Chapter 21

Mary started working for Gerald Hambury in July. Her office was just behind Reception and she kept her door open so that she could hear what was going on and intervene when necessary. She had a second door into Gerald's office. She liked him. He was in his mid-fifties with a full head of silver hair and kept himself in shape. He demanded high quality work from all his staff but was very good with them and they, in return, did their best for him. Mary also liked his wife. She was the best part of ten years younger than him, tall and slim. She brimmed with fun and had an infectious giggle which could quickly become a full-blown laugh. They were clearly deeply in love with each other.

One afternoon in September Mary heard a man with an Australian accent at Reception asking for a room for two or three nights. She listened more attentively. It sounded very much like Ray. It was Ray. She heard him give his name.

She sat there frozen. There could only be one reason for him being there. He was looking for her. Why? His goodbye had been curt and had left no doubt that their marriage was over. Surely he could not be seeking reconciliation. He must have been sent to silence her. She needed to talk to Uncle Steven.

She waited until she heard Ray move off with a page to show him to his room. She shut the door and rang Steven.

"Uncle Steven, it's me, Mary."

"Hello, my sweet. This is a nice surprise."

"Uncle Steven, I need your help. Ray's just booked into the hotel."

"Has he just? Come to try and make it up with you do you think?"

"I don't know but I don't think so. His goodbye was so final. I ... I think he may have come to silence me."

"Hmm! I doubt it but you could be right. I'll put a tail on you right away. Come and have supper with us this evening and we'll talk about it. You'd better plan to stay the night. What time do you knock off?"

"About half past five."

"OK. I'll have someone there by about quarter past. I'll ring you with details nearer the time."

"Thanks, Uncle Steven."

Mary found it difficult to concentrate at first but slowly she regained control of herself. She opened the door again.

At quarter to five Steven rang back. "Miriam Cartwright will be waiting in the hall for you when you finish. She'll clock in with Reception. You are old friends. She will escort you back here calling in at your flat on the way to pick up your overnight things. Does that sound all right?"

"Yes, Uncle Steven. Thanks. Be seeing you."

At twenty past five the receptionist stuck her head round Mary's door. "There's a Mrs Cartwright here for you, Mary. She said she'd wait in the lobby for you."

"Thanks, Sheila. Tell her I won't be long."

Mary knocked on Gerald's door and went in. She picked up his teacup from his desk.

"I'm off, Mr Hambury," she said. "A friend's arrived a little early. Is that all right?"

Gerald sucked his teeth then smiled at her. "Yes, Mary, of course it is but," he added trying to look stern, "don't make a habit of it."

"No, sir," she said and bobbed a curtsey.

Gerald chuckled. "Beat it," he growled.

Mary smiled back and left the room. She went and washed the teacup, put on her coat and, taking a deep breath, went out to Reception. She glanced swiftly round and saw that the lobby was empty apart from one woman who was sitting opposite and rose when she saw her.

"Hello, Miriam!"

"Hello, Mary!"

They embraced swiftly for the Receptionist's benefit and were quickly outside.

"My car," said Miriam. "It's just round the corner. Steven or Becca will bring you in in the morning."

"I was surprised when Uncle Steven said you would come for me. I was expecting some big, burly ex-policeman or something."

Miriam chuckled. "Little ex-policewoman with a lot of unarmed combat training."

"Oh! I'll watch my Ps and Qs then."

Miriam chuckled again. "That's more like it," she said.

They reached the Hardacres without incident. Miriam saw her safely in through the front door and left.

Becca greeted Mary with a hug. "This is all rather exciting," she said.

"Rather scary I'd say."

"Uncle Steven doesn't seem to think so. Anyway, first things first: a cuppa."

Becca led Mary into the kitchen where Steven already had a cup of tea. He rose from his chair and greeted Mary lovingly.

"So, Mary love, tell us all," he said as they all sat down.

"There's really nothing to add to what I told you earlier. It's just that I can't believe he's here to try and make up. That goodbye cable was abrupt to the point of rudeness."

"OK, so why would he wait almost a year to come and silence you?"

Mary shrugged. "So that I'd have dropped my guard?"

"I suppose that's a possibility but if you were going to shop them you'd have done it straight after you got his cable, wouldn't you?"

"I suppose so."

"And that's what they'd have thought too I'd guess."

Mary looked at him, her mind racing. "So you think I'm being wet."

"No, my sweet. You'd never be wet but I think, with some justification, you might be over-reacting a bit."

"Mary, love," said Becca softly, "knowing Ray as you do, do you really think that he's the sort of man that would murder his wife to save his own skin?"

Mary shook her head. "No but he might if he was under a lot of pressure."

"What sort of pressure could he be under here?" asked Steven.

"One of the others could have come over with him to make him do what they wanted."

"Did another Australian book in at the same time as him?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, check the register tomorrow. If someone did come with him to force his hand they're not going to let him out of their sight, are they?"

"I suppose not."

"Right, my sweet, we'll continue to keep an eye on you for the time being but you need to meet him at some stage. Do not go anywhere private with him until you are completely confident that he's not going to harm you."

"OK," she whispered. "Thanks, Uncle Steven and you too, Becca love. You've made me feel a lot better."

"Why don't you go and have a nice hot bath and then come down in your dressing gown? It'll be drinks time by then," suggested Becca.

Mary smiled gratefully and went off to do that.

"Well done, darling," said Becca sitting on his knee and laying her cheek against his.

Steven held her and shrugged. "I don't understand why she got herself in such a stew."

"Because she didn't dare believe that he'd come back for her."

"You're a wise owl."

"No, just a woman who understands how another woman's mind can work under great emotional shock."

Steven kissed her gently. "That makes you wise in my book," he said.

Mary returned looking much more herself and Ray was not mentioned again for the rest of the evening. Even so, both Becca and Steven noticed her drift off into her own thoughts several times.

Steven went in with her to work the following morning. The register showed no other Australians booked in. They decided to bluff out his presence in her office. When Gerald Hambury came in Mary introduced Steven to him.

"This is my Uncle Steven," she said. "He gave me a lift in because my car wouldn't start this morning. He's killing an hour or so before a meeting just down the road."

Gerald shook his hand in a friendly way. "There are few better ways of killing time than spending it with Mary," he said. He wagged his finger at Mary. "And don't let that go to your head, young lady."

He winked at Steven and went into his office.

It was not long after that Mary heard Ray asking at Reception for the local telephone directory. She got to her feet.

"It's him," she whispered and went out to Reception. Steven followed her as far as the door.

"Maybe I can save you some time, Ray," she said walking round the end of the counter into the lobby.

Ray's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. He was speechless. Mary led him across to the other side of the lobby where Steven could watch them both unobserved.