No Way to Say Goodbye - Anna McPartlin [82]
“Give him a go!”
The boy-bear called Topher moved in and the others made way, leaving the hooded boy on the ground, too badly beaten to run. She felt his broken knuckles clutching at his face and saw his body curl into the foetal position.
I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!
Gemma had finished Patty’s pedicure and now had time to drink some coffee and berate Tina for not getting the scoop on whether Mary was getting it together with the cute American. Tina explained that she couldn’t ask in the wake of her faux pas. Gemma laughed.
“Excuse me, I’m not from here – I can’t remember every little bleedin’ thing!” Tina snapped.
“There’s definitely something.” Gemma ignored her employee’s outburst. “I mean, he was staying in her house for over a week.”
“I heard she made him sleep on the floor,” said Tina, conspiratorially.
“Dr Macken told her to!” Gemma informed her.
“My arse! My father’s had a bad back for twenty years and I’ve never seen him lying on a floor.”
“Have you seen Mary and the American tagging trees?” Gemma queried.
“That’s so weird! I heard he’s looking for something belonging to his granny.”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s the word on the street. Some say there’s something buried under one.”
“Jesus. It could be anything.”
“I’d say it’s jewellery,” said Tina. “Obviously valuable or he wouldn’t go to the trouble.”
“And he visits that tree, the one where her little boy died. He’s been seen there a number of times.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know. It’s weird. They must be together.”
“I’m not so sure – I always thought she was a lesbian.”
“Sure, didn’t we all? Herself and Penny made a lovely couple to most people’s minds – until we found out that the bold Penny was servicing a married man all these years!” Gemma giggled. “People never fail to entertain.”
“Speaking of which, she was reeking of wine this morning,” Tina commented.
“Isn’t she always? Brona in the off-licence maintains she’s never out of the place.”
It was at this point that they heard crying in Room Three. They stared at one another. Gemma was the first to move towards the door, with Tina following.
“Run! Run!”
“Is she saying ‘run’?” Gemma asked Tina.
“Please don’t make me watch this!”
“Wha’ is she on?” Tina asked Gemma.
“I don’t want to be here! I won’t watch it. Do you hear me? I won’t watch it!”
“She’s crying,” Gemma said, with her hand on the door, which she opened to reveal a sleeping Mary. It was clear she was very distressed – her face was wet with tears and her face-pack ruined.
“I’m so sorry!” she screamed, so loudly that Tina jumped.
It was then that Gemma gently took her client’s hand and called her softly. “Mary! Wake up!”
“I’m so sorry!” Mary sobbed.
Tina started to cry. It was terribly upsetting to see such a strong woman crumble.
“It’s all right, Mary, come back to us,” Gemma said, squeezing her hand gently.
It was then that Mary woke to find her face a mess and an audience around her.
“You gave us a fright,” Gemma said, but she didn’t elaborate.
“Sorry – it was just a nightmare,” Mary stammered.
“Let me fix your face,” Tina said, wiping away her own tears, but Mary was too embarrassed – she just wanted to clean off the gunk and leave. Later she would hear bits and pieces of the story as to how Mary of the Sorrows lost it in Room Three.
19. People in glasshouses
At eighty-nine years of age, Dick Dogs was now a full-time resident of a local old folks’ home. It perched on a hillock overlooking a spectacular and colourful view that, ironically, most of the residents were unable to see.
In the wake of her embarrassment in the local beauty parlour, and the headache brought on by having to watch a young man’s agony, Mary had asked Ivan to accompany Sam in her place. He had brought a box of boiled sweets, which were immediately confiscated by Paula Dubury, who wondered aloud if he was intending to kill her residents. Sam had brought ice-cream, one of the few things his grandmother had enjoyed after her stroke. Paula smiled at him: not only had he presented the old man with a gift that wouldn’t lodge in his