Read Online Every Time We Say Goodbye by Colette Caddle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Colette Caddle
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business dinners . . .’ She stopped at the puzzled look on Matthews’ face. ‘What?’
‘Well, my dear, Dominic was a hard worker but he usually left the office by five thirty, six at the latest. As for dinners, given these difficult times we cut the expense accounts of all management eighteen months ago; entertaining clients was vetoed.’
‘So, where was he?’ Marianne wondered aloud.
‘I’m afraid I have no idea.’
It took a moment for Marianne to twig why he was looking uncomfortable. ‘You think he was with a woman?’ She smiled at the ludicrous idea. Between his erratic moods and heavy workload, Dominic wouldn’t have had the time or patience for another woman. But he wasn’t working long hours, she reminded herself, and perhaps another woman might account for his ambivalence towards her. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind; she would reflect on it later. ‘How much did he take from the company?’ she asked, thinking of the dwindling current account and their modest deposit account; nothing made sense.
Matthews shook his head. ‘It’s too early to say for sure, but we are talking six figures.’
She stared at him, stunned. ‘I don’t know what to say. I had no idea what he was up to, I assure you; he certainly didn’t lodge the money in our accounts,’ she paused and looked at him, ‘if you want to check—’
Matthews held up a hand, looking embarrassed. ‘Your openness and honesty makes it even more difficult for me to tell you, Marianne, but I’m afraid there is no possibility of us honouring your pension at this moment in time. Happily, I’m sure that his life assurance will be substantial—’
‘They are contesting our claim,’ she said. ‘Traces of drugs showed up in the post-mortem results.’
Matthews looked at her, his eyes full of pity. ‘My dear girl, I am so sorry. It seems wrong that you and your family should suffer like this. Let me talk to the other partners about this and see if there is anything we can do.’
‘Thank you, I appreciate that.’
‘I’ll have a courier pick up the laptop this afternoon if that’s okay.’
‘Of course.’
‘Thank you. Oh, forgive me for asking but would you mind if we borrowed his phone too?’
‘I don’t have it; the police suspect it may have been stolen in the restaurant.’
‘How despicable,’ Matthews said, glancing surreptitiously at his watch.
‘I must go.’ Marianne stood up. Her legs felt shaky and she steadied herself on the arm of the chair.
‘Are you okay to drive?’ he asked, looking at her in concern. ‘I could get someone to drop you and you could collect your car tomorrow.’
‘I’m fine.’
‘I doubt that.’ He shook her hand and sighed. ‘I am sorry to have been the bearer of such shocking news.’
‘Will you let me know if there are any developments?’
‘Of course.’
Marianne drove around the corner and parked before she broke down. As the tears ran down her cheeks, she clenched the steering wheel for support, her whole body trembling; she had never felt as frightened in her life. How was she to manage with no income, no savings and two children and Dot to support? Her breaths came in short, fast gasps and she realized she was having a panic attack. She concentrated on her breathing, willing herself to calm down; she couldn’t go home in this state. What the hell was she going to tell Dot? Realizing that she couldn’t face her mother-in-law yet, she turned on the ignition, turned the car around and set out for Johnny Sheridan’s builders’ yard.
She sighed in relief when she saw his distinctive maroon Mercedes and parked rather haphazardly behind it. She wiped her eyes, blew her nose and picked her way through the dirt towards the Portakabin that served as Johnny’s office.
‘Yeah?’
She opened the door and stood uncertainly in the doorway as he continued to type, his head bent over his keyboard. ‘Bad time?’
‘Marianne.’ He immediately pushed away
‘Well, my dear, Dominic was a hard worker but he usually left the office by five thirty, six at the latest. As for dinners, given these difficult times we cut the expense accounts of all management eighteen months ago; entertaining clients was vetoed.’
‘So, where was he?’ Marianne wondered aloud.
‘I’m afraid I have no idea.’
It took a moment for Marianne to twig why he was looking uncomfortable. ‘You think he was with a woman?’ She smiled at the ludicrous idea. Between his erratic moods and heavy workload, Dominic wouldn’t have had the time or patience for another woman. But he wasn’t working long hours, she reminded herself, and perhaps another woman might account for his ambivalence towards her. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind; she would reflect on it later. ‘How much did he take from the company?’ she asked, thinking of the dwindling current account and their modest deposit account; nothing made sense.
Matthews shook his head. ‘It’s too early to say for sure, but we are talking six figures.’
She stared at him, stunned. ‘I don’t know what to say. I had no idea what he was up to, I assure you; he certainly didn’t lodge the money in our accounts,’ she paused and looked at him, ‘if you want to check—’
Matthews held up a hand, looking embarrassed. ‘Your openness and honesty makes it even more difficult for me to tell you, Marianne, but I’m afraid there is no possibility of us honouring your pension at this moment in time. Happily, I’m sure that his life assurance will be substantial—’
‘They are contesting our claim,’ she said. ‘Traces of drugs showed up in the post-mortem results.’
Matthews looked at her, his eyes full of pity. ‘My dear girl, I am so sorry. It seems wrong that you and your family should suffer like this. Let me talk to the other partners about this and see if there is anything we can do.’
‘Thank you, I appreciate that.’
‘I’ll have a courier pick up the laptop this afternoon if that’s okay.’
‘Of course.’
‘Thank you. Oh, forgive me for asking but would you mind if we borrowed his phone too?’
‘I don’t have it; the police suspect it may have been stolen in the restaurant.’
‘How despicable,’ Matthews said, glancing surreptitiously at his watch.
‘I must go.’ Marianne stood up. Her legs felt shaky and she steadied herself on the arm of the chair.
‘Are you okay to drive?’ he asked, looking at her in concern. ‘I could get someone to drop you and you could collect your car tomorrow.’
‘I’m fine.’
‘I doubt that.’ He shook her hand and sighed. ‘I am sorry to have been the bearer of such shocking news.’
‘Will you let me know if there are any developments?’
‘Of course.’
Marianne drove around the corner and parked before she broke down. As the tears ran down her cheeks, she clenched the steering wheel for support, her whole body trembling; she had never felt as frightened in her life. How was she to manage with no income, no savings and two children and Dot to support? Her breaths came in short, fast gasps and she realized she was having a panic attack. She concentrated on her breathing, willing herself to calm down; she couldn’t go home in this state. What the hell was she going to tell Dot? Realizing that she couldn’t face her mother-in-law yet, she turned on the ignition, turned the car around and set out for Johnny Sheridan’s builders’ yard.
She sighed in relief when she saw his distinctive maroon Mercedes and parked rather haphazardly behind it. She wiped her eyes, blew her nose and picked her way through the dirt towards the Portakabin that served as Johnny’s office.
‘Yeah?’
She opened the door and stood uncertainly in the doorway as he continued to type, his head bent over his keyboard. ‘Bad time?’
‘Marianne.’ He immediately pushed away
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