The Broken Man (Special Edition)

by Josephine Cox

  When the farmer had called Liz and explained the situation, she was shocked, but as the ambulance was already on its way she decided to head straight to the hospital.

  When the ambulance doors were closed, ready for departure, the farmer and his wife could still hear Jim calling, ‘Adam … where is he? Where’s the boy?’

  By then, though, Adam was long gone.

  It took a deal of searching before Adam located the tree under which he’d left his travel bag. He was devastated when he discovered that the bag was gone.

  With his bare hands, he dug deeper into the roots of the tree, but it was definitely not there, and he was in pieces.

  For a long time, he sat on the ground, rocking back and forth, thinking of Jim, hoping he would be all right. He thought of Alice and the way of things.

  When he crossed his arms over his knees and the tears began to fall, it was not because of the small amount of money he’d lost. It was not for Alice, nor the lost bag, and it was not even for Jim, whom he believed was safe now.

  His bitter tears were for the loss of his mother’s precious locket.

  It was the only part of her he had left. And after all he’d been through this was the hardest loss to bear.

  Emotionally and physically exhausted, he curled up beneath the tree. It was not long before he drifted into a deep, troubled sleep.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  IT WAS LATE when Liz got home from the hospital.

  Maureen had managed to get the children to sleep at long last, but was so tired herself, that she’d fallen asleep on the sofa.

  On hearing the key in the front door lock she leaped up, desperate to know that Jim was all right.

  Liz looked haggard. ‘His knee was badly damaged,’ she revealed, ‘… his leg was in a shocking mess.’

  ‘But will he be all right?’ Maureen was very fond of the family; it pained her to see their suffering.

  ‘They operated, and the doctor said it went well, but that there was a long way to go yet,’ Liz explained. ‘Jim had lost so much blood, they had to give him a transfusion. He’s sedated now and they seem pleased with his progress. I wanted to stay, but the doctor said he would be out of it for quite a time, and it wouldn’t hurt for me to come home and get some sleep. They promised to call me if I’m needed.’

  Maureen thought Liz was right to come home. ‘I’m sure they would have let you stay if they were unduly concerned about him,’ she said. ‘And anyway, if you don’t mind me saying, you do look like you need a good night’s sleep.’

  Liz didn’t argue with that, though she was more concerned about the children. ‘Have they slept?’ She recalled how upset Alice was at the awful business of Adam running away, and her daddy having to go into hospital. ‘I’ve been troubled about Alice,’ Liz quietly admitted. ‘I hope she didn’t get herself in a state again after I left. Did she?’

  ‘Well, Harriet went to sleep straight after her milk, and she hasn’t woken since. But it took Alice ages to get to sleep, and even then she kept waking up and coming down … getting herself upset all over again. In the end, I lay in bed with her until she went to sleep. She kept saying it was all her fault that her daddy nearly died and Adam ran off.’

  Liz was surprised. ‘How can it be her fault? Unless it was that business with Adam hurting her.’

  ‘That’s exactly what I thought,’ Maureen said. ‘But I told her that even though he got her daddy to safety, it still did not excuse what Adam did to her. I said it was not her fault, and she should never think that.’

  ‘You’re absolutely right,’ Liz agreed. ‘I will never be able to thank Adam enough for getting Jim to safety, but then again, if it hadn’t been for Jim chasing after him because of what he did to Alice, Jim would never have got hurt in the first place.’

  When Liz sank into the nearest chair, Maureen went off to the kitchen to make them each a cup of cocoa. ‘It’ll help you sleep,’ she told Liz.

  Upstairs, Alice had got out of bed and was sitting at the top of the stairs. She’d been waiting for her mother to come home. She needed to see her. To know her daddy was all right.

  Just now, she’d overheard the conversation between Maureen and her mummy, and she felt afraid. She returned to her bedroom. There was something important that she needed to do.

  Liz and Maureen were sipping their drinks when Alice came into the room. ‘Is Daddy all right?’ she asked her mother tearfully. ‘He won’t die, will he?’

  Liz ran across the room and led Alice back to the chair, where she told her sincerely, ‘No, sweetheart, Daddy’s not going to die. He’s had an operation, and he has to stay in hospital for a while, but the doctor told me that he should be all right. It might take a long time, but he’ll be fine.’

  When Alice burst into tears, she kissed her on the forehead. ‘Listen to me, Alice,’ she said, stroking her face. ‘None of this is your fault. If anything, I’m sorry to say, it’s Adam’s fault, because if he hadn’t hurt you, Daddy would never have been chasing him.’

  ‘Maureen said Adam saved Daddy and got help for him. Did he do that, Mummy?’

  ‘Yes, sweetheart, he did. Daddy told me that he was in a bad way. He was trapped in the water and badly hurt, but Adam managed to get him to safety, and we should all be very grateful for that. But I will not forgive Adam for what he did to you, because that was a cowardly thing.’

  ‘But it’s all my fault, Mummy!’

  ‘No, sweetheart. None of this is your fault. Adam did a bad thing when he hurt you. When he ran away, Daddy went after him to bring him back, to explain what he had done, and why. But Daddy was hurt. It was not your fault, and you must never think that.’

  Liz was surprised when, without a word, Alice got off her knee and went away upstairs.

  ‘Shall I go after her?’ Maureen asked.

  ‘No. Let her go for now. I’ll go up in a couple of minutes and see if she’s asleep. I think she just needed reassuring, that’s all.’

  A few minutes later, just as Liz was about to go upstairs, Alice returned. She didn’t say anything. Instead, she stood before her mother, her hand outstretched and tears running down her face.

  ‘Alice? What’s wrong?’ Looking down at the girl’s outstretched hand, she was surprised to see a locket and chain, so pretty, and shimmering in the light from the table lamp. ‘Alice, where did you get that?’ Liz had never seen it before. ‘Whose is it?’

  ‘It belongs to Adam.’

  Liz was confused. ‘If it belongs to Adam, what are you doing with it?’

  ‘I stole it.’

  ‘You did what?’ Liz was shocked. ‘Why would you do such a thing? Was it because he hurt you? Is that why you stole it – to hurt him back? Because if you did, it was wrong to steal, and you know that! Adam was very wrong to hurt you, but you had no right to take his belongings.’

  ‘Adam didn’t hurt me, Mummy … not on purpose.’

  ‘How can you say that? You had the bruises. You told Maureen that Adam had done it, that he had deliberately hurt you.’ But from the look on her daughter’s face, Liz knew she was now telling the truth. ‘I think you’d better explain yourself, young lady.’

  Growing nervous, Alice went on: ‘It was me who broke the dollies. I did it to blame Adam, so you and Daddy would send him back to where he came from. I showed Adam the dollies and I told him that I would tell everyone it was him who did it. He got upset and tried to get me downstairs to tell Maureen the truth.’

  Liz was shocked, but she sat silent as Alice finished.

  ‘When I didn’t want to go downstairs, he got hold of me and I started fighting him. That’s how I got bruised. He didn’t do it on purpose. I did it, because I wanted him to go back to the children’s home.’

  Liz was truly shaken by what Alice told her. ‘How did you get Adam’s locket?’

  ‘I stole it from his bedroom. I saw him looking at it and he was crying, because, I think, it was his mummy’s locket. He hid it, and when he went downstairs, I went into his bedr
oom, and found it.’

  When Alice now broke into tears, Liz made no move to hold her. Instead, she told her firmly, ‘Give me the locket.’

  When Alice passed it over, Liz folded it into her plam. ‘What you did to Adam was very wrong. Do you understand that?’

  ‘Yes … and I’m sorry, Mummy. Truly, I am. I want to make it better. I want to see Adam. I want to say thank you for helping my daddy, and I want to tell him I’m sorry.’

  Reaching out, Liz drew her close, her voice firm yet quiet as she told her daughter, ‘You did a very bad thing, Alice. You destroyed your beautiful dollies and turned us against Adam, when he’d done nothing wrong. And then, to steal something that obviously meant a lot to him was cruel. If you were so unhappy about Adam being here, you should have told me or Daddy. You must never, ever do such bad things again.’

  ‘I won’t.’ By now Alice was in floods of tears.

  Liz made no effort to comfort her. Instead, she said, ‘We need to find Adam, and you must return his mother’s locket to him. Then you apologise … for everything. And hope he can forgive you.’

  ‘I’m really sorry, Mummy.’

  Liz could never have imagined her daughter doing such wicked things. She had always believed that if Alice was unhappy she would confide in her and Jim. But at least she had found the courage to own up, and though it was not enough, it was something. ‘Well, I suppose there is one saving grace. At least you’ve now told the truth about what you did. And I can see that you really are sorry. So, maybe now, we can put the record straight.’

  She held Alice at arm’s length. ‘We know now that Adam was not the villain you made him out to be. In fact, as far as I’m aware, he’s done nothing wrong since we took him in. I truly hope you’ve learned a very valuable lesson here, Alice. Have you?’

  ‘Yes, Mummy.’

  ‘Well, that’s something. But I’m shocked and disappointed that you found it difficult to confide in me or your father. In future, if you find yourself worried, about anything at all, you must talk with me or Daddy.’

  She gently pushed her away. ‘Now, I want you to go back to bed, and think about what you did. I want you to think about how Adam must be feeling, and what you might say to him when we find him.’

  ‘If he’s run away, how will we find him, Mummy?’

  Liz had been thinking about that. ‘I’m hoping Phil might know where he’s gone. Now you get back to bed, and remember what I said.’

  ‘Good night, Mummy. Good night, Maureen.’ Feeling very sad, Alice gave them each a kiss.

  With Alice back in her room, there was no more talk of what she had done. Instead, feeling shocked at Alice’s deception, Maureen went home, and Liz slept, fully clothed, on the sofa.

  It had been a worrying day, during which she had learned a great deal about human nature.

  It was dawn when Liz opened her eyes.

  Aching in every bone, she struggled to sit up and for a moment she sat stretching her arms and thinking about Jim. Then she began to panic. She had to phone the hospital and check on his progress.

  She hurried across the room and into the hallway, where she dialled the hospital.

  It seemed to take an age before anyone answered. ‘Oh, hello, I’m Liz Dexter. My husband, Jim, was operated on yesterday. Can you please tell me how he is?’

  Tapping her fingers on the top of the small table, she waited, and she waited; and just as she thought no one was coming to put her mind at rest, a warm, caring voice lifted her spirits.

  ‘Hello, can I help you?’

  ‘Oh, yes, please. I’m calling about my husband, Jim.’ She paused while the other person confirmed Liz’s identity. ‘Please, how is he this morning?’

  She listened again and her fears were soothed. ‘Oh, thank you so much. So, he had a good night?’ She gave a sigh of relief. ‘That’s wonderful, thank you. Could you please tell him I’ll be there very shortly? Thank you.’

  She decided not to tell Jim what Alice had done. There would be time enough for that when he was stronger.

  With an easier mind, she replaced the receiver and made her way upstairs on tiptoe. Satisfied that the children were still fast asleep, she went down to the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea, which she carried into the other room. Placing the cup and saucer on the arm of the sofa, she opened the curtains.

  Already the street was coming alive. John Miller, opposite, was off on his bike to carry out his postman duties, and down the street she could hear a car revving up. Liz gave a hint of a smile. Through thick and thin, good or bad, life still went on. Thank goodness.

  Returning to the sofa, she collected her cup and saucer, and as she sat down, something glittering on the carpet caught her eye. On closer inspection she saw that it was Adam’s locket.

  Realising she must have dropped it in the night, she feared it might be broken. She carefully examined it. On first sight it seemed intact, but when she turned it around, she was concerned to notice a slight twist on the side, where it seemed to have a split along the rim.

  Curious, she took it to the window and examined it closer. ‘That’s strange …’ She moved her finger along the side rim, and, yes, she could feel the slightest bump. A closer look revealed the tiniest catch, woven into the pattern in such a way that it was hard to see at first glance.

  Liz was curious. She guessed it was probably hiding a lock of hair, maybe Adam’s from when he was a baby.

  She knew lockets were often used for that purpose. She examined the filigree patterns and the intricate raised heart on the front. The design was very special and unlike anything she had seen before.

  She turned it over in her hand, thinking it had to be a lover’s gift. The way the morning light danced off the front, reflecting its glory, was simply breathtaking.

  Liz was curious. From what she knew about Edward Carter, she could never imagine him buying such a lovely thing.

  When taking Adam for fostering, she and Jim were officially made aware of Adam’s background. They knew Edward Carter was now imprisoned.

  Curious, she turned the locket over again to see if there was an inscription anywhere, but she could see none. The only marks on both chain and locket were official hallmarks.

  She ran her fingers over the tiny catch. Feeling guilty, she put the locket down. A moment later, intrigued, she picked it up again.

  Twice, she tried to shift the catch and each time it held fast.

  Frustrated, she laid the locket on the arm of the chair while she finished her tea, before taking the cup and saucer into the kitchen.

  On returning to the front room, she stood a moment just gazing at the locket until her curiosity got the better of her. When she now made a determined effort to open it, the catch suddenly popped up, and the locket sprang open. To her surprise, a small square of folded paper fluttered to the carpet.

  Liz bent to pick it up and carefully unfolded it. The writing was tiny, but readable:

  My darling Adam,

  This locket was a gift from Michael Slater, a man whom I loved as a girl. You are the only one who knows where I keep the locket, so if you now have this note, I am probably no longer alive. You need to know that Michael Slater is your true father. He gave me this locket before I met Edward Carter, who always thought you were his son.

  Please forgive me, Adam. Be strong. I love you so very much.

  Mum x

  Liz was mortified that she’d pried into the locket, for the message was both revealing, and extremely private. It was not meant for a stranger’s eyes.

  With the locket clutched in one hand and the note in the other, she sat heavily on the sofa and wondered about the ramifications of what it meant for Adam.

  Edward and Adam Carter believed they were father and son, when in fact his true father was a man called Michael Slater. She worked it out in her mind: Adam’s mother said she loved this Michael Slater before she met Edward Carter … so she must have been pregnant with Adam, when she married Carter. And he never even knew. />
  She wondered about Adam’s father, Michael Slater. Why had she and Adam’s true father gone their separate ways? Maybe Michael Slater was already married. Or maybe she told him she was pregnant, and for whatever reason, he didn’t want to know.

  It was a mystery, and one that was not altogether uncommon. Sometimes, these things happened, and the girl might have no other choice but to trick a man into marriage, because she needed the child to be legitimate.

  Liz paced up and down for a time, wondering how she might deal with this information. Talk to Phil! Yes, that was it!

  Her first priority for now, though, was her own family, not least the love of her life, who she may so easily have lost for ever if it had not been for Adam. A boy not quite fourteen years of age, with no home, no family, and nowhere to go, and he was out there, possibly alone, and afraid.

  Unless Phil could help to locate him, that innocent boy, through no fault of his own, was headed for a bleak future.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  THE SUN HAD risen, but Adam was still sleeping.

  Having run ahead of its owner, the dog quickly found Adam, fast asleep and bundled up against the chilly night. Excited, it pounced on him, licking his face with its leathery tongue.

  ‘Hey!’ Taken unawares, Adam scrambled up, greatly relieved when he saw it was just a friendly, scruffy little dog. ‘Hello, you.’ He ruffled its coat and waggled its ears, and not for the first time, he wished he had a dog of his own.

  ‘Come ’ere, boy!’ The dog’s owner was a ruddy-faced man with a walking stick. ‘Sorry about that,’ he told Adam. ‘He were just being friendly.’

  Adam assured him it was all right, and the man went on his way with the dog, occasionally glancing back. Wiping the dog’s slaver from his face, Adam gave him a little farewell wave.

  After the man and dog were out of sight, he leaned back against the tree and glanced about. The skies above were morning grey, while the sun was trying its utmost to break through. The ground beneath his feet was hard and rocky. There was not a soul about; not even a bird singing. All around was eerily silent, save for the gentlest whipping of the tree branches when the breeze began to play.