, it was all she could do not to say "Sorry", she had known how to hurt him and hurt him deeply but this was war and no place for the innocent. He had swirled away from her at the mention of his sisters, but now he turned back face taut and angry but tears glinted in his eyes "You...bitch!" he flung at her, she took a step back but he made no move to approach her, they stared again and she wondered how they had come to this, tearing shreds from each other. "I'm giving you a chance to think about it, about giving my baby a chance, I'm due in court this morning, it's the last preliminary next time it's for real, I don't want that and I'll do anything, anything Justin to ensure this baby doesn't start life behind bars. So think about what I've said, I've got nothing to lose" She walked past him and opened the door wide, he waited for a moment then stalked quickly past her and down the stairs. She slammed the door shut and collapsed on the sofa, leaning back and letting out her breath with a sigh. That was the hardest part over, now all she had to do was wait. She heaved herself up from the sofa and went to fill the kettle, as she waited for it to boil she glanced towards the window sill and the tall glass vase holding a single rose.