Chapter 4

On Monday Vicky went off to do her thing, while John made the journey back to the workplace where he had started so many years before. He arrived very early but Georgina was there before him. She was leaving the office for London that morning and then off to the USA the next day.

Her PA, Julie Jones, leapt to her feet when John entered the building and ran to hug him. He was impressed and touched as she welcomed him.

She was a mature woman of some forty-five years and knew everything there was to know about this division of the company. She knew each member of staff and a good deal about their private lives.

She had always been kind to him, and was not happy at his divorce. She was one of the few who would not believe he had let Carol down in any way.

“Are you going to be my PA?” John asked her, realising she would already know what he was there for.

“If you’ll have me,” she said, with just the slightest twinkle in her eye.

“The place couldn’t work without you,” he said. “In fact I’m sure you could do my job.”

“Flatterer!” she shone. “Come on, let’s get you some coffee, or is it tea so early?”

“Tea please,” John said as she showed him into Georgina’s, and now his, office.

Gina was a little wistful as she carried out her duties. Once eight thirty had passed they began by calling in the senior management tier, which included Tom. John didn’t need much of an introduction since either they were there three years before or he had known them from London.

Mid-tier people next, when he said all the right things. He had noticed, when they trooped into the boardroom that Liam was among them. His face was a picture: he was not a happy bunny. He scowled before putting on a bland look, but his eyes were worried. He made no effort to come and shake John’s hand after John’s speech, but left immediately.

John made the rounds of the rest of the office staff and then took the car with Gina to go to the factory. Gina and John repeated the introductions there. Most seemed happy to see him.

The next fortnight was busy. John wanted to interview all the staff, and took each afternoon to do so. Then there were the accounts. It was the end of the second week before his appointment with Liam Malley.

It began formally enough. John covered all the areas he had covered with all the other folk. The only change he mentioned was that Liam was free to have his appraisal handled by any one of the senior team. Gina had handled all of them herself, which in John’s opinion was too much like hard work, when he could read the transcripts of the appraisal meetings and arrange a subsequent meeting if he felt it necessary. He wanted to have some free time to oversee what the company was doing and look ahead.

It was at the end when Liam launched into an attack on John.

“I’m not happy that you’re back here. Carol is upset that you’re raking over past issues. I’m telling you to keep away from her. You’ve already done enough damage, contacting her.”

Liam sat upright and looked aggressively at John, who sat still, his face impassive. At length he spoke. He was quiet, formal but firm.

“Mr Malley, this is a place of work. You will not bring your personal matters into work, and I certainly will not discuss such matters with you as are not germane to the work we do. If you need time off, you know how to apply.”

“You can’t dodge the issue that easy. What you’re doing to Carol affects our working relationship.”

“Are you saying that you are not able to work here under my leadership?”

“If you continue harassing her, yes.”

“Then do I take it you are looking for a post elsewhere? You know our policy. We will support any application you make. The company doesn’t stand in the way of personnel who want to move or advance themselves.”

“No, you bastard,” he snarled. “You can’t get rid of me that easy. I stay here.”

“Fine.” John said, still quiet and measured. “You have security of tenure and providing you keep working as you have been, there is no reason to change that.”

“I’m warning you, Colshaw,” Liam snapped, “Carol’s brothers won’t take kindly to you sniffing round her. Get it through your head that she’s engaged to me. You have nothing to do with her.”

“Mr Malley,” John said still calm and collected, “Is that a threat?”

“Take it how you want. You know what might happen.”

“Fine. This interview is terminated. May I remind you that according to company policy, this interview was recorded, will be printed and a copy given to you.

“In this case the recording will be kept. I should point out to you that your language to me as your superior and your attitude to me are already matters for immediate dismissal. The only reason you are still employed here is my concern for your fiancée.

“Since you have made unfounded and untrue statements about my actions, let me ask you some questions. First. When you and your fiancée arrived at the Griffin Hotel, did I approach her?”

“No.”

“Did she approach me?”

“Yes.”

“To your knowledge have I attempted to contact your fiancée since I arrived here?”

“She had to phone you to tell you where you cheated on her.”

“She ‘had to’. Who made her do this?”

“No one,” he said uncertainly. “She was unsettled by what you said in the pub.”

“She never felt the need to tell me anything before?”

“No.”

“So how am I ‘sniffing round her’ as you put it? I’ve made no attempt to contact her. I do not intend to do so in the immediate future.”

“I think you said the interview is over?”

“Yes.”

He got up and went.

John sat down and thought. The man was paranoid. Why? He was Carol’s fiancé, they were planning to get married. John felt a pang of sorrow at the thought. If John’s marriage was over, his feelings for Carol were not.

He knew he still needed to make her see what she’d done. Hang it, he still had feelings for her: seeing her at the Griffin proved that, though he could not clarify what those feelings were.

In any case, if she had divorced him to marry Liam, there was nothing to be done. Nevertheless he would still confront her with her actions, he promised himself that.

It spurred him on to find all the other people involved on that day.

He called Ian Sinclair immediately, pushing down his anger.

“Sinclair”

“Hello, Ian,” John began. “John Colshaw here.”

“Oh, John!” he almost shouted, “Congratulations. What can I do for you?”

“Nothing to do with work really,” John said. “I need some information about something else.”

“Fire away,” said the Scottish voice at the other end.

“Have you any memories of the conference we went to, four years ago?”

“Strange question,” he laughed. “Well, let me see. Conference so–so, party on the last night was a blast. It was also the last one, so yes I remember.”

“Ian,” said John. “Do you mind if I record this? I need it for a private reason, nothing to do with work.”

“Fine,” he answered.

“All right,” said John. “Thanks. Can you tell me frankly what happened at the party as far as you were concerned?”

Ian thought for a moment and then related dancing, fumbling with the girl he was with, and then a trip outside.

“Who was the girl?” asked John urgently.

“Oh, yes, Lucy – yes Lucy – we called her juicy Lucy because she was!” he giggled, and John at his end smiled.

“Surname?” John asked.

“Oh ... Wait a minute. Now what was ... John what’s that cartoon on the box – lad with yellow spiky hair?”

“The Simpsons?”

“That’s her!” he shouted triumphantly.

“Lucy Simpson? Wait a minute, isn’t that one of the characters?” asked John.

“Yes, yes!” laughed Ian. “Everyone ragged her about that! They’d ask her if she played the saxophone!”

“I remember,” John said with a smile. “Tell me the story. Try to remember every detail, who you saw, what they were doing, you know the sort of thing.”

“Right!”

So he began his account of that night. When he had finished, John was smiling broadly. He thanked Ian profusely and rang off.

John knew that Lucy still worked in the London office as he had seen her there, though he never had any dealings with her. Now he needed to talk to her.

As luck would have it, after a fortnight there was a longtime arranged meeting of the MDs from the British Isles at Headquarters. Normally after so short a time in post he would have been excused. However, since the meeting was to discuss the piloting of a number of administrative changes to company practice which John had advocated to Maurice, he was required to attend.