It was good to have something positive to hold on to, because she had heard nothing from Mick since his hasty departure on Tuesday. She knew his father was no worse, because Mr McIntyre mentioned it in passing, so surely Mick could have made the effort to get in touch? It just proved what she had known all along, that he wasn’t the reliable kind.
When her phone rang at break on Thursday she thought it was Mick calling at last. Instead, she found herself speaking to young Ryan.
‘There’s a man here fae the Cooncil. He’s asking for you.’ He sounded upset.
Lara frowned, still trying to take in the fact it wasn’t Mick. ‘What does he want?’
‘I dinnae ken. You’ve to come roon noo.’
‘I can’t, I’m teaching,’ said Lara. What on earth was going on? ‘Where’s Alex? Can’t she speak to him?’
‘She’s no’ here. Look, you’ve to come, right? It’s no’ me he wants.’ And with that he finished the call.
Lara tried to think what classes she had next and realised, to her relief, that she actually had a free period straight after break. If she was quick she could get to Ladybank Row and back before she needed to teach again. She grabbed her bag and car keys and went to tell Mark Frazer where she was going.
As she parked the car, Lara told herself to calm down. It would be something and nothing. A boy like Ryan had no doubt been in trouble with officials more than once. He would panic when approached by a man in a suit. She’d sort this out and be back at school in two minutes.
She straightened her skirt and took a deep breath as she went greet the stranger who had appeared around the side of Number One.
She proffered her hand. ‘I’m Lara Mason. I believe you were looking for me?’
‘If you’re the owner of this place then yes, I am.’ He was a severe-looking man in his mid fifties with receding grey hair and a grey suit. Nothing about him was welcoming. He introduced himself in a clipped accent. It turned out he wasn’t from the Council but from SEPA, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. He produced an intimidating little photocard to prove it.
‘How can I help you?’ said Lara, mystified.
‘I’m here to serve in infringement notice on you. In connection with the asbestos that has been removed from the property.’ He flipped open a file and consulted his notes. ‘There has been a contravention of the Landfill Scotland Regulations 2003. This is a very serious matter.’
‘What regulations? We’ve arranged to have asbestos removed. We knew that having it in a house didn’t comply with current building regulations or whatever, and …’
‘Building regulations are of no concern to me. It is waste disposal that comes within my remit. I wonder if you are aware, young lady, that you can be reported to the procurator fiscal for not disposing of such products appropriately?’
‘But …’ said Lara, her heart sinking. The man was so intimidating, so sure he was right. ‘I think there must have been a misunderstanding. We’ve employed a contractor to remove the asbestos. I know he had all the correct certificates, I saw them myself.’ She wracked her brains, trying to think how this could have happened. It hadn’t even occurred to her to ask to see the certificates but Gary Glover had insisted on showing them.
‘Not according to the evidence,’ said the man coldly. ‘How do you explain a significant amount of white asbestos fly-tipped into the Kinner Water above Dunmuir? A quiet enough little place but luckily someone spotted it. The water course has already been seriously polluted. There are livestock in the adjacent fields. What on earth were you thinking?’
‘But,’ said Lara again. ‘But this can’t be right. It can’t be us.’
‘I’m afraid it is. I’ve just taken a sample from one of the roofs and it matches our find exactly. I’m putting a prohibition notice on any further work on these properties until we find out exactly what has been going on. I suppose we should be thankful it wasn’t blue asbestos. You do know that asbestos is classified as potentially dangerous to human life? Now, I’ll need the name of this so-called contractor of yours, and your personal details, and …’
Lara felt ill with the shock. She managed to provide the information requested and waited for the man to leave. Then she went in search of Ryan, to see if he could shed any light on what was going on, but he was nowhere to be found. When she thought to check the time she realised with horror she was going to miss the beginning of the lesson before lunch. She hurried to her car, although the damage was already done. Mr McIntyre would not be impressed.
She gave a shuddering sigh as she sank into the driver’s seat. She needed to catch her breath and sort out her scattered thoughts. This was a nightmare. How could they have been served a contravention notice? She, Lara, who was always so particular to stick to the rules? Things like this didn’t happen to her.
She would have to find Alex and see what she thought of the disaster. Somehow they would have to sort this mess out. But for a moment she needed to be on her own, to fight back the tears of anger at the news and the way the man had broken it to her. Where did this leave their plans for Ladybank Row now?
Mick was in a quandary. His father was on the mend, thank goodness, but it had been touch and go for a while. Mick felt some pressure to stay on in Ayr. The old man appreciated having family around, as did his mother and sister. He liked being with them, but it wasn’t a good time to be away from home. Mid week, mid term, was busy enough and now he was stuck fifty miles away.
He thought about Lara more than once but there was nothing he could do now about their abortive date. There was no point in calling her. She would understand. She was a sensible girl.
So he was more than a little surprised when he saw her across the staff room on the Friday morning, his first day back, and she swung around and left the room before he could get to her. Gosh, what had he done now? He tried to find her at lunchtime but she seemed to have disappeared.
He went to the school office to check Lara’s timetable and found she was free the next to last period. Mick was supposed to be taking a group of fourth years for rugby, but they could wait a few minutes for once.
He settled himself in the corner of the staff room where Lara usually sat, flicking through the fixtures schedule for the next few weeks, but mostly keeping his eye on the door. A couple of members of staff asked about his dad but he took care not to get into long conversations. It would be just his luck that Lara would vanish if he didn’t catch her as soon as she appeared. He was just starting to think she wasn’t coming, it was so long since the bell had rung, when the door was pushed open and there she was.
Her arms were so full of exercise books she was almost at the table before she noticed Mick.
‘Hi there,’ he said.
‘Oh. Hi.’ She looked around for somewhere else to sit. Even after almost a day’s teaching, with her arms full of books, she still looked neat and tidy, the dark hair in place, the pale blue summer dress spotless. His heart gave a little kick at how beautiful she was.
He stood up hastily and took the books from her. ‘You shouldn’t carry so much around. I’ve never known anyone do as much marking as you do.’
‘We’re doing weather at the moment,’ she said vaguely. ‘Lots of diagrams and things, you know.’ The second bell went, meaning that the next lesson had begun. ‘Shouldn’t you be teaching now?’
‘Yes.’ Now, how had she known that? He felt more hopeful, taking it as a sign of her interest in him. ‘But I wanted a word with you.’
‘Ah.’ She looked down and then collected herself and said, ‘Sorry, I should have asked. How’s your father doing?’
‘He’s much better, thank goodness. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m staying here this evening and I wondered whether we could resurrect our … date?’
She was still looking down. ‘I don’t know. We’ve got a bit of a problem at Ladybank Row and I need to talk to Alex.’ From what he could see of her face her expression was fixed, her body stiff. ‘Haven’t yo
u got football training?’
‘Steve’s doing it. I arranged that because I didn’t know if I’d be back from Ayr.’
‘I’m glad your dad’s getting better,’ she said again, her tone still stilted.
‘Lara, what’s wrong?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Look, I really need to go. The kids’ll be out on the field already. Can we discuss it tonight?’
When she didn’t answer he put out a hand and raised her chin so she had to meet his eyes. He knew a couple of people were staring, but it couldn’t be helped. ‘Please?’
‘Why didn’t you phone?’ she said, the words seeming to come out of their own accord. ‘Sorry, forget it, stupid of me.’
‘Phone?’ It hadn’t really occurred to him. ‘I never thought,’ he said. Had she expected him to? No wonder she was upset with him. ‘I’m sorry.’
She gazed at him for a few moments, her dark eyes still cautious. He wanted to take her in his arms but he couldn’t do that here. There would be enough staff room gossip as it was.
‘I’m really sorry,’ he said again.
‘It’s fine, no problem,’ she said.
She seemed to have relaxed ever so slightly, but he didn’t have time to pursue this now. He had just seen Mr McIntyre go past the windows in the direction of the playing fields. Wouldn’t you just know it?
‘I’ve got basketball training till five and then I’m free. We could go out for a drink, surely? Wait for me at the house. Please?’
‘OK,’ she said, with a faint sigh.
As he jogged outside, he couldn’t help grinning. If she minded his not phoning that much it must mean something, mustn’t it?
Chapter Sixteen
Lara stood before the long mirror in her bedroom, trying to decide what to wear. It was difficult as she didn’t know where they were going, or even what kind of impression she was trying to make. And also, despite how momentous this date had previously seemed, it now occupied only half her thoughts. She was waiting for Alex to come home, so they could discuss the prohibition notice that had put paid to any progress at Ladybank Row, and why on earth Gary Glover had turned out to be so unreliable.
She had just decided on black linen trousers and a silky green top when Alex arrived. Lara wondered where she had been, she no longer had the excuse of the Ladybank Row to hide herself away in. Lara supposed they could continue work on the gardens, but Alex didn’t seem inclined to do so.
‘I’m up here,’ she called from the top of the stairs. ‘Come and talk to me.’ She shouldn’t really be going out with Mick. It was ridiculous, when she had so much to discuss with her friend.
‘I tried to phone the solicitor but I couldn’t get an answer,’ said Alex, looking guilty.
‘That’s OK, I spoke to him myself,’ said Lara. She hoped this difficulty wasn’t going to push Alex back into her lethargy. ‘I told him we haven’t done anything wrong, but he says we need to be able to prove it.’
‘How do we do that if Gary Glover was taking our asbestos and dumping it illegally? Aren’t we somehow responsible?’ Alex chewed her lip, looking more worried than ever.
Lara had been thinking much the same. She had looked at the sort of fines they might be liable for, and they were massive. With a cashflow that was already under strain, this was something they could really do without. She also hated the stigma of having broken the law. And goodness knew how much more delay to their timetable.
‘We did see his certificates,’ said Lara. ‘But they obviously didn’t mean anything.’
‘His men seemed very professional,’ said Alex. ‘They were really careful.’
‘We’re going to find Mr Glover first thing tomorrow morning,’ said Lara. ‘I don’t know why he won’t return our calls.’ The very fact that he didn’t made her all the more worried.
‘I’ll leave you now,’ said Alex, looking pleased to be able to slip away. ‘I can see you’re going out, I don’t want to hold you up.’
Lara blushed. ‘I could stay in if you’d like, I feel bad going out just now …’
‘Don’t worry about me,’ said Alex, managing a smile. ‘I’m going to have a bath and an early night.’
Lara sighed. She really wished she hadn’t agreed to go out with Mick now. Perhaps he wouldn’t mind if she suggested Alex joined them? But even as she mulled over the possibility, she knew he would. And Alex was already turning on the bath water.
Lara went slowly down stairs, feeling oddly nervous. She poured herself a glass of wine and wondered what she would do if Mick cancelled again.
The very thought made her feel ill, and she had just taken a large gulp to calm herself when he came bouncing in. ‘Sorry I’m late. That looks good, pour me a glass?’
Lara turned to reach for a glass from the cupboard, glad to have an excuse to look away from him. As ever he was rumpled and glowing with energy.
‘Wouldn’t you know it, I got caught by old McIntyre on my way out.’
‘He wasn’t complaining about you being late for your lesson, was he?’ Lara had had a run-in with their stickler of a headmaster over her own late arrival for a lesson the previous day and she knew all too well he didn’t mince his words.
‘No, thank goodness he didn’t seem to know about that.’ Mick took a sip of wine and smiled. ‘Mmm, that’s good. He wanted to talk about the future of athletics in Dumfries and Galloway. I mean, at five thirty on a Friday evening. Doesn’t the man have a life?’
‘That’s why it’s such a good school.’ Although she had been mortified to be chastised by the head, Lara had known it was only what she deserved, and part of her respected him for not letting it pass.
‘Hmm. Give me five minutes to change and we can be off.’
‘Alex’s in the bathroom,’ said Lara, feeling guilty once again for inflicting her friend on him.
‘No problem, I had a shower at the school. I just need to change.’ He gestured down at the mud-splattered tracksuit, gave her another devastating grin, and bounded up the stairs two at a time.
Five minutes later Mick returned, attired now in jeans and a clean but crumpled T-shirt. Lara took this in with a quick glance. She didn’t want to be seen staring. ‘Right, where do you want to go?’ he said. ‘I’ll need to drop Steve’s car at his place and we can walk into town from there. Is that OK?’
‘Fine,’ said Lara, taking a last mouthful of wine. She must have drunk it too fast, she was feeling light-headed and shaky. It was a good job she wasn’t driving.
Mick put out an arm to usher her through the door before him. He barely touched her, but the warmth of his hand through her thin shirt made her heart give a little jolt.
The short journey passed in near silence. As they pulled up in the driveway of the shabby-grand house where Steve had his flat, Mick said, ‘I suppose we’d better go up and say hello.’
‘That’s fine by me.’ Lara hadn’t yet seen inside the flat and she was interested. Also, it would delay spending time alone with Mick.
Unlike Mick’s house, this building had heaps of character, with curvy pillars flanking the front door, and old-fashioned green and maroon tiling in the hallway. ‘It’s lovely.’
‘The flat needs masses of work doing,’ said Mick as he led her up to the top floor.
‘I know one or two places like that.’
‘Yes, but you relish it, don’t you?’ Mick grinned at her and she realised she hadn’t told him about work on Ladybank Row coming abruptly to a halt. She didn’t want to think about that now. He rang the doorbell, and when they heard footsteps approaching he said quickly, ‘Listen, we’re not inviting him out with us. OK?’
‘OK,’ said Lara, turning slightly away so he wouldn’t see her blush.
Steve asked briefly, but with clear affection, after Mick’s father.
‘He’s doing fine, thank goodness. I’ll go over to see him again tomorrow, and then hopefully I can tail the visits off. I don’t want them to start thinking they have a dutiful son or anything.’
‘You should’ve kept the car, if you need it again the morn.’
‘Thought you might need it yourself. Right, we’re off out for the evening. See you.’
As they walked along the road from Steve’s place towards the town centre Mick took Lara’s hand and linked his fingers through hers. ‘Alone at last.’
Lara was looking around at the old houses, but all she could think about was his touch. She swung their two hands gently and felt happy.
They turned from Steve’s side street onto one of Loreburn’s many main roads and immediately bumped into a group of youths. ‘Hiya, Mick,’ said one.
‘Ooo, it’s Miss Mason,’ said another.
Lara tried to disentangle her fingers but Mick held on. ‘Evening all,’ he said, pushing his way easily through the crowd. ‘Nice to see you – not.’
‘Gee, Mr Jensen …’
‘Oh, for some privacy,’ said Mick grimly. ‘We should have gone somewhere else. Anywhere else. There’re no secrets in Loreburn.’
‘I’d forgotten the downside of a small town.’
‘Do you really mind?’ he said, glancing sideways at her but keeping up the rapid pace, putting some distance between them and their pupils.
He looked so anxious she shook her head. ‘Not really. It can’t be helped in a place like this.’
‘Too true. Which reminds me, how’s Ryan getting on?’
‘Ryan?’ Lara realised she had forgotten all about the youth, who hadn’t been seen since he phoned her the previous day. ‘He was doing fine but there’s been a little hiccup. I’ll tell you about it.’
Mick must have picked up on her serious tone for her paused to examine her, frowning now. ‘Let’s find somewhere to drink first.’
They were in the town centre now and he indicated a pub on their right, a noisy but spacious place where she had been once or twice before. ‘Will this do?’
He held open the door for her and they found seats at a tiny corner table. After Mick had bought drinks for them both Lara told him the tale of the asbestos. He listened carefully, which was another thing she liked about him. He could seem to light-hearted and easy going, but he knew when to be serious too.
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