The Marriage - K.L. Slater (story books to read .TXT) 📗

been in prison, she’s been the person closest to Bridget because of their shared care of her son. Get a bit friendlier with her. You never know what she might tell you about the situation.’

Coral had made a comment at the dinner party that perhaps I should be scared of Bridget. She’d tried to deny she meant anything by it but I got the uncomfortable feeling there were things that had happened or were happening that I was completely unaware of. Things Coral didn’t want to talk to me about. She’d also made it clear she thought we’d never be friends because of me being Tom’s mother. But there was a lot of tension between Coral and Bridget, so maybe Mavis had a point and I should try again.

‘Thanks, Mavis,’ I said, standing up from the bench. ‘I appreciate the chat.’

‘Any time, dear.’ Mavis stayed seated, looking around her at the bodies rushing past, talking on phones, drinking coffee as they walked briskly by. ‘People always seem too busy to pass the time of day any more, but us invisible oldies … well, we see a lot more than people give us credit for.’

Thirty-Three

I drove across town to the budget restaurant I knew Coral worked at part-time. There was still fifteen minutes before the end of her shift. I managed to park in a spot on the road where I had sight of the restaurant door and also the alleyway that ran down the side of it in case she exited out of the back.

I took out my Kindle and read the same page repeatedly. I couldn’t focus on it for more than a few seconds. At last Coral sauntered out, absently scrolling through her phone as she walked. When she reached the corner, she stopped and leaned against the brick wall, then lit a cigarette and tapped at her phone.

I got out of the car and crossed the road, approaching her from the front so as not to creep her out by suddenly appearing from nowhere. Pungent spices filled the air as I got closer, and the noise of the traffic ebbed and flowed behind me. Coral wore the brown checked uniform of the restaurant chain, and had scraped her hair up into a bobble, revealing her natural dark roots against the harshness of the home-bleached blonde. With her face devoid of make-up, she looked pale and tired. When she looked up and saw me, her hand jerked in surprise and the long funnel of ash at the end of her cigarette fell to the floor, disintegrating on the pavement between us.

‘Hi, Coral, sorry to startle you.’ My friendly smile was not returned. ‘I wondered if you had time for a quick chat?’

‘What’s all this about?’ Nervously she looked up and down the street. ‘Has Tom sent you … or Bridget?’

It was a strange thing to say.

‘No, of course not,’ I said and pointed to a small café across the street. ‘Fancy a coffee? Gets us away from prying eyes out here.’

She took another drag of her cigarette and studied me carefully. I imagined the thoughts clicking methodically through her mind. Should she trust me? What exactly did I want to talk about?

‘I haven’t got long,’ she said, stubbing out the cigarette on the wall and tossing it into a nearby bin. ‘I have to go into school to see Ellis’s class teacher at three thirty.’

‘That’s fine,’ I said, relieved she hadn’t told me to get lost.

The café was dim inside, with dark walls and orange globe lights that hung on long pendant chains over the tables. It was only about half full, so there were plenty of spare seats.

‘A latte OK for you?’

She nodded, and I ordered at the counter, leaving Coral to grab us a table. She chose one well set back from the door, and sat staring at her phone.

I came back with the coffees and placed them on the table. She’d put her phone away, looking thoughtfully towards the window.

‘It feels weird, sitting in here with you,’ she said without looking at me. ‘Really weird. It feels all wrong.’

I pressed my lips together. ‘As Tom’s mother, I do understand we’re never going to be best friends, Coral. But I’d like to think we can be civil to each other now that Tom and Bridget are married. We can’t fail to see more of each other, so we might as well try and get on.’

‘Do you know?’ she suddenly demanded, the little colour she had draining out of her cheeks. She looked as if she wanted to be sick but was forcing herself to be brave. ‘Has Tom told you?’

I frowned. ‘Told me what?’

She hesitated, seeming to backtrack. ‘About why they got married. I mean, did he warn you?’

‘No, he didn’t. I’d have tried to stop it happening.’ Her face softened slightly. I wanted to win her confidence, so it was important to show her some honesty. ‘I was devastated, Coral. I still am. It’s been a terrible shock.’

‘That makes two of us. Ellis is really suffering.’

‘It’s natural he’ll be upset.’

Using a long teaspoon, she scooped some foam from the top of her latte directly into her mouth. ‘The head teacher rang me to talk about Ellis’s behaviour at school. That’s why I’ve got to go in.’

‘I’m so sorry it’s affecting him badly,’ I said evenly. Jesse always used to be in some kind of trouble at school. Sometimes Tom was dragged into it by default simply by being present when Jesse decided he didn’t like the look of someone’s face or reacted to a teacher telling him to stop doing something. Mavis Threadgold had alerted me to what was happening early on. I’d spoken to Bridget about it, but of course it had fallen on deaf ears.

Coral put down her spoon and dabbed at her mouth with one of the tiny square paper napkins that came with our drinks. ‘What was it you wanted to talk to me about, Jill?’

I was surprised at