Every Time We Say Goodbye (23 page)

Marianne shook her head in disbelief. ‘We rarely argued and certainly not in front of the children.’

Barbara didn’t look entirely convinced. ‘Anyway, I sold my house and handed in my notice; we were all set to leave.’

‘You gave up your job and your home?’ Marianne looked at her aghast. ‘For Dominic?’

‘God love you,’ Johnny said with a heavy sigh before shooting Marianne an apologetic glance. ‘Do you have the money from the house sale?’

Barbara shook her head. ‘My mother had died and I was very upset so Dominic dealt with the estate agent and the solicitor for me. I assume the money is in his account.’

‘It’s not in any of the accounts I know about,’ Marianne said.

‘But it must be!’

Johnny sighed. ‘By the sound of it Dominic has taken you both for a ride.’

Marianne exchanged a look with Johnny, willing him not to reveal anything about the fraud. She felt completely thrown by Barbara’s revelations and though it seemed the woman was a victim in all this, Marianne wasn’t ready to reveal any more of Dominic’s behaviour until she knew exactly where she stood. ‘How is it that you came to have Dominic’s phone?’ she asked.

Barbara seemed momentarily flustered. ‘He left it behind.’

‘At your house?’

‘Yes.’

‘So, you saw him the night he died?’

‘Yes, he dropped by on his way to the restaurant.’

‘Why was he there?’ Johnny had obviously picked up on Marianne’s suspicion.

‘It was a business dinner.’

Marianne looked at her. ‘He was entertaining clients? Are you sure?’

‘Yes.’

‘Can I have the phone, please?’

Barbara froze. ‘Why?’

‘The police want it,’ Johnny told her.

‘The police?’

‘They’re hoping it will help them in tracking down where Dominic got the drugs,’ Johnny explained.

Barbara stood up abruptly. ‘I’m sorry, you’ll have to excuse me for a moment,’ she said and hurried off in the direction of the ladies.

‘That’s interesting,’ Johnny mused. ‘She’s spooked by the idea of the guards being involved.’

‘Perhaps she knows more than she’s letting on.’

‘About the drugs?’

‘Well, it can’t be about the fraud; she’d hardly have let him sell her house if she knew about that. By the way, she lied.’

Johnny frowned. ‘About?’

‘Dominic wouldn’t have been entertaining clients that night. Matthews told me that they curtailed that practice over a year ago.’

‘He may have lied to her about why he was there or who he was with,’ Johnny pointed out.

‘True.’ Marianne sighed and dug in her bag for an antacid.

‘We need to get our hands on that phone and get the hell out of here. You need to talk to a solicitor, Marianne. I’ll set up an appointment with Eddie Madden.’

‘I think you’re right. She’s taking an awful long time in there, isn’t she?’

‘She did seem upset.’

‘Should I go in and see if she’s okay?’ Marianne didn’t particularly want to go and comfort her husband’s mistress but . . .

‘It’s okay, she’s coming.’

‘Sorry about that,’ Barbara said, taking her seat.

‘No problem.’ Johnny’s smile was affable. ‘Now about the phone . . .’

‘When we get it back from the police you can have it back,’ Marianne said. ‘You surprise me though.’

Barbara looked at her. ‘Way?’

‘That you want a memento of a man who obviously lied to you.’

Barbara said nothing for a moment; she seemed to be considering her words carefully. ‘I’m not sure why Dominic did what he did but I am sure he loved me. And, the fact is that even though he’s gone, he is always going to be a part of my life.’ She locked eyes with Marianne. ‘You see, I’m carrying his child.’

Chapter Twenty

‘Holy shit.’

‘That’s the third time you’ve said that,’ Marianne said, staring at Dominic’s phone as they sat in Johnny’s car.

‘Well, you have to admit, it has been quite a morning.’ Johnny turned in his seat and looked at her. ‘How are you holding up?’

‘I don’t honestly know.’ Marianne shook her head and laughed. ‘I’m not sure what to think; this is baffling. Do you believe her, Johnny?’

‘About being pregnant?’

She shrugged. ‘About everything.’

‘I thought there were inconsistencies but she may simply be protecting herself, as you are.’

‘True. If we’re to believe what she said then she must have thought I was some kind of monster.’

‘And if she loved Dominic and wanted to feel better about splitting up a marriage then she would want to believe his version of the truth.’

‘I suppose so.’

‘You know she may try to recoup her losses from you,’ Johnny warned her.

Marianne stared at him. ‘Can she do that?

‘I’m not sure, that’s why we need to see Eddie.’

‘I don’t believe this.’ Marianne glanced at her watch. ‘I’ve got to go, Johnny, I’m meeting Rob in The Den.’

‘Oh?’

‘I followed your advice and asked him about training,’ she explained, amused by Johnny’s perplexed look; he was so overprotective. ‘You’re welcome to join us if you want.’

‘Sorry?’

‘For a sandwich?’

‘Oh, thanks, love, but I’ve got things to do, places to be.’ He started the car and reversed out of the parking spot.

‘I’m sorry to have dragged you away from your work but I’m very glad you came with me this morning.’

‘Don’t apologize. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world! And imagine the money I’ll rake in when I write my book.’

Marianne smiled. ‘You’d never sell this story; it’s too farfetched. Are you sure you won’t join us?’ she asked, as he pulled up outside the Lansdowne Hotel.

‘I won’t; give Rob my best. I’ll give you a call as soon as I’ve set up an appointment with Eddie. I must give Frank a call about those paintings too,’ he said, and with a wave he was gone.

Rob was at the bar when Marianne arrived. He turned and smiled when he saw her and she felt an old familiar stirring inside.

‘Hi. Toasted ham and cheese sandwich and a lager?’ he asked when she joined him.

She laughed that he’d remembered. ‘Water instead of lager, please, although I could do with a drink after the morning I’ve had.’

‘Grab a seat while I order and then you can tell me all about it.’

She found a table in the busy pub and studied him as he chatted with the barman. It seemed so strange to be here with him and, at the same time, the most natural thing in the world. More than anything, it was a relief to think that she no longer had to worry about being seen with him.

‘Sandwiches are on their way,’ he said, setting down their drinks and lowering himself onto a stool beside her. ‘Weird not to have to duck and dive, isn’t it?’

‘I was just thinking the same thing,’ Marianne smiled.

‘So, not a good morning?’

Marianne shook her head, still reeling from Barbara’s announcement. ‘A very, very strange morning. Johnny Sheridan and I just met Dominic’s mistress.’

Rob choked on a mouthful of lager.

‘Oh, sorry, are you okay?’ Marianne pulled a tissue from her bag and handed it to him.

Rob dried his mouth and crushed it in his hand. ‘Dominic had a mistress? Then he was an even bigger fool than I thought; why on earth you stayed with him—’

‘I only just found out.’

‘I told you he didn’t deserve you. How long has it being going on? Was she around when we were together?’

Marianne could see that Rob was aghast at the thought that she had ended their relationship at a time when Dominic was off having one of his own. ‘Does it matter now?’

He looked at her for a moment and then shook his head. ‘I suppose not. Had you suspected he was seeing someone?’

‘Not at all. It was only when I met his boss a few days ago and he told me that Dominic always left work before six, yet he never returned home until very late, that it seemed a possibility. Then on Saturday there was a text from his phone and we suspected it must be from a girlfriend.’

‘We?’

‘Johnny and I,’ she explained.

‘I had no idea you two were so close.’

Was that jealousy in his voice? She suppressed a smile. ‘He’s married to Helen, my oldest friend, and he’s been helping me sort out Dominic’s estate.’

‘I’m glad you had someone to turn to; it must be a very difficult time for you.’

‘Finding out that we’re broke hasn’t helped.’ She stopped as a waiter arrived with their sandwiches.

‘Tell me more about this mistress,’ said Rob when they were alone again.

Marianne took a nibble of her sandwich before replying. ‘Her name is Barbara. She is also a stockbroker and used to work with Dominic. He told her that he wanted to divorce me and marry her but that I wouldn’t let him go; that I was making all sorts of threats if he left.’

‘It sounds like he was using her.’

‘It does. She says they were going to leave the country and start a new life together and she’d given up her job and sold her house; it looks as if he may have pocketed the proceeds.’

‘Lovely guy your husband,’ Rob said, sounding bitter. ‘Or don’t you believe her?’

Marianne thought about it. ‘I’m not sure. I suppose if Dominic was capable of defrauding his company,’ and beating up his wife, she added privately, ‘he was capable of stealing from his girlfriend.’

He shot her a curious look. ‘You don’t seem upset that he was being unfaithful.’

She held his gaze. ‘I’m not.’

‘Still, you must be angry with her.’

‘No. I feel a bit sorry for her; she seems to have loved him.’

‘You are a very strange woman.’

She laughed. ‘It’s just that I’d built her up into a monster in my head; some kind of siren with fake boobs. Instead I met a normal, articulate, intelligent lady, who is attractive in an understated way.’

‘She sounds just like you,’ he said, smiling.

‘No, not at all!’ But when Marianne thought about it, she realized that there were similarities. She frowned. ‘Well, maybe a little.’

Rob finished his sandwich, wiped his mouth and hands and sat back. ‘It makes sense that he would go for the same type.’

‘I suppose.’

‘So, what happens now?’

‘Johnny is setting up an appointment for me with his solicitor; he thinks it’s important I get legal advice so I know where I stand in relation to Dominic’s debts, my pension and now this woman.’

‘Oh, Marianne; I wish I could help in some way.’

She smiled. ‘You can; tell me what skills I need to get a decent job.’

Rob leaned forward on his knees. ‘What kind of job?’

‘One that pays well,’ she joked but her heart was heavy. Even with Rob’s help, she knew the fact that she had been out of the workforce for so long would be a huge drawback, particularly given the number of qualified, experienced people that were out of work. ‘Seriously, I have no idea, Rob.’

‘Well, let’s start with your skills. You’re dependable, intelligent and a hard worker; they are not qualities that are readily available. Trust me, I know.’

‘I didn’t realize you had employees.’

‘I’ve had a whole series of them, one more useless than the next. Then finally I found Shay; he was the best. Reliable, creative, easy company, no bad habits.’

‘So, what happened to him?’

‘He fell in love with a Latvian girl, proposed and now they’ve gone to live in Riga.’

She smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s another Shay out there somewhere.’

He stared at her for a long moment. ‘You’re right, there is. You.’

Marianne laughed. ‘That’s ridiculous.’

‘It’s not. You’re the perfect replacement!’

‘No, I’m not. I don’t know the first thing about website design, Rob.’

‘Neither did Shay. I hired him to run the training end of the business.’ His eyes shone with excitement.

‘But I’m not a teacher either,’ she protested, wondering if he wanted to give her the job because he pitied her or wanted to see her more often. ‘I came to you to get training not give it, remember?’

‘Who trained all the Treacy staff on the new system?’

‘I did,’ she admitted, ‘but that was one system that I knew like the back of my hand.’

‘You only learned how to use it a couple of weeks ahead of the rest of them but you picked it up much quicker because you’re comfortable with software. The latest packages are much simpler to use; you’ll have no problems. I can train you and then you can train others; it’s all very straightforward. We always made a good team, Marianne, and,’ he grinned, ‘you’re much easier on the eye than Shay.’

‘You are completely crazy; it’s a ludicrous idea.’ She popped the last piece of sandwich in her mouth.

‘It makes perfect sense. I’ve witnessed first-hand your skills. The only thing you’re lacking at the moment is the technical know-how and you’ll nail that in a matter of weeks, trust me.’

Marianne looked at him. ‘I trust you, of course I do, but I’m just not sure it’s a good idea.’

He frowned. ‘Look, this is a business proposition, nothing more. I’m not trying to take advantage of you or the situation.’

‘That thought never occurred to me, Rob,’ Marianne said, horrified that he would think such a thing. ‘I just don’t want you to jeopardize your business for the sake of doing me a favour.’

‘Marianne, I’m not doing you a favour. I am delighted to help you out but I’m also a businessman; I wouldn’t offer you the job unless I thought you were up to it.’

Perhaps he was right, Marianne thought. She had no formal teaching qualifications but she’d had plenty of hands-on experience and she’d enjoyed it too.

‘Look, I badly need backup and you need a job. Why don’t we give it a go for three months and see how it goes?’ he suggested.

Marianne looked at him and smiled. ‘You’re on!’

He grinned. ‘Excellent.’

‘So, what exactly is it you want me to teach?’

‘Initially, I think I’ll let you take over the beginners courses in social networking, word processing and spreadsheets, and we’ll see how you get on.’

‘I’ve no experience of networking but I’m reasonably comfortable with the other two.’

‘It would take a day, two tops, to bring you up to speed on Twitter and Facebook,’ he assured her. ‘When can you start?’

She thought about the packing that had to be done and all the time-consuming meetings she’d been involved in since Dominic’s death, and now there was a mistress to deal with and a solicitor to consult. ‘I suppose I’d be ready to start training once I’ve moved house but I can’t be precise, Rob; every time I think I’m getting on top of things, something new seems to pop up.’