Twenty Years a Stranger (The Stranger Series Book 1)

by Deborah Twelves

  - Oh, here we go!

  Judge Barraclough glowered at him and did not attempt to hide his contempt when he replied.

  ‘Mr Callaghan, my findings about those assets stand. If the ‘third parties’ have any real evidence to prove otherwise, they will, of course, be given the opportunity to present it to the Court. For the moment, I suggest we all need time to take stock of the situation and propose we reconvene for a hearing to consider the evidence properly in two weeks. In the meantime I am giving a ruling that no further assets be dealt with by any of the parties,’ he declared sternly, looking around at the faces in the room over the rim of his spectacles. ‘That includes the marital home. And Mr Callaghan, as I have already warned you, if the directors of Jupiter Holdings wish to present a third party claim, they must supply their full contact details and proof of identity as a matter of urgency.’

  Eleanor looked shell-shocked and was clearly out of her depth as the Trustee and her entourage swept out of the stuffy little room, closely followed by The Whale and her two buddies. Daniel waited until the end and followed Eleanor and I out, no doubt anxious not to waste an opportunity to gloat.

  ‘Gosh, you’ve put weight on Grace.’

  There was so much he could have said and yet that was the line he chose.

  Hilarious.

  My only consolation in this whole sorry mess was that he had saddled himself with The Whale of Willowmede and I was sure he would be getting nothing but grief from her over everything.

  Eleanor led me hurriedly to a little side room to discuss the situation and closed the door. She was struggling to maintain her composure.

  ‘Right, let’s just sit down for a minute and talk this through.’

  ‘Well, it doesn’t look good, does it?’ I snapped at her. ‘You’ve been telling me all along I was fine because I had a Court Order and now it transpires that the whole process has been a complete waste of time and money. I’m going to lose everything and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it, according to that bitch of a barrister.’

  ‘Look, I really think you’re jumping the gun a bit,’ said Eleanor, in an attempt to placate me. ‘Let’s wait until we’ve spoken to our insolvency team again and done some research on this. We’ve got a couple of weeks to catch our breath and at least now we know what we’re dealing with. Let’s see what Daniel comes up with regarding the directors of Jupiter Holdings. My guess is he can’t provide contact details for anyone, let alone proof of identity. Jane’s witness statement about the cars should be interesting too.’

  I found it difficult to share her apparent optimism, feeling let down and betrayed all over again by the people I had trusted. At the end of the day, this was just another job for her, whereas in my case, it was my whole life at stake and suddenly it was spiralling wildly out of control.

  I was beginning to think Daniel was right when he told me all those months ago that this would end in tears. Except back then, I had been certain they would be his tears, not mine.

  A meeting with an insolvency barrister was hurriedly scheduled for the end of the week. It would be limited to two hours maximum, which, at his exorbitant fee of £950 per hour, would still net him a nice little bonus for the weekend. I had a growing sense of impending doom about the whole thing, not least because I was once again shelling out ridiculous amounts of money that I simply did not have. As I feared, he confirmed the fact that Section 284 of the Insolvency Act 1986 did indeed apply in my case.

  Of course it did.

  Not one to give in without a fight, I clung to the hope I had been given by my own insolvency lawyers that I was entitled, as Daniel’s wife, to half of the assets anyway, outside of the bankruptcy. Wrong again apparently. Not unless I could prove that those assets were paid for either wholly or partly by me.

  ‘Who the hell can prove things like that? Do you keep receipts for things you bought ten, maybe fifteen years ago?’ I demanded, then continued immediately without allowing him to respond. ‘It’s all just so unfair and to be honest, makes a complete mockery of our legal system. And what about the cars I already sold? I’ve paid that money into my mortgage now and I won’t be able to get it back out. Why should I have to pay it back anyway, when I was given the assets by a judge and told I could sell them?’

  I might as well have been banging my head against a brick wall.

  ‘I do understand your frustration Mrs Callaghan and I sympathise that you have been caught up in all this through no fault of your own but, unfortunately, all I can do is tell you how the law works. The insolvency court takes precedence over the family court here.’

  Basically, what he was saying was that neither he nor the law of the land could give a shit about me. I was wasting my time and money. I felt suddenly claustrophobic and needed to get out of there. Standing up abruptly, I held out my hand and thanked him curtly for his time and advice, bristling at the fact of how much I had paid for the privilege.

  It was raining outside, which seemed fitting for the general mood of the occasion. I thought of my dad and wished for the hundredth time he was still here to help me through this. He would have known what to do; he always did. He was the most positive, determined and stubborn person I had ever known. I heard his words in my head:

  There’s no such word as can’t. Never give up and remember that every problem has a solution. You have to keep trying your hardest, no matter what happens.

  Letting him down was not an option. He would never have given in and so I had no choice but to pick myself up and keep fighting.

  As I drove through the gate to the house, Daniel’s car was on the drive. Typical. He was the last person I wanted to deal with, given that he had obviously come to gloat. He was sitting at the kitchen table when I walked in, a cup of coffee in one hand, stroking Lola with the other. I knew I was being childish, but I couldn’t help feeling annoyed at my dog’s lack of loyalty. I spoke sharply to her.

  ‘Lola, come here! Get in your basket.’

  Her ears drooped as she obediently headed for the basket, wondering what the hell she had done wrong. I instantly regretted my harsh tone and gave her a biscuit, a sure way to win her over.

  ‘Good girl. I’m sorry, it’s not your fault.’

  I turned to Daniel.

  ‘Just leave her alone. Don’t even touch her,’ I said, petulantly. ‘I suppose you’re proud of that little performance in court?’

  He sighed and shook his head sadly, as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He really should have gone into acting.

  ‘Not at all. I was as shocked as you were by what they were saying. But I did warn you about the bankruptcy. They’re like vultures and it looks like they’re going to get the lot now. I just wish you’d listened to me at the beginning and let me help you. I told you I didn’t want you to end up with nothing like this.’

  ‘You lying bastard,’ I exploded. ‘That’s all you ever wanted. All you want to do is make sure you’re alright and protect the interests of that fat lump you’re shacked up with in Willowmede. You know, that’s what I really don’t get. I mean, seriously, she’s gross.’

  ‘She is the mother of my child, Grace,’ he goaded me, with a saintly expression on his face. ‘I have to make sure both she and my son are properly provided for.’

  It was almost as if he enjoyed twisting the knife.

  ‘Don’t call her that, you bastard,’ I screamed at him. ‘Besides, I know it’s all lies about her buying the cars from you and I can prove it.’

  I knew I sounded like a fishwife, but he was pushing all my buttons and I just couldn’t keep my temper.

  ‘I’m sorry, Grace, really I am, but everything I’ve said is true. Look, I don’t want to argue with you. Believe it or not, I still love you.’

  ‘Shut the fuck up, you bloody liar! How can you say you love me after all you’ve done?’

  ‘Because it’s true. You know I never wanted a divorce. I wanted us to find a way to work this out. I’m just sad you couldn’t bring
yourself to feel the same. It’s all that bloody Lorraine’s fault. What a lying, treacherous bitch she turned out to be. Just another few months. That was all I needed and I would have had everything sorted.’

  He paused again for dramatic effect and sighed resignedly, as though he were the victim in all this, before continuing.

  ‘Anyway, I’m only here to take some of my stuff. If I were you I’d do the same, before they repossess the house.’

  ‘They can’t do that, because I have rights to it as the marital home,’ I spat.

  But I was far less sure of my facts than I sounded, given the events of the last few days. He laughed quietly.

  ‘Well, good luck with that one. I think you’ll find they can do exactly what they want. The worst of it is that you’ve gone and made it a whole lot easier for them with that court case you insisted on. Thanks to you, they now have chapter and verse on everything I own and where it is stored. I spent years putting everything in place and now this whole divorce fiasco has ruined everything. I only hope they believe me about the assets owned by the guys at Jupiter Holdings, because if not, I’ve got big problems with my bosses.’

  I looked at him incredulously.

  ‘You lying piece of shit. Even now you still won’t be straight with me. Don’t give me all that crap about Jupiter Holdings and your ‘bosses’. You and I both know there is no one else involved in that company except you. It’s just another way for you to get away with keeping stuff for yourself. Well, I’m telling you now, if I can’t have it, I’ll make bloody sure you can’t either. Oh and by the way, what’s the idea with the AGA? Great way to show you care.’

  ‘I had to do that because I can’t afford to pay the electricity and heating bills you were racking up.’

  ‘I don’t believe you. It’s just another way of making my life more unpleasant. Who needs hot water and electricity, eh? Anyway, don’t let me keep you. Isn’t it time you were off now? I really don’t want you hanging around here and I’m sure The Whale is expecting you.’

  I stood looking at him, my arms folded in defiance. To my surprise, he got up without a fight and put on his leather jacket, sighing dramatically.

  ‘What a waste of both our lives. Just think about that when you’re sitting on your own in a crappy little bedsit somewhere, unable to afford the heating. It’s no fun being lonely you know and don’t think you’ll find it easy to meet someone else. Julia found that out the hard way. All the men your age are looking for younger women and time is not on your side, is it Grace? You need to think seriously about what you’re doing with your life.’

  ‘You just can’t resist another dig, can you? Why don’t you crawl back under your stone and leave me alone. I can’t wait until you’re out of my life for good and I never have to see you again.’

  He stood in the doorway about to leave, adding as an afterthought:

  ‘Your car looks good, by the way. Very clean and tidy. Glad to see you’re looking after it.’

  - What is wrong with him?

  ‘What the hell has that got to do with anything?’ I yelled at him furiously.

  To my intense annoyance, he just gave a little laugh and walked out.

  I slammed the door behind him and locked it, leaving the key in the lock.

  I sat down at the kitchen table, visibly shaken, and took out the glossy, black business card Spike had given me at the funeral, turning it over and over in my hand. The clock was ticking now and I had to move fast.

  I could fight dirty when I needed to. I had learned from a master after all.

  Girl on fire

  It is only when you have looked death in the face that you can ever feel truly alive.

  Grace

  As I tramped across the fields with Lola the day after Daniel’s last visit, I had time to myself. Time to think things through and try to come to terms with the ever-changing situation. It was glaringly obvious to me that I was standing on the edge of a precipice and the most ironic thing about it all was that Daniel was right. I had made it all so easy for the bankruptcy thieves to plunder everything. Left to their own devices, they would never in a million years have found the things I found. They would have been bumbling around forever and a day, trying to track down the assets Daniel had hidden. The Trustee must have thought all her birthdays and Christmases had come at once when she saw my Court Order, listing everything so meticulously, and realised I had done her job for her. Extremely efficiently, I might add. Maybe I should send her an invoice. All she had to do was collect the assets I was now being forced to hand over to her.

  I quickly came to the bitter conclusion that I despised her and her scavenging entourage even more than I despised Daniel, and that was saying something.

  If I was really lucky I might be able to hang onto my house, the solicitors had told me. They were throwing me under the bus, I thought angrily and, now that they could see the money tree wilting, their interest was most definitely waning as well. I had trusted in my lawyers and the Great British legal system, believing that justice would be served, Right would triumph over Wrong.

  What a mistake that had been.

  I put Lola in the kitchen and had a quick shower before heading out again. I was meeting Frieda in town for a coffee and I was running late as usual. Realising I had left my car keys in my other bag upstairs, I decided to take the spare keys to save time. I went straight to the little pot at the back of the dresser, where I always left them but, to my consternation, I found only the spare door keys. I couldn’t understand it, as I never moved them and had virtually never used them. I cursed myself for having put them somewhere else, in a ‘safe place’ I no longer had any recollection of, but I did not have time to search. I ran back upstairs and grabbed the main set out of my bag, pausing as I hurried out of the door to salute a lone magpie in the garden. I was not particularly superstitious, but I was taking no chances of incurring any further bad luck.

  One for sorrow….

  As I drove out of the gate and headed down the hill I knew almost immediately something was wrong. The car seemed to be lacking in power and to my horror, I could see smoke coming through the air vents in the dashboard and rising up from under the bonnet. I pulled over immediately to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes, but before I could get out of the seatbelt, I saw flames leaping out from under the bonnet and smoke rising up from the passenger side foot well.

  ‘Shit, shit, shit!’ I screamed as I fumbled with the seatbelt.

  I grabbed my bag from the passenger seat and pulled the door handle to get out.

  There was no familiar click and the door didn’t move.

  I tugged at it frantically and pressed the central locking button on and off over and over again, but nothing happened. Panic overcame me as I felt the heat under my feet and the smoke began to engulf the interior of the car, making it difficult to breathe or see. I could actually see flames in the passenger side foot well.

  I jabbed at the steering wheel with the heel of my hand to sound the horn, but again there was nothing. I was trapped like a sardine in a tin can, being burned alive, while the world outside remained oblivious to my plight. I screamed and screamed for help, knowing I didn’t have much time, then squirmed around desperately in the bucket seat of the Porsche to free my legs from under the steering wheel and began to kick wildly at the window in a futile attempt to smash it.

  I did not want to die. Not like this. Please God, not like this.

  I coughed and spluttered as the toxic smoke filled my lungs, but I managed to twist my legs around further, pushing my feet up against the soft top of the car and again kicked as hard as I could. Still nothing. The dashboard was in flames and I could no longer see out of the windows. It was all happening so quickly. I was utterly terrified, as I suddenly realised that I was not going to get out of there.

  Nothing mattered anymore. The fighting and bitching with Daniel, the court battle, the scrabble for money and assets…it all seemed suddenly so unimportant. What was the point in
any of it now? They say it is only when you have stared Death in the face that you truly appreciate the value of Life. I thought in desperation that I really, really appreciated my Life and I was not ready to give it up, but my strength was fading.

  Suddenly there was a loud banging on the window next to me and I could make out the shape of someone yelling at me to duck down. There was a ripping noise above my head and I could see daylight. Two men were hacking at the material roof of the car and ripping it back from the framework. They were shouting all the time.

  ‘It’s okay love, don’t panic. We’ll get you out of there.’

  I was already scrambling to stand up on the seat as they reached in and grabbed hold of my arms, dragging me up and out through the roof. Another man had a fire extinguisher and was attempting to put out the flames, which were by now consuming the whole front of the car. Somebody else was yelling at him to stand back, as the car could blow. I was half dragged, half carried to the other side of the road, still choking as I took in big gulps of the clean air I thought I would never breathe again. I could hardly believe I had escaped, literally snatched from the jaws of Death.

  ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’ I sobbed through my tears of gratitude and shock.

  One of the men put a big coat around me and hugged me comfortingly. I could see blood running down my leg, where the frame of the roof had torn through my jeans and put a gash in my right thigh. I didn’t care. I was alive. My Guardian Angel was looking after me and I vowed that I would never again take my life for granted.

  I watched dumbstruck as my beautiful car burned. It did not, in fact, explode, but by the time the fire brigade arrived, there was not much left of it. The police had arrived first and had taken my details, but quickly realised I was in no fit state to shed any real light on what exactly had happened. I was bundled into the back of an ambulance, wrapped in warm blankets and given an oxygen mask, while one of the paramedics began to dress the wound on my leg. The whole thing felt like some kind of weird, out of body experience, as if I were watching it all happen to someone else.