‘It int no good you going through all them again, we done that already an’ never found nothing’ Charlene watches with a scornful look on her face.
‘I know’ Ingrid murmurs, licking her finger and turning another page in the file she is rereading ‘but there’s got to be something somewhere to explain it, things don’t just disappear’ She frowns and flicks back a page then reaches for a file she has already gone through.
Charlene sighs and turns back to her computer ‘Well I got t’put all these new prices in, I int got time t’do nothing else’
‘Nobody’s asking you to, this is as much for my peace of mind as anything. I want to be absolutely sure it’s not our fault’
‘It int mine! I done everything I was supposed to, same as what I done before’
‘Nobody’s blaming you either’ Ingrid closes her eyes and sighs ‘What you don’t seem to have grasped is that wherever it’s gone wrong, whoever is to blame, if there is any blame that is, if it keeps on happening we could be missing big contracts. I’m not talking the regular things where we do most of everything over the phone, I’m talking new work. We need new work, Charlene, or eventually we’re going to go belly up and we’ll all be looking for jobs, Got it?’
Charlene shrugs ‘I got a certificate now, I can get another job and you don’t need one what with your big house and everything. You’re nearly retiring anyway’
Charlene shrugs again ‘I dunno do I?’
‘And that’s as much as you care, isn’t it? You’ve changed, Charlene, and I can’t say I like what you’ve become. After all Nathan’s done for you I’d have thought you’d been a bit more bothered. You wouldn’t be where you are now if it hadn’t been for him and you certainly wouldn’t have any bloody certificate to take anywhere!’
‘Shane says what I got rights’
‘Shane, who’s Shane when he’s at home?’
‘E’s me boyfriend, int he’ Charlene tosses her head in response to Ingrid’s squint of perplexity ‘He says what I don’t have to take no crap if I don’t want and Nathan shouldn’t go around accusing people if they int done nothing, he says what I ought t’sue him if he keeps on’
‘You what!’ Ingrid gapes and shakes her head ‘I’ve never heard anything so bloody stupid in all my life! Sue Nathan? For God’s sake, girl, get some sense and damn well get yourself a new boyfriend while you’re at it. You owe Nathan big time and don’t you ever forget it!’
‘You said what he was a bully an’ all’ she huffs triumphantly ‘That int allowed’
‘Nathan said I was one, so do you intend suing me as well? Let’s get this straight, shall we?’ Ingrid glowers and raps the end of her pen on the desk. ‘Nathan would be the first to admit he’s got a temper but he is NOT a bully! That was something said between friends and it was a joke for crying out loud! Neither of us meant it literally. Perhaps you’d be better off learning to tell the difference before you go moaning to this boyfriend of yours’ she points the pen at her ‘You try suing and see how far you get. They’d laugh you out of court. Be thankful you’ve got a bloody job let alone one with a boss like him. There’s not many as easy going as he is. You should be counting your lucky stars not picking him up on everything he does!’
‘Yeah, well’ Charlene sulks ‘Shane says...’
‘Didn’t you hear anything I said?’ Ingrid rubs two fingers between her brows and exhales noisily ‘forget it’ she says and returns to the files ‘you get on with your job and I’ll get on with mine’
‘You won’t find nothing’
‘Then maybe I’ll find SOMEthing, might I?’ Ingrid snaps and snatches another file from the pile.
Samms Plant Hire, Oatfield
Chapter Thirty-six
Milliwick Village Library
‘Let’s have a look then, before the others come’ Jessie twists in her seat at the computer and takes hold of Stephanie’s hand ‘Oh, isn’t that beautiful!’
‘I thought so’ Stephanie lays her hand flat and splays her fingers to display her engagement ring. ‘It was the first one we saw that I wanted to try on and it fitted perfectly, so that was that’
‘You say that as though Nathan wasn’t keen’ Jessie gives her hand a little shake.
‘He’d have bought me something the size of an egg if he’d had his way’ she laughs ‘but I liked this one’
‘It’s so delicate...no, elegant is a better word’ Jessie bends Stephanie’s knuckle and takes another look at the square mounted solitaire. ‘You couldn’t wear anything too big, not with your little hands; it’d look like you got it from Woollies’
‘Yep! I know’ she sighs, smiling indulgently ‘But I still had to try on a load of others just to shut him up. It took nearly an hour to persuade him I wasn’t looking at the price tag and this really was the one I liked best out of the lot and that was after I’d tried them all on’ she sits at the work station next to Jessie’s ‘Although...’ she says leaning forward slightly ‘I did manage to steer him away from anything without a price on, not that I saw one nicer than this’ she turns the ring one way and then the other, enjoying the sparkle of the diamond.
‘Know what you mean’ Jessie lowers her voice as well ‘If you have to ask, you can’t afford it’
‘I’d be afraid to wear something that expensive’ Stephanie makes a face ‘and I wouldn’t want to wear a bit of glass and shove the real one in the bank or something. This is just right!’ she declares proudly and holds her hand to the light again. ‘I’ve got to stop doing that; people’ll think I’m nuts’ she giggles.
‘It’s fun being nutty once in a while’ Jessie smiles wistfully ‘Did you have a good weekend while you were at it?’ she asks, touching a hand to Stephanie’s knee but immediately raising it again and slapping it down ‘Not while you were ‘at it’ at it’ she titters ‘Flip, I meant was it nice in London...the theatre...the whole thing’
‘All of it was wonderful’ Steph lowers her eyes and laughs, covering her face as a blush rises to her cheeks.
‘Girl talk’ Jessie winks and mimes zipping her mouth ‘But I’m glad’ she confides and squeezes Stephanie’s knee. ‘You’re going to be very happy, I know it’
‘Definitely’
They sit for a few moments in companionable silence. ‘I suppose you’ve heard my news?’ Jessie says with a small sigh.
Stephanie takes a quick look around for other members of the group before moving closer to her ‘Nathan told me’ she says quietly ‘I’m really sorry, I know you were set on it being your brother. It’s so sad, all of it, isn’t it?’
‘It is. I’m waiting to hear back if I can or not but I’ve said I’ll arrange a funeral for him, all the trimmings, you know. I’ve sort of become attached even though he’s nothing to do with me after all. Something quiet...but with a bit more dignity than ending up as mulch for the roses’
‘Aaaw, that’s really nice. I think there are quite a few people following the story, they’ll probably go and I expect the local paper will as well’
‘As long as he’s remembered by somebody’
‘Once you’ve got to grips with everything’ Stephanie nods at the computer monitor ‘You might be able to trace your brother, you never know. If that’s what you wanted to do, I mean. Sorry, that was a bit blunt, I didn’t mean to sound so cheerful about it’
‘It’s alright’ Jessie rubs her thanks on Stephanie’s arm. ‘The lady police officer said much the same...well, that I could find someone to do it. I’m not sure I want to but I am thinking about it’
‘I keep on at Nathan about trying to find his mum and his sister....’
‘Oh, I’d let sleeping dogs lie, if I were you’ Jessie’s eyes widen and she shakes a ‘No’ with one hand ‘There’s no love lost there. Upped and cleared off after his Dad died, wicked, wicked woman! He was only a lad. You leave that one alone, he’s better off without her. I know that makes me sound nearly as wicked as she does but he might well’ve ended up in the nick or worse and she couldn’t have cared one jot! If it hadn’t been for Eric and Marj, that’s probably just what would have happened’ Jessie puts a hand over her mouth ‘Sorry, my tongue running away with me again. Forget I said anything’
‘It’s okay, I know all about it, Nathan’s told me already...about the drugs and everything. I hadn’t realised it was quite as bad as that with his Mum, though’
‘Oh, yes’ Jessie nods, her eyes losing some of their sparkle ‘If you want some advice, don’t mention it again. If he does, all well and good but otherwise, I’d let it drop’
‘Okay’ she nods slowly and seeing another of their group coming in the door and two more making their way across the car park, Stephanie stands up. ‘I suppose I’d better start talking computers or I’ll get the sack’ She touches Jessie’s shoulder as she passes behind her. ‘You know what? Me and you ought to have a girly night out some time. It’d be a laugh’
‘Ooooh, count me in!’ Jessie beams up at her ‘When there’s football on, eh?’
‘Sounds like a plan’
