The Harbinger Read online

  “I won’t bother decanting,” said Ellie, “unless you want me to put them into dishes and on plates.” She was expecting the shake of his head when it came and waved his arms dismissively. Whatever was normal for him, she knew he wouldn’t give her any trouble. She liked Michael and felt very comfortable around him. Ellie hardly knew him but felt as though she did. He was a male version of Holly.

  Chinese starters were Ellie’s favourite, and she loaded her plate with one of each—spring roll, a crispy Dim sum, prawn toast, ribs in Okay sauce and salt and pepper chicken wings. Although the Peking sour and chilli soup smelt wonderful from the aroma wafting from Michael’s container, she knew if she had some, she would have to skip the mains. She didn’t even know what he’d brought yet, as they’d only loosened the tops on the foil containers. She was looking forward to the surprise.

  He laid his empty soup container on the table and began putting his choice of the other starters on his plate. He wasn’t joking about being ravenous. “The soup was lovely and warming. I needed something to make me glow inside, and that certainly did the trick. I must be getting old.” He laughed at the thought.

  “You know what they say… a little of what you fancy does you good.” She smiled sweetly at him, but she knew he needed to get started on the problem that had brought him to her door. “So, Michael. What’s the problem that you’ve brought my way?”

  He’d just taken a large bite from the end of a spring roll and chewed it thoroughly as it crunched between his teeth before saying anything. He even waited an extra few moments, dabbing the corners of his mouth with his napkin, as though trying to get the words right in his head before he spoke them aloud.

  He ran his tongue around his lips, looking her straight in the eye. “Your mother tells me you’re quite close to Sue, the lady who owns the café. Is that right?” he asked seriously.

  Ellie gulped down the food she had in her mouth, feeling the last piece of prawn toast travel down her gullet, leaving a leaden lump and a nagging pain. She swallowed a sip of water perturbed by the look on Michael’s face. It was Ellie’s turn to delay, not wanting to say anything that may drop Sue in any kind of mire, aware she was talking to the big boy. Ellie kept her answer brief. “Well, we are not BFFs or anything, but we do get along really well and enjoy one another’s company. I see her every Thursday, which is more than I do most people. We tend to pair up for the charity events, too. Why do you want to know? Is there something wrong? She’s not ill or anything horrible?” Ellie could feel tears stinging her eyes just at the thought.

  Michael leant across the table and squeezed her arm. He looked alarmed. “No, Ellie. Don’t upset yourself. It’s nothing like that. It’s just some information I’d be interested in knowing, but I don’t want to ask her directly. She has the reputation of being irascible, and I wouldn’t want to upset her.”

  She watched him in silence as he began on the main courses, thinking how right he’d been about his appetite. She mentally compared his trim size to the amount of food he was consuming and wondered how he controlled his weight. Her mind was trying to ignore what he was about to say. After he’d put on the broccoli and ginger beef stir-fry, orange chicken, and stir-fried lamb with black bean sauce on his plate, he stopped and looked at her.

  “So what do you want to know? However, before you answer, I’m telling you—I won’t spy on a friend.”

  He nodded and smiled before adding Shanghai chow mein and special fried rice to his plate. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”

  The aromas released from the mains dishes reminded Ellie that she hadn’t finished and began her selection, waiting for his answer.

  “I just want to know,” he said quietly, “whether Sue has mentioned anything about retirement. It’s just she’s getting on a little and…”

  Ellie’s eyes widened in anger. “What? You want to be rid of her, and you want me to help you? Not a chance!” Ellie dropped the serving spoon loudly on her plate. She crossed her arms belligerently across her chest, her appetite gone. She could feel her face reddening with anger, and the red mist was beginning to descend. If he knew what help Sue had been to her after the loss of Alex, always calling with food and offering unconditional support, he wouldn’t have asked her to regurgitate bits of private conversation. Of all the thoughts she’d had of Michael Devlin, one hadn’t been that he needed to grow a pair. Her assessment of him had been widely off the mark. So, he’d approached her at her mother’s suggestion, had he? No doubt, she’d dropped it casually into a conversation somewhere along the line, and he’d nibbled at it… and took it hook, line, and sinker. She would have words with her mother on Thursday!

  He pursed his lips but didn’t give a reply. He ate the rest of his meal in silence, and when he’d finished, he stood up. He reached out to grab her arm, but she snatched it away from him. When he spoke, his voice was soft and yielding. “Ellie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I only wanted to test the waters. A major coffee company with the offer of a franchise, including ample compensation for any displacement, has approached the library. I didn’t want to turn it down out of hand, especially if Sue tells us she is retiring soon. I just thought…”

  Ellie’s eyes blazed as she looked at him. “The best I can do for you, Michael, is tell Sue you would like to meet her for a discussion. Would that do?” Ellie hadn’t meant her voice to sound so cold, but she knew it did.

  Michael Devlin made his way to the door, muttering under his breath. “I suppose it will have to.”

  Ellie merely nodded, and he left without another word, never looking back.

  22

  Ellie was still on a simmer when she went to the library to meet with her mother the following day, giving Holly only a brief wave as she passed the counter. She went forty-five minutes earlier than normal, so Holly was surprised to see her. Ellie didn’t hang around for a conversation—not wanting to explain the situation. Ellie dressed very casually, in the dark blue tracksuit bottoms her mother loathed and a two-toned blue rugby shirt. Her scruffiest trainers and hoodie completed the outfit. She was on a mission.

  Sue’s Café was fairly quiet at this time of day being half an hour before the mums began cascading in with their children for their after school treats. As she stepped into the space, Sue’s eyes widened in shock as she pointed her finger at Ellie.

  “Oh, my life! Look at you. You look ready to take to the field,” she said using her hands to mimic a rugby pass.

  Despite her mood, Ellie smiled as she slipped off the hoodie and slung it over her shoulder. “Yes, well… you know how it is. I didn’t think you’d mind. I really couldn’t be bothered today.” She dragged a chair from the nearest table and placed it beside the narrow part of the serving counter, next to the small preparation area Sue used to put together her toasted sandwiches. After hanging her hoodie on the back, Ellie slumped heavily into it, not really caring about the impression she was giving. The faint smell of raw onions invaded her nostrils and made them twitch. Her anger and apprehension hung in the air, like a black cloud above her head.

  “Listen, doll,” replied Sue, as she sauntered over to Ellie, “I don’t care what you wear. You could come in stark naked, and it wouldn’t bother me.” She reached down to where her ample belly protruded and grabbed it. “Actually, you come in starkers, and I’ll scratch your eyes out. I can’t wait to see your mother’s face when she sees you, though. She’ll pitch a fit!”

  Sue laughed so much that her double-Ds began to wobble, trying desperately to escape their confines. The old folks in the café turned to look to see the cause of her merriment. Dee Hanray’s views of what she determined to be slovenliness were well known. The old codgers smiled thinking they would get a modern-day version of Gunfight at the O.K. Corral when Ellie and her mother finally faced off. They wouldn’t be disappearing any time soon.

  Ellie’s face… hardened to her task.

  “I’ll make you a drink,” said Sue backing off before Ellie blew a gasket. The bang
ing and clattering of crockery and cutlery did nothing to ease Ellie’s crabby mood. She could get a headache if she thought about it. Sue placed down the latte in front of Ellie, along with a piece of coconut cake. Ellie glanced sideways, pet lip pouting for all it was worth.

  “On the house,” said Sue as she placed a fork at the side of the cake. “No argument,” she warned.

  For a moment, Ellie was about to object but heeded the warning Sue had given and halted the movement towards her pocket. Mentally, she was struggling to find a way of introducing Michael Devlin into any conversation they might have. He wasn’t normally on the set of topics they covered.

  Sue stood in silence with her arms making an X across her ample front in a perfect defensive posture. When Ellie looked at her, Sue’s big brown eyes looked back at her with an unyielding gaze, searching Ellie’s face for any signs that may give away the reason for Ellie’s bad mood. She must have found something like the look of a lightbulb going on crossed her moon features.

  “I’m guessing this bad mood has something to do with your mother,” she said taking a stab at a reason it wouldn’t take a genius to work out. Then she floored Ellie with the next part of the sentence. “In conjunction with the benevolent Michael Devlin, I have no doubt. They forget walls have ears, and I have a lot of friends.” Sue’s face was set rigidly. No frown and definitely no smile. She looked prepared to accept any rumours she heard.

  The look on Ellie’s face answered her question. If Ellie verbally responded in any way, she was bound to give the game away. She really wanted to support Sue but was out of her depth as to how to handle the crisis. Therefore, she sat tight-lipped, wanting the world to swallow her up. Instead, she swallowed a piece of cake while Sue stroked either side of her chin with thumb and forefinger, as though trying to figure out a puzzle.

  A young woman with a toddler in tow approached the counter, and Ellie heaved a sigh, thankful for Sue’s distraction. “Grady, come on. Stop dragging your feet,” the mother warned, only making him put the brakes on full, pulling back and bracing himself. She suddenly let go of his hand, and he went down with a muffled bump on his backside. His wailing began almost immediately. His mother glared at him. “If you don’t stop howling, you won’t get a drink, either.”

  The crocodile tears suddenly ceased as he got quickly to his feet and joined her at the counter, beaming. She looked at him, then at Sue who was waiting to take her order. “I don’t know,” she said with words belying her years. “Kids think you come in on the last banana boat, don’t they?” she said looking at Sue, who merely nodded her head in reply, only the hint of a smile playing on her lips. “A latte, a small orange, and a bag of Wotsits,” she said, handing over a ten-pound note. As she gazed down at her child into his innocent eyes, the look of love left his mother’s as she gazed into his.

  Ellie could feel the tears welling. That should be me, she thought to herself. She wanted to look at Alex like that again. She wanted to slip her arms around his scrawny little body and cuddle him forever. She wanted to inhale the aroma of fresh air that lingered on his skin after playing in the garden She wanted to compare his arm muscles with hers, the way they used to—every time he was in a hurry to grow up. “When your muscles are as big as mine,” she would say, “then you’ll be able to do it.” Whatever ‘it’ was. She quickly dried the tear from her cheek. How long would it be before she forgot all the little inconsequential things they used to do together when it was just the two of them?

  Ellie drank half of her coffee and ate all the cake before Sue approached her again. She spoke to Ellie coolly before pointing to a table. “If I were you, I’d grab a table while you can. The hoards are about to descend,” she said redirecting her finger to the clock on the wall. “I’ll bring your mother’s drink over.”

  Ellie suspected Sue had the wrong end of something but said nothing as Sue put her mum’s drink on the table and stalked off. Ellie had no idea what Sue was thinking. Perhaps she thought Ellie was in collusion with the other two. The idea horrified her. Sue couldn’t think something like that of her… surely. Okay, they weren’t ultra-close or anything like she was with Holly, but their friendship was a solid one, so Sue should know her well enough to dismiss any such thought. Perhaps she thought Ellie was traversing the line of blood being thicker than water. Ellie shook her head in dismissal. This situation could be a deal-breaker with her mum. Enough was enough, and she had warned her many times about overstepping the mark. For now, she would give her the benefit of the doubt and wait until she had heard what her mother had to say for herself. If anything.

  At the same time the mothers came in with their children, Ellie heard the clacking of her own mother’s heels as they collided with the polished floor. She looked up as her mother dragged out the chair from the opposite side of the table. The sound had the same effect as fingernails on a blackboard. Ellie clenched her teeth.

  Dee scanned the empty table, looking for Ellie’s cup. “Have you been here long?” she asked innocently.

  “I came early so I could have a talk with Sue. I’ve had my drink already.”

  Her mother’s features perked-up… instantly. “Oh,” she said in a falsely dismissive tone, “about anything in particular?” Her eyes widened in anticipation. Her mother delicately ran her fingers across the corners of her eyes, just in case her mascara had run. It was all a distraction.

  Ellie knew.

  Ellie looked at her mother from under heavy lids. She let out a heavy sigh, wanting to be as far away from all the bad energy she was feeling, but she would just have to face it.

  “Why did you feel it necessary to include me in your collusion?” asked Ellie, her voice low and quivering as the impact of the betrayal hit her again. “You could have just kept your mouth shut and let him get on with his own dirty work, but no, you had to drag me into it. How could you!” Ellie could hear the volume of her voice increasing. It was loud enough to attract the attention of those around them. She could see one of the pensioners smiling at her over her mother’s shoulder.

  Dee Hanray looked surprised at her daughter’s outburst, glancing from side to side to see the reaction of those at tables close by. “I do not appreciate you speaking to me in that tone, Eleanor,” she whispered on the lowest volume possible. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, anyway.”

  Ellie’s eyes flared with anger she couldn’t suppress. “What did I tell you a while ago about your mouth getting you in trouble? Well, it has… with me! You couldn’t wait to start building up the pile of brownie points with your Mr Wonderful, could you? ‘Oh, it’s okay, Michael. I’ll get my gullible daughter to do all your dirty work for you. I’ll set everything in motion and then sit back while all the shit flies.’” Ellie banged hard on the table and saw her mother flush with embarrassment. “Well, do you know what mother? You won’t get chance to do it again!” Ellie spit out the words with as much venom as she could muster. “Do not get in touch with me… at all!”

  Ellie stood and stormed her way to the counter, unzipping the pocket of her jogging bottoms and taking a few coins out. As she approached Sue, she held out the money. “For her drink,” she said snapping her head towards her mother’s table.

  In response, Sue shook her head. “I don’t take money from heroes,” she said with a big grin. “I’ll phone you when I’ve spoken to the big cheese,” she nodded and then went to serve her next customer.

  Ellie couldn’t speak to Holly on the way out. In fact, she didn’t even look in her direction as she exited the building. She was so full of emotion that she knew, if she spoke to anyone, the floodgates would open. She had her pride. A weeping session in public would definitely cross the line. Up to today, she would have thought the same thing about tearing a strip off her mother, in public or otherwise. Now she didn’t care. She’d done it. As she stomped into the park, she decided to spend a little while on her bench. Her mind needed some kind of clarity, and she couldn’t get that anywhere else. The days were longer and slightl
y warmer now, so she could see out the rest of the daylight on her bench if she wanted to.

  When she glanced around the wide-open spaces on the way, she noticed a hint of refreshed green on the grass while the deciduous trees took on a misty look as their buds began to develop. Soon it would be back to how she remembered it on that fateful day. Alex was snatched from her life in the cruel blink of an eye. God had mugged her. If such an entity existed. Perhaps her non-belief had been the key. Her punishment. She honestly didn’t believe that. Holly had reinforced the fact it had been an accident more than once. It was a tragedy pure and simple. A hard floor and a thin cranium collided. The result… she had lost her beloved son.

  Although her mind still stung… convincing herself it wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t taken her eyes off him. Lately, she had questioned the thought. Would she have stopped him using the slide, his favourite amongst the apparatus? It was something he loved to play on, and he did so on every visit. Why would she have kept him off it that particular day? She knew she wouldn’t have.

  She flounced herself down on the bench, the hardness of it jarring her back. She berated herself. Just what she needed on top of everything else, making herself unfit to work. She didn’t always help to do the manual side of the makeover, but she’d had to factor her own labour into the quote on this occasion, just to keep it competitive and speedy. Mick was good, but he didn’t have the flair to do her delicate part of the work. He was okay to cover for a day or two in her absence, but that was as far as it went. She reached for her back under the jacket, hoping to give it a quick massage but nearly fainted when she saw the little bird sitting on the end of the bench. She was so busy mentally chastising herself that she’d missed the beating of his wings as he landed. On the other hand, had she?