"I'll see You in the morning."

I accepted his offer, even knowing we would spend most of the time looking for his golf balls. I had better take a lot of spares.    

Stephen and I hadn't been best mates in the group, but he was always a decent chap, and now he was proving it.    

We got to the Golf Club early. And true to his word Stephen kept up with me. We only managed 9 holes, but it felt good to get out and swing a club again. It wasn't my best game, but I enjoyed it.    

Walking round I thought, you know this is a good mate. He put himself in the firing line. Just so I can get out. Back at the clubhouse he mentioned there was a dance on Saturday night and would Linda and I like to go with them?    

I was a member; I didn't think I needed a special invite. I told him I wasn't sure I wanted to be held up to ridicule again, even though Linda and I were getting things sorted out it was too soon. He clapped me on the shoulder and said, "Whenever you're ready mate."     

But then he told me he'd had a word with the committee and it was generally let known around the members that should anybody say anything derogatory to me it would be considered conduct unbecoming of a member of the Golf Club and their membership would be reviewed. There was a waiting list to join the club, so everyone knew what that meant.    

I felt that after the initial burst of humiliation, there was now a wave of pity, that was almost as bad.    

On the way home I realised that my plan for revenge would be easier if I was in the club, I would have to think about it. When I got home it was obvious that Denise had been on to Linda about the dance. Linda was keen because she wanted to openly display her affection for me, and the Golf Club is a safe place to do it. I wasn't sure that I wanted to be seen to forgive her, would that make me seem a wimp, I'll have to talk to Doctor John about that.

Dave, Edward and their wives would most likely be there. I pondered for the rest of the day and a kernel of a plan I had had taken full growth. but I would need another round of golf early in the morning.    

I talked to Doctor John about it and he pointed out that it is something that would have to happen eventually, and the Golf Club was probably a safe place to do our first outing.

I phoned Stephen and begged another round of early morning golf, at the same time I could hear Linda in the other room talking on her phone to Denise, telling her she had convinced me to go to the dance. I let Stephen know I'd been talked into it.    

As we played the round a little part of me felt like I would be betraying him. But I felt if I asked him, he might have helped anyway. I just didn't want to get him into trouble if things went wrong with my plan. On the walk round, he told me that Linda had told Denise some of the problems and some of the stuff I had gone through. Like the promotion thing and being barred from the pub and the 24/7/365 alibi. He again apologised for not being there for me.    

After the round, I offered Stephen a cup of coffee as poor recompense for keeping me company. I had already decided he wouldn't pay for a drink tonight. I excused myself to go to the toilet. I made sure I had my screwdriver in my pocket. I had not forgotten about my need for a 24 hour alibi. There's only one way into or out of the toilet, except for the fire exit at the far end. Because of the need for decorum, there were no cameras in the passageway, however, they would know if somebody went out the fire exit because it was alarmed.    

We picked Stephen and Denise up on the way, and as expected Dave, Dee, Edward and Jane were there. I looked around and saw their cars Dee's X5, they probably hadn't got his Merc back yet. Edward's Overfinch Range Rover was there, not new but very nice, his pride and joy.    

Unfortunately, they were not parked together. In fact, there was a space next to the Overfinch, Linda used that.    

The evening went well, I kept my word and Stephen did not pay for any drinks. I insisted but I watched how much I drank. Then I saw my opportunity, the security guard had just got back from one of his walks around the car park.     

I excused myself to visit the little boy's room. I got out that fire door like a rat up a drainpipe. I grabbed the bag I'd hidden outside the fire door earlier, slipped on the gloves and took from it the first of the gas blowtorches and lit it, I got it under the X5 pointed it at the fibre undertray where I thought the fuel tank was. I didn't know how long that would take and as it's diesel, I don't know how fast that burns. Next up was the Overfinch, that was closer to the fire door and was petrol, that burns better than diesel I'll bet! I pointed the lit blowtorch at the tank and then ran like shit back through the fire door pulling it closed behind me. Good job I had been training, I wasn't out of breath when I got back and sat down. I got back to the table with the others, although Linda did raise an eyebrow and indicate that I smooth my hair down.    

I hadn't been back at the table for a few minutes and there was an almighty WHUMFF was heard. People rushed outside some through the front door and some through the fire door. Linda looked at me. We followed the crowd out of the fire door, I arranged to be last and I only had a few seconds to clip the fire door sensor back on, that was when the alarm sounded.

I don't think anybody noticed; they were more interested in the burning Overfinch. Unfortunately, one of the cars parked next to it was getting a bit singed. I had to look round and with the extra lighting in the car park you couldn't see the small flame under the X5 unless you knew where to look, I did. And all of a sudden it got bigger quickly, but everyone was still intent on the Overfinch. When they did notice it, it was too late and the X5 was past saving. It was well alight. People managed to move their cars away from the burning X5.    

People saw whose cars were alight, and quite a few looks were cast my way, I just smiled.    

The crowd in front of me parted and a very angry Edward came storming towards me, "You did this, you bastard." He took a swing at me, he was not very good at controlling his temper, especially when drunk or angry and now he was both. His swing caught me a glancing blow on the shoulder as I got out of the way. So I defended myself and my swing connected somewhere around his nose and cheek area. I felt something give, he went down.    

I heard Stephen shout. I looked up and saw Dave rushing towards me, his arms outstretched with Dee hot on his heels. His intention was obvious. It took one punch on his nose before he got his hands on me. He fell backwards knocking Dee over, then he fell on top of her.     

It was time I went back inside the club. We could hear the sirens of the emergency vehicles in the distance. I decided I needed to sit down and have a beer. It was going to be a long night.

Linda was never far away from me, she grabbed hold of me and hung onto my arm as we went back into the front door. She whispered to me with a smile on her face. "Happy now?"    

I replied, "Are you?"    

"Oh yes."    

Then she kissed me.    

The police interviewed everyone. Oddly enough I was last. But I could account for my every minute up in the very short time I had gone to the toilet, and as Stephen pointed out there's not enough time to get round and set the fires. I would have been seen on the CCTV and by security leaving the front door and the fire door was alarmed, and no one had heard that go off until everyone went to investigate the fire. There was some discussion about the assault on David and Edward, but it was deemed to be self defence after seeing the CCTV. The policeman said that David and Edward may find themselves charged with something. He will have to take it up with his superiors. Dee was taken to the hospital. It appears her leg got broken when David fell on it. Oh dear never mind.    

It probably helped that our car was parked next to the Overfinch, OK it wasn't our best car, it was Linda's school run bus. And if it was due a change anyway. Stephen and Denise volunteered to get a taxi home. We didn't get home until the early hours of the morning; the sun was coming up.    

Things were settling back into normal, Linda kept on walking past me touching me. Unfortunately, I was still getting bursts of anger. On one of our trips to see Doctor John, he came out with what I thought was an outrageous suggestion. We should go back to where it all started, have a good night and exorcise our demons, put it all behind us, me especially.    

Back to the Red Hart on a Saturday dance night, I wasn't sure. Now I like the Red Hart, it sells good beer. At Christmas there's a crackling log fire, and the best bacon and Brie baguettes you will find anywhere in the city. Shallow I know but I would miss the place. But yes, it may exorcise the demons.    

But I told him I was worried that that twat would turn up again. Doctor John assured me if he did, he wouldn't be interested in Linda. He'd had her once and he's never gone after the same woman twice. He had studied the man he admitted, I think Linda and I had both worked that out for ourselves. Linda agreed we should go to carry on showing people that we were back together, and if he was there, she would take great delight in ignoring him. I will admit I was scared, she'd done it once. Would she do it again? That was when I made the decision. Yes, we would go and if she did leave with him again, that would be the end of it. There will be no coming back a second time and I would take every bloody thing, some way or another. If she came home with me, Doctor John was right, it would exorcise all of my demons. And I could put it all behind me. Doctor John also assured me that there would be people, including himself, to watch my back in case anyone got antsy If someone was going to try something. That made me feel better, a bit.    

I felt I was being ganged up on by Linda and Doctor John, it felt like I was being set up. And I had nobody to talk to. It was a bit of a risk, and I wasn't sure if I would believe what he said. I phoned Albert, I told him my concerns, also that I might not believe what he told me as I was confused. He just laughed at that and suggested I phoned Dilbert because this was his area of expertise.    

I thought about it, so I kept an open mind. I realised that I had nothing to lose, so I phoned Dilbert. I think Albert had phoned him and pre-warned him. Because he started straight in. "Jim I can see why you might be worried, but we think John Campbell wants you to settle down and stop looking over your shoulder. Don't worry there will be people there to make sure that you are not disturbed." He had a little giggle, which I found annoying until he said. "I think you sorted your former friends; I don't think they will put in an appearance." Just how much did these people know?    

We got ready, I must admit I was nervous. She looked gorgeous, it was a purple dress this time showing off her cleavage and she let the girls go free this time. The dress was split to the thigh, and if you looked quickly, you could see she was wearing stockings. I was just hoping it was all for me.    

She could tell I was nervous about all this. "Sweetheart, please don't worry, this is my chance to prove to you I'm all yours."    

She looked gorgeous on that Friday night in the red dress, she looked even better now, and what worried me more is that she wasn't nervous. She was looking forward to this. I think that made me even more nervous.    

I started to calm down after we'd eaten. After we'd finished, we headed towards the ballroom. We danced a couple of times. She was smiling at me and hanging on to me. I could feel the girls brushing my chest, it felt good. It was heading towards the time we'd make our way to our room. I'd grab a beer on the way, I'd only had two glasses of wine so far, just in case, well you know.    

And then just like last time, just as we were about to leave. He walked in. He looked around, saw us and headed straight towards us. He had that smirk on his face, 'I'm going to have your woman again.' So much for Doctor Campbell's assessment. I felt for a second this was just another setup but then he was in my face, and I had to do something about it.    

"Get out of my way cucky boy, I want to dance with your woman."    

Linda was beside me. "Come away, Sweetheart, he's not worth it. He's not very good anyway, he just puts on a great show like he does on the pitch, all show and no substance." Now I knew whose side she was on. And who she was going home with, or to the hospital with if I got it wrong.    

I could tell that roiled him.    

"Linda, sit down, this is man's work."    

We were so close I could feel his breath.    

Out of the corner of my eye I could see people with their phones out.    

I felt a hand on my right shoulder and heard the words. "Come on mate."    

Without looking, I grabbed the fingers of the hand and twisted them violently, I felt a crack and heard a loud scream. Out of the corner of my left eye also another of his teammates came towards me.

I lifted my left hand and pointed at him without looking away from the twat in front of me and said in a loud voice, "Stay the fuck out of this if you know what's good for you." He backed away. It helped that Stephen had his hand on his shoulder. Where the flipping heck did he come from?    

I stared the twat in the eyes. "If you want her, you've got to go through me. But you're too much of an awful wimp, so just walk away."    

I saw the anger in his eyes.

I saw him draw his head back like he was going to head a football, expecting this I turned my head, but he caught me a glancing blow, it still hurt like shit. I sensed more than felt his right hand coming towards my stomach, but we were too close. He couldn't get a good swing and I tensed my stomach muscles. I took the blow and staggered back. I saw the kick coming towards my bollocks, I managed to deflect it on my thigh, but I didn't see the left hook which caught me on the side of the face I went down.    

I saw him take a pace back and swing his legendary left foot towards my genitals. I twisted and took it on my thigh. It still hurt.    

I looked up at him. He stood there grinning, confident, arrogant, looking round at all the cameras, smiling.    

Good, just what I wanted. I got myself with the aid of a table.    

He looked at me, but he didn't see the left hook that caught him full on the face.    

I was in just the right place. To put all my weight and strength into my right to his stomach, he let out a large gasp and doubled over. And I was in the right place to put my knee into his bollocks, and I did.    

He was doubled over but still didn't go down.    

That was when Linda stepped up beside me. She lifted her knee into his nose, it was a good job she was wearing a split-sided dress. He still didn't go down. Bloody hell.

Then I just pushed on the top of his head, and he collapsed onto the floor into a heap. I could hear him crying.    

By now the bouncers were rushing across, one of them on his phone.    

The whole thing took less than a minute, if that. I sat down    

The bouncer told me to stay where I was. I had no reason to move, my job was done. If I'd wanted to walk out of there, he wouldn't have stopped me. Stephen fetched me a beer. Denise appeared at Linda's side. I looked at them both and asked, "Why?"    

Denise reached a hand across the table and grasped mine. "Sherry, the ex-mayor's ex-wife and I went to school together." As if that explained everything, I suppose it did in a way.    

They had called the police and the ambulance.     

It didn't take long for the police to turn up, a couple of young coppers. They looked at Vale still crying curled up on the floor. There was chatter between them and the bouncers. The policeman came up to me and said, "I am arresting you for assault, GBH..."    

That was as far as he got, another man approached them from the side he flashed something in his hand. He pointed to Vale on the floor and said, "No, you arrest that man on the floor for Assault, GBH, affray and anything else you can think of. He attacked this man without provocation, and he was just defending himself."     

The policeman looked at the man and said, "Yes Sir."     

The man carried on "And you will collect CCTV from the club and the video from that chap over there and any others you need." he said pointing to a man in the corner with a proper camera, not a smart phone. The man looked at me and smiled. I recognised his voice.    

I looked around the room and there was our counsellor with his receptionist. Now they were sitting next to one another. I was certain they were brother and sister. He just nodded his head and walked towards a quiet corner of the bar. I looked across to the man with the camera and I recognised the chap next to him, he was an MP from the next constituency over.    

Whilst one paramedic was looking at Vale on the floor, the other one looked at me and told me my damage was superficial. I asked him if he could clean my knuckles as they had touched the twat's skin, they had been split and that was the only thing that had come in contact with his flesh, and I wanted to make sure the wound was clean.     

The paramedic got a swab and started to clean my knuckles. Linda looked at him and said. "If you don't mind, I would like to do that, that's my job."    

He smiled at her and gave her the swab as she was doing when a man appeared next to her with his phone out. "I'm from the Journal, would you like to comment on what happened?"    

What was the local newspaper doing here? I thought to myself.    

She mumbled something about 'No Comment'    

He said, "I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that, could you repeat that please."    

She looked at the reporter and said, "That man lying on the floor is not worth a comment. He's all bluster and no substance. He is a coward, his performance is just like his performance on the pitch, flashes of inspiration between a lot of running around trying to look good. And you can quote me on that."    

The counsellor waved us over to the corner where he was sitting with the woman. I now recognised her as the one who started the abuse when Linda did her crawl of humiliation, and his receptionist. The counsellor introduced us, "Please meet my sister, Sophie." That just confirmed what I had thought earlier. "So, I suppose this is all a setup?" I said, waving my arm around.    

"Yes, I'm afraid it is, well mostly. Let me explain. When I heard what happened from your solicitor, who is a friend of the judge whose wife cheated with Vale. I contacted Linda and offered to help with your marriage. I'm not actually a marriage guidance counsellor but I am a psychiatrist. I hope you don't mind.

"We didn't expect Vale to be here tonight. The team is playing away so he shouldn't be here, but something must have happened. Sorry."    

He went on to explain Vale had messed up so many lives and they couldn't find a way to take him down until we came along. But it didn't go according to plan. There was not supposed to be any physical confrontation. Doctor John leaned forward, looked at both of us and told us their priority was to get us two back together if they could, and show people that Vale had no effect and people could rebuild their lives. They were going to shove it back in Vale's face to show people that he didn't matter. It all seemed a bit tenuous to me, a bit far-fetched. My investigations had been right, there was a judge, an MP and the senior policeman who if they had taken action it would seem like an abuse of power.    

"So, I was right, this was a setup?"