Although it had probably made my life a little easier that he hadn’t.
I arrived home just after seven-thirty.
During the journey, I had called Georgina on my hands-free.
‘Are you home?’ I’d asked.
‘No. I’m still in Harrogate. Mum was so disappointed when I tried to tell her at breakfast that I was leaving today that I didn’t have the heart to go. But I have booked my ticket for tomorrow. The train is due to get in to Didcot just after six, but I’ll call you from Paddington to confirm I’m on it.’
‘All right. I’ll be there.’
I walked into the house feeling quite low. Not only would Toni have recently landed at Cincinnati, but it was also the end of the five days of Royal Ascot.
The excitement was over for another year.
I often had similar emotions at the conclusion of the other great four- and five-day annual racing festivals — Cheltenham in March, Goodwood in July, and then York in August — even though I always found them totally exhausting at the time.
I was like the schoolboy who couldn’t wait for the term to end and the holidays to begin, only then to find that he was missing all his classmates.
I went upstairs to change, putting my morning-dress back in its protective sleeve in the wardrobe, and my top hat in its box, ready for next year.
In its place, I put on jeans and a polo shirt and went back downstairs, feeling much more comfortable. But I was hungry, so I went in search of something to eat. However, it was all a bit Old Mother Hubbard in the kitchen, insofar as not only was the cupboard bare, but also the fridge and the freezer.
Six days without Georgina being here, and without her usual weekly Waitrose delivery, had clearly taken its toll on the Newton family food stocks. There was not even enough milk left for me to have a bowl of cereal.
I reached for my phone and dialled.
‘The Red Lion.’
‘Hi, Jack,’ I said. ‘It’s Chester Newton here. Are you serving food this evening?’
‘We sure are. Last orders at nine o’clock.’
The cooker clock showed me it was ten to eight.
‘Do you have room for one more?’
‘No problem,’ he said. ‘The restaurant is full, but I’ll find you a place in the bar.’
‘That’ll be fine. Thanks. I’ll be along shortly.’
I poured myself a glass of red wine, the regular cheap stuff this time, rather than the Châteauneuf-du-Pape I had shared with Toni.
I’d just have one glass now, I thought, before going to the pub, where a glass of Merlot cost almost as much as a whole bottle at home. Then I’d buy a second glass to have with my dinner.
I stood by the kitchen sink, looking out the window at the lawn, with the stables and paddock beyond. At least the earlier rain would have done the grass some good, as it had begun to turn brown in the heat of the past week.
I finished my wine and put the glass down in the sink.
That’s odd, I thought. There was another glass already in the sink, a tumbler, and I was sure it hadn’t been there when I’d left that morning.
Was I going mad?
I shook my head. I must have just missed it during my cleanup.
The rain had stopped, and there was even a hint of watery evening sunshine as I walked around to the Red Lion, which was packed, with many of the customers having spilled out into the garden with their drinks.
‘I’ve saved you a space,’ Jack said breathlessly as he saw me come in. ‘It’s crazy here tonight. Everyone’s celebrating England’s win at the Euros.’
‘Who did we beat?’ I asked.
He looked at me as if I were from another planet.
‘Germany,’ he said. ‘On penalties. Didn’t you watch it?’
‘I was at Ascot,’ I said. ‘I had a runner.’
He shook his head in disbelief.
Jack showed me to my table, a small one in the corner of the bar.
‘Here do?’ he asked.
‘Lovely.’
He handed me the menu. ‘I’ve run out of the fishcakes. Everything else is good. Specials on the board.’ He pointed at a blackboard hanging on the wall. ‘Drink?’
‘Large Merlot, please.’
He went off to fetch it while I studied what was on offer.
‘Here you are,’ he said, returning and putting the glass of red on the table. ‘Have you decided?’
‘I’ll have the Red Lion Burger.’
‘Good choice. Fries and onion rings, or a salad?’
I now looked at him as if he were from another planet.
He laughed. ‘Fries and onion rings, then. Starter?’
‘No thanks,’ I said. ‘Just the burger.’
‘Coming up.’
Jack hurried off towards the kitchen with my order while I had some of the wine and did some more thinking.
‘Is this chair free?’ asked a female voice from somewhere above my head.
I looked up to see a young woman staring down at me.
‘Oh, hello, Mr Newton. I was wondering if this chair is free.’
She pointed at the chair opposite mine at the table.
‘Of course,’ I said. ‘Sorry, I don’t know your name.’
‘Louise Bannister,’ she said. ‘I was in Amanda’s class at primary school.’
She pulled the chair out and sat down on it.
‘That’s better.’ She smiled. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t stand for very long at the moment.’ She clasped her hands around her expansive front. ‘I’m eight months gone. Can’t wait to get the little bleeder out now.’
‘It must be a very happy time for you,’ I said.
‘You’ve got to be joking,’ she said with a forced laugh. ‘It’s a bloody disaster. It’s totally screwed my plans to go to college this year, and the father pissed off as soon as he saw the positive test. My mum is furious with me, but she can’t really talk. I was a mistake too.’ She laughed again.
Perhaps I should be more grateful that our family doctor, Duncan Matthews, had been prescribing the contraceptive pill for Amanda these past three years. I had another sip of wine.
‘How is Amanda?’ Louise asked.
‘She’s fine,’ I said. ‘She’s living in Didcot at the moment, with her boyfriend.’ I didn’t mention that her boyfriend’s flat was immediately above an Indian takeaway, with its all-invasive aroma of curry.
Jack arrived with my burger.
‘More wine?’ he asked, looking at my almost empty glass.
How did that happen?
‘Yes, please.’ I said. ‘How about you Louise? Glass of wine?’
She smiled but shook her head. ‘I’m afraid I’m off alcohol at the moment.’ She tapped her bump. Then she stood up. ‘I’ll let you eat your dinner in peace.’
‘You’re welcome to stay.’
‘Thanks, but I’m all right now. I just needed to give my back a rest for a minute. Give my best to Amanda.’
‘I will.’
Louise went back to the group she was with while I tucked in to my food, which was excellent.
I went back to thinking — trying to make a mental list of people who could be Squeaky Voice. That was assuming I knew him in the first place. If he were a complete stranger, I’d have no chance of finding him.
I finished my burger and debated with myself whether to have yet another glass of wine. In the end, I passed the motion in my head to have another one at home, so I stood up and went to the bar.
‘All good?’ Jack asked as I presented my contactless card for payment.
‘Great,’ I said. ‘Thanks for fitting me in.’
‘No problem,’ he said. ‘Always room for a member of the Newton family. It was good to see James in here earlier.’
‘Earlier?’ I said. ‘What? Earlier today?’