“He’s not always right,” Brigitte replied and placed her forehead on his chest.
“Yeah, but he is in this instance,” Matt said. “I better go and sort out this gun.”
Brigitte wanted to protest, but couldn’t bring herself to do it as exhaustion washed over her. She followed Matt to the door and he turned to kiss her before walking outside.
“I’ll see you soon, yeah?” she said after him.
“Sure,” he replied and turned to smile at her.
She watched him walk to the sedan to leave, then stepped inside and wiped a hand across her face as her sobs became more pronounced. The last part of their conversation refused to leave her head and she remembered informing Matt that her father would tell her she was a fool for being with him.
She hoped what she was thinking was wrong, but the fear that Matt had just said goodbye wouldn’t leave her mind.
Chapter 26
“You’re an idiot.”
Brigitte stopped in her tracks when she walked in the kitchen of her home to the unexpected rebuke from her father. She looked to see the concerned expression on his face and sucked in a deep breath at the prospect of another talking to. It had become a common occurrence in the last couple of months, but she suspected the chats wouldn’t end anytime soon.
“Thanks dad,” she commented and rolled her eyes in a resigned fashion before making her way over to the kettle.
She knew her father would say no more until they were face-to-face over the kitchen table, so didn’t rush through the preparations of making herself a cup of coffee. Her gaze went out the window to the front of the house and as usual, her mind was plagued with images of the sedan rolling away when Matt left after the events of that fateful day.
Her fears that he was saying goodbye were realized when she tried to call him the following morning. His phone number was dead and wouldn’t even ring. The panic set in and she immediately went to the building where program participants lived. Her government ID card and a request to speak to Matt was enough to get her up to his apartment.
There was no answer to her knocking, so she returned to the person manning the desk on the ground floor and asked if she could be let inside. It was to an empty home that had been stripped of its belongings. Her despair welled up and that only got worse over the following days and weeks when it became apparent that Matt was no longer around. The only person she confided in was Sarah and she hadn’t even told her friend every last detail and consequence of what happened.
Brigitte tried to soldier on with work and life, but it proved impossible to do. Being involved in the government program reminded her of Matt on a daily basis and she couldn’t bear it. Her boss’s couldn’t understand why she wanted to quit so soon after starting work, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell them the truth and simply worked her period of notice and left.
Her father definitely couldn’t understand what she was doing and her excuse that she simply didn’t think she was cut out for the job didn’t wash with him. She wanted to tell him what happened, but thought it was better she kept it to herself because she didn’t want him to worry. Hiding her unhappiness from him wasn’t easy and she knew he was aware of it, without fully knowing the reason why.
He constantly asked what was going on and if he could help. It now seemed they were on the verge of another discussion that Brigitte didn’t really want as she watched the kettle come to the boil. She spooned instant coffee and sugar into a cup, then added milk and the hot water. It was time to get things over with and she picked up the cup then moved to sit at the table.
“You’re an idiot,” her father rebuked her again to get the conversation going.
Brigitte made a face at him and took a sip of hot coffee before speaking.
“You already told me that, but thanks for mentioning it again.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded.
“About what,” Brigitte replied.
The expression on her father’s face hardened.
“About Matt Harris,” he went on.
She was suddenly on edge at the mention of the name and her voice was guarded as she spoke.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, but knew it was a foolish thing to say.
“I think you do,” he went on. “Sarah was very enlightening when I spoke to her.”
“I can’t believe she…,” Brigitte let out in a high-pitched voice and the coffee slopped over the lip of the cup as she put it down on the table too hard.
“Don’t blame her,” her father cut in. “I didn’t give her a lot of choice to tell me what she knew…, and she’s worried about you.”
“There’s no need to be worried,” Brigitte protested, but knew she was lying.
She was struggling to move on from what happened and couldn’t get Matt Harris out of her mind to the point where it was dominating her thoughts on a daily basis. For once, she was on the back foot and not really in control of the conversation and she didn’t like it. She wanted out of it and started to get to her feet.
“Sit down, Brigitte,” her father told her in a loud voice.
She inhaled deeply as they stared at each other, then let her breath out slowly as she sank down to retake her seat.
“I’m worried about you too,” he told her and his voice softened. “You quit your job, your enthusiasm for volunteering work has disappeared and you mope around this house far too much for my liking. Did he really mean that much to you?”
“What did Sarah tell you?”
“That you met this guy through the rehabilitation program you were involved with and he walked out on you,” her father replied.
It appeared her friend didn’t mention the exact circumstances of Matt’s departure and Brigitte decided to leave her father ignorant of the facts.
“I miss him,” she admitted.
“He’s a criminal and one that spent a number of years in prison.”
She could hardly deny that, considering Matt was part of the program but it really wasn’t how she thought of him.
“No,” she said in a dejected voice. “He’s a good man.”
“That’s the second time I’ve heard someone say that about him.”
Brigitte eyed her father warily.
“Sarah never met him to know,” she said.
“I wasn’t talking about Sarah.”
Brigitte was starting to get confused. She hadn’t anticipated her father making the effort to find out what was going on, but it seemed he was more worried about her than he let on.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“Well, you wouldn’t tell me what was going on,” he replied. “I needed to find out some other way.”
Brigitte’s nerves were being stretched and she still wished she could get out of the conversation, but curiosity got the better of her.
“Who did you speak to?”
“Your ex-boss is a good person too” her father said.
Brigitte frowned as her mind ticked over, but she knew the comment could only be about one person.
“You went to see Mr. Brody?”
“I needed to go to a meeting at the government offices a few days ago,” he replied. “It seemed the perfect opportunity for a discussion about my wayward daughter.”
“But he doesn’t know anything.” Brigitte said.
“You’d be surprised.”
She stared across the table at him.
“He knew about Matt and me?”
“Suspected is the word he used,” her father replied. “But he was astounded by the extent of your relationship.”
The worry that she might get in trouble flashed through her mind, but she dismissed it. Mr. Brody’s style wasn’t to tell tales and she knew he wouldn’t say anything to his superiors.
“Why did you wait until now to tell me about all this?”
Her father was silent for a few seconds, as if he was considering something that he didn’t really like.
“I was waiting for a phone
call,” he said and went quiet again. His sigh was loud before he went on. “I’m probably going to regret this, but…”
Brigitte watched as he slid his hand across the table. It was only when he lifted it that she saw the piece of paper below.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Mr. Brody has built up a wealth of contacts over the years,” her father replied. “It wasn’t easy by all accounts, but he was able to get it and you need to sort things out.”
The burst of anticipation hit Brigitte, but her movements were slow as she reached out. Her pulse raced when she lifted the paper to turn it over. She read the address of what appeared to be a mechanic’s workshop and knew it could only be one thing.
“It seems he does want to move on with his life,” her father said. “At least that’s the information Mr. Brody got.”
“This is where he works?” Brigitte asked in a quiet voice.
“That’s what Mr. Brody was told.”
“I don’t…,” she let out, but her words ended as the doubts leapt into her mind.
“I know this probably wasn’t what you expected from me,” her father said. “I’m not even sure I’m doing the right thing myself, but I hate to see the way you’ve been for the last couple of months. You need to find out.”
Brigitte stared at the piece of paper in her hand. It was a connection to Matt she never expected to get and she found herself suddenly unsure of what to do. She remembered thinking he could lay waste to her life and that’s almost what happened. The impulse to go after him was there though and came on stronger as she sat thinking. In the end, she knew she’d regret it if she didn’t take the opportunity.
“Do you want a ride to the bus station?” her father said to cut into her thoughts.
She looked up at him and saw the grim expression on his face.
“You’re an idiot,” she said and saw the smile flicker on his lips.
“Yeah, well that makes two of us,” he replied. “Go and get what you need.”
She nodded her head as she got to her feet and squeezed a hand on his shoulder when she walked past him. Climbing the stairs, she went to her bedroom and quickly packed a few belongings in a bag. She then sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. It was difficult to compose herself for a few seconds as she considered the thing only she knew about. She was scared to tell anyone else, but knew she would need to. Getting to her feet, she picked up her bag to leave the bedroom and walked down the stairs. Her father was waiting for her at the kitchen door.
“Ready?” he asked.
“No,” she let out and a wistful smile played on her lips.
He put his arm around her and she leaned in close to press her face on his chest. It muffled her words when she spoke.
“Thank you.”
He wrapped his arms around her to hug her close before they broke apart and moved to the door to leave the house. The drive to the bus station was done mostly in silence, but the father she knew returned when they got there.
“Do you have enough money?” he asked after she bought a ticket for the journey.
“Yes.”
“You have your phone and charger?” he went on.
She brought her phone out of her pocket to show him.
“The charger is in my bag.”
“Leave that phone switched on,” he instructed.
“You’re not going to be calling me every five minutes, are you?” Brigitte asked.
“Of course not,” he replied. “I’ll leave at least ten minutes between each call.”
Brigitte stuck her tongue out at him and the elation of what she was doing started to mount. It didn’t completely dispel the doubts of what she would find at the other end of the bus ride, but at least there was some hope in her life. Once their brief conversation ended, they walked to the correct stand to wait and were silent for a while.
“Call me if you need anything,” her father eventually said.
“I’ll be fine,” she told him.
“And let me know when you’re on your way home.”
The questions and instructions kept coming until the bus arrived at the stand. Brigitte hugged her father and thanked him again before getting on. It wasn’t very crowded, so she managed to get two seats to herself and settled down in the one by the window. A couple of minutes later, she was on her way and her mind conjured up scenarios of what she might find when she arrived at her destination. Some were good, while others were bad and she couldn’t make up her mind which of them would become the reality she had to live with.
The journey was scheduled to take over four hours, so there was a while before she’d arrive and she got a magazine from her bag. It was impossible to concentrate on what she was reading though and she eventually gave up trying. She closed her eyes for a while, but the doubts came rushing in and she looked out the window to concentrate on the view. It didn’t really help to pass the time and all she could do was think about Matt and what might happen.
When the trip eventually came to an end, she joined the other passengers in getting off the bus and walked to the concourse at the end of the platform. She stopped to look around for a few seconds and decided to get something to eat when she spied the small station café. It was really an excuse to delay things and she saw it was almost two thirty in the afternoon when she finished eating.
She got the piece of paper from her pocket to check the address and decided the best way to get there was in a cab. Making her way out of the café, she walked to the station exit and saw the taxi rank when she got outside. There was a short line of people waiting, but vehicles continually arrived and she was sitting in one five minutes later.
“Do you know this address?” she asked and leaned forward to show the paper.
“Sure,” the driver said after inspecting it and quickly got the cab moving. “First visit?” he asked a few minutes later.
“Yeah,” Brigitte answered.
“You’ll like the place,” he went on cheerfully.
“I hope so,” she told him, but knew whether she did or not depended on the reception she got at the end of the ride.
Their conversation petered out after a few minutes and Brigitte stared out of the window at a new town. She clasped her hands tightly as her nerves flared and couldn’t shake off the emotional turmoil as it grew stronger.
“Are we nearly there yet?” she asked and leaned forward.
“Almost,” the driver said. “Are you in a hurry?”
“Not really,” she replied. “I just wondered how much longer the journey would take.”
“It will be another five minutes or so.”
“OK, thanks,” Brigitte said and looked out of the window again.
There was no calming herself down now and the sudden thought that Matt might not even be there reared up in her mind. It was just one of many thoughts racing through her head that she couldn’t stop. When the cab slowed down and came to a halt, she found herself staring at the name of the mechanical workshop on a sign over a building.
“The fare is nine dollars, Miss,” the driver said when he looked over his shoulder to see her staring out of the window.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Brigitte said and got her wallet out.
She handed over ten and told him to keep the change before getting out. Her breathing was shallow and she was unable to stop trembling.
“Well, you’re here,” she said under her breath.
It spurred her into moving and she walked forward. When she got to the building, she opened the door to step inside and the girl behind a reception desk smiled.
“How can I help you?” she asked pleasantly.
“Umm…, I’m looking for Matt Harris,” Brigitte replied. “I was told he worked here. Is that right?”
The girl hesitated before speaking.
“Why do you want to know?”
“I’m an old friend” Brigitte said and put a smile on her face. “I’m in town for a few days and thought I would take the chance to catch
up with him.”
“Oh, OK,” the girl said.
“Is he here right now?”
“He’s fixing a car in the workshop,” the girl went on. “Go out the door and walk around to the side of the building. The main entrance to the workshop is there.”
“Thanks.”
Brigitte walked to the door to leave and moved around the building. She heard the noise of the work going on as she approached the entrance, but the face of the man she found herself looking at wasn’t the one she wanted.
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