No Way to Say Goodbye - Anna McPartlin [28]
Mary didn’t have to be in the bar until midday so she pottered around the house. She cleaned the kitchen, drank coffee and spoke with Penny on the phone.
Penny told her about Adam’s bombshell.
“She knows?” said Mary, aghast.
“I’ve no idea how she found out. Still, after five years, I suppose it was about time.”
“It’s a miracle you got away with it for so long. God help her.”
“God help her?”
“He did marry her, Penny.”
“Yes, he did.”
“Finding out your husband has been having an affair must be a nightmare,” Mary added.
“To be honest, I always thought she knew, at least on some level.”
“Just be glad she’s not on your doorstep causing murder,” Mary said, relieved that Penny’s adversary could comport herself with such dignity in the face of her husband’s betrayal.
“Why would she? She’s won. They’re moving to Cork,” Penny said angrily.
“What?” Mary immediately began to fret. She really did hate change.
“The hotel’s going up for sale. She’s already found a house she likes, the stupid bitch.”
“He’s leaving us? Unbelievable!” Mary said, screwing up her face, as she always did when she was puzzled, upset or embarrassed. In this case her wrinkled forehead indicated distress.
“At least we had one last dance.”
Mary could almost hear a tear rolling down her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Penn.”
“You’ll miss him too,” Penny said, and she was right.
Mary would miss him. They had all been friends for so long. “Why don’t you come into the bar tonight?” she said.
Penny wasn’t sure, saying she wasn’t feeling so well. “I’ll probably stay in and keep my head down.”
“Well, the offer’s there if you change your mind.”
“Cheers, Mare.”
Mary hung up, feeling sad for Penny and Adam and for herself. She would miss her friend. Adam was impulsive to Ivan’s dependable. He was funny, sharp and often the centre of attention. “Born with charm” was how her dad had once described him, and indeed he was charming, but he was also terribly unhappy and she worried for him. Moving to Cork was possibly the worst plan ever. He wouldn’t want to leave his home, his friends and, most of all, Penny, the girl he had fallen in love with while she was sitting on a wall. Oh, my God, was Adam the boy in the hood? Poor Penny and poor Adam. Of course they were in the wrong – Adam’s wife was the victim in all of this – but Adam’s wife wasn’t Mary’s friend.
Later she sent a text to Adam, asking to meet him during her break. He responded instantly, agreeing to rendezvous at seven.
Another hour passed and, even though he was surely about to discover who had killed Boy Staunton, the ferocity with which Sam’s insides burned proved too great to ignore. He put the book onto his bedside table and went to the shower. He washed and shaved in minutes, got dressed, grabbed his neighbour’s dish and left his new home.
Mary found her jacket and picked up her handbag, which signalled to Mr Monkels that it was time for a furry kiss. He walked in step. She opened the french windows into the back garden. “In or out, Mr M?” she asked.
He took a step outside and faced her.
She bent down. “Good choice.” Then she kissed his face, rubbing her cheek against his before he turned towards the bird table to resume the battle he had begun earlier that morning.
Sam’s intention was to leave the bowl outside Mary’s front door, as directed the previous night. He certainly wasn’t in the mood to be scowled at. The sky was a vibrant blue and the day was unexpectedly sunny, in contrast to the rain that had washed him into this small, curious place. The light danced on the water – now a clear colour approaching a pale blue or a deep green, depending on which angle you viewed it from. Sea air filled his lungs, clearing his tired mind. Overhead a seagull squawked a greeting – or told him to eff off. He grinned to himself. If it had flown in from New York harbour the sentiment was definitely the latter.
He opened