After finishing his unappetising meal, Jack poured himself the remainder of an open bottle of wine and went to his office. He reckoned he’d spend a while there until Maggie fell asleep. He had only just settled down when his phone rang. Jack answered even though it was now gone ten thirty.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi Bro, just checking in. See how you’re doing.’ Jack recognised his voice immediately, but was so taken aback he didn’t answer. ‘It’s Josh. All right to talk, is it?’
‘Yes, yes, everyone’s in bed.’
‘So, how’s things?’
Jack couldn’t quite believe the low-key conversation they were having after Josh had disappeared so suddenly. ‘Er... back to normal sleep-wise. Under the usual pressure at work.’
‘Ah, so you’re back at work?’
‘Yeah, what about you? How are you doing?’
‘Been better, Jack. I’m having to use a walking frame.’ Jack thought Josh sounded almost ashamed of his physical decline. ‘Moved to Tampa. How’s that son of yours?’
‘He’s great, eating solids now. Hannah is quite a handful, though. In fact, something...’ Jack paused, unsure how to continue.
Josh’s gentle, reassuring voice soothed Jack’s anxiety around opening up. ‘Ready when you are, bud.’
‘I’m so ashamed of myself, Josh... but the outcome was really important.’ Jack took a deep breath. ‘Hannah was screaming blue murder about wanting a puppy, kicking and punching me, and before I knew it I... I picked her up and locked her in the closet in the hall. God, I don’t know why I did it.’ Josh said nothing. He just let Jack explain in his own time. ‘It triggered something in me, from my childhood. Before I was adopted, when I was put in a children’s home. They used you lock me up in this dank cellar, leave me for hours, and I’d be screaming in terror. He was a bastard, what he did to me, and it all came out, Josh. My nightmares, my problems, and since then, I’ve been fine.’
‘I can understand all of that. Facing your fears head on as an adult, that takes time. But when that one thing falls into place...’
‘That’s right.’
‘You ever think about going to find that guy and giving him a good beating?’
Jack laughed. ‘He’s long dead.’
‘Good. Listen, Jack, I feel bad about just hightailing it the way I did. Can you tell Laura I’m sorry not to have contacted her? I’d been at Strangeways Prison and was thinking about stopping by and staying another night at her place, but I found a cheap flight from Manchester back to New York, so...’
‘I’ll tell her. She was asking after you. Are you planning on coming over again?’
‘I doubt it, not fit enough to be honest.’
‘If I ever make it to the States, I’ll come see you.’
‘That would be good.’
Jack paused and then very quietly said. ‘I owe you, Josh.’
‘You owe me nothing. Going to hang up now Bro, you take care.’ Jack felt unexpected tears welling up as he hung up the phone. They hadn’t mentioned Rodney Middleton, his death or the real source of Jack’s torment. But even though Jack had told him that his childhood trauma was the root cause of his nightmares, he knew Josh understood the real cause. Rodney Middleton was gone from Jack’s life and Josh’s phone call felt like some kind of dark bucket list tick, as Josh checked to make sure his friend was free. Jack was definitely free now. From Middleton at least. Next on the list was Adam Border.
Chapter 24
Maggie returned from the hairdressers laden with shopping bags, having also done a larger than intended grocery shop. Penny helped her to load up the deep freeze and cupboards, dropping into conversation that Jack had watered the plants without being asked. Maggie shrugged as if uninterested. ‘That’s a first.’
Upstairs Jack took a long bath, shaved and washed his hair, splashed cologne over himself and put on his dressing gown. It was too early for him to get dressed in his suit, so he decided to go and find Maggie to apologise. The last place he looked was of course where he found her; as Jack walked into the loft, Maggie turned to look at him.
‘You had a haircut,’ he said, hovering nervously.
‘I told you last night. You’ve overdone it with the aftershave by the way.’
‘Look, I’m sorry I sounded off last night. I can’t explain it, Maggie, but the first time I met Border, I connected with him somehow. He sparked my imagination. He’s a genius. Imagine what it must feel like to have the ability to fake a Rembrandt and for it to be acclaimed as a genuine masterpiece when his own work is dismissed as worthless. Imagine being able to fool the smartest art experts around the world. And none of them even know you exist. In truth, Mags, I’m fascinated by art forgery, the incredible skill of it, not by Adam. There are many forgers doing what he’s doing.’
She turned, cupping his face between her hands. ‘Thank you for being honest with me.’
‘I love you, Mags.’ Jack took her hands in his. ‘Do you think you could fix my bow tie?’
They went downstairs together, Maggie going into the nursery to check on Charlie. As she joined Jack in the bedroom, they could both hear Hannah whooping and shouting as she and Penny returned from the petting zoo. ‘A tiny goat! I want a tiny goat to keep in my bedroom!’
Jack and Maggie’s eyes widened in unison at the awful thought of Hannah now wanting a goat. Jack was wearing his suit, shirt and jacket.
He stepped into his trousers and tucked the dress shirt into the waist. Then Maggie stood on tiptoe to fix his bow tie.
‘I’m afraid your old brogues aren’t going to work,’ she told him. She rooted around the bottom of the wardrobe for the slip-ons with toggles that he had worn at their wedding, eventually dragging them out and giving them a quick polish with one of Charlie’s wet wipes.
Jack sat on the bed to put the shoes on. They were a very tight fit, which is why he had not worn them for years, but Maggie was right that they looked better with the trousers than the brogues. Jack looked at himself in the long wardrobe mirror and then turned to Maggie for her opinion.
‘I forget how handsome you are, Jack Warr. You look amazing.’ She began to hum the James Bond theme, but it faded quickly as she thought about where he was going and the dangerous game he was playing.
Jack checked that he had the burner phone, as well as his own mobile. He had the invitation in his jacket pocket and a wallet without any Met documents or insignia. At five thirty, it was time for him to leave. He kissed Maggie and was opening the front door just as Penny came out of the kitchen. ‘My God, you look amazing! Where are you going?’
‘Met function,’ Jack lied. ‘No wives unfortunately.’
‘You should have a long white scarf to finish the look, darling. I’ve got one in my room if you want me to fetch it?’
‘No, I’ve got to go, Mum. Don’t want to be late.’ He walked out, closing the door quietly as Maggie joined Penny in the hall.
‘Doesn’t he look handsome,’ Penny beamed. ‘You’d better hope it’s men only, Maggie dear. If any ladies see him dressed like that, they’ll be after him straightaway.’ Maggie laughed, then remembered they had left the light on in Jack’s office so went back upstairs to turn it off.
She rarely, if ever, spent time in there and certainly not alone, but now she glanced over his untidy desk with all his notes and photos cut out of magazines. She began to tidy them up, then, intrigued, sat down in his desk chair and started flicking through them. She stopped with a frown. Jack had written ‘reference to dealer’ and then scribbled ‘Jo Ogden and partner’, which was then crossed out.