Armington

"If that coward Todd Marshall. hadn't been so scared of you that he took off in the wrong direction, Marie would have got here sooner than that. Marie fell off that stupid stage in Stacey's bar and broke her ankle. Todd and June were bringing her here when you turned up. Todd shit himself when he saw you. Your bloody reputation doesn't do you any favours boy. He thought you would kill him before he could explain, so he took off as fast as he could."

"Young June was supposed to tell you what had happened to Marie's leg. But she couldn't get you to stop. Her boyfriend went in to get your friends out to help calm you down but, by the time they came out, you had gone. Most of them were well drunk but that didn't stop them all getting in their cars and chasing all over the county looking for you."

"Unfortunately they assumed you were in your truck. June had been in such a state that they didn't understand her when she told them you were in a Volvo. We found out later that some of them actually saw the car but didn't realise it was you"

"But Marie had gone to Stacey's with Todd Marshall."

"No she didn't. He just gave them a lift there. Mike Sennitt's car broke down so he got Todd to give June, Marie and himself a lift. Todd Marshall was with his then fiancé who is now his wife. She was in Stacey's when you went in there about 12-30. She reckoned it looked like you were looking to kill someone and she was too scared to approach you. That dam reputation of yours meant that she couldn't persuade anyone else to speak to you either."

The realisation of what I had done, had come to me whilst the chief had been talking and I sat with my head buried in my arms. I was crying. I hadn't done that on that fateful Friday, but I was crying now for what I had done to Marie. I had abandoned her because of my stupid pride. My anger had not let me seek out the truth. I had jumped to conclusions that I had no proof of.

My assumption that Todd still had designs on Marie had angered me so much I had not seen what was happening outside Stacey's. I saw what I assumed was happening. Marie hadn't been drunk she was trying to walk on a broken ankle. The screaming and shouting wasn't fun and games, it was Marie in pain. Todd had carried her to the car to ease that pain. When Todd lent into the car he wasn't kissing her he must have been doing up her seatbelt. And my reputation for action first and thinking after, was what had made him dash off the moment he saw me.

With my head still buried in my arms I asked the chief.

"What am I going to do now. I have abandoned the one good thing in my life. The only person I have loved since my mother died. Marie must hate me for what I have done to her. I've thrown away the love of a beautiful woman and destroyed what would have been a wonderful marriage."

"Well son, I can't tell you what to do. This is your mess. I thought I had a duty to Marie to make sure you knew what really had gone on that night. Now I can take you off of our missing persons list, but how you handle things from here is up to you. Vince is outside he will take you back to your truck or were ever you won't to go".

With that the chief left. Vince drove me back to Westway's. Where Al and Josh were waiting. I needed a drink so we went back to the bar were we had eaten earlier. As we sat talking Josh said that he couldn't understand why I had not got Vince to take me straight around to Marie. But I told him that I was afraid things had got complicated while I had been gone. I had noticed that in the hospital file there had been another document. A release form for an operation Marie had last year. On that form Marie had named her next of kin as me, a Mark dowdy joiner, and a Jeanine Dowdy. She's had two kids while I've been gone. That can only mean she's found another man to share her life with. I can't just go rushing in and fuck up her life again.

A shadow fell on the table and I looked up and to see Todd standing there.

"Will you please let me talk to you now. I've felt like a heal four the last four years. I apologise to Marie every time I see her but I need you to forgive me if you can?"

"What have you got to apologise for? It was me that went off the deep end and ran away."

"You and I know that it didn't start that night." Todd said as he sat down opposite me. "It had been going on all our lives. All through school you were our local Fonzy. The tough guy who always had a good looking girl on his arm. We both had the looks and I had my dads money. But it was you that had the charisma. You had the reputation for being the tough guy that everyone liked."

"When Marie came to town we both made a play for her and I got to date with her first. But on that first date I found out that she was in love with you. When June told me how Marie had told you to pull your socks up and stay out of trouble or she would never date you. I made a vow that I would get under your skin. If I could make you so jealous that you went for me, I thought Marie would dump any thoughts of you two ever getting together. I didn't think she would go for me; it was just spite. I wanted to bring you down. I still kept it up even when you two got married. I could see how you would be straining to keep your cool when I danced with Marie."

Todd's voice sounded as if he was going to break down.

"Then that night happened and I realised you were the good guy. You chose to walk away. You didn't trust yourself to control your temper, so you walked away rather than hurt anyone. That made me the bad guy you thought I was and I have felt sick about what I have done to you Marie and the twins ever since."

"Twins what bloody Twins?"

"Your twins. Hasn't anyone told you Marie was pregnant when you left. She was so happy, she had only found out that day and was dancing around with joy on that raised platform we used to sit on. She fell off of the end, that's how she broke her ankle. Poor old Stacey wasn't to happy as he has to pay all Marie's medical bills because there wasn't a safety rail."

"So Marie hasn't found another guy then." "

The woman loves you Mark. There's never going to be anyone that will replace you in her eyes. I only hope that you will forgive me for fucking you around."

I was suddenly aware of Josh coming back to the table. He must have left whilst Todd had been talking, but I hadn't noticed.

"Now White Boy, you had better get your arse in gear and get out front quick. As there is some gorgeous little white chick out there driving an old Volvo. She says she's waited four years for you to turn up and if you don't get out there soon she's got a good mind to leave you to walk home."

I don't think my feet touched the ground as I ran out the door.

The end.