‘Good. Then my deed here is done.’
‘You can save another damsel in distress now.’
Tomek chuckled. He was enjoying the causal flirtation. And to his surprise, this time he wasn’t feeling guilty about any of it.
‘I was hoping I could speak to you about something, actually,’ he said.
‘It’ll cost ya.’
‘That’s what I’m worried about.’ He spun on the spot and moved to the display in the centre of the shop. By the window, he pointed to a silver bracelet with two green charms on it: a four-leaf clover and a small kitten hugging a ball of yarn to its chest. ‘I’m after this,’ he said.
‘Things back on track with the girlfriend now then?’
Tomek shot her a look that said, “Don’t be silly”.
‘I was thinking more about my daughter. She’s thirteen, been with me for a couple of months, and I feel like she needs it. She’s been through a lot, and I don’t know why, but I feel like this could be a nice thing to do for her.’
‘It’s a lovely thing to do for her. She’ll be thrilled.’
Rose donned a pair of gloves, inserted a key into the top of the cabinet, and fished inside for the bracelet. Then she placed it on a small plush cushion.
‘Now, before we go any further, do I get mates’ rates, or a blue light discount at the very least?’
Rose’s cheeks warmed. ‘You can get one better than that. Because you cheered me up, I’ll give you family discount and knock fifty per cent off.’
Tomek was taken aback. ‘I couldn’t possibly… That’s too generous.’
She touched him on the arm playfully, though there was a sense of intent behind it. ‘Nonsense. Either you take it or I won’t sell it to you at all, and then your daughter will be left upset and disappointed.’
‘Guilt tripping… You’re quite the salesperson.’
‘It’s how I’ve learnt to get what I want.’ Rose moved towards the cash desk and began bagging the bracelet up. First came the small navy felt pouch, complete with Whitaker’s branding in silver foiling. Next was a “With Thanks” business card placed on top. Then she transported the two items onto a bed of straw paper and wrapped it twice, before eventually putting it into a branded paper bag. Tomek watched as she moved deftly and elegantly between each stage in the process.
‘You’ve done that before.’
‘This is only my second time. Business has been lean.’
Tomek smirked, then readied his debit card.
A few seconds later, she rang up the total, and he paid. Then she placed the receipt in the bag and left her hand there, waiting for him to reach out and touch it.
‘This wasn’t the only reason you came here, was it?’ she asked.
Tomek stuttered.
‘It’s about my husband, isn’t it?’
‘Have you spoken to him?’ Tomek reached out for the gift. Eventually she relented and let him have it.
‘Not since I kicked him out, no.’
‘Would you like to know where he is?’
‘Not particularly. So long as he’s still alive to sign the divorce papers, I don’t care where he is, what he’s doing, or how he’s doing. He’s been lying to me about all those things for long enough anyway, he should be able to handle it. By now, he’s a fucking expert.’
Tomek looked down at the floor. ‘He’s in hospital. We found him at The Prince Albert, near Roy and Daphne’s. Severely drunk. Almost thought we might have to pump his stomach. He didn’t have many nice things to say about you, mind, but I guess you don’t have any nice things to say about him either. Regardless, he’s in Broomfield if you fancied the journey.’
‘Fuck no. He can stay there for all I care because he certainly ain’t coming anywhere near here, the house, or the flat upstairs. Can you believe he tried to stay there after I kicked him out?’
‘I can,’ Tomek replied without meaning to sound condescending and sarcastic.
If she was offended by it, she didn’t show it. ‘I told him he could fuck off. My name’s on all the agreements. I have all the risk. They’re my properties. He’s allowed nowhere near them.’
Tomek was reminded of his conversation with Johnny Whitaker.
‘Has he ever been violent towards you?’
Rose shook her head.
‘Has he ever emotionally abused you?’
Another shake.
‘What about his dad, Roy? You ever seen any aggression out of that man?’
This time, Rose took longer to answer the question. She pondered on it, let the thoughts ruminate around her skull as she searched through the hard drive.
‘I mean, he’s never been physically violent towards me, a bit weird and aggressive sometimes, but I’ve only heard of one instance with him and Daphne. Johnny told me there was a time when they were on holiday and he hit her across the face while the kids were in the swimming pool. Johnny wasn’t sure if he’d seen it or not. All he saw was his mum holding her face. But he never said anything at the time. I think he was, like, ten, eleven, so probably didn’t know any better.’
