The Way Back Ch. 07

She nodded, "Yes, I'd like that."

"I don't know whether you will. In fact I rather think it will be painful. This Derek business--"

"Allan, can we talk just a little about that?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, but go on."

"When I went back to his place on Sunday, I was very upset and lonely. I had walked out on you after saying I'd be there till Monday morning. My pride wouldn't let me come back. Then I hated Derek for what he'd done, and yes I had to spend that night away from the children and away from you. But I wasn't ready for what I found when I got there."

She stopped and looked at me, as if to make sure I had understood. I gestured for her to continue.

"Derek was slumped in a chair. He was very drunk. He greeted me with, 'Oh you're back.' I said yes I was. He said 'For good', and I said no. Then he burst into tears. He sobbed and sobbed and begged me to go back with him. He said he was so lonely and he had no one to turn to.

"I said he brought it on himself and then he started ranting that he had done nothing to you. He hadn't organised anything. All he'd tried to do was help. He begged me to believe him. He said he couldn't understand why you were trying to frame him, it wasn't his fault I'd been with him.

"Allan, I know this hurts you, but I've lived with him for over a year and he's tried to lie to me before. I know when he's telling the truth. He really doesn't know what's going on, and he thinks you and Colin are cooking up evidence to put him away out of revenge. He's desperate and he's got no friend other than me to lean on. I think he's innocent. I wish you'd give him a chance."

"So what did you do?"

"Well, I--"

"Let me guess," I said, more aggressively than I intended, "you 'comforted' him."

"Well, yes..."

"All the way to the bedroom."

She became angry, "Yes! I took him to bed and I let him make love to me, though he was so drunk he couldn't get it up, satisfied now?"

"Satisfied that I know what happened. That I know the second reason that you've been acting distant. So are you going to go back to him?"

"No Allan," she spat, "I am not going back to him, but I am going to see him. He needs me."

"OK," I said, "It clarifies a few things. Ten minutes ago you were telling me you wanted me with you. Now you're telling me you're continuing your affair with him. I don't think that gives me much incentive to work with you to come back, does it?"

"Allan," she cried, "I do want you to, but he needs me at the moment. I'm sure he's not the one who wanted you dead. I'm sure!"

"Well, that's just fine," I grumbled, "There's a mountain of evidence pointing to him, but you take his part. That's where your loyalty lies, not with me."

Suddenly she looked panic-stricken, and was silent. I was not going to break the silence. For one thing I couldn't work out what I'd said to provoke such a reaction; for another, after her once again taking his side against mine, I felt there was nothing to say.

Then she stood up, "I'd better go," she said.

"Ann," I said with some urgency, "just sit down for a minute."

To my surprise she sat.

"Listen," I said, choosing my words, "We have a family together. They need us to be at least friendly, they don't need one of us upset or silent or resentful. They come first, don't they?"

She nodded. I could not read her expression.

"So let's say we disagree on some fundamental matters, and keep those matters for when we have our talks. You still want us to talk this through?"

"Yes, Allan," she answered, "but you just said you saw no point in it."

"No, I said I couldn't see us getting back while you're 'with' Derek. It makes a lie out of your protestation that you want me. That's OK. You are a free woman; you can do what you want. I didn't say we couldn't talk. Only don't expect they'll lead to us getting back together. I can't see that happening."

"I--"

"I did say that if we do talk it may well be painful. Well you've just seen how painful it can get, and that's not the half of it."

She was quiet and looked resigned. "I still want to talk," she said.

"Then we get on as friends for the sake of the children?"

"Yes."

"No more silent treatment?"

"No."

"No more making me feel unwanted in your house?"

"Allan, darling, it's your house. I'm sorry; it won't happen again."

"It's going to be your home for as long as you want it, for ever if you want. I'll even sign it back to you if it makes you feel more secure."

At this the tears started again and she started up and came to me half kneeling where I sat and giving me a tight hug. There was no need for words.

Then she stood and said, "Time to go I think. Can we make some plans to talk together?"

I agreed, but added we needed one evening when we set ground rules before the talks proper started.

"Practical as always!" she smiled. "Are you going to start coming for dinner again?"

"As often as possible. You may not have heard, but we're trying to take the lease on the factory building next door. We're expanding, so I may be working later for a while, but not this coming week I don't think."

"So come every night," she offered. A hint of a smile.

"Jenny too sometimes?" I probed.

A brief shadow crossed her pretty face but she recovered quickly. "Yes, of course."

"The children love her, you know."

"Yes, they keep asking when she's coming."

"Jan's in love with her."

Ann looked shocked.

"Ann, he's nearly fourteen, hormones!"

She laughed. "If he takes her from you perhaps I'll have a chance!"

It was light-hearted but there was an undertow. I exercised facial control and contented myself with a smile.

She called Peter and they departed. Jenny looked flushed.

"Jenny?"

"Yes?"

"You fancy him, don't you?"

"No!" she protested, too loudly.

I snorted.

"He's very nice," she said primly. "Very gentle and he listens, more than most men do. We had a good talk together, but you're the man I want tonight."

Before I could even think about that word 'tonight', she had pulled her tee shirt over her head and was shimmying off her jeans, amazingly easily considering how tight they were, revealing purple boy-shorts in nearly transparent lace. I forgot about Ann.

"Come on, mister," she growled, "Let's see what you can offer a lady."

I stripped. What I could offer was standing proud. We were in the living area. "Ladies don't wear transparent bras and knickers, certainly not purple ones," I said airily.

"Oh, sorry!" she smiled, and turning away, eased them over her slim hips, slid them down her beautiful thighs and dropped them to the floor. The bra followed while I was following the knickers on their downward path and concentrating on her wonderful backside, thighs and calves. We retired to the bedroom and I assume we annoyed the neighbours with some noise pollution. No complaints though; perhaps they were out.

The next evening, I had dinner with Ann and the children. It went well and the kids were delighted I was back. I could see Greta appreciated that Ann and I were back on track again. Then I had to go, since I had an appointment with 'the three'.

Colin picked me up and reminded me not to talk about the accounts. I agreed. We had a good evening and the only talk about my case concerned the mystery man who did the money laundering. We came up with nothing, though Keith had done some sterling work going through all Derek's associates and relatives. Nothing there.

Colin and David went early and I stayed for another pint with Keith, who promised to take me home.

As we got up to leave, I heard someone say "That Allan?"

I turned. A group of men and women, about eight of them, were obviously on a night out and were already merry.

"Hey, Allan!" called one man, a bulky red head with a broad and open face and wide smile, "Over here!"

The rest of the group were clearly interested and friendly, but I knew none of them. Were they just people who had seen me on TV? Or perhaps old friends? There was only one way to find out. Keith looked uncertain but I gave him a questioning look, and he nodded and came with me.

"Hello," I said to the red head, "Do I know you?"

He looked totally at a loss.

"Vin?" he said. The group all looked puzzled.

"Pleased to meet you, Vin," I said, holding out my hand which he took and shook.

"I'm sorry," I continued. "You must have seen me on TV, otherwise you wouldn't know me, would you? In that case you'll know I was nearly killed. You can see from my somewhat unusual facial appearance, my head took a battering." (Loud laughter).

"My memory of what happened before that is sketchy. So I'm afraid I don't remember you, any of you," I added, looking round at the group.

"Bloody hell," said a man with long black hair. "The bastard."

"It was that bloke Fanshaw did it?" asked a pretty woman with ash blonde hair.

"I don't know," I said. "As I said I have no memory of the event. The police think so."

They got me to sit down and I made extra room for Keith. We were bought drinks which I had to pay for by giving them an account of my slow recovery. They were impressed citing people they knew who had not survived much less.

I had not mentioned Ann, or Derek's motives and no one seemed interested. They were too intent on discussing Derek. I kept quiet.

"Sly bugger," said another man (they did give me their names, but I've forgotten them). "You know he got divorced. His wife caught him with some married woman. He'd been visiting her during the day while her husband was out at work. Neglected his business, that's how she found out; he was never in his office when she called, and she could never get him on his mobile."

I stiffened. I noticed his wife or girlfriend tugging on his sleeve. Then he realised.

"Oh, God!" he exploded blushing, "The woman--"

"Yes," I said, "could be my ex-wife, but I'm interested in how long the affair was going on. I have no memory of anything between them."

"Well," he temporised.

"Look," I snapped, "We're divorced. She was going to marry Fanshaw. It would help me to know the true situation. I was mugged two years ago. When did the divorce happen?"

There was some discussion about this, but they agreed eventually it was the November before my August mugging.

I remembered, as if for the first time, that David or Viv had said something about his divorce before and that we had helped him out, that he had been coming round to our place often in his distress. Perhaps he had been visiting Ann when I wasn't there and got caught. Perhaps that was when the attraction grew further. Or, perhaps these people were confusing Ann with some other woman he had been seeing before the divorce?

I thanked them and we left them amid wishes for my continued improvement and invitations to join them the following week in the Cross Keys.

"Don't jump to conclusions," advised Keith as we made our way to my flat.

"I won't," I said, "I'm so confused I couldn't if I wanted to!"

We both laughed and he wandered off home.

On getting home, I sat and thought.

The more I learned about Ann and Derek, the more confused I became. Then it occurred to me that the only person who could clarify with whom Derek had committed adultery was his ex-wife. I decided to track her down and find out for sure.

Now if I had all the free time in the world, and if I had no one else to look out for, I could have done this in record time, but it took far longer.

------

THIRTY-SIX

The following days were hectic at work. Everything in sales was put to one side as we negotiated the lease and the terms of the new building. It was hard going; the leasing company wanted an arm and a leg, but weren't getting any offers from any other prospective tenants as a result. We were offering them a hand and perhaps a wrist, rather than an arm and leg, but they were playing hard to get. All four of us, Geoff, Judy, Jenny and I were constantly involved with it, while trying to keep all the other jobs going to time. We were in early and home late.

Ann realised this and invited, nay ordered me to go there for dinner each night. On Wednesday she told me to invite Jenny for the Thursday.

Greta and Jan were overjoyed when Jenny entered with me, though Ann's expression was guarded, while her welcome was genuine enough. Stefan was unaffected it seems, but not hostile.

Jenny immediately went to the kitchen with Ann, and I began to follow but was firmly told by Jenny that I was not welcome. Ann looked uneasy at that, after my last exclusion I assumed, but saw my smiling face and relaxed, as did I in the company of my children as they came and went around me. Before long I could hear the women nattering nineteen to the dozen like old friends. After the meal they also did the washing up and again shooed me out of the room.

There was the moment when Ann looked wistful as Jenny and I left early to get some sleep. Jenny was enthusiastic about Ann.

"I remember how pretty she was at the ball but she's gorgeous! So welcoming! We got on like a house on fire."

"I noticed," I said. "I'm glad. Makes life so much easier."

"She's asked if we can look after the children on Saturday."

"All day?"

"Yes. Greta's got a party in the evening, but we can pick her up after it, if she wants us to. She may pick up a boy and prefer to make her own way home!"

"No way!" I expostulated. "She's too young for that."

"Nonsense," Jenny said patiently, "She's a good girl, and she's seventeen for goodness' sake!"

"Good girls get seduced."

"Allan she needs to live her own life. She's got good morals. Trust her!"

"OK," I grumbled, "we babysit on Saturday. What's Ann doing?"

There was a pause.

"She's going to spend the day with Derek," ventured Jenny. "Apparently he's on the verge of a breakdown."

I was angry. Perhaps even enraged. I kept very quiet, but she could see my knuckles on the steering wheel.

"Allan, she feels an obligation to him. She believes he's not behind your attack. If she believed the opposite she wouldn't go near him."

"I can't understand how she can believe that. The evidence is massive. Is she blind?"

"No Allan, she's compassionate."

There was a pause, during which we ascended the stairs to the flat, got a couple of drinks and sat down.

Jenny then floored me.

"Allan, are you sure you're angry with Ann because of Derek's guilt? Could it be jealousy? Do you think you may be in love with her after all?"

"No way!" I replied hotly.

"You find her sexually attractive?"

"Well yes, she's a beautiful woman."

"And just your type!"

"I don't know what 'my type' is. Anyway can we change the subject?"

And that ended it. We went to bed, made love simply and slept.

The following evening, Friday, Geoff, and I agreed we needed a break from work for the weekend. Jenny said she was going back to her flat. She needed to tidy up and do some washing. Then she was going out with friends. I went to the house.

After the meal, and this time I was allowed to wash up, the children disappeared and we sat together in the living room.

"I suppose you want to get this building acquisition out of the way before we set times to talk?" she asked.

"Yes. It's taking most of our waking moments."

"Jenny tell you about tomorrow?"

I gritted my teeth, "Yes."

"I need to tell you something. I know you'll tell me I'm a free woman, etc., etc., but I want to tell you this. When I last saw him we ended up in bed, but he couldn't do it. I would have let him; I felt he needed it, but tomorrow I may hug him, cuddle him, kiss him, but I will not have sex with him, any sort of sex. Hell, Allan, I'll be explicit -- no manual, no oral, no penetration on either side.

"He is on the edge of total breakdown. His business has collapsed, people don't want to know him; he's got no orders. He's lost me and he's rattling round in that big house. I don't care what he's done or not done; he needs support to get through this. If he's guilty, he'll get his punishment later, for now I'm concerned with saving his life."

It was a mouthful. It took some digesting. I couldn't see the logic in what she was doing, but she was going to do it anyway. I didn't know whether I believed her about the sex aspect, but strangely her protestations made her actions less aggravating; more acceptable somehow. It remained that she was still belittling the seriousness of Derek's attempt on my life.

"Ann, you do what you believe to be right. You don't need to justify what you do to me."

"But Allan, don't you see? That's exactly what I must do. I divorced you in error. I was misled but I did it. If I hadn't we would still be married. You would have come home. I feel cheated even though it's my own fault. I still feel married to you. I want to be married to you. It's just unfortunate that I have this other man who needs me at the moment."

"OK," I said. "I have this other woman who needs me."

She looked startled for a moment as if she had never considered it.

"Exactly," she asserted, somewhat faintly.

That was the end of it. I had to go, so made my rounds of the children, kissed Ann who moved her head so I kissed her lips and who put her arms round me and hugged me hard. I must confess to being a bit wooden at that point, and she felt it. Her shoulders slumped, she smiled sadly and made me promise to come early the next day.

I got back to the flat, half expecting Jenny to turn up after her night out, but by eleven there was no sign of her. So I phoned her mobile. She answered. It was very quiet wherever she was, no sounds of talking or laughter or music. I commented and she rather hesitantly told me she was at her flat. She felt very tired and wanted a long rest.

We arranged that I would pick her up about eight, so we could get to the house relatively early as Ann wished. She rang off quite suddenly. I rang back immediately.

"We got cut off," I explained. "just want to say I love you, and good night."

"Oh, yes," she answered, rather abstractedly. "Love you too, see you in the morning."

Everything went smoothly next day. Ann disappeared off to her murderous lover. After breakfast, Jenny and Greta went off shopping in Altrincham, while the lads and I went ten-pin bowling. We all returned to the house at four and ate together, before Greta got herself ready for the party in Stretford.

When she came downstairs, Jenny and I both gasped. She looked ten years older. She was wearing a crop-top shirt, showing her navel and her beautifully curved waist and entrancing belly button, mercifully unpierced. There was a bra under there; I could see the outline of the straps. There was a pleated mini-skirt which came about a third way down her thighs, but the outfit was finished by a pair of sensible shoes with medium heels.

Her make-up was obvious but not over the top, mascara, eye-shadow, blusher, bright lipstick and gloss. Her hair was up, showing her achingly long, sweet and sinuous neck -- she got that from her mother, of that there was no doubt. She was a vision of loveliness. Jenny applauded, while I wondered how she would avoid being raped. It must have shown in my face for Greta came over to me and hugged me.

"All the girls wear this sort of kit Daddy," she whispered in my ear. "I can look after myself at the party. I don't have a boyfriend and I'm not ready for that anyway. Danny's parents are supervising, ok?"

I was shocked at her openness. I saw Jenny grinning at me, and I wondered if there had been collusion while they were out.

"Daddy can Jenny pick me up tonight? About midnight?"

"Allan," said Jenny, "How about if I take her to the flat and we sleep there? It's only a short step from the party. Better than coming all the way back here."

I agreed, and was relieved Greta wanted a lift. It put my mind at ease. I could sleep in the house; there was a spare bedroom. Ann would be using the main bedroom.