Chapter 12

Despite what Briony had said Tom rang Angela from the station car park on his way to work.

"Hello, Angela. It's Tom Clifford. Sorry to ring so early," he began.

"Nonsense, Tom. You must think I'm a slugabed." She laughed cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

"Your conversation with Briony yesterday has me worried. I've never really trusted Clive after the first time he met her but do you really think that he'd be up to abduction or rape?"

"If you'd asked me six months ago, Tom, I'd have said no but now I'm far from sure. My divorcing him is a big blow to his self-esteem, which is enormous. He gives off an air of huge self-confidence. If his balloon is buffeted he fights and he has the brains, very good brains, to fight his corner. I realised early on in our marriage that if I argued too strongly or dared to refuse to do something I could well have been physically punished. I never risked it until I decided to divorce him and then I moved out to the safety of my parents' house pretty smartly."

"Don't you feel worried now that you've moved back home?"

"A bit but after eleven years I understand, to an extent, how his mind works. He's furious that I've huffed him over the divorce. He's twigged that Daddy had a hand in discovering his little bit of fluff, who incidentally sounds like a cheap imitation of Briony, and he's convinced that it's all because they never liked him in the first place." She chuckled mirthlessly. "And he's right. I just wish I'd seen through him too but even at twenty-one you can still be naïve." There was another mirthless chuckle.

"Oh, Angela, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Tom. I made a mistake, a big one, but it was my fault. At least I've still got my children and I love them dearly. I must get you and Briony over while they're at home. I think you'd like them as well."

"I'm sure we would and we look forward to meeting them but there's something else I wanted to ask you."

"Sorry, Tom. I've been hogging the conversation. How can I help?"

"Well, I suggested to Briony that we employ the 'observer' that your father put on to Clive. She pooh-poohed the idea as too expensive, at least for the time being. Angela, I'm not so sure. I can't place her at risk. I'd like to talk to your father and wondered whether that would be all right."

"You bet it would. Here's his phone number." She gave his home and office numbers. "Give me half an hour to warn him off. You'll get a warmer reception that way."

"Thank you, Angela. I probably won't get a chance to ring him until lunchtime now."

There was a giggle from the other end. "I'd make it before or after lunch if I was you. The partners are very old fashioned. Twelve-thirty to two is sacred time: G and T, a proper lunch and putting the world to rights."

"I don't believe it."

"You better had. Actually, they often get a lot of work done in that time: resolving their juniors' problems."

"I can believe that actually. Many thanks, Angela, and I look forward to meeting your children."

"So do I, Tom, and keep our little Briony safe."

"I will, Angela. I will."

After that conversation, which had taken longer than he thought it would, Tom nearly missed his normal train. During the journey he pondered it. It only served to strengthen his mistrust of Clive and the need to have someone keeping Briony safe. Blow the expense. She was priceless.

Susie greeted him with her usual warm smile and then looked at him more closely. "You're worried, Tom," she said.

Tom smiled lopsidedly and nodded. "Later," he said.

That remark might have been prescient as almost immediately Clive walked in.

"Good morning, Tom," he said cheerfully completely ignoring Susie. "I'd have thought your plans for the Scottish project should be about ready by now."

"Yes, they are, Clive. I was going to come and see you in a few minutes to show them to you and see what you wanted to do next."

"Great. We'll have a meeting at eleven with all the other section heads, give them a going over and decide the way ahead. Come in at ten, would you, for a preliminary discussion? Oh! You'd better have copies for everyone else."

"Yes, of course. Susie?"

Susie sighed but winked at Tom. "Yes, Tom," she said resignedly.

"Good!" said Clive. "Although I wouldn't say that Susie sounded all that enthusiastic. Got to keep these young women in their place though." He smiled but both Tom and Susie saw no warmth or humour in it. Tom thought that Briony would have called it a crass remark.

"No," replied Tom. "Photocopying is a pretty good waste of time for professional engineers, male or female."

Clive offered no comment and left.

"Swine!" spat Susie.

Tom smiled at her. "Total," he said softly, "but don't speak too loud or you may find yourself out on your ear."

Susie touched his hand. "As long as you're here, Tom, I'll keep my voice down."

Tom was touched. He smiled gently at her and nodded.

Susie went off to do the photocopying without another word. She did stop off to speak to Margaret though who commiserated.

"You're doing it for our second husband though," she whispered.

Susie could not but help peal with laughter. "Mrs Tennant!"

"Mrs McDonald! And you're a newly wed."

That caused further noisy laughter but while those around them smiled no one tried to butt in on what was clearly a private joke.

Tom's meeting with Clive went well. Clive asked some searching questions but Tom was able to answer them with assurance. The section heads also had questions but accepted Tom's reasoning for the decisions he had made.

"So," said Clive, "are we ready to present these ideas to the oil company?"

The other section heads held their peace. "Not quite, I suggest," said Tom. "What I'd like to do is run them past their chief engineer first and see what he thinks. We can then tweak them as necessary."

"Good thinking, Tom. Go ahead. Now, Nick, I'd like you to take on the access to and within the site. Greg..." He went ahead with tasking the other section heads with more detailed studies.

Tom was impressed. He had been tasked with a preliminary plan and had been left alone to get on with it. As soon as it was ready Clive had acquiesced to his suggestion of letting Edward Robson have a look at it before they launched into anything more. He had also got the other section heads involved so that they could get into the more detailed work and come up with estimates of the cost but without committing themselves too deeply before Edward had had a look at the outline plans. For this Tom could not fault Clive.

On his way out from the meeting Tom asked Trish if she was going to the company dance. She nodded excitedly.

"With your lord and master?"

Trish giggled. "No way! He's going on his own."

Tom had the information he wanted. "I'll bet you're not."

Trish blushed and shook her head.

Tom smiled. "Have fun," he said.

She nodded furiously.

Tom rang Edward Robson. "Edward," he said, "I've finished our preliminary plan and my director has given it the nod. I'd like to email it through to you, give you a chance to go through it and then discuss it with you. I can do that over the phone or come up to London. What do you think?"

"Sounds good, Tom, but as I live five miles outside Basingstoke why don't I come to you to discuss it?"

"Fine. When would suit you?"

"Friday afternoon?"

"Sounds good. Why not get down between twelve and twelve-thirty? I'll pick you up from the station. We'll go and have a pub lunch and then get down to brass tacks."

"A man after my own heart. I'll let you know my train time."

Tom slipped out at midday having told Susie, holding up crossed fingers, that he had a dental appointment. Susie was intrigued following his unusually subdued and thoughtful appearance first thing.