Chapter 48
The sudden hush in the auditorium felt louder than the noise that had preceded it – the thunder of many people’s footsteps as they clamoured to exit the theatre as fast as they could. Despite their mobile phones lighting the way, some tripped over one another in the dark in their rush to leave.
Bridie turned to Kate, her voice low. ‘They will come back, won’t they?’
‘Of course they will,’ her sister said, leaning back in her seat, surprisingly calm. ‘That’s just the way people are. Someone says ghost and bolts, then the rest follow like sheep. They’ll feel pretty foolish when they get home.’
‘But what if the rumour puts people off coming back?’ Bridie asked, scanning the darkened rows.
‘They’ll be back,’ Kate said with quiet certainty. ‘Just you wait and see.’
‘I hope so,’ Bridie murmured.
She looked around again. The grand sweep of seats felt suddenly cavernous, emptier than it should have been.
Now only her friends from Cobblers Yard along with Kate, Andy, Layla and George remained, scattered through the front rows, along with two younger children, William and Maisie, swinging their legs and whispering.
Bridie lifted her phone and shone its torch discreetly. ‘Where are Oliver, Joss and Reggie?’
No one answered.
Minutes passed. The darkness pressed in, thick and uneasy, until suddenly the lights blazed back on.
Bridie was startled. ‘How did you fix it?’ she asked, impressed, when they returned.
Joss shrugged. ‘It didn’t need fixing.’
Reggie elaborated calmly. ‘Someone turned them off.’
Bridie frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘We found the fuse board,’ Oliver said. ‘Someone had pulled the lever down. We just switched it back on.’
‘Someone did it on purpose?’ Bridie asked.
‘You mean sabotage!’ Mabel exclaimed indignantly. ‘Who would do such a thing?’
‘Jack.’
Every head turned.
Bridie sighed. That was exactly what she’d expected Oliver to say. ‘Look, Oliver, you can’t blame everything on—’
‘It’s what I wanted to talk to you about yesterday,’ Oliver said quietly. ‘When I was standing outside your flat.’
Bridie flushed, suddenly aware of their audience. ‘I thought you were just there to see me?’
‘I was,’ Oliver said. ‘But I also wanted to tell you something I’d found out. About Jack. But I just couldn’t find the right moment to tell you. And, to be honest, I really didn’t think he’d go to these lengths …’
She shook her head, already weary. ‘He’s a lot of things, but I don’t believe he’d sabotage the theatre, especially after spending so much money on renovations.’
‘He’s lodged a planning application,’ Oliver said flatly, ‘to raze the theatre to the ground and turn it into luxury apartments.’
Silence fell like a dropped curtain.
‘I’m so sorry, Bridie.’
‘No,’ Bridie said faintly. ‘That can’t be true.’ She looked to each of her friends, but their expressions said they believed every word Oliver had said.
‘When?’ she asked.
‘Two weeks ago.’
Her breath caught. ‘That’s … that’s when I signed that contract.’
‘You signed something?’ Reggie asked sharply.
‘It was just a formality,’ Bridie insisted. ‘Because he was using the tradespeople he employs in his business – nothing more.’
‘Well,’ Hannah said gently, ‘it was something more, wasn’t it? I bet if the theatre fails, that contract means he can recoup his money. And if you can’t pay—’
‘I’ll have to sell it to him,’ Bridie whispered. ‘But that doesn’t make sense.’
‘It makes perfect sense,’ Oliver said, his words reinforced by nodding heads around him. ‘Sorry, Bridie, I really didn’t want to be the one who had to tell you.’
‘No, this can’t be right.’ Bridie still didn’t believe it. ‘He was doing all this for me.’
‘Is that what he led you to believe?’ Hannah said softly.
‘Don’t you see? It can’t be him. He bought me the theatre so that—’
‘Bridie,’ Kate interrupted, ‘you think Jack is your mystery benefactor?’
‘Yes.’
‘Oh, Bridie,’ Thea said. ‘If he wanted you to have the theatre, why apply to tear it down?’
No one spoke.
Then Joss said, ‘I didn’t see him here today. Did any of you?’
‘I don’t think he’d do the dirty work himself,’ Reggie replied.
And suddenly, a memory snapped into place. Jack’s voice. You’d be surprised who you can get hold of at short notice, if the inducement is right.
The truth became clear brutally fast. She had thought he wanted her to stay in Suffolk, but he hadn’t been helping her, out of love or guilt or nostalgia.
He’d been using all of it. Her past. Her hope.
Her trust. Using her to get what he really wanted – the theatre; the place where she’d found her second great love, the place she’d chosen over him.
He’d held a grudge all these years and had become a bitter man who blamed The Little Theatre by the Sea for what had happened – for her leaving him.
Kate leaned closer. ‘Are you all right?’
‘How could I have been so blind?’ Bridie whispered.
‘Love does that,’ Thea said quietly.
Oliver stood abruptly. ‘We should check the rest of the building. Make sure there’s no more sabotage.’
‘I second that,’ Mabel said.
‘I concur,’ Marjorie added.
Bridie hadn’t even seen the dressing rooms yet. The thought of going backstage made her chest tighten. She was still processing what Oliver had told her about Jack, still finding it hard to believe.
Everyone stood up and headed down the row of seats into the aisle.
‘Do you mind if I do this alone?’ she said suddenly.
Everyone froze.
Kate said gently, ‘We’ll wait here.’
‘No. I’d prefer you didn’t.’
After a beat, they nodded. All except Oliver. ‘Bridie—’
Reggie placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘Leave her be.’
She turned around and saw Oliver lingering by the door.
Reggie reappeared and put an arm around his shoulder, guiding him into the foyer.
She heard them file out of the theatre. William protested faintly about wanting to explore again but was quickly shushed.
Bridie was alone – almost. A wet nose nudged her hand.
She looked down at Barney. He had a paint blob on his nose where he’d been ‘helping’ Maisie paint some background scenery on the stage.
She took out a tissue, knelt down, and holding his muzzle she wiped the green paint from his black button nose. ‘It’s just you and me then.’
Barney tilted his head, listening to her voice.
‘I don’t want to check the rest of the theatre,’ she said softly. ‘What’s the point?’
Her hand shook as she found Jack’s number. His work phone. The one he’d given her so his wife wouldn’t ask questions. The call connected. ‘Jack, I need to speak to you.’
‘It’s you, isn’t it?’
Her stomach dropped. ‘Jade?’
‘I’ll be brief,’ Jade said crisply. She didn’t waste any time confirming Bridie’s fears. ‘That theatre will never turn a profit. When it fails, he’ll call in the loan.’
What loan? thought Bridie. Her stomach lurched at the paperwork she’d signed without even reading it.
‘Then you’ll have to sell. And we’ll finally be rid of that place.’
Of me, Bridie thought.
‘I’ll tell you something else,’ said Jade. ‘If he ever leaves me, I’ll clean him out, just like I did with my first husband, and he’ll be left with nothing, back where he started.’
Bridie thought what a horrible person Jade sounded.
Jade continued her tirade down the phone. ‘I can’t wait until this is all over and he’s torn the place down so we can finally move on.’
‘Is he making sure of that – sabotaging the theatre?’
‘Sabotaging the theatre?’ Jade paused. A sharp laugh. ‘Why would he sabotage it when you’re so close to failing anyway? You’ll never get a show off the ground – you know that, right?’
The call ended.
Bridie stood very still. She was thinking about the ghost of Isobel Raine. Was that him too, hiring some woman to hang around the theatre and scare people, scare off her cast and crew and potential audience?
‘Isobel Raine,’ she called out. ‘Come out, come out, wherever you are!’ Her voice echoed in the auditorium.
The lights went out for the second time.
Bridie froze. She wasn’t alone.
Bridie still had the light on her phone. She grabbed Barney, holding him awkwardly in her arms, and ran – down the aisle, through the foyer, out into daylight and straight into a blazing argument between Jack and Oliver.
She stopped abruptly before she ran into them.
‘What’s going on?’ all three said at once.
‘I stayed,’ Oliver said. ‘To make sure you were okay.’
‘I came because I saw something online,’ Jack said. ‘About auditions.’
‘No,’ Oliver said, his voice rising, ‘you found out what was going on – and came to see if your sabotage worked.’
‘I told you already, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘I don’t believe you!’ Oliver shouted in his face.
‘I swear it wasn’t me!’
‘Rubbish!’ Oliver rounded on him. ‘I found out about your planning application for the theatre.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Jack said in a small voice.
‘Don’t lie to me, Jack. I have a friend in the planning department. We got chatting when he heard there were workmen going into the theatre, thought you’d started before the planning application had passed. I was, like, what planning application!’
Jack narrowed his eyes. ‘I know what your game is, Oliver …’ he said, looking Bridie’s way.
Oliver snapped, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I sure as hell know what your game is!’
Bridie cut in, ‘I spoke to your wife.’
Jack paled. ‘What – when?’
‘I phoned you just now,’ she said coldly. ‘She answered.’
Jack patted down his pockets. ‘I left my phone at home – dammit!’
Bridie was not feeling sympathetic at all.
‘What did she say?’ Jack asked desperately.
Bridie shook her head. ‘To think I trusted you when you asked me to sign that paperwork all because we’d been friends once. Because we’d been ….’ more than that, she thought. ‘She told me what your plan had been all along.’
‘I changed my mind.’
Oliver turned to him. ‘Oh, don’t, Jack. Do you think she’s going to believe your pathetic lies? If that were true, then why haven’t you withdrawn the planning application?’
‘I … I didn’t get round to it.’ He turned to Bridie. ‘Did … did she say anything else?’
Bridie recalled what else she’d said, but she couldn’t be bothered to repeat it. Jack wouldn’t be leaving his horrible wife any time soon – he deserved her.
Jack looked at the theatre, then at Oliver. ‘Why would I sabotage the theatre? I want Bridie to make a success of it because if she does, it means she’ll stay this time.’
Bridie blurted, ‘Who says I’m staying!’
‘What?’ Oliver and Jack said in unison.
She was so sick and tired of this – the arguments over her.
Jack said, ‘But I thought you were going to run the theatre, like a job, if it was successful?’
‘Yes, me too,’ said Oliver.
Jack added, ‘Oh, I see. Jade was right: you’re using the theatre to get your foot back in the door.
Bet you’re thinking of contacting agents in London and inviting them to the show.
That’s why you’re doing it, isn’t it? As a springboard back to your life on the London stage.
God, I’ve been so blind. I’m clearly not the only one who hasn’t been honest in all of this. ’
‘Is that true?’ Oliver asked, turning to Bridie.
Jack said angrily, ‘Of course it is. Are you that stupid?’
‘Don’t call me—’
‘Will you two please shut up!’ Bridie said breathlessly, trying to get a word in, wishing she hadn’t said anything.
She was still holding Barney, who was feeling heavier by the second.
He’d started whining, ears drooping, his little body shaking at the raised voices.
She turned to the theatre. ‘There’s someone still in there! The lights went off again.’
‘What?’ exclaimed Oliver and Jack.
Bridie narrowed her eyes at Jack. ‘Don’t act all surprised. I want you to tell whoever you hired to scare everybody to get the hell out of my theatre!’
Bridie turned to go. She looked at Oliver. ‘Will you walk me home?’
Oliver looked at her in surprise. ‘Oh, er … yes. I’d love to.’
Bridie put Barney down, attached the lead to his collar, and started walking, Oliver by her side. She did not give Jack a backwards glance.