by Paul Kelly
"Who, your Daniel?" asked Rosie in surprise at having been asked such a question.
"He's not MY Daniel, stupid," Alison retorted angrily,"You know who I mean, OUR FRIEND, Daniel Roberts.
"Oh! THAT Daniel ..."
"Yes, that Daniel." repeated Alison, "What do you think of him?"
Rosie smiled demurely and shook her shoulders.
"I think he's a bit of alright, seeing as you ask me, but you know that don't you? You don't have to ask me. You're in love with the guy and anyone with half an eye could see that."
Alison blushed and fidgeted where she stood.
"Is it THAT obvious?" she asked and her blush became deeper as she spoke.
"I would bet on it," added Rosie, "but why are you asking me this question? It's him you should be speaking to, not me."
Alison knew it would be useless telling her friend of her experiences with Daniel and how he had resolved never to get married again ... nor even to allow himself to get close to any woman after his experiences through his marriages, but she knew in her heart that she would never give up trying. She knew too and without a doubt that Daniel was a special person in her life and she wished with all her heart that he would look on her in the same way.
"How's the new girl getting on?" she asked trying to change the subject, but Rosie just nodded and shrugged her shoulders again.
"Well we both know it's not rocket science work, don't we?" was all she would say as she walked away into the kitchen.
The following day, as Alison was about to finish her shift and had given her notes to Rosie, she had a telephone call from young Dillon which alarmed her. He told her how his father had been awake most of the night and that Frieda was making a visit to their flat later that day and Alison wondered if the intended visit was the reason why Daniel had had a sleepless night.
"Did she say what time she would be coming to see daddy?" she asked and Dillon said he thought it might be around three o'clock, but he wasn't absolutely sure. Alison told Dillon that she would come round later that day about 2.0 in the afternoon in the hopes that she might be able to help in some way, although she rather doubted that she could, nevertheless she shoved her old and battered tape recorder into her hand bag and patted it lovingly ... knowing what Frieda was like, she thought it might come in handy.
“More trouble?“ asked Rosie as she was about to leave the cafe and Alison could only sigh. Trouble was beginning to be her middle name.
“It’s Frieda again,“ she said softly, “She’s making trouble and when she does that, there seems little if anything we can do, but I‘ll get round there and do what I can. Thanks for your concern Rosie.”
Rosie shook her head slowly from side to side, but she had a strange smile playing around her lips.
Alison arrived at ten minutes to two and Dillon opened the door to her almost before she had knocked on the letter box lid. He jumped up at her and flung his legs around her waist.
"Hey there, laddie. You'll have me on the ground if you do that too often. You're getting to be a big boy now." she laughed as she spoke, but Dillon dragged her into the flat without comment.
"What's the rush?" asked Alison as she looked around to see where Daniel would be in the room, but there was no-one there but Dillon. "Where's daddy?" she asked impetuously.
"He's out. I think he went to do some shopping as we don't have much to eat in the flat and with Frieda coming. You know what she's like. She eats like a horse." added Dillon and Alison giggled at his description of the 'witch'
"Has he been gone long, Dillon?"
"About an hour ago. He should be back anytime ... oh! Alison ..."
"Yes, Dillon?"
"I didn't tell him that I phoned you this morning. I tried your flat number, but you had an answering machine. I didn't want to leave a message on that so that's why I phoned you at the cafe. I hope that was alright?"
"Yes, that was O.K. Dillon. I was nearly finished my shift anyway and besides, everybody there knows me and there's no difficulty, but why all the rush? Frieda might be coming to see you and daddy for any number of reasons, mightn't she?"
Dillon shook his head and looked at Alison in surprise.
"You know as well as we do, what that witch is like, Alison, surely. She wouldn't come here unless she wanted to start some trouble or other."
Alison reflected on what Dillon had said and she knew the little boy was right, but she didn't want to alarm him by telling him that she agreed with what he said.
"Do you think daddy will be angry if he sees me here?" she asked and Dillon grinned.
"Oh! no, he likes you Alison ... and so do I, but I don‘t need to tell you as you already know that, don‘t you?" was the reply she got which pleased her, even if she thought that Dillon had exaggerated the facts a little.
"If he IS angry, shall I go then, O.K?" she asked and Dillon nodded as he crossed his little fingers behind his back.
Ten minutes later Daniel returned, with a large plastic shopping bag clutched to his chest.
"Can you grab this, Dillon," he asked, without seeing Alison in the first few moments of coming into the lounge. "I get out of breath carrying anything heavy like this."
Dillon obliged, but even he looked around to see where Alison had gone.
"Tea for two," she called out from the kitchen and appeared with a tea tray, complete with three mugs. "Shall I be mother?" she asked with a smile and Daniel stared at her with wide eyes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, but Alison noticed there was no anger in his eyes as he asked his question and she was pleased.
"I just happened to be passing," she said, trying to appear very polite,"and as it was my afternoon off, I thought I might just drop in and see if you were alright."
Daniel shook his head.
"It's nice to see you Alison," he said, "But I don't think you can stay long. You see, we ... I have a visitor this afternoon," but before he could utter another word, Dillon jumped up in the air, "Frieda is coming to see us, Alison. You remember Frieda, don't you?" he asked with a knowing look in his eye as he stared at Alison to ensure that Daniel didn't know that he had phoned Alison beforehand.
"Yes, I remember Frieda," she replied, " but Daniel, you shouldn't be carrying heavy weights for one thing and I thought you and Frieda had settled most things in court."
Daniel lowered his head ands asked Dillon to go into the kitchen to fetch the biscuit barrel.
"And furthermore," said Alison, "I didn't think you would be allowed to discuss anything further about the case either with Frieda or with anyone else for that matter as it hadn't been concluded in the court as yet?"
Daniel took a deep breath and looked seriously at Alison as she was speaking.
"I don't want her to come here," he snapped, "You must realize that. I never want ever to see her again unless it's in a wooden box, but how can I stop her coming here if she is insistent on doing so. Frieda was always a one to do exactly as she pleased and no one could ever stop her."
Alison could understand Daniel's position, but she still felt there was a danger in Frieda coming to see him and in particular of what she might say, which could incriminate Daniel further when the court was next in session.
"Would it help if I stayed here until she came?" she asked, but Daniel threw his hands in the air.
"That would only make her more angry and God knows what she might say then," he said, but Alison would not be deterred.
"If she says anything out of place, I could be a witness to that and surely that would prevent her saying anything that would make further difficulties in both your lives?"
"Do you think Frieda would take the slightest bit of notice of you?" he asked and Alison turned on him suddenly.
"You know," she said and her lips were firm as she spoke, "Do you know ... Y
ou don't know much about women at all, do you? She will be wary of anything she might want to say, if there is a possible witness around. Any woman with revenge in her heart would be like that, but if she is as angry and as vicious as I think she might be, she might let something slip that would be useful information to you, Daniel. Have you thought of that?"
Daniel thought for a moment of what Alison had said. He looked at Dillon and nodded
"Alright, but Alison, I don't want Frieda to say anything that might hurt you. She can say what the hell she likes about me, but she is a jealous woman and jealousy can do all sorts of things and usually anything that is said is meant to hurt. She is evil, I tell you so for God's sake watch and listen carefully to what she says and also what YOU might say to her."
Dillon chimed in at this point by adding that he also knew that Frieda was an evil cow, to which Daniel gave him a dark look.
Chapter Thirty One
Frieda arrived exactly at two fifty; ten minutes earlier than Dillon had thought she might. She was all in black, as if she was in mourning and Alison hoped that wasn't a sign of impending danger. The lady witch, as Dillon called her, threw her fur wrap over the arm of the sofa and enquired immediately why Daniel was not there to meet her, but before the little boy could say anything, Daniel opened the bedroom door and walked into the lounge.
"I don't know what you are doing here," he snapped, "You know we are not supposed to be in contact with each other until after the court hearing."
Frieda smirked as she twisted her heavily rouged lips.
"I thought we might have a little tete-a tete, to make sure we each have our questions and answers correct," she snarled and Daniel looked at her with anger in his eyes.
"Just tell them the truth. That will do nicely madam, if you are able to do that, of course," he replied and Frieda ignored his remark with a grunt.
"Oh, I'll tell them the truth, alright," she answered, "Of how you couldn't stand on your feet some nights when you were blind drunk and blamed it on this silly excuse of yours to be ill. Whoever would believe that rot?" At that moment Alison appeared from the kitchen and Frieda spun round on her. "What's SHE doing here?" she snapped and Alison smiled.
"I came to see Dillon ... Do you mind?" she asked and Frieda turned away from her as she walked towards Daniel.
"Get rid of her," she snarled, "I don't want any third person here when we're discussing our private lives and certainly not THAT ONE," she added, pointing a finger at Alison.
"I have my guests here whenever I wish," said Daniel, "Alison was invited. You weren't."
"Well, she might be wishing she'd stayed away when she hears what I have to say," added Frieda as she threw her hair away from her face.
"And what is that, if I may ask," enquired Alison, watching the reaction on Daniel's face. Frieda turned to face her and sneered.
"You think you know this man, do you?” she hissed, "but you don't have a clue. I could tell you things that would make you run out of this flat, I could ... that is if you have the stomach to hear what I have to say."
Dillon stared at Alison, but she put her hand out and touched his shoulder.
"That is no way to talk in front of Daniel's son and you should know that" she said and Frieda laughed.
"That brat is nothing to do with me, thank God," she screamed and Daniel lurched forward to hit her, but Alison stopped him.
"If the court heard how you have reacted since you arrived here, it wouldn't stand you in very good stead, I think," said Alison but Frieda looked at her with wild eyes.
"Shut your mouth and mind your own business," she squealed, "I will say what I want to say here and nobody will stop me, do you hear?" Dillon put his arms around Alison and she hugged him closer to herself, but Frieda only laughed. "Don't think a cuddle from that little shit will make me change my mind. I'm the innocent partner in this fucking problem and I want everyone to know it ... and I'm gonna get everything I deserve after having put up with that weak bastard for the time that I did. I'll make you pay, Daniel Roberts ... I'll make you pay every bloody penny you owe me for the way I looked after you when we were ... together."
Daniel sat down heavily on a chair; running his hand across his brow.
"You must be mad," he said, but his voice was low. "I lay ill for nearly three weeks and you never lifted a finger to help me. I asked you for a drink of water and what did you do?" There was silence in the room for a few moments when he said that. "You got me a glass of water alright, but you threw it at me,"
Alison looked on in alarm, but Frieda only grinned.
"I knew you were play-acting, little man," she said, "I knew you wanted pity in your act, but you got the wrong audience for your performance."
Alison was sorry for what she heard and she could have hit Frieda herself, but instead she reached into her handbag to retrieve a handkerchief ... and more so to turn on the recorder.
"You've got a great deal to say about yourself,"Alison said to Frieda, hoping she would indeed say much more so that she could record anything that might be useful in the court for the impending divorce procedures.
"You bet I have," replied Frieda with renewed confidence, "I could tell you things about this little man that would make you cringe."
Daniel was about to say something to Frieda when Alison put her hand on his arm and he realized that something was going on, something that as yet, he had no knowledge, but by the look on Dillon's face and by the way he stared at his daddy, Daniel withdrew his remarks and sat back in his chair.
"Perhaps it is none of my business, but weren't you married before you met Daniel," Alison asked and Frieda fell into the trap.
"It is none of your business, but Daniel already knew about that marriage before we got together," she replied and Alison continued,
"No, I don't suppose it is my business, but now that we are on the subject and I think I would like to make it my business ... That marriage didn't last long either, did it?"
Frieda smirked and stroked her hair.
"He was a creep, just like this one was," she snapped, and again pointing a finger at Daniel, but Alison thought of something that Dillon had told her before and she felt she could use it in her tape recorder.
"Your first husband ... Is he ... I mean, has he re-married since your divorce?" she asked and Frieda looked to the ceiling.
"Oh yes, he's married O.K. and she's as much a creep as Trevor is," she replied, accidentally revealing the Christian name of her first husband, much to Alison's delight, as she broke into the conversation, "So he must be happy now then ... even if he is married to a creep?"
Frieda sat down clumsily on the sofa and looked around the lounge.
"I think we should change this bloody subject. It's boring me to death," she snapped, but Alison moved nearer to the sofa and looked down on Frieda's head.
"Perhaps if you been a little more 'loving', Trevor and you would still have been married, eh?"
"No way, " sighed Frieda, "I hate being married. I don't know why the hell I ever thought of it in the first place. Men are a pain in the arse. Always wanting something or other. If it's not sex, it's bloody housekeeping or cooking or even bloody children. No I hate that sort of stuff."
Alison tapped her hand bag and hoped her tape recorder was still working.
"So there's no other man in your life now then?" she asked and Frieda grinned.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out ... if you're interested ... ." she answered back as she shrugged her shoulders and laughed aloud, but that was a sufficient enough flippant answer for Alison to record.
"I don't suppose he's been living the life of a monk since he shifted away from me, has he?" demanded Frieda, pointing an accusing finger at Daniel, but no-one in the room answered as Alison lowered her eyes and thought ... if only Frieda knew how much she had wa
nted Daniel to take no notice of the visiting ;witch’ ...
"I think you had better leave now, Frieda. You've said all there is to say," said Daniel, but the brazen Frieda would have none of it.
"I'm here to tell you that I want what you took from me when we were married," she went on, "I want ... first of all, the £50,000 my mother gave you as a deposit on a house and ..."
Daniel interrupted here as he raised his hand in protest.
"Gave to US ... not to me alone," he went on, but Frieda threw her hands in the air.
"Well we are not US now are we? So I want that money back and lots more besides," she snarled."I've wasted enough of my life with you and your dreary thoughts on everything as well as this bloody thing you call an instrument," She looked around for the violin as she spoke., but Daniel had it securely in its case in the bedroom.
"Did you get much from your first marriage to Fred?" asked Alison as she stepped aside to go into the kitchen, hoping she had got the fella's name right but Frieda ignored her remark as if it was of no concern, however any doubts that Alison had about Frieda's first husband's name was confirmed in the look she got from his ex-wife. "Did you hear what I asked you," repeated Alison and Frieda turned on her with fury in her eyes.
"Shut your fuckin' row," she shouted, "What I did in my marriage to Trevor was my business,"
"And also the business of your first husband's new wife Stella, surely," Alison went on, making Frieda even more angry.
"You have been doing your homework I can see," replied Frieda, narrowing her eyes, "I don't think it is any of your business anyway," she went on, but Alison treated her as she had been treated and ignored the remark with a further question.
"Some people make a career out of doing what you are doing. Did you know that?" she asked in anger, but Frieda threw her hair back from her forehead and scoffed.
"And thinking of making a bit of extra with this one?" Frieda replied pointing a narrow forefinger at Daniel as she laughed and Alison was sure her tape recorder would certainly have picked that information up ... clearly, she hoped.
