The Long Way Home: A moving saga of lost family

by Whitmee, Jeanne

  The voice at the other end of the line chuckled softly. ‘Oh, come on, Marie. I think you know who it is.’

  With a cry she slammed down the receiver and stood there as though frozen to the spot. Ralph was still alive. Somewhere deep inside a part of her had always known it. But how had he found out where she was? And what did he want? Her knees suddenly too weak to hold her, she groped for the nearest chair and sank on to it. One thing was certain: having contacted her, he would ring again. What if he rang when David was here alone? The shock would kill him, she was sure of that. If — when — he rang again she would have to talk to him, find out what it was he wanted and strike some kind of bargain. Whatever happened, David mustn’t know.

  She didn’t have long to wait. It was an hour later when the telephone rang again. She’d been lying awake, staring into the darkness. At the first ring she was out of bed and through the bedroom door instantly, snatching up the receiver.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Ah, you were waiting for me. How touching,’ he said mockingly.

  ‘What do you want?' she demanded, ‘It’s a criminal offence to fake your own death. I only have to call the police …’

  ‘But you won’t do that, will you, Marie?’

  ‘Why shouldn’t I? You’ve caused me enough trouble and pain, Ralph. I thought …’

  ‘You thought you’d got rid of me. And now you’re nicely set up with your daughter. Back at “The Ocean”. You’ve really landed on your feet, haven’t you?’

  ‘How do you know all this? Where are you?’

  ‘I know everything. And I’m nearer than you think. But never mind any of that for now. I’ll come to the point. I need some money, Marie.’

  ‘You’re mad. You left your father and me penniless.’

  ‘But this daughter of yours has money. She must have. You can get it from her. Get it for me and I’ll get out of your life for good.’

  ‘There’s no way I can ask Leah for money. And even if I did, how do I know you’d keep your word?’

  ‘You don’t. You’d have to trust me.’

  ‘Trust you — you of all people?’ She laughed dryly.

  ‘I’m trusting you, Marie. I’m trusting you not to go to the police. I know you won’t because the stakes are too high for you to do that.’

  ‘Stakes?’ Her mouth dried.

  ‘For one thing, Dad wouldn’t be too pleased to see me back, would he? I’ve an idea he’d take it badly. Then there are your two daughters to think of. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to either of them — or some nasty upset to occur that would ruin the reopening of “The Ocean”, would you? Then there’s this baby grandson …’

  She caught her breath. ‘You wouldn’t! Even you wouldn’t stoop to that.’

  ‘I wouldn’t bet on it. They’re nothing to me, Marie — any of them.’ He paused to let the full implication of his statement sink in. ‘Well, do we have a deal?’

  She bit her lip hard, seriously frightened now. ‘I’ve told you, Ralph, I can’t get any money, whatever threats you make. Leah’s spent everything on reopening the hotel. Anyway, how could I ask her? What reason could I give?’

  ‘You’ll think of one if you know what’s good for you,’ he said roughly. ‘I don’t need all that much. A grand would do it. Cheap at the price to see the last of me, eh, Marie?’

  ‘I don’t know — I’ll have to think about it.’

  ‘Twenty-four hours, and I want it in cash — used notes,’ he said. His voice was as hard and sharp as steel, cutting into her like a knife. ‘I can’t give you longer. After that I’ll have to start proving to you that I’m not playing around over this. I’ll call you this time tomorrow.’ There was a click as he rang off abruptly.

  *

  Leah found every aspect of the work fascinating and absorbing and with Marie’s help she was quickly getting the hang of the business side of it as well as the catering. It was as she was opening the mail in the office on the morning after the reopening dinner that Marie arrived. She looked up in surprise.

  ‘I told you to take today off. After all you did yesterday, I thought …’ She broke off, seeing the look on Marie’s face. ‘What is it? Has something gone wrong?’

  ‘No.’ She cleared her throat. ‘It’s just — just that I’ve got something to ask you and — and I don’t quite know where to begin.’

  Leah laughed. ‘How about the beginning? Don’t look so worried. You know I’ll help if I can.’

  Marie’s legs threatened to buckle under her and she sat down in the chair opposite. ‘The fact is, I need some money. And, things being as they are, there’s no one else I can ask.’

  ‘How much money?’

  ‘Rather a lot.’ Marie took a deep breath. ‘A thousand, in fact.’

  ‘I see.’ Leah looked at Marie’s white face and realised that she wouldn’t be asking if her need wasn’t desperate. ‘Do you mind if I ask what it’s for?’ she asked gently. ‘Is there some kind of problem?’

  Marie had spent the remainder of the previous night racking her brain for a convincing answer to this question. After all, people didn’t hand out a thousand pounds without wanting to know what it was for. ‘I still owe some money — to a friend,’ she said. ‘I borrowed it when we were in difficulties. It was a friendly agreement so it wasn’t covered by the bankruptcy. Now I hear that her husband is ill and he’s had to give up his job. I — I feel terrible about it. I know she needs the money and I want to pay it back.’

  ‘I see.’ Leah nodded. ‘I understand how you feel. It’s just that I’ve spent so much. Preparing to reopen has cost more than I’d thought. The bookings are rolling in nicely now, though. If it could wait just a couple of months more?’ She broke off, seeing Marie’s anguished look. Then she remembered the shares Kate had left her. The income from them had been useful, helping to cover her expenses. But soon ‘The Ocean’ would start to make money. She could probably afford to sell some of them. She would ring Jane and ask her advice. ‘Look,’ she said, ‘can you leave it with me?’

  ‘For how long?’ Under the cover of the desk Marie’s fingers laced and twisted, the knuckles white with tension.

  ‘I could probably let you know after lunch.’

  ‘I’ll ring you, if I may?’

  ‘Of course.’

  Marie stood up and backed towards the door, her face unnaturally flushed. ‘Oh — one more thing. Could I have it in cash?’

  ‘In cash? It’s a lot of money. A cheque would be more convenient — and safer.’

  ‘I know but — since my trouble I feel awkward about giving people cheques.’

  ‘Of course. I should have thought.’

  Marie stood by the door. ‘Thank you, Leah,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t have asked you if it wasn’t important. I’m sure you know that.’

  When she had gone Leah sat for a moment, considering the request. There was something about it that didn’t quite ring true. She hadn’t known Marie very long, but she’d have staked her life on it that a request for money — especially this kind of money — was the last thing she’d do willingly. But whatever her reason it was clearly important. She lifted the telephone and dialled Jane English’s number.

  *

  Marie had been waiting for the call but when the telephone rang, shrilling through the silence like a banshee’s wail, she started violently. Snatching up the receiver she said breathlessly: ‘Hello?’

  ‘Marie?’

  ‘Yes, it’s me.’ She clutched the receiver. She’d been on edge ever since she arrived home this evening, praying that he wouldn’t call until David was asleep. Now it was a quarter to two in the morning and she was almost dropping with exhaustion.

  ‘Well, did you get it?’

  ‘Not yet. I’ll have it the day after tomorrow.’

  ‘Not till then?’ He sounded agitated, ‘If you’re up to anything, Marie I warn you …’

  ‘It takes time, Ralph. Be reasonable. People don’t carry that sort of money around with them.�
��

  ‘Right. The day after tomorrow. No longer, okay?’

  ‘Yes, all right. Where do I send it?’

  ‘You can’t. I want you to bring it to me in person.’

  ‘In person?’ Her mouth dried at the thought of seeing him again — of being alone with him, maybe in some isolated place. ‘I don’t see how I can do that.’

  ‘Then you’d bloody well better think of a way. Remember what I said — mixed notes, used ones. Tell no one and come alone. If you bring anyone with you or contact the police you can expect the worst. I’m not making idle threats, Marie. I’m not alone. The people who are helping me are quite ruthless. They’ll know what to do if anything happens to me.’

  She swallowed. ‘All right — all right.’ She clamped her teeth together to stop them from chattering. ‘Tell me where to bring it.’

  ‘You’ve got a car?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good. Drive out to the New Forest. About a mile north of Ringwood on the main Salisbury road there’s a clump of trees in an open space. Park the car out of sight behind the trees and wait for me there. I’ll ring to tell you when it’s safe to come and I’ll be waiting and watching for you, so remember — don’t try anything clever.’

  He was about to hang up when Marie said: ‘Ralph, wait — where can I contact you in case anything goes wrong?’

  ‘You can’t,’ he said shortly. ‘And I warn you, Marie, nothing had better go wrong. I’m relying on you to make sure it doesn’t.’

  Chapter 25

  Jane had agreed reluctantly to sell some of Leah’s shares for her.

  ‘Are you sure you want to sell?’ she’d asked. ‘They’re doing particularly well at the moment.’

  ‘I need a thousand pounds quickly, Jane,’ Leah explained. ‘And as it’s an emergency, is it possible to let me have the money by the day after tomorrow?’

  ‘Probably not, but if it’s that important I’ll make it available for you.’ There was a pause then Jane asked: ‘There’s nothing wrong, is there?’

  ‘No. Everything’s fine.’

  ‘You’re sure it’s nothing I can help with?’

  ‘No, really, but thanks for asking, Jane.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll have the money transferred to your account. It should be available for you in a couple of days.’

  When Leah told Marie about the delay the following day she thought she looked anxious, so she made a point of ringing the bank next morning to check that the cash was available. Told that it was, she decided to telephone Marie at home to reassure her.

  ‘I’ll go the bank this afternoon,’ she said. ‘And I’ll bring the money round to the flat if you like.’

  ‘Oh, thank you.’ Marie sounded grateful. ‘I’ll pick it up later this afternoon, if that’s all right.’

  ‘Of course, if that’s what you want.’

  Leah was replacing the receiver when Sally slipped into the office. Closing the door behind her, she said: ‘You have a visitor.’

  Leah looked up. ‘Can you handle it for me, Sally? I haven’t started on the mail yet.’

  ‘Afraid not. This is something only you can deal with.’ Sally seemed to be trying hard not to smile. ‘I — er — think you’re going to have to see this particular guest yourself, as soon as possible.’

  Leah sighed. Clearly the mail would have to wait. ‘All right,’ she said resignedly. ‘Send her in.’

  ‘It’s not a her, it’s a him. And I’ve sent him up to the flat.’ Sally gave up the battle and allowed her mouth to stretch into a grin. ‘As a matter of fact, it’s Terry Grant.’

  ‘Oh!’ For a moment Leah felt as though all the breath had been knocked out of her.

  ‘Well, is that all you're going to say? He’s driven all the way down from London overnight just to see you. Look, I’ve given him my key and told him to go up. The mail and telephone calls will wait for an hour or so and I’ll cope if anything important crops up.’ Sally grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. ‘Go on. He’s waiting.’

  As she went up in the lift Leah had an odd feeling of unreality. She felt as though she were moving in a dream — or watching some stranger going through the motions. Letting herself quietly into the flat she stood for a moment in the empty hall, her heart thudding. The living-room door was open and she moved towards it apprehensively, realising that nothing could ever in her entire life be as important to her as the next few minutes.

  He stood by the window, looking down at the sea view, his back towards her. He looked thinner and somehow older, and was wearing unusually formal clothes — a dark grey suit. She looked down at her own clothes; the neat businesslike skirt and jacket she always wore for work. The same might be said for her. It was a far cry from the casual clothes they had both favoured in the past. Suddenly it struck her that they’d both grown up over the past eighteen months. Had they grown away from each other in the process? It would be a strange irony if, having recognised that she loved him, he had grown out of her like some childhood habit.

  She spoke his name very quietly. ‘Terry?’

  He turned to look at her and neither of them spoke. In the long silent moment that they looked into each other’s eyes across the room, she knew that in spite of her misgivings nothing had changed for either of them. Without being aware of moving they were suddenly in each other’s arms. Leah felt the wetness of tears on her cheeks and heard the crazy jumble of words that tumbled incoherently from her lips. Terry covered her mouth with his, smothering the garbled sentences, replacing them with something that said far more. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to his kiss and for a long moment neither of them spoke. Finally she pushed him away, shaking her head and brushing impatiently at the tears on her cheeks.

  ‘Look what you’re making me do,’ she said, half laughing, half crying. ‘You know how I hate weeping women. I never cry.’ She thumped his chest. ‘Oh, Terry, I’ve missed you so much.’

  ‘I’ve missed you too.’

  ‘And I’m sorry — about …’

  ‘Don’t.’ He covered her lips with his fingers. ‘You don’t have to say anything. Bill has explained it all. I can’t blame you for thinking I wrote that article. I did a lot of showing off last time we were together.’

  ‘No, you didn’t. You’ve done well and …’

  He shook his head. ‘No more. Look, I can’t stay long and we’ve got some catching up to do. We won’t waste time talking about that. It’s history — right?’

  ‘Right.’

  He looked at her. ‘I was sorry to hear about Kate.’

  ‘I know. I went home for the funeral.’

  ‘Was it awful?’

  She nodded. ‘Jack and Hilary wouldn’t believe I hadn’t wheedled round her to make her Will in my favour. It must have come as a shock to them to know that a supermarket chain wanted to buy her bungalow and land.’

  ‘And you decided to put the money into this place?’

  She nodded. ‘I haven’t regretted it so far. I’m determined to make a success of it, Terry. It’s my whole future now.’

  ‘Not quite your whole future, I hope.’ He tipped up her chin to look into her eyes. ‘I’d like to be part of that too.’

  ‘Terry, last time we were together I made a fool of myself. I’d like you to forget that.’

  ‘Are we talking about your proposal?’ His eyes teased her.

  ‘I was hoping you’d forgotten. You turned me down.’

  ‘To be honest, I wasn’t sure you really knew what love was about,’ he said gently. ‘I wanted to be sure you knew what you were letting yourself in for before I let you commit yourself.’

  ‘I was sure, Terry. I was then and I still am,’ she told him earnestly.

  He pulled her close. ‘In that case I accept — if the offer’s still on the table.’ He smiled. ‘This time I’m not pushing my luck.’ He looked at his watch and groaned. ‘Damn. Look at the time. I shouldn’t really be here at all, but after I heard what Bill had to say I just had to see you
.’ He looked at her. ‘I’ve only got a couple of hours. Can you take a little time off?’

  She smiled. ‘I’ve got a feeling Sally would kill me if I didn’t.’

  He scooped her into his arms and crossed the room, shouldering the door open. ‘Great. Show me which room is yours.’

  *

  Leah wakened with the sound of the sea’s roar far below in her ears. For a moment she thought it was early morning and that what had happened was a dream, then she turned her head and saw Terry beside her. He lay on his back with one arm flung out and she felt a rush of love for him that almost took her breath away. With one finger she traced the line of his jaw. Then, leaning across, she kissed him softly. He stirred and opened his eyes.

  ‘Don’t wake me,’ he mumbled, looking at her with slightly unfocused eyes. ‘I’m used to the dream, but I’ll never get used to the waking.’

  She kissed him again. ‘You are awake.’

  Putting his arms around her, he pulled her down to him. ‘You’re right,’ he murmured, his mouth against hers. ‘I am awake. The dream was never this good.’ He studied her thoughtfully. ‘I miss your hair. Why did you have it cut?’

  ‘It’s my new image,’ she told him. ‘After — everything that happened I wanted to make a completely new start. This is the new me.’

  ‘I liked the old you.’

  ‘She’s still there, Terry,’ she said softly, ‘Inside I’m the same.’ She put up her hand to the new short hair. ‘I realise now that changing your hairstyle doesn’t really alter anything. I never had any real sense of identity till now. In the children’s home I was just another kid; at the Dobsons’ I was a disappointing replacement for Fiona. But now I know who I am and where I want to go.’ She looked at him. ‘And who I want to be with.’

  He kissed her. ‘I admire this new self-assured businesswoman.’ He raised himself on one elbow to look down at her. ‘But it’s Leah I love — the Leah I know as no one else does.’

  ‘Even after what I accused you of?’