when he'd finished he turned to Tom.
"Tom, you and Mrs. Williams were about to decide whether or not to trust us. Now, we have to ask Jay the same question and we may not have much time. The other reporters will be tracing and talking to the eyewitnesses of both Friday and tonight's incidents in an attempt to identify Jay, and identify her they will, eventually."
Ben's mobile and the house phone rang simultaneously. Tom picked up the house phone and Ben answered his mobile. Tom slammed down his phone and Ben spoke curtly into his and then got to his feet.
"That was the press wasn't it Tom? I just got a call from the studio. Someone's tipped them off about Jay."
"They'll be on their way,” Cassie said, grabbing her equipment. “I suggest the three of you come with us. We'll get you out of town and book into a hotel while you decide what you want to do."
Tom hesitated but his wife snatched up her handbag. “Come on, Tom,” she said. “Let's go before they get here. It's for the best, Jay."
"Don't worry about packing,” Cassie said. “We'll stop at an all night superstore and pick up anything you need."
Jay looked bewildered and upset but didn't argue. “What's going to happen to me?” she asked, as they all piled into Cassie's car. “Why can't I just be like everybody else?"
Ben gently squeezed her arm in a reassuring gesture. “Why can't you be like everyone else? My wife's been asking me that for years."
His quip was greeted by laughter that broke the tension and Cassie sped away from the house.
* * * *
Carl found Mary crying in the kitchen and holding a cold compress to her scalp. She told him what happened; he erupted and rushed out of the kitchen and into the lounge.
She went after him in time to see Alex being slammed against the wall. Mary, who had never seen Alex looking scared before, didn't blame him for looking terrified now, because Carl had him pinned against the wall by his throat. Carl's other hand was fisted and he drew his arm back preparing to smash his fist into Alex's face.
"No, Carl!” Mary rushed over and grabbed his arm. “He's not worth getting into trouble over.” She could feel his trembling rage but then he looked at her, nodded, lowered his fist and removed the hand that had been clamped around Alex's throat.
"You're right, he's bloody well not. But I'm warning you,” he growled at the ashen faced Alex, “you ever touch Mary again and I'll feed your bollocks to my dog."
Alex gave a sickly smile and massaged his neck. “Look mate, I'm sorry, ok? I didn't realise you and Mary had become an item. But I'm still going to split the two hundred pounds, fifty-fifty with you."
"What two hund..."
"You didn't give me a chance to tell you about it, mate,” Alex said. “You know that blue light Sophie was covered in? Well, it was Jay Williams who did it, healed her, I mean. She did it again tonight to a bloke who fell through a shop window. It was on the news."
"That's why he split the coffee on me,” Mary said. “I was with Jay when she healed Sophie. It knocked Jay about really bad and she couldn't remember anything about it, and was terrified in case it ever happened again. When I saw the news on TV, Alex heard me say, ‘Oh Jay, not again.’ and well you know the rest."
Alex shrugged. “Of course I wouldn't have hurt Mary, if I'd have known..."
"You've already done that bit,” Carl said. “Now tell us about the money."
"Well, that's why I needed to make sure it was Williams,” Alex said. “No one knew who Williams was because the security camera film was so bad. So I phoned up the TV News desk and asked for the editor. Told him straight I did. It would cost them two hundred quid for her name and address. I should have asked for five, because he bit my arm off so fast..."
God, he'd told them who Jay was! The BASTARD! Mary, the shy, quiet girl from chapel, had heard of righteous anger. But it was more of a righteous fury, like a stream of molten metal flowing down
"Tom, you and Mrs. Williams were about to decide whether or not to trust us. Now, we have to ask Jay the same question and we may not have much time. The other reporters will be tracing and talking to the eyewitnesses of both Friday and tonight's incidents in an attempt to identify Jay, and identify her they will, eventually."
Ben's mobile and the house phone rang simultaneously. Tom picked up the house phone and Ben answered his mobile. Tom slammed down his phone and Ben spoke curtly into his and then got to his feet.
"That was the press wasn't it Tom? I just got a call from the studio. Someone's tipped them off about Jay."
"They'll be on their way,” Cassie said, grabbing her equipment. “I suggest the three of you come with us. We'll get you out of town and book into a hotel while you decide what you want to do."
Tom hesitated but his wife snatched up her handbag. “Come on, Tom,” she said. “Let's go before they get here. It's for the best, Jay."
"Don't worry about packing,” Cassie said. “We'll stop at an all night superstore and pick up anything you need."
Jay looked bewildered and upset but didn't argue. “What's going to happen to me?” she asked, as they all piled into Cassie's car. “Why can't I just be like everybody else?"
Ben gently squeezed her arm in a reassuring gesture. “Why can't you be like everyone else? My wife's been asking me that for years."
His quip was greeted by laughter that broke the tension and Cassie sped away from the house.
* * * *
Carl found Mary crying in the kitchen and holding a cold compress to her scalp. She told him what happened; he erupted and rushed out of the kitchen and into the lounge.
She went after him in time to see Alex being slammed against the wall. Mary, who had never seen Alex looking scared before, didn't blame him for looking terrified now, because Carl had him pinned against the wall by his throat. Carl's other hand was fisted and he drew his arm back preparing to smash his fist into Alex's face.
"No, Carl!” Mary rushed over and grabbed his arm. “He's not worth getting into trouble over.” She could feel his trembling rage but then he looked at her, nodded, lowered his fist and removed the hand that had been clamped around Alex's throat.
"You're right, he's bloody well not. But I'm warning you,” he growled at the ashen faced Alex, “you ever touch Mary again and I'll feed your bollocks to my dog."
Alex gave a sickly smile and massaged his neck. “Look mate, I'm sorry, ok? I didn't realise you and Mary had become an item. But I'm still going to split the two hundred pounds, fifty-fifty with you."
"What two hund..."
"You didn't give me a chance to tell you about it, mate,” Alex said. “You know that blue light Sophie was covered in? Well, it was Jay Williams who did it, healed her, I mean. She did it again tonight to a bloke who fell through a shop window. It was on the news."
"That's why he split the coffee on me,” Mary said. “I was with Jay when she healed Sophie. It knocked Jay about really bad and she couldn't remember anything about it, and was terrified in case it ever happened again. When I saw the news on TV, Alex heard me say, ‘Oh Jay, not again.’ and well you know the rest."
Alex shrugged. “Of course I wouldn't have hurt Mary, if I'd have known..."
"You've already done that bit,” Carl said. “Now tell us about the money."
"Well, that's why I needed to make sure it was Williams,” Alex said. “No one knew who Williams was because the security camera film was so bad. So I phoned up the TV News desk and asked for the editor. Told him straight I did. It would cost them two hundred quid for her name and address. I should have asked for five, because he bit my arm off so fast..."
God, he'd told them who Jay was! The BASTARD! Mary, the shy, quiet girl from chapel, had heard of righteous anger. But it was more of a righteous fury, like a stream of molten metal flowing down
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