The Seduction Game

A space that was utterly ruined.

Kate struggled for breath as she stared at K.I.T, the place that used to be her safe haven. Comforting. Familiar. And even though the evidence was right there in front of her eyes, she couldn’t take it in. Couldn’t believe this had happened.

She stepped forward, her hand automatically finding the door handle, only to let out a shocked squeal as she realized it was hanging off the door, a door that was wide open. In she went and she couldn’t quite believe what her eyes were telling her. Meg’s counter was upturned, the till splayed on the floor. All three of her desktop computers were trashed. The monitors, the drives, everything. Someone had beaten them to a pulp. Even her old laptop was on the floor, a crack running along the screen where someone had stepped on it—Kate could make out a dusty footprint.

Nothing had escaped the devastation, not even her rubber band ball or Meg’s troll collection. Their little heads decorated the space by her bar stool and Kate shook her head trying to deny what her brain was telling her.

But there was no denying it. Someone had robbed her.

Thank God it’s a Sunday. A completely stupid thing to even think, but then neither she nor Meg had been in the store. But maybe it wouldn’t have happened if they had been. Kate shook her head, unable to really even think along those lines. Unable to even think at all.

First Will and now K.I.T. The tears started again.

“Oh my God!”

Kate spun round quickly, dashing at her eyes as she did so, to see a fair-haired woman looking in through the window, shock stamped on her face.

“Do you need help? Can I help?”

“Who are you?”

“I came by to see if you did repairs.” She held up a notebook computer. “The screen keeps going all funny on me but…what happened here? It’s like a tornado hit.”

“I don’t know,” Kate said, lifting a hand to her aching head. “I mean, obviously there’s been a break-in.”

“Should I call someone?”

“No, I…” Why did the woman look and sound so familiar? Kate searched her face but couldn’t put a finger on it. “I can sort it out. You should come back next week maybe…I can look at your screen then.”

“You think you’ll have things back to normal by then? I hate to say it but someone has ransacked your store, and they’ve done a hell of a job.”

“Yes, I’ve been burglarized.”

“No.” The woman shook her head. “Computer parts are expensive, right? Look at all of them, they’re everywhere. Surely a burglar would have taken things—not smashed them up?”

“I…”

“And that’s an iPad, right?” the woman said, gingerly stepping over the glass to enter the store. “They’re hugely expensive. I know this because I have a preteen who is after one and I’ve been putting her off till Christmas because of the expense. Of course, she’ll probably just ask her uncle and he’ll buy it but…I’m sorry…I’m babbling.”

“Yes…”

“Sorry.”

“No, I meant yes, you’re right,” Kate said slowly, the truth of the woman’s words dawning on her, finally making it past the fog in her brain. “It does look like someone has ransacked the place and burglars don’t do that, do they? I mean, what would they…all this mess…”

“But who on earth would do such a thing?” the woman asked. “What’s the point?”

Kate shook her head, unable to find an answer, but then, out of nowhere, snatches of the conversation she’d heard between Will and Chris smashed into her brain and Kate gasped.

I’ve managed to fix everything, in more ways than one…

Will had done this. The thought seared her, and yet as soon as it did, it made perfect sense. He’d used her. Lied to her. Why wouldn’t he have done this, too? His final card to force her out. Perhaps he’d imagined that when she saw the devastation she would come running to him for help? He’d swoop in and comfort her. Tell her about the rising crime rates and then have her packed off to his new rent-free building. Job done. Situation sorted. Until she signed, that is. Until he got what he wanted and she was left with nothing. And as an added bonus he’d even gotten the virgin geek to give up the goods. He had gotten her into his bed, yet all the while he was probably laughing at her, amused that she had been taken in so easily by his charms. That she’d practically fallen over herself to let him persuade her.

The lump in Kate’s throat expanded, her chest throbbed, and she shook her head, desperately trying to keep the tears in check. To stop them from consuming her.

“Hey, don’t cry,” the woman said. “We can fix this. I’ll call my brother. He’ll get this sorted out. Or maybe we should call the police? Whatever you think is best.”

“Yes, the police. I need to call them, for my insurance.” The words came out automatically and Kate reached down into her bag to get her Android, only to pause when something rustled. The contract.

Will’s contract.

The lump expanded all over again and Kate wanted to scream. How could he have done this to her? To make her fall for him like this? To use her to finish a business deal? And then destroy the only other precious thing she had? How?

“Kate?”

She turned, the woman she’d all but forgotten still standing there. “Yes, I…how do you know my name?”

The woman held up her free hand and gave her a bright smile. “You got me,” she said. “It wasn’t just about a repair. I wanted to meet you. Will said you’re a workaholic just like him, so I thought I’d come see if you were here. The girls are with our mom and I just wanted to say hi, though not under these circumstances.”

“Who are you?”

And then it clicked. Will. She resembled Will. She sounded like him. Kate’s heart ached like someone had reached in it and squeezed it. “You’re Will’s sister.”

The woman smiled. “Yep. I’m Jen.”

She held out her hand and Kate eyed it in disbelief. Chris’s wife. Will’s sister. One of them. All of a sudden anger came. Bright and clear and it pushed the lump aside, gave her a spark where before there had been none. “Get the hell out of my store.”

“What?”

“You need to leave right-fucking-now.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Get out.”

Jen stepped back, her eyes wide. “Kate, I—”

“Here.” She dug into her bag, the perfect anger fueling her actions, and thrust the contract into Jen’s hands. “Tell him to update it and I’ll sign. Send it to Meg’s. From what I can gather he knows her address. He checked everything out months ago. He had everything all lined up, didn’t he? Just needed to get the geek in order—with the rest of them. Do whatever it takes, including this.”

Jen caught her breath. “You can’t think Will would have anything to do with this? For God’s sake, Will’s not like that. He’s a good guy.”

“He’s a fucking liar,” Kate spat. “He lied and he lied…I heard him with your husband. Heard how he’d planned it all. Seduce the geek and get her to sell, and if that doesn’t work, take away the last thing she has…he….” She shook her head, aware that she sounded frantic, aware, too, that the anger was dissipating and her chest was aching all over again. “Tell him if I ever see him again, it’ll be too soon,” she hissed. “Tell him if he comes near me I’ll call the police. Now get the hell out of my place!”