Chapter 17

Susan saw the look of distress on Carol’s face as they sat in the Griffin that Tuesday evening. It was Kathy’s birthday but there was a late floodlit cricket match that night, so it was a girls’ night.

Susan swivelled round to see the cause. What she saw were Tom and Ann, and John and a woman. The woman was very pretty with glossy dark hair, a perfect figure, tall: five foot nine inches at least and long legs, was Susan’s appraisal. So John was back and had a woman.

“Shit!” Susan exclaimed as Carol’s eyes filled with tears and the women watched John and Tracy laughing as they left the pub arm in arm. Jessica and Kathy were puzzled, and turned to look in their turn. All became clear, and damage limitation swung into action.

“That’s it then,” Carol said disconsolately. “He’s found someone else.”

“No it isn’t!” Kathy answered sharply. “You don’t know that.”

“Yes, she could be a colleague from work or a visitor,” added Jessica.

“Look, Carol,” said Sue earnestly, “He can only have got back this week, and he’s been incommunicado while he’s been away. Go and see him!”

“No,” Carol said dejectedly. “You saw. They were in a relationship, surely you could tell?”

“Not necessarily,” Sue replied doggedly. “She’s probably a fling from London. He’s bound to have been there to report back. Don’t forget, he still thinks you’re with someone else. He needs putting right on that. Wait until she’s gone back to wherever she’s come from, and go see him next week.”

“I don’t know whether I can,” Carol said. “I think he’s moved on.”

“Don’t give up!” Kathy was almost shouting. “You don’t know where he’s at. Find out!”

“No,” said Carol, “I can’t. He’s come back and hasn’t been in touch, and we’ve just seen why. He’s moved on.” Tears began tracking down her face.

“But he must only have been back this one week!” Kathy was insistent. “If she’s a colleague, perhaps there’s still something big going on at work. Go and see him, please!”

Carol shook her head. Her face looked bleak.

“Well, if you can’t, I can,” said Jessica. “I’ll go round tomorrow evening. I’ll find out what’s going on. You’ve sworn off men the whole time he’s been away, in fact since you found out about Liam. You deserve to know the truth.”

It was true. From that meeting at the hotel when Liam’s treachery was discovered, Carol had lived the life of a recluse, waiting for John to return from his mission. The other women saw to it that she accompanied them to the pub, but she would not go clubbing, or to parties where men might try to pick her up.

Carol shrugged.

“I can’t stop you,” she said, and as if by common consent they let the matter drop.

Next evening Jessica was ringing the doorbell of John’s house, and getting no reply. Tracy had driven back to London to collect more of her stuff now that she knew her stay was for the long haul. John could have travelled with her, but he found the train easier for working.

Jessica was not easily put off and she was there on Thursday and Friday only to find the house deserted. She was busy at the weekend, so it was early Monday evening before she had any success, but when the door opened, she was in for a surprise. It was the dark haired woman she’d seen in the pub and not John.

“Oh, er, Good Evening,” Jessica began. “I wonder is John in?”

“Sorry darling,” the woman replied, with a noticeable London accent, “You’ve missed him.”

“Will he be back soon?”

“You are?” the woman asked.

“Oh, sorry,” Jessica said with embarrassment. “I’m Jessica Thompson, John and I go way back to school days. I know he’s been away for a few weeks, and thought I’d call to see how he was.”

“Tracy Rushton,” said the raven-haired beauty. “I got to know him well when he was in London, and now I’ve been moved to the Manchester office, we’ve hooked up again. I’m staying here house-sitting while he’s away.”

“Has he gone for long?”

“No idea, really,” she said, leaning against the door jamb, “but it will be months. He’s on some secret mission abroad – I reckon to the far east. Troubleshooting. I’m filling a space left by his second in command who’s doing his job while he’s away, you know Tom Forstone?”

Jessica nodded.

Tracy continued, “John wanted me to finish furnishing the house ready for when he comes home.”

“So you’ll be staying up here with him?”

“Don’t know. I reckon John won’t be just taking up his old job here. I think he’s destined for bigger things at head office. Wouldn’t be surprised if he moved back to London or to one of our subsids abroad.”

“Could you give me his address where he’s gone? I’d like to contact him.”

“Sorry,” Tracy answered. “No one knows where he is at the moment. It’s top secret; even Tom doesn’t know, and neither do I. But John promised me he’d contact me as soon as he could. I miss him when he disappears like this. It’s worrying.”

Jessica left after apologising for disturbing Tracy and drove thoughtfully back to her own place, where she thought some more before phoning Susan, who invited her for dinner.

“It’s not good,” she told Susan after the meal when the latter asked her if she had been to see John.

“So?” from Susan.

“One, he’s gone again, and this time on some sort of secret mission that’ll take him some months. Two, Tracy Rushton, that’s her name, is a flame from John’s London office and is house sitting for him. She is to furnish the rest of the house for him in his absence. Three, you can tell she’s more than just a colleague or platonic friend, you know, she has that possessive feel about her, as if she belongs there.”

“Oh.” Susan looked despondent.

There was a long pause while Susan assessed the situation. Her shoulders sagged and her brow furrowed, then she looked up.

“OK,” she said at length. “Looks bad, but he was keen on hooking up with Carol again once he knew the truth.”

“Hardly, keen, Sue.” Jessica countered.

“Yes, keen. He went to the party to make up with her, he said as much.”

“But he kept her at a distance right up to that time. We don’t know how strongly he wanted to get back with her. Aren’t you being a bit optimistic?”

“Yes I am; someone has to be. You know those two are totally suited, it’s just a shame he’s had to go off again. I bet he’ll be round to her when he gets back. He might even call her while he’s away. Carol has all but given up, but all is not lost. We’ve got to keep her on track until John comes back, or until he gets in touch, don’t you think?”

Jess sighed. “You’re right. So how do we do this?”

“Tom!” Susan exclaimed. “Tom is doing John’s job; he’s John’s oldest friend. Tom’ll be the first person John contacts when he’s able to. I think I need to go and have a long talk with him. After all, it was the two of us that got Carol to listen to John. I’ll go and see him. I might find out what this Tracy person is to John, whether it’s serious. If it is, we’ll have to think again.”

“In the meantime,” said Jess, morosely, “we have to convince Carol to hang in there for a few more months.”

On Saturday evening they called on Carol to take her out for a drink. She looked thoroughly depressed.

“John’s written,” she said. “Come in.”

She fired up he laptop and found the email.

“Here,” she said dully. “Read it.”

Jess and Susan read the mail.