Double Cheque

by Heather MacQuarrie

“And why would Lucinda’s daughter be ringing you now, years later?”

  “Why not? We’ve kept in touch. She’s a grown woman now and we’ve become friends. We talk about old times.”

  “Are you going to ring her back then?”

  “Yes, of course, but I’ll do it later. There’s no rush.”

  “I think there is, actually.”

  Now Patricia was becoming even more nervous. He wasn’t buying this even though it was partly true. And she couldn’t think why Mia would have been ringing her anyway. But obviously her name had come up in the caller display so there was no point in denying it.

  “Casey, you’re making a mountain out of a molehill,” she protested. “I’m sorry for telling a few white lies but Cathy just didn’t want anyone to know about her private family business and I promised her that I’d keep it to myself. I happened to bump into Mia while I was over there. She did say she would give me a ring. End of story. I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss.”

  “She sent you a voice message when you didn’t answer.”

  Alarm bells were really ringing at this revelation, loud and clear. Patricia could tell by the look on Kenneth’s face that he had already listened to the message. Surely the girl would have had the sense not to say anything incriminating.

  “I wouldn’t normally listen to your messages but I think that, given the shock and embarrassment that I felt in your office this afternoon, I had the right to do so on this occasion.”

  Patricia couldn’t very well contradict his point of view, in the circumstances. But she was still livid. And scared.

  “Let’s listen to it again, together. I’ll turn on the speaker phone.”

  Kenneth activated the ‘hear again’ function and Patricia crossed her fingers in the hope that Mia would have been diplomatic. She almost collapsed onto the sofa with tears in her eyes as the unexpected voice spoke into the silence of her living-room.

  Patty, Darling, I am using Mia’s phone just in case my call would be intercepted. What are we going to do? Surely Sam and Tania will not carry out their threat and keep your grandson away from you. Your daughter, Jasmine, has also contacted me and asked me to stay away. I love you Patty. I never wanted to hurt your family but I can’t live without you. I know that you love me too. There is a home for you over here if you ever decide to leave. How did they find out? Maybe this is what we needed all along to bring things to a head. Ring me when you get the chance. I need to hear your voice.

  Kenneth now handed her the phone and left the room before she could even speak. She heard him lift his car keys and go out the front door. Moments later she was aware of his engine starting up and the sound of wheels spinning over the gravelled driveway. And then silence.

  Patricia sat, rooted to the spot, for a long time, too stunned even to cry. Her double life was common knowledge. Not only did Sam know about it but Kenneth too and even Jasmine. Tania and Stevie might be lost to her forever. How had they all found out? Obviously through this phone-call in Kenneth’s case but what about the other two? She and Dougie had been so careful. For almost seven years they had carried on their clandestine affair without anyone getting hurt. She had her life with Casey and their three children; he had Mia and happy memories of Lucinda. Every few months they had met, sometimes for a couple of wonderful hours in a Belfast hotel, sometimes for a whole weekend at his home in Scotland. Mia had resented her at first but had eventually come to accept her, knowing that the relationship made her father happy.

  So why now? Something told her that it did indeed have something to do with her delivering that letter to Cathy’s son, Grant Cartwright. Cathy must have let something slip and Grant has passed it on to Sam. They played a round of golf together last week. Sam had mentioned it to Kenneth when he dropped in with the baby. She missed seeing Stevie. Sam had been so cruel, leaving toys behind on purpose so that she would definitely know they’d been in. She felt angry with him for that but also sad. And what would happen to her marriage now?

  Suddenly the tears came thick and fast, rolling down her cheeks in salty torrents. The house seemed so empty. Sam and Tania had found a new home; at least they wouldn’t be living with those awful people, Tania’s parents, any longer. Even Jasmine had moved out, her lovely, sensitive daughter. She worried about Jasmine being on her own. She was young and vulnerable, had never really had a boyfriend. How was she going to cope in the big, wide world? Molly wouldn’t be back for some months yet. And where had Kenneth gone? Would he come back? Patricia wiped her eyes and took a huge breath. The time had come for her to decide. Whom did she love more, Kenneth or Dougie?

  Getting up from the sofa, Patricia’s gaze landed on her black and red suitcase, packed ready for her romantic city break in Barcelona. Kenneth would be fifty-five in three days’ time. She walked out into the hallway and there was his case, sitting upright at the bottom of the stairs. She touched it lovingly, wishing that she could conjure up a happy scenario where they were together again and the last hour would become a figment of her imagination, a nightmare that hadn’t really happened. Her phone started to ring.

  Please let it be Casey. Please don’t let twenty-eight years of marriage end like this.

  She checked the caller display. Mia. The perfect time to chat to her lover while she had the house to herself. But she didn’t know what she wanted to say to him. She turned her phone off. Watching the clock on the wall with an aching heart, she waited and waited for the sound of the car returning, but nothing. Eight o’clock, nine o’clock, half past ten, midnight. At two-thirty she went to bed, her head pounding with anxiety. Where had he gone? But when Patricia eventually closed her eyes and imagined those strong arms around her, that manly fragrance stirring her passion and those sensuous lips kissing her, it was Dougie that she clung to in her dreams, not Kenneth.

  Chapter 11

  Sam rolled over and squinted at his phone to check the time. He must have imagined it. It couldn’t possibly be the doorbell ringing that had jolted him from his deep slumber. But it was. Tania had heard it too.

  “Who on earth is that?” she mumbled groggily. “So much for a nice lie-in when we’ve left Stevie with Mum and Dad. What time is it anyway?”

  “Six-thirty,” Sam yawned drowsily, replacing the phone on the bedside table. “Go back to sleep. Someone’s got the wrong house.” But just to make sure, he eased himself out of bed and looked out of the window. Even in the early morning darkness he recognised his father’s car parked across the road. He tiptoed out of the room, closing the door gently behind him so that Tania could hopefully sleep on. He threw on a fleece which was hanging in the hallway and opened the door. Kenneth stepped inside. His dishevelled appearance and the fact that he was dressed only in a cotton shirt and was obviously shivering with cold immediately alerted Sam to an impending crisis.

  “Has Mum told you?” he blurted out. “I warned her that she had to end it. I told her she’d never see Stevie again if she didn’t. Are you all right, Dad?”

  “I’ve been sitting in the car all night. I don’t want to see her.”

  “You must be frozen. Here, take this.” Sam gave him the fleece and put the kettle on to make a hot drink.

  “Tell me what you know, Son.”

  Sam was starting to shiver himself now. He had never seen his father look so dejected and it really unnerved him. “Just let me get some clothes on,” he faltered, as he flew into the spare room and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater. They’d only moved in here a couple of days ago and most of their belongings were still piled up in what would eventually be Stevie’s room, waiting to be organised into drawers and cupboards. He found a pair of trainers and some socks in one of the cardboard boxes on the floor and then rushed back to the kitchen to make them both some coffee. “Tania’s still asleep,” he explained. “We had a bit of a house-warming last night and didn’t get to bed until about two.”

  “What
about Stevie?”

  “It’s OK, he’s with Judy.”

  Kenneth wrapped his hands round the coffee mug in an attempt to gain some warmth and took a sip of the welcome drink. “I’ll kill that bastard if I ever get my hands on him,” he then declared. “How long have you known that something was going on?”

  “I don’t blame you. If I ever see him again, it’ll be too soon,” Sam said in support but his father glared at him and pounced on his words.

  “See him again!” he thundered, his eyes blazing. “Are you telling me that you’ve actually met this man?”

  Sam nodded sheepishly. “You’d better tell me what Mum has owned up to.”

  “Your mother hasn’t told me anything. She tried to deny the whole thing.”

  “So how did you know that I was aware of it?”

  “A bloody phone call. He mentioned you and Tania. Jasmine too. How you’d all tried to warn him off. So thank you for that at least.”

  “He actually had the nerve to phone you?”

  Kenneth felt embarrassed, mortified even, but somehow he managed to relate the gist of the phone message he had intercepted to his son. Sam, in turn, told him what had taken place during the weekend in Scotland.

  “But Jasmine hasn’t met him,” he concluded in puzzlement. “I don’t understand that bit about her warning him off. It was Jasmine who put me onto him in the first place but he wouldn’t know that. Tania and I never mentioned her.”

  “Jasmine put you onto him?”

  “Yes, that’s right, and then Tania and I caught them red-handed.”

  “So how did Jasmine know?”

  “It was just something she overheard. She was suspicious. I promised her that I’d check it out. But she didn’t have any details about who he was or anything.”

  “I want to know his name.”

  “McKendrick. Douglas McKendrick.”

  “So it is Mia’s father, after all.”

  “I don’t know anything about that. He didn’t mention having a daughter.”

  “That was her name, McKendrick. Lucinda McKendrick. She and your mother were friends years ago until she died.”

  “Yes, that’s when it started.”

  Kenneth gasped and went quite pale. “It’s been going on for years?”

  “Apparently so.”

  “Well he is one dead man! Just let me get at him.”

  “I’m on your side, Dad, and Mum knows that, but let’s see what she does now that she’s been exposed. It’s her fault too, not just his.”

  “But he must have manipulated her, telling her some sob story about how lonely he was without his wife.”

  “Well, it’s out in the open now. She’ll have to choose one or the other.”

  “Too late for that, Son.”

  “You’re going to split up?” Sam felt wretched; this is exactly what he had tried to pre-empt.

  Kenneth didn’t give a direct answer. “Can you get her out of the house for an hour or so? I need to gather up some clothes and things. I don’t want to see her.”

  Sam nodded. “I’ll pick her up about ten. But don’t do anything rash, Dad. Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems.”

  “You’d better tell Jasmine, since she’s already in the loop. But say nothing to Molly. Not yet anyway. She’s on the trip of a lifetime. Let her enjoy it.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “Can you get me that man’s address?”

  “Imogen and Grant have been to his house. I could ask them. But is that wise, Dad? What are you going to do?”

  “Imogen? Your Imogen?” His voice was now reaching fever pitch. Did everyone know about this, bar him?

  “She’s not mine anymore. But yes, it’s the same person. That bit that Mum told you about McKendrick helping to put Grant in touch with his father – that bit is true. They didn’t know anything about an affair between him and Mum.”

  “Forward me the address. Don’t say why you want it. I’m sure you can come up with some pretext.” Kenneth stood up to go. “Ten o’clock then. Thanks. Mind if I hold onto this?” He indicated the fleece which he was still wearing.

  “Of course not.” Sam looked really worried. “Don’t do anything stupid, Dad. Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No.”

  “Well keep in touch. Let me know where you are.”

  Kenneth gave him a sad look and shuffled back to his car, just as Tania emerged from the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and wondering what was going on. “You’re up very early for a Saturday,” she yawned, “especially when we were so late getting to bed.”

  Sam told her what had happened. Then he phoned Jasmine and gave her an update. “But what was that about you warning him off?” he quizzed his sister. “Have you really been in touch with him?”

  Jasmine had to admit that she had searched through their mother’s phone and had found the number listed under DM.

  “And you phoned him?”

  “No, I just sent him a text.” She paused and then added, “I also told him about Grant burning that letter. I’m sorry. I felt awful asking a favour from him but I just have a feeling that the letter was important and I think Grant deserves another chance to bond with his father. I think he might regret what he did so I asked Mr McKendrick to pass on the message. I gave him Grant’s number. I shouldn’t have interfered.”

  Sam was impressed. “Grant thought it was his mother. Actually he blamed me at first. We never thought of you. So you still have McKendrick’s number?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you get his address so we can leave Grant and Imogen out of this?”

  “I can’t just ask him for it!”

  “Why not? Tell him you want to send him something. Don’t let on that Dad has twigged although Mum might have told him already, of course.”

  “I don’t think I like the idea of Dad turning up on his doorstep.”

  “He has every right to feel aggrieved. We all have.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  ***

  As promised, Tania and Sam arrived at the family home just before ten o’clock and tried to behave as though nothing had happened. Patricia was in the kitchen having some tea and toast. Her eyes were red with crying and lack of sleep but Sam pretended not to notice.

  “We had Jasmine round last night for a house-warming, along with Lawrence and Maggie,” he told her with mock cheerfulness, “so Stevie is with Judy and Ed. We’re just about to pick him up. Would you like to come with us and then you could come back to our place for lunch?”

  Patricia looked startled.

  “Stevie has missed you this week,” Tania pleaded. “I’m sorry we haven’t brought him round.”

  “Where’s Dad?” enquired Sam, feigning surprise that he wasn’t in.

  “I’m not sure,” his mother answered, giving nothing away. “He just said he had a few errands to run, bills to pay, that sort of thing.”

  “Well, come on then. I told Judy we’d be there before half past ten.”

  Within ten minutes they were on their way, leaving the coast clear for Kenneth to return home and pack a bag.

  ***

  Jasmine picked up her phone and stared at it. Her dad had every right to know that man’s address. She understood completely that he would want to see him face to face and give him a right rollicking. Fingers crossed, her mum and dad would manage to work things out and not let this destroy their marriage, their family life. She selected ‘messages’ and scrolled through her contacts. DM. She had to be diplomatic. She wrote a few words and deleted them. Three times. Then eventually:

  Hello Mr McKendrick. I know that my friend Grant has now spoken to his father. He would love to send you a card to thank you for the part you played in bringing them together. Could you please send me your address as he has mislaid
it. And thank you for respecting my mother and father’s marriage. JC

  Jasmine didn’t often tell lies or do deceitful things. But this was a desperate situation. She touched ‘send’ and it was too late to change her mind. The message had gone. With her heart in her mouth she waited anxiously to see whether he would respond. And then he did. Within half an hour Jasmine had the information she had requested and had forwarded it to her brother.

  ***

  Patricia had been so surprised to receive the invitation to lunch, and to spend time with her grandson, that she had accepted without really thinking it through. Stevie’s baby antics certainly took her mind off her troubles for part of the time but she was worried sick about Kenneth and where he might have spent the night. She could not imagine what would happen next in her love life. She didn’t want to give up the magical relationship she had built up with Dougie but she had to save her marriage. On the way home she began to worry that Kenneth might have returned and would cause a scene in front of their son so she didn’t invite them in but just got out of the car and waved them goodbye. She had no idea that Sam already knew the whole sorry tale. Once inside it became obvious to her that her husband had indeed been home but had already left again. Many of his clothes and possessions were missing. He hadn’t even left her a note. She sat down and cried, cursing herself for having gone out. Why did Sam and Tania have to pick today of all days to lift their ban on allowing her contact with Stevie? And then the truth dawned on her and she wept until her eyes were swollen and her heart was truly broken.

  Chapter 12

  Grant and Imogen stood outside the restaurant that Cameron had chosen for his father’s birthday party.

  “This is so weird,” Grant professed. “I feel totally exhilarated and scared stiff at the same time.”

  He took a deep breath and opened the door, standing aside to let Imogen through first. The atmosphere was buzzing inside with some people already seated and half-way through their meals whilst others waited in the bar area, chatting animatedly amongst themselves, glasses of wine in their hands. Grant went over to the reception area.