Chapter 8

John enjoyed the expressions which passed over Carol’s face, but especially the uncertainty and discomfort. Eventually she put the booklet down and looked woebegone and worried at first, then her face changed to the hard glare it had when she arrived.

John decided to rub salt into the wound. He pointed to the photo’s on the table.

“This picture shows Dannie as we tried to put her dress back on. The second was taken holding her up when I was taking her to her room. The third is obviously entering the room. Then in this one, she had sicked all over me and her. This one, I was still trying to get her filthy clothes off. This one, I’d succeeded but she pulled me onto her; she was giggling. It was then I saw she was going to spew again and rushed her to the bathroom, and the next picture I’d got her clean and dry and was bringing her back to the bed. This final one, I was trying to get her under the duvet, and failing. By then she was spark out and a dead weight.”

“Very clever John,” she said complacently. “How did you put that lot together? You wrote all that yourself didn’t you? Pack of lies just to get out of admitting your guilt.”

Everyone sat still, stupefied.

At first John did not grasp what she was saying, then as the meaning of her disbelief permeated his brain he felt a surge of rage, got up and left the pub without another word or so much as a glance at anyone ... He did not see the look of confusion on Carol’s face as he went.

“You stupid, stupid cow,” said Susan. “You don’t want him to be innocent do you? You can’t see how stupid and downright nasty that remark of yours was, can you?

“If John was cheating, would he have invited someone in to photograph it so they could send you the photo’s? The photo’s are all taken from the doorway, so the door was left open.

“You know John; if he were going to have sex would he have left the door wide open? Unless perhaps he was in some sort of trouble? Do you really think he would be walking about naked and not notice someone taking photo’s unless he was totally busy? And that leaves out the question of who took the photo’s and how did they get them to you? And why.”

“Gary got them!” Carol said, smarting under Susan’s attack.

“From whom?” Susan asked with some aggression.

“A Private Investigator.”

“Who hired him?”

“I ... I ... don’t know.”

“You don’t know! It never crossed your tiny mind did it? You were so certain John had betrayed you, you never thought to question anything!

“Who’s Gary best mates with? Who was also at the conference? Another thing, do you really think that John would invent a statement from the Chief Executive Officer? Is he suicidal?” Susan’s words dripped scorn.

“And you’ve just called me a liar, Carol,” Tom added. “I was there as well.”

“You’re his mate. You’ll say anything.”

Carol was beginning to look more and more desperate.

“And all those other people?” said Tom getting angry. “They were there too!”

“How do I know they were real people?” She asked, bitterly. She gestured at the booklet. “It’s just paper! He’s taken you all in. Not me!” but her voice betrayed her uncertainty.

Things got quiet.

“He’s got the recordings,” said Tom quietly, “Here’s a CD of the interviews.”

He threw it on the table. “You can ring any of those people. Why should they lie?”

Carol’s face began to register surprise, then shock, fear and then crumpled in distress. Then she sat back. She slumped, and a tear began to fall down her cheek.

“Carol darling,” said Susan gently, “The Chief Exec. said that it was Liam who got Dannie so drunk she couldn’t stand. Everyone thought Liam wanted to get into her pants, but then, when he could have taken her upstairs, he asked the Chief Exec. to help when John was with him.

“Everyone knows a Chief Exec. wouldn’t do that in person, and who was sitting next to him? If Liam didn’t get her so drunk for himself, why do it? Put it all together Carol.

“Who took the photo’s? Who was walking back from the room when the lovebirds were approaching – he even made a comment about Dannie being naked!

“Tom said Liam had a camera and he disappeared after John took her to her room – Liam said he was in the loo. Are you thick or something, Carol?”

“Interesting Liam was right there to ‘help’ you when you got the photo’s,” Tom observed. “Who urged you to ignore John? Avoid him? Who beat John up? You know it was your brothers. They have never liked John, but they’re best mates with Liam.”

Carol sat still, tears trickling down her face. She had a hopeless look in her watery eyes.

“You turned everyone against him,” said Susan. “You had him beaten up – or Liam did. John had no one but Bill and Tom here. He tried and tried to find out what he’d done. Then when he came out of hospital – hospital Carol – he gave up the struggle, and went to London.”

There was a silence during which the only sounds were Carol’s breaths as she silently sobbed.

“Do you know why Liam was fired?” asked Tom.

Carol looked up. “He said John was jealous of him having me.”

“Listen to this,” Tom played the tape, though he knew he should not have.

Carol paled when she heard the confrontation.

“You see what he was doing?” asked Tom. “He was trying to keep John away from you. He was frantic. Why? What would you have found out if you’d talked with John?”

Carol said nothing for a long while. She looked tired and defeated. Eventually she spoke: “Me and my fucking temper. So stupid. So stupid.” She seemed dazed and apathetic.

“Take her home,” said Tom to Susan. “I’ll talk to John.”