The Stone Read online

  He needn’t have worried. Although Jack had Edmund’s file on his desk, Edmund had the stone in his hand as he went in.

  ‘That was a Job well done Edmund.’ Jack looked up from the file. ‘You and Ivor really screwed us didn’t you?’

  ‘It’s like this Jack, you set the ducks up and we shot them down.’ Edmund replied confidently.

  ‘I’ve got a friend in New York who’s a lot like you, he’s not as quiet, but he knows what he’s doing.’ Jack closed Edmund’s dossier. ‘You’re the kind of person I need in this organisation. I want to make you an offer. Will you give it some consideration, or am I wasting my time Edmund?’

  ‘In short, I have two offers for you to consider. The first is to head up our Petfoods UK Co. in Leeds. The second is to do what we did to you, take over companies that you can identify as good for our Group. We’re looking for a big expansion in two countries, Spain and Portugal and we want to buy ourselves in there.’ Jack explained.

  ‘It’s great to be considered for these.’ Edmund looked straight at him.

  ‘What’s the ‘but’, Edmund?’

  ‘But, I have some difficult personal problems that are going to take up too much time to allow me to do any of these fantastic offers you’ve got on the table. Please understand Jack, that under any other circumstances I would jump at the chance and you know that I would do them well, but I have to say thanks but no thanks.’

  ‘I believe you know a guy called Ben Cohen, is that right?’ Jack asked smiling.

  ‘Yes, we go back some way.’ Edmund answered.

  ‘Well so do I, in fact I was at the Waldorf at the same time as you, at that fund-raising bash. I never met you of course, but Ben thinks so highly of you. It’s an honour to meet you Edmund, and I wish you well in your new life.’ Jack walked around the table and shook Edmund’s hand warmly. ‘God’s speed, Edmund, all your friends are rooting for you.’

  Edmund didn’t know what to say, he was so shocked, so he just smiled at Jack, and walked out of the office, then drove all the way back to Southbourne and home. In the quiet of the journey he pondered how the people that had been involved with him in the past like Ben for instance. These people seemed to pop up in the most unexpected places. To think that Jack could have been standing next to himself and Ellie on that day in New York; ‘That’, he thought to himself, ‘was an amazing coincidence. Or was it?’’

  26: The Betrayal

  Southampton Airport

  Back in her hotel suite in Glasgow, Ellie was exhausted. The meeting with Alex had gone on longer than Alex had expected, but he was determined to explain every little thing that Ellie needed. This was his top priority. She was so glad that he didn’t keep referring to the time, so everything went smoothly. She felt so safe with him, and could understand why her dad had kept him as his advocate for so many years. At the end of the meeting Ellie did not press Alex for the identity of her father, because of the promise Alex had made to him.

  However, lying on the mahogany four-poster bed, looking at the gold drapes, she knew that she would make every effort to find her dad, with whatever means she had! She also decided not to go into the city with the hours that were free, it was too cold anyway! Daytime TV was rubbish, but not having to concentrate helped clear her mind so she could face the journey home.

  Gary would be working right now, so she left it until around seven before she called him on her mobile. It was all clear in her head, she was to tell him that all the details were now sown up, and they could get on with their lives once again. She held on to her stone whilst her mobile rang his number. The phone continued to ring with no answer. She waited for the voicemail message, but it cut off before anything occurred. She thought perhaps the network had accidently put her through to the wrong number, so she tried again. Same thing, no answer and no voicemail! ‘No worries’, she thought, ‘I’ll wait until after dinner and try then’.

  The description on the internet for the meals served did not overstate! She wanted a small meal, as she had already eaten pasta for lunch with Alex. But if it was small, it was big on quality. The Scottish wild salmon was beautifully presented, and it was certainly the right choice! As she walked back to her suite, she felt sure that all would be well with her call to Gary, but it wasn’t. She refused to feel any suspicion. It must be the network. Except she remembered that they hadn’t spoken since Sunday, and that was just to confirm that he would meet her at Eastleigh Airport around ten on Wednesday morning.

  ‘So what am I worried about?’ she said. She sent a quick text, ‘Gary please call can’t get through.’

  A good soak in a sumptuous bath, and a good shampoo for her beautiful hair was what she needed. She finally came out of the bathroom with her skin as smooth as it had ever felt. That of course was the famous Scottish soft water. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror, totally naked, her skin pink with warmth. She clicked on the necklace after looking at the dragon’s head clasp, which seemed to blink its ruby eyes at her.

  ‘To think what Gary is missing right now.’ She said out loud. With that thought in her head, she decided to give him another call and was disappointed when she still couldn’t reach him. She checked her own voicemail and looked at the inward texts, nothing.

  Not dismayed, she decided on an early night in the four-poster’s silk sheets, it was an early start tomorrow. She slept fitfully and was awake at six, dressed and packed and down at the reception at seven. She left her case and briefcase with reception whilst walking in for breakfast. She kept her mobile with her, but nothing!

  As she looked out of the window of the small jet, the patchwork fields flashed by, sometimes she could see a motorway, sometimes a little piece of woodland, but sadly now, few and far between. With no large suitcase to pick up she was soon heading for the exit to the car park. She stood for a little near the automatic doors, but no, there was no one waiting for her, no one to hold her. Suddenly she felt cold, unwanted and a bit desperate.

  The little Polo was in the far section of the car park, and she continued to look around, expecting to see him running towards her, perhaps he’d got held up with traffic? He’d have called wouldn’t he? She dropped the bags in the little boot, and before she got into the car she opened her mobile, nothing. She took one last look around, nothing.

  She drove home to Oxford; confused, dismayed, and now hurt. Why is this happening? As she approached the house, there was no car in the drive. The house seemed dead. As she opened the front door, she could feel the cold. Nobody had been in the house since she left for Glasgow on Monday. There was three days post on the hallway carpet. She looked for a handwritten letter. There was only a pile of typewritten letters, so she dropped them on the kitchen table to look at later. After she put the hot water and heating on, she checked the home phone for messages. There were two messages, one from Simon from work, just checking that she was OK and saying if she needed to talk to him to give him a call. The other one was from Rowena.

  ‘Hi Ellie, I wonder how you are, hope you got back safely, please call me when you can, I’ve got something to tell you. Can I come over to see you? Love you, Bye.’

  Ellie had things on her mind. She sat on the sofa, the house now getting warmer, and she was taking a sip of coffee she had just made. Feeling more herself she thought she would take a look at the mail on the kitchen table. Bills, circulars, a couple of charity requests and this white one, on high quality paper. It was addressed to her and, looking at the top, the franking was from Gary’s company, and the date was Monday, Belfast sorting Office.

  She opened it, and it was typewritten like the envelope.

  ‘Dear Ellie, sorry to break the news to you like this, but I shall not be coming home. You have probably guessed by now that I have found someone else, and we have both decided to make the break from our respective lives and partners and to set up home together. At first I really didn’t think that this relationship would come to this, but it has. I wanted to bring to an end all the lying I have do
ne to you, and to bring everything into the open. I’m really sorry Ellie, I really am. I will write to you with the address of my lawyers next week and I think it would be better if we didn’t contact each other except though them, I think that’s the way it is done.’

  Ellie was stunned, and couldn’t take it in, so she read it again. Mixed emotions ran through her head like an express train. Anger, helplessness, frustration, sadness and then back to anger again!

  ‘How long has it been going on? Was it before he went to Belfast? How long has he been lying to me?’

  It was time to answer Rowena’s message. ‘Hi Ro what’s up darling?’ She looked at her watch, it was two o’clock, aren’t you in the shop?’

  ‘Well no I’m not, it’s a long story Ellie, and could I come to see you please?’ It sounded urgent, and Ellie did need someone to talk to, so she agreed.

  ‘I’ll be with you in an hour’. And then Rowena rang off.

  Ellie hoped it wasn’t bad news; she had enough to handle already. As she waited for her friend to arrive, she thought again about Gary’s letter. Why did he type it, perhaps someone else typed it for him, perhaps that woman who answered his phone that time typed it.

  The whole thing seemed to ring of inevitability. He hadn’t called her; he wouldn’t answer his phone, even deleting his voicemail. The whole thing was planned from the start. She pulled the stone out from her top. She would show Rowena the letter. But as her mind became clearer, she already knew what she was going to do.

  Ellie was opening her front door just before three ‘You’ve done well Ro, great to see you’ Rowena looked at Ellie’s eyes, the green wasn’t so sparkling and there was more than a touch of red around them. She followed Ellie into her living room.

  Ellie had made a fresh pot of coffee, and that would have to do at the moment; she didn’t feel like offering anything else.

  ‘Now, why aren’t you at the shop, I thought that you were doing so well?’ Ellie asked

  ‘I’ve shut the shop, I’m selling up and I’m moving to Bath.’

  ‘Zach?’ Ellie guessed.

  ‘Ellie I’m truly in love, so much so that it feels like the first time in my life! He has asked me to move in to his home; by the way it’s just like a castle.’ Rowena giggled.

  ‘How did you two meet?’ Ellie asked.

  ‘It was about six months ago at a seminar in Bath. A friend introduced me to him. He had not long lost his wife, and wasn’t up for talking but I just couldn’t help it Ellie, I just fell for him like a schoolgirl. I know that there is a big age difference, but I just don’t care! He has asked me to marry him and I said yes. We already have a date in September in Bath Abbey; will you be my maid of honour?’

  Ellie couldn’t speak she was so happy for her friend. She just nodded and they hugged each other.

  ‘It’s like a fairy tale Ro, but don’t tell him to kiss my hand again, you know what happened last time in that car park.’

  ‘You’ve got some news, Ellie, haven’t you, and it’s not good is it, love?’ Ellie looked at Rowena’s sparkling brown eyes, what a lucky man Zach was, she was probably the most staggeringly beautiful woman she had ever seen, tall, dark and mysterious. She picked up the letter and handed it to her. Rowena opened the letter, and suddenly the warm atmosphere changed, her brow furrowed, and she took her time before handing it back.

  Rowena just looked at Ellie, who was again holding her stone hanging from that exquisite chain. How she wanted to tell her what the old woman had said about it that day, but she was afraid to speak. An oath is an oath, and not to be broken.

  Ellie told Rowena of the events leading up to the letter, the woman picking his phone up to all the unanswered calls.

  ‘Why don’t you ring Alex, Ellie? Ask him to represent you, it’s only just after four, his office will still be open.’ Rowena urged her friend.

  She rang Maggie but, of course, he was in a meeting. She did promise to make him call Ellie the moment he was out. Rowena could see the obvious strain that this terrible situation was having on Ellie. ‘I’m staying here with you tonight, if that’s alright?’

  ‘I do need your support right now Ro, it certainly would help me a great deal.’ Ellie said gratefully.

  ‘Tell you what, while you wait for your call, I’ll go into the kitchen and make us up a meal with whatever you’ve got.’ Rowena squeezed Ellie’s hand tightly, and disappeared.

  Surprisingly, it was only a few minutes before Ellie’s phone was warbling.

  ‘Glad to hear you’ve got home safe Ellie, what can I do for you?’ Alex asked.

  ‘This is very awkward Alex. I have had a letter from Gary, my husband, and out of the blue, he wants me to divorce him. Could I email you a copy and if you would agree, would you represent me in the legal side. Of course I want you to represent my interests in everything, just as you represented my father.’

  ‘Of course I would, Ellie that is if I were somewhat younger. But to be frank with you, after I had fulfilled my obligations to you with your inheritance, I had made a promise to myself that I would finally put the old warhorse out to pasture. You know I’m the same age as your dad, and he retired from the cut and thrust quite a few years ago. However, I can be replaced you know.’

  ‘But who is good enough to replace you Alex? I need someone who is good and I can trust.’

  ‘I have a very good replacement in mind, young as well.

  ‘Do you mean Clive?’ She asked.

  ‘Yes I do, he’s a good all rounder, and much closer to you than I am. Would you like me to ring him?’ He asked her.

  ‘Yes, please Alex, and by the way, thank you again for all your good work, not just for me but for all the years with my dad.’

  ‘I’ll ring him now Ellie, I’m sure that he’ll ring you just as soon as he can. Thank you for your comments they are well received. Bye for now!’

  27: A New Address

  The New Forest

  It was now 1996, and looking back on his working life, Edmund had been both lucky and unlucky. The lucky times were of course, when he had been given the opportunity to improve the business. Where he had benefitted financially, he was very careful not to unduly risk any of the capital sums, considering the responsibilities thrust on him by Eloise’s illness. His only luxury at that time was the purchase of the little bungalow.

  Five years after the sale of the Pharma Company, his opportunities became somewhat non-existent. He put it down to age. Understandably the employers of the day were ignoring experience and focussing on younger go-aheads. When one is past fifty it is time to lower one’s sights a little.

  Ben had been over to the UK a couple of times, to visit his mother, whom he had moved to a little flat in the centre of Bournemouth, near her old pen-pal. He wanted to get his mother into something better, so Edmund offered to look out for him.

  During the summer months, Edmund preferred not to seek work, but enjoy the more relaxed environment in the local area. One Saturday morning he was strolling along the high street when a banging on a coffee shop window broke his chain of thought. As he looked he saw Brian beckoning him inside.

  ‘Just the man!’ he said. ‘I’ve got something really interesting to show you Edmund, not far from you, and it’s got the right potential.’ Brian often had coffee with Edmund, so he knew basically what he was looking for.

  ‘Tell you what Brian, I’m going back home just now, but come and pick me up at the bungalow at one this afternoon, and show me what you’ve got.’

  As usual, Brian was prompt, especially when there was money to be made. Edmund got into Brian’s car. They drove into the Overcliff Drive, and then eastwards towards Hengistbury. They kept right at the mini roundabout, and drove along the cliff road. Brian drove past the only house on the cliff side, and pulled up against a stretch of rough grassland just a little further on.

  ‘Where’s the property?’ Edmund asked him.

  Brian smiled at Edmund. ‘No property, just this piece of land for sale.’ />
  ‘Don’t see any for sale signs, Brian.’ Edmund joked.

  ‘The seller doesn’t want to attract any attention Edmund. This piece of land is about an acre, from the roadside to the cliff edge.’ Brian said.

  They got out of the car and walked towards the cliff edge over the rough coarse grass. As they got to the edge, Edmund drew in breath.

  ‘Spectacular views Brian, they are beautiful.’ Edmund said, and Brian smiled knowingly.

  ‘The owner has been trying to get planning permission for an apartment block and has run out of money, and wants to sell it to cover his losses.’ Brian explained. Edmund thrust his hand into his trouser pocket, and squeezed the stone in his hand for a moment.

  ‘OK Brian, let’s get back to the bungalow, and see what we can do.’ Edmund had already formulated a plan in his head, and Brian would have a very big part of it. ‘But is he up to it?’ He asked himself.