‘Stone me, you’ve got legs!’ Daniel looks down from Viv’s face and laughs ‘Think I’ve only ever seen you from the waist up’

‘What d’you think I got, bleedin’ wheels?’ she steps over the threshold, prodding him in the chest as she passes into the hall ‘And I know damned well you’ve seen me out in the street’

‘What’s up, you dunning me for eating too many peanuts off the bar?’ he thrusts his hand into his jeans pocket and pulls out some small change, laying his palm flat and counting it with the first finger of his other hand  ‘I’m a bit short, will you take a cheque?’

‘No’ Uninvited and without so much as a smile, Viv walks into the sitting room ‘And it’s seeing me in the street that I’ve come to talk to you about..apologise.....explain’ she begins to look less confident then when he first answered the door.

‘You don’t have to explain anything to me’ Daniel says, walking around her as she stands in the middle of the room ‘Squat your bot and I’ll get us a drink’

‘No, nothing for me, thanks’

‘Sit down anyway, alright? Not sure why you’d want to explain something that’s none of my business’ he perches on the arm of a chair ‘Your private life is just that, private’

‘Try telling that to the rest of the village’ Viv laughs without much humour ‘Not that I mind’ she adds swiftly  ‘It actually suits me to have them think I’m little better than a whore but....’ her words come to an abrupt halt and she looks even more uncomfortable, still standing the few feet away from him.

‘But what?’

‘Somehow it seemed important you didn’t think of me like that’ she says after a long pause ‘You needn’t panic, I’m not after your body’ her cheeks glow with embarrassment and her eyes look over bright ‘Good God! You’ve got a good ten years on me; I’d need more than a ruddy paper bag, total blackout more like’

Daniel grins ‘Don’t talk daft’

‘Bless your heart’ she looks at him properly for the first time, a grateful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth ‘Twenty years ago I could strut with the best and I’d probably stood half a chance then. I’m not daft, just realistic...besides, that’s not what this is all about’

‘I don’t need explanations, I told you that’

‘But I jumped down your throat for no reason at all except......’ she emits a low groan and her shoulders drop ‘don’t ask me why but I thought you’d have more sense than believe gossip....and now, like I said...’

‘Viv, it doesn’t matter. It’s forgotten. I was just sorry I’d upset you, that’s all, especially since I was trying my damndest to pay you a compliment’

‘Thanks, sweetheart’

‘Don’t thank me! It’s the truth, don’t do yourself down’

‘You’re not even curious?’

‘About your young men?’ Daniel lifts his eyebrows then pushes down on his thighs, stretching his arms in a vaguely modest gesture ‘I write fiction’ he shrugs ‘my mind goes everywhere on a single idea. I’d rather my brain go into overdrive and come up with a decent plot than you tell me and put the brakes on’ he follows with a smile.

‘It’d be good to tell someone, have one person know the truth’ Viv says quietly ‘someone I could trust and I know I could trust you’

‘How d’you make that out?’ his smile develops into a laugh.

‘Oh, I just know these things. We’re two of a kind, you and me, hear all, see all, say nowt. I could carve out a few chapters on the secrets I get told over a pint or two and you....’ her eyes meet his ‘You keep shtoom to protect your friends...it’s easier that way, isn’t it?’

‘Not sure I’m with you’ he prevaricates, immediately thinking of his connection to Helen.

‘Aaw, come on’ she chides at his reluctance to confirm one way or another ‘it’s okay. I got it from the horse’s mouth. Kester needed an ear. Funny how men always think they can find the answer at the bottom of a glass’

Daniel blows a breath of relief ‘you mean Noel....It all turned out okay in the end’

‘Yep! I knew it would and that’s why you won’t ever catch me gossiping. There’s more harm in a spiteful tongue than a whole kitchenful of knives and the wounds run a damned sight deeper’

‘Hang on; I’ve got to write that down!’ he makes for the notebook and pen sitting on top of the television.

Viv looks surprised but laughs ‘I’ll want royalties!’

‘I’ll dedicate the book to you it ends up in’ he says as he scribbles.

She waits until he sets the notebook down ‘Okay, so you don’t want to know about my little job...but believe me it’s not dangerous’ she assures him with a small but scornful snort that he thought it might be ‘That’s the first thing I wanted to say. You seemed to think I might need your help. That I might get in bother or be in it already....but it’s not like that at all....’

‘Okay’ Daniel nods soberly.

‘...and I’m not Lucy Lastic either, okay?’ she says, making him laugh ‘But keep that under your hat as well. I WANT people round here to think the way they do. It’s easier all round ....not seeing the wood for the trees, get me?’

‘Gawd, me and you should get together. You could be my co-writer. We’d clean up!’

‘Looks like there’s enough of that going on already!’ she takes a critical look round the room ‘Did World War three start and I didn’t realise?’

‘The darkest hour is before the dawn’ he intones, following her gaze and grimacing.

‘At a guess, you’re waiting on sunup’ Viv comments dryly. ‘You need a hand? I’ve got a couple of hours if you need it’

‘Nah, I’m sorting as I go. Cleaning and putting back what’s Helen’s and wrapping and boxing what’s mine. We’d forever be asking each other what’s what. Kind of you though’ he adds as a smiling afterthought.

‘Gawd, there’s been a few changes round here’ her eyes take everything in as she looks round again ‘I did my stint when the moggie was poorly’ she says by way of explanation ‘It used to be like something out of Homes and Gardens...beautiful it was...bit chintzy for my taste but you could see she’d got some...now it’s more like...I dunno .............GQ meets Ikea’

Daniel laughs ‘Think most of this stuff was in Kester’s place originally’

‘Ah, that’d explain it’ Viv pulls the strap of her handbag further onto her shoulder ‘Right, I’d better go and let you get on, then....’ she starts to leave, stopping and turning in the doorway ‘and I will take you up on your invite one day, you wait and see. Give you the surprise of your life if I turned up on your doorstep’

‘It’d be a nice surprise’ Daniel rests his hand at the small of her back as they walk through the hall.

‘I’ll ring first...you never know, you might be ‘entertaining’’ she gives him an exaggerated wink.

‘I’d be glad to see you any time....’ he says, opening the front door ‘and Viv.....’

‘What, sweetheart?’

‘You’re beautiful, inside and out. Believe it’ he kisses her chastely on the cheek ’See you soon’

‘Come say goodbye before you go’

‘I’ll be sure to. Hey!’ he calls when she reaches the gate. ‘What’s the matter with my body anyway?’

For a moment, she looks confused then she gives a throaty chuckle ‘It’s not lying next to mine of a night-time. Ta-ra!’

Pennywell, Bower Lane

Chapter Thirty-six

Dell Cottage, Washbrook Lane

‘Oh, that was wonderful’ Stephanie breathes, her face alight with pleasure as Nathan closes the door behind her. She hangs her coat over the newel post at the end of the stairs and turns to him with a smile ‘Thank you’

‘Glad you enjoyed it’ he slips his arms around her waist and kisses her.

‘What wasn’t to enjoy? It was perfect. You’re quite romantic on the quiet, aren’t you? I thought I was doing well to get a Valentine card!’ her eyes sparkle as she touches the necklace at her throat ‘It’s beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever owned anything so lovely’ she says, turning to lean closer to the mirror and lifting the pendant on one fingertip ‘Are they real?’

‘Mercenary bitch’ he teases, kissing the side of her neck ‘Of course they’re bloody real. I did okay, then?’

‘The boy done good’ she grins at his reflection and presses her head against his as the pad of her finger traces each petal and comes to rest on the centre diamond of the flower ‘It must’ve cost a fortune’

‘Chips for a month’ he sighs pathetically ‘But you’re worth it’

‘Fool!’ she turns around and into his arms ‘It’s been a fabulous day’

‘Good’ Nathan kisses her forehead and gives a sly grin ‘So you won’t mind too much if I watch the footy?’

‘Nath-an!’

‘Aaw, come on! Fair’s fair. I had to record it; leastways I hope it’s recorded. Damned thing’s been playing up. I promise you’ll have my full attention after but I really wanted to see the game’

‘But you took me out instead’ Stephanie sighs in resignation.

‘Yeah. So you don’t mind?’

‘I suppose not’ she trudges into the living room after him.

‘Drink or something before I put it on? There’s wine in the fridge’

‘No thanks’ she says, smoothing the back of her dress and sitting on the sofa ‘Still a bit giggly from what we had with dinner. Maybe later.....or coffee...but I’m okay for now’

‘Fair enough, I’ll get meself a beer then, can’t watch footy without a beer’ he walks through to the kitchen.

’No, I don’t suppose you can’ she leans her elbow on the arm of the sofa and rests her head on her hand ‘If it’s nil, nil at the end, expect me to be asleep. What’s the point of playing if they’re not going to get goals?’

‘How do you know there were no goals?’ Nathan asks grumpily ‘Takes the whole pleasure out of it if you know the score beforehand, thanks very much!’ he snaps the ring pull on his can and takes a swig.

‘I said IF it’s nil, nil. I don’t know what the score was, how could I?’

‘That’s alright then’ he plonks himself down and reaches for the remote control, pointing it at the box and flicking through the buttons. He watches the screen, a look of intense concentration on his face ‘Bloody, sodding, useless thing!’ he growls and presses a few more buttons to scroll through the programmes again, glancing every so often at Stephanie as she leafs through the Sunday supplement ‘This isn’t it!’ he groans and sighs heavily, ‘You want to watch this instead?’ he asks as Christopher James’ face looms into shot.

‘I’m easy’ she shrugs ‘More Mum’s thing than mine but it’s quite good’ she puts down the magazine ‘I’ve seen most of them’ she says, drawing her knees up to one side and resting her feet on the sofa ‘Still can’t get used to him  being Kester’s Dad’

‘Great bloke’ he comments as he sits back.

‘Have we missed the beginning?’ her brow puckers into a puzzled frown as she watches ‘You don’t usually get him going to the interview room ‘til near the end, you know, when he puts everything together and gets all shitty with the suspect’

‘God knows! Sick to death of the bloody thing, it never has worked right’ he says but makes no attempt to turn it off. He raises the volume.

On the screen, Inspector Bird gives a sneering but satisfied smile ‘And the condemned man ate a hearty meal. Did we get him a cup of tea, Dickin?’

‘And two digestives, Sir’ the sergeant replies in similar tone as they walk along a corridor.

‘He won’t get away this time, enough evidence to hang him if hanging was still an option’

‘I reckon he’s had enough of running’ Detective Sergeant Dickin casts a sideways look at his superior and shrugs ‘Just a personal opinion’

Inspector Bird claps him on the shoulder ‘You could very well be right....but if Stephanie Philpott hadn’t come up trumps.....’

‘Oh!’ Stephanie nudges Nathan’s thigh with her foot and giggles ‘I’m famous’

The camera cuts to a close up of Inspector Bird’s face as he is about to open the door to the interview room ‘.....we wouldn’t have put two and two together and he’d have got out from under yet again’

The scene fades out and in again to the inside of the room itself where both officers are sitting at a table opposite the suspect. The suspect is out of camera shot apart from his hands and lower arms which rest on the table one side of an empty mug and a plate with a few crumbs on.

‘So’ Inspector Bird says opening the file in front of him ‘Let’s go through this one more time shall we?’

The hands clasp and the suspect starts to twiddle his thumbs.

Stephanie gazes at the screen without blinking, her mouth coming slightly open then closing again.

‘I know you’ve got a lot to get off your chest’ the Inspector leans forward and the camera angle alters to show him and the sergeant from the front with the back of the suspect’s head in the foreground.

Slowly, Stephanie uncurls her legs and lets her feet fall to the floor; she glances at Nathan and then back at the screen.

‘We’ve got all the evidence we need’  Detective Sergeant Dickin taps the file ‘You’re looking at a life sentence whatever you have to say now, so why not make it easy on all of us and just confirm what we already know?’

‘If you say so’ the suspect mutters.

Stephanie leans forward with a half smile and looks over her shoulder to see Nathan sipping from his can and looking totally unperturbed. Getting no reaction from him, she turns with an expression of bewilderment to watch the screen again.

‘You want to tell us what really happened?’ the action continues.

‘You know what happened’

Once more, Stephanie’s mouth parts in a daze of recognition ‘It is you!’ she says with a slow and cautious smile ‘It is, isn’t it?’

‘We need to hear in it your own words’

‘What are you doing on the telly?’

‘For the tape’ D.S. Dickin reminds him.

‘Are you ready?’ Inspector Bird asks.

‘I’m ready’ the suspect nods.

Stephanie lets out a tiny squeal and covers her mouth with her hands as the angle changes to a full face shot of Nathan.

‘And I am ready, Steph, I’ve made it’ he says seriously, looking straight at the camera and then smiling ‘You know I’ve loved you from the minute I met you...no, make that the second I saw you because that’s how it was.....and I’ve been lucky enough to have you love me back, no matter what. You’ve never given up on me, even when things’ve got a bit hairy. You’ve stood by me despite everything......and who else would’ve understood when I said I couldn’t get my head round this marriage thing....’

Tears start to trickle slowly down Stephanie’s cheeks as she sits mesmerised by the screen.

‘....I’ve kept you hanging on but I’m there now, Steph. I’m ready, I couldn’t be more certain.  Hopefully, we’ve had a good day and you’re sitting next to me while you’re watching this. If not, then at least I’ve got the evidence to show I tried’ he snatches a nervous looking smile and glances briefly off screen.

Without looking at him, Stephanie reaches for Nathan’s hand.

‘I’m asking you to marry me, Steph. Where and when and all that will wait, the only thing in the world I want right now is for you to say yes. I love you, Steph. This is definitely the forever thing for me. Marry me, please’

She turns to Nathan, crying and laughing at the same time while behind her, a montage of photographs fill the screen and music plays.

Nathan puts both arms around her and holds her while she sobs ‘I don’t know if this is good or bad’ he says only half jokingly ‘I meant everything I said. I’m ready, I’ve got there at last’ he gives a short laugh ‘Took me long enough but I made it in the end’

He slides from the sofa to kneel in front of her, his hands falling to her lap while their foreheads lay on each other’s shoulder. He takes hold of her hands.

‘Will you marry me?’ he asks in a murmur ‘Is it a yes? He starts to sound anxious ‘Would you rather I’d done it over dinner or something?’

She rolls her head from side to side and he freezes, his breath catching in his throat ‘it’s a ‘No’?’

‘Only to the dinner bit’ Stephanie lifts her head and sniffs a watery and self-conscious smile ‘Can I have my hands back so I can wipe my face?’ she licks tears from her top lip ‘Oh, my God, I must look a right mess’ When he refuses to let her hands go, she blots her eyes on the edge of his shoulder ‘I would love to marry you’

‘You would?’

‘Yes please’

Nathan punches the air and tips his head back to emit a triumphant howl so loud it makes Stephanie jump.

‘Aren’t proposals supposed to be all romantic and....well....sort of quiet?’ she starts to laugh.

‘You mean that wasn’t romantic?’ he asks, indicating the television with his head ‘I thought it was a stroke of genius’

‘It was very special’ she touches his face ‘How on earth....’

‘Never mind the how if it worked. I wanted it to be a bit different’

‘It was’

‘You’ll really marry me?’ he calms enough to lower his voice to a whisper and put his arms around her again.

‘Yes’