Chapter 36
Mineral water – a refreshing, natural water filtered through rock and containing beneficial minerals. An excellent choice to maintain
a clear head.
I t was getting late but the party showed no signs of flagging. Most of the food had gone, the mulled wine had finished an hour ago and people were still dancing. Livvy had to admit the good folk of Lullbury Bay had stamina.
Going behind the bar she poured herself some mineral water and added a chunky slice of lemon.
Dougie and Duncan were dancing with their wives and mum but there was no sign of Number One D.
Norman, wearing pair of reindeer antlers, chased a shrieking Aggie around with a bunch of mistletoe.
Livvy looked for Simona as it was just the sort of thing that would make her squeal with laughter but realised she hadn’t seen her for the last thirty minutes or so.
A lump of disappointment fell into her gut.
Simona and Darrell had been slow dancing earlier, but it had all looked jokey.
Surely they hadn’t gone off somewhere together?
She hadn’t thought Simona’s immorality would stretch as far as messing about with a married man. And she’d thought more of Darrell too.
Fabio was at the bar talking to Eli and Stewie.
Karl was twirling Jen around with abandon and Jason sat in Old Pete’s seat, glaring.
He’d removed his Father Christmas wig and beard and was nursing a whisky.
His face looked curiously flushed and his hair was awry.
Too much booze, or possibly too much cheap red and white polyester dressing-up outfit.
Pete had been collected to spend Christmas with his niece and Livvy was glad.
The old man didn’t have much time for Jason – she couldn’t say she blamed him – and Skip definitely wouldn’t have tolerated the man sitting in their spot.
As Norman emerged from the crowd of dancers again, this time with Aggie chasing him, a wave of familiar loneliness sweep over her. It would have been so good to have Mark here. He would have found it funny too.
Suddenly she’d had enough. Desperately seeking fresh air, she tiptoed through the kitchen so as not to wake Angel and opened the door.
The freezing air hit her like a sledgehammer, but she was glad of it.
Mark’s Mercedes sat where it had been parked the night before, its tyres still ruined.
Her van, tucked away in its corner, was the same.
She doubted anything much could be done for either until after Boxing Day.
Wistfully, she wondered why Mark hadn’t come to the party.
Maybe he’d hired a car to drive to York.
The car park wasn’t too full, with people preferring taxis or a lift so they could drink and not worry.
Snowflakes danced about in the dark skies but not settling, just drifting on the wind and, against the background of party noise, the sea murmured relentlessly below.
The office block opposite was now empty, and on the market and, despite the fifty or so people partying behind her, the car park felt a very lonely place.
Better security lights and cameras were definitely needed.
Livvy pulled out her phone and sent a text wishing Yolanda Happy Christmas. She added:
Miss you. Must find time to visit you in new year.
It was never easy to take holidays as a publican, but she must be able to find time for a long weekend in Washington in January?
Scrolling through the messages on her phone, she was pleased to see one from her parents.
They’d managed to connect to the ship’s wi-fi.
Apparently, her father had spent most of his days at sea checking out all the bars. Livvy giggled. The man was obsessed.
Shivering, she’d just decided to go back in when the security lights flared on. Against the furthest most wall, the one which bordered the steep drop to the cliffs and the sea below, a figure emerged. Female, dressed in white and tottering on vertiginous heels. Simona.
Livvy reared back in disgust. Snogging in a freezing cold December car park with a married man was sordid. How could they? As her eyes adjusted to the harsh light, she saw a man appear. Her stomach heaved. It would have been one thing for it to be Darrell. But the man wasn’t the burly builder.
It was Mark.
Running back into the kitchen, she slammed the door shut, leaning against it. The noise woke Angel who began to bark and who then scrabbled at the door as it was pushed open to let in Simona and Mark. One look at their flushed, triumphant faces had Livvy reeling.
‘What’s the matter, Livvy? Don’t look at us like that, kitten. Oh angel, wait, it’s not what it looks like, darling.’
‘Livvy, wait, we’ve got something to tell you–’
She ran back to the sanctuary of the bar and poured herself a whisky, her hand shaking so much she couldn’t hold the tumbler to the optic.
‘Livvy, bella, are you okay?’ Fabio asked.
She shook her head and downed the spirit in one, hardly noticing as Mark ordered Eli to cut the music.
‘What’s going on, Mark?’ Karl asked. ‘It’s not kicking out time yet.
’ There were one or two confused grumbles but some took the opportunity to sit down, hoover up some party food and finish drinks.
Aggie sat down on Norman’s lap and Gerry lurched to the bar and ordered lager.
Livvy found herself unable to move so Fabio flipped the bar hatch open and pulled him his pint.
Livvy watched through narrowed eyes and could barely breathe as Simona went to stand next to Mark. She clutched his arm to her, looking impossibly pleased with herself.
‘We’ve an announcement,’ Mark declared.
A few oohs and ahs and knowing chuckles rumbled through the party goers. He had their full attention.
Livvy covered her face with her hands, aware of Fabio’s arm coming round her shoulders. She shrugged his embrace off, desperate to get away from him, to get away from everything. She got as far as the end of the bar, her fingers biting into its wooden edge.
‘Wait, Livvy. Please wait,’ Mark said. ‘You need to hear this.’
‘I can’t.’ Distraught, she stared at him, shaking her head violently. ‘I can’t listen to this.’
‘Livvy, we know who’s been doing the vandalism.’ The sentence came out in a rush. White-faced, Mark waited for her reaction.
Livvy’s mouth fell open, Fabio gasped and someone, she thought it was Daisy, squealed. In Pete’s corner, Jason stood up.
‘Who? Who is it?’ Livvy could barely utter the words.
‘Darling, we’ve been out keeping watch on the odd occasion when we’ve been able, over the last week or so,’ Simona squeaked, bouncing up and down in excitement.
‘Your lovely Mark and me. Tonight we got evidence on our phones. It’s a bit hazy and my hands were shaking so much due to the cold, but we’ve got a photo of a man carrying a pot of white paint. ’
‘And one of him hiding it in the skip that Darrell’s left out there,’ Mark added. ‘Darrell’s putting the pot of paint somewhere safe right now. It’s evidence. Probably circumstantial but evidence.’
‘Then who is it?’ Livvy’s voice was hoarse and barely more than a whisper. Too much was coming at her. Mark and Simona weren’t out there having an illicit tryst; they’d been stalking the vandal! She glanced at Eli who was shifting uneasily.
Mark turned towards Pete’s seat and the lean man standing there. ‘He was dressed as Father Christmas. It’s you, Jason. Isn’t it?’
More gasps from the crowd.
‘Jason?’ All the breath left Livvy’s body. She grabbed the edge of the bar again, this time to keep herself upright. To her left, she felt Fabio vibrate in shock. ‘I thought it was teenagers. I thought it was stupid, mindless vandalism.’
‘Oh no, Livvy,’ Mark said. ‘I’m afraid there’s been an orchestrated campaign of intimidation. And it’s all been led by Jason Lemmon here.’ He was his usual unruffled self, but Livvy sensed the fury which bubbled beneath. She’d never seen him so angry.
The silence in the bar was profound. Jason was tolerated by most and disliked by many, but this still came as a shock.
Livvy was bewildered. ‘Why?’ She turned to Jason. ‘Why would you do that to me?’
‘I can tell you why,’ Mark put in, his voice terse.
‘Yes, Mark, pray enlighten us.’ Jason spread his hands to the room, his light eyes glittering.
He was now stone-cold sober and seemed all the more dangerous.
‘If you’re going to fire accusations that serious then you better have the evidence to back up your claim.
Even a man as wealthy as you may find a lawsuit a tad expensive.
’ Taking off his Father Christmas jacket, he folded it with careful precision and laid it over the back of the chair.
In his white polo neck, he resembled a Bond villain.
‘You put in a bid at the auction to buy The George, didn’t you? You’ve also shown interest in buying the office block next door.’
‘So?’
‘With the intent of redeveloping the site. I should imagine luxury apartments with sea views would make you millions.’
‘Dear boy, I’m a property developer, that’s what I do. Making a healthy profit isn’t against the law.’ Jason’s voice dripped scorn.
‘You should build affordable houses for local people,’ Aggie yelled. Jason ignored her.
‘No,’ Mark continued, fury making white lines appear around his mouth and his words clipped.
‘It isn’t against the law, but your plans were partially thwarted when Livvy was successful in purchasing the pub.
The George has a massive footprint. Added to the office block, it would have enormous development potential.
But you missed out on buying it, didn’t you, so the first part of your plan was foiled. ’