The Wild Heart (24 page)

     ‘ Don’t go blaming yourself, Ian. You didn’t even know that Angela was pregnant’.

     ‘ For fuck’s sake, what a mess’.

     ‘ I can’t imagine why a mother would order the death of her own daughter, Ian, but Angela did. And if there’s any kind of justice she’ll be paying for it now’.

     It had been a week but Ian still wasn’t well enough to be released from hospital yet. He was on his feet more each day and the team looking after him were pleased with his progress, but he still had to spend most of the time in bed.

     ‘ I’m going to go home and bring us in some more stuff, big man’ said Mark.

     ‘ Have you taken leave from the bank?’

     ‘ They’ve been really good’ said Mark ‘ They said I could take as long as I need and Dr. Khan says we’ll be here another week or so’.

     Mark looked up and saw that Ian was regarding him shrewdly. ‘ What?’

     ‘ Never mind Dr. Khan’ said Ian. He raised his finger. ' You're up to something'.

     ‘ I am not. And don't you know it's rude to point'.

     ‘ You’ve been looking at your watch all morning. What’s going on?’

     ‘ God, I could never have an affair, could I? You’d be able to see it written all over my face’.

     ‘ Yes and then my fist would be written all over his’.

     ‘ Well let’s just say I’ve got a nice surprise for you’ said Mark.  ‘ See you later’.  

     Mark waited in the arrivals hall of Terminal 3 at Manchester airport. The screen on the wall said that the flight from Belfast had landed and ‘baggage in hall’. Good, thought Mark. She’d be through any minute.

     ‘ Let me take your bag for you’ said Mark. She looked like any other woman of her age. She was dressed in a pair of jeans with a plain white shirt, high heeled boots and a cream coloured raincoat. She didn’t wear much make-up and her hair was straight down to her shoulders. There was an anxious look in her eyes that didn’t surprise Mark in the least. This wasn’t a normal situation.

     ‘ No, you’re alright’ she said, nervously. ‘ I can manage’.

     ‘ No really, let me’ said Mark, holding out his hand. ‘ My mother would turn in her grave if I didn’t even offer to carry a lady's bag’.

     She smiled appreciatively. ‘ Well, if you want’.

     They walked along the footbridge between the terminal building and the car park. Mark was using Ian’s car and he paid the charge before leading her to it. He was quite nervous too. He thought Ian would be pleased but there was still that slither of doubt. He might think he’d meddled a bit too far.

     ‘ Did you have a good flight?’

     ‘ It was a bit bumpy on the way down what with all the wind and rain’ she said ‘ I just had to close my eyes and pray’.

     ‘ You’re a nervous flyer?’

     ‘ A bit’ she admitted. ‘ But I’d be even more nervous of being on the sea in weather like that’.

     Mark drove out of the car park and took the lane leading him to the M56 heading into the centre of Manchester. He’d head west when he got to the M57 towards Salford and the hospital.

     ‘ Have you ever been to Manchester before?’ Mark asked.

     She chuckled. ‘ No. The closest I’ve ever got is watching Coronation Street’.

     ‘ Well we’ll pass the studios soon’ said Mark.

     ‘ I was very surprised to get your call’ she said. ‘ How did you find me?’

     ‘ I just went through the phone book and was glad you weren’t ex-directory’ said Mark ‘ I guess it must have come as something of a shock, if that’s not the understatement of the century. I felt sick with nerves when I dialled the number I can tell you’.

     ‘ I’ve booked myself into a B and B for tonight’ she said. ‘ It’s in somewhere called Eccles. Do you know it? They said it’s handy for Hope hospital’.

     ‘ I know it but you’ll do no such thing’ said Mark ‘ You’re Ian’s mother and I’ve made you up a bed at ours in the spare room’.

     ‘ You seem like a very kind young man, Mark’.

     ‘ I just try to do what I think is right, Mrs. Laurence. No fuss. Just get on with it’.

     ‘ Even so, it can’t have been easy for you with everything’s that’s happened’.

     ‘ Mrs. Laurence, I’ve only had to deal with all this for the last few weeks since I met your son. You’ve had to deal with it all for the last twenty years. Compared to you I’ve had a walk in the park’.

     ‘ Well I don’t know about that but Mark, please call me Pat’.

     Mark smiled. ‘ Ok then. Pat’

     When they got to the hospital Mark asked their special visitor to stay back for a minute whilst he went into Ian’s room to prepare the big surprise.

     ‘ Ah, the mystery man returns’ said Ian. ‘ So what’s the story morning glory?’

     ‘ How are you feeling?’ Mark asked.

     ‘ Suspicious’.

     ‘ Then I think I should put you out of your misery’.

     Mark went down to the lounge area where she was waiting by the coffee machine. She looked up and saw Mark standing there and stood for a moment to catch her breath. Then she followed him back to where Ian was sitting up in his bed looking a bit anxious and bewildered. When he saw the woman walking in with Mark he immediately recognised her and the tears welled up in his eyes.

     ‘ Mum?’

     ‘ Hello, son’ said Pat Laurence, her own tears falling down her cheeks. ‘ You said you’d see me later. I didn’t think you meant twenty years later’.

     Mark switched on the small television in Ian’s room and propped himself up next to Ian on his bed. ‘ The Bill’ was about to start. It was one of their favourites. Simon and Anne had taken Ian’s Mum into Manchester for something to eat so the boys had the evening to themselves.

     ' You must be so pleased your sister called’ said Mark.

     Ian’s face broke out into a beaming smile. ‘ Our Claire? You could say that, yeah. She’s coming over next week with my two nieces'.

     ' Oh Ian that's fantastic news' said Mark. ' Slowly but surely it's all piecing back together'.

     ' Thanks to you' said Ian ' I'll never be able to thank you enough for making that call to my Mum. You're worth your weight in gold so you are'.

     ' Ah no, you've got me all wrong. I'm a big shit really. But what about your Dad? Is he coming over too?'

     Ian shook his head. ' He's still not interested'.

     ' Well' said Mark ' One step at a time, eh? Now tell me more about your nieces'.

     ' Jennifer is fourteen and Rachel in nine' said Ian, proudly. Claire is going to email me a couple of pictures tomorrow. She says Jennifer is absolutely sports mad'.

     ' Then she'll have to go down to her Uncle's rugby club'.

     ' What? Let an impressionable fourteen year old niece of mine loose amongst all that raging testosterone? You must be joking'.

     Mark laughed. ' Going to play the big protective Uncle are you?’

     ‘ Too right with that lot’.

     ' You are funny' said Mark. ‘ And I love seeing the way your Mum is with you'.

     Ian’s Mum had been walking around these last few days like she was a teenager in love with her first boyfriend, holding her son’s hand and smiling away proudly. There was no bitterness between them. Pat forgot and called him Duncan sometimes but that didn’t matter. They were just glad to be back with each other and determined never to be separated again. It all made Mark wish that he could be reunited with his own Mum and Dad. He'd thought about them so much over the past few days.  He’d give anything to have them back.

     The next morning Alice came in to see them.

     ‘ You look better than you did a few days ago’ said Alice ‘ I just wanted to come by and ask what your plans were’. 

     ‘ We’re staying here’ said Ian.

     ‘ We’re not running away’ said Mark.

     ‘ I can’t go off and start another life again’ said Ian. ‘ Even if this time I wouldn’t be by myself. All of my enemies who knew who I am are dead. There’s no threat to come from anywhere. You see, Alice, Mark and I are making a new start but we’re not running off to do it. Mark’s family is here, my business and the men I employ, and now my mother is back in contact’.

     ‘ Yes, your mother’ said Alice in measured tones. ‘ You broke the original terms of the deal by contacting her. It made things difficult with my boss at the last minute’.

     ‘ I did that’ said Mark. ‘ Don’t blame Ian’.

     ‘ You know you must never try and contact us again, Ian’ said Alice.

     ‘ What about the other way round?’ Ian asked.

     ‘ We retain that right but your file will no longer be considered active’.

     ‘ And as for me, Alice’ said Mark. ‘ My earlier decision stands’.

     ‘ So it’s still no’.

     ‘ It is’ said Mark who’d decided to put his relationship with Ian before anything. Ian hadn’t tried to stop him but Mark knew how he felt and that was enough.

     ‘ Okay, fair enough’ said Alice. She handed him a card. ‘ But take this and contact me if you ever think I can be of help to you in any way’.

     ‘ He’s already told you no’ said Ian, firmly. ‘ Alice, go back to the other side of the mirror and feed your cat, water your plants, do whatever it is you do when you’re not safeguarding our democracy in wonderland. Your job is done here. It’s over, finished’.

THE WILD HEART

EPILOGUE

It had now been six months since they’d regained control of their lives. They’d sold Ian’s flat and Simon had agreed to the sale of Mark’s family home. With the proceeds from the two, and after Simon had been given his share, they bought a 1930’s villa style semi in Swinton, just inside the M60 Manchester orbital. It was on the main road with a long uphill drive and three bedrooms. 

     Mark had been promoted at the bank. He was now section head of customer loyalty. He was still treading water with his career, still didn’t know what the hell he wanted to do, but in the meantime the pay rise was enough to keep him there. The only people he had to share space with now were the other four section heads and that suited him down to the ground. They were mature. They were adults. They weren’t obsessed with who was going to win X-factor.

     Ian had fully reconciled himself with his mother and his sister Claire and her family. But his father was a different matter altogether. In his eyes his son had let the entire protestant community down, a community that he saw as being under siege from creeping nationalism. It had driven a knife into Ian’s heart that had angered Mark. His father had no right to do it to him. Ian had suffered enough. But Mark hadn’t been able to persuade Ian’s father that his son deserved a second chance and he felt bad about that.  

      Mark and his brother Simon had drifted apart for a few weeks after Ian came out of hospital. Simon didn’t trust Ian’s presence in his brother’s life and that had hurt Mark deeply.
But slowly but surely it had started to come together again, nobody knows when or why, but now they were the best of pals once more which pleased Mark no end. He couldn’t stand for the two people he loved most in the world to be at loggerheads.

     ‘ It’s our anniversary tomorrow’ said Mark over the breakfast table. He didn’t have to get up as early as Ian but he lied to and he liked to get his breakfast for him.‘ A whole year’.

     ‘ I know’ said Ian. ‘ Who’d have thought it after what we’ve been through’.

     ‘ Too right there’ said Mark.

     ‘ Did we get confirmation of the wine being delivered?’

     ‘ It’ll be here at ten in the morning’ said Mark.

     They were having a barbecue in the back garden to celebrate their first anniversary and had invited all their friends, neighbours and family. Ian’s Mum was coming with Claire and her family in the car, using the ferry from Larne to Fleetwood.  

     ‘ It’s going to be a great day’ said Ian. 

     ‘ I can’t wait’ said Mark.

     Ian headed out to his van whistling to himself. Life couldn’t be sweeter than the way it is now. He was about to put the key into the lock of the door of the driver’s side when his attention was taken by a brown envelope that had been placed on the windscreen, underneath one of the wipers. He picked it up and saw that it had ‘ JUDAS’ written on it. He looked around but couldn’t see anyone who would arouse his suspicions. He opened the envelope and inside were photos of him and Mark. Who the hell had left them there? This didn’t make any sense. Then a voice behind him provided him with the answer.

     ‘ Hello, Duncan’.

     He turned around and was shocked to see Angela standing there pointing a gun at him. She was also carrying a package about the size of a shoe box and Ian knew what that would all be about.