The Back Road

28

‘Go and get in the car, girls. Your mum’s car. I’m going to go to say goodbye and then we’ll be off. I’ll be back in a moment.’

Gary Bateman headed towards the house as his two daughters trudged despondently towards Penny’s car. He knew they didn’t want to go to his mother’s for a week, but he hadn’t got any choice, thanks to Penny. He could bloody kill her.

He walked through the open front door, glancing in the mirror as he went. Looking good, he thought, baring his ultra white teeth and thinking what a brilliant job the dentist had done. He was too good for Penny, that was for sure. He stomped up the stairs, calling his wife’s name.

‘Penny, I’m off.’ He opened the bedroom door, and couldn’t fail to hear the muffled sobs coming from the bed where Penny’s face was buried in a pillow.

‘Oh for Christ’s sake, woman, get a f*cking grip will you. If you weren’t so pathetic, I wouldn’t have had to sort you out. Now I’ve got to take the girls to my mother’s so they don’t see your miserable face. Why do you have to be so moronic? Hmm?’

‘I didn’t do anything,’ Penny whined. God she irritated him when she used that tone of voice.

‘I didn’t do anything?’ he mimicked. ‘You only said that you were going to talk to sodding Leo Harris and tell her all about our lives. Are you surprised that I got mad? Huh? It’s not f*cking rocket science, is it? Have you read the stuff she writes on her blog? Somebody needs to sort the silly bitch out, but there’s no way you’re talking to her. I hope you’ve got that.’

He advanced on the bed and grabbed a handful of Penny’s hair to drag her face out of the pillows. At the look of fear in her face, he gave a grunt of disgust, and abruptly let go.

‘You don’t tell her anything. Are you listening? Now stop snivelling, get yourself up and dressed, and I’ll see you later. I’m dropping the girls off and coming straight home for the Porsche. I’ve got to take it back today - it was supposed to be a three day loan, but I’ve already had it for four. Something else to worry about, as if I haven’t got enough.’

He stood looking down at his wife, clenched fists hanging at his side. He was sick of her, if truth be told. Three women in the house was at least two too many. Three, if the third one was Penny.

‘Remember what I said, Penny. If that bloody Leo comes spooking round… ‘

‘Hello? You there, Gary?’ The shout was coming from the hallway below. Bugger. He shouldn’t have left the front door open. He hoped he hadn’t been heard. He gave Penny a last furious glance, and headed out onto the landing, plastering a smile on his face.

‘Sean! What brings you here this morning? Got something for me, have you?’

Gary made his way downstairs to where Sean was standing.

‘Penny okay, is she? I saw the girls in the car, and they said she’s not been too good.’

Gary indicated that they should move outside to talk, out of Penny’s earshot.

‘She’s a bit under the weather. Women’s problems, you know how they get. Anyway, I’m taking the girls to my mother’s. Told them she’s got something infectious.’ Gary sneered. ‘You’d think it was terminal, they way they bloody go on, wouldn’t you. What about you?’

Sean’s expression was bleak for a few seconds, in complete contrast to his usual twinkling smile - the one the women in the village drooled over.

‘Ah, you know how it is. Life’s not great at home. If I had the money, I’d start again. Me and the kids, you know.’

‘I keep trying to convince Penny of that. Except in her case, she could keep the kids.’ Gary laughed. ‘Anyway, you can’t become single because part of your attraction to the female population of the village is the fact that you appear as some kind of hero in their eyes. You get the sympathy vote as well as points for the rugged charm, so I’m reliably informed.’

‘Penny say that, did she?’ Sean asked.

‘Penny? You must be joking. Penny doesn’t recognise anybody’s charms but mine, buddy. I wish she would. Let me off the hook a bit, if you know what I mean.

Gary glanced around him, to make sure that nobody was around.

‘Anyway, enough of the idle chit chat - how are we doing with the deal? I could do with the cash, because then I might not have to take this baby back.’ He patted the Porsche on its bonnet. ‘With a bit of luck and a following wind, I’ll be buying one just like it in a month or two.’

‘The deal’s going to plan. The money’s been transferred to me, but it’s not cleared yet. Hopefully tomorrow. That’s what I came to tell you. I’ve spoken to the bank, and I can go in for the cash. I had to be interrogated for about an hour, mind you, before they agreed to release it. Anyway, I said I needed it for materials, and they were okay with that in the end. I’ll drop it round tomorrow, unless you want to meet somewhere else?’

Gary paused for a moment. It might be better to meet away from the house.

‘I’ll give you a call on that one. When’s it all going to be made public then? When’s your private investor going to make himself known?’

‘Saturday’s the plan. He was getting cold feet, but I worked on him and got things pushed through quickly. He’s around all week, though, so he can sign the papers and stuff on Friday or Saturday and then we’re off. Technically the money’s not ours until the paperwork’s complete, but there’s only a day or two in it, so as long as you don’t spend it we should be fine.’

Gary leaned back against the car with his feet crossed and his arms folded.

‘I’m not that stupid, Sean. Penny might be too dense to notice if I bought some nice gear, but good stuff stands out a mile. It’s going in my escape fund, if you know what I mean.’

Gary stood up and glanced over at the girls.

‘I’d better be going, I suppose. They’ve been sat there a while, and they were po-faced enough about going to my mother’s as it was.’

The two men walked down the drive together.

‘When I arrived, I thought I heard you talking about Leo,’ Sean said. ‘It’s the first time I’ve met her. What do you make of her?’

‘Well, I don’t have much time for the life coach crap. I’ve told Penny to steer clear. But Leo? Well I’d certainly give her one - if only to see that aloof, snotty look wiped off her face. What about you? You’re the village stud after all.’

Sean laughed.

‘I don’t think I’d better comment on that. She’s not much like Ellie, though, is she?’

‘Ah Ellie. Now there’s a special case. Sees the best in everybody, that woman. Did you see how long she spent talking to that tit Charles the other night? God, I could hardly bear the suspense when he opened his mouth to speak, wondering what pearls of wisdom he was going to bestow on us. But Ellie looked enthralled. That’s the sort of person she is. Anyway, enough of lusting after other women. I’d better go. Talk to you tomorrow, Sean.’

Gary raised his hand to Sean as he walked towards Penny’s car, thoughts of women and the idiotic games they insisted on playing running through his head.

But he could handle Penny. She wasn’t the problem - it was the other one. He was tired of waiting. He was being played, and he didn’t like it. Not one little bit.

* * *

Nobody could miss the elegant and flamboyant figure of Fiona Atkinson as she walked up the High Street. Leo had decided that as the sun was less fierce today they could risk eating outside, and she could see Fiona was attracting a fair few stares as she headed towards the wine bar. Dressed in a simple but beautifully cut raspberry red shift dress that on its own would have been enough to draw attention, she had topped this off with a large black straw sunhat and a huge pair of sunglasses. She looked as if she should have been lunching in Paris rather than Little Melham.

‘Am I late, Leo?’ Fiona asked. ‘I decided to have a massage after my session at the gym this morning, and I think we got carried away with the time.’

Leo smiled. Despite Ellie thinking that she was at daggers drawn with Fiona, she actually found her quite amusing, and enjoyed the fact that they could vaguely insult each other without either taking the least offence. She didn’t remember much about Fiona from school - only that she was a bit scruffy, and although she’d been Ellie’s friend, friends were never welcome at Willow Farm. Since Fiona had moved back to the village, Leo had met her several times at Ellie’s old house, and she found her assumed airs and graces mildly entertaining.

While she’d been waiting, Leo had ordered herself a glass of wine, which arrived as Fiona sat down.

‘Sorry about this, Fiona. I didn’t know how long you’d be. Shall I get a bottle now, or would you like a glass of something different?’ Leo asked.

‘Just a glass of San Pellegrino for me, please. I make it a rule not to drink during the week. I have to look after myself, you know.’ Fiona laughed, as if to suggest that simply by looking at her one could see how her self-discipline was paying off.

‘Why do you feel like that, do you think?’ Leo asked.

‘Like what? Oh don’t start all that life coach bull with me, Leo. I know what you’re getting at. Why do I think I always have to look at the top of my game? Is that what you’re after?’

Leo just smiled and waited for Fiona to talk.

‘I want to look my best at all times. I never want Charles to be ashamed of me. I like to keep myself and my home in perfect order, so that we can be happy and comfortable. And you don’t hear Charles complaining, do you?’

Charles. The mention of his name brought Leo back to earth with a bump. Here they were, having a bit of light-hearted banter, when dark secrets seemed to be lurking around every corner.

‘So you think that the perfect body, wonderful clothes and a stunning home is the key to marital bliss, do you?’ Leo asked, determined to carry on as if nothing had shaken her.

‘Look, Leo, could we please order lunch? If this is going to be an inquisition, I need some fuel. And perhaps I will break my own rule and have a glass of something light. A pinot grigio, maybe.’

For the next five minutes, Leo and Fiona studied the menu although Leo was fairly sure that Fiona would probably eat little more than a lettuce leaf or two. She wanted to know about Charles, and the gossip in the shop had suggested there was more to Fiona’s story than Leo was aware of. But a full blown interrogation was never going to work.

They ordered their meals and settled back to sip the wine.

‘Speaking of a stunning home, where are you living now? You’re at the far end of the village, aren’t you?’

‘Yes. About half a mile that way.’ Fiona vaguely pointed with her hand over her shoulder. ‘The house is a bit large for the two of us, but obviously we do have to entertain from time to time - for Charles’ work of course. We’re considering whether to add a conservatory actually; one that stretches the full length of the house so that we can have dinner parties there. The house backs onto the fields, and the views are divine so a conservatory would be a perfect addition to the property.’

Leo resisted the temptation to poke fun at Fiona. Sometimes there was a smugness about her that just begged for a caustic remark.

‘The design we’ve been working on is a bit more ambitious than an oblong box bolted onto the back of the house,’ Fiona continued. ‘So we need to get the plans finalised, and then get the relevant permissions. I don’t think it will be a problem. I’m rather hoping that deliciously sexy builder of Ellie’s will do the work. I’ve spoken to him about it on a couple of occasions and he’s been to check it out. He seems to think that we might be able to achieve what I want. And I’m sure it will all be approved.’

‘Do you think Sean’s sexy, then? Not my type,’ Leo said as her smoked chicken and bacon salad was placed on the table in front of her. Fiona’s lips turned up at one corner.

‘I didn’t think you had a type, Leo. A bit like me, I always thought. Indifferent to the charms of men. Or at least I was. I think it’s time for a change. What about you, though? Why haven’t you succumbed?’ Fiona signalled to the waiter for another glass of wine. It seemed that once she’d decided she was drinking, there was no stopping her. And what was she talking about? Time for a change?

‘You know me. I was brought up by a man who showed me quite clearly the way men think,’ Leo said. ‘Of themselves, principally. That’s been my experience, for what it’s worth. I don’t know if you remember my father, but I’m on a bit of a mission to find out what happened to him. Ellie seems to have made him into some kind of plaster saint, and until we know what happened to him she’s not going to let it go.’

Fiona was intent on fishing the most minute piece of shell from her crab salad.

‘Some things may be best left alone, you know Leo. Sometimes it’s better not to turn over too many stones, because you don’t know what might be crawling around under there.’ Fiona finally seemed to extract what she was looking for, and removed it to her side plate.

‘In my father’s case, I’m sure you’re right,’ Leo responded. ‘There must be some good guys out there, but boy do you have to be lucky. Charles seems the steady type, though, in spite of his rather out of character confession on Saturday night. Were you all right with that?’

Fiona gave her usual tinkling laugh, although to Leo it sounded ever so slightly hollow.

‘I was a bit cross with him. I don’t know why he said that, because Charles would no more have an affair than do a bungee jump dressed as a banana.’

Leo nearly choked on her wine as an image of a long and yellow Charles sprang into her mind.

‘Good grief, what on earth made you come up with that particular analogy?’ Leo asked, laughing openly at Fiona’s strangely serious expression.

‘I don’t know. It was the most ridiculous thing that I could think of; that, and Charles having an affair.’

‘Did he give you any excuse for his comment, particularly if it wasn’t true?’ Leo asked.

‘He said that I was behaving like a strumpet. His words, not mine. I thought I was just having a good time, and it was a bit of a gloomy old night, wasn’t it? Anyway, he thought that it might shock me into silence; a strategy which unfortunately failed. I know you think he’s a boring old fart, Leo, and to some extent you might be right. But he does have some redeeming features you know.’

‘I’m sure he does, and as long as you’re happy that’s all that counts.’

Leo was watching Fiona’s face carefully. She didn’t seem to be behaving any differently to normal and didn’t give the impression that she was worried about anything, and particularly not Charles.

‘Well, you have to admit that it was good of him to agree to move back up here even though he has a hell of a commute, and he’s away from home every night except Saturday and Sunday, so I have the house - and my bed - to myself.’

Leo took a mouthful of the delicious salad. She needed to keep an impassive face. She swallowed the food and took a sip of water.

‘Does he never come home until Saturday, then? Could he not get back on a Friday night?’ she asked, as if it were of no real interest.

‘When we first moved up here, he used to come home on Friday, but recently he’s said that at the end of a long week it’s good to go back to his own flat to relax, and then make the journey on a Saturday morning. I don’t mind, if that works best for him.’

Leo said nothing. If Charles hadn’t been here on Friday night, what did the police want to talk to him about? Did Fiona know?

‘He’s not gone back this week, though,’ Fiona added, frowning. ‘He said he’d decided to take a week off, although God knows why. He’s hanging around the house looking bored, as if I’m supposed to provide him with some entertainment. For me, it’s life as normal. If that means that I have to go out, he will have to amuse himself. I have a feeling that he thought Saturday night was a bit upsetting all round and that maybe I would be grateful for his support. I have absolutely no idea where he got that notion from.’

‘When you came into the shop yesterday, the natives were all a bit over-excited about the accident,’ Leo said, thinking carefully about her every word. ‘You know what this place is like - without gossip, I think some of the locals would die of boredom.’

‘True - and I’ve been at the sharp end of that gossip more than once, I can tell you. But I’ve heard nothing about the accident. I thought you might know more - with Ellie looking after the girl, Max and Pat knowing her from school and you all having the benefit of the dashing policeman next door. I would have thought if anybody was in the know, it would be you.’

Leo shook her head, more convinced than ever that Fiona knew nothing, but surprised that Charles had made a sudden decision to stay in Cheshire this week. Why would he do that? Leo felt a jolt of concern for Fiona who she realised was watching her, waiting for her response.

‘Ellie says Abbie’s still in a coma, poor kid. Pat seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, and the dashing policeman as you call him isn’t a policeman at the moment, and if he was I doubt he would share anything. I understand they’ve been interviewing everybody who was caught on camera on Friday night, though.’

Fiona glanced up from her food, and looked at Leo through slightly narrowed eyes. She’s assessing what I know, Leo thought. She leaned back in her chair, careful to keep her face blank.

Fiona placed her knife and fork together on the plate.

‘Well, I wish I could help with their investigations, but I can’t. I was home alone - only the television and a Friday night bottle of wine to keep me company, I’m afraid. Friday is the start of the weekend, before you ask, Leo. So wine is permitted.’

Leo resisted the temptation to ask why Tuesday was being excluded from the alcohol rules, but further conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Fiona’s phone.

Glancing at the screen, Fiona said, ‘I’m sorry, but I do need to take this.’ She pressed to accept the call.

‘Hello there,’ she said in a silky voice. ‘I’m so sorry, but it’s not convenient to chat right now. I’m having lunch with a friend.’

There was a pause.

‘No, I can’t I’m afraid - this week isn’t entirely suitable. Charles is staying in Cheshire for the week. Perhaps next week? I’m sorry. I do know that this,’ she glanced across at Leo, ‘isn’t exactly how we had expected things to progress, but it can’t be helped.’ She paused again, and the silky smooth tones hardened slightly. ‘Well, unfortunately there’s nothing I can do about it, so perhaps you can hang on until you hear from me.’ She hung up. ‘Sorry, Leo. Only a friend wanting to get together. It will have to wait.’

Leo didn’t think that fitted with Fiona’s earlier attitude to Charles’ unwelcome stay in Cheshire, but decided to keep quiet. An interesting tone of voice, too.

She steered the conversation towards innocuous topics, and while they waited for the coffee they talked about Ellie and Max’s restoration of Willow Farm, and inevitably chatted about Pat, Georgia and Mimi. It wasn’t until the coffee had been served that they got back to the subject of Fiona.

‘You know, I don’t think you ever said what made you decide to return to Little Melham,’ Leo said. ‘I know you’ve been back for a few years now - but why here when there are so many other places in the country that you could choose to go?’

Fiona absently stirred her coffee while she appeared to be thinking of a suitable response.

‘You and I are quite similar you know, Leo. I know you don’t think so, but we both have things to prove - to ourselves if to nobody else. You probably remember that I came from what was always considered to be the rough end of the village. My father was a layabout, and my mother was a cleaner, for God’s sake. Everybody looked down on us, and so I wanted to come right back here and show them. Prove that I could move up in the world. I didn’t want them remembering me as the girl who had nothing.’

Fiona took a careful sip of her hot coffee, but Leo could see a layer of pain beneath the composure. Fiona was holding her head high, but was gently stroking one arm with her other hand, as if offering herself comfort.

‘It’s a shame you felt like that,’ Leo said. ‘I’m sure that Ellie never thought of you as anything but her friend - and being a cleaner is a good, honest job. Where would we be without them? I don’t think you had anything to prove at all.’

Fiona put her coffee cup back in its saucer with infinite care, avoiding Leo’s eyes.

‘It’s easy for you to say, Leo, but I left Little Melham under a cloud of suspicion with a young heart that was broken in pieces. I wanted to come back in style.’

Leo leaned forward towards Fiona.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t want to upset you.’

‘You haven’t, but you have a way of wheedling things out of people, Leo, and it’s not a very attractive trait.’

A raw nerve had been struck, but Leo had more sense than to try to probe any further. She tried to remember what Ellie had said to her on Saturday night - that there were things about Fiona that she couldn’t divulge. And although Leo remembered that Fiona had left the village, it was only yesterday that it was suggested that this was under something of a cloud. But as a topic, it was clearly closed.

‘What I’d really like,’ Fiona said, ‘is another cup of coffee, and a change of subject.’

Leo turned round to look for the waitress.

‘Huh? I don’t bloody believe it,’ Fiona muttered, as a shadow was cast over their table.

Leo turned back.

‘Hello, ladies. Mind if I join you for coffee?’

‘Yes I do,’ said Fiona. ‘What are you doing here? Are you checking up on me?’

As always, Charles seemed impervious to Fiona’s rudeness, and Leo wasn’t sure what to make of his sudden appearance. He pulled up a chair from one of the other tables and sat down.

‘I happened to be passing, and remembered you saying you were meeting Leo. I thought it would be nice to buy you both a cup of coffee. What have you been chatting about?’

‘Nothing that would interest you,’ Fiona responded. ‘That’s why girls have lunch together, so that we don’t have to discuss the bloody economy.’

‘Ah, all clothes and make-up is it. Well, carry on. Don’t mind me.’

Fiona cast him an irritated glance, and Leo knew that Charles had effectively brought an end to their conversation. But the more she thought about the nuggets of information that Fiona had revealed, the more convinced she was that whatever Charles was up to, he wasn’t the only one with something to hide.