Chapter 46 #2
‘Aye, Ethan loves hanging out with his Auntie Anjelica,’ Michelle said, joining Ramouter’s side. ‘Is something burning?’ she said to Ramouter as she kissed him on the lips.
‘Oh crap,’ Ramouter said. ‘The lasagne.’
‘Good. I’m starving,’ Michelle said. ‘So, you work with my husband?’ she asked Copeland.
‘Yes, I joined this week. It’s nice to meet you, Michelle,’ said Copeland. She extended her hand but withdrew it when she saw that it was not being received.
‘Salim never mentioned that there was a new member of the SCU.’
‘Oh well, things move quite quickly. An opportunity came up, and I took it,’ Copeland said.
‘She popped over to give me my phone,’ Ramouter said loudly, and Ethan looked at him strangely. ‘I dropped it in the pub.’
‘So that explains why you didn’t pick up when I called,’ said Michelle.
‘We got in a big taxi,’ Ethan said.
‘I couldn’t handle jumping on the tube after that train journey. It’s been a long day,’ Michelle said pointedly to Copeland.
‘Yes, I should be going. Got to get on the tube myself. No way to avoid the hell of the Northern line on a Friday night,’ said Copeland. ‘I’ll see you Monday, Ramouter.’
‘I’ll show you out,’ Michelle said with a smile, ushering Copeland towards the door.
‘Bloody hell,’ Ramouter muttered as the door slammed shut.
‘I didn’t have “strange woman who you’ve never mentioned standing in my kitchen” on my bingo card,’ Michelle said as she entered the kitchen, opened the fridge door and pulled out a bottle of Chablis.
‘I have mentioned her,’ Ramouter protested weakly. He pulled Michelle towards him and kissed her.
‘You definitely did not,’ Michelle said.
‘I missed you.’
‘Did you really? How could you when you’ve got, what’s her name, Xena warrior princess?’
Michelle picked up the roll of kitchen foil and initiated sword fighting.
‘Miche,’ Ramouter said, defending himself with a teatowel. ‘She was just dropping off my phone.’
‘She probably hid your phone in the first place. Needed a reason to come over and check out your space, to see how gone away with the fairies your wife really is?’
‘Why would you say that? Copeland is just a colleague from work and she’s—’
‘Trying to seduce you.’
‘Seriously. Is that how you’re carrying on?’ Ramouter said as Michelle started laughing. ‘The scary thing is that I don’t know if you’re just joking or if you’re deadly serious under that smile.’
‘Oh, I’m serious. There’s something there. I’ve got good instincts, Salim.’
‘Yeah, you do,’ he said quietly.
‘I’m going to take a shower and then we can sit down and talk about my plans over dinner,’ Michelle said, pouring herself a large glass of wine.
‘What plans?’
‘Work. I’ve been talking to my consultant, and he agrees that it wouldn’t be a bad idea for me to go back to work.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Ramouter asked, clearly shocked.
‘I’ll explain once I’ve had a shower.’
‘How can you go back to work?’
‘Salim, you’re looking at me as though I’ve grown two heads. Shower. Eat and talk.’ Michelle kissed him. ‘I promise you it will all make sense.’
‘You can watch TV for another thirty minutes and then you’re off to bed,’ Ramouter said as he watched his son carefully carry his plate and place it in the sink.
‘Can I watch X-Men?’ Ethan asked as he spun around in the kitchen in his version of a superhero landing.
‘One episode and then bed.’
‘He’s got far too much energy,’ said Michelle. ‘It was exhausting watching him run around with his cousins.’
‘It’s good for him though,’ said Ramouter, tearing a slice of garlic bread in half. ‘To be around family.’
Michelle leaned back in her chair. ‘You sound as though you want to go back to Bradford.’
‘What? No, I’m happy here. We’re happy here and the last thing I want to do is to uproot us again. We all need stability, which is why—’
Ramouter paused as he reached for his glass of wine.
‘Go on say it,’ Michelle said, staring him dead in his eyes. ‘Go on,’ she repeated.
‘I don’t understand how your consultant can suggest that you go back to work,’ he said. ‘Isn’t that a bit irresponsible?’
Michelle rolled her eyes. ‘You sound just like my mam.’
‘You discussed it with her first and not me.’
‘It wasn’t like that. She was eavesdropping on my call. You know what she’s been like ever since she found out that I went walkabout before I moved down here. Hovering over me at every opportunity to make sure I don’t lose my way.’
‘You didn’t just go walkabout, Miche,’ Ramouter said, working hard to keep his voice gentle. ‘You went missing and broke into our old house.’
‘It was hardly a break in. I had a key,’ she replied with a short laugh.
‘It’s not funny. Early onset dementia is not funny.’
‘And no one knows that better than me.’
Michelle took a breath, reached for a glass of water, changed her mind, picked up her glass of wine and took a sip.
‘I had all these plans for my life, Salim. Not just my life but ours and none of them included not having any memory of you or our son and even that annoying budgie by the time I’m fifty. ’
Ramouter reached across the table and took hold of Michelle’s hand. ‘I know that it’s hard for—’
‘No, sweetheart. You don’t know how hard it is.’
Ramouter straightened up and shifted his chair closer to Michelle. ‘Tell me what the consultant said.’
‘I’m doing well. A lot better since he changed my medication. My symptoms have reduced, so I’m a lot less agitated and the memory recall is improving. I’m more confident than when I first got here, and he’s suggested that I try cognitive simulation therapy.’
‘What is that?’
‘Sitting with a bunch of strange men in the park playing chess.’
‘I really don’t know if you’re serious or not.’
‘Half serious. It’s focusing on activities that help improve my memory and thinking skills.
Forty-five minutes every week. I can handle that, which is why Mr McNamara suggested working part time.
Obviously not as an accountant but I was talking to one of the mams at Ethan’s school.
I’ve told you about her, she has the bookshop on Honor Oak Road. ’
‘You want to work in a bookshop?’
‘Why not? It’s better than sitting at home watching repeats of Death in Paradise all day. It will just be for a couple of mornings during the week. My life isn’t over yet, Salim.’
Ramouter buried his face into Michelle’s neck, breathing in her hair and hiding the fact that tears had filled his eyes.
‘It will be ok,’ Michelle said, pulling away as Ramouter’s phone began to ring. ‘That’s probably your girlfriend Princess Xena wondering if you can—’
‘Stop it,’ Ramouter replied. He picked up his phone from the sideboard and held it up to Michelle.
‘Oh, she’s fine,’ Michelle laughed when she saw Henley’s name on the screen and left to join Ethan.
‘Everything all right, boss?’ said Ramouter.
‘I’m really sorry to do this to you,’ said Henley. ‘But a body has been found.’
‘Who is it?’
‘Kaiden Longley,’ Henley sighed.
‘I’ll be with you in thirty minutes.’