Chapter 3

I left Zoe outside Colchester Castle; possibly the hardest thing I could have done. Her expression nearly broke my heart. Returning to the hotel, I did not sleep well, despite a substantial quantity of whisky which left me, in the morning, with a hangover; that would be Friday. I spent Friday and Saturday doing my job; Friday night wasn't too bad – I had other things to think about than an under-age girl.

Saturday night, I didn't have that distraction; I did get an email on my personal account.

"Alex, I miss you so much, but Mummy and Daddy don't want me to see you. Please don't forget me. Your Zoe."

I thought hard before responding, then sent, "Zoe, you've affected my life like no-one else. I only want you to be happy. You're still young and things will change a lot in the next years. When you're eighteen, if you still miss me, please get in touch with me."

I also had an email from my manager. "Smith, when you've done with Oxford, come and see me at my office."

No summons from my manager is good news ... ever.

The run from Colchester to Oxford is not my favourite. It's almost impossible to avoid the M25 ('the longest car park in Europe') and I didn't try. A120 past Stansted, M11, M25, A41. It took me most of the day, sitting in almost stationary traffic in the M25 roadworks. It really should not have been so hard on a Sunday. I had plenty of time to think.

I'd never questioned my life before, but I did now. Did I want to spend the next twenty years or so driving up and down the country selling the product, advising and sorting out problems that really only needed a half-way competent electronic engineer? Did I want to end up in my late fifties without a companion? Perhaps Zoe wasn't the answer, but she'd certainly pointed up the problem.

No. I did not want to carry on with my life like this. What's more, I didn't really need to.

Sunday night, and no email from Zoe, but at least I had the beginnings of a sense of peace. A text from Bernie, though. 'Keep your eye on the news.' I thought there was only one thing that could refer to. I emailed Zoe the same message, showered, went to bed and slept reasonably well.

The news channel Monday morning featured 'breaking news – naked body of man found in River Thames.' There were not many details.

I set off and managed to fit in the two visits in the vicinity by tea time, had a decent meal and retired to bed.

Tuesday, at least I knew what I needed to do; Down the M40, M25, M3 ... A331, A31 to Farnham and the Bishop's Table hotel. Phone call to the ... to my manager.

"Get yourself in here, no point in messing about."

Okay, it was only early afternoon.

Need I confess I am not fond of my 'superior'?

He looked happy. It was not going to be good news. At least, he thought it was going to be bad news for me.

"Well, Smith ... what the hell have you been up to?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Picking up under-age prostitutes, dragging them round the country ... What about your clearance? I think you've overstepped the mark this time. You always were too big for your boots, Smith. I'm going to separate you with immediate effect."

If he thought I was going to plead with him or come apart, he was disappointed. I just smiled.

"Thanks, Bairstowe. You've saved me some trouble. Just check my contract, will you? I'll leave the Beamer; you can have Human Resources send my money to my account."

I walked out of the room, happy, as always to be leaving his office, happier still it would be the last time.

Enterprise rented me an Almera. That would do. I'd miss the BMW, but not the fuel consumption. I returned to the hotel in Farnham, had some supper with a half-bottle of wine, showered and went to bed.

From habit, in the morning I checked my email inbox and there was one from the CEO.

"Doctor Smith, I'd be grateful for a moment of your time before you leave. Cyril Williams."

I'd nothing to lose, so picked up the phone. An excessively polite young woman told me I could call in any time before eleven to see the big man.

"Doctor Smith, you've been one of, if not the most productive, reliable and hard-working of our reps and I hate to lose you."

"Mr. Bairstowe has abused my good nature once too often," I commented.

"Mr. Bairstowe is clearing his desk as we speak."

That pulled me up short. I never thought I'd get him off my back.

"Sir, I've been thinking a bit recently. I came to the conclusion that I really did not want to continue in the same way for the rest of my working life."

"I have a proposal for you. Your separation package as specified in your contract, lump sum and pension. I've taken the liberty of adding a bonus. I would like to ask you to continue on an occasional basis as a consultant. The amount of time to be specified by yourself. A retainer, and a per diem when you're working for us."

I didn't have to think too much about that.

"Sir ... you have a deal."

We shook on it.

At the M25 intersection (or, rather, as I was approaching it) I tossed a mental coin before joining the clockwise carriageway. It made little difference to the distance, but I knew I could get something to eat at the South Mimms services. It was not a good choice. Clacket Lane, anti-clockwise would have been better. Traffic was horrendous and it was well after two in the afternoon before I got to eat, and by that point I really needed caffeine.

I suppose I was just ahead of the worst of the rush when I got back on the motorway; at least the traffic was moving. Anyway, I got to Witham just after five.

Some years previously, I'd decided I needed a base, other than the business one and hotels. I had no real preferences as to where, though having grown up in East Anglia, that seemed a logical place to start. Witham is a small, pleasant, if undistinguished, town just off the A12, and I bought a small house there. I was never there much, of course, but the few odds and ends I picked up as I travelled were there. I set the central heating to warm the place up from the maintenance level to something more comfortable and went to Morrison's for supplies. I needed everything – no point in keeping perishables when you're hardly ever there. I realised I was looking forward to cooking, something that had largely been denied me for over ten years.