by June Tate
She walked to the window and started calling as loud as she could until her throat ached, but there was no sound from outside. As the hours passed, no one came into the street. Jessie tried to overcome the rising feeling of panic that was beginning to overtake her reasoning. She must be strong! Briggs would have to come eventually. She would just have to be patient. She sat on the floor, propped up against a wall, and waited.
It was midday before she heard footsteps outside. She quickly got to her feet and, picking up the stool, she held it over her head to use it when her adversary entered the room. The steps stopped. She held her breath.
Suddenly, a small grille in the door, which she hadn’t noticed, opened and part of Briggs’s grinning face could be seen.
‘Did you sleep well, Mrs McGonigall? Not so cosy as that lovely house in The Avenue, I’m afraid.’
‘You bastard! Let me out of here.’
‘Do you think I’m stupid? But, of course, I forgot, you told me I was. Not any more. I’m the one in charge now.’
She tried another tactic. ‘Look, Briggs, you are already in enough trouble with the police. This will only make matters worse. Be sensible and stop this, now.’
He became angry. ‘I’m going to prison anyway, so what does it matter? At least this way I’ll have paid back Mr Forbes and you, and that’ll give me enough satisfaction as I spend the extra years. My life is ruined anyway, so what difference will it make?’
‘I’m thirsty. Can I have some water to drink? It’s the least you can do.’
‘No chance! I’m not coming back. I’m leaving you to rot. You can sit and think how clever you were to find me out. Not so clever now, though. No one’s going to find you, Mrs …’
She could hear him walking away, laughing loudly. She called after him continuously, but, eventually, there was nothing but silence. Jessie sank to her knees.
Larry Forbes had been searching the streets around the area where Jessie had last been. He reasoned that Briggs couldn’t have gone far with her if he’d had to carry her, which was likely if she was unconscious. The police hadn’t found anything either and Briggs was still missing.
There were headlines in the local paper with a picture of Jessie. CAFE OWNER MISSING. Then another picture of Harry Briggs: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN? asking people to look in sheds and empty buildings, to keep an eye out for both.
The dockers who’d been Jessie’s customers were enraged and upset that such a thing could happen to the woman they admired so much, but still further searches were fruitless.
Another night passed.
Jessie opened her eyes. She was laid on her side, her tied hands over her stomach. Her mouth was dry and she felt weak. Slowly, she tried to sit up. Every bone seemed to ache. Rolling over onto her knees, she struggled to stand, but as she got to her feet, she was so dizzy; she staggered against the wall, which stopped her falling. She looked around the bare walls and towards the door, but she was confused. How long had she been here?
Looking across at the window, she gazed at the buildings across the road. Why didn’t anyone come? She opened her mouth to call, but her voice was but a croak. She slid down the wall and sat on the floor. Was this where she was to die? Briggs wasn’t coming back, she remembered him saying so. Tears brimmed her eyes. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to live to a ripe old age, battling for survival probably as she’d seemed to have done for so long.
She thought about her parents. Her poor father, who had been so ill before he was taken. Her distraught mother who’d then returned to Ireland. If only she’d been able to see her just one more time before she had passed away. Then there was Conor. Lovely Conor. Her wild Irishman whom she’d adored. He, too, had left her. How cruel life was. Her past life filled her thoughts as she faced what could be her final hours.
But then it hadn’t all been bad, she reasoned. She’d run the cafe and, eventually, to her surprise, had become the manageress of a hotel, working for Larry Forbes. She thought of her days there. That had been nice. She smiled as she remembered the bathroom. Such a luxury. Then she thought of the house in The Avenue, which had been her salvation for a few days. Where was Larry? She called his name. Why couldn’t he find her? He was so bloody efficient … where the hell was he? Then she passed out.
Larry Forbes was in the office, poring over a street map of Southampton. Ticking off the places he’d searched. Then he suddenly remembered the small one-storey building he’d bought years ago that had been used for storage, but was no longer in use. It was in a cul-de-sac and he’d forgotten it. He searched for the keys, grabbed his coat and left the office.
Forbes turned into the cul-de-sac. It was deserted. The buildings long empty and neglected. He opened the front door. There were two rooms, but they were empty. He let out a deep sigh. It had been his one last hope. He locked the door and began to walk away. He glanced down at the small window just below the pavement and walked on. He was desperate. Where the hell was Jessie? His one worry was that she was injured somewhere, or worse. Suddenly, he stopped and turned. That small window was part of the building, but he didn’t recall a cellar. He entered the building again. He searched the two rooms, and then he saw a door so covered in dust that it was hardly visible. There was a key in the lock. He opened the door and stepped inside.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Larry immediately saw the figure of Jessie in a bundle on the ground. ‘Oh my God. Jessie!’ he called as he knelt beside her. He now realised that she was unconscious. For one dreadful moment he’d thought she was dead. He gathered her into his arms when he realised she was breathing, but looking at her, he knew he needed to get help quickly. Taking off his coat, he covered her, then he ran from the building, heading for a small office block he knew of nearby and, rushing in, demanded to use their telephone for an emergency. They happily obliged after seeing the state he was in. Then he ran back to the building.
Sitting on the floor, he held Jessie, talking softly to her all the time. ‘You’re safe now, Jessie, I’ve got you. The ambulance is coming. You hang on. Don’t you dare leave me, do you hear? I’m responsible for you whether you like it or not and I’m telling you to stay with me! You’re the most difficult woman I’ve ever met, but this time you are to do as you’re told!’
Later, Jessie lay in the hospital bed, unaware of her surroundings. She was having the strangest dream. She could hear the quiet buzz of voices, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. She thought she heard Larry speak. Then it all faded away.
Larry Forbes sat by the bed holding her hand. ‘Come along, Jessie, don’t just lie there. Give me some sign you’re alright or I think I’ll go crazy!’ He gazed at the pale face on the pillow. This usually vibrant woman, now so still.
The doctor had spoken to him. ‘Mrs McGonigall was so very dehydrated, but we’ve managed to get some fluids into her system, now we have to wait.’
Gazing at the patient, Larry remembered the early days, when he first encountered Jessie McGonigall. How she’d cleverly thwarted his plans to take over the cafe and how eventually he’d won, by buying the lease. That had given him so much pleasure to have bettered this feisty woman who’d stood up to him. Despite the fact she’d been a thorn in his side, he’d always admired her fighting spirit. How strange it had been that, eventually, they had worked together in the hotel. They had made a great team and, had the war not intervened, who knows what might have happened?
‘You really are an extraordinary woman, Jessie,’ he said. ‘You should have been born a man because you are unlike any woman I’ve ever met!’
She stirred and he held his breath, but she didn’t wake.
He became angry. ‘If I find that bastard, Briggs, I’ll do that man an injury, I swear I will, for doing this to you!’ He felt her squeeze his hand. Could she possibly hear what he was saying? he wondered. The mind was a strange thing.
‘You get better, Jessie, and I promise you, you’ll never have to worry about another thing as long as you liv
e.’
Eventually, exhaustion caught up with the man and he lay his head on the bed, still clasping Jessie’s hand and fell asleep.
An hour later, the patient stirred and opened her eyes. She was totally confused as she looked around. She tried to move her hand, but couldn’t, then she saw Larry’s head, resting on the bed, clasping her hand beside him. Where on earth was she and what was he doing there?
The nurse, keeping a watchful eye on her, saw she was awake and walked into the room. ‘Hello, Mrs McGonigall. I’m so pleased to see you are back with us.’ She placed a hand on Larry’s shoulder to wake him.
‘Where am I?’ she asked with some difficulty as her voice was still a little hoarse.
Larry, awake at last and delighted to see she was conscious, answered. ‘You are in hospital, Jessie. Just relax. I’m here, don’t you worry about a thing.’
The nurse held her wrist and took her pulse. ‘That’s better,’ she said. ‘I’ll just let the doctor know you are awake.’
Slowly, Jessie began to remember. She looked at Larry. ‘Briggs!’ she said, eyes wide as she began to recall what had happened.
Larry caught both her hands in his. ‘Don’t you worry about him, Jessie. You’re safe now and I’m going to take care of you.’
Her eyes began to fill with tears. ‘I thought I was going to die, that no one would find me.’
Larry let go of her hands and climbed on the bed beside her. He took her into his arms to comfort her. ‘I would have searched the ends of the earth to find you, surely you knew that?’
‘But you took so long!’ She began to sob.
He let her cry and just held her until the wracking sobs ceased and she began to recover.
‘There! Feel better?’
‘No, I feel so weak. I’m so thirsty and I can’t speak properly.’
Getting off the bed, Larry poured her a glass of water from a jug on the bedside cupboard.
She drank it slowly. ‘Where is that wicked bastard?’
‘Briggs? I don’t know. I’ve been here with you since I found you. But he won’t remain free for long. The Southampton police force are looking for him.’
The doctor arrived. ‘Ah, Mrs McGonigall, it’s good to see you have a bit of colour back in your cheeks. How are you feeling?’
‘A bit disorientated, to be honest, but I do feel hungry. I don’t remember when last I ate.’
‘Well, that’s a healthy sign. I’ll make sure you have something light in a while. Scrambled eggs alright?’
She smiled her thanks. ‘With some bread and butter, would be lovely.’
The doctor looked at Larry. ‘She’s truly an indomitable woman!’
‘Oh, Doctor, you have no idea!’
Gazing at his patient, the doctor said, ‘Just rest and don’t talk too much, give your voice a rest. You need to recover your strength.’
When they were alone, Larry took her hand once more. ‘I think I died a dozen deaths looking for you. I’ve aged ten years – I know that!’
Jessie studied the face of the man beside her. He looked weary, concerned and worn, so unlike the person she was familiar with.
She gently squeezed his hand. ‘Thank you for finding me. I knew if anyone could, it would be you.’
‘Don’t you dare put me through anything like this again, you hear?’
She just smiled and nodded, then lay her head against the pillow and closed her eyes.
Larry got up quietly and moved to an armchair. Knowing that Jessie was safe and recovering, he, too, fell asleep.
Three days later, Jessie was allowed to leave the hospital. Larry hired a taxi to take her back to his house. Still feeling weak, Jessie didn’t say a word, but just let him take charge. When she walked into the hallway, she relaxed. Here she felt safe and comfortable. The housekeeper had lit a fire and Larry took her coat and made her comfortable on the sofa, tucking a rug around her knees.
‘There! Now all you need to do is get better.’
‘Thank you. It’s so nice to get out of the hospital. They were all very kind and caring, but you know, it’s not the same.’ She turned up her nose. ‘I’ll never get used to the smell of ether!’
With a chuckle, he said, ‘Well you won’t smell that here, I promise.’ He sat beside her. ‘It’s so good to have you home, Jessie, and I’ve some good news. Harry Briggs is now in custody. They found him hiding out on the common.’
Her eyes flashed with anger. ‘Given half the chance I’d kill that bugger for what he did to me!’
‘You’d have to join a queue. First in line would be me, then your neighbours, followed by a line of dockers, your old customers who have been outraged by what’s happened to you.’
She slowly smiled. ‘Really?’
‘Really. You have no idea how popular you are, Jessie, how many people care about you.’ He stood up. ‘I’m going into the kitchen to fetch you some food. You can sit here and eat it off a tray. My housekeeper has made a fish pie and I can assure you it will be a delight. Now, you relax until I return.’
Jessie remained at the house in The Avenue for a further two weeks as Larry refused to let her go back to Union Street. ‘You need looking after. Here I know you will be eating, keeping warm and recovering in comfort.’
She hadn’t argued. It had been nice not to have to worry about the fire, preparing a meal and having to use the tin bath. Here she once again enjoyed the luxury of a bathroom, but as she began to regain her strength, she became restless. When Larry came home that Friday evening she decided they needed to talk.
‘Larry, I will be forever in your debt for finding me, then looking after me so well, but it’s time to get back to reality. I’m feeling better and need to go back home and the office on Monday morning.’
He didn’t look happy about her decision, but seeing the determined look on her face, didn’t argue. ‘Very well, if you insist. After lunch tomorrow, I’ll take you home and light the fire to warm the house. After all, I don’t want you catching a chill after all of my care and attention.’
She saw he was smiling as he spoke. ‘I’ll be very careful, I promise.’
The following morning after they’d had breakfast, Larry took her back to Union Street where he firstly laid a fire and lit it, filled the coal scuttle, then unpacked some groceries he’d brought with him. Then when the kettle had eventually boiled he made them a pot of tea.
While he was doing all this, Jessie was upstairs unpacking her clothes. The house was cold and unwelcoming, and she felt a stranger in her own home. Already she was missing the comfort of the house in The Avenue, but it was more than that. There had been companionship. No, it was much deeper. She’d been cosseted, cared for. Larry Forbes had been her saviour in more ways than one. But she had to carry on with a normal life. Briggs wasn’t going to stop her doing that!
As the two of them sat drinking the tea, Larry sighed. ‘I’m going to miss you, you know.’
Frowning, she said, ‘But you’ll see me in the office.’
‘I didn’t mean that, I meant I’ll miss you at home. It’s been so nice to have someone to talk to, eat with. I’ll miss that.’
She sat considering his remark. ‘I’ll miss it too, and I won’t ever forget your kindness and hospitality.’
‘Is that how you interpret it, Jessie? Kindness and hospitality. Is that all?’
He was looking at her intently, but the note of disappointment in his voice hit a chord inside her. ‘No, it was far more than that. I didn’t mean to make it sound so cold. I’m sorry.’
He continued to stare at her as if trying to get through to her innermost thoughts, but he remained silent. Finishing his tea, he rose to his feet, took the cups and saucers into the kitchen and returned. ‘I’ll be on my way, then. I’ll see you in the office on Monday.’ Then he walked out of the door.
His abrupt departure took her by surprise. Had she hurt his feelings? She went over their conversation in her mind. How uncaring she must have sounded after all that he’
d done. No wonder he was upset. Her thoughts were disturbed by a loud knocking on the door.
‘Auntie Jessie!’ Her neighbours’ two boys stood there, broad grins on their faces.
‘We saw that man bring you home. We’ve missed you!’ They both flung themselves at her, hugging her tightly. ‘Mum said we could come and say hello.’
‘Oh, I’ve missed you two rascals as well. Come on in and tell me what you’ve been doing.’
Soon after, Maisie joined them, and Jessie settled to hear all the gossip.
When she was alone at last, she realised how lucky she was to have such friends and she suddenly understood Larry’s loneliness. Did he have friends other than business associates, close to him? She wasn’t at all sure – and if he didn’t, how sad was that!
She made a fresh pot of tea and sat in front of the fire, still feeling guilty about her lack of warmth and gratitude to Larry earlier. How could she have been so thoughtless? This man had searched for her, found her, sat by her bed in the hospital, taken her to his house firstly as a refuge from Briggs and then had cared for her – and she had just dismissed it all. Well on Monday, she would see him in the office and try and make amends. But would that be enough?
Chapter Thirty-Six
When Jessie entered the office in the morning, she was greeted warmly by Helen, her assistant. After a brief conversation, Jessie asked where Mr Forbes was as he hadn’t been at his desk. Helen said he was in a meeting.
It was just as Jessie was about to leave the office at the end of the day that Larry arrived. Helen had just left and Jessie was putting on her coat when she heard movement in the outer office. Opening the door, she saw Larry standing behind his desk, sorting through some papers. He looked up.