Midnight (13 page)

‘I will . . . if you give me an answer.’

‘What kind of answer?’

‘Why are you here?’ he asked outright.

‘Not for you, that’s for sure. Sorry, Mal, but it’s Jack I love.’

‘Is it over – with you and him?’

‘No.’ In fact, she wasn’t sure. She wanted to go back and make it up with him, but her pride was getting in the way. It would mean giving in to him, even when he had no respect for her opinions. What basis was that for a long-term relationship?

Jack was wrong. If he did what he said and left his life here, he would be leaving her too, but that didn’t seem to matter to him! She still loved him, but what should she do? She didn’t want to lose him.

Suddenly she was crying. Softly at first, and then uncontrollably.

‘Ssh, Molly, please don’t cry.’ Mal’s tender voice soothed her. ‘Whatever it is that’s upset you, I’m sure it can be put right. There’s always a way.’

‘Not this time.’ Deep down, she knew that.

It hurt Mal to see her like this. Sliding his arm about her shoulders, he drew her close, surprised and delighted when she didn’t pull away but relaxed into him. ‘Jack doesn’t want me any more,’ she whispered brokenly. ‘I don’t know what to do.’

Putting his own feelings aside, Mal reassured her, ‘I’m sure he does want you.’ His lips caressed her hair. ‘He’d be crazy not to.’

It took a moment before Molly answered thoughtfully, ‘He’s changed.’

‘In what way?’

‘I don’t know him any more,’ she sobbed. ‘I don’t even know if we’ve really broken up. I don’t know what he’s thinking any more. We had a big argument and I walked out on him.’

‘Oh, I see.’ Mal was lost. He couldn’t believe he was actually holding her in his arms. He wanted to kiss her. To tell her how much he needed her. How desperately he wanted to take care of her.

Suddenly Molly rounded on him. ‘No, Mal! You
don’t
see! You don’t know anything about it. How can you?’

Mal took a deep breath, ‘You’re right. I’m sorry.’ He’d forgotten how quickly her mood could turn.

Slightly repentant, Molly explained about how she and Jack had rowed because he was planning to move away. They’d offered him a manager’s post at the company’s new showrooms in Lytham St Anne’s, and because it was near where he grew up, Jack wanted to go there. He decided it all, without even discussing it with me. I thought we were partners.’

‘But, it’s not so bad, is it – getting promoted and sent to pastures new?’ Mal pointed out. ‘Some people would find that exciting. Or don’t you want to go with him – is that it?’

‘Maybe I do, maybe I don’t, but it’s not that simple.’ She found it comforting, talking to Mal. He didn’t answer back, and he didn’t put her down. He listened, and right now, that was all she needed.

After a while, tearful and angry, she scrambled off the seat and ran away, towards the house. Nervously, Mal followed her. On opening the kitchen door, he could hear her softly crying. He found her in the sitting-room. She was on the floor in front of the fire, hugging her knees and crying bitterly, unaware of his presence.

‘Hey . . . don’t go upsetting yourself like that,’ he said. Kneeling, he reached out and pressed her into his arms.

‘It hurts me to see you so upset, Molly.’ Deeply moved, he leaned his face against hers, tenderly stroking her hair and murmuring reassurance. Easing him away, she looked at him, her curious, intense gaze affecting him deeply. ‘I won’t let anyone hurt you,’ he whispered. ‘I love you, Molly. I always have, ever since we were kids . . .’

Molly was deeply touched by his loyalty and friendship. Unlike Jack, he had always put her first. Smiling through her tears, she kept her gaze on his face. He dared to read the signs, and slowly, half-afraid she would turn away, he kissed her on the mouth.

In that very private moment, it felt right between them. Even though Jack lingered in her mind, Molly felt safe with Mal. She felt as if she didn’t know Jack any more. Mal, on the other hand, was like an open book. She knew him. She knew how kind he was, and how much he truly loved her. He would never clear off to the other end of the country, and leave her behind.

When she now felt two strong arms gently laying her down, she made no protest. Even when his kisses grew demanding and passionate, she didn’t mind. She needed someone to hold her. Someone who cherished her, above all else.

She gave herself to Mal, freely and willingly. There were no regrets; at least not for now. Not in the heat of the moment.

Later, though, there might well be a price to pay.

Chapter Eight

A
FTER A RESTLESS
night, Jack clambered out of bed. He showered, shaved and dressed, and with Molly strong in his mind, he ran downstairs and looked up the phone number of Molly’s parents.

Twice he dialled the number, and twice he replaced the receiver before the number rang out. ‘Come on, Jack!’ he chided himself. ‘You need to sort things out with Molly.’ He had to make her understand how much going north meant to him.

He took a moment to make a cup of coffee and to feed two slices of bread into the toaster. When the bread popped up, he threw it onto a plate and smothered it in full-fat butter – a long-held weakness of his. He then took time to enjoy his breakfast, while thinking what to do about Molly.

Fortified by his toast and a second cup of coffee, he picked up the receiver and tapped out the number once more. This time he let it ring until someone answered.

‘Hello?’ He recognised the voice at the other end. It was Pauleen, Molly’s mother. A staff-nurse at the local cottage hospital, she was a busy, amiable person – sometimes overwhelming, but in a nice way.

‘Hello, Pauleen. It’s me – Jack.’

‘Oh, hello, Jack. Everything all right is it?’

Not knowing how much Molly might have told her, Jack played it safe. ‘Yes, everything’s fine, thank you. But I wonder if you could please put Molly on the phone. I’m off to work in a minute and need to arrange for us to meet up at lunch-time.’

There was a pause, during which Jack heard her answering someone. ‘No, dear. You go ahead. I’ll just be a minute.’ Returning to her conversation with Jack, she told him, ‘I’m sorry, Jack, but what makes you think Molly might be here?’

‘Are you saying she’s not?’

‘That’s exactly what I’m saying, dear.’ She was beginning to get worried. ‘What’s happened? Have you had an argument and she’s run off? I know how impetuous she can be. Don’t worry, she’ll be back with her tail between her legs.’ She gave a loud tut. ‘I have no idea why she would tell you she was coming to us.’

Having heard her quiet remark to a third person, whom he assumed to be Molly, Jack simply asked, ‘Will you do something for me, Pauleen?’

‘You know I will, if I can.’

‘Thanks. Look, I’ll be at the coffee shop in Bletchley around one o’clock. Molly knows the one. If she
does
turn up at your place, will you please tell her I’ll be there for about half an hour?’

‘Yes, of course I will.’

‘Thank you, Pauleen. I appreciate that.’

Replacing the receiver, and convinced that Molly had been standing right beside her mother, listening to every word, Jack felt a rush of anger. ‘All right, Molly. I know you were listening. If that’s the way you want to play it, there’s nothing I can do. Meet me, or don’t meet me. I’ve held out the olive branch. It’s up to you now.’

He hoped she would meet him, because he hated the way things were. ‘I want you and me to have a future together,’ he murmured. ‘We really need to thrash this out.’

With the call made, and hopefully Molly aware that he wanted to see her, he turned his thoughts to the imminent meeting with Curtis Warren ‘Who knows,’ he muttered as he went out the door, ‘they might not want me in the new post, after all. If they turn me down, that’s the end of
that
.’ He smiled a sad little smile. ‘No doubt Molly would be well pleased.’

One way or another, with or without Molly alongside, he meant to pursue the idea put forward by the psychiatrist. It was an astonishing and frightening thought, but he was determined to follow it through.

He hoped the outcome of this morning’s meeting would be in his favour. A definite approval from the big boss would be the first step in a journey that could either save him, or damn him. 133

At ten thirty, Jack was behind his desk, feeling reasonably confident, but not taking anything for granted.

Just as he was beginning to wonder if they had cancelled the interview, he noticed a black Lexus driving up to the front of the building, and he recognised the man inside as Curtis Warren, the boss himself.

‘Hey!’ Jan the receptionist poked her face round his office door. ‘I expect you’ve already seen him, have you?’ She made a sad little face. ‘If he approves the posting, don’t take it, Jack. I’ll miss you too much. We all will.’

Jack smiled, ‘Let’s not jump the gun, eh?’ he warned. ‘We don’t know for sure that I’ll get it.’

‘Oh, you will.’ Like everyone else there, she knew it was a foregone conclusion. Catching sight of Stuart Branagan making his way to Jack’s office, Jan slunk away. ‘See you later, eh? And good luck.’

A few moments later, Jack was summoned to the main office.

‘Sit down, Redmond,’ Branagan commanded. ‘You already know Mr Warren.’ Warren was a tall, well-built man of confident stature.

‘Great to see you again, Jack.’ Reaching out, he shook Jack by the hand. ‘I understand you’re ready to take on the responsibility for the new showrooms. Am I right in thinking that is still the case?’

Jack nodded. ‘You are. I have with me the signed contract. If you want me there, I’m ready to go.’

‘Mmm. Well, there are a number of reassurances we need from you. Firstly, Do you understand that this is a long-term responsibility?’

‘I do, yes.’

‘And are there any reasons why you might not be able to stay the course, if the job was offered to you?’ He gave a knowing smile. ‘Obviously, we’re concerned about domestic arrangements – that kind of thing.’

Jack was brusque but respectful. ‘First of all, can I say I was led to believe that the post was already offered – subject firstly to my acceptance, and then to your approval.’

The other man smiled again, only this time his smile was genuine. ‘That is absolutely true, yes. In fact, I was the first to suggest you for the posting. I’ve known you for a long time, Jack. Having worked together for some years, I believe you’re the right man for the job. I know from experience, you won’t let us down.’

His smile faded. ‘As you can appreciate, this new venture is costly, and needs to be monitored at every step. We have to be sure that it’s going to work. In other words, we don’t need any hidden agendas, which is why I put that question to you just now.’

‘I appreciate that. But you should know me better than most, and what I’m saying is, there
are
no hidden agendas – at least not on my part.’ His deeper meaning did not escape them.

Curtis Warren looked him in the eye. ‘Unfortunately, Head Office still remembers a certain occasion some four years ago, when you actually turned down a posting very similar to this one, and later on, the job Mr Branagan is doing so ably now. So, you can understand why we need to be sure it’s what you want this time round.’

‘You can be sure. You have my word on it.’

From the receptionist desk, Bill West and Jan watched with great interest. ‘Looks like he’s getting a right grilling,’ Jan commented, secretly pleased. ‘I know Jack, and he’ll only take so much before he tells them to shove it where the sun don’t shine.’

‘Remember, it’s a managerial post,’ Bill reminded her. ‘You don’t easily turn your nose up at an offer like that. Well, I know
I
wouldn’t!’

Jan made him a promise: ‘Your turn will come,’ she said confidently. ‘You’re made for promotion.’

‘Are you saying I suck up to the big guys?’

‘Not yet, no. But you will.’

‘Hmph! Thanks for that. I thought you and I were on the same team?’

‘We are. Only I’m happy just being a dogsbody, while you and Jack are meant for higher things.’

‘Hey, that’s a really nice thing to say. Thank you, Jan.’ Bill gave her an appreciative glance.

‘I really don’t want him to go,’ she said woefully.

Bill grinned. ‘I knew it! You’ve got your eye on Jack, haven’t you?’

Jan blushed bright pink. ‘Don’t be silly!’ It was the truth though.

Seeing how embarrassed she was, Bill said, ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have teased you like that. None of us want Jack to go – he’s the backbone of this place. I’ve only been here for a few weeks, but even I’ve noticed what a waste of space Branagan is. Jack does twice as much work and shoulders too much responsibility. Our so-called manager squats behind that desk, like a fat king summoning the minions. I’ve yet to see him dirty his hands, or even make his own cup of tea. He doesn’t even pull his considerable weight when the salesmen are run off their feet, or someone is away sick.’

Jan was horrified. ‘Ssh! You’d best not let him hear you, or you’ll be out on your backside before you can say “Jack Robinson”!’

Just then, a customer arrived and Bill rushed to attend to her, all the more eager because she was young and easy on the eye.

Half an hour later, Jack emerged from the main office. Jan held her crossed fingers behind her back, hoping that he had turned the new posting down, or that the powers-that-be had changed their mind, for whatever reason.

The look on Jack’s face said it all. ‘Oh, Jack! You got it, didn’t you? Say something, dammit!’

Jack leaned over the desk, smiling from ear to ear. ‘Yes, I got it, Jan, my little darling! I want everyone to come to the Red Lion tomorrow night.
It’s time to party!
’

‘Congratulations, Jack!’ she was genuinely pleased for him. ‘We’re not losing you just yet though, are we?’

‘Not yet,’ he reassured her. ‘There are a number of things to be put in place before I can move up there. Somewhere to live, for one.’

Buoyed with a sense of accomplishment, Jack went about his work with renewed enthusiasm. Suddenly, his life was changing, and he was both excited and anxious. This was not just an ordinary move; it was far more important than that. He felt as though he was on a runaway train and didn’t know where it might stop.