Radical Reaction

by Dawn Marsanne

  ‘Yes, I’ll get one of those special meals from the supermarket. One you just have to put in the oven and some prepared vegetables. Salmon OK for you?’

  ‘Excellent. I’m going to stick to vegetarian food whilst I’m out there. I think that’s the safest.’

  ‘Good idea. I’m going to miss you. We’ve not been apart for so long all the time we’ve been together.’

  ‘Just think what I’ll be like when I get back. I’ll be insatiable!’ Nick grabbed Polly and started kissing her all down her neck and face. She laughed and struggled but he held her tightly in his embrace.

  ‘Too much! cried Polly, ‘I can’t breathe, let me go!’ she was laughing as she tried to escape.

  Nick paused and held her by the hands. ‘I love you so much, Polly. I want to be with you always. Never forget that. I’m so excited about us having a family. You’ll make a wonderful mother.’

  ‘How do you know? It’s a bit daunting. Some babies are really difficult. It’s not all playing with them and cuddling them. What about all the sleepless nights? All the illnesses they get?’

  ‘We’ll face it together. Don’t worry. I’m going to be a modern Dad!’

  She looked at him for a few moments. ‘Oh, Nick, I love you too. You are my world.’

  They stayed huddled together on the sofa until the light finally faded then made their way to bed.

  Chapter 45

  It was Friday evening and Maureen was spending the night at Brensford Manor. It was only the third time she had stayed over at Ron’s. Their relationship had seemed slightly on hold since Hubert’s death but now that the funeral was out of the way she hoped that they could continue where they had left off. Thus, when Ron had invited her over for dinner she’d had no hesitation in accepting. As a special treat, he had asked someone he’d used before for catering events to come in to prepare a delicious three-course meal for them. They had served themselves at the table so it was still an informal setting. Maureen felt that she could finally relax after the emotional roller-coaster of a week.

  They took their after-dinner brandies through to the conservatory which looked out over the garden. Some evening birds were hopping about on the lawn and as the light faded bats arrived swooping and rising as they caught insects. For a while, they sat in companionable silence, neither feeling the need to speak. Looking into the distance allowed Maureen’s eyes to relax and she felt the tension drain from her body.

  ‘Another brandy?’ asked Ron.

  ‘No, thanks, I’m fine.’

  ‘It’s getting dark now. Do you fancy watching a film?’

  ‘Yes, I would but first I want to speak to you.’

  ‘Oh, sounds ominous, will I need another brandy?’

  ‘You don’t need one but by all means, have one if you wish.’

  ‘One minute, I’ll be back.’

  Ron returned and sat down. He waited for Maureen to speak. Something was on her mind.

  ‘I went to Hubert’s solicitor yesterday. Well, he called me actually. Asked me to make an appointment to go and see him.’

  ‘Really, I hope Hubert’s not going to be trouble from beyond the grave?’

  Maureen looked upset at this last remark. ‘Ron, please, let me finish.’

  ‘Sorry, darling, that was unkind of me. The mere mention of his name makes me bristle at the thought of what he put you through all those years.’

  ‘That chapter of my life is over now,’ she closed her eyes for a few moments. ‘Francis Harcourt from Brigstock and Wellman asked to speak to me about Hubert’s will.’

  Ron raised his eyebrows at this news. He remained silent.

  ‘It was a shock, I have to tell you. He’s made some bequests to his brother and his children. Quite generous ones and he’s remembered some charities. But the bulk of his assets will pass to me.’

  ‘Really. Well, that’s incredible. But I don’t understand. Didn’t he think to make another will?’

  ‘Apparently not. Either he never got around to it or he still wanted me to benefit. We will never know.’

  ‘Well, isn’t that interesting,’ said Ron, avoiding Maureen’s gaze.

  ‘I don’t know the full amount and I should think the solicitor’s bill will be quite large but the estate will be millions, I’m sure.’

  ‘Nothing more than you deserve my dear. At least you have some compensation for the way he treated you.’

  ‘It’s too much for me to take in. I’ll end up with the business as well. I don’t know how I’m going to manage. I’ll have to get someone to help me.’

  Ron held her hand. ‘All in good time. I’m sure that you will manage. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need any help.’

  ‘I will, thank you. Now, how about that film. Enough talk about money and business.’

  They went through to a room which contained a huge sixty-five inch television with state of the art sound system. Ron switched it on and brought up a menu of satellite films. ‘You choose, I don’t mind.’

  ‘What about ‘The Shape of Water’ that got good reviews.’ said Maureen.

  ‘Coming up.’

  It took a few moments for the film to download enough for them to start watching. Ron was just about to press play when Maureen asked him to pause.

  ‘I just remembered something else. Francis told me that Hubert Invested in PersCure, at the university.’

  ‘Really? He had good taste,’ joked Ron.

  ‘Well, initially he told me that it was probably not very much but he didn’t have all the paperwork to hand. He phoned me today to say that it might be as much as three percent of the equity. Not that it means much to me.’

  Ron’s hand froze on the remote control. That really was an interesting snippet of information.

  ‘Ron, what about this film? Ron?’ he heard as he returned to the real world.

  ‘Sorry,’ he replied and pressed play.

  Maureen leaned against Ron and he put his arm around her. She became engrossed in the film but it held little interest for him. He had too much to think about regarding Maureen’s inheritance. Despite the wine and the brandy, his brain was as active as it had been all day.

  **

  Christian had not had any contact with Laura since their mid-week drink at the Haywain but there was still the issue of Geraldine’s shopping trip with her hanging over him. Thus he returned home still feeling tense and worried.

  ‘Hi, darling!’ he called as he opened the front door.

  ‘In here,’ replied Geraldine sounding rather downhearted.

  ‘Everything OK? You sound rather depressed.’

  ‘Oh, I’m OK, it’s just that I had a text from Laura.’

  Christian almost dropped the glass he was filling with water at the sink. He was hanging on Geraldine’s next words.

  ‘She can’t make our shopping trip tomorrow. Her mother’s been taken ill suddenly. She’s in hospital.’

  Christian could hardly contain himself. He could have danced naked round the kitchen.

  ‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ he said without turning around. He continued to look out of the window at the garden.

  ‘Yes, I’ve asked her to let me know how she is and perhaps we might be able to meet up when she’s better.’

  Christian decided to ignore her last remark. ‘I know what will cheer you up,’ he said. ‘Let’s open a bottle of wine. It’s Friday, time to relax,’ and he went over to hug his wife. She leaned into him and they held on to each other.

  Geraldine may have been anticipating a rescheduled shopping trip but Christian hoped that if Laura ignored all further contact from his wife it would all be forgotten. It wasn’t as if they had formed any sort of deep friendship so far. Ron had done as he had promised, Laura had seen sense and Christian had escaped from her clutches. He could feel his heartbeat slowing and his shoulders relaxing.

  Chapter 46

  Saturday morning, Maureen and Ron were taking an early morning swim in the indoor pool at Brensford Manor. For a while, Maureen ha
d been looking forward to being able to enjoy the pool there but due to the tragic events which had taken place there recently she hadn’t wanted to mention it. She loved swimming and the thought of a private pool was her dream. Ron had suggested she bring her costume with her on Friday and she had been looking forward to this moment.

  Maureen swam her usual leisurely breaststroke with her head out of the water whilst Ron completed many more lengths with an easy and efficient front crawl. She wondered what he’d been like physically in his younger days as even now he was in good shape despite some thickening of his waistline. Suddenly he swam under the water and surprised her by emerging from the water and embracing her. She laughed and kissed him and they remained in the water like that for a few minutes. It was as if they were teenagers again.

  ‘Are you enjoying your swim?’

  ‘Lovely,’ said Maureen. ‘It’s a super pool and no annoying children splashing and jumping in all the time.’

  ‘Is it warm enough for you, I can always change the temperature for next time?’

  ‘It’s fine for swimming. Don’t worry.’

  ‘How about I warm you up now?’

  ‘Oh, what did you have in mind?’

  ‘The jacuzzi of course! Unless you are thinking of something else?’ winked Ron.

  ‘I’ll race you to the jacuzzi,’ cried Maureen.

  Ron allowed her to reach the side first and nipped her bottom as she climbed out of the pool. She laughed as she climbed into the luxuriously warm water of the jacuzzi and Ron pressed the button to start it. He reached over to the side and uncorked a bottle of bucks fizz. The cork flew out with a satisfying pop and he poured out two glasses.

  ‘Breakfast!’ he shouted.

  ‘Goodness! You are spoiling me,’ said Maureen sipping the cool drink from the champagne flute.

  ‘We can have some brunch later. I just thought this would be nice.’

  ‘It’s like being on a honeymoon,’ said Maureen, then felt embarrassed. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Please don’t think I’m being too forward. It’s just I’m not used to this lifestyle. With last night and now this, I just feel like I’m in some sort of Beverly Hills movie. Living the dream in LA with the celebrity set. It’s amazing.’

  ‘It’s only what you deserve,’ said Ron. ‘I want to spoil you.’

  ‘I might start to expect this every day,’ she joked.

  ‘You could if you wanted to.’

  ‘Oh, Ron, I think this wine is going to my head. I’m starting to get ahead of myself.’

  ‘No you’re not. You are just relaxing. The real you is starting to shine.’

  ‘I’m not sure about that. I’m not even divorced yet.’ Maureen gasped. ‘Oh, God, what am I saying? Of course, I’m not divorced, I’m a widow!’

  Ron reached for her and put his arms around Maureen whose face was highly flushed with embarrassment. ‘Don’t worry, you’re with me, It was just a slip of the tongue.’

  ‘Yes, but it’s awful. Hubert’s dead. I hadn’t forgotten really! It’s just I’ve been so focused on the divorce. It just sort of slipped out.’

  ‘Look, let’s forget about this. Perhaps we should get dressed and then have that brunch. It’s my fault, getting you too excited. Please don’t let it spoil the day ahead.’

  ‘OK, I’ll get dressed. Why don’t we take a shower together,’ she smiled lasciviously. ‘I’ll soap your back.’

  ‘What about the rest of me?’

  ‘Oh, I’ll make sure that all of you is very clean.’

  They put on their towelling robes and went upstairs to the master bedroom. It was a while before they came down to have brunch.

  **

  Nick was waiting for the taxi to take him to the airport. The day had been anxious for both of them. Neither he nor Polly could settle to do anything despite having planned how to pass the hours. He was starting to feel quite queasy and had packed and repacked his suitcase several times. He had lost count of the number of times he’d checked that his passport and travel documents were all in order.

  ‘Nick, you are making me extremely anxious. Please try to stop checking your bag all the time?’

  ‘Sorry, it’s just I get like this before a journey. I wish now I’d said I’d take the train. It would be better than waiting for the taxi. Do you think I should call them to make sure they’ve not forgotten?’

  ‘Nick, look, let’s have a cup of tea or something. Watch some TV? We are both working ourselves up into a state.’

  ‘Tea, then, not coffee as it will make me even more jittery. Oh, God, I’m going to have to go to the loo again, my bowels are working overtime today.’

  ‘Thanks, Nick, spare me the details,’ called Polly. ‘I’ll put the kettle on.’

  She’d never seen Nick quite this nervous and she was worried how he would fare so far away from home. Perhaps they should have both gone and made it into a bit of a holiday but it would have been expensive and they were saving up as much as they could prior to starting a family. If she did manage to get pregnant she would be taking maternity leave for a while and their income would be cut drastically.

  Nick returned. ‘Right, well I think I am completely empty now,’ he said.

  ‘Nick, less of the scatological detail please!’

  ‘Sorry, I’ll try to calm down. Tea, that’s lovely.’

  ‘Biscuit?’

  ‘No thanks, I feel a bit sick. Perhaps when I get to the airport and I’ve checked in I might be able to eat something.’

  Just then his mobile pinged. It was the taxi company to say they would be with him in an hour. Perhaps now he could relax and look forward to his trip. At least he would get a rest on the plane.

  **

  On Saturday evening the house was quiet as Nimrod’s housemates had all gone out to a party. He had been asked to attend but he’d feigned a headache. He was too wired and needed to check the state of play in the shed. He’d been given specific instructions about how to package the material that had been isolated and left drying. Warrior told him that he was too busy to help him and he just had to be careful. That was easier said than done. His hands were shaking like a leaf and as he spooned the material into the plastic containers some of the damp powder fell to the floor. A small amount of crystals fell on to his trainer.

  ‘Shit, shit,’ he exclaimed. His hands were sweating profusely inside his disposable gloves making them squelchy and uncomfortable. He stripped them off and wiped his hands on his jeans. He now had the problem of the material on the floor and his shoe. He tapped the toe of his shoe on the floor to try to dislodge the material then was overcome with panic. ‘Fuck!’ he exclaimed, realising that the material was shock sensitive. He carefully undid the laces on his shoe, took off his trainer and set it to one side. He would need to wash it in a bucket of water.

  He stared at the material on the floor. Normally with a spillage, you would just wipe it up with a cloth but that could create some friction and he had read about the instability of the material. What if the small amount on the floor suddenly exploded, the whole shed with him inside it could be blown to smithereens. He soaked a cloth with water and put it gently on the solid. The crystals stuck to the cloth and then he placed it another bag. He would have to dispose of that later at some distance from the house.

  He took off his visor and sat down on the floor for a few moments. He simply had to calm down or he was doomed. Closing his eyes he took some deep breaths and waited until his heartbeat slowed. Once the panic had subsided he pulled another pair of gloves from the box and began again. Around the first plastic container, he packed bags of nails and screws which he secured with parcel tape. He then put some more of the chemical material in other plastic containers and fastened these around in another layer. He now had something which resembled a large firework with mortars in a ring. Finally, the whole construction was placed inside a knapsack he’d bought with cash from a local sports shop. For the moment the device wasn’t ready for use. The detonator would
be fitted by a skilled practitioner in the next few days. From that point, there would be no turning back. It would be ready for its destination and Nimrod couldn’t wait to deliver it.

  **

  Polly had woken when Nick’s text pinged into her phone. It was a relief to know he’d arrived at the hotel safely and she was looking forward to speaking to him later. The time difference was confusing and she had to keep calculating what time it would be in India. She had dozed back to sleep for a couple of hours and then spent a leisurely Sunday doing some household jobs and some food shopping.

  It was mid-afternoon UK time when Nick phoned her. She was so excited that she fumbled with the phone and almost cut off the call.

  ‘Nick, hi, how are you?’

  ‘I’m OK thanks, it’s a bit hot here to say the least! Over forty degrees outside and the humidity is draining.’

  ‘How’s the hotel?’

  ‘It’s fine. The air-conditioning is working well, thankfully. I was completely drenched with sweat when I came back to the hotel this afternoon.’

  ‘Where did you go?’

  ‘I just went for a walk around the area near the hotel and down to Nariman Point. I walked along Marine Drive and had a beer at a cafe overlooking the sea. It’s an amazing view. I just wished you had been with me.’

  ‘Did you take any pictures?’

  ‘Yes, I’ll send them to you later. It was a bit cooler down there with the breeze off the sea. Loads of families were out as it was Sunday afternoon, I felt quite safe.’

  ‘That’s good. Have you eaten?’

  ‘Yes, I didn’t feel very hungry but I had something back at the hotel. I’m feeling shattered though so I’ll watch a bit of TV then it’s an early night for me. Busy day tomorrow.’

  ‘Sure. I’m missing you so much.’

  ‘Me too, how are things with you?’

  ‘Fine, very quiet. There’s not really much to report from Persford.’

  ‘Well, that’s good. Did you do a test yet?’