Losing It (3 page)

‘It’s a shame David can’t help you,’ Marion says, ‘but we’re starting on the kitchen next week.’

David looks startled. ‘Are we?’ he says.

‘While you’re in the mood,’ Marion says.

‘Fine,’ Jo gives David a look. ‘I can wait.’

Jo orders a Chinese takeaway as a thank you. They sit in her kitchen and eat chop suey, chow mein and crispy pancake rolls. They drink too much wine again.

‘Do you want to come shopping with me tomorrow?’ Marion says to Jo. ‘We could have a girly lunch.’

‘But who’d look after Luke?’ Jo says. Then she blushes. ‘Sorry. Did that sound bad?’

‘David could mind Luke, couldn’t you David?’ Marion says.

‘Suppose so.’

‘That’s settled then,’ says Marion.

Marion and Jo take the bus into town. They choose new curtains for Marion’s kitchen. Jo buys a short white dress in a sale. Marion picks up brochures from a travel agent. They go into a wine bar for lunch and have pasta and big glasses of white wine.

‘You’re such a good pal,’ Jo says. ‘And Luke loves you.’

Marion smiles. ‘It’s nice to have you both living next door,’ she says.

‘It’s hard being on my own,’ Jo says. ‘I hope you don’t mind me borrowing David sometimes?’

‘Of course not,’ Marion says.

They look at the brochures.

‘I’d choose Spain,’ Jo says.

‘I’d love to go to Greece,’ Marion says, ‘but David’s scared of flying.’

‘David’s scared of flying!’ Jo laughs. ‘I never knew that!’

‘Why should you?’ Marion asks.

‘No reason,’ Jo says. She sips her wine and flicks through the brochure.

‘Where do you come from?’ Marion asks.

‘Bridge Town,’ Jo says.

‘That’s funny,’ Marion says. ‘That’s where David’s from.’

‘Well, it’s a big place,’ Jo says. ‘Another glass of wine?’

When they get home Jo comes in for a cup of tea. David and Luke are playing with David’s old Subbuteo game on the kitchen table.

‘Goal!’ shouts David, as they come in. ‘Hi girls, have fun?’

‘It was lovely,’ Marion says. ‘You?’

‘It’s brilliant!’ Luke says. ‘This is a cool game, Mum.’

‘It’s nice for Luke to have a bit of male company,’ Jo says and giggles. ‘You can be his role model, David!’

‘These are the curtains,’ Marion says, getting them out to show. ‘And I got paint charts too.’

‘And I got this in a sale.’ Jo gets her tiny dress out of a bag and holds it up against her.

‘Did you get me anything?’ Luke says.

‘What about this?’ Marion says, bringing a chocolate bar out of her bag.

‘Such a shame you can’t have kids of your own,’ Jo says.

There is a silence.

‘Why can’t you have kids?’ Luke asks.

‘It’s not that we can’t,’ David says. He glares at Jo.

‘Maybe we better go,’ she says. ‘Come on Luke.’

‘She really is a pain in the neck,’ David says when they’ve gone. Angrily, he packs the Subbuteo back in its box.

‘She’s not that bad,’ Marion says. ‘It’s hard for her on her own.’ She gives him a mug of tea. ‘I’m glad you had fun with Luke,’ she says.

‘I’ll watch the match now.’ David takes his tea into the other room. Marion follows him.

‘It still might happen,’ she says. ‘There’s nothing wrong with us.’

David smiles. He puts his tea down and looks at the clock. ‘It’s twenty minutes till kick off,’ he says. ‘Want to give it another try?’

CHAPTER SEVEN

Marion and David decorate the kitchen together. It’s fun. They listen to loud music as they work, and eat fish suppers in the garden. David puts new tiles round the cooker and buys fresh lino for the floor. It’s hot enough to leave the door and windows open and the paint dries quickly.

When it’s finished Jo comes round to see. She brings Marion a bunch of flowers she’s picked from Pat’s garden. Of course it’s Jo’s garden now, but to Marion it’s still Pat’s. Pat put in all the plants and shrubs and spent hours out there watering and weeding.

Marion has baked a cake and they drink sparkling wine. There’s lemonade for Luke, who has his own special glass in the cupboard now. Marion and David are off on holiday on Friday. Marion gives Jo the key. Luke is going to feed Tigger and Jo will keep an eye on the place.

‘The kitchen’s lovely,’ Jo says, looking round.

The evening sun shines on the new tiles and the fresh white paint round the windows.

‘It is, isn’t it?’ Marion says.

‘Have you any of this green paint left over?’ Jo asks. ‘I could use it in my toilet.’

‘A bit,’ says Marion.

‘But we’re keeping it for touch-ups,’ David says.

Marion shows Luke some pictures of Cornwall. ‘We’re going to Tintagel,’ she tells him. ‘It’s where King Arthur lived. Do you know about King Arthur?’

Luke shakes his head.

‘I’ll bring you back a book about him,’ Marion promises.

‘You’re so lucky,’ Jo says. She holds out her glass for some more wine. She gives Luke a hard look and nudges him.

‘What?’ he says. Then, ‘Oh. I wish we could come with you.’

‘Luke!’ Jo says. ‘Really! Marion and David don’t want us with them.’

‘Well …’ begins Marion.

‘No,’ David says. ‘Sorry. It wouldn’t work.’

Jo shrugs. ‘Oh well,’ she says. ‘We’ll look after the house while you’re away.’

‘Tigger will be like my own cat!’ Luke says, grinning all over his face.

‘Have a great holiday,’ Jo says, ‘and happy birthday for next week, Marion.’

‘What’s the betting she’ll turn up?’ David says when she’s gone home.

‘She wouldn’t do that!’ Marion says.

‘She’d better not,’ says David.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The sun shines and the sea sparkles. The holiday cottage is perched on the edge of a cliff. From the garden they can see far out to sea and smell the salt and seaweed. Every day they swim and go for long walks. Some nights they eat at the pub, and some nights they sit in the garden drinking wine, listening to the waves and watching the seagulls swoop over the cliff.

Marion’s birthday is on Friday and they’re going home on Saturday. On Thursday night they have cider and Cornish pasties in the pub, then walk home along the cliff top. The sun is setting on the sea and the waves are like fire.

Marion suddenly feels very sad. ‘What if we never have a baby?’ she says.

David stops. He turns and puts his finger under her chin. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he says.

‘Are you sure?’

‘All I need is you,’ he says.

It sounds so cheesey that Marion laughs.

‘This has been the best holiday ever,’ she says.

‘Who needs to fly?’ David says. ‘Who needs Spain? Who needs Greece?’

‘And Jo never turned up!’ Marion says.

‘Don’t bring her into it,’ David says. He stops and takes an envelope out of his pocket. ‘This is for you,’ he says.

Marion takes it. ‘But it’s not my birthday till tomorrow.’

‘Open it!’ He grins like a little boy.

Marion looks inside the envelope and finds a voucher for a Health Spa. A Beauty Day with a massage, lunch and a facial.

‘For tomorrow,’ David says.

‘Thank you!’ Marion throws her arms round him. ‘I’ve always wanted to do that!’

‘I can drop you off in the morning,’ he says, ‘and pick you up later. We’ll go to that little fish restaurant in the village.’

‘It sounds like a perfect day,’ Marion says. ‘A perfect end to a perfect holiday.’

When they get back Marion goes into the garden to get their swimming things off the washing line. She stands outside in the fresh sea air. She wishes they could stay here for ever. From inside she hears David’s mobile ring. With her arms full of towels she goes into the kitchen.

‘What?’ Marion hears him say. He is turned away from her. His voice sounds shocked. ‘When? How? Oh God. I’ll tell Marion. I’ll ring you back.’

‘What’s up?’ Marion says. She drops the towels on the table.

‘That was Jo,’ David says.

Marion’s heart sinks. ‘What’s happened?’

‘We’ve been burgled.’

Marion puts her hand over her mouth. ‘Oh my God,’ she says.

‘She doesn’t know what to do,’ David says. ‘The police need to know what’s missing.’

‘We’ll have to go straight home,’ Marion says.

‘I don’t know,’ David says. ‘Trust Jo to ruin things.’

‘It’s not her fault!’ says Marion.

‘How did the burglars get in?’ David says. ‘Maybe she left the door unlocked.’

‘I wonder what they’ve taken,’ Marion says. ‘I hope Tigger’s all right.’

‘They wouldn’t steal the cat!’

‘Cats do get stolen,’ Marion points out.

David goes out in the garden and walks up and down, thinking about what to do. Marion starts packing her clothes.

David comes back in. ‘No,’ he says. ‘Stop. I don’t want you to miss your Beauty Day.’

‘But we have to go. We can’t leave Jo to sort it on her own.’

‘I’ll go,’ he says. ‘You can have your day, stay the night in a B&B, then get the train back.’

‘But it’ll cost a fortune!’ Marion says.

‘I don’t care,’ David says. ‘I’m not having your birthday ruined.’

‘But how could I relax?’

‘You will,’ he says. ‘I want you to have your birthday treat. I want you to be pampered.’

David rings Jo. ‘I’m coming back,’ he says. He packs the car and sets off to drive north right through the night.

CHAPTER NINE

In the morning Marion takes a taxi to the Health Spa. She feels like a film star as the taxi carries her up the long tree-lined drive. The Spa is a beautiful, old, red-brick mansion. There’s a fountain, peacocks and a lake with carp.

A receptionist in uniform opens the taxi door and greets Marion. He shows her round and gives her a lunch menu and a fluffy white robe to wear. She books herself a massage for before lunch and a facial for afterwards. She swims in the huge blue pool. She lies on the massage table feeling the warm oily hands of the masseur on her body. She eats a crab salad for her lunch, but she doesn’t enjoy it. She feels sick. She’s worried about the burglary and what’s been taken. She’s worried that David might be angry with Jo. She’s worried about Jo.

After lunch she gets dressed. She goes to reception. ‘I’ve been called away,’ she says. ‘Could you get me a taxi to the station please?’

‘That’s a shame, Madam,’ the receptionist says.

She doesn’t ring David. He wants her to stay and he might try to talk her out of leaving. She stands outside in the sunshine waiting for the taxi. It is so peaceful. She can hear the fountain and a peacock squawking in the distance, but they are the only sounds.

The train gets in at midnight. She takes a taxi and it’s nearly 1 o’clock when she arrives home. She’s exhausted. The light is still on in the kitchen. Instead of going straight in, she stands on tiptoes in the flower bed to look through the kitchen window. She sees David sitting at the table with a glass of wine. And she sees Jo pouring herself a glass. Jo’s wearing the tiny white dress. Marion watches Jo’s mouth moving but she can’t hear what she says. She sees her laughing, and David laughing.

Marion’s hand shakes as she opens the door.

‘Hello,’ she says.

Jo goes white and the smile drops from her face.

David gets up. ‘Marion!’ he says. ‘What are you doing back?’

‘I was worried,’ Marion says. ‘I had to come home.’

She looks around at her new kitchen. The doorframe and windowframe are dusted with fingerprint powder. It looks dirty now.

‘A glass of wine?’ Jo asks.

‘No thanks.’

‘Maybe I should go,’ Jo says.

‘Maybe you should,’ Marion says. ‘Where’s Luke?’

‘At home in bed,’ Jo says. ‘I only just popped in.’

One o’clock in the morning is a funny time to be popping in, Marion thinks.

‘Oh, happy birthday,’ Jo says.

‘It was yesterday.’ Marion looks at the clock.

‘See you later,’ Jo says and she goes home.

David hugs Marion. ‘You must have cut your Beauty Day short.’

‘I left after lunch.’

‘But I paid for a whole day. And what about the B&B?’

‘How could I stay?’

‘Well anyway, I’m glad you’re back.’

‘Are you?’ Marion says.

‘Of course I am!’

David tells her about going to the police station and listing everything that has been taken.

‘What has been taken?’ Marion says.

‘It’s not too bad,’ David says. ‘The DVD recorder. My computer. Some CDs. Some of your jewellery but I’m not sure what.’

‘Oh my God.’

‘We’ll get it all on insurance. The police say we got off lightly. Jo disturbed them.’

‘Jo disturbed them?’

‘She heard a noise and came round.’

‘Did she see them?’

‘Just the back of someone running. A kid.’

Marion goes upstairs. The lock is broken on her jewellery box and the thief has taken a gold chain, a frog-shaped brooch and a ruby and pearl ring. The ring was her granny’s. She won’t get that back on insurance. She sits on the bed and cries. She’s tired. She feels sick. She hates the feeling that a thief has been in her bedroom. Her underwear is all over the floor and all the drawers hang open.

David comes upstairs. ‘Don’t cry,’ he says. ‘I was going to tidy up before you got back.’

‘They took my granny’s ring,’ she says.

‘Bastards,’ says David. He puts his arm round her.

She sniffs. ‘What was Jo doing here?’

‘She saw the light on,’ he says.

‘So?’

‘She couldn’t sleep. She’s scared the burglars might come back to hers.’

‘So? That’s not your problem is it?’

‘We should be grateful to her,’ David says.

‘I don’t like her being round so late when I’m not here.’

David shrugs. ‘Come on,’ he says. ‘You look shattered. Time for bed.’

CHAPTER TEN

In the morning Luke is round to wake them up. Marion gets out of bed to let him in. She’s still half asleep. He gives her a tight hug.

‘I’m glad you’re back,’ he says. ‘Mum was cross while you were away.’

‘I’m glad I’m back too,’ she says.

She puts the kettle on.

‘You looked after Tigger very well,’ she says. ‘Thank you.’