Chapter 35
Jack bounded down the stairs on hearing his mobile phone, hoping it was Bridie returning his call.
In hindsight, he shouldn’t have called her several times.
It would make him appear desperate to continue with the plan to restore the theatre.
When she hadn’t answered on the third call, he’d started to think that Oliver had got to her, convincing her that it was a bad idea to let him get involved in the theatre.
He darted into his study to find Jade standing there, holding his mobile phone, eyes narrowed, looking at him suspiciously. He came to a halt when she said, ‘What’s going on?’
‘What do you mean?’ He tried to sound casual. ‘Did you answer my phone?’
‘No. What if I had? I’ve answered your work phone and taken messages before.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘What’s changed?’
‘Nothing,’ Jack replied, avoiding eye contact. He smiled and casually walked over, trying not to make anything of it, although he was desperate to know if Bridie had called him back.
‘What’s this phone number?’
‘What phone number?’
‘The one you kept calling this morning?’ Jade stood there scrolling through his work phone. He felt irritated, but he reminded himself not to make a thing of it.
‘Since when have you been so interested in my work?’ What always interested Jade was how much money he was earning.
She liked the finer things in life – designer clothes, expensive makeup, and trips to a London salon for her hair and nails.
Her long, glossy, wavy blonde hair and nail extensions cost a small fortune.
And then there were all the latest gadgets for her son.
Jack spoiled his stepson rotten too. Sometimes he did wonder if he’d turned him into an entitled little so-and-so, like his mother.
Jade was still holding his phone.
Jack walked over and took the phone out of her hands. ‘It’s just a new business venture.’
‘With the person you said you were meeting this morning?’
He nodded, glancing at his phone.
‘You weren’t gone long.’
‘Yeah. Something cropped up and we couldn’t finish the meeting, so I said I’d call back and rearrange.’ He couldn’t resist a smile when he saw the number and confirmed she had called back. ‘I was hoping they called me back.’
‘They – or she?’
Jack wasn’t listening as he lowered himself into the office chair behind his desk, relieved Bridie had seen sense and decided to call back.
Then he had a sudden thought – he was getting ahead of himself.
What if she was phoning him back to tell him he needn’t bother returning to the theatre?
He’d overheard Oliver’s offer to invest in the theatre with his savings.
He’d thought Bridie had turned him down.
But what if she’d had a change of heart?
‘Look, I’ve got to call them back, find out if they still want to meet.’
‘Yeah – they do. Bridie left a voicemail.’
Jack looked up sharply. ‘What did you say?’
‘You heard.’
‘You listened to my voicemail?’
‘Yes.’ She folded her arms. ‘I thought you said it was a business venture?’
‘It is!’
Jade’s silence said it all – she didn’t believe him.
‘I swear I’m telling the truth.’
‘All right.’ Jade took a seat opposite him. She crossed her legs, leaning forward. ‘Now, suppose you tell me all about this so-called business venture?’
Jack pursed his lips and looked at the plans on his desk. ‘I don’t want to.’
‘That’s because you’re lying,’ she spat. ‘There isn’t one, is there?’
‘There is. But you’re not going to like it.’
‘Why – because it might fail and not earn lots of money?’
‘Oh, it’s going to bag me a nice big payback, I can tell you. I’ve got it all planned.’
‘So, what is the problem? Why can’t you tell me what the business venture is?’
Jack closed his eyes and told her about the theatre. Her reaction was just the reason he wanted to keep it to himself – for now.
‘Oh, my god! What is your obsession with that theatre?’ She suddenly stopped. ‘Or is it your obsession with her?’
‘Of course not,’ Jack said, surprised by the comment, although Jade knew their history. They’d all been to high school together. ‘I didn’t marry Bridie, did I? I married you.’
‘Yeah – because she left you and swanned off to London.’
Jack did not need to be reminded. He said nonchalantly, ‘That was years ago.’
‘Yes, it was. So, why has it always felt like there are three people in our marriage?’
Jack looked at her, surprised. ‘What on earth are you talking about?’
‘I’m talking about you and Bridie.’
‘There is no me and Bridie!’
‘Are you sure about that?’
‘Yes. This is purely business. I told you.’
Jade sat in silence for a moment or two. Jack wished she’d leave. He was desperate to call Bridie.
‘I still don’t understand …’
Jack sighed. ‘What don’t you understand?’
‘You’ve always hated the theatre and wanted the place torn down, like it’s personal.’
Jack kept his mouth shut.
‘You’ve been looking for the owner for years to get your hands on that place. Now you’re going to invest in it. Your plan doesn’t make sense.’
Jack looked at her guiltily. He hadn’t told her the whole plan. The trouble was that they’d been married long enough for Jade to guess he was hiding something.
‘What are you not telling me?’
‘Financially, it’s going to fail spectacularly,’ Jack admitted. ‘Who is interested in paying money for a ticket to a local amateur dramatic theatre anymore? It’s a stupid idea to reopen it. She might as well sell to a developer and take the money.’
Jade threw her hands in the air in frustration. ‘That does not answer my question at all. Did you offer to buy it off her so you could redevelop it?’
‘No.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I’ve realised she’s dead-set on restoring the theatre.’
‘Wait. How did she end up owning the theatre anyway?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, did you ask her?’
‘No, not yet. Oliver turned up and rather put his boot in.’
‘Ah, so that’s why the meeting got cut short. He put Bridie in the picture about your reputation. Is that why you didn’t offer to buy it off her, because you knew she’d refuse?’
‘My reputation? What do you mean?’
‘In business, how ruthless you are. How you don’t put anything back into the community.’
He looked across his desk at Jade. ‘Is that what people think?’
‘Of course.’ She looked at him as though he was stupid. ‘This is a small town. Do you think it goes unnoticed that you buy up old properties, develop them, and sell to rich London clients?’
Jack glanced at his phone, now convinced that Bridie was going to tell him she’d changed her mind.
‘I’m still confused. You said you were going to get a big payback out of investing?’
He didn’t see the harm in telling Jade his plan now, especially as he’d got a feeling Bridie had changed her mind and it wasn’t going ahead anyway. Besides, his wife knew him well. He did have a ruthless streak when it came to business. It was the only way to succeed, as far as he was concerned.
‘I want that theatre, to tear it down and redevelop the plot.’
‘So, just wait for her to figure out it’s not going to work, especially if she can’t afford to renovate it. Then she’ll have to sell. Why even get involved?’
‘Yeah, I had thought about doing that, but what if someone else steps in and helps her with the money, like a family member?’ Or Oliver, Jack thought, frowning. He continued, ‘At least this way, I’d have a controlling stake, which means that when things go wrong …’
‘She’ll have no choice but to sell it. And she’ll have to sell to you.’
‘Exactly.’
‘Clever.’
‘I know. Then I can do what I want with it.’
‘You mean tear it down.’
‘Oh yes.’
She threw him an odd look.
‘What?’
‘You’re obsessed with that theatre, like you want it gone.’
‘I do.’
‘But how do you know things will go wrong for sure? What if people rally around, like the community, and she makes a real success of it?’
Jack looked at her oddly. ‘You know, the way you talk, I’d be forgiven for thinking that you wouldn’t mind seeing that happen.’
Jade shrugged. ‘I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice to have a local theatre.’
‘I thought you rather enjoyed her spectacular fall from grace blasted all over social media.’
‘Well, yes, but every cloud has a silver lining. What if that led to us having a local theatre where we could take the kids?’
‘I wouldn’t go,’ Jack mumbled, although he did think about what Jade had just said.
He remembered his first visit there when he’d found Bridie and all her little helpers from Cobblers Yard rallying around.
He’d have to put a stop to that. If word really got out about her plans for the theatre, and lots of people volunteered to get involved and help out, then he really might have a problem on his hands.
He wasn’t investing in it for the long haul, for a slice of the profits from ticket sales, despite what he’d told Bridie.
‘That’s not going to happen,’ Jack said adamantly.
‘How can you be so sure?’
‘Because … because I’ll make sure of it.’
‘You mean … sabotage?’
Sabotage. Jack raised his eyebrows – now there was an idea.
‘You do know there’s this stupid rumour about some ghost? I didn’t tell you this, but Milo and his friends from school got into the theatre one time, and they scarpered, said there was someone else there.’
Jack sighed. ‘It’s just other kids larking about because everyone has heard the rumour. You know what kids are like.’
‘No, I don’t.’
Jack pursed his lips. He remembered what Jade had been like at school. She hadn’t been like Bridie and Oliver, game for anything, although Jack suspected Oliver had only been game for urban exploration because he’d go anywhere with Bridie.
‘I wish you’d never developed this obsession with that theatre. Why even get involved?’
‘I want to make sure it goes down. I told you, if I have a stake in it, I can make sure it doesn’t work and then I can get my hands on it.’ He sighed heavily. ‘Why doesn’t she just sell it to the highest bidder?’
‘Which would be you.’
‘Exactly.’
‘I still don’t know why she’s doing it,’ Jack said, annoyed, ‘renovating the damn theatre to stage a play.’
‘I do.’
Jack leaned forward, elbows on his desk. He looked at her eagerly. ‘You do?’
Jade nodded, her silky locks bobbing up and down. ‘She’s trying to relaunch her career. I bet nobody in the London theatres will touch her after what happened. If she can relaunch her London career, then she can move back there.’
‘But how? It’s just a small local theatre.’
‘Yes, that’s true, but she might invite some casting agents from London to showcase her talent.’
‘You think so?’
‘Yeah. The show in London looked amazing. It was a shame what happened. I love London shows.’
‘You go to London shows?’ Jack didn’t know why he was acting all surprised. He worked crazy, long hours and honestly had no clue what his wife and Milo did half the time – all he did know was that it involved spending his money.
Jade looked at her nails. ‘I like live theatre.’
‘I didn’t know that. I didn’t know you even went to the theatre.’
‘Yeah, well, you never want to go to the theatre, so I never bring it up. I go myself when I’m in London having my hair done with my girlfriends, and I take Milo into London on the school holidays to see shows.’
‘Your friends never mentioned that.’
‘I told them not to.’
‘Why?’
‘Theatre is not your favourite subject.’
Jake pursed his lips. It was true.
‘It’s her, isn’t it? Bridie. That’s why you never go, because of what happened when you were a teenager.’
‘I don’t want to talk about it.’
‘Shame about her last show. It was so good. We were all disappointed when the curtain came down early.’
‘You were at that show.’
‘How do you think she ended up all over social media?’
‘You did that?’
‘Yeah – it was so funny. I wasn’t the only one to post it, but I was the first, and it kind of took off from there.’
Jack has seen all the cruel memes.
‘I think she made quite the impression.’
‘Shut up, Jade!’
‘What is your problem?’ She glared at him. ‘Oh, I forgot, it’s that theatre, reminding you of the girl who abandoned you.’
Jack said nothing. He glared at her back. Jade had given him another reason to make sure the theatre didn’t get off the ground – he didn’t want Bridie to get the chance to return to London. He was going to make sure she didn’t go. He said as much.
Jade had just got out of her seat and had walked to the study door. She did an about-turn. ‘Wow, this really is personal, isn’t it? You really haven’t got over what happened all those years ago.’
‘Of course I have,’ he said, irritated. ‘I told you as much.’
She said, ‘I’m beginning to regret posting that video on social media.’
‘Why? You never did like her.’
‘I didn’t like her, Jack, because you chose to date her in high school rather than me.’ The look on her face said she wished she hadn’t said that.
‘So, it was revenge for that. Now look who hasn’t grown up and moved on.’
Jade glared at him some more. ‘If I hadn’t posted it, perhaps she’d still be in London.’
‘Well, you did, and she isn’t. She’s right here.’
‘And you want her to stay put this time – why?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘But you don’t want her to make a success of the theatre, because if she did then she might just leave again.’
‘Not true!’
‘Are you sure about that?’
‘Of course,’ Jack said, lying through his teeth, starting to feel very conflicted.
Perhaps Jade was right: getting involved in the theatre, in Bridie’s situation, was a bad idea.
‘Look, who says that’s her plan, to get a casting agent and return to London?
Perhaps she just genuinely wants to change tack after what happened, leave London behind, and run a business. ’
‘Yes, that might be true, but with your plan that’s not going to happen, is it?’ Jade grinned and flounced out of the room.
Jack followed her to the door and was about to close it behind her when she turned round abruptly.
‘It’d be interesting if you could find out how she came to be the new owner, wouldn’t it?
I mean, after all these years with you trying to find the owner and get your hands on the place, she turns up and hey presto, she has the keys. ’
Jack frowned at her. As if he needed reminding. ‘I thought you didn’t want me getting involved.’
‘Just saying.’
Jack shut the door and sat behind his desk.
He looked at the plans for the theatre spread out before him and picked up his phone, still convinced that when he returned Bridie’s call, he was going to find out she’d changed her mind about involving him.
After his conversation with Jade, he began to wonder if that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Perhaps he should leave the past in the past.