Pete took a deep breath and made his self comfortable.
“I tried to do well at school for my mum more than anything but I just seemed to keep getting into trouble. According to mum you were the one who always kept me out of trouble and with you not there it just got worse. I did miss you as well, more than I anticipated really. Luckily it was time to go up to secondary school where I discovered girls. Spending most of my time figuring out how to date them meant I kept out of trouble and it was here I met a girl who was interested in medicine and wanted to become a nurse. I figured the only way I could get anywhere with her was to pretend I also wanted to become a nurse or a doctor”
Connor was now doing his best not to laugh at Pete who seemed to have come back alive as he retold his story of a time that was obviously happier for him. Pete had noticed Connor’s smirk though.
“Hey you might laugh but she was stunning mate. For her age she had a fantastic body”
“Obviously!” replied Connor. “How old was she?”
“She was thirteen and I was twelve” said Pete keenly.
“Anyway it worked. I ended up sleeping with her just before we left school which was great but then we left and went our separate ways. The thing is a seed had been planted in here and I realised I actually enjoyed learning about becoming a doctor. I did the normal thing of going to university and studying and it was at the start of the penultimate year I met someone”
Connor noticed Pete’s tone had changed from happily reminiscing to looking slightly bitter. His demeanour seemed more aggressive as he carried on with the story.
“It was great at the beginning and the honeymoon period lasted a lot longer than I imagined it would. The trouble was she wanted everything now.....no in fact she wanted it yesterday. She could not wait for me to become a doctor but didn’t like the fact I was earning very little money from the part time job I had at one of the local bars in town”
“Did she have a job?” asked Connor.
“Oh yeah she had a job although you and I wouldn’t necessary call it work. She answered phones for her friend’s father at a housing development company and read celebrity magazines all day. This obviously had an effect on her because all she wanted was a large house with a champagne lifestyle and for me to be providing it for her”
“So you became a doctor?”
Pete’s face became angrier and Connor could see it was filling with regret. Pete took another deep breath and continued.
“I should have done Connor...........fucking bitch. What did I do instead...........I listened to her and her pestering. I mean now I would tell her to piss off but then it was different.........I loved her and I didn’t want to lose her......she was everything to me”
“So what did you do?”
“I gave it all up........like an idiot I fucking gave it all up..........for a job at the same place she worked at with the promise of a large wage and bonuses. Buying land off clients, selling land to other clients I mean don’t get me wrong it was great at first and I weren’t complaining. We bought a house together a new car each, holiday’s oh Christ we were living like fucking royalty Connor, I had never earned as much money. You name it we had it but it still wasn’t enough...............I should have seen it coming..........I should have realised what was going on”
At that, Pete paused and placed his hand over his mouth.
“It was so bleeding obvious and I should have read the signs”
Chapter 13
Pete took a sip of his tea and sat in silence once again trying to gather his self. Connor sat patiently waiting for Pete to sort his head out.
“I remember the day like it was yesterday. At the time I thought nothing and was just relieved she seemed to have come to her senses. For a few weeks she seemed happy at what we had and the pestering had stopped. It was like she didn’t care what everyone else thought and the “keeping up with the Jones’s” had come to an end. It was Tuesday and I had to call into the office to pick up some papers for a meeting. Normally Kate would be sat there at her desk reading some shite magazine with posh and Becks on the front but as I opened the door there was silence and she was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t have an office as such, there was just a room that a few of us would sit in on our laptops and it was also where I would keep my folders and documents. I opened the door and walked straight in and there they were sprawled across the desk half naked. Kate was stood there bent over the desk with her knickers around her knees and that prick who I worked with was up behind her doing the business. Honestly Connor I had to hold back the sick leaving my mouth. For a second I didn’t know what to do as my stomach felt like it was being ripped from my body. Then rage took over and I did the first thing that came into my head”
“What did you do?” asked Connor shaking his head.
“I just picked up the metal chair from under the nearest desk and smashed it straight over his head”
Connor never reacted but just sat there and listened intently.
“He managed to block it with his arm........but of course it broke........his arm not the chair” said Pete smiling.
“So what happened did you leave...........the company I mean?” asked Connor.
Pete shook his head in what looked like regret.
“Like an idiot I went home and chucked all Kate’s things out into the garden and never even thought about the job. After seeing something like that your mind goes somewhere to escape. My head just imploded Connor and for a few weeks I remained lost, filled with hatred and anger. Of course the bloke who was screwing Kate got involved. Not only that, he got his hot shot lawyer friends involved and that is when the shit really hit the fan”
Pete now looked forlorn as he told Connor how from that point on his life changed forever.
“They took me for everything”
“What do you mean you did nothing wrong?”
“After they fired me for misconduct they sued me for damages.....you know because of the arm and that. They managed to sort it so I got kicked out of the house for being abusive to Kate then she emptied my bank account......”
At that point Pete broke down as Connor watched his old friend from his childhood with sympathy. He could not help but think things might have been different if they had stayed friends and they had not been torn apart by tragic events. Connor was also cold enough to know this was the path Pete had chosen and eventually no matter how dark his world was now it would make him a better and stronger person. Pete was about to be thrown a lifeline but Connor realised he had to be tactful in his approach. Pushing Pete away by belittling him would be a mistake and he also realised he could become a valuable asset. A few weeks went by before Connor put forward his proposition.
“I would like to pay for you to finish your degree, do what you need to do and for you to become a doctor” said Connor.
Pete just stood there thinking about what to say.
“I don’t understand what do you mean?”
“I would like to help you get back on your feet and sort yourself out so you can do something you have always wanted to do. I suppose I feel partly responsible for what happened because there was no excuse for not contacting you all those years ago and you never know things might have been different if we had remained friends”
Pete placed his mug of coffee on the kitchen table and walked towards the window. There was silence as he stood there expressionless in Connors old clothes. Connor did not push it because he realised this was something Pete would have to decide for himself. Sipping his coffee, Connor watched and waited until Pete turned to face him and it was obvious by his expression that Pete was not ready to accept his help.
“Listen Connor I am grateful for what you have done for me these past few weeks but I will have to say no to this”
“You have decided already? I thought you would have at least thought about it for a few days”
Silence descended once again as Connor pretended to be busy doing something so as to not pressurise Pete. Conn
or heard a few deep breaths coming from where Pete was stood and could tell without looking that he was getting upset again. Before Connor could turn around the door had slammed shut and Pete was nowhere to be seen. Stroking his chin in deep thought Connor watched as Pete crossed the road. His walk indicated to Connor that he was angry and emotional but he knew it would take time for Pete to come round to the idea of considering being a doctor and finishing what he had started. Perhaps it was a part of his life he wanted to forget.
It did not take as long as Connor had thought it would though as the next day over breakfast Pete declared his thoughts on the subject.
“I don’t know why you want to do this for me Connor but the answer is yes on one condition”
“Yes and what is that?”
“You allow me to pay you back”
Again Connor showed no emotion, a nod of the head was his only response.
It took no time at all for Pete to get back into the challenge of studying and much to both their delight he graduated as a doctor. Already Connor had noticed how Pete had changed since they had first met all those months ago. It was only when Connor knew he could trust Pete and Pete realised that he was indebted to Connor did, then and only then did he tell him most of the story behind him being back in Hereford living and working.
At first Pete struggled to take it all in and found it hard to comprehend why Connor would dedicate his life to such a thing.
“I can’t believe your dad was driven to it.......bastards!!...........but still Connor to give up your own life”
Connor just stared at Pete, lifting his head to study him.
“You wanted to know why I have helped you get yourself back on your feet. I have my reasons but you should also know something before you judge me”
“What’s that?” asked Pete now studying Connor mainly with uncertainty.
“The person who fired you.......the people who Kate got involved with and helped her ruin your life.......they are the same people who put me on this path of destruction”
Pete sat in silence as he ran through what Connor had told him about his father and the demise of his family. Even though it had been what seemed a different lifetime ago, Pete clearly remembered Connor’s mother, father and Sister Molly. He had been his close friend and a part of the family if only for a small amount of time. Connor’s mum had stroked his hair like he had been her own son. His dad had played football with him in the garden and Molly’s friends had teased him like girls do. Pete came out of his daydream and looked at Connor with a lump in his throat.
“When you say the same people, what do you mean exactly?”
“The guy who owns the development company is Philip Newton......it’s the same guy who screwed my father over. The guy Kate was caught with......his nephew”
Bitterness and disbelief was written over the face of Pete as he sat there and slowly pieced together the puzzle Connor was showing him. It was also beginning to make sense why Connor was being so guarded about his life up to this point. One thing that perhaps was not so apparent was how much their friendship would be tested.
*
June 2011.
“Right I am going to have to go Pete because I have something to do”
“Ok Connor no problem, take care”
“Thanks once again for this Pete” said Connor as he held up the disk with the photos and video on it.
They both hugged each other and promised to have a drink together very soon before Connor left Pete to deal with his next patient.
“Thank you Dr Carr” said Connor as the door to Pete’s room closed behind him.
Connor checked his watch and it told him he had twenty minutes before the meeting in the park. His imagination had created an image of what the person he was meeting would look like but in reality he had no idea. A man of about 65 years of age could be seen stood just outside the perimeter of the play area and he seemed to be looking for something or someone. Connor felt his heart jump in his chest as he strolled nearer. A little girl about 7 years old appeared calling out for her granddad. The old guy turned around and picked the girl up and Connor started his search again. A much younger person wearing jeans and a hoodie top appeared and Connor had to make his self visible from behind the trees to get a better view of what he was up to. He also seemed to be looking for somebody and appeared nervous and agitated. Sitting down on the bench next to the swings the hoodie scanned the horizon which sent Connor’s senses on edge once again. Steadily quickening his pace but not too much to attract attention Connor headed towards the guy and when he was no more than 30 meters away Connor still had not decided whether this was the guy he had spoken to on the phone. Connors gut instinct told him the guy was too young as he was now only approximately 15 meters away from him. Connors pace slowed as the guy stood up quickly and glanced around. Would he make eye contact with Connor?
Out of the corner of his eye Connor noticed a group of people approaching the hoodie as they then greeted him, shook hands and left the park together. Feeling like a sitting duck Connor casually headed for a quiet spot near a coppice that overlooked the area of benches next to the kiddies climbing frame. There seemed no one obvious, at least no one that seemed threatening.
“You look like your father” said a voice.
Connor recognised it instantly and turned quickly to see where it had come from.
There in front of him was a lean, fit guy Connor guessed to be about 6 feet tall with a balding head surrounded by grey hair that continued down to a short, neatly trimmed grey beard. He was dressed smartly with his tie noticeable under his black jacket. His dark eyes betrayed no emotion and his smile seemed forced.
“So I finally have a face to put with the threatening voice on the phone” said Connor.
“Maybe we should go and sit over there and have a chat Connor”
Connor didn’t show it but his mind raced as to how this guy knew his father. Maybe he was one of the people who had driven him to do what he did but why had Connor missed him in his thorough research. They both sat down on the bench whilst kids of various ages played in view of their watchful but oblivious parents.
“So Connor how are you?”
Connor stared straight ahead wanting to ask his own questions and he was determined to get answers.
“Who are you and why are you meddling in something you know nothing about?”
“We will get to who I am in good time but as for meddling.......I am not meddling.......I am trying to stop you doing something you might regret”
“The thing is I honestly don’t think you know what I am doing” said Connor shaking his head slowly.
“Really.......you think I don’t know........so what have you got planned for Philip Newton? How are you going to deal with Malcolm Stewart?”
Without showing it Connor felt his emotions being drowned in adrenalin and realised he had to make up his mind whether this guy was friend or foe and more importantly how he had found out about his plans, if he in fact knew anything at all. Was it all guess work? Was he friends with Newton and Stewart? As these thoughts and questions ran through his mind Connor became certain of one thing and that was no one was going to interfere with his destiny.
“I’m getting the feeling you want something from me old man. Maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement but before we do I can guarantee you one thing.......you will not stop me completing what I have started”
“Connor, Connor listen I do..........”
“You know what, I don’t feel comfortable with you calling me Connor so as I do not know your name and have no intention of finding it out lets drop the name shall we”
“Listen I only want you to stay out of trouble and I believe the only way that will happen is if you stop everything right now. I know your father would not approve”
Before the old guy could blink Connor had jumped up and was now in a kneeling position behind the bench. Out of his pocket he had pulled a piece of cord and wrapped it around the old guy’s nec
k. The more he clawed at it the more Connor pulled it tighter.
“What... are.... you... doing?” gasped the old man as Connor patted his shoulder in a friendly manner with his left hand whilst gripping the cord with his right.
The slight struggle was attracting some unwanted attention from concerned parents and children as Connor knelt down next to the old man’s left ear and spoke calmly and quietly.
“Now listen to me. I don’t know who you are or what the fuck you want from me but I can guarantee you this my friend. If you get in my way or tell your friends Newton and Stewart I will make you this promise. After they are exposed for what they really are I will come after you, only it will not to be to chat like we are now but it will be to fuck you and your family up beyond all recognition. Is that clear?”
LUCIFER'S ANGEL Page 11