Left for Dead

by Paul J. Teague

  ‘I’m so glad you got your singing career too,’ Will said. Charlotte could see he was choked up to see how a little kindness several decades ago had helped her so much. She felt like a bitch when she remembered what a hard time she’d given him.

  ‘Yes, it could have been a lot more glamorous than this. I’m sure it will be again one day. I was on Opportunity Knocks you know, I got to the finals. Not the good one with Hughie Green, it was the remake. I got to play cruise ships and big clubs for a time after that, it was amazing.’

  ‘What happened?’ Will asked. ‘What brought you back here?’

  ‘My daughter, Louise. Do you remember? My big secret back in those days. It seems so trivial now. She’s a troubled girl, I’m afraid. I came back to be with her, to make sure she’s okay. Things are fine though, I’m not complaining. Can we talk after my set? I’m on in five minutes and I have to fix my make-up.’

  ‘It’s great to see you!’ Will said.

  Charlotte felt like they’d just peeled away thirty-five years. They were older, greyer and weighed considerably more than they had last time they were together. But they were still the same people, Charlotte could see how delighted Will was to have discovered how well Abi had done.

  ‘Your little protégé did well, didn’t she? Do you feel like Professor Harry Higgins to her Eliza Dolittle now? I’ve been feeling guilty about how I was on at you all the time over Abi. You did a good thing - well done.’

  ‘Yes, it’s great to see. A bit worrying to hear about her daughter though. Kids eh? They might grow up, but they’re always yours.’

  ‘Are you the bloke who backed into my car the other night?’

  Will looked up. Charlotte gave him a questioning look.

  ‘This is Tony, the driver of the car I told you about. Hi Tony, I think it was a little bit different though. I was stationary at the time - you reversed into me.’

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the amazing - the fabulous - the glamorous Miss Morecambe herself … let’s hear in for Abiii Smithsonnnnn …’

  There was an enthusiastic round of applause as Abi was introduced by the barman. A backing track started up and Abi began to sing Adele’s Hello. Perfectly.

  ‘That’s not how I saw it mate. I’m gonna need your details for my insurance.’

  ‘Shhhh!’ came an admonishment from the table opposite.

  Tony lowered his voice.

  ‘It’s gonna cost me over a thousand pounds to get that fixed. I’ve got witnesses too!’

  ‘Who are your witnesses?’ Will asked. ‘It was just you and me out there. I was waiting for you to move your car because you’d pinned me in too…’

  ‘Shhhh!’

  Abi persisted with her song, even though it was beginning to get uncomfortable in the lounge area.

  ‘Steady Tony,’ the barman said, as he pulled a pint for another customer.

  ‘Well how would you know who was out there? If you’d been looking, you wouldn’t have run your car into me!’

  Charlotte flinched as Tony’s body language suddenly became more confrontational.

  ‘Will,’ she cautioned.

  ‘Look Tony, you were pissed when you moved your car. I was going to overlook that fact in my insurance claim, but you’re lucky you don’t lose your licence for drunk driving.’

  ‘Are you accusing me of lying?’

  Tony darted out a punch, which sent Will, the table and the drinks flying. Abi carried on singing, like the true professional she’d become, but it was a small lounge and Charlotte could see that if the barman didn’t intervene quickly, it was going to be game over for that night’s entertainment.

  The punch had caught Will completely unawares. Charlotte was torn, but he was managing to get to his feet, so she decided to try to calm the situation by pleading with the barman to intervene. The barman leapt over the bar to pull Tony off, but he was too slow. Tony grabbed Will by the side of his shirt and launched a second punch at him. Charlotte shrieked as Will staggered across the room, crashing into Abi mid-chorus and pushing her to the ground.

  As the backing track to Hello continued to play, Abi’s microphone rolled across the floor and the lounge fell silent at the sight of Will lying out cold on top of a struggling Abi.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  1984 - Sandy Beaches Holiday Camp

  Charlotte was prickly with Will before the evening even began. Not only was he spending more time with Abi and her ever-increasing love bites, he completely refused to acknowledge that there was any possibility she might fancy him. She had nothing against Abi personally, but she viewed her like a stray dog - show it a bit of love and it’ll follow you home.

  She despised herself for even thinking it, but Bruce had made her feel that way. She was insecure and on edge still, unable to believe he was out of her life and that she was with Will, when quite clearly so many other women at the holiday camp fancied him, guests included, at times.

  She was also angry with Mickey Lucas, since she’d tried to speak to him about what Bruce had done earlier that day. Although she’d brushed it off when Will asked her about it, in reality, she was embarrassed and furious with how silly Mickey had made her feel. And what she’d said to Will about Mickey spreading rumours - she meant that too. She didn’t trust him to keep his mouth shut and treat the information in confidence.

  At the end of her evening shift, she’d sent Will back to his chalet to get changed, promising to follow him over in ten minutes. Mickey was on the prowl, checking that the tables had been set up properly for breakfast the next day. They’d had a spate of complaints from the holiday-makers that the cutlery and plates weren’t coming out of the washers clean enough. One old lady had had to pick a leaf of a Brussels sprout off a plate crammed with a fried breakfast that morning. The complaint had come back to Mickey and it had ruffled his perfectly sprayed hair enough to agitate him into action. Charlotte walked up to him as he was straightening place settings on Jenna’s table and using a clean white tea towel to polish up the cutlery.

  ‘Can I have a quiet word?’ Charlotte asked.

  ‘When you see Jenna next, tell her I want to speak to her will you?’

  ‘I don’t see that much of her.’

  ‘This table setting is really quite sloppy. Look at that, there’s still egg encrusted on this knife.’

  ‘They’re coming out of the kitchens like that. I think Jenna was in a rush.’

  Mickey moved over to Will’s cluster of three tables, and began walking around, checking everything that had been set out for the next day.

  ‘This is better… what did you want to ask me about? If it’s this week’s rotas, I’m not moving anything around. It’s too busy and I had two waitresses walk out on me this week. You students, the slightest thing and you’re off.’

  ‘No, it’s not about the rotas. And from what I heard, one of them had to go back because her dad had had an accident and the other had exams to re-take. They’re hardly being flaky!’

  Charlotte surprised herself at challenging Mickey, but it was always ‘us and them’ with the other staff. They were always so quick to have a go at the students.

  ‘It’s about a member of staff. I want to know what I should do if I need to make a complaint.’

  ‘You see?’ Mickey said. ‘That’s exactly what I meant. You students don’t have any sticking power. One small problem and you’re complaining.’

  ‘This is hardly a small problem - it’s about Bruce Craven. He used to work for you in the kitchens.’

  ‘Oh yes, Bruce. He’s a bit of a lad. He’s working in the bars now, isn’t he?’

  ‘Yes, and we were seeing each other for a while.…’

  ‘He’s seeing your mate Jenna now, isn’t he? I’ve seen them all over each other.’

  Charlotte’s stomach turned. She didn't know that. Jenna had been more distant since the break-up with Bruce. But they were together now? That was a lot to deal with.

  ‘Yes, that’s right. He re
turned some of my clothes - some underwear - and stuck it to my door. I want to complain about it.’

  ‘Well, he was probably just giving it back to you. Maybe Jenna wanted to use a drawer for her own underwear. Come on Charlotte, you know what this place is like. People are jumping into bed with each other left, right and centre. It was probably just a silly joke.’

  ‘It didn’t feel like that.’

  ‘You’re being oversensitive, Charlotte, take it from me. Bruce is a good lad. Maybe you’re just a bit jealous that your friend is seeing him now?’

  Charlotte’s face reddened. He’d made her feel stupid and neurotic. She knew what Bruce doing, there was no doubt about it in her mind. But if any small part of her had expected a serious response from Mickey, she’d been wrong. He was the dickhead she’d thought him to be.

  ‘Was that it?’ Mickey asked, polishing a glass on one of Will’s tables.

  ‘Yes, thanks,’ Charlotte replied. She couldn’t believe she’d just thanked him for dismissing her.

  It was no wonder Will took the brunt of it that night. Not only did she give him a hard time about seeing Abi, but she was also cold with him when he came back to her room to pick her up.

  ‘You stink of Abi’s perfume!’ was the first thing she said to him.

  ‘Yes, she’d just come out of the bath when I arrived.’

  ‘That old trick! And she had a towel wrapped around her too, I’ll bet!’

  ‘Well, actually…’ Will stumbled.

  ‘Yes, I thought so. She’s totally predictable, that one.’

  ‘I invited her out to join us for a drink. I’m sorry, I know you’ll be cross. But she’s actually quite lonely, you know.’

  ‘I was hoping we could spend an evening alone for once. You really don’t get it with Abi, do you?’

  In spite of her current mood, Charlotte did not want to pass the evening stewing in the chalet. She was ready for a drink, and at least in the bars they could pretend they weren’t stuck on a crappy holiday camp for the entire summer vacation.

  Abi was waiting for them when they arrived, wearing another revealing outfit.

  In the bar, the abrasive tune of the Kids’ Holiday Club anthem was playing. It had been a source of amusement when they’d first arrived, but the Holiday Hippopotamus song got a little wearing after the first few weeks. It did, at least, announce the arrival of nine o’clock, when the kids were packed off to their beds for the night, and adult time began.

  They watched in silence as the music boomed through the room.

  Horace the Holiday Hippopotamus says good-night …

  At least Abi offered to buy the first round of drinks. While she was gone, Charlotte listened while Will did his best to repair the uneasy atmosphere he’d created.

  ‘I know you’re a bit nervous about Abi, but she’s really nice, honestly. She’s a lot a shyer than you’d think. A lot of it is a show.’

  Charlotte looked over towards the bar. The skirt Abi was wearing was riding up the cheeks of her behind, not leaving a lot to the imagination.

  ‘Jenna’s in, look. She’s chatting to Abi. Unusual to see those two together.’

  ‘Well, don’t get even angrier with me, but Bruce is playing pool at the far end of the other bar. I didn’t want to tell you, but we may need to move on and give him a wide berth. It must be his day off if he’s not working the bars.’

  Abi came back with the drinks. As she placed them on the table, she bent over, giving Will a full view of her cleavage. Jenna walked over and joined them.

  ‘Hi Charlotte, hi Will. I feel like we haven’t chatted for ages. How're things?’

  She joined them at the table, placing her drink in the middle as if to claim her territory.

  Charlotte followed Will’s gaze as he looked over to the pool table. Bruce had obviously been keeping an eye on Jenna, clocking where she was sitting. After what Mickey had said, she knew all about Bruce’s interest in Jenna now. She’d kept that quiet. No wonder she was never sleeping in the room they were supposed to be sharing.

  It seemed everybody was on a night out. Even Sally was there with her boyfriend Zachary, the Purple Coat.

  ‘Zach’s got a night off; can you believe it?’ Sally said. ‘Mind if we join you for a bit? I’d love you to meet him.’

  Zach walked over with their drinks, pulled up a chair, and before Charlotte knew it, she’d forgotten all about Mickey, Abi and Bruce. As a Purple Coat it was Zach’s job to be the life and soul of the party. And he was just that, even on his night off. The moment his rear touched the bar stool, he was not only making them laugh, but he also brought them together as a group, so that - for a few hours at least - none of the tensions mattered.

  By the time last orders were called in the bar, it was past eleven o’clock. Charlotte had had too much to drink and was feeling tipsy. Will was giggling at a level commensurate with the number of beers he’d drunk, and Abi looked as if she’d almost lost control of her body. Only Jenna seemed to be watching the amount she was drinking. She looked more serious than usual, and in between the howls of laughter at one of Zach’s stories, Charlotte had observed momentarily that her make-up was very heavily applied that night. Jenna didn’t usually bother too much with make-up.

  Midway through the evening, Jenna had left the table to re-join Bruce, who appeared to have claimed the pool table as his own for the night. She’d thought they’d all go their separate ways at that point, after the lull of her leaving, but Zach sensed that his audience wanted more and he soon had them laughing their heads off again at the table.

  As the bell rang to announce that there were no more drinks being served, the evening turned on a pinhead.

  Abi leaned over and began kissing Will’s neck. She was completely drunk, but she caught Charlotte at precisely the wrong moment. Bruce was playing pool with Mickey Lucas.

  She stood up, instantly incensed.

  ‘For Christ’s sake Abi, keep your bloody hands off my boyfriend. And you, Will - you might think about discouraging her every once in a while!’

  ‘Hang on Charlotte…’ Will began.

  But she was out of her mind now. As she shouted at Will and Abi, she looked over to see Bruce smirking.

  ‘Screw you both!’ she shouted, throwing the dregs of her glass over Will.

  She stormed out of the pub, furious with Will and not caring in the slightest what Zach, Sally or anybody else thought about her.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Present Day - Morecambe

  In all their years together, Charlotte had never felt quite so much embarrassment. One police officer was with Will by the bar and another was talking to Tony at a table by the fireplace. Abi had given up on any hope of completing her set and retreated into the back office of the pub.

  Charlotte had seen an evening flip like that once before in her life. It was strange how much of the past was rearing its head again. She saw Will beckon her over.

  ‘Did you have to wind him up like that?’ Charlotte scolded.

  ‘I didn’t wind him up - he was spoiling for a fight when he came over to talk to me!’ Will protested.

  ‘You’re a grown man, a local lecturer - you can’t get involved in stuff like this. We need you to keep your job.’

  ‘They’re taking us over to the police station to cool off a bit and take statements. Tony put his foot in it by saying I’d accused him of drunk driving. The cops seem to think he doesn’t have the moral high ground on that one.’

  ‘I can’t believe they’re taking you to the station,’ Charlotte said. ‘I’ve never been in a police station in my life.’

  ‘Look, it’s only routine,’ Will reassured her. ‘I’m not in any trouble; they just want to get a statement about what happened the other night. I’ll be out in no time - the copper said there’s no need to detain me. He thinks Tony might be sleeping it off in the cells, though.’

  ‘Okay, but I’m not staying around here. I’m getting back to Lucia. You’ll have to find your own wa
y home. Do you want to take the bag with the underwear in it? Maybe you can get some advice from one of the police officers after you’ve cleared up this business with Tony?’

  ‘Yes, that’s a good idea,’ Will replied, taking the bag from her hand. ‘I’m horrified about what I did to wreck Abi’s show. Will you go back into the office and apologise to her for me? I’ll make it up to her, I promise.’

  ‘Yes, I’ll clean up your mess for you,’ Charlotte replied in her most grudging voice, annoyed with how the evening had worked out.

  ‘I’d go myself, but that copper asked me to stay where I am for a few minutes. I’ll see you later. I’m sorry Charlotte, really, I didn’t mean it to go this way.’

  Charlotte left him to it and headed over to the bar.

  ‘I’m so sorry about all this,’ she said to the barman.

  ‘I hope your husband wasn’t thinking of making this his local?’ the barman replied.

  ‘No, I don’t think we’ll be back after this.’ Charlotte managed a small smile. ‘Do you mind if I nip back to the office to see my friend? I want to apologise to her.’

  ‘She’s your friend?’ the barman asked. ‘I’d hate to see what you do when your enemies are around.’

  He made a gesture, as if to say be my guest.

  Abi was sitting in a high-backed office chair, drinking a whisky, which had been kindly provided by the bar staff to help calm her nerves.

  ‘Are you okay, Abi?’ Charlotte asked gently, pushing the door fully open.

  ‘Oh Charlotte, hello. Is Will alright? It all seemed a bit heated out there.’

  ‘He’s fine, just a bit of wounded pride. How about you? I’m so sorry about what happened. Will is mortified too. The police are taking him back to the station. He says he’ll apologise in person as soon as he can.’

  ‘If he doesn’t like Adele’s songs, he only had to say.’ Abi smiled. ‘I’d have sung some Madonna, if that’s what he prefers.’

  Charlotte burst out laughing. She was relieved that Abi was taking it so well.