“Or rather, when?” Shirley replied.
Maddie bade Shirley goodbye outside of the coffee shop. She had three quarters of an hour before her hair appointment and she knew how she’d use it. She walked to the car yard.
She had peered into several cars, reading the list of attributes on the sheet of paper hanging in the window each time before a salesman walked over to her. Not Trevor Gainly.
“Lovely little beastie,” he said with a grand toothy smile that split his face. “Goes like the wind.”
“Nice coppery colour,” Maddie said deliberately just to see whether the salesman’s smile changed. It did, but it only froze momentarily.
“That it is,” he said heartily. “Now what is it that you are looking for?”
Maddie thought fast. “Actually, these are used cars. I promised myself that when I did an upgrade I would buy new. Do you just sell used cars?”
The smile got even broader if that was at all possible, showing even more teeth. “My goodness, no. Let’s go into the showroom and see the little beauties in there.”
“I’m just looking, mind,” Maddie said. “My husband is the one who does the buying of cars in our family.” She smiled. Unfortunately, that silly statement was actually true. Her own car was the result of a more-or-less happy transaction when one of Wayne’s mates had fallen on hard times and had to sell his car at short notice, and at a good discount. Maddie had no say in the matter, but given the car was significantly newer than the one she’d been driving, she’d accepted with good grace. No matter the colour.
Sure enough, Mr Trevor Gainly, master car salesman, was hovering over a small desk in the corner of a large glitzy showroom full of shiny cars. He wandered over to them. “Can I help?”
Toothy Grin paused. “I’m just showing this little lady our range. Hubby may be along later.”
Gainly nodded wisely. In other words, not worth his while. “Let me know if I can add anything,” he said, his disinterest plain.
With a quick glance at the time, Maddie asked if she could test drive a car of the same coppery colour as the one she’d admired outside.
Toothy looked sad. “I can drive you. Would that do?”
“Not me driving?”
“Well…” He shot a quick glance at Gainly who was busy shuffling papers at the small desk.
“Oh, I see,” Maddie said. “It’s new. What about that other one of the same colour? The used one. Could I drive that one?”
“Oh, yes. That one would be fine. But … did you want to?”
The poor man was thoroughly confused. Time to put him out of his misery. “Oh dear,” she said, looking at her watch. “My hair appointment.” She looked up at him with a sorry smile. “This will have to be postponed.”
“Maybe come with your husband next time?” Toothy asked.
Maddie noticed Gainly’s head come up. He’d been listening. He approached.
“My card,” he said, shoving it into her hands. Maddie had a quick look at Toothy’s face. Done by the master salesman.
As she sat with her hairdresser snipping away, Maddie reflected what she now knew. First, Gainly was a car salesman. Second, sometimes people are allowed to drive off; sometimes not. Therefore, sometimes a salesman could be away from the car yard. But Gainly was wearing a smart suit and very shiny shoes. Hardly the gear for murdering a stepdaughter at the muddy edge of the Thames.
Wayne came in while Maddie and Jade were in the middle of dinner.
“What happened to you?” Maddie asked, shocked at Wayne’s new haircut. “Did you fall into a threshing machine?” She grinned at him. “Don’t tell me you did this deliberately.” Some of his hair had been almost shaved and some remained that bit too long. It was a modern cut occasionally seen in rock bands, or, maybe, even younger wannabe fans.
Wayne blushed.
“It looks great, Dad!” Jade said. “Except for your wrinkles, you could pass for fifteen.” She guffawed.
“Wayne, have you dyed it?” Maddie turned to Jade. “Would you believe, your father has dyed his hair.”
“Sad,” Jade said, shovelling the last of her spaghetti into her mouth.
Wayne spun on his heel and left, slamming the front door behind him.
Jade and Maddie looked at each other and burst into giggles that only grew in intensity.
When she could, Maddie gasped out, “It’ll grow. That’s all I can say to him when he returns.” She wiped her eyes. “It had better grow!” Which set them off into a new fit of giggles.
Jade left to do her homework and Maddie sobered instantly. New contact lenses, dyeing his hair and a mod haircut?
When she stood, she reached for the chair back to steady herself.
Chapter Nineteen
Maddie awakened early. She turned off her alarm so it wouldn’t wake Wayne and got up to shower feeling the luxury of having plenty of time. Her clothes, chosen the night before to convey sober professionalism, was the same outfit she’d worn to meet Geneva. It hung on a hanger off her wardrobe door. Navy suit, white blouse, new tights, matching low heeled shoes and small ruby pin she’d inherited from her grandmother. She headed to their ensuite to wash her newly cut hair and, afterwards, blow-dry it carefully. She glanced at her sleeping husband. His new haircut looked as ridiculous in the cold light of dawn as it had the night before. Totally inappropriate. But on his return home, she’d told him she’d merely been startled and apologised for being rude. She made him hot chocolate with a shot of whisky and he seemed mollified.
She eased herself into the hot shower, willing her muscles to relax. Letting the water beat against her back, her chest, each shoulder in turn. Concentrating on her breathing. Breathing in – in – innnn – breathing out – out – ouuuut – stop breathing. Repeat. And again.
By the time she was dressed, she figured her emotional equilibrium was probably as calm as it would be for the remainder of the day. The nice thing about the breathing exercise was its privacy – a private technique that could be done anywhere, silently and secretly. And, in a meeting, discreetly. And it worked. She padded downstairs in her stocking feet carrying her shoes.
Nothing with caffeine today. She made herself some peppermint tea instead. She knew she needed food, but anything she thought of, she instantly rejected. Finally, she made herself a yogurt smoothie with bits and pieces from the freezer. She drove to the meeting knowing she’d done everything possible to prepare for it, both with her documentation and her personal equilibrium.
David Player, full of smiles and bonhomie, was waiting for her in the foyer. He reminded her that he, as her union rep, was allowed to ask questions but never to answer any of Ms Rossmoor’s questions, as everything would be, or should be, directed to Maddie. “But I can halt the proceedings if we need to talk about anything in private with you. You can, too. Okay?”
“I’m okay with it all, David.” She felt a wave of panic and did two cycles of her breathing to settle herself down as they walked to the lift. They arrived precisely on time for the meeting with Romania’s line manager whose secretary ushered them into her office.
Bettina Rossmoor rose from behind her desk and Maddie quickly introduced David before she could ask any questions about who he was or why he was there.
“You have sent me your CV, Madeleine,” Bettina said, leaning across her desk and addressing Maddie but not David. “But surely you know that I already hold a copy. After all, you applied for the position now held by Romania Carlisle.”
“It’s different,” Maddie started to say, then realised such a statement would only aggravate matters. “What I mean to say is that I unfortunately thought, back when I applied for the promotion, that you knew me, knew my work and….” She gulped, then slowed herself down. “And I had been told I’d been the only person recommended for the job. That was unfortunate as I had become complacent. If I had realised….”
“Yes, yes,” Bettina said. “A cosy deal, it seems. Unfortunately, the premise was untrue.”
“A
t the time, it seemed natural and I reacted accordingly,” Maddie said. “But I am not complacent now, Bettina. I have sent you a full curriculum vitae, the sort I should have sent you back then.”
Bettina picked up a folder. “Certainly heavier, for sure,” she said with a wry smile. “You’ve included every little 2-day course, I presume?” One eyebrow raised.
Maddie took a deep breath. “Every 2-day course and everything more significant as well,” Maddie said. “This time, I did it right. University qualifications, published papers, all the positions I’ve held in the job and every one of those 2-day courses I either took or taught.” She smiled broadly and got a small smile in return.
“I did skim it,” Bettina said, putting the folder off to one side. “Now, to the matter at hand.” She folded her hands on the desk making it clear no paperwork would be involved. “You were bitterly disappointed you were not offered the job.” It was said as a flat statement.
Maddie stared at her, waiting for a question.
Bettina frowned. “Speak to that.”
Maddie flicked a glance at David who shook his head in the faintest of signals.
“I expected to be promoted, more fool me.” Breathe in, in, innnn….
“So you deny you were disappointed?”
“Disappointed? Of course. Bitter? Not a jot. I was still doing my job,” Maddie said, looking Bettina in the eye. “And I’m good at my job, as you know. I was continuing doing what I love.”
Maddie stopped talking and let the silence grow.
Bettina sighed. She pulled the sheaf of folders and papers back in front of her. She pulled out something. Maddie recognised it. Her report. Finally. She shot a glance at David Player who gave her a subtle nod.
“Now you indicate there were some changes to your responsibilities. Changes to how you deal with Service Officers.”
Maddie nodded. “As detailed in my report.”
Bettina again put the report down, folded her hands on top of it and leaned across her desk. “I put it to you, Madeleine, that you resented these changes, that you actively fought against these new duties and that you resisted by threatening to ‘work to rule’.” She glared at Maddie.
“Before I answer that,” Maddie said, “I’d like to ask a procedural question.”
Bettina looked mildly surprised. “If it’s on-subject, go ahead.”
“Is it or is it not a duty of senior personnel to guide, teach and facilitate the learning of skills needed to do the job effectively and efficiently to junior personnel?” She winced at her own officiousness.
“The answer is obvious. Of course. Are you alleging you were rebuked for fulfilling this duty?”
“I am,” Maddie said simply. Bettina had not read the report, or, to be generous, had skimmed it thus missing this vital point. She glanced at David. Out of sight from Bettina, he made a ‘T’ sign, the universal time out sign. “Bettina, I wrote about what happened in this regard. Should David and I run out for some coffees for us all while you have a look?”
She looked up, frowned briefly, then nodded. “Mocha for me,” she said. “Best place is across the street at Raney’s.”
Once outside, David gave Maddie a little clap on her shoulder. “Way to go,” he whispered even though nobody was around.
“I had my heart in my mouth,” Maddie said while they waited for their order on the pavement sitting in thin sunshine outside Raney’s – decaf for her and full throttle for David and Bettina. “I was implying she hadn’t read the report. It could have gone either way.”
“You read it correctly,” David said. “She’s probably been filled to overflowing with Romania Carlisle’s righteous indignation, I bet, and her fury at your defiance of her express orders. It all fits neatly. You are deeply bitter at not getting her job, resulting in your taking it out on Romania with your insolent behaviour.”
“So much so, she only skimmed my CV and the report?”
“To the point of embarrassment.”
When they returned to Bettina’s office, her desk was strewn with the print-outs Maddie had sent to her and the printer on the bureau behind her desk was busy with yet another.
“Thank you,” Bettina said distractedly when she took the coffee. “Almost done.”
Maddie sat quietly beside David, sipping her drink, her eyes defocused. She did a couple of cycles of her breathing technique although she felt calmer than she had felt since arriving into this office.
“I have a better picture now,” Bettina said, again leaning forward on her desk. “I’ve just requested two reports from each of the Service Officers by email. One from two months ago and the latest one. I have already had a reply from one of the Service Officers.” She held up a report.
“Agatha, yes. She’s particularly receptive to instruction and probably always was a cut above the others in report writing,” Maddie said.
“A significant difference between the two reports. The second one is satisfactory, the earlier is not.”
“I agree,” Maddie said. “And she responded well to the instruction. So much so, I’ve asked her to team up with one of the others who does not seem to understand what is needed even today.”
Bettina nodded, still reading.
“Thank you for coming in, Madeleine, Mr … um…”
“David is fine,” he said.
“Yes, thank you. We have begun a process and you will hear from me as soon as possible.”
“I am still off work?” Maddie asked.
“Oh, yes. We are merely at the beginning.”
“Do you have any questions about the HR process?” David asked.
“The supervision, that sort of thing? I’ve done it before.” Her voice was curt, more like the earlier part of the interview.
Maddie stood, taking that as the end. “Thank you for reading it all, Bettina,” she said. And meant every word.
Chapter Twenty
Maddie was still keyed up when she arrived home. She did a few rounds of her breathing exercise before pouring herself a large glass of wine. Not that she needed it. Or so she convinced herself. Just in celebration. She sipped it then pushed it to the centre of the kitchen table. She’d finish it when Wayne came home. Celebrating with him was much more fun than when alone. She hadn’t given a thought about dinner.
Jade arrived and headed upstairs as usual. Still no Wayne. Late the one time she really wanted him home. Maybe ring for a curry meal?
“Jade,” she called up the stairwell. “If I order curry, what do you want?”
“Korma, as usual,” came the faint reply. Yes. Jade’s usual. Wayne’s was Tandoori and hers Chicken Kali Mirch. No reason she couldn’t order now.
As it happened, the curries arrived before Wayne did. She wrapped a towel around the bag of curries and rice to keep it all as hot as possible.
Where was the man? She took another sip of the wine. About half left.
Finally she heard the door open.
“Ready to eat?” she called out.
“Sorry I’m late,” he mumbled. “Last minute practice.”
She really did not want to hear about his day. Not when she had so much to tell him. She launched into it as she gave each meal a two-minute blast in the microwave. She called Jade, poured a glass of wine for Wayne and finally sat herself down. Her story of her day was up to when she and David Player left to collect coffees for the three of them.
But it was not lost on her that Jade seemed more interested than Wayne. “And that supervisor could see the improvement in the Service Officer’s reports?”
“She certainly did. I was quite amazed she’d contacted them right in the middle of my interview.”
Jade pushed her plate away. “Great meal, Mum. Shouldn’t say that when you ordered it in, but they really do curries like they should be.”
“Mine is a close second?”
Jade gave her mother a small smile. “It’s history study tonight. I’ve invented a new way of studying. Record the important points from your notes th
en ask a question about it. Leave a space to think of a reply. Then record the reply. Then the next day and each day afterwards, I listen to the tape, fill in the blanks and then my own voice says whether it’s right or not. Simple.”
“Doesn’t sound simple, but it does sound like a good idea,” Maddie said, pleased their conversation was ordinary with no excess emotion. “Quite creative, really, Jade. Repetition is always the key to getting facts into the brain.”
“That’s what I thought,” Jade said, dumping her plate and utensils into the sink. “So if you hear me talking to myself, don’t call Mental Health.”
Maddie saw Wayne’s eyes on their daughter as she was explaining her new inventive way of studying. But he didn’t smile when she made the quip about Mental Health. What was going on with him?
“Earth to Wayne,” she said, snapping her fingers.
His eyes wandered to hers with a frown. “What’s with you?”
“Get with it, Wayne, please. I’m in the middle of a crisis at work. Aren’t you interested?”
He shook his head and bent over his curry. He spooned up another mouthful then pushed the half uneaten plate away. “Sorry. Didn’t sleep so well last night.” At that, he got up from the table and headed into the living room. The television went on. She followed him in.
“Wayne, remember how Donald and Sharon had their weekend in New York?”
He flicked his eyes at her. “Donald and Sharon?”
“The Dymocks. When we had Freya for the weekend.”
“Oh. Yes, of course.”
“Sharon thought it good for their relationship. I do too. I thought we could do the same. Not New York, of course, but take advantage of their thinking they owe us one. And with them leaving soon, we can take advantage. Jade could stay over with Freya.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Caroline, at work? You remember her. We went to her wedding. One of them.”
He nodded. They’d been invited to Caroline’s second wedding. Wayne had met her then. She’d eloped, if people in their fifties can elope, for her third wedding.
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