Beyond Life (22 page)

‘You already know what really happened. I’m not making it up. Ask any of the men, any one of them.’ The last words were emphasised and Gary stepped back and studied the captain. He was pleased to see that the man was frightened and that he could still terrorise powerful men, even in his present state of health. He spat in the captain’s face and Saul quickly wiped it off his cheek, the veins in his neck sticking out as he did so.

Saul struggled with his emotions, his fists clenching in and out. He turned around swiftly and ran up the stairs without saying a word. He could kill the man now and knew his crew were loyal to him. But Gary would be off his ship within a matter of hours. He’d bank his money shortly after and would never have to see the bastard again. He hoped he had the illness and that it would soon lay waste to him. He also hoped that he had all the misfortune his enemies wished on him until his time ran out. Saul hurried to his cabin and scrubbed his face until he was satisfied that all traces of the saliva and potentially killer bacteria contained within it had disappeared. He knew the disease couldn’t be transmitted in that way unless he had an open wound, but he was as superstitious as the next man. He had the girls and he had won so why then did he feel like a sad, dirty loser? Maybe it was time to turn legitimate and to say goodbye to Gary and his like for good.

*****

Carol was put out that Mel had asked to sit next to Marion at the dinner. As her eyes drifted to her daughter and her previously sworn enemy she could see they were still getting on like a house on fire, through the first and onto the main course. Graham was talking to Fiona and Carol used the lull in the conversation to look around. It seemed that she wasn’t the only one who was miffed with her daughter. Libby had been leaning across the table talking to her mother and there was silence when Val raised her voice in response.

‘Enough with the questions! I didn’t realise that my love life or lack of it, was of such interest to you lot,’ she pointed to Libby and the twins in turn. Fiona lowered her head and wasn’t included.

‘Mum!’ Libby was embarrassed.

‘Mum nothing. It’s your big day tomorrow and all you and the twins seem interested in is when I’m going to see Gary. What’s wrong with you all?’

‘We have your best interests at heart, Val, that’s all,’ Tony winked at his mother-in-law. ‘We’re happy so we just want you to be too.’

Graham had taken a gulp of beer and he spluttered it over the table at hearing Tony’s words.

‘Dad,’ complained Mel. ‘Can’t take you anywhere.’

‘Bit OTT, son,’ said Graham when everyone looked at him.

The conversation moved on but Graham noticed the look between the twins and Fiona and wondered what they were up to.

It was playing on Graham’s mind when they returned to the hotel later that evening but when he’d tried to discuss it with Carol she wasn’t interested. She was too absorbed by Mel and Marion’s new friendship and bothered that Graham didn’t feel the same way about it. He excused himself and put on his sports kit. Luckily the receptionist was a weightlifting fan and asked Graham for a signed photograph to which he obliged. The receptionist returned the favour and opened the gym for his hero. Graham always found his training therapeutic and he tried to piece together the events of the evening and come up with a logical explanation. He failed to do so but the more he thought the more he was convinced that his boys were up to something and that Val was somehow involved. By the time Graham had finished training he was exhausted but also determined to discover what was going on.

Marion had said goodnight when they returned to the hotel and made her way up to the room she shared with Val, who was having a last drink with Libby before retiring for the night. She took her clothes off and with them disappeared the enforced happy mood of earlier. She removed her make-up and cleaned her teeth, all the time thinking of the evening. She’d had a lovely time talking to Mel who’d turned out to be kind, pleasant and charming, no thanks to her parents, thought Marion. But it had also been a shock to look into those eyes and to recognise the familiar way she flicked back her hair. She’d also sounded exactly like Claire when she’d admonished Graham. Getting into bed Marion laughed at that thought and the laughter soon turned to tears. She still missed Claire so much, and knew she’d always miss her. As she approached that mysterious place between wakefulness and sleep, Marion heard her daughter’s voice.

‘I’m all right, Mum, I really am. I’ve met someone and I’m happy again. It’s time for you to move on now and find someone to share your life with. By the way, you were brill tonight, Mum, really brill.’

Marion smiled to herself as she nodded off. Her baby was happy and pleased with her. All was well with the world.

As Claire left her mother she felt as she used to when work was about to finish on a Friday and she had the whole weekend to look forward to. She smirked to herself as she remembered once wishing she had a tail so she could thump it and everybody would see how happy she was. Those days were long gone but the uncertainties of death that she’d felt when she arrived at Cherussola with Ron were starting to disappear, and she was carving herself a place in this strange and mysterious world. Seeing her mother as a confident self-assured woman earlier had made her happy and so had her peaceful sleeping face just now, but Claire knew that the major source of her current euphoria was Raphael. Her wonderful angel who could take his pick of beautiful and intelligent beings had chosen to be with her. Claire hugged herself and decided to pop in and see how her father was getting on.

Graham looked at the chasm between him and Carol in the king-sized bed. She wasn’t sleeping but was laying on her back with her hands behind her head looking up at the ceiling. She appeared to him to be deep in thought and had already told him that she wasn’t happy about the way he’d looked at Marion earlier. He wondered if they were both happy to give their relationship a second chance as he tried to put Marion out of his head. It was only fair to think about Carol when he was with her and, he admitted to himself, the sex with Carol had always been fantastic. Sensing her eyes on him he didn’t make eye contact but sat up in bed. She turned to him, elbow on the bed now leaning her head on her hand and looking at him intently. He could see she was curious out of the corner of his eye and he straightened his right arm and then bent it and flexed it so his biceps bulged, he did the same with the left, then winked at his lover.

‘I’m almost impressed,’ she said, a slow smile spreading across her face. ‘But surely you can do better than that?’

They seemed happy enough to Claire but she sensed that something wasn’t quite right with her father. Guessing what her father’s performance was leading to, she had no desire to stay around and watch, so disappeared to see what her stepsister was up to.

Graham leapt off the bed and stood up straight. He flexed his arms in turn, making his pectoral muscles twitch and started humming a tune in rhythm to his muscle movements.

‘Bravo, bravo,’ shouted Carol and Graham continued to hum a tune as he stepped out of his boxers, his penis stood smartly erect.

‘Come on then, Big Boy,’ said Carol. ‘Let’s see how good you really are.’

Mel was in the bathroom and had just finished cleaning her teeth. She shivered and goose bumps suddenly appeared on her arms. She turned to look behind her very slowly and let out a big breath when she discovered nobody there. She tutted to herself and made her way to bed. Claire didn’t want to scare her stepsister so left quietly and returned to the others.

*****

The guests were seated comfortably and waiting for the first bride to arrive. The music started and Marion turned around and gasped, not because of how wonderful Fiona looked as she walked down the aisle on her father’s arm, but because Mel had had her hair curled and it could have been Claire that was following Fiona up the aisle, albeit a younger and taller Claire, but Claire nonetheless. Marion wiped away the first tear and tried her best to stem the flow of the others.

Claire also gasped at the younger and taller version of herself, even though she was still preoccupied with what had happened the previous night. She’d wanted to see how her mother coped with meeting Carol but Gabriella hadn’t returned and given her permission to leave. Frustrated, she attempted to move and had been surprised to discover that she could leave of her own volition. She had a lovely time watching them all at the dinner and had surprised herself yet again when she’d been able to pass the message to her mother. Whether or not her mother thought it a dream didn’t really matter. Claire had noticed a new bounce in her step this morning and she was different somehow. Saying that, she hadn’t seen her for a while and the difference might have happened previously without Claire noticing.

Jim and Fiona’s wedding went like a dream and Claire was so absorbed in the proceedings that she didn’t hear Ron and Sandy arrive. She jumped and a sudden breeze lifted one of the gazebo curtains. Fiona and Jim looked at each other knowingly and Marion smiled to herself.

Ron shook his head. ‘You’ve got them all thinking they can sense you now you bloody Looney! What’s Gabriella going to say.’

‘Shhh,’ Claire tried not to laugh or do anything that would cause objects to move. She still hadn’t fully mastered her new talent and weddings made her too emotional to attempt to control those talents now. ‘Let’s just enjoy the ceremonies and talk about this later.’

Ron agreed, especially as the wedding ceremony concluded and the guests were enjoying a small break while Jim and Fiona signed the register. Libby and Tony’s blessing would follow.

The ceremonies were followed by a lovely meal and some dancing to a live band in the evening. Marion was hot from too much dancing and an inconvenient flush so decided to wander outside into the cool breeze. Seeing Carol and Mel still absorbed in the music on the dance floor, Graham followed Marion onto the beach.

‘Beautiful isn’t it.’

She wasn’t surprised to hear his voice as she’d seen him approaching the exit when she was leaving.

‘It certainly is,’ Marion kept it short, hoping he’d take a hint and leave her in peace.

‘I miss our holidays.’

She looked at her ex-husband in amazement, wondering what planet he was currently occupying. ‘Graham, when we were on holiday you were more than likely wishing you were with Carol.’

‘Not all the time,’ he drew a pattern in the sand with his foot and Marion knew him well enough to know he wanted something, but she wasn’t sure what.

She wanted to be on her own and he was getting on her nerves. ‘What do you want, Graham?’

‘Do you think...’ he stopped, struggling to find the right words and Marion had no idea what was coming next. ‘Would you ever give me another chance?’ he let out a long breath. There, it was out. He didn’t expect her reaction.

Firstly, her mouth fell open of its own accord. Then the surprise turned to incredulity and she couldn’t actually believe he was serious. Marion laughed hysterically. She knew her ex-husband wasn’t the most intelligent man in the world, but for him to honestly think that she’d consider getting back together with him was hilarious. It was so funny that she was out of control and had to cross her legs so she didn’t have an accident.

‘I assume that’s a definite no then?’ he wasn’t laughing and Marion nodded her head as vigorously as she could, still in hysterics.

‘So this is where you got to,’ Carol didn’t like the scene in front of her eyes but tried not to show it. ‘What’s the joke?’

Graham looked to Marion to help him but calming down now, she decided to let her pig of an ex-husband get himself out of this particular pickle.

‘We were just reminiscing about some of the antics the twins got up to when they were young and Marion was laughing about how they used to pull the wool over my eyes.’

‘Must have been really funny,’ said Carol looking at Marion for affirmation. None was forthcoming and she wondered what had really gone on.

‘I’ll leave you two to star gaze. Thanks for the laugh, Graham. I’m glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humour,’ she returned to the party and Carol watched her chuckling away to herself until she disappeared through the door.

‘What was all that about?’

‘I honestly don’t know.’ Carol saw the bewildered look on her partner’s face and believed him, though her gut told her that something had gone on but she had no idea what.

Claire watched her father make an idiot of himself and couldn’t quite believe what she’d witnessed. She understood why he’d had a nervous breakdown after her death and the break-up of both of his relationships, but she still thought that deep down, he was an honest man. Claire thought that he’d fallen madly in love with Carol and that had made him deceitful but it was only now that the penny dropped and she realised that the man she’d loved and looked up to for years was actually weak, deceitful and dishonest. It didn’t make her love him any less, but she certainly found it harder to like him. She would have been embarrassed had Ron and Sandy witnessed the scene with her parents and was grateful that they were watching the shenanigans inside.

The day had gone like a dream as far as Ron was concerned and he couldn’t believe that he’d been lucky enough to attend both of his daughter’s ceremonies. Ron had been over the moon when Claire told him later that Libby had asked Tony if her father had been at their blessing. Tony had replied that Claire had been so there was a good chance that he had too.

The guests had enjoyed themselves and the day was coming to an end. The happy couples retired to their respective honeymoon suites and Val had once again refused to divulge her plans for the rest of the holiday when Marion enquired.

Most of the guests were staying at the hotel the day following the wedding and intended to disperse the day after. Graham, Carol and Mel had booked another week so that he could compete in the European weight-lifting championship five days later. The newlyweds enjoyed a lie-in and leisurely breakfast then surfaced to swim, chill and socialise with their guests later in the day. They knew that Val was due to check out the following morning and prior to the ceremonies, the couples had agreed that the twins would follow Val and the girls would stay at the hotel and keep in touch by phone and email. Val’s safety and the capture of Gary were paramount and neither couple thought twice about delaying their honeymoon. Oblivious to the fact that the twins were following her, Val made her way to the ferry booking office, excited that she’d see Gary the next day. In their turn, the twins were initially oblivious to the fact that their father was following them. Val exited the office and Jim followed her. Looking at the posters in the window Tony thought that the booking office was purely for ferries to and from Algeria. He tested this theory by asking the booking clerk on entering the shop. The woman spoke excellent English and confirmed his assumption. She also told him that the journey time was approximately 8 hours and the next ferry was due to leave at 9am the following day.