Chapter 42
NICK
I’m in the canteen having my break at work when I hear someone say loudly, ‘Nick Williams, well I’ll be damned. It’s been years! What’s brought you here?’
I spin around to see Ian Skilmore standing behind me.
He was an apprentice at Arthur’s company at the same time I was.
He was a skinny thing back then with a mop of fair hair.
He’s put on some weight since and lost most of his hair.
I never really took to him, he sneaked around tattling about everyone.
He left the company years ago and I haven’t seen him since.
He must be working for the contractors we’ve hired.
‘Hello there, Ian. How are you doing?’
‘Good. Good.’ He puffs out his chest. ‘I live up in Leeds now and I’m the supervisor of the building firm.’ He looks me up and down. ‘How about you?’
‘Still at AT. I’m the Construction Manager, I’ve been sent to sort out the problem here.’
‘I see. Construction Manager, eh? Well, you’ve done well for yourself.’
‘It’s been a lot of graft but I didn’t want the company to go under when Arthur died, for Judith and Lizzie’s sakes. They suffered enough.’
Too late I see the gleam in his eyes. I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have let on that I had any connection to Judith and Lizzie.
‘Friends of theirs, are you? I didn’t know you were so close to our dear departed boss. Or to his wife and daughter.’
I don’t like the sneer on his lips and calculating look in his eyes. He knows nothing, he wasn’t even at work on that day, I remind myself.
‘I wasn’t. But I was the one who found him and called for an ambulance. Gradually Lizzie and I became close, we got married a few years ago and have two children now.’
‘Lucky you,’ Ian retorts. ‘That worked out well for you, didn’t it?’
‘A man died, Ian, and in horrible circumstances,’ I say icily. ‘I don’t think that’s any call for a celebration.’
I turn on my heels and walk away, determined not to show the fear that gripped me at Ian’s words. He was a nasty piece of work back then. We were all pleased when he left not long after Arthur’s death. I hadn’t expected to bump into him again.
I hadn’t expected to bump into Alison either.
I feel like my world is being turned on its axis and I’m clinging on for dear life.