EPISODE ONE-HUNDRED AND SIX
‘There you go. Tina, isn’t it?’
Pran’s attractive visitor nodded as he handed her a mug of coffee. She noticed how shaky his hands were, and
wondered if he was nervous. But while
he’d been out in the kitchen brewing coffee, she had noticed the two empty wine
bottles on the coffee table and decided he probably had a hangover.
Pran sat in a chair opposite her, and gave her a shy smile. ‘You said you wanted to talk about my
experiences in the organisation.’
She blew on her coffee and nodded.
‘That’s right. I’ve brought an
industrial action against them on grounds of racial discrimination.’
Pran frowned, and his eyes took on a determined steely look. ‘It’s about time someone did. You know I walked out of the job.’
‘Yes, I heard rumours. Then a colleague
of yours confirmed it for me.’
‘It was stupid of me. Walking out like
that. I should have done what you’re
doing.’
‘Maybe you still can.’
Pran shook his head. ‘It’s probably too
late now. But any help I can give
you. I mean, I can’t tell you how much I
regret walking out. The times I’ve
fantasised about getting my own back on them.
Revenge would be so sweet. So any
help I can give you...’
‘Thanks. So what went on must have been
pretty extreme, if you just walked out like that.’
‘It had been building up from week one.
I hated every day I spent in that office. Then all it took was one more remark and I
flipped. Lost it completely.’
‘Well, I suppose if you’d been subjected to racist comments for six months...’
Pran shook his head emphatically and cut in.
‘No, there was only one racist comment.
That was when I walked out. That
bitch of a manager accused me of having a chip on my shoulder, said it was
typical of...’ Pran broke off, gestured
both palms upwards, offering it to his visitor to guess the rest.
‘Of what?’ said Tina. ‘Ethnic minority
people.’
‘She didn’t actually say it. She stopped
herself in time.’
Tina banged her coffee mug onto the table.
‘Oh damn! I wonder if a tribunal
would interpret the first part of her comment as a racist one she was about to
make. I doubt it. She’d just deny that’s what she was going to
say.’ She looked at Pran with a puzzled
frown. ‘So what was the build up to this incident. What was going on?’
There was a pause while Pran thought about this. ‘I’m gay,’ he said, watching carefully her
reaction. Her expression remained blank.
‘And they discriminated against you for it?’ she said.
‘They didn’t know. They thought I was
straight. It was the banter and
homophobic remarks that got to me. My
partner at the time, Alan, was furious I hadn’t outed myself. We broke up because of it.’
‘So it cost you your job and relationship?’
Pran nodded sombrely. ‘At least now I’ve
got the chance to do something positive.
Help with your case.’
‘But if you’re going to tell the tribunal about all the inappropriate remarks
and behaviour, you might have to admit...’
She stopped herself, and let Pran pick up the cue.
‘That I’m gay. Yes, I’d thought about
that.’
‘But if you couldn’t say so at the time...’
Pran shrugged. ‘Why now, you mean? I suppose it’s because I’ve no more pride
left. I’ve nothing to lose.’
‘But these things can sometimes snowball, you know. Make headlines.’
Pran stared down into his coffee cup and muttered: ‘That’s the one part that bothers me. If it becomes public, my parents...’
Tina leaned forward, looking concerned.
‘Don’t they know?’
‘I think it would destroy my father, if he knew.’
‘Oh my God! Nothing’s worth that risk.’
Pran looked up, staring across at her, fire in his eyes.
‘Yes, it is. I’ll do it. I’m not going to end up like my sister,
denying my true feelings. If my father
has a problem with my sexuality – then tough!
I’m not going to hide. Not
anymore.’
*
When Craig arrived back at the wine bar in the early evening, Maggie couldn’t
help but notice how relaxed and happy he looked, even though he seemed remote,
lost in his secret thoughts. He didn’t
even nag her about the large white wine she was drinking.
‘It’s amazing,’ she said, ‘what difference a few hours break and a nice long
soak in the bath can make.’
He grinned, poured himself a red wine, and clinked glasses with her.
‘Cheers! If you can’t beat ‘em.’
Maggie frowned thoughtfully and stared at her brother. Never had she seen such a rapid change in him
before. He had gone off after the
afternoon session looking moody and irritable, and now he was like another
person.
‘Did you meet anyone while you were out?’ she asked lightly.
‘I think I’ve sorted out our staff problems.’
‘How d’you mean?’
‘Remember Mandy, used to work for me at the chippie?’
‘Vaguely.’
‘I bumped into her on the way home.
She’s still there, working for the new owner. You know, that little toe-rag you couldn’t
stand.’
‘At least he made us an offer we didn’t refuse.’
‘Yeah, well, Mandy ain’t too happy working for him.’
Maggie slammed her glass onto the bar.
Several customers looked round.
Maggie leaned close to Craig and spoke through gritted teeth. ‘You haven’t offered her a job, have you?’
Craig was startled by her sudden vehemence.
‘What’s wrong with that?’
‘Oh, Craig!’
‘So what’s wrong with Mandy? It saves us
having to advertise.’
‘I just wish you’d consulted me first.’
‘I thought you’d be pleased.’
Maggie pulled a face. ‘Oh, I’m
delighted.’
Craig’s jaw tightened. ‘D’you mind
telling me what you’ve got against Mandy?’
‘I’ve got nothing against her personally; I hardly know her. I just don’t think she’s right for this type
of wine bar, that’s all.’
‘I don’t believe I’m hearing this.’
‘I just think we ought to keep our options open, Craig. You can’t just go around offering jobs to
anyone you happen to bump into in the street.
It’s unprofessional.’
‘I haven’t offered it to her. I just
said there was a good chance of a job.
And she’s coming to see us on Monday morning.’
‘Well that’s something, I suppose. I
only hope she doesn’t think it’s a foregone conclusion. I think we ought to see a few more applicants
first.’
Craig shook his head with irritation.
‘We haven’t got any.’
‘We were planning to advertise. I still think
we ought to.’
Craig’s voice rose a trace. ‘Why waste
the money? Mandy’s a good little
worker.’
Maggie looked long and hard into her brother’s eyes. ‘Are you and this Mandy...Have you got a
thing going for her.’
Craig shrugged and looked down into his glass. ‘Well...’
Maggie sighed loudly. ‘Oh, Craig! That is definitely not a good idea to employ
someone who...’ She left the sentence pointedly incomplete.
Craig could feel tears of disappointment pricking the back of his eyes. ‘Well at least give her a chance.’
Maggie suddenly felt guilty, and squeezed his hand. ‘Okay.
We’ll see her Monday. And who
knows? It might work out. Let’s wait and see.’
*
Mary had just tucked Simon and Thomas in for the night, and was coming out onto
the landing, when she heard the letter box opening and something landing on the
doormat. She frowned. It was a bit late for the News in Focus, one for the free papers,
to be delivered.
From the top of the stairs she saw the A4 brown envelope lying on the mat, and
right away she had a bad feeling about it.
She hurried downstairs and picked
it up. There was nothing written on the
envelope. She went into the kitchen and
tore it open. Inside was a photograph of
her in the bedroom wearing nothing but bra and panties. Something screamed
inside her brain as panic seized her.
She dropped the photograph onto the table and rushed upstairs to the
bedroom. She looked on top of the
wardrobe, tried to find anywhere there might be a hidden camera, as she thought
about the angle of the picture. But she
found nothing.
In the street outside, several hundred yards away from the house, Ronnie sat in
his car. So far so good. Everything was going according to plan. He had broken into the house the night
before, removed the camera, then left leaving no traces. He loved these sorts of mind games, knowing
how much it would unsettle her.
Tomorrow he would activate the next part of his plan. Then soon she would be his again.
IN EPISODE 107
Mike discovers Claire has conquered her depression, but at what cost.