Chapter 13

There was plenty to drink at the party, there was a live band and a DJ for when their set was over. The music was good and danceable. There was Susan, there were Cloë and Robert, Kathleen and Kieran, Freya and Vince, and Jessica as well, but Carol was ill at ease. Susan knew why.

Susan had noticed Ryan talking with Liam and Dermott. She had also seen how Liam and Dermott constantly seemed to be checking on Carol. Ryan too, was watching her. None of the three approached their table however. Leo came over and asked Carol to dance but she turned him down, so he asked Susan who took to the floor with him. Dan and Flynn also tried to entice her to dance but she turned them all down.

Jessica was swept off to dance by Flynn, and then had a succession of partners. She suggested a girls only dance, but again Carol was not moving.

“He’s not coming,” Carol muttered. “It’s ten thirty and we’ve been here since seven. I think I’ll go home. It’s no use waiting any longer. The plan failed.”

Jessica was adamant. “There must be something stopping John,” she asserted. “Look, I know he loves you Carol. He turned me down and as much as admitted it. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Tom and Anne didn’t come either,” Susan added. “It’s unlike them, and neither Tom nor John were at the Griffin last night. I think I’ll phone Tom.”

She took out her mobile.

“Anne, it’s Susan, we’re at the party, and Carol was expecting John and both of you. Problem?”...

“Oh. So John got the invite?”...

“How long?”...

“OK, thanks Anne. Bye.”

“There’s been some kind of panic at John’s company. John has to go to Holland to sort out some crisis and Tom is taking over from him. They’ve been working since Friday all weekend, and John leaves for Holland tomorrow early. They both decided not to come. Anne’s pretty sure John didn’t know you’d be expecting him, Carol.”

“I must phone him,” said Carol urgently. “I’ve got to tell him I miss him. I don’t care about our plan.”

She got her phone out. “Oh damn! The battery’s flat. Never mind, I’ll charge it when I get home. I’m going now. No point in staying if he’s not coming.”

“I’ll come too,” said Susan, “I’m not really enjoying it.” She went in search of Karen, and found her in the kitchens.

“Carol and I are going, Karen,” she told her. “Carol’s upset that John hasn’t arrived.”

“I’m surprised she’s still going after him after what he did,” Karen said with a frown.

“I don’t follow,” queried Susan.

“Him being so unfaithful,” Karen said, with a look that said she thought that would be obvious.

“John? Unfaithful?” Susan looked puzzled.

“Ryan told me all about it, that John shagged anything that moved at those conferences. The talk is she wants to marry him again to get his money.”

“Karen, you’ve got it all wrong,” said Susan. “John was set up. He never cheated on Carol; I’ve seen all the evidence and it’s convincing. She’s mortified she didn’t believe him at the time and went ahead with the divorce without talking to him.”

“But she was engaged to Liam.”

“Who set John up so he could get Carol. It was Liam who destroyed Carol’s marriage.”

“I don’t believe that! Liam? She’s been putting that about?”

“Karen darling, I’ve seen the evidence. Look, if you want to see it for yourself, come round to mine tomorrow. I’ll show you. There’s no doubt about it.”

“OK. I still can’t believe it of Liam, and I’d like to see anything that’ll prove it. I’m sure you’ve misunderstood it.”

“Come and see. It’s clear and it’s conclusive.”

Karen shrugged and nodded. They hugged and Susan went to find Carol.

When they reached Carol’s flat, she plugged in her phone to the charger, and immediately saw there were voice mail messages.

She listened to the first, and looked puzzled.

“It’s from John,” she said, “He says he ‘got my message’ and was definitely coming to the party. I never sent him any message.”

She then listened to the second message, and Susan saw her face at first puzzled then incredulous, then distressed.

“What is it, sweetheart?” Susan asked her.

“I don’t get it. He says he came to the party and they wouldn’t let him in.”

“What?“

“He says they called the room I was sharing with some guy called Ronson. I never had a room! You know that, we came together. I don’t know anyone called Ronson. Why would I want a room with a stranger anyway? John says he’s finished with me. He was coming to tell me something, but now it’s all over.”

She broke down and the tears fell.

“The lowlife fucking bastards!” Susan mouthed. “They’ve set you up again. You’d have thought Liam would have learned.”

“Set me up?”

“Liam and Ryan. From what Karen said, Liam was still spinning his lies about John womanising at the conferences, and you wanting to get back with John for his money.

“Can’t you see? Liam’s got to Ryan and it looks like the desk receptionist was programmed to tell John you were with this guy Ronson in his room. I bet when he phoned ‘the room’, he phoned an empty one.

“They wanted John to think you were in bed with another guy, but we know you were in the party all the time! We were all there with you. Liam is a real idiot; he must have known the truth would come out.”

“I must phone John now.” said a depressed Carol.

“No, you won’t,” Susan told her. “It’s after midnight and he’s to be up early to catch a flight to Holland. He’s not going to get into too much mischief in Holland. He won’t have time if there’s a crisis. You’ve got time to sort all this out. Look, he’s not been near you for a long time. What’s a few more weeks? When he gets back, OK?”

Carol’s shoulders fell. “Yes, you’re right of course. Let’s go to bed.”

Susan nodded, “But we’ll sort out Liam once and for all, and we’ll put Ryan right. It’s the second time Liam’s done this to you. It’s time everyone knew what sort of a arsehole Liam is.”

“I don’t understand him,” Carol said, “I did nothing to him. He fancied me and he lied and cheated and he’s still doing it? Why? Did he expect me to carry on with him as if nothing had happened?”

“I don’t think it’s you this time,” Susan said thoughtfully. “I think this time it’s John. He really hates John. He effectively gets rid of John to London and thinks the way’s open for him to get you. John then comes back as his boss – the big boss, no less. Then he makes the mistake of threatening John and gets the sack.

“You know, Carol? I watched them at the party. They were watching you all the time, the three of them: Liam, Ryan and Dermott. I think they were prepared to intercept you if you were to try leave the room in case you bumped into John.

“I invited Karen to come and see the evidence of what really happened, but I think we’ll go to her.”

With that they went off to bed, Susan staying over with Carol. However, once alone in her room, Carol phoned John, but the call went to voicemail and, not knowing quite what to say, she hung up without a word.

She sat a while on the side of her bed, and forlornly wondered if she would ever get John back. She felt disconsolate that she had tried so hard and it had all come to nothing. Suddenly she felt very tired and climbed into bed and was soon asleep.

Karen poured the coffee as the three women sat in the now empty dining room, which had been cleared after the breakfast rush. A good number of those who attended the party had stayed overnight to avoid driving home. She saw how sad Carol looked, and she wondered if what Susan had said was true.

Susan extracted a booklet and some photo’s from a carrier bag.

“First,” Susan said, “take a look at these.”

With that she gave Karen the photo’s for her to see. Karen looked at the photo’s.

“Seems pretty conclusive to me,” Karen said, glancing at Carol who did not react to her statement.

“Yes, it does, doesn’t it?” relied Susan. “You can see why Carol was taken in.”