Monday
Cleo did not want to wait until he asked for help. Sometimes
people who grieve never stop grieving. It becomes a part of their life and
often indispensable and self-sacrificial. But you have to let go of the past –
somehow, and not let it become a crutch to lean on.
Before they could drive back to Upper Grumpsfield, Jake would have to be questioned again, even
if he refused to cooperate. Despite Gary’s fear that Jake would be rude to Cleo,
she insisted on being there. She would also talk to Pat O’Reilly and try to
help him work through his grief and shock since no one else seemed to have
taken much notice.
***
“I can deal with jerks like Jake,” she said. “I want to hear
what he has to say.”
“A confession would be good,” said Gary.
“But unlikely.”
***
Jake was fetched from an arrest cell to a security room. He
was handcuffed. The local police were not taking any chances. In a state of powerlessness
Jake was small and insignificant. He did not answer any of the questions put to
him. Cleo suggested that a confession might save them all a lot of time and
trouble, but Jake only laughed and cursed.
“Just get me out of here, Lady,” he told her. “I’m innocent
and I’m not going to do you the favour of confessing to something I didn’t do.
“If it wasn’t you, who was it?” said Gary.
“I don’t shit on anyone, either,” said Jake.
“If you aren’t going to cooperate, you can go back to your
cell,” said Gary.
The officer who had brought Jake in now stepped forward to
take him away.
***
“No go,” said Cleo, when she was alone with Gary. “He’s
stubborn, but that may be because he really is innocent of killing Ivy.”
“But he’s nervous, Cleo.”
“I would be if I was accused of something I didn’t do. Forensics
will no doubt have something to say,” Cleo suggested, “ Anyhow, he doesn’t have
the - pardon me - balls for murder.”
“Charming, I’m sure!” said Jake, who was still smarting from
believing Cleo’s prostitute act.
Cleo signalled to the guard that she had no more questions.
She was sure that Jake had not killed Ivy, but she was also sure that Jake had
astory to tell if be was given enough space and time to decide to tell it.
***
“One day we’ll visit my old welfare setup in Chicago,” Cleo
said when Jake had been led off to his cell. “Then you’ll really hear some
charming language, Gary!”
“I take it that’s an invitation,” said Gary.
“You can bet your…”
“Keep it clean, please, Cleo. I’m very sensitive.”
“Oh yeah? So let’s get moving. I’d like to see PeggySue before
she’s tucked up for the night.”
“By the way, if anyone asks you, you’re my wife,” said Gary
to Cleo as they drove home. “O’Reilly seems to have been given a different
impression.”
“Understandable in the circumstances,” said Cleo. “He’s
Irish. What’s he doing in Wales?”
“Fallout, I expect. The Irish came in droves to Liverpool
looking for work. I expect one or two drifted into Wales.”
“Kelly, for instance. That guy we never really cottoned on
to. Jake could be second or third generation, couldn’t he?”
“Anything’s possible, Cleo. I’ll ask him tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I’ll have to go back there, but I won’t stay overnight. I
just have to support O’Reilly.”
”How?”
“My superior rank,” said Gary. “I have already suggested to
O’Reilly that it would be wise to put space between Brass and Llewellyn. Brass
is distressed by what’s going on.”
“I hope he has the emotional corset to cope in
Middlethumpton.”
“Roger will make sure he feels at home,” said Gary. “Shall we
listen to some Schumann now?”
“I’ll just phone Glorie to tell her to bring PeggySue home”
***
After the phone-call, Cleo looked for a DVD among the
collection Gary kept in the car. She was over the moon that she now had someone
with whom she could listen to classical music. Robert was not into classical
music, though he loved to sing arias. He could not get on with abstract
orchestral music at all and had only put up with it as long as it took him to think
of something he needed to do urgently that took him out of earshot.
“Are you happy, Cleo?”
“Yes, but I dread telling Robert that I’m leaving him. Are
you happy, Gary?”
“I’ve never been happier. Thanks for having me, Cleo.”
“Thanks for wanting me, Gary.”
***
Gary dropped Cleo off at her cottage. Parting was becoming
very hard to deal with. He drove off rapidly, before he could think better of
it.
Gloria and Dorothy were waiting for her. Robert was nowhere
to be seen.
“I asked Dorothy to come over,” said Gloria.
“Where’s PeggySue?” Cleo asked.
“Asleep, Cleo. Shall I go and get her?” Dorothy asked.
No Dorothy. Let her finish her nap. I’m not going out again. Where’s
Robert?”
“Bobby has gone,” Gloria said.
“Gone?”
“He has left you, Cleo. He’s taken all his stuff with him. He
says his bed is free.”
The tone of Gloria’s voice revealed how shocked she was.
“Why didn’t you tell me over the phone?”
“I didn’t want that cop to know,” she relplied.
“Robert asked me if he could move into my guestroom, Cleo,”
Dorothy explained. “I said yes if there was no alternative, so he moved all his
personal possessions there. Now he has a key of my cottage and can come and go as he
wishes. His key of what he said is your cottage is hanging on the hook next to
the front door.”
“Did he say why he was leaving me?” Cleo asked, though she
knew the reason.
“He said you would know why,” said Dorothy, trying hard to be
impartial.
“It wasn’t how I wanted it to end,” said Cleo, flopping down
onto the sofa and feeling elated when she should have been shocked.
“What were you planning then, Cleo?” Gloria asked. Somehow
she had missed the crisis brewing in Cleo’s marriage.
“I wasn’t planning anything,” said Cleo, improvising. “For a
time, I thought my infatuation would go away of its own accord.”
“Infatuation?”
“With Gary,” said Cleo.
“Wake up girl. You’re not a teenager anymore,” said Gloria.
“Don’t be so hard on Cleo,” said Dorothy. “Hasn’t she been
through enough already?”
***
It sounded as if Dorothy had taken Vera’s scolding to heart.
Either that or she realized that she was flogging a dead horse trying to get
Cleo and Robert to stay together when they clearly did not want to.
“If you mean Jay Salerno, I agree that he was a bad man to be
married to, but Bobby is the ideal husband,” said Gloria.
“How do you know, Gloria?” said Dorothy. “You aren’t married
to him.”
Of course, Dorothy knew that Cleo had spent the nights away
from home in Gary’s bed. She told Gloria the facts of the case. It shocked
Gloria's feelings of propriety. That was not the way to run a marriage, however
bad it was, she said. Dorothy told her to shut up and mind her own business.
Cleo decided that Vera had had a positive influence on Dorothy.
“It is my business,” Gloria snapped.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Mother. Where’s Charlie?”
Cleo reflected that Gary had not even stayed long enough to ask
after his daughter. He was also in a bemused emotional state.
“She’s at the vicarage, playing with the boys, but she’s
sleeping here,” said Dorothy. “I’ll collect her in about an hour.”
“Bobby wants me to leave his flat as soon as possible so that
he can move back in,” said Gloria miserably.
***
At that moment, Gary rang Cleo on her mobile to find out if everything
was OK. They had been separated for only a few minutes and it felt like a year.
He had a hunch that something was wrong. Cleo went into the back garden to
talk.
“Robert has left me,” she told Gary.
“What? So soon?”
“It was his decision, Gary. I didn’t see him. Can you come
here?”
“Now?”
“It would be a help. Gloria is upset because she has to leave
her flat. Dorothy is upset because she is siding with me and making Gloria
cross, and I’m in a state of shock at what I’ve done to my family.”
“As far as I can see, you haven’t done anything, Cleo. It’s
Robert decision whether he tries to keep his miserable marriage going. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Tell Gloria
she can have my flat if she likes it.”
“I didn’t even get to explain to Robert,” Cleo said.
“You did enough explaining when you told him we were sleeping
together. Go with the flow, Cleo. The situation was programmed. Now we have to
manage the new one with dignity and skill.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’ll bring an overnight bag and go straight to North Wales
from the cottage. We’ll have the night together to heal some of the wounds.”
“Thanks,” said Cleo. “Charlie starts school tomorrow. Dorothy
is collecting her in time for supper.”
“I’ll take her and the boys there. Can you organize that with
Edith?”
“Sure. Je t’aime,
Gary.”
“Moi aussi”.
***
“Gary will be over in an hour or so,“ Cleo announced and told
Gloria of Gary’s offer.
Gloria was delighted with the idea of taking over Gary’s
flat. So much for loyalty to Robert, Cleo thought. How quickly people got over
things, even quite important ones like losing one son-in-law and gaining
another at the drop of a hat.
“Do you always speak French with Gary?” Gloria asked.
“Not always, Mother. Were you listening in?”
“I don’t think I can face Gary just now,” said Dorothy. “I’ll
go home and make something to eat . I expect Robert is hungry.I’ll go and
collect Charlie as arranged.”
“If Robert was hungry, he’ll have cooked something by now,”
Cleo said.
So Dorothy could face Robert but not face Gary, she mused.
“Call me if you need me,” said Dorothy. “Charlie will be thrilled ot have her father
back.”
“Then it’s a good thing he’s coming here,” said Cleo.
“At least you’ll lose some weight if you are not eating
Bobby’s cooking,” said Gloria pointedly. “I’ll go home and start packing. You
won’t want me here playing gooseberry, will you?”
Gloria’s catty remark did not escape Cleo.
“Does that mean you condone what’s happening, Mother?”
“I must admit that I’m shocked. I thought Bobby was the man
in your life.”
“He was maybe, in the early days.”
“How long has it been going on with Gary, Cleo?”
“Since the day we met when you had that problem with the
Rossi women.”
“Really? That long? How long has Robert known?”
“I think he has always known, but now I’m at the end of my
tether with him. I don’t love him anymore.I’m not even sure that I ever loved
him. I can’t live with his passivity and indifference to everything but his
joints of carcass and keeping tabs on me, so I’m glad he’s gone.”
Gloria realized that she too must go with the flow.
“Dorothy’s right, Cleo. Life’s too short to live with someone
you don’t love anymore when you want to be with someone else. I just wish Bobby
had someone else to turn to. He’s such a nice guy.”
“I do still care hwhat happens to him, Mother, but my relationship
with Gary is intense. I can’t see beyond
it.”
“You had to get nearly to your 40s to experience such feelings, Cleo.
Enjoy them while they last even if it is only an affair.”
“That’s not what I meant, Mother, and it isn’t just an
affair.”
“Does it matter now?” Gloria replied.
“It matters to me, Mother.”
***
Gloria let herself out of the cottage. She was singing a
spiritual, and it wasn’t ‘Nobody knows the trouble I see’. Cleo was glad about
that. She looked in on PeggySue, planted a kiss on her forehead and left her to
finish her siesta. Cleo mused that coffee had a soothing or enervating effect,
depending on why you were drinking it. Tea was too British at such moments.
Would Gary drink coffee with her at bedtime, when the rumour was that it kept
you awake? Would they need to compensate for a lack of stimulus? She did not
think so.
*
Cleo phoned the vicarage and tried to explain the current
situation without admitting to Edith that Robert had left her.
“I don’t think I quite understand what you are trying to tell
me, Cleo,” said Edith.
“Robert has left me,” Cleo explained because she coul see no
alternative to the truth.
“Oh no. I’m so sorry,” said Edith. “Why? Because of Gary?”
There was a limit to what Cleo was prepared to tell Edith,
for both their sakes. She was quite surprised that Edith was not shocked. Had
Dorothy forewarned her?
“Robert and I didn’t get on at all any more, Edith.”
***
Saying those words made Cleo realise that they had only been
true since she had acknowledged to herself that she loved Gary. She had been
getting along quite well with Robert until her feelings for Gary overpowered
her. She had reconciled herself to a life with Robert, for the sake of
PeggySue. Remembering Edith’s mercurial, but seemingly endless marriage, she now
wondered if her own marriage was really over. Maybe it really was just an
affair with Gary. Hell, what was she doing with all their lives?
She could have phoned Robert and pleaded with him to come
home, but she hadn't. She didn't want to. It was Gary that she wanted, not
Robert. That told her a lot about her growing love for Gary and dying feelings
for Robert.
***
Edith thought briefly about the situation. Robert had left
and Gary was going to be there to drive the children to school next morning? Had
she understood the drift of the phone-call?
“Does that mean…?”
“I think you can guess.”
To Cleo’s astonishment, Edith took a pragmatic view of the
situation.
“Well, Cleo, I can’t say I’m that surprised. I’ve never seen
a man look at a woman the way Gary has looked at you every time I’ve seen you
together.”
“You’ve hardly ever seen us together, Edith.”
“Often enough. Do you love him, Cleo?”
“Yes, Edith. I love him to bits.”
“Then that’s all right. Relationships don’t always stand the
test of time and yours with Robert didn’t.”
“But you are still at the vicarage, Edith.”
“Yes, but that’s probably because of the boys. I can’t think
of any other reason. Enjoy your new relationship, Cleo. Dorothy’s just leaving
with Charlie. I expect Gary will ring later to confirm the arrangements for
tomorrow morning.”
“Sure.Thank you for helping with the children, Edith, and I
really appreciate the way you have reacted to my new siutuation.”
“I’m happy for you, Cleo. Don’t waiver!”
***
Poor Frederick, Cleo mused. So Edith didn’t really care two
hoots about him. The marriage still existed because of the kids. On the other
hand, Edith had a raw deal with the vicar. She did all the work and got none of
the credit for it.
***
After that phone-call with Edith, which had ended with a
piece of advice Cleo would never have thought possible coming from a vicar’s
wife who waivered about almost everything and certainly about her own marriage,
Cleo speculated for some time about Edith’s misery. She would try to help her
get out of it. But should she? Wouldn’t that be meddling? Isn’t that the reason
why even good friends, with the exception of Dorothy, had refrained from
commenting on Gary’s interest in her? Cleo decided that she was in no position
to give personal advice to her friends.
***
A knock on the front door announced Gary’s arrival. He had
taken a shower and put on fresh clothes. He was wearing the heady after-shave that
made Cleo feel giddy. He held her close for some time before he said anything.
”What’s this all about, Cleo? Was it planned?”
“Not by me! Before I left on Friday, Robert told me that he would
fight for me. I told him I didn’t know what he was going to fight about. So on
Friday he had not decided to leave me, unless I completely misunderstood him. ”
“In the end he hasn’t put up even the trace of a fight, has he?”
“It certainly looks like it.”
“I’m not really surprised,” said Gary.
“You’re not surprised?”
„No. He was probably avoiding a confrontation because he knows
perfectly well that you and I are better suited to one another.“
“Opposites attract, too. I think that’s what happened between
Robert and me. But above all, we were two lonely people.”
“Those kinds of relationships are built on shaky ground. We
both knew that things were deteriorating between you and Robert almost as fast
as our affair was becoming indispensable.”
“I don’t think I was ready to accept that things were no long
what they had been.”
“All things considered, you should have got out earlier rather
than having a baby to kit the marriage.”
“You are right. Having PeggySue didn’t help, but I am
overjoyed to have her.”
“We could have a child together, Cleo, but not to glue us
together!”
“Well…”
“Well what?”
“We already have one. Don’t you want to see her now she
really is yours?”
***
Minutes later, Gary was kneeling at PeggySue’s cot, his handi
cutching a chubby foot, and crying.
“She looks like my mother, Cleo.”
***
Until PeggySue arrived, Robert had always insisted that he
was against parentage at my age and did not think I could cope. I had often
mentioned adopting Anna, for instance, but though he consented after a while,
it never came to that.”
“As long as you are young enough to have children, of course
you can cope. How stupid of Robert to take that attitude.”
“Not stupid, Gary. Just cautious.”
“I often thought how incompatible you were together. Remember
your wedding?”
“What about it?”
“The cab driver thought I was the bridegroom.”
“He did?”
“I brought the flowers, remember?”
“Yeah. I was really happy about that.”
“And I was miserable because I was only the best man, and
that’s about the silliest title of all. I am the best man for you, Cleo, and we
both know it.”
“I didn’t know then. Why didn’t you say something? You aren’t
usually reticent.”
“How could I? A man can’t go up to the bride and tell her
she’s about to marry the wrong man. I thought you were both happy.”
“We were – I suppose.”
“But it’s all over now and you did not even have to make
that final decision.”
“I think Robert wanted to make it easier for me, but I really
decided to end my marriage in that cove lying on those cold stones the first
time. I knew then that my marriage was all over but for the shouting.”
“And has his initiative in leaving made things easier?”
“He told my mother that his side of the bed was free.”
“That was in bad taste. I would not have thought he would
resort to sarcasm.”
“Neither would I. But it is free, Gary. He got that right.”
“I’d reserved it, Cleo.”
“When is Charlie coming home?”
“She should be here any minute, and yes, this is our home
now, if you want it that way.”
“I think I’ll start by taking my shoes off, but before that
we should have a commemorative hug.”
What Cleo was to start celling their body hugs was
interrupted by the arrival of Charlie and Dorothy.
“Hello, little girl,” Gary said as he whirled his daughter
round and round.
“Are you staying the night, Daddy?” Charlie asked.
“I don’t think so,” said Dorothy.
“Yes, Sweetheart. I’m staying.”
“Forever?”
“Forever,” said Cleo. “Are you staying for supper, Dorothy?”
“No. I have things to do,” she replied starchily, and left.
***
Gary went to sit on the sofa. Charlie sat next to him with
her arm tucked into his. Cleo went over to the sofa and planted kisses on the
necks of the two Hurleys.
Gary could nevertheless not resist digging deeper into
Cleo's quandary.
“There’s really only one more question left to be asked,” he
said.
“Ask away!”
“Are you letting him go, or are we going to have emotional
scenes with me sleeping on the couch tonight and you roaming around not
sleeping at all?” said Gary.
“Of course not. You know I don’t want that. I’m not in
mourning for that guy.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Gary.
For him, the matter was now settled once and for all.
PeggySue could be heard crowing away.
“I’ll get my little sister,” said Charlie.
“She needs her supper,Charlie. Shall we all have something to
eat now and then have an early night?”
A couple of hours late, the two girls were getting quite
sleepy and ready to be tucked in for the night.
***
“I’ll think I’ll try my side of the bed now because I’m
really tired,” said Gary, making for the
bedroom.
“Gloria even changed the linen,” Cleo called after him.
“Thoughtful of her. Almost like a blessing. I’ll just look in
on the girls to make sure they are OK.”
“Have you confirmed the taxi service for tomorrow, Gary?
“I’ll ring Edith now.”
***
“That’s fixed up”, said Gary a couple of minutes later.
“I’ll just clear up here. Get some sleep, Gary.”
“I’d rather help than wait until you have time for your new husband.”
“On second thoughts…”
“Don’t wear your kimono,” Gary called.
That was an invitation, mused Cleo, realising that she was
now too emotionally involved to even consider ignoring it, even if she had
wanted to.
“Bet your bottom dollar that I won’t do that! We need to
start how we mean to go on. That’s always been my philosophy.”
“I can go along with that….errr GeeGee.”
"But I do make exceptions."
"Sorry. That was unpardonable. I am serious
about all this, Cleo."
"So am I, Gary."
“How serious? Want to get warm under my duvet?” said Gary.
“That’s exactly what I was trying to say.”
***
At six o’clock next morning there were knocks on the
living-room window, bangs on the kitchen door, and a persistent ring of the front
doorbell. The cottage was being beleaguered. Cleo and Gary scrambled out of
bed.
“I didn’t want our first official night to end,” said Gary.
“I didn’t, either, but look at the time!” said Cleo.
PeggySue called from her cot. Cleo went to collect her.
The Parsnip boys had got up extra early to see if Charlie was
all right. Charlie rushed to greet them and introduce them solemnly to her ‘father’,
as she called him. She had heard the boys calling their Daddy Father and
thought it rather nice.
“How do you do, Sir,” they said.
“Did you arrange this early call, Charlie?” Gary asked.
“Not this early,” said Charlie.
“Well you’re here now. Like a drink, kids?” asked Cleo.
“Coke, please,” Albert said.
“No coke. Only orange juice or water from the tap,” said
Cleo, who had thrown on her kimono and joined the crowd. Gary only had a
bathtowel around his haunches.
The children reckoned they could manage with orange juice.
Gary told the boys that he was going to pick them up at the vicarage at 8:15 to
go to school. Was that still OK?
“Super. Can I sit in the front, Sir?” Albert wanted to know.
Are you 12?”
“Nearly.”
“Then you can sit in front. But you’d better get along home
now.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Thanks for looking after Charlie and PeggySue yesterday,”
said Cleo.
“Don’t mentionit,” said Albert. “We’ll have to go home now
because Mummy will think we’ve disappeared overnight otherwise.”
“See you later!” called Charlie.
If she was puzzled that her Daddy was still at the cottage,
she wasn’t letting on. With PeggySue on her knee, Cleo took it on herself to
explain.
“Your Daddy and I fell in love and now your Daddy really is
staying here,” she said, and Charlie looked at her earnestly.
“What about Robert?”
“Robert left home, Charlie. He made other plans.”
“Oh,” she said, and then she brightened up.
“Can I stay here forever?”
“Of course you can, but you’ll have to go on sharing the room
with PeggySue.”
“Then I really will have a sister!” the girl said. “A sister
and a Daddy. And I can share PeggySue’s Mummy, can’t I?”
Cleo was touched by the way Charlie was coping.
“You certainly can, Charlie. Let’s have a big hug to seal
things.”
Cleo and Charlie clung to each other with PeggySue gurgling
in between. Charlie was too thin, Cleo decided. It was high time she had a
mother who cared about her, not someone who dragged her to Spain and then
probably left her to her own devices.
Gary came into the living-room from the kitchen, where he had
been investigating shelves and the fridge to see what was on offer for
breakfast.
Can I join you?” he asked.
Charlie opened her arm to include him in the hug.
“Je t’aime,” said Gary.
“Moi aussi,” said Charlie.
Gary caught Cleo’s eye. They both found Charlie’s response
endearing, Gary because that’s what he and his daughter always said to one
another, and Cleo, because she now knew for certain that with those words Gary
had wanted to express his true feelings and – even more significantly – Cleo
was positive that it was not something he said to anyone else.
“Can I give PeggySue her breakfast,Mummy?” Charlie asked when
the big hug was finally over.
“Of course. We’ll put her in her high chair and you can share
a banana with her while your Daddy and I are getting it all ready.”
“Is it going to carry on being this perfect,” Gary
wanted to know.
“I sure hope so. Or can it get even better.”
"I can’t think how, but we'd better seal what
we already have with another big hug," he said.
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