DISCLAIMER: See part 1
Parking in her allocated space outside her modern apartment in Glasgow’s Merchant city area, Anna grabbed her holdall from the passenger seat before locking the truck. She wearily climbed the stairs to her second floor home, her injured knee screaming with pain every time she pushed down on it. Reaching into the side pocket of her bag she removed the keys to her flat and opened the front door. The pile of mail behind it scrapped along the wooden floor and Anna looked at it in disgust. It was mostly junk. Flicking the light switch in the hall, she illuminated her sterile surroundings. The flat smelled stuffy, needing some fresh air after ten weeks lying empty over the summer. There was an additional pile of mail on the small table in the hall; Lesley had been popping in occasionally as she said she would. She went to her bedroom to drop her bag and open a window. Her bed looked inviting, but her stomach protested loudly, propelling her towards the kitchen.
Flicking on light switches and lamps as she went, Anna headed to the open plan area, hoping to find something edible. A frozen pizza won out, along with a can of coke. Her fridge stood bare apart from a bottle of ketchup, two cans of coke and an unopened bottle of white wine.
As the pizza cooked and Anna sipped on her coke, she pressed the button on her answering machine and took a seat on her sofa as she listened to the messages. Not many in truth for ten weeks and nothing that couldn’t wait. She looked around her apartment, noting it’s stark contrast to that of Heather’s homely cottage. Where Heather had splashes of colour and pictures of her family, including her dog, Anna had impersonal modern abstract prints, and a flat that she had bought already furnished, right down to the blinds and duvet covers. Not even a picture of her niece and nephews on display, little wonder she now thought of it as sterile. It certainly wasn’t a home, it was simply a place to eat, sleep, have sex and watch movies.
The timer on her built in stainless steel oven pinged indicating that her pizza was ready. It promised to be stone baked with a succulent topping on a bed of grated mozzarella, with gently caramelised red onions. In truth, it might as well have been made of cardboard for all Anna cared.
Still on autopilot, she finished her meal and drank the dregs of the can of coke before slowly making her way to the bathroom. As she brushed her teeth, she found herself noticing the fine layer of dust that had settled everywhere. It just made her apartment look as unloved as she felt in that moment, like she didn’t have a friend in the world that could help her remove the layers of hurt and anger. Never before had Anna felt so low about a woman she had lost out on, but Heather Keith had got under her skin, burrowed lower than anyone had before. It was unsettling for the brunette. She hurt because she hadn’t been able to explain to Heather what had been happening, and angry that the nature of her job had forced that situation upon her. She slipped under her duvet, hoping that sleep would come quickly.
Anna Lynch walked into the main hub of the drug squad to be greeted by a round of loud applause. Everyone knew what had happened and, to top it all off, the information Jim Wallace was providing would ensure a lengthy sentence for Lachlan Brown. All they had to do was keep Wallace safe and make sure he testified. The drug haul was the largest Strathclyde police had seized this year with an estimated street value of four million pounds. It was a phenomenal result.
Good naturedly, Anna accepted the congratulations and jokes about getting Pete shot, but inside she felt nothing. Gone was the usual elation and excitement to be replaced by a feeling of melancholy and longing. It was the biggest anti climax she had ever experienced in her job. There was talk of celebrations and drinks after work, but all Anna wanted to do was to go and talk to Pete, but he was still in Dundee and wouldn’t be transferred to Glasgow for another couple of days.
Anna went to Davidson’s office to talk with him.
“Come in, Anna. How are you feeling?”
“Not too bad, Sir.”
“Have you got a limp?”
“Just twisted my knee when I was wrestling with Jim Wallace.”
“If you need a few days…”
The question was left hanging in the air.
“No, Sir, I’m fine, really, but thanks.”
“We have a problem, Anna. This bloody leak, Wallace has no idea who it is and Lachlan Brown isn’t giving him or her up.”
Anna nodded; this was always one of their worst fears, an officer giving information to criminals.
“I want you to investigate this, keep it quiet and don’t tell a soul. See if we can narrow it down, find a pattern, I know it’s not your preferred choice of case to work on, but only you and Pete are in the clear here.”
“What about you, Sir?”
“What about me? Do you have reason to drop me as a suspect?”
“Well no, Sir.”
“Then I’m in the same boat as everyone else until you know different.”
“Fair enough. I’ll look over old cases, see if there’s anything that might reveal something.”
Anna had to respect this aspect of her boss, always had. He never hindered an operation by making assumptions, or allowing his officers to do so.
“Is there anything else?”
“I’m going up to see Pete tonight, Sir. Any messages for him.”
“Aye, tell him to get his lazy arse back down to Glasgow as soon as possible.”
“Will do.”
The pair shared a ghost of a smile, before Anna left his office.
Later, down in the canteen, Anna stared at her macaroni cheese, not quite able to raise the enthusiasm her appetite usually had for this dish.
“Now why is the toast of the Strathclyde drug squad looking so glum?”
“Oh, Hi, Lesley.” Her friend interrupted Anna’s maudlin abstraction.
“You look rough and I’m not talking about the bruising.”
Anna ignored Lesley’s prying “Thanks for popping into the flat.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t get there more often, but life is hectic, what with the kids and working full-time.”
Anna waved off the apology, as unnecessary. “How are the kids?”
“They’re good, why don’t you come for lunch on Sunday and find out for yourself?”
Anna knew Lesley would pester her until she agreed to come, so she gave in straight way rather than spend the extra energy on trying to get out of it.
“What time?”
Lesley looked closely at her friend. “There is definitely something going on with you. You didn’t even protest first. We’ll talk more on Sunday, okay? How’s one o’clock sound?”
Anna nodded, “That’s perfect.”
“It will be good to finally catch up. You can tell me all about your summer and what’s been going on with you.”
Anna managed a half smile, “Okay, looking forward to it.”
“See you then, oh and, Anna? You can ease up on the pasta now, it’s been stabbed enough.” Lesley laughed and made her way out of the canteen.
Anna gently laughed too and finally gave up on her lunch.
**********
The drive up to Dundee was a slow one, as Anna had caught the start of the afternoon rush hour, all the commuters beginning to leave Glasgow at the end of the working day. She was still driving the pick up truck Pete had been using since she hadn’t yet had a chance to go back to George Robertson’s garage to pick up her car.
Crossing the Tay Bridge Anna saw the sign for ‘Dundee City of Discovery’; she took a right on to West Marketgait, then turned left towards Ninewells Hospital. With visiting time already underway, it was hard to find a parking space, but she eventually found one in the pay and display. Finding the main entrance, Anna stopped at the hospital shop before taking the lift to the third floor, where Pete’s ward was.
Pete had been moved from high dependency to a main ward, which Anna took to be a good sign. She saw him before he saw her and took a moment to observe him. He needed a shave and though his pallor had improved, he still looked pasty. He was also in need of a haircut. The hospital gown did little to enhance his look, but at least it would help him retain a little modesty.
“How are you feeling, McGinty?”
“Bloody crap.” Pete answered honestly.
“Here you go.” Anna put a box of chocolates and a bag of grapes on his bedside cabinet.
“Thanks,” Pete responded, somewhat grumpily.
“Any word of when you will be transferred to Glasgow?”
“Aye, maybe by the end of the week. The sooner the bloody better. It’s bad enough being stuck in hospital, but I’m miles away from everybody. It’s a six hour journey for my visitors.”
“I know.”
“Yeah, thanks for coming.”
“You’re welcome.”
There was an awkward silence between the pair and Anna felt the need to fill it.
“What have the docs said, you know, long term?”
“I’m going to be laid up for a while, but I was lucky that the bullet only glanced the bone and didn’t shatter it. Will be ages before I’m able to be back on the job. I’ll get desk duty until I’m passed fit.” Pete looked disgusted with that prospect.
“Look on the bright side though, career wise, this couldn’t have gone any better for you.”
“I got shot!” Pete was incredulous.
“Ack, details. You will end up with a commendation and a great chance of a promotion. Isn’t that worth taking a bullet for? And don’t mention it, you can thank me when you get back on your feet – both of them.”
“Bloody mad woman.” Pete stated, but had a grin on his face.
“That’s the spirit.”
The mood turned serious for a moment as Anna contemplated her colleague. Looking at the machines regulating the intravenous bags whose tubes were pumping Pete full of goodness knows what, she shuddered involuntarily as she briefly thought that things could have turned out a whole lot worse.
“I would choose to work with you every time, in the same circumstances, you know.”
“Cheers, Anna. That means a lot.” Pete knew he could receive no greater compliment from her.
“See you back at the job soon.”
“What? Are you not coming back up to Dundee to visit?”
“It’s a six hour round trip you know.” Anna mocked.
“Bugger off.”
Anna laughed, “I’ll be back in to see you when you get transferred to Glasgow. In the meantime, look after yourself.”
“See you soon, Anna.”
Pete was already becoming drowsy and Anna knew he would be asleep before she got out to the lift.
Anna left the hospital with her spirits lifted a little after seeing Pete. Not really thinking about what she was doing, instead of heading back over the Tay Bridge, Anna found herself undertaking the one-hour drive to Havensburgh; she just had to see Heather. It was a Tuesday evening and she knew exactly where the blonde would be, at the youth club.
Parking near the community centre, but out of sight, Anna sat in the truck and waited for the Youth Club to finish. She watched the teenagers leave, as noisily as ever, the familiar sight instinctively bringing a smile to her lips. She would miss her Tuesday evenings here. Suddenly she felt her heart rate quicken as Heather herself came out of the building. Anna watched her putting off the lights and setting the alarm, before finally locking the doors. Tom, the volunteer with the crush on the blonde, never left her side, helping at every opportunity. As Heather and Tom waved to the last stragglers making their way home, Tom spoke to the blonde and then the pair started to walk down the road in the direction of Heather’s home.
“Bloody hell,” Anna cursed under her breath. That was all she needed.
Exiting the truck, she made her way down the road on foot, keeping a safe distance behind the pair. Tom didn’t leave Heather’s side until the blonde was opening her front gate, Tom standing watching, undoubtedly not leaving until the blonde was safely inside.
Anna took in the scene, noticing the oilskins hanging outside the cottage, which meant Greg was still around also. Hoping he was in the pub and not inside the cottage, Anna made herself known for the first time.
“Heather?”
At the sound of her name the blonde’s head whipped around towards Anna, her front door key frozen in mid air, just short of the lock. Overcoming her initial shock, Heather’s face turned to stone.
“What do you want, Anna?”
The brunette couldn’t miss the icy tone of the blonde’s voice.
“I just want to talk to you, please, for a few minutes, that’s all.”
Tom chose that moment to intervene. “Would you like me to escort her away, Heather?”
Anna looked sharply at Tom, wondering where he thought he was going to find the balls for that job, but Heather came to his rescue.
“That’s okay, Tom. Go home, I’ll be fine.”
Tom nodded, but felt the need to give Anna a menacing look before he left. At least Anna assumed that was what he was trying for.
Entering through Heather’s front gate, Anna cautiously approached her.
“I just want to explain what happened.”
“How is Pete?”
Anna immediately thought it was just like the blonde to be more concerned with Pete’s well being. It spoke volumes about the woman standing before her.
“He’s doing well all things considered. I’ve actually just come from the hospital.”
“He was the officer shot?”
“Yes.”
“Well, thank goodness he’s going to be okay.”
“I’ll let him know you asked about him.”
“Thank you.”
Anna continued, hoping that this time she would be able to explain, or at least make Heather understand what had happened.
“I’m sorry that I had to lie to you.”
“But you did.” Heather stated.
“Please believe me, I had no choice.”
“On a fundamental level, I do understand that, Anna, but I have a real problem with the way you used us, the way you used ‘me’ to get information on Greg.” Heather was trying to remain clam but the wounds were too fresh.
“I never meant to hurt you, honestly.”
“I’m sure you didn’t think about that at the time, you had a job to do and you needed to use us to do that job.”
“I did think about that, all the time. The more we became friend’s, the closer we got,” Anna emphasised the word, trying to convey to Heather what it meant to her. “I hated doing that to you, using you. I wanted it all to be real, for me it was real. We almost made love, that was real.”
“Please, stop. I can’t even think about that at the moment. I had no idea who you were at the time!” The blonde could no longer keep her voice low.
The front door opened and Greg Moir appeared.
“Is everything alrig…” He stopped talking when he saw Anna, his face turning to one of anger and fury. “What the hell are you doing here?” He demanded.
“I wanted to speak with Heather.”
“She has nothing to say to the likes of you. Coming around here and ruining people’s lives and livelihoods. Why don’t you just go back to whatever hole it was you crawled out off and leave us alone!”
Anna didn’t want an altercation with the man; she had done enough damage to him already. With Heather upset and Greg standing between them, she wasn’t going to get to talk further with the blonde. She decided that retreat was her only option; Heather wouldn’t appreciate her forcing the issue with Greg.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you, Greg.”
“Just leave us alone.” He repeated.
Anna nodded, “Goodbye, Heather.”
The blonde remained silent as she watched Anna walk back down her garden path and out of her life.
“Morning, Sir,” Anna greeted her boss as she stepped inside the door of his office.
“Anna, how’s Pete?” He gestured for her to take a seat.
“Doing well, all things considered.”
“At least that’s some good news, can’t say the same for our case.”
“What’s happened?”
“Guess who is representing Lackey Broon?”
“I’m imagining a comb over, a pipe and a handlebar moustache.”
“Aye, Harold Donaldson, Q.C.”
“And don’t you forget it.” Anna mocked.
Harold Donaldson was well known in Scotland for taking high profile cases, anything that would raise his own well-crafted public persona. He was the closest thing to a celebrity in the world of criminal law.
Davidson poured himself a coffee from the pot on his desk, and Anna declined an offer to join him. “The bloody peacock has Lackey Broon shut up tighter than a safe.” Davidson groused. “The only questions he answered were to confirm his name and address, oh and to deny knowing Jim Wallace. Never heard of the man, wouldn’t know him if he walked past him on the street. He is one smooth bastard, I tell you that.” Davidson finished by taking a gulp of his coffee, grimacing at the taste. Putting down his cup, he picked up a pen and moved a pile of paperwork in front of him.
“He’s unlikely to be held on remand until his trial and it won’t matter what the bail is set at, he will be able to afford it.” Anna cautioned.
“Aye, and with someone feeding him information, we might struggle to keep Wallace safe. We need to find this rogue officer and fast.” His pen was used effectively to punctuate each point.
“Understood, Sir.”
Anna walked out of Davidson’s office and back into the main, open plan area, which was currently full of her colleagues. She cast a critical eye over them, viewing each and every one of them with suspicion. It was a strange situation, but she had no room for sympathy or sentiment towards any of them, for the time being they were all suspects. Two or three faces immediately stood out to her but, if she was going to catch the informant, she had no room for complacency. She would leave no stone unturned and wouldn’t ignore even the smallest shred of evidence, no matter how unlikely it seemed. One of the biggest obstacles facing her would be carrying out this investigation right under the noses of her colleagues without them finding out. First thing she needed was a case to work, so she at least had something legitimate going on.
“Danesh, Hopeton, what case are you working?”
“Southside, Sarge, a guy called Sahid Mohamed. Definitely drug running, but we can’t work out how he is distributing the stuff.” Answered Danesh.
“You want me to take a look at it?”
“Sure, if you have the time.” Hopeton added.
“I don’t have any cases assigned yet, may as well try and make myself useful. Leave me the file and I’ll look it over.”
Hopeton was an older detective who had been on the force years, decent enough at his job, but he lacked a bit of appetite. More than likely he was going through the motions until he retired a few months from now, Anna thought Danesh would benefit better working with someone more dynamic. Danesh was a young, up and coming detective with a bright future ahead of him. He was raw and had a lot to learn, but was more than willing to listen. He possessed all the qualities that could make him a very good detective in a short space of time.
Glancing through the case notes the pair had made, she was in reality waiting for the office to clear so she could get moving on her main task, that of finding their mole. She would start looking at cases that had fallen through for some reason or other, and then cross-reference each one to see which detectives were working it. It was a bit of a long shot, but it might show something. After that, she would start checking who had been signing out the case notes. She was looking for the names that appeared most frequently, and hoped one name in particular stood out from the rest. It would be difficult not to go with her gut instinct on this, but she knew she had to do the legwork first, even if she ended up where she had first thought, she couldn’t afford any mistakes.
It was several hours later when Hopeton and Danesh returned to the station. Anna had taken a proper look at their case in between searching the old case notes and had spotted something. She waited and spoke to Danesh alone.
“Raouf, I had a look at your Southside case. I just need to go over a couple of things with you.”
“Sure, Sarge.”
“Why have you not followed his girlfriend?”
“She works as a home help, cares for the elderly and infirm at home, she just didn’t seem the type. I doubt she even knows what her boyfriend does for a living.”
“Was that your decision?” Anna enquired.
“Hopeton said it wasn’t worth our while to follow her, thought it would be a waste of time.”
“And you agree?”
“Personally I wanted to investigate her, but he outranks me, so.” Raouf shrugged.
“Then you should have done the surveillance on your own time.” Anna advised.
“And go behind John’s back?”
“If you have a hunch and your partner doesn’t share it, there’s no reason why you can’t follow it up on your own time.”
Danesh nodded.
“Tell me what you know about the girlfriend?”
“She has no previous convictions. Never misses her work, keeps her head down and works hard.”
“So what is she doing with a drug dealer?” Anna prompted.
“That’s the part I don’t get, why is she seeing a scum bag like Sahid Mohammed?”
“Exactly, if something doesn’t feel right, you should always follow it up.” Anna waited until Danesh acknowledged her point. “You said that you couldn’t work out how he is distributing the drugs?”
“That’s right, it’s like they appear out of thin air, then gone before we have time to track them.”
Anna tapped the case notes. “The girlfriend is the answer.”
“She’s carrying the drugs?” Danesh asked puzzled. He doubted that to be true, as she had never made contact with any of the dealers.
“No, not carrying, she is stashing the drugs in the homes of the people she is looking after. That’s why you can never track them.”
Danesh shook his head, “I never thought of that possibility. She must have about ten clients. No wonder we’ve been chasing our tails on this one.”
“Concentrate on her and you’ll be able to make your case.”
“Thanks, Sarge.”
“One thing, tell Hopeton about this, don’t go solo, but if the same situation arises again, do a little detective work on your own.”
“Lynch!”
Anna looked over to see her boss beckoning her to his office, once inside she closed the door.
“Any luck?” Davidson looked like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Nothing yet, Sir. I’ve got a lot of cases to go through, I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
Bruce Davidson drummed his fingers on his desk. “I bloody hate this. If we don’t find this person soon, it could cost us this entire case. Any ideas in that devious mind of yours?”
“Not on this, Sir. All I can do at the moment is look through the bad cases.”
“Okay, keep at it. Oh, before I forget, the Land Rover has been released since we don’t need it any longer. You can get it back to George Robertson. I’m sure he will be happy to see it returned in one piece.”
“Okay, Sir, will do.” Anna was about to leave, when she thought of something. “Sir, who do I return the truck to?”
“What truck?”
“The pick up Pete was using in Havensburgh.”
“I’ve absolutely no idea, I thought it was his.”
“I’ll leave it parked here then until I check with Pete.”
Anna went to the police garage to collect the Land Rover. She looked inside before taking it to George Robertson.
“Do you guys not clean these before you hand them back?”
“Not our job.” They answered disinterestedly.
“My partners blood is all over the inside.” Anna was furious.
The two mechanics stared dumbfounded at her.
“Christ, do you have something I can clean this up with? I’m about to return it to the owner. It’s in a hell of a state.”
The outside of the Land Rover was caked in mud; the floor inside covered in Pete’s blood.
The pair finally assisted Anna, by getting a power wash and cleaning materials, one worked outside while the other assisted Anna with the interior. While cleaning around the passenger seat, Anna spotted something down on the floor and picked it up. It was an empty packet of pipe tobacco. Putting it in the back pocket of her jeans she continued to clean out the Land Rover. An hour later, she had signed out the vehicle and was heading for George Robertson’s garage.
Anna felt a little strange being back in the Land Rover after everything that had happened. As she drove along, the memories and flashbacks were fighting for space in her head. An image of Heather when she dropped her off after finding her alone on the beach, the blonde sharing an intimate glance with her, one of many, as Anna now realised that’s exactly what they were. Then an image of the last time she had seen Heather, her face set in stone, unyielding. Then a gun going off, sheer terror, then screams and lots of blood. Pete lying motionless in the back of the Land Rover. Anna had broken out into a sweat, her hands trembling. She pulled off the road and cut the engine, taking a few minutes to compose herself. She hadn’t expected the sheer rush of adrenaline that had just coursed through her body. A panic attack, she knew the symptoms well.
Anna finally steered the Land Rover into the yard owned by George Robertson. It was five thirty-two p.m. and she hoped he was still around. Pulling up in front of the main building where George had his office, she removed the keys from the Land Rover and headed inside. She saw George through the glass window that faced out onto the inside of the main building. He was in his office sitting behind a wooden desk, the surface of which was strewn with paperwork. George raised his head as he heard Anna approach his open office door.
“Anna!” He greeted her warmly. “Good to see you again.”
“Evening, George.”
George immediately sensed Anna’s despondency and being a mechanic; he feared the worst for his vehicle. “Is everything okay with the Land Rover?
Anna, picking up the hint of panic in George’s voice, immediately set about allaying his fears. “No, no. Nothing wrong at all, George. Quite the opposite in fact, she runs like a dream.” It was true, but in the current circumstances, Anna was struggling with the conversation. With forced cheerfulness she soldiered on. “I’m going to miss her.” Anna winced internally. Although she had been referring to the Land Rover, the double meaning in her own words immediately soured her mood further.
“I knew it!” George exclaimed proudly. “You’ve fallen in love.”
Anna blinked in horror at George, was she that transparent, even to a man who was practically a stranger to her? She gave him a look of pure consternation her brow furrowed. George gently put his large, calloused hand on her back and led her out towards the row of garages that held her car.
“Don’t worry, Anna,” George said with a small amount of sympathy mixed in with pride. “It happens a lot. I could probably get you something very similar if you are interested.”
Completely baffled Anna stopped walking and turned to look at him. Confused and tired she could make no sense of what George was saying. “What?” Was the only response she could utter.
“Well, I’m not saying I could get something exactly the same, but I’m sure it would be pretty similar. Think about it, Anna and let me know.”
‘Jesus Christ! He’s talking about the fucking Land Rover. Of course he would be, what the hell else could he have been talking about?’ Anna made a quick decision to get out of there fast, and head home for some sleep. She needed to clear her head and try to make some sense of the last few weeks and especially the last hour.
“Thanks for the offer, George, I’m sorry I’m just a bit done in. It’s been a long day, you know?”
“No problem, Anna, just give me a call anytime if you’re looking for something like her.”
George opened up the garage that housed Anna’s Audi. Once again, as had happened the first time she came here, she was assaulted with the familiar smells from her childhood. It momentarily soothed her.
“There you go, just as you left her. I ticked the engine over a few times and gave her a service. Did it all myself mind you, I’d never put her in the hands of one of the junior mechanics.”
Anna managed her first genuine smile since arriving at the garage. “Thanks again, George.” She pulled five twenties from the pocket of her jeans, but before she could hand them over George had stopped her.
“Oh no, Anna. You put that away now. I was doing this as a favour to a good friend of mine. Bruce Davidson is a good man. One I owe a lot to. I’ll always help him in anyway I can. So you understand, Anna, I cannae take your money.”
Anna understood perfectly. She slipped the notes back into her pocket thus ending any type of uncomfortable scene between them.
**********
“Hello, Girl.” Heather patted Milly, the golden retriever, who always greeted her when she arrived.
“Mum?”
“I’m in the kitchen, Dear,” Agnes Keith replied.
Heather made her way through to join her mother.
“Something smells good,” she stated as she kissed her mother’s cheek.
Since Monday morning, when Agnes Keith had found out that Greg Moir was involved in illegally catching fish, her attitude towards her daughter had changed dramatically. Heather was back in her good books and Agnes now fully agreed with her daughter’s decision to call off the marriage and end the relationship.
“I hear you had a visitor last night?”
“News sure does travel fast around these parts.”
“I met Tom this morning at the shop, he told me that policewoman turned up wanting to speak with you. I can’t imagine why.”
“She wanted to apologise, Mum.”
“I should think so too. I assume that will be an end to it then?”
“I don’t think she will be back.” Heather was fairly sure about that, but not entirely happy with the reality.
“I can’t imagine what possessed her to come here again.”
“She was visiting Pete, remember he was shot?” Heather prompted.
“Oh, yes, how is he doing?”
“Anna says he will be fine.”
“Imagine all that going on all these weeks and we knew nothing, it’s a disgrace.” Mrs. Keith complained, as she strained the vegetables.
“They did have a job to do, Mum.” Heather reasoned, but her mother wasn’t too impressed.
“The whole debacle has created quite a commotion around these parts, and you stuck right in the middle of it because of Greg.”
Heather couldn’t disagree with her mother’s summation. The previous night at the youth club had been a buzz with rumours and speculation. Interestingly though, not all of the teenagers were as scathing about Anna as her mother was, some were feeling hurt and let down, Jamie Stewart in particular, he had developed quite the crush on Anna. Other kids were angry, especially the ones from families with a fishing background. Greg being caught was an injustice as far as they were concerned and the names Anna was being called had become increasingly inventive, as the evening had worn on. There were however a few who thought the whole episode was like something out of a movie and Anna was a hero. Heather thought back to the way Anna had handled the drug dealer when they had taken the teenagers to the disco, no wonder the woman had been so competent.
She helped her mother take the food to the table and her father joined them from his study.
“How are you holding up, Heather?”
“I’m alright, Dad. Greg and I have come to an arrangement that suits the two of us for the time being. I’m still reeling a little from the shock of the whole situation. I don’t think Havensburgh is going to be quite the same for a good while yet.”
“Indeed.” Malcolm Keith added. “And how is Greg holding up?”
Agnes Keith was about to add her tuppence worth, but a sharp look from her husband caused her to bite her tongue.
“Obviously his spirits are low, what with the break up and the arrest. He’s strong, I think he will come through this, at the moment he is concentrating on fishing, it’s all he really knows.”
Malcolm Keith nodded, he may not agree with Greg’s fishing methods, but he didn’t share his wife’s view that Greg was no longer a desirable human being. He understood the pressures that had been continuously heaped onto these men. It had forced many of them to break the law.
“Ask Greg to come into the bank to see me, or here at home in the evening if he prefers. He needs to think seriously about his finances, I can assist him with that.”
“Thanks, Dad, I’ll let him know.”
Anna drove over to the Hamilton household in Newton Mearns, a small suburban town seven miles outside of Glasgow. It had been a long time since she had done any socialising that didn’t involve an ulterior motive and she was grateful for the opportunity. Turning off the A77, she entered the leafy suburb and within minutes was parked in the driveway of Lesley’s modern bungalow. Lesley and Gordon had moved here just before the birth of their second child, as they needed the extra space. Anna always joked that it was just so Gordon could be closer to his favourite Masonic Lodge. She just couldn’t help but to wind the man up. Removing her gifts from the boot of the car, she rang the front door bell.
“Anna, how lovely to see you, nice make-up.”
Gordon was referring to Anna’s fading bruises; the game was already afoot.
Anna smiled, making sure to bare all her teeth, “Good afternoon, Gordon, been working out I see.”
Gordon had put on a couple of inches around the waist. Too much time spent sitting at his desk, Anna was sure. She knew his only exercise these days was a trip round the golf course when the weather was fair.
She walked past him, her arms full of gifts, she knew he wouldn’t offer to help and, he knew if he did, she would refuse.
“Anna! Anna!” The younger members of the Hamilton clan greeted her much more enthusiastically. They were bouncing around her long legs like exuberant puppies.
“Come on, you two, let Anna get into the house.”
“Ahh, leave them be, Lesley, I’m enjoying the welcome.”
“Makes a pleasant change, I’m sure.” Gordon Hamilton added, only to be shot a warning look by his wife.
Anna handed Lesley a bunch of flowers and a lovely bottle of Chardonnay. “Thank you, Anna, but you know you didn’t have to.”
“Yes I did. That’s a thank you for looking after my flat and inviting me to lunch.”
She threw a pack of Cuban cigars at Gordon. Who looked duly impressed.
“I see your tastes run deeper than I thought.” He jibed.
“Yeah, but not that deep.”
Fortunately, the exchange between the pair passed right over the heads of the junior Hamilton’s, so Lesley let it slide. She knew Anna and Gordon would call a truce soon, then, throw a few more barbs at each other again when it was getting time for Anna to leave. She was used to it.
Anna handed a large parcel each to Roddy and Rebecca. “These are to make up for everything I’ve missed recently. I’ve been far away working.” She always brought the kids gifts no matter when she visited. It was true she never remembered special dates, like birthdays, but she always more than made up for it when she did see them. They, in turn were used to this arrangement, and didn’t seem to mind that Anna only brought gifts when she visited, instead of on the special occasions. They had worked out they got more presents that way.
“Thank you, Anna,” they said in unison, and soon the paper was being hastily ripped open to find out what was inside.
Anna smiled, they were truly adorable, and watching them almost made her want one…almost. She looked up and caught Lesley’s eye. “Ah, I don’t think so.”
“You never know, Anna.” Lesley joked.
“Away with you, woman.”
The children started ooing and making happy noises about their gifts, and then rushed to show their mum.
“Look! Look what Anna got me, Mummy.” Roddy being older than his sister by two years got there first. Poor Rebecca was still attempting to drag the large box across the floor.
“Oh, wow,” Lesley, exclaimed, “It’s a castle.”
“It has horses and knights!” The blonde boy stated,
“I see that.” She looked across at her three year-old daughter, “What do you have, Rebecca?”
The dark haired little girl looked up, grateful that she wasn’t going to have to pull the box any further.
“A house, Mummy.” She squealed and used her little finger to point to the picture on the front of the box. “Open?” She asked hopefully.
“Not now, Princess, we’re going to have lunch first, but I promise, after lunch, you can both play with your new toys.”
There were mild protests from the pair, but they relented. As Lesley cleared the torn wrapping paper the kids had discarded, she sent an indulgent look Anna’s way.
“You spoil them.”
“That’s what I’m here for, besides, I enjoy it.” Anna smiled, happy that the kids were happy.
After a lively lunch, and while the kids played and Gordon was doing whatever it was Gordon did when he disappeared, Anna and Lesley finally got a chance to catch up properly, sitting on the decking of Lesley’s back garden.
“Remind me to give you back your spare set of keys before you go.”
Anna nodded, “I will.” She stretched out her long legs, enjoying what was sure to be one of the last warm days of the year. It was September already, not long till winter. “This is nice.” And it was. Not just because of the weather but because it also gave Anna the chance to relax without feeling the need to be somewhere else or to be secretly working. She leaned back on the recliner and pushed her fingers through her hair massaging her scalp.
Lesley watched Anna out of the corner of her eye, she knew her friend had a lot on her mind, but at that moment she looked relaxed, so Lesley gave her some peace and quiet and the pair lounged comfortably side by side, occasionally sipping from their glasses of wine.
Anna was so still and quiet that Lesley thought she had nodded off to sleep, that was until her friend spoke.
“I met someone.”
Three simple words that had Lesley Hamilton whip round to look at her friend so fast she almost fell off the lounger.
“What? Who?”
No one you know.” Anna turned to look at her. A hand tucked under her head. She contemplated her answer for a few seconds. “While I was away, undercover.”
“So she lives up North? I assume we are talking about a woman?”
Anna smiled, “Of course. And yes, she does live up North, in the very fishing village where I was undercover.”
“Well, what’s her name?”
“Heather, Heather Keith.”
“And what does she do?”
“She’s a Community Worker.”
“Good God, it’s like pulling teeth trying to get information out of you.”
“I’m sorry, anyway, she doesn’t want to know me.” Anna let out a sigh while rolling onto her back.
Lesley looked at her friend dumbfounded, a woman that didn’t want to know her and someone that Anna clearly had feelings for, something was very wrong with that picture.
“What did you do?” She accused.
“I had her fiancé arrested”
“What!”
“Well he was actually her ex fiancé by then.” Anna tried to explain, only to make the situation worse.
“What the hell have you been up to?” Lesley demanded to know.
Anna put her hands over her face. “It’s a long story.”
“I have plenty of time, so spill it.”
“Okay, okay. You have to understand, I didn’t mean to fall for her, Lesley, it just happened. There I was, undercover, focussed on my job and this woman, the more I saw her, spent time with her.” She shook her head; “I just couldn’t stop myself.”
“You’ve gone and fallen in love with a straight woman?” Lesley sounded surprised.
“Hell, I don’t know, and I’m not so sure about that.”
“What? That you’ve fallen in love? Because let me tell you, Anna. You have it bad.”
“No, not that part, I’m not so sure she is straight.”
“How do you know? She has, or had, a fiancé.”
“It has something to do with the fact that she had her tongue in my mouth.” Anna stated defensively.
Lesley just stared at Anna, unable to imagine what her friend had gotten herself into.
Anna’s head fell back onto the lounger. “Ack, I don’t know. The short version is that I befriended her because I wanted to know more about her fiancé, as he was a fisherman. So I volunteered to help with the youth club she ran.”
“Sounds perfectly plausible.” Lesley failed to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
“It was, until I started to fall for her, and I don’t think it only went one way. She thought I was married to Pete and I knew she had a fiancé, but we just clicked. I’ve never felt so comfortable around another human being. And horny.” Anna added.
“So what happened?”
“I knew I had to rein in my feelings, keep them in check as I had a job to do and I couldn’t lose my focus. It was so damn hard, Lesley. Lying to her, it actually hurt.”
“That must have been very tough.”
“It was, I’ve never been in a situation even close to that before. Not just her, though. The whole place got me, the kids at the youth club, the folk from the church, the patrons of the pub. The sense of community and togetherness, it was touching and so different from anything else I’ve ever experienced. And then there was the damn fishing thing, hell even I want to lobby the European parliament for a better deal for the fishermen. It’s a travesty, Lesley.”
“Jesus, Anna, you sound like you’ve had a spell cast on you. Have you seen Brigadoon?” Lesley joked.
“Very funny, and you know I have. I love old movies.”
“Then you know where I’m coming from.”
“It’s not bloody Brigadoon, the place doesn’t disappear for a hundred years.”
“Well how do you know, it reappears for lovers after all.”
They both shared a hearty laugh at Lesley’s joke.
“God almighty, I’m not even going to tell you about the old bloke that appeared out of nowhere and got me out of the woods, Pete might have died without him.”
Lesley looked dubiously at her friend. “Are you for real?”
What was it with people when she told them that, Davidson had given her the same look? “Of course I am. Finlay was his name.”
Lesley snorted with laughter.
“What is so damn funny about that?”
Lesley composed herself. “I considered calling Roddy, Finlay. Do you know what it means?”
“Obviously not.” Anna was indignant.
“White haired courageous stranger or warrior.”
Anna almost sulked. “I am not making this up.”
Lesley sobered a little, the combination of the wine and the humour in Anna’s story had made her giddy.
“I’m sorry, Anna. Tell me more about Heather, please?”
“Not much more to tell really. She ended her relationship with Greg; it was truly nothing to do with me. As the time wore on and Davidson was turning the screws we needed a result and I gambled. Part of the plan involved apprehending her ex fiancé who was offloading an illegal catch.”
“So where does the kissing part come in?” Lesley was confused.
Anna looked a little embarrassed. “After everything went down, I got a lift back to Havensburgh, basically just to pick up mine and Pete’s stuff, then I planned to drive back to Glasgow. But I couldn’t resist one last stop. I had every intention of telling her who I really was, but instead I, well we, ended up kissing. The whole thing imploded when her mother came banging on the front door to tell her Greg had been arrested and the village was crawling with police. Heather already knew from the state I was in when I arrived that I’d been involved in some kind of trouble and that Pete was in hospital, and that was that. Her mother threw me out. I tried to see her again on Tuesday night, after I went to Dundee to visit Pete, this time her ex, well I assume he is still ex, fiancé ran me off. She is really mad at me, I honestly don’t think I have any chance now.”
“I’m so sorry, Anna.” Lesley really was, it looked like her friend had finally found someone who truly mattered to her and was probably in love, but the whole thing was soured because of circumstances. “Maybe she will come around, given time.” Lesley suggested.
“Yeah, maybe,” but Anna wasn’t holding out much hope. She changed the subject. “Let’s see what your kids are up to, I think they are too quiet.”
Lesley knew the conversation was closed; she had been surprised at how much Anna had actually opened up to her. “I think you’re right, let’s check on them.”
When the two women went back inside, they found the kids playing happily with their new toys, with Gordon keeping an eye on them.
“I’ll just pop to the bathroom, won’t be a minute,“ Lesley said.
With the two children engrossed in their play, Anna was left alone with Gordon.
“So, still slaving away for Strathclyde CID.” He shook his head. “I’m probably on triple what you are.”
“Yeah, good for you.” Anna couldn’t hold back, she was fed up listening Gordon’s gloating. “It’s funny that though, you getting a well paid job in an insurance company I mean.”
“How’s that?” Gordon asked.
“Well let’s see, you went to the police straight from secondary school, no real qualifications to speak of. Not enough to have got you into University anyway. So, no graduate qualification, no experience working with an insurance company. I mean, insurance and police work, poles apart unless it’s fraud investigation. You leapfrogged a good few people who were way more experienced than you were to get that job. Head of the pensions department? I’ll bet the office juniors are more qualified than you.” Anna scoffed.
Gordon smiled sardonically, “I was the best man for the job.”
Anna leaned closer to him. “Is that what your Worshipful Master thought?”
Gordon’s face turned to one of shock.
“Oh yeah, I hear he is on the board of directors of a certain Insurance company.” Anna smiled. “You do him a little favour somewhere along the line? Hmm?”
Gordon’s face turned red, he spoke through gritted teeth. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He hedged, certain she was just guessing.
“What is it they say, Gordon?” Anna pretended to think about it. “Oh yeah, It’s not what you know, but who you know, that is important.”
Gordon was sitting staring at Anna when Lesley returned from the bathroom, she immediately sensed there was an atmosphere between the two, she looked at the children who were totally oblivious to it all.
“Well, I think it’s time I was getting the kids off to bed.” Lesley said cheerily.
Anna took her cue, not wanting to be around Gordon any longer. “It’s time for me to be heading off now too.”
She said her goodbyes to Roddy and Rebecca, with a promise to come visit again soon.
“Nice seeing you again, Anna.”
“The pleasure was all mine, Gordon.”
The pair were charm personified, but Lesley wasn’t fooled. She knew they had traded some serious words.
“I’ll see you during the week, Lesley and thanks for inviting me over, I really enjoyed the day.”
“You’re welcome anytime, Anna.”
The pair hugged and said goodnight with a kiss on the cheek, before Anna drove back to the Merchant City.
Heather dropped Greg outside the bank in Stonehaven. He had opted to meet Malcolm Keith in the more formal surroundings of his office at the bank.
“I’m going to do some food shopping. If I’m not here when you come out, just give me a call, I won’t be far away.”
“Okay, Heather.”
Greg looked to Heather like a man who was about to lose everything.
“Greg?” He turned to face her. “I’m sure dad will be able to help you sort something out.”
Greg nodded, but didn’t look overly hopeful, before walking into the bank.
Heather parked in the supermarket car park, and then headed inside to do the regular weekly food shop for her and Greg. It was odd how routine and familiar their lives remained despite the new status of their relationship. They shared the same home, Heather cooked for them and they ate together. It would have to change eventually, but until that happened, they both continued to take comfort and find refuge in the familiarity of being around each other.
After packing the boot of her car full of shopping bags, Heather drove to the bank and waited outside for Greg. He finally appeared, his shoulders were slumped, and there was the unmistakable look of a defeated man hovering around him. He looked like a man resigned to his fate.
Greg didn’t speak as he entered the car and put on his seatbelt. Heather waited patiently for Greg to open up, but he simply stared straight ahead, saying nothing. She put the Corsa in gear and the pair set off on the trip home, not a word was exchanged during the entire length of the journey.
Arriving back at the cottage, Greg helped Heather unpack the shopping; sharing yet another thoroughly domestic scene, but they both knew they were simply going through the motions. Sooner or later they would have to make the tough decision to dissolve all the other parts of their lives together.
As they silently carried out this latest task, Heather realised that the situation was doing them both more harm than good. There was an air of despondency surrounding the pair; an unspoken sadness underpinning everything they did together. It was helping neither of them. Eventually something would have to give, and Heather came to the conclusion that it should probably be the sooner the better for both of their sakes.
As they sat eating the meal Heather had prepared she decided it was time to break the silence.
“What did dad say?”
Greg looked like he was about to protest before realising the futility of his actions. There was no need to hide anything from Heather anymore. He put down his knife and fork and finished chewing his mouthful of food while he composed his answer.
“Going on previous cases of this nature and the fact that my accounts don’t show evidence of any financial irregularities that would indicate any prolonged illegal activity, your dad thinks I will be fined according to the size of the illegal catch I offloaded. Unfortunately, judging by those same previous cases, your dad estimates a fine in the region of fifteen to twenty thousand pounds.”
Heather really hadn’t had any real idea as to what the outcome of the trial might be and whilst she felt relief that Greg would most likely escape a custodial sentence, she knew a fine of that magnitude would most likely mean financial ruin. That would force Greg to decommission the boat.
“You don’t have that kind of money?”
Greg shook his head. “I was serious when I said I wasn’t greedy. Compared to what some boats are doing, we really were small time. This will mean the end for us as a crew. The guys will hopefully join other boats, but the ‘Laissez Faire’ will have to go.”
Greg was facing an awful situation. Even if he could pay the fine, he couldn’t run the risk of continuing to illegally offload fish to subsidise the boat and the wages. It really did look like the end for Greg and the ‘Laissez Faire’. It was a truly terrible prospect.
“Greg?”
“Yeah,” he said, distractedly, his mind on his current predicament.
“If there was a way for you to keep the boat running legally, would you? I mean, surely not every fisherman is having to resort to ‘black fishing’.”
Greg considered her question, his answer coming easily to him. “If I could find a way, I would do everything it takes to keep her on the water.”
Heather smiled, “Then let’s start looking at all the options available.”
They spent the rest of the evening discussing what possibilities were open to Greg. Using his knowledge and the internet for research, they began to generate ideas and formulate a plan that might help secure a future for Greg, at least in the short term. It seemed that for every downturn there was always an upturn somewhere else. That seemed to hold the answer for Greg.
**********
Heather listened to the CD playing in her car. Since her break-up with Greg, the words of songs really did seem to resonate with her on a level she had failed to empathise with before. She hadn’t really paid attention to how many songs were about loss and relationships ending, but now they were everywhere. The lyrics from the current track playing seemed to sum up her situation perfectly. ‘All the times I cried, all this pain I’ve tried to hide. What am I supposed to dream, when nothing’s ever what it seems?’ Heather hit the repeat button.
Parking her Corsa in the gym car park, Heather removed her kit bag from the boot before locking up the car. Showing her membership card and collecting a locker key, she headed for the changing rooms. She was already in her gym clothes; she just needed to lock away her holdall containing her change of clothing and shower stuff. Clipping her iPod shuffle to her sports top, she was ready to go. Stretching gently on the mats Heather tried to clear her mind and just focus on the enjoyment of exercise. She warmed up on the bike before moving on to the machinery. Thirty minutes later she was well into her hour routine, the dance music in her ears blocking out all external activity around her. She was pounding the leg weight machine so hard she half expected it to go crashing through the wall. It was only when she felt a hand on her shoulder that she realised she had lost count of her repetitions.
“Ease up there, Heather.” Alan, one of the coaches cautioned.
“Oops, sorry, Alan, I totally zoned out for a moment.”
He smiled, a wide toothy smile, which had most of the woman swooning around him, but to his credit, he didn’t flirt or flaunt it. Heather liked that about him.
“Remember, Heather, stay focussed.” He cautioned.
She smiled, “Thanks, Alan.”
When he walked off Heather took the time to compose herself. She had been thinking of Anna, and the feeling that had been building inside her was one of anger. Yes, she was hopping mad at Anna Thomson and she could now admit that to herself. Heather blew out a breath, disgusted that she had let her mind stray yet again to thoughts of that woman. She was mad at Anna and she was mad at herself because she couldn’t stop thinking about her, no matter how much she tried. The realisation made her lose her appetite for exercise and she ended the session early and hit the showers.
Freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a lamb’s wool jumper, Heather set off for her second stop of the day, an appointment with her bank manager.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Heather, always a bright spot in my day.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“What can I do for you?”
“Greg was telling me about the meeting he had with you. He can’t afford any fine that’s coming his way.”
“I know, Heather, that’s why I spoke with him about decommissioning the boat.”
“I think that’s premature, Dad.”
“You do? Tell me why?”
“I believe he can still make the boat work. I have spoken with him about it and we looked at all the options open to him. He wants to continue with the boat, and he can do that but it will mean a lot more time at sea for him. We did some research and we’ve discovered that there are new opportunities opening up for fishermen. Delivering supplies to oilrigs, guarding the rigs that are currently unmanned, he can even fish in waters outside of the European Union. He has the determination to make this work.”
“That leaves the fine. How will he pay that?” Malcolm Keith remained focussed and practical.
“I want to buy Greg out of the cottage. We have agreed on twenty five thousand pounds.”
Malcolm Keith nodded. “I have to caution you as your bank manager and as your father, that you are probably giving Greg too much. If you sold the cottage, you would be lucky to make any profit at all in the current climate.”
“It doesn’t matter, Dad. I won’t walk away and leave him to face this alone. This way I know he will be able to continue with his livelihood. It makes me feel better too.”
“Heather, you’re a very fair and generous young woman. You make me proud.” Malcolm Keith smiled fondly at his daughter.
“Thanks, Dad, that means a lot.” Heather looked downcast despite her father’s words.
“You have something else on your mind?”
“Yes.” Heather looked down at her hands and wrung them together nervously. She slowly brought her eyes back up to meet her fathers, “I have feelings for someone,” she finished in a whisper.
They both sat staring at each other. There was complete silence in the office. Heather was letting her father absorb the first part of her news, while her father was desperately trying to work out who Heather could be talking about.
“Do I know him?” Malcolm Keith tried desperately to put a note of enthusiasm into his voice; the truth was his daughter had completely thrown him for a loop.
“Do you remember the Thomson’s who had bought the farmhouse?”
“Off course. They turned out to be undercover police officers, that’s how Greg was caught with the black fish.”
Heather flushed with embarrassment.
“That Pete chap, is that who it is?’
“No, it’s the other one.”
“What other one? I only ever saw Pete and Anna.”
Heather stared at her father, waiting for the penny to drop.
The look on his face was priceless as the truth finally caught up with him.
“Anna?”
Heather nodded her answer.
Malcolm Keith sat back in his chair as he tried to absorb this new piece of information.
“Do me a favour Heather?”
“Sure, Dad, anything.”
“Let’s not mention this at dinner tomorrow tonight. I don’t think your mother could take this all in on top of everything else right now.”
Heather watched a strangely stunned look creep over the face of her normally unflappable father.
“I’m not sure I can take it all in myself, Dad, it came out of nowhere. I have never been attracted to a woman before.”
This was unknown territory for Malcolm Keith. His daughter had given him a whole new set of issues to juggle with his wife.
“Mum isn’t going to take this well.”
Malcolm Keith scratched his head, the normally composed man, was openly struggling.
“I, ah… I don’t know what to tell you. What with the trouble with your brother all those years ago, she is still in denial. She can’t face the truth that her only son was a drug addict who stole from his own family. There is no denying that you being a lesbian, if indeed that turns out to be the case, well that will be very hard on her.”
“At least the family silver will be safe.”
“Heather.” Her father mildly chastised.
“I know, Dad, but I don’t think it’s fair. I almost believe Mum would be happier with a son who went off the rails, than a daughter who is a lesbian.”
Malcolm Keith couldn’t deny that there may actually be a grain of truth in what his daughter was saying, but he held his tongue.
“What about you, Dad?”
“Heather, it’s not something I ever considered till now, and while I may be a stuffy old bank manager, I’ve never felt the need or desire or indeed understood the lack of acceptance and the outright hatred towards people who happen to be attracted to the same sex. Your mother on the other hand is a different matter altogether. I will say this, all I ever wanted for you and your brother was for you both to be happy and healthy. If you find your happiness with another woman, well then, I will be happy as well.”
Heather was relieved to hear this.
“Are you seeing her?”
“No, and I doubt that I will. When I developed these feelings, I didn’t know who she really was. Now that I do, I’m left feeling cheated and angry at her.”
Malcolm Keith considered that for a moment. “I understand why you feel this way, but she had a job to do, a very important one by all accounts. You know that more than anyone does. We, as a family, have seen first hand the damage that drugs do.”
Heather nodded, she knew her dad was right, but that was all she was sure of at the moment.
“Have a think about things, Heather, don’t be too hasty.”
“Okay, Dad.”
“In the meantime, leave this with me,” Malcolm Keith pointed to the figures he had been projecting regarding Heather’s request for a loan. “It’s a fair chunk to add to your mortgage,” He cautioned.
Heather watched as he looked over his notes.
“I’ll have to go guarantor for this. The bank isn’t in a lending mood at the moment, but with my name behind it, you should be fine. I know you’re good for it.” He added with a smile.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I can’t personally approve this, but I’ll get in touch with the mortgage department at head office, they will be making the decision, I don’t foresee any problems.”
Heather smiled, her dad was very careful about his work, everything above board and in the proper place. Thank goodness.
That evening at the youth club Heather looked around at all the teenagers as they went about their activities. The guys playing pool, laughing and joking. The girls hanging out by the music, giggling and chewing gum. They had all gotten to know Anna. She had impacted upon all of their lives. The knowledge she had passed on about drug use, the self-defence classes for the girls, and awareness about keeping themselves safe. Even if her reason for being at the club wasn’t entirely altruistic, the work she had done whilst there had made a difference. Did it really matter what her motives were? As Heather attempted to make sense of her own feelings, the rawness returned. Anna had used them, that was what was so painful and, even while the teenagers were moving on, Heather wasn’t finding it so easy to do. Anna had hurt her.