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Ron switched off the TV as Maureen came into the lounge. She sat down opposite him.
‘Ron, we need to chat.’
‘OK, fine, what about? You look serious.’
‘Well, it is a bit serious and I don’t want any distractions. Give me your mobiles. I’m going to put our phones in the kitchen.’
‘They’re on silent, there’s no need.’
‘Oh, yes there is. You are like a teenager. Always checking to see whether you’ve had any messages and glancing each time the screen lights up. It’s annoying.’
‘OK, you win. I just like to keep on top of things but it’s Friday evening so there shouldn’t be much. Here you are.’
‘Thank you, it won’t be for long. There’s no need to panic!’
Maureen took the phones and took them out of the room. She heard Ron belching. Clearly, the food had been a bit heavy for him.
‘Are you OK?’
‘Just a touch of indigestion, that’s all.’
‘Do you need something? ‘
‘No, it should pass. So, what’s the matter, I’m getting worried?’
‘Ron, what I have to say, isn’t easy, please believe me,’ she paused. Ron was staring at her, his face and demeanour had changed. She thought she noticed a vein in his temple starting to throb. He rubbed his forehead which was now shining with a fine sheen of sweat. He leaned forward in his seat and placed his arms on his knees.
‘Go on, spit it out.’
‘I’ve changed my mind. About the money.’
The shock was apparent on Ron’s face. Maureen’s non-compliance was clearly not a scenario he had imagined. She remained calm, looking at him directly.
‘What do you mean? We agreed, didn’t we? Sidney has gone ahead based on the numbers we discussed. God, what’s caused this?’
‘Because I feel railroaded into it. I think it’s too risky.’
‘Too risky? It’s a bit late to tell me that. I’ve told Brett Chandler. I’m going to look a complete idiot! I don’t like to look as though I can’t afford something.’
Ron stood up and started pacing around.
‘I know you must feel disappointed but I have to tell you. I’m entitled to tell you, I’m your wife.’
‘Disappointed! Ha! That’s an understatement. We had a deal! You’ve reneged on it. So the nice meal was to butter me up so you could drop this bombshell!’
‘Please stop shouting! We should be able to discuss things without getting annoyed.’
‘Oh, really. Well, it’s a bit difficult not to get annoyed when someone lets you down like this.’ Ron was sweating profusely now and pacing around the lounge.
‘Sit down, you’ll make yourself ill,’ said Maureen, raising her voice but managing to refrain from shouting.
‘Ill? I am fucking ill, I’ve spent the last few weeks going backwards and forwards to hospital appointments. Now I’m angry as well as ill!’
He sat down, with his eyes closed and his head in his hands, fuming silently and trying to calm himself.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Maureen.
‘Sorry, are you? Really?’ He sat shaking his head, unable to believe what Maureen was saying. ‘So this is the way you repay me, is it? For sharing all this with you? Giving you a lifestyle you could only dream of? I didn’t hear you complaining when I took you out and wined and dined you and told you to buy anything you wanted. That was OK, wasn’t it?’
‘I’m not exactly poor, I’ve got money of my own. Don’t treat me like I’m Cinderella!’
‘Ha, yes, you’ve got money of your own because you inherited it from Hubert, didn’t you. Pathetic, controlling Hubert. Have you forgotten that I rescued you from him?’ spat Ron.
‘You rescued me, did you? How?’
‘Forget it. My mouth is running away with me,’ he replied, averting his gaze from Maureen.
‘Don’t forget I was already going through the process of divorcing Hubert when he took his own life. How can that be a case of you rescuing me?’
‘I told you to forget it! That’s in the past! You are married to me now!’
‘Unless,’ said Maureen slowly. ‘Unless you know something else about Hubert’s suicide?’
‘What do you mean? I found out about it when you phoned me. That’s how I knew about it.’
‘Really. Well, you don’t sound very convincing. We were in that country hotel when I told you about what Hubert had done the night before. You were so angry when I told you the details.’
‘So what? Any man would have been angry at something like that.’
‘Yours was different. You flew into a rage. I’d never seen anything like it.’
‘Yes, because I’m a real man, not like that excuse for a man, Hubert. That’s just the way I am. It was because I love you!’
‘Do you?’
‘Maureen, you know I love you. Would I have married you if I didn’t?’
‘I suppose not,’ replied Maureen. The mood had calmed slightly. ‘But I still feel something isn’t quite right about Hubert’s death.’
‘So, what are you trying to say?’ asked Ron, his mood once more hardening from his tender moment when he declared his love for Maureen.
‘I think you decided to get him out of the way. Made it look like suicide.’
‘Rubbish. What do you think I am?’
‘I think you have a split personality. Affable, philanthropic Ron and cold calculating Cole. Isn’t that the name your underworld acquaintances know you by? Why the separate mobile? All the secret calls? What’s been going on?’
‘Nothing! Shut up! You are imagining things.’
‘Well, I’m not imagining the visit from the police. Why did they call round?’
‘You know why. There’s no need to waste time going through my nefarious ex-employees.’
‘But you have to admit that it was rather odd that two people who used to work for you, one dead, one injured were involved in serious incidents on the same night. Also, they were sure that Sean Bailey was dealing drugs.’
‘Surely you realise there’s a drug scene in Persford?’
‘Of course, I do but I didn’t think I’d be married to a drug dealer.’
She sensed Ron’s shoulders stiffen. The last remark had touched a nerve.
‘They were your drugs, weren’t they? I don’t know exactly what happened that night but I think it was being done on your behalf. Sean Bailey and Jason Dawes might appear to be ex-employees but they are still on your payroll, unofficially.’
‘Prove it.’
‘I can’t and you know it. That’s where you’ve been so clever over the years. Always one step ahead of the law. Keeping in with the top people. Creating an appearance of respectability. Ha!’ Now Maureen was pacing around the lounge before going to stand before Ron so she was looking down on him,
Ron was becoming incandescent. He looked like he wanted to stand up as well but one hand had strayed to his chest.
‘Oh, and you are so perfect aren’t you. I know you’ve been searching in my office without telling me! Corey told me that I had a visitor last night and you spoke to him down there. Were you going to tell me? Eh? I doubt it? I saw the time you scurried down to my office on the CCTV, whilst I was asleep.’ His voice was strained, coming in gasps. The effort plainly visible on his face.
‘Well, you’ve not exactly been open about what you are up to,’ said Maureen, feeling embarrassed. ‘I wanted to know what sort of man I was married to.’
‘A fool, I’ve been a fool to think you trusted me.’
‘How can I trust you? You are dishonest!’
‘So are you! Now that you mention it. Let’s go back to the incident of Councillor Long. You wouldn’t have told me about bribing him, would you? ‘
Maureen looked away.
‘Also, what about Lane End Farm? That was all Kosher was it?’
Maureen looked him straight in the eye. ‘So, you’ve been digging again, have you? Trying to find evidence so you have a hold over me. I might have known. That’s the way you work, isn’t it? How you bribe people and buy favours from them. They turn a blind eye to what you are doing. I wonder what the police Superintendent did to make him protect you all these years?’
‘Nobody is perfect! I admit it. But you are exaggerating! I’ve given thousands to charity. In memory of Natasha! How many people would have done that?’
Ron’s face was by now puce coloured, his face contorted in agony. He’d been so busy arguing that he’d forgotten to use his angina spray. Suddenly, his hands flew to his chest.
‘Oh, God, my chest.’ Ron’s words came weakly and he fumbled in his pocket for his spray.
‘Sit back!’ shouted Maureen, ‘give it to me!’
She took the angina spray off him, removed the top and flung the aerosol across the room.
‘What??’ said Ron, he was struggling to speak now and gasping for breath. His right hand clutched his left arm. ‘Fuck! My heart! I need my,,,.’ He didn’t finish the sentence.
Maureen held Ron by the shoulders and brought her face up to his, ‘What do you need? I’ll tell you! You need to pray! For forgiveness for all the disgusting things you’ve done in your life!’
‘Can’t breathe,’ he whispered. Ron was trying frantically to loosen his shirt. His mouth was open, trying to take in as much air as he could. He grasped his left arm and slumped sideways on the settee.
‘Ambul,,,’ he started to say. ‘Ple,..?’
He collapsed.
Maureen left the room to retrieve her mobile.
‘Ambulance, quickly,’ she said to her mobile. ‘Brensford Manor, Ron Radford, I think he’s had a heart attack. OK, quickly.’
Ron was looking at her, moaning and trying to say the words which sounded like “hurry, help me,” but they came out in a barely audible mumble.
Maureen went over to Ron and sat down next to him. She stroked his face. ‘Don’t worry Ron, you’ll be OK.’
But Ron wasn’t listening. His vacant eyes gazed at her but saw nothing. She felt his neck for a pulse but could find none. Ron was motionless, his mouth sagged open.
Maureen went over to the sideboard and poured herself a large brandy. She sat down before she too collapsed in a faint. When her hands had stopped shaking she pressed the emergency call on her mobile. This time the call was for real and an operator answered. She gave her details as before, making sure to add panic to her voice. Once again, she felt his neck for a pulse, picked up the angina spray and put it on the table after giving him a quick spray under his tongue.
The operator continued to speak to Maureen, ‘The ambulance has been despatched. Is your husband breathing?’
‘I don’t think so! Oh, God! He’s not moving! Please come quickly!’
‘Put him on his back if you can. Now I’m going to talk you through CPR. OK?’
‘Yes, I’ll put you on speaker. Please help me!’
‘Now, can you put your husband on the floor?’
‘Yes, just a moment.’ Maureen dragged Ron’s lifeless body onto the floor. He looked so undignified as his head hit the plush carpet and rebounded slightly before settling lifelessly.
‘Now, place the heel of your hand in the centre of his chest. Put your other had on top and lock your fingers. Now press down firmly in the region of the breastbone. Try to do about two compressions per second. OK?’
‘Yes,’ said Maureen, the exertion audible in her voice.
‘Do that about thirty times then breath into his mouth, pinch his nose closed. Give two breaths, his chest should rise and fall. Repeat this until the ambulance arrives.’
Maureen decided she better comply as they might be able to tell if there were no marks on his chest from her continual pressing on his rib cage.
After following the instructions for what seemed a reasonable time, she sat back on the carpet and took some deep breaths herself. She was quite exhausted and hot. Adrenalin was coursing through her system.
‘I think I can hear the ambulance,’ she said, ‘I’ll go and let them in.’
The paramedics rushed into the lounge following Maureen’s instructions. Corey then arrived and hurried in to find out what was happening.
‘Oh, Mrs Radford? What’s happened?’
‘It’s Ron, he’s had a heart attack,’ she sobbed.
‘I’ll go and see how they are doing, you wait here.’
Maureen sat on the chair in the hall, crying. After a few minutes, Corey came over to her.
‘I’m so sorry. They did what they could with the defibrillator and everything but it was no good.’
‘What? He’s dead? No!’ she shouted and ran into the lounge.
‘I’m very sorry madam,’ said the female paramedic. He must have had a massive heart attack. Do you want to stay with him for a few minutes? We will need to take him to hospital to have death certified. Take your time.’
They withdrew respectfully and closed the door.
Maureen knelt down next to Ron.
‘Goodbye Ron. Thank you.’ She kissed him on the forehead then got up and silently left the room. The ambulance people went to get a trolley and Ron was wheeled out into the ambulance.
‘Can I do anything for you, Mrs Radford,’ asked Corey.
‘No, thank you, I’d like to be alone now.’
‘Of course, phone me if you need me. I’ll be here until about midnight.’
‘Thank you. I’ll lock the door after you.’
Maureen locked the door. She poured herself another brandy and went upstairs to bed. A short chapter of her life was over and another phase was about to begin.
