by Emma York
“Maybe this will. She didn’t take too kindly to you stringing her along with offers of sharing in the profit you planned to make. When she’d finished being useful by passing you information about Mr Stempel, you fired her. Remember that?”
Senior shook his head but the smug smile on his face was fading.
“She had access to your files while she was in your office and she saw all kinds of proof of the type of deals you were making. Changing Nick’s contract so you got the oil rights to the land wasn’t the first time you’ve done this, was it?”
“You’ve no proof of any of this and if you breathe so much of a word about this in public, I will sue you for slander.”
“You might want to check your files before you tell us we’ve no proof. You might find a few things went missing around the time you fired Miss Bonner.”
“She stole from me?” he asked, sounding on the back foot for the first time.
“I use your words in response. You have no proof. We have a woman who is willing to swear in court about what you were up to. If, on the other hand, you agree to leave the land alone, we will leave you alone. Deal?”
Senior was up and out the door without another word. I turned to the other two. “Did Gwyneth mention anything about Jodie?”
“Jodie? No, why?” Tomlinson replied.
“I thought Jodie was in league with Senior.”
“She never mentioned anything about that to me.”
“How did you get her to confess though? Are you sure she told you the truth?”
“You remember when she quit working for you?”
“It was a couple of months after Jodie left. She went straight to Senior then? I had no idea.”
“She had arranged a deal with him to take half the profits from the oil drilling but when he screwed her over, she took it badly. She came to me in the end, said she wanted to make it right.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“Because I didn’t want to worry you. You’ve not been well.”
“I’m fine.”
“Hiding away in your house for over a year is not fine, Nick. What happened to you?”
“What do we do now?” I asked, changing the subject quickly.
“Now we give Senior a day or two to back down or we take him back to court and see what the judge thinks. Of course, that’ll cost more.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll have all the money you need.”
“You sure you can afford to keep funding this?”
“If it takes every penny I have.”
“One thing I don’t get,” Hillaby interrupted. “Why are you so quiet about paying for this? If I was fighting to keep land from being drilled on, I’d tell the world I was doing it. Why let everyone think Mr Tomlinson is paying?”
“Simple. He gets to spend his money on the foundation, donating it where it’s needed.”
“But why keep it a secret?”
“Because Charlie is used to good press. I’m used to everyone thinking I’m a cold hearted bastard. Why change that?”
“Don’t you want the world to know you’re doing good things?”
“No.”
I left the conversation there. There was no need to tell them the truth. There was only one person who I wanted to know that I did good things and she hadn’t been in touch for over a year.
I’d got it wrong about her. That was the part that stung as I was driven home afterwards. I had been so sure she was working with Senior. Tomlinson had never been able to prove she wasn’t and obviously with Gwyneth gone, I couldn’t even interrogate her about it.
She hadn’t been part of the scam. It had been Gwyneth all along. I should have known and I kicked myself for not seeing it earlier. I should have been suspicious when she’d upped and quit out of nowhere but I was too withdrawn to notice.
I trusted Gwyneth and she was in cahoots with Senior. I trusted him and he’d shafted me. I trusted Jodie and although she hadn’t been working with them, she had taken the money and run, never getting in touch again.
I sat in my study when I got back to the house. Tomlinson had told me I looked pale. That was what months inside did to a man. Maybe it was time to catch some sun. I owned a house on a little tropical island off the coast of the Seychelles. I hadn’t been there in a fair few years but maybe it was time to top up my tan.
I had a private jet ready in a couple of days. In that time Senior grudgingly accepted the deal. He rescinded oil drilling rights back to me and I put them away in my desk drawer. The land would stay how it was. Pristine. Two billion down the drain but the value of the place was a lot more than that, it was a gift to Jodie, not that she’d ever know.
Jodie. I wanted to reach out to her but how could I do it? Pick up the phone and ring her? I shook my head at the idea. I couldn’t handle the thought of her hanging up on me or worse, telling me exactly what she thought of me, laughing as she said she’d only ever done it for the money. She was a good actress, that was all.
I still loved her though. I wouldn’t ever stop loving her. I decided to send her a final gift. I packaged it up in a neat box and added the rights to the land that Senior had sent back.
I called Terrance. “Mail this for me would you?”
“Of course, Sir.”
With the parcel on its way, I went to go pack. It wouldn’t take long. Tomorrow I’d be on my way to my island. Would I come back? I doubted it. There was nothing for me here anymore.
SEVENTEEN - JODIE
It was the longest I’d been away from Dora since she was born. My maternity leave was coming to an end and I needed to call in at the museum and get the plans moving on our plans.
“I’m going to the seaside for a couple of days,” Annie’s mom said when I mentioned it. “Why don’t I take her with me?”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. I’ll find someone to watch her.”
“Would you find anyone better than me?”
“No, I guess not.”
“Then that’s settled. I’ll take her with me and you’ll get to catch up on your sleep.”
“And go for a drink with me,” Annie shouted through from the kitchen.
“All right, fine,” I said. “Just look after her.”
“She’ll play on the beach and eat sand like you both did when you were little.”
That was two days ago. I missed her but she was right, I was glad of the chance to catch up on my sleep. That meant I was fresh and ready to answer whatever questions the museum might ask me.
I got there at nine with the meeting planned for half past. When I arrived I couldn’t find anyone anywhere. Normally, staff members would be sweeping the rooms, making sure they were ready for visitors. Today it was like a ghost town.
“Hello?” I called out, passing through the Milton room and glancing yet again at the Flambert painting. So beautiful. I did my best not to think of Mr Stempel. I failed.
“Hello?” Again no reply.
Then I heard voices in the distance. People were talking in the office at the back. I headed that way, pushing open the door to find every single employee crowded around the desk. “What is it?” I asked, trying to peer over their heads to see what they were looking at.
“Jodie,” a voice said above the others. Room was made for me to see Alan, the boss of the whole place, sitting with an open parcel in front of him. “First you bring us Moonlight on Water and now this. What next, the Ark of the Covenant?”
“What?” I asked as everyone looked at me in silence. “What have I done?”
He passed me a thick pile of yellowed pages held together by an overstressed paper clip. “Have a look.”
There was an audible gasp in the room as I almost dropped the papers. Trembling, I looked at the first line before quickly flicking through the rest. “Is this what I think it is?”
“The missing end to The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Yes it is.”
“But Dickens never finished it.”
“Apparently he did.�
�
“Where on earth did this come from?”
“I’ve no idea but there’s a letter that came with it.” He held an envelope out towards me. “It’s addressed to you.”
I tore open the envelope and unfolded the heavy paper that lay within.
“What does it say?” Alan asked.
“Yeah, tell us.”
“Come on, Jodie. What’s it say?”
I looked around at the eager faces and felt a tear forming in the corner of my eye. “Dear Jodie, I told you I had a few bits in the attic. Thought you might like this.”
Who’s that from?” someone asked.
“Who has the end of Edwin Drood in their attic?”
“A man I need to see,” I said, folding the letter back up. “Can we reschedule the meeting, Mr Brears. I need to do something first.”
“After this and the Flambert, you can take the next year off if you like.”
“Thanks,” I said, already running for the door.
I got to Mr Stempel’s house half an hour later. I stopped at the wrought iron gates, realising I had no idea what I was actually going to say to him.
A few Dickens mementos up in the attic he’d said. He’d not mentioned the end of Edwin Drood, the fulfilling of a dream I never thought would be realised. Not only could I see Moonlight on Water every day but now I could read the end of the greatest unfinished work in the world. Just mailed it to the museum with a note. Thought you might like this.
“Can I help you?” a voice said through the intercom. "It's not like I've got anything else to do."
“Hi, I need to speak to Mr Stempel please.”
“Jodie?” the voice replied. “Is that you?”
“Carl? What are you doing answering the intercom?”
“I'm the only one here.”
“What? Where’s Mr Stempel?”
“On the way to the airport.”
“Oh.”
He was silent for a moment before saying, “You could always go see him.”
“You think so?”
“You’ve no idea how much he’s missed you since you went. He’s been like a bear with a sore head, grumpier than me and that’s saying something.”
“Really? Why didn’t he get in touch with me then?”
“He thought you didn’t want anything to do with him.”
“Did he say that?”
“Only when he got really drunk one night and came wandering into the kitchen looking for pizza menus and muttering about olives.”
“What do I do?”
“Go after him because I get the feeling he might not be back for a long time.”
“Which airport is he going to?”
“Trufferton.”
“Where’s that?”
“Got a map?”
“I’ve a GPS. When’s his flight leave?”
“When he’s ready. It’s his plane.”
“Of course it is,” I replied, already typing into the GPS. Two hours to drive there.
“When did he set off?”
“About an hour ago. If you hurry you should catch him.”
I could only hope he hadn’t taken off yet. “Thanks, Carl,” I said, slamming into reverse and spinning the car around.
I still had no idea what I was going to say to him but I needed to speak to him, find out if Carl was right. He must have feelings for me to send the book. I’d thought he’d long forgotten about me, moved onto the next conquest. Then out of nowhere mailing the book. He was still thinking about me. It was hard to accept.
My stomach churned with nerves as the miles ticked away. I made it in an hour and forty-five but was I too late?
Just as I pulled into the entrance lane to the airport I got the shock of my life. There was his car with Michael driving it. The car was coming towards me. I jumped out of mine and waved it down. “Michael, where is he?” I asked.
He nodded behind him at a plane taking off. “Already dropped him off,” he said.
“Oh,” I replied, my shoulders sagging. I glanced up at the plane, muttering, “Goodbye,” before turning and walking slowly back to my car. I climbed in and drove at a crawl up to the guard’s booth. “Is there somewhere I can get a drink?” I asked.
“Cafe over there,” he said. “Park up in front of it.”
I drove over and stopped the car in front of a corrugated metal building, the outside starting to rust. The door was open and inside were a few tables, all empty. I took the one in the corner and closed my eyes, my head in my hands.
I hadn’t been fast enough. He’d gone. I’d missed him. What if he never came back?
“Can I get you something to eat?” a voice asked.
I didn’t bother to open my eyes. “No thanks.”
“Not even my famous spag bol?”
I opened my eyes to find Mr Stempel looking down at me.
“What are you doing? ”" I asked, the shock making me spit the words out. “How did you know I was here?”
“Do you not think my staff might tell me if you arrive at my house? Or when you almost run in front of my car?”
“Oh.”
“What are you doing here, Jodie?”
“You found the end to Edwin Drood. Do you have any idea how significant that is?”
He shrugged. “I just thought you might like it.”
“Simple as that?”
He nodded before pulling out the chair opposite mine. “Tell me something though.”
“What?”
“What did you spend the million on? I'm curious.”
“I didn’t take it.”
“What? But Gwyneth-” He fell silent before talking more to himself than to me. “Of course. That’s how Senior paid for the legal fight for so long. She cashed the check.” He looked up at me. “I still owe you then.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“What do you want then?”
“You really want to know?”
He nodded.
“A coffee. Preferably with a lot of sugar in it.”
He smiled, waving over the waiter. “Two coffees with enough sugar to make the spoons stand upright.”
“It’s nice to see you,” I said as the waiter walked away. “How’ve you been?”
“Not bad. You?”
“Better now. I thought I saw your plane leaving though. I thought you’d gone.”
“My plane’s just out there warming up. In fact, I better get going.”
“Already? Oh, okay. Never mind.”
“Come with me.”
“Where are you going?”
“My island.”
“How long for?”
“However long you want to vacation.”
“All right,” I said. “But not too long.”
“Your wish is my command.”
We got up, leaving the drinks unfinished. His hand slipped into mine as we walked across the runway and up the steps into his plane.
Ten minutes later we were moving, lifting off into the air, the airport shrinking away beneath the window. I watched as Mr Stempel came out of the cockpit. “Just making a few changes to the flight path,” he said, sitting down next to me. “So what have you been up to?”
“Been quite busy.”
“Oh yes? Doing what?”
I took a deep breath. “Bringing up our baby.”
He blinked as if he wasn’t sure he heard me. I nodded slowly and he blinked again. “Our…you mean…?”
“Yep.”
“Oh my God. Why didn’t you tell me? I can’t believe it. Seriously? You had a baby. Boy? Girl? Tell me everything.”
I told him about Dora. His face lit up with every new piece of information. I ended by telling him, “She’s at the seaside for a couple of days with Annie’s mom.”
“Do I get to meet her?”
“Do you want to?”
“Of course I want to. I can’t believe I have a daughter. We have a daughter.”
“So there’s a we?”
“Do
you want there to be a we?” He looked expectantly at me.
I smiled innocently. “The toilet’s over there.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I thought you wanted me gone. I didn’t think you cared. You never got in touch.”
“I thought you’d hang up on me. You never got in touch either.”
“I thought you’d laugh at me.”
“Then we’re both idiots. Back in a minute.” I watched him disappear into the cockpit for a short while before returning to me. “Where were we?”
I looked down as his hands found mine again. “Do you have any idea what a big deal it is that you found the end of the book though? The whole world is going to want to know how you found it, where it came from.”
“I don’t care about that. I care about you and I care about pulling that curtain across there and pulling this lever here.” He did so and a bed dropped down from the wall.
“That’s not your first time doing that, is it?”
“First time I had someone join me.”
“Who says I’m going to?”
“I do.” He grabbed me and threw me onto the bed, landing on me a second later.
“You better kiss me then,” I said, looking up into his eyes.”
“I’m going to do a lot more than kiss you,” he replied, his lips moving towards mine. “We’ve got to make up for missed time here.”
EIGHTEEN - NICK
I stepped out of the sea and onto the beach. “How was it?” Jodie asked, looking up from the deck chair.
“Freezing,” I replied, my teeth chattering.
“Your fault. You could have been in a tropical ocean instead of just off Scarborough promenade.”
I took the towel she offered me and ran it through my hair. “And miss the chance to meet my daughter?”
“I still can’t believe you rerouted the plane to land here. I didn’t even know there was an airport at Scarborough.”
“Private and little but perfect for us. Now I’ve been in the sea you need to keep your part of the bargain. Let’s go meet Dora.”
“All right, I guess I’ve teased you long enough. Let’s go.”
She had made me a deal when I told her we weren’t flying to my island. If I swam in the icy cold North Sea, she’d take me to meet Dora. It seemed a reasonable deal. Punishment for not ringing her. I’d already punished her on the plane for not ringing me, administering a spanking she told me she could still feel it when she sat on the deck chair.
