Every Time We Say Goodbye

by Colette Caddle

  ‘So you think she lied to us?’ Marianne hoped, if nothing else, that at least this was true. She’d spent many sleepless nights worrying about Dot and the children finding out about Dominic’s other child.

  ‘It’s looking that way.’

  ‘But why would she? And how could she blackmail him? She loved him.’ Marianne looked at Johnny. ‘You saw her face when I told her that Dominic had no plans to divorce me.’

  ‘She did seem devastated,’ Johnny agreed.

  ‘Yes, well, my colleagues and I have discussed that at length. We think her stories about the house and baby must have been to gain your sympathy and put you off the scent. Think about it: in telling you he’d stolen her money and that she was jobless and pregnant, it never occurred to you that she had anything to do with the fraud, did it?’

  ‘No,’ Marianne agreed.

  ‘I thought she might know more than she was letting on but I certainly didn’t think she was the one pulling the strings,’ Johnny admitted.

  ‘But blackmailing him?’ Marianne frowned. ‘I find that hard to believe.’

  ‘Perhaps he’d finished with her,’ Johnny mused. ‘Perhaps he’d had enough and was ready to tell all and take the consequences and she had to do something to stop him.’

  Marianne’s thoughts flashed back to an evening only a few weeks before Dominic had died. He had come home looking much more alert than usual and had been very sombre and contrite and promised that things were going to change, that he was going to be a better husband. He seemed so genuine that she had thought there was hope, but very quickly things had returned to the way they’d been before. Had he tried to break free from Barbara and she’d turned nasty?

  ‘Why are you so sure she is behind the whole fraud though?’ Johnny asked. ‘And, if you are, why can’t you get her for it?’

  ‘Well, that’s just it – we’re not completely sure. But it’s clear from Dominic’s laptop and phone records that he was more of a runner than anything else. As she is the person he seemed to be in contact with the most and she already has a history of unethical behaviour, she seems the likely ringleader. We believe there’s at least one other person involved; someone from the company she worked for. They are currently investigating that.’

  ‘So you have nothing really on her?’ Marianne said, feeling deflated.

  ‘We know that she lied to you about the sale of her house.’

  ‘What about it?’ she asked.

  She told you that he handled it and that he had the money, isn’t that right?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘That’s a total fabrication. The house sale didn’t go through until after Dominic’s death.’

  ‘So that’s why she never made contact with you before, Marianne,’ Johnny said. ‘She didn’t need anything from you.’

  ‘And then she told us that story so that she would look like a victim rather than a crook,’ Marianne realized. ‘Can’t we go after her for that?’

  ‘For what, telling a lie?’ Johnny sighed. ‘Remember, love, she never asked you for anything; she hasn’t made any demands.’

  ‘She knows that it’s only a matter of time before we discover the fraud. Right now she’s probably planning to leave the country,’ Matthews said.

  ‘If she hasn’t already,’ Johnny pointed out.

  ‘She hasn’t. We’ve got a PI following her but if she leaves before we’ve got some hard evidence then there’s not a lot we can do about it.’

  ‘It’s so bloody frustrating that she could get away with this.’ Johnny looked at Marianne. ‘I wonder if she has the deeds of your house?’

  ‘No, she couldn’t have. She thought the deeds were in my name,’ Marianne reminded him.

  ‘That’s true. So, he lied. That doesn’t sound like a man in love, does it?’

  ‘He must have been afraid and trying to break free from her.’ Marianne actually felt sorry for her husband.

  ‘Given that Dominic wasn’t quite the villain you thought he was, does it mean you will give Marianne his pension?’ Johnny asked.

  ‘I can’t answer that yet.’

  ‘But you wouldn’t have found out about any of this without her help,’ Johnny protested.

  ‘Believe me, I am well aware of that.’ Adrian looked Marianne straight in the eye. ‘I will be fighting hard for you and I don’t give up easily.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Marianne smiled at him. ‘That’s good to know.’

  Outside, Johnny put his hand on her arm and guided her back to the car, but she stopped halfway. ‘You go on, Johnny. I think I’ll take the train.’

  ‘Then I’ll drop you at the station on Lansdowne Road.’

  ‘No, I’ll walk.’

  ‘But it’s a good twenty minutes away and you can’t walk in those.’ He glanced down at her heels.

  ‘Really, I’ll be fine. I just need some time alone before I face the family.’

  He sighed and gave her a hug. ‘Call me anytime, okay?’

  ‘I will, thanks.’

  ‘Oh, and Frank says that he should have a valuation for us tomorrow.’

  ‘Great. I’ll order the yacht and the sports car,’ she joked.

  ‘Take care, love.’

  He drove off and she started walking down the road in the opposite direction, but within moments became aware of a car slowing beside her and the passenger window lowering.

  ‘Get in, Marianne,’ Helen said, not even looking at her.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  ‘Helen, hi! This is a nice surprise.’

  Helen couldn’t bring herself to even look at her friend. ‘We need to talk.’

  ‘Okay. You seem upset; what’s happened?’

  ‘It can wait until we get to the house,’ Helen said.

  Dot and Jo were ready to leave when they got home.

  ‘Why aren’t you in your tracksuit?’ Jo asked.

  ‘I’m not coming tonight, I have a dreadful headache.’

  ‘Ah, you poor thing.’ Dot gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘Get an early night, love.’

  ‘Yes, I think I will,’ Helen said, although she had no intention of leaving until she’d said her piece.

  Once Dot and Jo had left, Marianne excused herself to go and check on the children. ‘Put on the kettle, Helen,’ she said as she disappeared upstairs. Helen ignored the instruction and instead paced the kitchen as she waited to hear what Marianne would say. How could she be so pleasant, so brazen? If Helen hadn’t just seen the two of them together for herself, Johnny’s smile, the protective hand on her back, she’d begin to doubt herself.

  ‘I’m so sorry about that.’ Marianne came in almost half an hour later and shut the door. ‘Andrew is completely hyper this evening.’

  ‘Is he okay?’ Helen asked.

  ‘Absolutely fine, just excited because he went fishing for the first time today and he’s finding it hard to settle. Tea? Coffee?’

  ‘Nothing.’ Helen continued to pace.

  ‘Please sit down, you’re making me dizzy. What is it? What’s wrong?’

  Helen stopped in front of her. ‘I saw you with Johnny.’

  ‘Yes, we were at Matthews and Baldwin—’

  ‘Are you having an affair?’ Helen blurted out.

  ‘Are you serious?’ Marianne laughed. ‘Of course we aren’t!’

  ‘Look at me and say that,’ Helen demanded.

  Marianne’s expression changed from one of amusement to hurt as she looked Helen straight in the eye. ‘There is nothing going on between me and Johnny, Helen, and to be honest I’m stunned you could think otherwise.’

  Helen groaned. She’d known Marianne a long time and would see through her in an instant if she was lying. ‘I’m sorry, Marianne, but I’m sure he’s having an affair with someone.’

  ‘Well, it’s not me.’

  Helen sank into a chair and rested her arms on the small table. ‘I’ve been going mad; he’s being behaving so strangely and you two were spending a lot of time together.’

 
‘We’re not—’

  ‘I know, I know, I believe you. But if it’s not you, who is it?’

  ‘Why are you so convinced he’s being unfaithful?’

  ‘His habits have changed, he’s preoccupied, he’s staying out late and I’ve caught him lying.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘He says he’s going somewhere and doesn’t.’

  Marianne frowned. ‘I don’t understand how he’d have time for an affair; he’s practically living with us.’

  ‘So you can see why I jumped to conclusions.’

  ‘Yes, Helen, I can, but I promise you’re wrong.’

  ‘I know. I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’s okay. Have you said anything to him?’

  ‘No, I wanted to talk to you first.’

  ‘So, what are you going to do now?’

  ‘I suppose I’ll go home and talk to him.’

  Marianne pressed Helen back into her chair with a gentle hand. ‘Hang on, if you go in there accusing him the way you just did me, this could get completely out of hand. Let me make some coffee; let’s talk this through.’

  ‘What’s there to talk about? What other reason could there be for him sneaking around?’

  ‘It could be anything.’ Marianne went to make the coffee. ‘Perhaps there’s a problem at work or he has money worries—’

  ‘You forget I work with him and I look after all of our accounts,’ Helen pointed out.

  Marianne glanced back at her. ‘I think if Johnny wanted to keep something to himself he could; maybe there’s a problem of some sort that he just doesn’t want to worry you with.’

  ‘We’ve always been a team; why would that suddenly change?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know, Helen, but I find it very hard to believe that he’s being unfaithful.’

  ‘You didn’t suspect Dominic of being unfaithful but he was.’

  ‘Only because he was never around anyway,’ Marianne carried two coffees to the table and sat down. ‘And I didn’t care enough to wonder. Don’t look so shocked, Helen; you can’t think I still loved him after all he put me through, and you certainly can’t compare our marriages.’

  ‘Not at the end, no, but in the early days you were mad about each other,’ Helen reminded her.

  ‘That seems like a lifetime ago,’ Marianne admitted, ‘and he was a different man. Drugs turned him into someone I didn’t recognize, someone I didn’t even like.’

  ‘Poor Marianne.’

  ‘There’s no reason to pity me; it’s all over now and I finally have some peace.’

  ‘I did feel that you were more serene recently but today you seem sad.’

  ‘I’m fine. There’s been so much to take in that I suppose I’m just exhausted.’

  ‘You never talk about this woman Dominic was seeing or how you feel about this baby.’

  ‘I’ve tried but you weren’t returning my calls,’ Marianne retorted.

  ‘I’m so sorry.’ Helen felt dreadful for thinking Marianne was capable of betraying her and abandoning her when she most needed a friend.

  ‘It’s okay,’ Marianne squeezed her hand. ‘I can understand why now but I still think you’re wrong about Johnny.’

  ‘Let’s forget about him. Tell me all about Barbara. I’m glad you’re not upset about her but it still must have come as quite a shock that Dominic was having an affair.’

  ‘Of course it did, and when I met her I couldn’t see what the woman had seen in him. Oh, that sounds awful but towards the end, Dominic was in such a dreadful mess and could be downright horrible a lot of the time. It was a relief that he was out so much and made it easier to shield the children.’

  ‘Johnny described her as posh totty.’

  ‘A good description,’ Marianne grinned. ‘She’s attractive, classy and, it seems, very clever.’

  ‘Do you think she loved him? Do you think he loved her?’

  ‘I’m not sure what I think after everything I heard today.’

  Helen forgot her own worries momentarily as Marianne told her about the meeting with Dominic’s boss that afternoon. ‘No wonder you’re exhausted,’ she said when Marianne paused for breath. ‘This is all very dramatic and strange.’

  ‘And incredibly complicated; I’d have been lost without Johnny. I come out of these meetings and my head is spinning, but he remembers everything.’

  ‘I’m glad,’ Helen said grudgingly. She was grateful that Johnny was looking out for her friend but that didn’t absolve him from whatever else he was up to. ‘So what happens now?’ She stopped as the front door banged. ‘They’re back already?’

  Marianne glanced at the clock. ‘Doesn’t time fly . . .’

  Dot breezed in. ‘Helen, you’re still here!’

  ‘I made her a cup of tea and she took her tablets and felt a bit better, so she stayed for a chat,’ Marianne said smoothly.

  ‘Yes, I’m fine,’ Helen nodded, glad that Marianne was thinking straight at least.

  ‘Tea, Dot?’ Marianne asked.

  ‘No, thanks, I’m off out again.’

  ‘Out?’ Marianne raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Just to the pub for a quick drink. It’s Shirley’s birthday so it’s gin and slimline tonic all round,’ Dot joked.

  ‘Is Jo going?’

  ‘No, she said she’d prefer to have a cuppa with you. She’ll be here in a sec; Rachel just called to say goodnight. See ya!’

  ‘Does she ever stop?’ Helen asked when they were alone again.

  ‘Not often,’ Marianne grinned.

  ‘Does she know anything about what’s going on?’

  Marianne shook her head. ‘Nothing.’

  ‘How do you think she’ll take the news that she’s going to be a grandparent again?’

  ‘You’re pregnant?’

  Helen looked up to see Jo standing in the doorway looking shocked.

  ‘No!’ Marianne assured her.

  Jo looked at Helen. ‘But you said—’

  ‘Come and sit down. I’ll open a bottle of wine. I think we could all do with a drink.’

  ‘Should you be drinking if—’

  ‘I’m not pregnant, Jo!’ Marianne said as she rooted in the cupboard for a bottle of wine.

  Jo flopped into a chair. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘It’s complicated,’ Marianne said, wrestling with the cork.

  ‘Here, let me.’ Helen took the bottle and prized off the cork with ease and poured some into two glasses.

  ‘Join us,’ Marianne said.

  ‘I’m driving.’

  ‘You don’t have to; you could always leave the car here tonight and get the last train home.’ Marianne’s eyes twinkled. ‘Let Johnny wonder where you are for a change.’

  ‘Good thinking.’ Helen smiled and poured some wine for herself.

  ‘Cheers.’ Marianne raised her glass to her two friends.

  ‘Will one of you please tell me what’s going on?’ Jo looked from one to the other, frowning.

  ‘I suppose I should start at the beginning,’ Marianne said. ‘You know I told you there would be a hold up with the insurance money and Dominic’s pension, Jo?’

  ‘Yes, because of the inquest.’

  ‘I lied; it was nothing to do with the inquest.’

  Helen sat in silence as Marianne told Jo the whole sorry saga. ‘Helen and Johnny are the only ones who know about this, Jo, so please don’t let this slip to Dot.’

  ‘Of course I won’t.’

  Helen could see that Jo was hurt that she had been in on the secret. ‘I only know what’s been going on because Johnny was helping Marianne sort out Dominic’s estate.’

  ‘I’d have told you, Jo,’ Marianne said, ‘but you’ve had your own problems lately.’

  ‘It’s okay, I understand. But will you be able to keep it quiet now if this woman is going to have Dominic’s baby?’

  ‘Ah, well, that’s what I was just about to tell Helen; there may not be a baby.’

  ‘What?’ Helen exclaimed, now total
ly confused. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘Adrian Matthews thinks that it was all just a story to win our sympathy.’

  ‘It should be easy enough to tell,’ Jo said. ‘It’s two months since Dominic died so she’d be showing by now, wouldn’t she?’

  Helen looked at Marianne. ‘Did she say when she was due?’

  ‘No, but she spent ages in the bathroom; she said she was suffering very badly with morning sickness and had been for weeks.’

  ‘Then she definitely should have been showing,’ Jo said.

  Marianne stared at her and then at Helen. ‘She was wearing a suit with the jacket closed, but no, she didn’t look pregnant; how stupid of me. Why didn’t I realize that before?’

  ‘You’ve had enough to think about and why would you doubt her? What a conniving bitch; imagine lying about something like that,’ Helen marvelled. ‘She must be guilty.’

  ‘She must have cared for him, though,’ Marianne insisted. ‘She looked distraught when she found out that he’d lied to her about the divorce.’

  ‘And if he did that, then he can’t have really loved her, can he?’ Helen pointed out.

  Marianne sighed. ‘I’m not sure what to think any more.’

  ‘Forget about her, and him for that matter,’ Helen said. ‘You and the children and Dot are more important, and at least you’re not going to get landed with Dominic’s debts and may even get your pension.’

  ‘Well, I don’t know that for sure yet,’ Marianne cautioned. ‘Johnny said he’d call Eddie Madden – that’s the solicitor – but,’ she said turning to Jo, ‘it certainly looks more hopeful.’

  ‘I can’t believe how strong you’re being.’ Jo shook her head in wonder. ‘And I thought I had problems!’

  ‘It’s been a bit of a nightmare,’ Marianne admitted.

  Helen looked at her. ‘Are you going to tell Dot about all this?’

  ‘Dot doesn’t know?’ Jo said.

  ‘Not about the fraud or Barbara. How could I tell her, Jo? He’s caused her so much pain already, and though she puts on a brave face, she misses him terribly. And why tell her now? What’s the point?’

  ‘There is none,’ Helen agreed. ‘As long as Barbara doesn’t land on your doorstep one day with Dot’s grandchild and the whole fraud business doesn’t end up in the papers.’