Winners and Losers

by Linda Sole

  ‘Yes . . .’ Sarah could hardly keep the tears from her voice, because they were trickling down her cheeks. ‘I love you. I’ll stand by you whatever they do.’

  ‘Sarah, I wish I were with you. I’ve missed you.’

  ‘I’ve missed you.’

  ‘I thought you might still be away.’

  ‘We came home early. I hated it there. I hate it here without you. I just want to be with you wherever you are.’

  ‘I’ve had some thoughts about the future, but I’ll tell you when I see you. I have to go. I’ve got to get to London.’

  ‘Love you,’ Sarah said and put the phone down.

  As she turned, she saw her father looking at her from the doorway into the sitting room.

  ‘Sarah, I should like to talk to you. If you could spare a moment, I have something to tell you.’

  ‘Is something wrong, Dad?’

  She went into the sitting room. Her mother was sitting hunched up in a chair, her face like stone. Sarah sat down on the edge of the sofa. Her father went to stand by the fireplace.

  ‘I wanted to tell you the truth a long time ago,’ he said. ‘It was wrong to hide the way things are from you, Sarah. Your mother and I have stayed together for your sake but that is over. I think you will be getting married quite soon now. As soon as the wedding is over I intend to leave this house . . .’

  ‘Dad!’ Sarah stared at him. ‘What about Mum?’

  ‘She will have the house and enough money to live on, but I’ve wasted enough of my life living in a sterile marriage. I’m going to stay with a friend, but I’ll visit from time to time and I’ll definitely be there for your wedding, Sarah.’

  ‘Mum . . .’ Sarah looked over but her mother was staring into space. ‘Why now, Dad?’

  ‘Because you know the truth and there’s no point in continuing this sham. You’ve made it up with Connor. I’ll give you my permission in writing before I leave and you can arrange the wedding for whenever you like. Naturally I’ll pay the bills and I’ll give you five thousand pounds as a wedding present.’

  ‘Dad, that’s a lot of money!’ Sarah felt the tears pricking. Impulsively, she went towards him, putting her arms about him, her head against his chest. He smelled so familiar and dear, and it was breaking her heart. ‘I’m so sorry . . . sorry that you’ve been unhappy all this time . . . both of you . . .’

  Her mother got up and walked out of the room without looking at either of them.

  ‘Mum!’

  Her father caught her arm as she would have followed. ‘Let her go, Sarah. Don’t you understand why she didn’t want you to get married – why she has tried to keep you a little girl all this time? It was because she knew that once you got married I would leave her. She blackmailed me into staying and into keeping it from you. I think we should have told you when you were sixteen.’

  ‘Dad . . .’ Sarah caught her breath because his words struck like a knife. She knew that he was telling her the truth and it hurt. Her mother had deliberately tried to turn her against Connor because she wanted her to break it off – to stay at home a few years longer. ‘You shouldn’t have let her.’

  ‘I didn’t want to hurt you, princess. I’ve always loved you even though . . .’ He shook his head. ‘Marry Connor and be happy. He really loves you.’

  ‘Yes,’ Sarah said. ‘I know.’

  She was thoughtful as she went upstairs. She prayed that the police weren’t going to arrest Connor, because she wanted – needed – to be with him. All the doubts and the uncertainty had gone. She didn’t care where they went or what they did; she just needed to be with the man she loved.

  Eleven

  ‘I wish I could come with you,’ Emily said as she said goodbye to Connor. ‘Remember, if they arrest you, get a message to me. I’ll make certain you have the best lawyers.’

  ‘I have a good lawyer. He is going to meet me in London and we’re going to the police station together. You don’t need to worry about me, Emily. I’ll be fine.’

  ‘You’re still my little brother and always will be,’ she said and kissed his cheek. ‘Bring Sarah here for a holiday if you can – unless you want to get married immediately? You could always have it here if you like.’

  ‘I’ll talk to Sarah. At least she has forgiven me.’

  ‘So she should, because you didn’t do anything,’ Emily retorted. ‘Drive carefully.’

  ‘You look after yourself – and Alan,’ Connor said. ‘He needs you more than I do at this moment, so don’t feel guilty because you can’t come and hold my hand.’

  Emily laughed. ‘You never change, Con. All right, get off then. I’ll see you soon.’

  ‘I’ll bring Sarah,’ Connor promised. ‘You know I have plans, but I have to ask Sarah if she will be happy here.’

  Emily nodded. She stood back, waving as he drove off in his car. She had offered to lend him hers, which was bigger and more comfortable for a long journey, but he refused to be parted from the Austin that Daniel had given him. She smiled because fame and fortune hadn’t changed Connor one bit.

  Her smile faded as she turned back into the house. Alan was still clinging to life but he was very frail. He hated being confined to bed and disliked the fact that he needed to be nursed. Emily had engaged the services of a professional nurse, because she knew he would have hated her to be his nurse. She visited him several times a day, but he slept a lot and they were only able to talk for short periods.

  She knew that she was going to lose him very soon. The doctor had told her that it was a miracle the massive heart attack hadn’t killed him straight off. It broke her heart to see him the way he was, but she tried not to show it. There would be plenty of time for tears when Alan was gone.

  She had been meaning to phone Frances again. She’d tried a couple of times, but each time there was some excuse. Frances was out or she was busy. It made Emily wonder if her sister were deliberately avoiding speaking to her. If Alan hadn’t been so ill, she would have got in the car and gone down to Cornwall to visit her, but she simply couldn’t leave Alan for the moment. If Frances wanted to speak to her, she could pick up the phone and ring her.

  ‘We think she may have been raped – several times,’ Constable James told Daniel as they stood together in the yard. ‘I didn’t want to say anything when you came to the shop, because it wasn’t certain, but the pathologist has put in a comprehensive report – and he says she was raped more than once.’

  ‘I’m glad you didn’t say anything in front of the boy,’ Daniel told him. ‘It makes you sick to think someone could do something like that – have you any idea who did it?’

  ‘I’ve asked the landlord and he says he remembers her speaking to some men, but he has no idea who they were. He says they weren’t regulars. He thinks they may have been from a fishing club, but he can’t tell us any more than that, I’m afraid.’

  Daniel nodded. ‘I suppose it would be difficult to prove she didn’t consent even if you knew who the culprits were. Have you contacted the family in Ireland?’

  ‘We spoke to the police over there, because the family don’t have a telephone. They promised to contact Mrs O’Brien. I expect someone will come over. I’ve been told you can go ahead with the burial. You can collect a death certificate from the station – but I’m not sure if you want the bother.’

  ‘I’ve arranged for her to be taken to a chapel of rest once you release the body,’ Daniel said. ‘David says she was a Catholic, though she hasn’t taken him to church much and he hasn’t been confirmed or whatever they do. I’ve contacted the Catholic church in Ely, and I’ll fix it up for next week. Hopefully, Maura’s family will have made contact by then. If they don’t, I’ll just go ahead with it.’

  ‘It will be better than if the parish buries her – though it means you will have to pay.’

  ‘It’s the least I can do. This stuff about the rape – will it get into the papers?’

  ‘I expect there will be a small paragraph, but with luck not many peop
le will notice it.’

  ‘I don’t want David to know.’

  ‘I can understand that,’ Constable James said. ‘It’s hard enough on the boy as it is. How is he coping?’

  ‘He seems all right. My wife is worried because he hasn’t really cried, but he is fitting in well. The boys have a holiday from school at the moment. I’m not sure what to do about David. There’s no point in asking if he can go to Chatteris School with my eldest boy if his grandmother wants him with her. Until I hear I’ll just keep him with us. He likes watching me work on the cars. I think he is bright but it won’t hurt him to miss school for a bit.’

  ‘Well, I must get back. I just wanted to come and tell you myself.’ Constable James wandered over to look at the sports car Daniel was working on. ‘I’ve always wanted one of these. Does it belong to you?’

  ‘I bought it to restore. I’m waiting for planning permission and then I shall open a garage in Stretton.’

  ‘Is the car for sale?’

  ‘Yes. I want seven hundred pounds for it,’ Daniel said. ‘It cost me three hundred and I’ve spent a couple of hundred on it. I’ve put in a lot of hours on this one.’

  ‘It looks like new. Seven hundred sounds cheap to me,’ the constable said. ‘Don’t sell it just yet, Mr Searles. I might be interested if I can get the money together. I’ve got most of it but I shall have to borrow a few hundred from the bank. It does run well?’

  ‘Listen . . .’ Daniel got in and started the engine. It purred to life. He smiled as the young police officer walked round the car. ‘I always guarantee the engines – and this one had hardly any rust even before I started. It is a good buy.’

  ‘I’ll let you know in a couple of days.’ The constable climbed on to his motorcycle. ‘I use this for work, but I really want a car for taking my girlfriend out. I’ll see what I can do.’

  ‘I’m in no hurry to sell,’ Daniel said. ‘I shall put it in the showroom if it doesn’t sell before I get the garage open . . .’

  ‘I want it clear that my client has presented himself voluntarily for questioning,’ Connor’s lawyer said as they walked into the interview room. ‘I shall be present at this and any further interview.’

  ‘Well, it’s good news,’ Inspector Evans said and smiled, indicating that they should sit down. ‘Miss Meadows has retracted her statement. She says that she was upset and told a stupid lie and she has made a full statement clearing Mr Searles of any blame.’

  ‘May I see that?’ the lawyer asked and took the paper he was offered. ‘She is saying now that she wasn’t raped at all but had consensual sex with a man she refuses to name?’

  ‘She made up the story of rape because she was frightened her father would find out. Apparently, he walked into the bedroom and accused her of having sex and she panicked.’

  ‘Is she aware how serious this charge was – what it has cost Mr Searles?’

  ‘Yes, I imagine so.’ Inspector Evans looked at Connor. ‘Miss Meadows has done this once before at her school – accused someone of attacking her and then retracted her statement. Your lawyer discovered that she was expelled and when I questioned her house mistress, the truth came out. I visited Miss Meadows at her home and she broke down and confessed.’ He sat back in his chair. ‘What do you want to do about it, Mr Searles? We could bring a charge of wasting police time and of malicious slander – but you might do better to bring a private prosecution. I understand her father is a wealthy man.’

  ‘I’m not interested in suing for money,’ Connor said. ‘What I want is a public retraction in all the newspapers.’

  ‘I can arrange that,’ his lawyer said. ‘But she should be made to pay for what she has done.’

  ‘I think Lisa will already be paying,’ Connor said. ‘I’ve been told that her father is a bit of a tyrant, which is why she runs off from time to time. If I get my apology in the papers, I’m willing to drop it there.’

  ‘Exactly my own feeling,’ Inspector Evans said and offered his hand. ‘I had a feeling she might be lying from the start – though I do believe she was raped.’

  ‘Then why is she saying she wasn’t?’

  ‘I think the man may be a friend of the family. You would be surprised at how often this happens. I’m sorry you got caught up in this, Mr Searles. Believe me; the leak did not come from us.’

  ‘I know who went to the papers,’ Connor said. ‘I’m free to go now?’

  ‘You can do whatever you wish. No need to let us know where you’re going.’ He offered his hand. ‘I am glad this is over.’

  ‘Yes, thank you.’

  Connor walked out with his lawyer.

  ‘Thanks for everything, Kevin. If you could inform the papers that it was all lies, I should be grateful.’

  ‘Don’t worry. As soon as I send them copies of the statement and threaten to sue they will mess themselves in their hurry to get an apology out. They’ve cost you a record contract and I could make them pay compensation.’

  ‘They don’t know it, but they did me a favour,’ Connor said. ‘I wanted out anyway, but now Moon Records have sent me a letter to say the contract is finished – and they sent five thousand pounds. I didn’t even remember but it was a clause we had inserted at the start.’

  ‘Chicken feed to what I could get you if you say the word.’

  ‘Thanks, but all I need is an apology,’ Connor said. ‘I have plans for the future and I just want to forget this ever happened.’

  ‘If that’s what you want,’ Kevin said. ‘I shall enjoy making the bastards sweat a bit.’

  ‘Thanks for everything – and for believing in me.’ Connor extended his hand.

  ‘I would have defended you either way,’ the lawyer said. ‘Look me up when you next have a contract to sign.’

  ‘I’m not sure that I want to sing again,’ Connor said. ‘Sarah will see those retractions and that is all that matters to me.’

  ‘Are you going to see her now?’

  ‘I need to make a few phone calls and then I’m on my way . . .’

  ‘Thank God it is over,’ Terry said when Connor contacted him on the telephone. ‘I’ll get straight back to Moon and ask them what they intend to do now.’

  ‘Waste of time. I’m not signing for them again. I’m not sure what I want to do yet – but if I do sign another contract, it will be with one of the big companies. Decca or Columbia.’

  ‘Yeah, you may be right,’ Terry said. ‘Keep in touch, Con. I’m not sure what I want to do. Some of the guys want Phil back in but I’m not keen. I think I’ll give it a miss for a while – see what happens. Moon might release the album once they see the retraction.’

  ‘I’ll be in touch. I’m going to Sarah’s now, and we’ll probably visit my sister in a week or so. Emily wants us to spend a few days there before the wedding.’

  ‘Right. Invite me to the wedding, won’t you?’

  ‘Of course. See you.’

  Connor put down the receiver. He smiled to himself as he checked out of the hotel. He couldn’t wait to see Sarah.

  Sarah left her ex-employer’s shop. She had given notice that she wasn’t coming back to work and it hadn’t gone down too well. She knew it was short notice, but she wanted to be free to go with Connor when he came for her. She lingered outside the new shop further up the street. They had reduced the blouse she had liked when they opened to less than half price. Smiling, she went inside and inquired if it was her size. She was lucky. They just had the one left and it would fit her.

  Sarah paid for her purchase and left the shop carrying the smart paper bag. She was being extravagant but she would need some new clothes for her honeymoon, and her father had promised to pay for her wedding dress.

  Sarah hadn’t seen him since he left the night he’d told her he was going to divorce her mother – or perhaps it was her mother who was divorcing him? Sarah wasn’t sure, because her mother wouldn’t speak about it. She had hardly spoken to Sarah at all since then. It was almost as if she were blaming her for
the end of her marriage.

  ‘Sarah!’ Janice called to her and she stopped. She hadn’t seen her friend for a few weeks. ‘I wanted to tell you – I’m getting married next month.’

  ‘That’s lovely,’ Sarah said. ‘I’m so pleased for you. I’m getting married soon, too. Connor should be coming tonight – or tomorrow.’

  ‘Good. I wanted to tell you that I didn’t believe what everyone was saying,’ Janice told her. ‘The papers ought to be sued for what they said – an apology isn’t enough for what they did!’

  ‘An apology? Have you seen this evening’s paper?’

  ‘Yes. I bought one just now.’ Janice took it from her shopping bag. ‘Do you want to have a coffee and read it?’

  ‘Yes, thanks,’ Sarah said. ‘We haven’t done that for ages. I knew Connor had gone to see the police. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but it must have been because of this.’ She smiled. ‘Thanks so much for telling me.’

  ‘Well, I was a bit mean to you a few times,’ Janice admitted. ‘I was jealous of you, Sarah, because you had everything and I was so miserable, but I’m happy now.’

  ‘I didn’t even know you were courting seriously,’ Sarah said. ‘Let’s have that coffee and you can tell me all about it.’

  She glanced at her watch. It was nearly six o’clock. Her mother might have started the tea, but she was just going to be late for once.’

  It was past seven when Sarah got home. She had enjoyed talking to her friend and she didn’t particularly want to go home at all. She wasn’t sure when Connor would come, because he hadn’t said anything definite. She didn’t think he would be with her much sooner than nine in the evening, because it was a long way to drive. Besides, he’d probably had things to do before he could leave London. He might have telephoned and she would find the message waiting when she got in.