‘I see,’ she said testily, ‘may I sit down?’
‘No, because you won’t be stopping’ said Matt. ‘ I’ve got a patient in five minutes.’
‘Charles won’t like it if he hears you’ve been less than friendly towards me.’
Matt threw his head back and laughed. ‘You sound like a child.’
‘You’ve never liked me.’
‘Yes, you’re right, I never have. Now, why are you here?’
‘I want you to get out of Charles’ life.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘I don’t want him being close to a gay man.’
‘Well, Charlie and I…’
‘…his name is Charles!’
‘I’ve known him as Charlie for twenty years and that’s how I’ll always know him!
Natasha pursed her lips and stuck her chin out. ‘You will get out of Charles’s life.’
Matt was in no mood for this bullshit from Little Miss Gold digger. His friendship with Charlie had been somewhat strained of late but that was largely due to Natasha’s influence on his friend’s thinking. He stood up and watched her breathe in. She knew she was no match for him but she was so stupid that she’d thought she could just walk in here and get him to agree to break up his oldest and most meaningful friendship.
‘You must be very insecure of your man,’ said Matt, smirking.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well if you don’t want him to be best friends with a gay man then that speaks volumes about your perceptions of your own womanhood,’ said Matt. He watched the reaction in her eyes. She had no idea what he was talking about. ‘Do you think I spend my life thinking of ways to bring him onto my side of the road?’
‘Don’t be disgusting.’
‘Ooh sorry, did I strike a nerve? Are you going to lock him up every day so that pretty boys and pretty girls won’t flirt with him?’
‘I give Charles everything he needs,’ said Natasha, defiantly, ‘he will always remain faithful to me unlike his first wife. Ooh sorry, she’s a friend of yours isn’t she.’
‘You’re not worth the ground she could spit on.’
Natasha giggled. ‘Ooh sorry, did I strike a nerve?’
‘What do you want, Natasha?’
‘For you to stay out of his life,’ said Natasha, ‘you won’t object to him selling his share of this practice, you won’t object to him re-negotiating his divorce settlement, and you won’t object to whatever I decide we do with his brats.’
‘What do you mean by that? They’re my godchildren!’
‘Yes, well they’ll be going away to boarding school once I’m in charge.’
‘But Wendy wouldn’t want that,’ said Matt.
‘Really? Well that’s a shame isn’t it because poor, pitiful Wendy won’t be able to have a say. And that’s because she’ll be dead!’
Matt slapped her face hard, so hard that she had to step back. She rubbed her face as she brought her head back up. Matt could well see a look of triumph in her eyes and he could kick himself for having lost control.
‘Thank you,’ said Natasha, ‘you’ve just given me every reason to get Charles just where I want him.’
*
Canon Brendan O’Farrell walked into the presbytery study just as Father Philip Evans was finishing a phone call.
‘Who were you talking to there, Phillip? Did I hear you say the name of Angela? It wasn’t Angela Barker the psycho-therapist now, was it?’
‘Now why would you think that, Brendan?’
‘Because I overheard another of your phone conversations yesterday when it was quite clearly Angela Barker you were speaking to because you also mentioned the name of Sean Patrick O’Brien. Now do you mind telling me what’s going on?’
‘Alright, Brendan,’ said Phillip, stretching out his legs and sitting back in his chair. ‘I decided that she deserves our help with Mr. O’Brien.’
‘On what basis?’
‘On a purely Christian basis, Brendan. Now I know you said all records were destroyed in a fire but there must be something that can be done for her? I want to try and see what that is.’
‘After I’d already dealt with the matter you decided to wade in yourself?’
‘Yes, Brendan,’ said Phillip, ‘because I believe we owe a responsibility to those children who we sent across the world on a pack of lies. You said as much yourself, Brendan.’
‘You’re meddling in things you don’t understand, Phillip,’ warned Brendan.
‘Well then enlighten me, Brendan,’ said Phillip who’d never seen Brendan look as grave as he did right now. ‘What’s wrong with us helping Angela to help Sean Patrick?’
‘I’ve already given you an answer to that, Phillip.’
‘Except that no, you haven’t, Brendan’ said Phillip. ‘No disrespect but I’ve listened to you preaching the language of liberation and proper hope and I’ve been greatly inspired by it. I’d go so far as to say that your example and the views you put across in our conversations will help to make me not only a better priest but also a better man. You recognise the reality of modern life for so many of our flock and I think that’s laudable in a man as senior as you in the church. But then along comes a woman working with someone who clearly could’ve been damaged by what the church did to him all those years ago and you won’t help her? Why, Brendan? I just don’t get it.’
‘I’ll only give God an answer to that one, Phillip,’ said Brendan.
‘Brendan, Sean Patrick O’Brien will be released in a few weeks time,’ said Phillip. He couldn’t understand Brendan’s attitude towards all this. Did he have something to hide? He’d barely be able to believe it of someone like Brendan if he did because it must be something pretty awful for him to act the way he is. Brendan was one of the good guys. Or so Phillip had thought.
‘And your point is, Phillip?’
‘Well what are you going to do if he comes knocking on the door himself looking for answers? What are you going to say to him then?’
*
Matt was sitting in the staff room at the surgery eating a chicken and avocado sandwich for lunch. He’d made it himself and brought it from home because shop bought sandwiches were a nightmare for him. He detested mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle, mustard and all the other unnecessary crap they put on pre-packed sandwiches. And why did they always mix tuna with bloody mayo? Why couldn’t they mix it with a little olive oil and some black pepper? That’s what he did with it when he wanted to make a tuna sandwich. He was with the French when it came to cuisine. It should be kept simple and uncomplicated so as not to confuse the pallet with too many unnecessary additional flavours.
He’d just got to the leader section of the Independent when Charlie came in and slammed the door shut behind him. Matt decided to ignore the display of tantrum and stood up and walked over to the kettle.
‘I was just about to make myself some tea,’ said Matt without looking at his friend. ‘Do you want one?’
‘No’ answered Charlie, flatly.
‘What’s wrong with you?’
‘Like you don’t know?’
‘If you expect me to apologise for slapping Natasha then you’ll have to wait for a cold day in Hell, Charlie.’
Charlie marched up to Matt and grabbed his arm. He pulled him round so they were facing each other. Matt was startled by the move but then they both paused. They stood there, up close and almost personal, staring each other down.
‘You’ve got to give it up, Matt’ said Charlie.
‘Give what up?’ asked Matt who felt strangely calm despite Charlie’s obvious fury. His small light green eyes were narrowed and his short light brown hair framed an anxious face. Were those beads of sweat that Matt could see on his forehead?’
‘This way you have of interfering in my bloody life! For the last twenty years every time I’ve turned you’ve always been there with your looks and your comments and lately your downright hostility.’
‘Well that’s rich coming from you at this moment.’
‘And your remarks that you think are so fucking clever. Well they’re not clever and neither are you. You’re just sad. And you can’t bare it because I’m happy.’
‘Is that what you call it?’
‘And what would you know? Thirty-eight years old and you’ve never got past half a dozen dates with a man before he’s got fed up with you.’
‘That wasn’t called for, Charlie.’
‘No, but it hit home. I can see that. Oh but let’s not leave out all the married men who’ve used your body to satisfy their curiosity. They’re the only ones who stick around because they’re getting everything and you’re getting fuck all.’
Mark swallowed hard. ‘ Have you finished?’
‘You’re so trapped in your fucked up little excuse for a life that you can’t bare it that I’ve been able to find happiness twice in my life.’
‘Do you know what Natasha is planning to do with the boys?’
‘She’s planning to love them like they were her own.’
Matt smirked as he sensed getting the upper hand. ‘Is that what she told you?’
‘That’s what she told me and I believe her so take that fucking look off your face.’
‘I’m not the sad one here, my friend,’ said Matt, ‘she’s planning on sending them to boarding school. She’s got it all mapped out. She’ll make up some cock and bull story about how distressed she gets watching them grieve for their mother and then she’ll come up with what she sees as the perfect solution. Then she’ll sell it to you and you’ll buy it because you won’t want to let her down again after putting all the other changes she wants to make to your life on hold. She’ll use Wendy’s death to get the boys as far away from you as possible so she can have you all to herself.’
‘You’re lying.’
‘You mean she hasn’t told you about her little plan? Well, well, well. Seems like that happiness you’re so boastful about doesn’t always come with the truth attached.’
Charlie lifted his hand and placed it on Matt’s face. Matt was aware of his heart beginning to pound away. The pace of his breathing increased and he felt himself flush. Suddenly Charlie was only a thin line away and this was the moment he’d waited twenty years for.
And then they were kissing. Not just affectionate pecks but deep throat tongue exploration type of kissing. Matt’s hands went inside Charlie’s jacket and round his back. He could feel Charlie’s kisses behind his ears and on his neck and groaned out loud with pleasure. Then all of a sudden, just as the fire was burning nicely, Charlie stopped. He clutched the lapels of Matt’s open necked shirt and was catching his breath.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Matt.
‘I can’t’ Charlie spluttered.
‘You can’t do this to me, Charlie,’ said Matt. ‘I’ve been waiting a lifetime for this to happen.’
Charlie was almost in tears and couldn’t life his head to look at Matt. ‘I’m sorry’ he said. ‘But I can’t.’
‘Charlie, please don’t go’ Matt pleaded.
Charlie then stepped back further before turning and leaving the room, leaving a confused and devastated Matt standing there.
Sara Hoyland and Joe Alexander interviewed Nick Jackson at the station and he confirmed that he’d been Michelle Clarke’s lover for over a year and that, on her behalf, he’d approached two men who he’d known in the building trade as being the ones to approach if he needed their particular talents.
‘How easy did you find it to break the law, Mr. Jackson?’ asked Joe. He hadn’t known what to think about Nick Jackson when he’d first come in and he still didn’t as Jackson sat there not giving much away other than the words that came out of his mouth. He was certainly dressed in the nouveau riche attire of the working class lad made good. The collar of his light blue polo shirt was turned up, his blue jeans looked suitably expensive and both garments were neatly pressed. Finishing off the ensemble were a pair of trainers that, predictably, looked like they’d come from the top end of the market. Joe couldn’t help but put himself in Jackson’s position, although their situations weren’t exactly the same. Carol’s husband deserved to have some violent act perpetrated against him but although Joe would like to initiate that, he knew he couldn’t in case a paper trail led back to him and his job. Carol had been really showing the strain lately but all Joe could do was love her as best he could and, though it really wasn’t easy, not apply any pressure on her. But that was difficult when he loved her so much.
‘I did it for Michelle,’ said Jackson, ‘that idiot she’s married to doesn’t appreciate her.’
‘So you arranged to have him beaten up,’ said Sara, incredulously. ‘Tell me, are Relate recommending that as a therapy these days?’
Jackson looked up and snarled. ‘I don’t suppose you’ll solve any cases with that kind of sarcasm, Detective.’
Sara banged her hand on the table. ‘Just remember why you’re in here, Mr. Jackson, and let’s have less of the backchat if you don’t mind. Now you arranged for two men to have an innocent man beaten up. You’re in a lot of serious trouble, Mr. Jackson, but you can mitigate the consequences of your actions if you co-operate.’
Jackson looked serious but Joe thought he could see traces of some kind of capitulation in his eyes. Jackson rubbed his chin. ‘What would that involve?’
‘Well you could start by giving us the names and addresses of the two men you hired,’ said Sara who didn’t have one iota of sympathy for the arrogant little prick. He and Michelle Clarke were made for each other.
Jackson paused and then gave the names and addresses of Declan and Mick McDermott.
‘But you’ll be wasting your time going there to find them,’ said Jackson.
‘Why is that?’ asked Sara. ‘Have you given us the wrong address?’
‘No,’ said Jackson, ‘because after what they saw they legged it to Ireland. Apparently, seeing a woman having her throat cut isn’t a pleasant experience.’
*
Matt walked down the stairs in his house and could still feel Adrian inside him. Adrian was a big boy and he could always feel him for several hours after he’d been round. After Charlie had played out his little drama the other day, Matt didn’t know if he really wanted to carry on seeing Adrian. If he thought there was even the slightest chance with Charlie then nobody else would matter. But he had no idea how it would play out and in the meantime he wasn’t going to cut off his nose to spite his face by turning Adrian down. He liked the policeman. He liked having him in his bed and for a moment or two it had made him feel better.
‘Have you got everything?’ Matt asked. Adrian was already standing in the hallway ready to go.
‘I’m really sorry I can’t stay,’ said Adrian who pulled Matt to him and put his hands together in the small of Matt’s back. ‘But I really can’t.’
‘KFC bargain night again?’ asked Matt cheekily who was stark naked in contrast to Adrian who was back in his suit, shirt and tie.
Adrian smiled. ‘No, my Mum is coming round to have dinner with us and also, Penny is still a bit fragile after the miscarriage. I’m a naughty boy for taking this time out really.’
‘Did you really not know she was pregnant?’ Matt asked, his hands gently rubbing Adrian’s shoulders through the cover of his shirt and jacket. He wished Adrian hadn’t got up and put his clothes back on as soon as he’d brought Matt off. Giving Adrian a pearl necklace through the thick hairs on his chest was sexually satisfying but Matt wouldn’t have minded a bit of intimacy afterwards. He wanted to tell somebody about what had happened with Charlie the other day and how Charlie had been with him since but then he wondered if Adrian would be the right person to tell all of that too. It might come a bit too close to home.
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Adrian. ‘We’d talked about it and I’d said I didn’t want another one but let me tell you, Matt, women rule the world with their wombs. Half the time they never discuss with their man if they want to have a child. They just decide they want one and go ahead and get themselves pregnant. I’ll be honest, it makes a lot of men feel completely powerless.’
‘And how are things between the two of you?’
‘We’re okay,’ said Adrian, ‘we need to talk about it but it’s not the right time yet. I’ve learned enough from my male lover to know when it’s time to be sensitive.’
‘I’ll make a new man out of you yet’ said Matt who thought it was cruelly ironic that he’d influenced Adrian to be sensitive with everyone but Matt himself.
‘You will but look, thanks for everything in the restaurant. Penny keeps saying how lovely you were to her.’
‘That was Matt the doctor’ said Matt. ‘I was just doing my job, sir.’
Adrian kissed Matt’s forehead. ‘Well I’m grateful’ he said. He then kissed Matt again.
‘If you keep doing that I’ll be dragging you back upstairs.’
‘Then I’d better go.’
‘You’ll be back soon?’
‘You can bet your life on it.’
At that moment they were both shaken by the brick that came flying through one of the glass panels in Matt’s front door and landed heavily on the floor just a metre or so from where they were standing.
‘What the fuck!’ Adrian exclaimed.
They were still holding onto each other when Natasha appeared in the gap left by the broken glass. ‘I hope you’re satisfied, Schofield! Because of you I’ve been dumped by Charles and now you’re going to pay… she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Matt with her brother-in-law Adrian. Then she started to laugh ‘…oh thank you, God. What a fucking result!’
Adrian went chasing after her. She had a pink velour tracksuit on and her mascara was running down the cheeks of her face. Her hair was tied back. She had a sledgehammer in her hand and was poised ready to do damage to Matt’s car.
‘Don’t come any closer’ she warned.
‘Natasha, it’s not what you think’ said Adrian.
‘Oh beauty! That stupid cliché has just cost your lover his headlights.’
Natasha then smashed both of Matt’s headlights.
‘Natasha, please…’ Adrian pleaded. His whole world could come crashing down on him if he wasn’t careful. He may have to let her take her vengeance out on Matt if he could agree to her not saying anything to Penny about why he was there.
‘…how long has it been going on?’
‘About six months.’
‘And does my sister know?’
‘No, Natasha, she doesn’t.’
That earned Matt a massive dent in the bonnet of his car after Natasha had brought her sledgehammer down on it.
‘Well she will be pleased when I tell her.’
‘No, Natasha, please don’t do that’ Adrian pleaded, ‘[please don’t do that to her.’
‘Me do that to her? You’re the one who’s been sleeping with another man behind her back. You fucking disgust me!’
‘I know and I understand, Natasha’ said Adrian who was scared shitless about what this bitch of his sister-in-law would do. How could he explain to Penny about Matt? She’d never be able to understand it. Christ, this was a fucking nightmare!
‘Liar!’ screamed Natasha who then smashed the windscreen on Matt’s car. She was determined to destroy as much of it as she could. ‘You’re a liar! And so is that bastard inside who’s destroyed my life!’
A crowd of Matt’s neighbours were gathering round to watch the show. Adrian noticed but he had to ignore their stares. He had to stay focused on Natasha and what she might do next. He stepped closer to her and held out his hand.
‘Natasha, please give the sledgehammer to me.’
‘Why? I haven’t stopped having fun yet?’
‘You really don’t want to do this, Natasha.’
‘Oh yes I flaming well do! So what’s it all about, this Brokeback Mountain thing you’ve got going on? I must admit, I’d never have expected it of you. Oh no, I thought you were just another boring straight man who didn’t have any guts.’
‘He seduced me, Natasha, I’d never done anything like this before … ‘
‘…and with what did he seduce you? I mean, does he give better head than Penny does? Is that it?’
‘Natasha, there’s no need for talk like that.’
‘Well what is it then because I can’t work it out!’
Matt had got himself dressed and came as quietly as he could out of his back door. He’d heard everything that had been said. Natasha was so engrossed in her argument with Adrian that she didn’t even notice Matt creeping up behind her. She was about to send her sledgehammer crashing through another of his car windows when he lunged forward and grabbed her. She screamed. She struggled but Matt was intent on stopping her doing anymore damage and he managed to wrestle her down to the ground.
‘Put the sledgehammer down!’ he commanded.
‘Fuck you!’
‘I said put it down!’
‘Get off me!’
‘I will once you’ve put the sledgehammer down.’
She thrashed around all over the place trying to break free but Matt’s grip was too firm. Eventually she dropped the sledgehammer. It fell onto the driveway next to his car and he looked up appealingly at Adrian for him to pick it up and take it away.
‘Well don’t just stand there!’ cried Matt as he continued to struggle with a determined Natasha. Adrian looked like he was in the presence of some dangerous animal that he didn’t know how to handle. ‘Pick the bloody thing up, Adrian!’
Adrian picked up the sledgehammer and moved it to a safe distance several metres away. He didn’t know whether to just go or stay in case he might be needed. He decided to stay.
‘Get off me you home wrecking bastard!’ screamed Natasha.
Matt almost laughed at that. Was it the best she could do? Maybe under the circumstances he shouldn’t expect more in the way of wit from the brain dead trolley dolly.
‘Now you listen to me,’ he said, firmly as he tightened his grip around her. He looked over to Adrian who was still doing nothing except to just stand there. ‘You don’t walk into my life and start calling the shots. Make sure you remember that. Charlie dumped you because you’re a selfish, manipulative little bitch who tried to use the fatal illness of his first wife and the mother of his children to get your own way. You’re scum, Natasha. You’re nothing but gold digging scum and now Charlie has finally woken up to that. Now you get off my property and expect a very large repair bill tomorrow.’
Matt loosened his grip around Natasha. She looked round at him but realised her little performance was all over as she stood up and sloped off back to her car. She got in and drove off. Matt got himself back onto his feet and walked back towards his front door, stopping when he got to Adrian.
‘Matt, I don’t know what to say.’
‘Call yourself a police officer? She could’ve knocked down my fucking house and you’d have stood there.’
‘I didn’t know what to do!’ pleaded Adrian, rather feebly. ‘She’s my sister-in-law for God’s sake.’
‘Oh just go home now, Adrian! And don’t come round here again.’
*
Angus Carleton drove out of the staff car park that was to the east of Terminal 2 at Manchester airport. It had been a difficult flight back from the Greek island of Corfu. The weather had been absolutely shit from Switzerland onwards and hadn’t let up until they were halfway across England and about to make their approach into Manchester. The passengers had all complained because he and the Captain had told the cabin crew to suspend the service for half an hour whilst they went through a rather nasty and unpredictable area of turbulence. It seemed like the mass of the travelling public didn’t mind crew risking life and limb as long as they got their tax free goods.
His car was a dark blue Renault Megane that his parents had helped him buy when he first qualified as a pilot. His mother and her long-time boyfriend Malcolm were coming up from Surrey this weekend to spend it with him and Susie and the four of them were going out to a rather posh restaurant in Prestbury with Susie’s parents. They were also going to go to Susie’s brother Matt’s place for Sunday brunch. Angus’ Mum and Malcolm liked Matt. But then everybody liked Matt. It was such a shame, thought Angus, that Matt couldn’t find anybody to love him as well as like him. He was still working on trying to find him a beau but all the stewards he worked with, although great fun, were all a bit too fabulous and Angus knew that would put Matt off. Either that or they were pretentious, snooty little bastards who pursed their lips at anybody they deemed to be beneath them, which often turned out to be the entire world except themselves. That would certainly put Matt off. His future brother-in-law was definitely a substance over style man. He didn’t care what you did or where you came from. It was about who you were now that mattered to him.