Henrietta showed her around the ground floor and in to the large double doored cupboard which housed the computerised control systems.
“So basically nothing works? Fan-bloody-tastic.” She threw her arms out.
“What do I do Margot? I’ve got nowhere to stay and I don’t want to give in to him.”
“Only one thing for it, we will have to go to the Paniagua café for coffee. I can’t think without coffee, can you?”
Henrietta smiled and agreed to the suggestion. They giggled like school girls as they scaled the gates together.
“You know, there must be a manual key to over-ride these damned things somewhere in that place. You’ll have to look for it Henrietta, I can’t keep doing this climbing routine each time I visit, especially if I’m pissed.” Margot sounded so amusing when she swore in her best Queen’s English.
Once seated in the café with coffees, the girls were frank in their opinions, made friends and discussed the operational electric dilemma at the villa. After a fruitless brainstorming session, Henrietta expressed a determination to confront Terry.
“I can’t let him control me or control that house. I have to see him and persuade him to sort this out. Margot, do you know where he is living?” She looked directly into Margot’s eyes.
“Oh God, don’t! Please don’t make me tell you.” She shuffled and shook her hair in her hands. She took a deep breath then told Henrietta that she had heard gossip that Colleen had rented a townhouse for him near Valderama golf course from a woman whom they both knew. Margot also admitted that she knew which house it must be and Hetty tried to coerce her new friend into taking her to the property.
”Oh, sod him! I’m with you. He is a cheat and a liar.” Margot knew how to get through each of the residential security barriers and drove slowly past the house and pointed it out, then waited nervously in the car a few yards down the street and watched as Henrietta went up to the front door.
Henrietta knocked loudly with her heavy metal keyring and heard Terry’s familiar voice shout ‘just a minute’ then he opened the door swiftly and eagerly to someone he was not expecting.
“You? You can’t come here. Your bloody injunction also prevents you from coming near me too, you know.” He was genuinely horrified by Henrietta’s brazen behaviour.
“Oh, really, like you give a shit?” She barged past him and into his house, spun on her heel and demanded: “Sort out the electricity or I go to the Guardia and tell them what you did and I mean it you bastard!” She took the view that there was nothing else he could do to her and she was livid. He was shocked by her bravery and tentatively picked up his mobile phone from the dining table, scrolled through his contacts and sent a text instructing an electrician to go to the property and put the power back on.
“Done! But listen; I can’t have any trouble right now as my daughter arrived today. Just give the electrician two thousand euros when he turns up this afternoon at 1pm.”
“Oh, I thought I saw her earlier but wasn’t sure as she was so scantily dressed. Not like her at all! Her mother would be livid if she knew. You need to have a word.”
“Don’t worry. I will sort her and her provocative outfits out. No purvy bloke is getting anywhere near her, so mind your own business.”
Hetty was put in her place but had no intention of paying the engineer any money, as she had only occupied the place for two months, so asked Terry for the money. He huffed and wandered off into another room and Henrietta, still adrenaline fuelled, followed him until she realised that she was entering a ground floor bedroom suite. He opened a wardrobe and pointed to a semi-automatic hand gun.
“See that? Hit Man Mark got it for me and he’s shown me how to use it at the Marbella gun club. If you give me or my family any more bollocks, I will use it on you or your stupid son. Do I make myself clear? You have caused me embarrassment and people are asking questions about you, especially at my golf club. I’ve worked hard, people think I’m a venture capitalist, my kids admire me but you are fucking everything up!” He screamed.
“Venture capitalist? Don’t make me laugh. You are a bankrupt vulture, a con-man and a thief! Where is my jewellery by the way?”
“You don’t deserve any. Life’s been too easy for you. I will give you money for the electrician though, just stay away from my daughter if you see her again and tell Oscar not to speak to her either. The man will turn up this afternoon and mention my name. He withdrew a large folded stack of 50 euro notes from under his folded shirts and held them high to taunt Hetty. “After this you leave. Deal?”
“Maybe.” She said as he put his arm inside the wardrobe again and touched the gun. His eyes noticeably bulged. Henrietta turned and fled towards the open door as gracefully as she could, with her head held high, as he shouted behind her:
“Here take this you money grabbing, spoiled bitch, then go home!” He chased her and chucked the wad of notes at her head. “Oh, and get that solicitor of yours with the fat fucking plum in his mouth, off my back!” Henrietta didn’t know what to do, run or pick up the littered notes. She bent down and scooped up a large handful then ran away.
“Typical fucking woman, on her knees for cash!” He shouted in disgust.
She was short of breath, shaking and ashen when she got back into Margot’s car.
“Drive Margot, let’s go. Quick!”
“Ok.” Margot began to drive away in the direction of the main road. ”What just happened?” She asked as she watched Henrietta try to tidy the 50’s into a neat pile on her lap.
“He’s got a gun and has threatened me with it. Please take me to the Police station.”
“Oh my God. What was the thing with the money? I saw it rain like confetti out of the doorway? Who does he think he is and where did he get all that cash? Do you think the gun was real?”
“I know it was. He has completely lost the plot. Drive quicker Margot, please.” Henrietta shoved the cash into her handbag.
They arrived at the local Guadiaro Police station and both dashed inside to report the illegal possession of the gun and the threat upon Henrietta. The report was written out in Spanish by the Francisco who then translated it back in Spangish to Hetty and Margot, as best he could and once happy with the general wording she signed it. He filed the report and told Henrietta that she must not approach Terry again, then opened his drawer and took out his own gun, placed it in his black leather holster on his belt and set off with two other officers to arrest Terry. There was no answer at the house and rather than break in, they went to his restaurant in Sotogrande port.
As the Guardia approached Salvatore’s, Terry spotted them and ran into the kitchen climbed onto the stainless steel preparation table and climbed out of the rear window, then dropped into the alley and ran to his hire car whilst rubbing a sprained wrist. Although he was frightened he drove sedately, so as not to draw attention to the car at the security barrier which was monitored by security cameras and guards. The barrier was up, he drove straight through and as soon as he was out of sight he phoned Coleen:
“Coleen, I presume Aisha is still with you? If you love me, throw some clothes into a suitcase and wait for me, we are all going away for a few days. That bitch Henrietta has got me into big trouble with the Guardia who are looking to arrest me. Pack now!” Coleen was shocked but wanted to prove she loved him and so did as he said. She also encouraged Aisha to refrain from unpacking her case and encouraged her own daughter to pack a small case too. Terry rushed back to the town house Henrietta had visited earlier, grabbed the gun and some essentials and drove like a madman to Coleen’s house where they got into her car and drove west toward Portugal. He dropped the gun, wrapped in a Carrefour grocery bag, into a public waste bin en-route.
Margot stayed with Henrietta at the villa and helped to converse with a man in dark grey overalls who appeared after lunch. He asked for the money first, then moved a large paving slab by the gate and used a specially adapted tool which turned the electricity supply back on. Instantly
the threesome could hear the swimming pool gurgle and bubble and the irrigation system started to spurt water out all over the lawn and grass verges. The girls squealed and hugged each other with delight at their win, whilst the workman was bemused by the English women’s behaviour. In his mind it was only an electric supply, not a life and death situation. English women were ‘totalmente estupido y ridiculo’.
The Guardia were annoyed that Mr Newman had given them the slip and acknowledged that if he had run away, then perhaps Henrietta was telling the truth about the gun. They found his deserted hire car but forty eight hours later he still had not been found. The Chief sent an APB to all the border controls as a precaution and was amazed when he received computer conformation that Newman’s passport had been used as he passed into Portugal. Francisco phoned Henrietta a couple of days later and assured her that Senor Newman would be interviewed as soon as he reappeared in Spain.
July 22nd 2008.
It was time for Aisha to return home to her mother and time for Terry to return to his restaurant and earn some much needed cash, even though Coleen had paid for their unscheduled Portuguese holiday. He was not happy that he had lost the affection and devotion of Margot but had at least replaced her with her wealthier friend. He was unsure whether he might have blown his chance with the gorgeous manager at the Deutsche Bank, especially if she heard he was in a default relationship with Coleen. Most importantly, Terry hoped to placate the Guardia and avoid arrest with a well-rehearsed excuse.
He took his daughter to the airport, kissed her goodbye then drove to the police station and asked to make a statement and a Denuncia against Henrietta Champion. After Chief Francisco Mendez had listened to Terry, he had to let him go free and call Henrietta in for questioning to face the counter Denuncia against her. She was shocked to hear that Terry alleged that he fled the country because Henrietta had hired a gang of men to rape his daughter. Henrietta made a statement in which she pointed out that; ‘No woman, particularly a mother, could come up with such a grotesque idea!’ Hetty was also released without charge but knew the rape excuse was the fate Terry had proposed for her own son. She could not escape the uncomfortable reality which was; that Terry had always switched the ownership and blame of everything he said or did but that now it had become a perverted competition as to who would be believed and Terry was always so calm and credible.
August 4th 2008.
Margot became a daily visitor to the villa and as their sons were only one academic year apart at the same school, they made a jolly foursome on days out at the beach or simply having fun by the villa’s pool. On one of the drop-ins for coffee Margot was noticeably fractious.
“Henrietta, I’ve just been to the Almenara hotel for coffee with Coleen.”
“What? I thought you two had seriously fallen out over Terry. I am surprised.”
“Suffice to say she abducted me!” Henrietta started to laugh until she saw Margot’s face was deadly serious.
“Abducted. How?”
“After I dropped Miles at school this morning, I went into the paper shop to pay our bill.” She took a long drag on her cigarette before she relaxed markedly. “I just bobbed down to pick up a Times for Mum from the newly delivered pile on the floor when two feet suddenly appeared before me and Terry’s unmistakable voice said ‘Hello cock sucker, made any blue movies recently’?”
“He said what? I don’t understand.” Hetty was genuinely shocked. Margot was troubled and nervously flicked her cigarette repeatedly toward the ashtray with one hand and finger combed her long blonde mane with the other but continued to relate her ordeal:
“I was horrified. I’ve never heard him swear before and Mrs Chalfont from the tennis club was in the shop and she was terribly upset. The shop keeper asked him to leave and not to use vile language in front of ladies but Terry continued to insult me, saying that I was a dirty whore which was why he had dumped me.” She started to cry and Hetty leaned over and gave her a hug.
“I’m sorry Margot but I can’t think why he would turn on you and say such terrible, vulgar things to embarrass you in the local gossip shop. Besides, I thought you dumped him. All I know is that when he turns into that monster, he says and does hideous lewd things that seem out of character and is very frightening. It’s as if he has got Tourette’s.”
“I picked up the paper and ran outside to my car but he followed me and grabbed my arm and hurt me as he twisted it and warned me off.”
“From what?”
“From being friends with you. He said he wants you out of the villa and doesn’t want you to have any friends or support. I expect he realises that you have told me stuff he doesn’t want anyone to know.”
“Then what happened?”
“You won’t believe it; Coleen magically appeared in her car, so I called to her and implored her to help me as he gripped my arm and swore at me, but she just froze on the spot and did absolutely nothing. I managed to open my car door with my other hand and tried to get inside but he slammed the door shut on my arm, trying to break it! I was terrified and screaming and the shop keeper chap ran out and shouted to Terry, saying that he had phoned Security, so he let me go and went to the front of my car and kicked in both of my headlights. I sat in the car and cried as he made a hasty get away in his hired Fiesta.”
She took a big breath and continued: “Then Coleen came over and offered to take me for a coffee. She was adamant that I get in her car and she drove away quickly before the police arrived. I asked her why she had not come to my assistance or tried to stop Terry and although she apologised, she said that she was unable to turn against him as they were getting engaged and she had mortgaged her house for half a million euros and given the money to Terry to buy a share of his business, your share, so that they can get rid of you!”
“She’s done what? After everything you have told her about him, is she mad? The business is utterly worthless. Oh no, not again!”
“Hetty, she’s desperate for a man and has always tried to steal and seduce any man she could. She made an absolute fool of herself over the tennis pro at the club. That’s why her husband divorced her. Besides she is also convinced that the villa is in his company as an asset and he has told her it is worth four and a half million euros.”
“I’m sorry he attacked you Margot, you don’t deserve it.”
“At least now I’ve seen the other side of him and so has Coleen and now I definitely believe everything you have told me about him and I will do anything I can to help you. Coleen can look after herself.”
“I don’t understand.” Henrietta watched as Margot squirmed and blushed and hesitated before deciding she could unload her tale in confidence at long last to a fellow victim:
“You see, I have had an awful secret that I’ve kept hidden but when Terry asked me to marry him, before I met you, he said we should tell each other everything that might cause problems in our relationship. Unfortunately I have to admit to unburdening something dreadfully embarrassing to him.”
“Go on…”
“I had been on my own since Miles was born and I was lonely and keen to be re-married again but I never let anyone get close to me until a few years ago when I tried to have a relationship with a devastatingly handsome golfer. He was fabulous but the more I fell for him, the worse I felt about myself because I didn’t feel worthy of him and we started to argue. Consequently no-one ever asked me to marry them until Terry, who let’s face it, is no film star to look at and ironically that made me feel comfortable with him and I thought our relationship might work. I don’t suppose it helps to know now that whilst he was making love to me, he was also pursuing my sister and his bank manager at the same time! ”
“Really?” Henrietta’s mind was opened as wide as was her mouth. “Anyway, this secret, it can’t be that bad can it?” Henrietta poured red wine into two glasses and positioned the large ornate ashtray nearer to her story teller.
“Oh Hetty, it was a long time ago when I was newly married to Miles’s
father who flipped when I told him I was pregnant and was adamant he didn’t want any children and that I should get rid of our baby. Well, I was shocked, we were married, what was I supposed to think? Anyway, obviously I would not part with the precious child no matter how horrible he was to me. He even pushed me down the stairs!” She shook her head in dismay.
Henrietta noticed big tears running down Margot’s face and scuttled off to the kitchen for tissues. Margot blew her nose, dried her eyes, had a large gulp of wine and then continued the tragic tale;
“He said that unless I had an abortion, he would make a private bedroom video very public.”
“You poor girl, what did you do?” Hetty squeezed her hand to comfort her as she explained that she went to the bank, withdrew some cash and bought a plane ticket to her parent’s house in Sotogrande. When she arrived she had to tell her father part of the truth which was that her husband had tried to make her abort the baby. She did not tell him about the video. Her father was a wealthy man who paid for her to be divorced and provided his daughter with a home and his grandson with a private education. Margot explained to Henrietta that she had spent the subsequent years worrying whether the video may have been made public especially since the world wide success of the internet. She told Hetty that after her father’s death fifteen months ago, she had found a copy of the heinous video hidden in his study and destroyed it.
“So you think your Dad saw it?” asked Henrietta
“Of course he did, I’m just grateful that he never mentioned it. I would have died of embarrassment! I just wonder how long my ex had been blackmailing my father because his account showed transfers that Mum knew nothing about. Thank God she still doesn’t!”
The Unsuspecting Housewife Page 16