Girl on the Run

by Rhoda Baxter

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  Text from: Stevie, To: Marsh

  Were they from Cause Celeb? Jane is the Cause Celeb Cause of the month.

  ##

  Text from: Marsh, To: Stevie

  I know that. What I want to know is,how did they know she was going to be there?　You didn't mention it to anyone, did you?

  ##

  Text from: Stevie, To: Marsh

  Sorry about the delay. Had 2 move carriages. A really drunk bloke trying 2 chatme up.　NO! I didn't mention it 2 any1. Not even Buzz. Why would I?　Who did u tell?

  ##

  Text From: Marsh, To: Stevie

  That's just it. I can't think of anyone. Jim suggested the restaurant, but he wouldn't tell anyone. Neither would Lou. It's a mystery.　I've found a 24 hr supermarket. They have Ben & Jerry's. I shall get the biggest tub of Phish Food I can find.

  ##

  Text From: Stevie, To: Marsh

  Phish food? I'm not a baby any more, Marsh! Chunky Monkey, please.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Jane was jumpy as she travelled to work the next day, constantly on the lookout for anyone who might work for the press. Having reached work without incident, she stood in the lift, breathing slowly and working to relax her shoulders, which were trying to touch her ears. The office should be safer. The photograph was only taken yesterday. No one would know about it yet.

  * * *

  From: Keith, To: Sally

  Have you seen the latest edition of Cause Celeb? Came out this morning. Page thirteen. K.

  ##

  From: Sally, To: Keith

  Since when do you read Cause Celeb?

  ##

  From: Keith, To: Sally

  You'd be surprised. I'm a man of hidden shallows ;-)

  ##

  From: Sally, To: Ruth

  Ruth, have you seen today's Cause Celeb? I told you it was the same Jane Porter.　Everyone else seems really surprised. I told them we figured it out ages ago.

  * * *

  The minute she stepped into reception at the office, Jane knew something was up. The receptionist looked up from what she was reading and hurriedly pulled a piece of paper across to cover it up. ‘Hi,’ she said, her voice unnaturally bright.

  Jane signed in and started across the open areas to her office. She was in later than usual, so most of the desks were occupied. A group of secretaries was huddled round a computer screen. They all went silent when Jane walked by.

  ‘I got it,’ someone said, behind her. Jane turned to see one of the secretaries brandishing a magazine. When she saw Jane she froze in place, her mouth a horrified O. ‘Er … Hi.’

  Surely they couldn't have published the photo so quickly? No, there must be some other explanation. She fled to the sanctuary of her office, sank into her chair and opened up her emails.

  ##

  Text from: Marsh, To: Jane

  Hi Jane, hope you're feeling better today.　I'm probably not going to be in until this afternoon. Do you want to meet up after work? Somewhere discreet, of course.　Marsh

  * * *

  It had been sent very early in the morning. Maybe he hadn't been able to sleep either. She wished she were with him. If ever she'd needed a hug, it was now.

  She rubbed her burning eyes. The lack of sleep and her nervous agitation were starting to take its toll. Perhaps another coffee would help. It would mean going past all the whispering gossips, but she felt so awful, it was almost worth it. She was resigned to the fact that her photo was in the magazine. She might as well face it. The whispering wasn't going to go away.

  Her quiet life was over. Again.

  How had they managed to get the photo in today's edition? Surely it took longer than that to get copy into place. Unless they'd been expecting to get the photo last night.

  If the journalist had known for certain that she would be coming out of that restaurant …

  The realisation hit her like an unexpected snowball in the chest.

  Shaken, she pushed herself out of her chair. Gossips be damned. She needed coffee.

  As she stood, there was a knock on the door. Without waiting, Keith entered. ‘Do you mind if I come in. I'd like to have a word, in private.’ He was holding a magazine in his hand and his tone was grave.

  Was she in trouble?

  He closed the door and pulled Ruth's chair to Jane's desk. ‘Here. Have a look at this.’

  Jane's New Man!　Ashby Devastated!

  Cause Celeb cause of the month: Spotted – Jane Porter and her New Man.

  Acting on a tip off from a reader, Cause Celeb's very own Amber Jackson tracked down Jane Porter, sought after ex-girlfriend of Ashby Thornton and Cause Celeb cause of the month.

  Unfortunately for Ashby, it looks like our plea went out too late. Jane was seen smooching with her new boyfriend – pictured below and left. Sources say that Jane's new hunk is patent lawyer, Marshall Winfield.

  Friends say Ashby is devastated by the news. ‘I'm hoping that Jane will come back to me. I love her and miss her. I know I treated her terribly, but I pray that she can see it in her heart to forgive me,’ Ashby told reporters when asked about Jane just last week.

  Is Jane right to move on with her life? Is her new love hotter than Ashby?

  Have your say! Log on to our website and comment.

  Reader Poll: Should Jane forgive Ashby and take him back? Voting closes midnight on Saturday.

  Jane's hand shook as she read the short piece of copy. There was a picture of her and Marsh kissing outside the restaurant and another, less clear, photo of the two of them getting into a taxi. She sank slowly into her chair.

  ‘That edition came out this morning,’ said Keith, still using that grave tone.

  Jane was too shaken to speak. Her hopes of rebuilding her career in blissful anonymity were shattered. She scanned the article again and noted with relief that they hadn't mentioned where Marsh worked. It wouldn't be too difficult to find out though. His name was on the website, after all.

  ‘At least they didn't mention the firm,’ Keith said, as though reading her thoughts. He looked at her intently. ‘Are you Ok?’

  ‘Yes. I was just …’ She rubbed her eyes. ‘I was hoping I'd left all of this behind. I didn't think they'd be interested in me once I was away from Ashby.’

  ‘You moved city, you changed your hair colour, your job. You did everything you could.’ He sighed. ‘I blame myself.’

  ‘Why? What does it have to do with you?’

  ‘I should have warned you. About Marshall.’

  ‘Marshall?’

  Keith leaned forward, hands clasped, elbows resting on his knees. ‘I didn't want to say anything against a colleague, you know. It's a bit unprofessional. But Marshall is … How can I put this? He's not above using people.’

  He held up a hand as Jane drew breath to protest. ‘No, please, hear me out. There was a trainee here, Dominique De Vale. She and Marshall—’

  ‘I heard about that,’ said Jane. She didn't see what it had to do with the current situation. She really needed some caffeine.

  ‘They had … have … an on/off relationship. From what I've heard, they're off again at the moment and she's recently been seen snogging a footballer. I think Marshall may have done this to get back at her and make her jealous.’

  Jane stared at him. That couldn't be true. ‘They split up,’ she said. ‘Over a year ago.’

  ‘Is that what he told you?’ He shrugged, as though to indicate scepticism. ‘Anyway, I'm pretty sure he told the magazine where you were.’

  That didn't sound at all like Marsh. Surely, she had spent enough time with him to know what he was like. She would have known if he was using her ... Wouldn't she? She reminded herself that Marsh wasn’t Ashby. It was Keith’s word against Marsh’s and she trusted Marsh completely. But she’d trusted Ashby too, once.

  ‘I see he's got you believing exactly what he wants.’ Keith stood up. ‘I won't waste my time trying to tell you otherwise, but think about it. How else would the
y know you were going to be at that restaurant last night?’

  Jane stared at him. The same question had been bothering her all this time.

  Keith patted her hand. ‘It's a lot to take in, I know. If you need someone to talk to, just come and see me.’ He walked to the door, where he paused. ‘One more thing. He and Dominique didn't split up until last month. As far as I know, her stuff is still in his flat. She's out of the country a lot. She works for a multinational company now. Google her if you don't believe me.’ He gave her an apologetic smile. ‘I'm sorry you had to find out like this.’

  Once Keith had left, Jane turned to her computer and stared numbly at it for what seemed like ages.

  * * *

  From: Marshall, To: James

  Jim,　I won't be in until late this morning. Stevie turned up in the small hours this morning. She and Buzz have split up. I was up all night talking to her and I'm too shattered to function. Am hoping to get a couple of hours’kip before I stagger into the office.　Marsh.

  ##

  From: Marshall, To: Susan

  Hi Susan,　I'm afraid I won't be in until a bit later than usual today as I've got a small family emergency on my hands. I should be in before lunch though. I will, of course, take the morning off as annual leave.　I don't believe I have any urgent deadlines that cannot wait until tomorrow. I am currently proofreading my section of the opposition report. I will get this done and email it to you by this afternoon.　Regards,　Marshall.

  ##

  From: Susan, To: Marshall

  Fine.

  ##

  From: James, To: Marshall

  Is Stevie Ok? She sounded pretty upset when she phoned us in the middle of the night. I'm assuming she got hold of you, seeing as she didn't phone us back. I guess there's not much point asking what happened on your date, if Stevie called and broke it up.　Jim.

  ##

  From: Marshall, To: James

  Sorry about the delay in replying. I've had a bit of sleep, but still feel like I've been hit by a train.　I'm taking public transport in today. I really can't face running.　Stevie's heartbroken. She ate a whole tub of ice cream last night, which is a sure sign that she's upset. I'm surprised she wasn't sick. I think she'll be Okthough. I wish I'd been wrong about Buzz, but turns out I wasn't.　Date was going really well until we stepped out of the restaurant and found a photographer waiting for us. Jane was extremely upset. She thinks her ex is trying to make her life miserable. I'm not sure I understand it totally. All I know is that it'supsetting Jane and I don't like it.　Taking the girl home in tears doesn't really count as a successful date. At least it wasn't my fault she was crying.　Marsh.

  ##

  From: James, To: Marshall

  Sounds like things didn't go so well last night, then.　It's a shame I can't tell you anything about the partner's meeting to cheer you up ;-)　Jim.

  * * *

  Jane was cold. Her mouth was dry and her chest felt hollow. She dropped the magazine she'd been clutching on the table. It fell open to the photo of Marsh kissing her. In the moment before that photo was taken, she had been happy. She had been convinced that she had finally escaped from Ashby’s shadow and found love. Now all that was gone. With a groan, she lowered her head to her desk, palms covering her eyes.

  Keith's words echoed in her head. Could Marsh have told the reporters where they would be? Was he really seeing her and Dominique at the same time? Could she have been so wrong about him? She didn't want to believe anything Keith had told her, but why would he lie?

  Other things crept into her mind. When she had originally asked Marsh out, he had pushed the date into the following week. And he had checked his phone several times during dinner.

  There was clearly a female presence in his flat. The tasteful decorations. The Cosmo magazines. The expensive perfume in the bathroom. He had said they belonged to his sister, but what sort of student could afford designer perfume? Even if she could, why would she leave it behind when she went to uni? She would have taken it with her. So, whose was it?

  What if Keith was telling the truth and Dominique stayed with him occasionally? Perhaps she kept some things at his place for when she was in London. That could explain why he was always checking his phone.

  The to and fro of thoughts was making her head buzz. Ugh. It was no use. No matter how much she wanted to believe that Keith was making it all up for some reason, she had to check. But how?

  With a heavy sigh, she pulled her keyboard towards her. If she was going to do this, she may as well make a start. She Googled Dominique De Vale and patent. One link took her to a personnel page of a well-known pharmaceutical company. She found a photo of a woman with dark hair and perfect make-up. Feeling sick, Jane shut down the browser.

  More odd incidences that she'd thought nothing of suddenly leapt into her mind. That day when Marsh had cancelled on her with that ridiculous excuse about his sister coming to visit – what if Dominique had called? She remembered how he'd been texting someone when she'd returned to the table in the restaurant. The possibility he might have been texting Dominique while he was dining with her hit her like a physical blow.

  The more she thought about it, the more she saw things that might support Keith's accusations. Marsh must have told the reporters where they were going for dinner. Who else would have known?

  She remembered how he had been trying to phone someone from Polly's flat last night. He had been quite keen to leave. Maybe he had to talk to the reporter.

  Jane felt her energy draining out of her. She lay her head on the desk. She had fallen for him, so quickly and so completely, but everything she'd believed was a lie. First Ashby, now Marsh. How could she have been so foolish?

  She heard a door open, and then Marsh's voice, slightly muffled, from the next office.

  How dare he! How dare he waltz in and act as though nothing had happened? He had made her fall in love with him and then betrayed her. And for what? Petty revenge on his ex – whom he was probably still in love with?

  Well, he wasn't going to get away with it. She'd been used by a man before, she was not going to let it happen again.

  She stood up so fast that her chair shot out behind her and smacked into the wall. She pushed past a surprised Ruth, who was just entering the office, and marched straight into Marsh's office.

  He looked up and smiled, making his dimple flash.

  She slammed the door so hard the partition rattled.

  Marsh's smile disappeared. ‘What's up?’

  ‘What's up?’ Jane shoved the magazine in his face. ‘This is what's up.’

  She waited impatiently while he scanned the article. ‘Well? What do you have to say for yourself?’

  ‘It's the photo from last night. That was quick.’

  Jane snatched the magazine back. ‘You knew how much I wanted to stay out of the magazines. You knew. And still you did this!’

  ‘Jane—’

  ‘Well, I hope you enjoy it. I hope they like you so much that they hound you until you can't go anywhere without being followed.’

  He opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a raised hand. ‘I'm not interested in your slimy excuses. I can't believe I was stupid enough to trust you in the first place. I would have gone on being a fool if Keith hadn't said …’ Her eyes filled with burning tears. ‘To think I liked you. I genuinely liked you and you … You betrayed me.’

  Marsh reached out.

  Jane stepped back. ‘Don't touch me.’ Her vision was blurring. ‘I wish I'd never met you.’ She spun on her heel and marched out.

  Ruth was just booting up her computer. ‘Jane?’

  ‘I'm going home.’ Jane located her coat through a haze of tears. ‘I'm not well.’

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  From: James, To: Louise

  How am I supposed to know what's going on with Stevie! I've been at work, remember. If you're so worried, why don't you phone the flat and ask her yourself? I've got a couple of deadlines coming up, so I
really do have work to do.　The commotion that’s going on in at the other end of the corridor isn’t helping. Jim.

  ##

  From: James, To: Valerie

  Val, did I just see Jane storm past? She looked like she was crying. What's going on?　Jim.

  ##

  From: Valerie, To: James

  I wish I knew. Marsh just got in. Jane went in, slammed the door, and shouted at him. Accused him of betraying her and said that she wished she'd never met him, and then stormed out, leaving Marsh standing there like a lemon.　Hang on. Where's Marsh going?

  ##

  From: Valerie, To: Indra

  Oh my, what an exciting morning we're having today!　First, Jane runs off crying. Then, about two minutes later, Marsh comes past looking like he's about to break something and marches into Keith's office without even knocking. He shuts the door, so Sally and I hang around outside, looking through the glass panel. Anyway, Marsh stands over Keith and accuses him of something, we can't tell what. Then Keith looks at him and laughs.　There's some discussion. Marsh is clearly angry, because his shoulders are all bunched up and his fists keep curling and uncurling. Keith is sneering at him and not even getting up from his chair. Then Keith says something and, honest to god, I thought Marsh was going to thump him in the face. He even drew his arm back and everything. I think Keith thought so too. I mean, Keith's not a small man, but he looked terrified. He actually cowered. But Marsh didn't hit him. He just leaned in really close and said something, jabbing Keith in the chest with a finger. Whatever it was, I think Keith nearly wet himself.　I didn't see any more because Marsh came out and I really didn't want to be caught lurking outside the door.　Bet you wished you still worked in this office!　Val.