Hi all, next update - a bit longer this time but still possibly more questions than answers (they are coming I promise!). Also, I do realise that at the time this is set some of the characters I'm mentioning won't still be on the 'real' HO but I hope you'll forgive me for using them as it makes it much easier to write as you've got an idea how they might act/react in the situations you're creating.
If you have a few moments to spare please leave a review or your own theory about what might be going on if you'd prefer - I love reading both!
4. Curiouser and Curiouser
1st April 2015, 1.14pm
Jack's mobile rang and he stopped halfway through taking Dennis's order to take it out of his jacket pocket.
"Excuse me! What's go.." Dennis began
But Jack wasn't paying any attention, his focus entirely on his phone's display . "It's Frankie" he said to Darren who, on hearing his dad's ring-tone, had diverted from delivering the two lunches he was holding to approach the bar.
"Go, go." Darren said, "I'll sort this all out. You just speak to Frankie." And without another word Jack turned his back on Dennis and Blessing and walking towards the store room answered his phone.
"Hi, Frankie"
oooooo
"Look," Dennis said, "I don't know what's goi.."
"I'll be with you in a minute" Darren interrupted, glancing anxiously after his dad, "I'll just deliver these and then I'll be with you, ok?"
"Well, I suppose it'll ha…" Dennis began, before he realised that Darren had turned away from him and was walking towards the other side of the pub. "Unbelievable!" he exclaimed to Blessing who shrugged her shoulders slightly, and looked curiously after Jack.
oooooo
"..just so hideous Jack. It's breaking him – and I'm not sure he'll go back together again. And we haven't even got to the worst bits yet. They adjourned for lunch before the medical evidence or any of the police stuff. This morning's mostly been about all the formalities, swearing the jury in and explaining everything to them, and he's only just coping, so what's going to happen when they get down to the nuts and bolts of everything."
"Oh Frankie," Jack said, feeling the now familiar helplessness, "I'm so sorry. I wish I could be there for you both"
"I wish you could too," Frankie replied, revealing just how upset she was, before consciously making an effort to make Jack feel better she continued. "but I know you couldn't – the pub won't run itself. And anyway I'm not on my own – Jenny and Matt are here already and Lewis is meant to be coming this afternoon, and Sinead's on her way too because she's got no lectures this afternoon. And then tomorrow James is definitely coming, and Jenny's going to try to swap some things round so she can come again, at least for the morning"
"Jenny's the one who works with him, right?" Jack asked.
"Yep, and James too. Oh and Lewis – he's his boss. Such a lovely man - he's the one who's been keeping his job open, sorting it all out for him. I don't know how he's managed to square it with…."
oooooo
"What's up with you?" Mercedes demanded of Darren, who was standing behind the bar but ignoring the customers who were standing on the other side of it, his focus instead concentrated on Jack who was in the store room apparently on the phone
"What?" Darren replied.
"Well I mean is your dad on the phone to David Cameron or the Queen or summat? No, don't tell me it's his lawyer or a loan shark"
"What? No!" Darren said, obviously flustered. "It's Frankie."
"Well then do you think you could actually do some work rather than standing there gazing at him like some kind of… hideous gargoyle. It's the lunchtime rush in case you haven't noticed and I can't run this place single-handed." Mercedes stated, indicating the pub, before continuing, "And where is Frankie anyway? She's hardly here these days and yet nobody ever says where she's gone. And it's the Easter bank holiday coming up and there's no way she'd go AWOL then if it wasn't something important, so?"
"So?" Darren repeated, still glancing over towards Jack.
"So, where is she?"
"Has it ever occurred to you that it's none of your business what Frankie does, or where she goes?" Darren spat out at her, his attention suddenly focussed solely on her. "No, I didn't think so because you're a McQueen girl and you have to know everything about everyone so you can gossip about it with your sisters, and your mum, and your nanna, or use it for blackmail purposes of course."
"Hey, I was only aski.." Mercedes began, stepping away from him slightly.
"Well in future – don't!" Darren commanded, before continuing. "Now, I'm going to collect some empties, if that's OK with you of course"
"Well you'd be doing something, which'd be a st.." Mercedes began, before seeing Darren's face deciding not to continue, instead letting him pass her on his way out of the bar. She watched him curiously for a few moments more before turning to the bar and saying with a somewhat forced smile, "Erm, sorry about that and the wait." to the customer standing at the bar. "What can I get you?" But whilst she got his order ready she kept watching Darren, aware that he wouldn't normally react like that and thinking to herself, 'Something's going on here, there's definitely something up!'
oooooo
"…think I might have to change my ticket – I really can't see me being able to leave him on Saturday and he's adamant that he won't come back with me. And I know it's terrible timing with the Easter bank..."
"Hey," Jack interrupted, "don't you go worrying about that. We'll be fine – you take as much time as you need. I'll sort something out for here."
"I know," Frankie said, "but"
"But nothing," Jack replied definitely, "the pub is the least of your worries at the moment and that's exactly the way it should be."
"Yeah, yeah I know. Anyhow, how is everything there? Did Oscar enjoy the Easter Egg party?"
"Oh yes" Jack said smiling, "he had a brilliant time by all accounts – ate his weight in chocolate apparently. Darren's got some lovely photos and Nancy even managed to get there for some of it – her and John-Paul sneaked off a bit early. And it was a glorious day – really sunny, so they were able to do it all outside."
"Oh good, that's great. If you get a minute can you send me some of the pho…Oh Jack, I'm going to have to go. He's just come out and we need to be back in court soon and I really want to get him outside before then – try to remind him that the world is still there."
"Of course, you go." Jack said. "I'll call you tonight, ok?"
"Ok, bye then"
"Bye love, and remember we're all thinking of you both"
"Yes, I know, thanks. Bye." Frankie said before finishing the call.
"Bye" Jack said, listening to the dialling tone for a few moments before he too pressed the disconnect button and replaced his mobile in his jacket pocket. Then he turned back towards the pub and slowly made his way back towards the bar. He was intercepted by Darren who was obviously on his way to the kitchen with a stack of dirty glasses
"So what did Frankie say?" he asked him quietly. "Is it is bad as she thought it was going to be?"
"Worse, by all accounts" he replied softly, before stopping Darren in his tracks by saying "Look, not here ok?" And Darren following his dad's gaze saw Mercedes watching them interestedly, and said
"Ok, later then – when she's gone."
"Yep" Jack replied, "but till then those glasses aren't going to wash themselves," he continued, raising his voice slightly "so you'd better get them to the dishwasher."
"Yes, course" Darren answered and walked off towards the kitchen, pausing at the door to watch his dad walk slowly towards the bar, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. And noticing also that he wasn't the only one watching – Mercedes was still, whilst pulling a pint, looking at his dad with that look which signified cogs whirring in her beautiful, diabolical head. 'We've got to do something about that - have to try harder to get her off the scent' he concluded to himself as he looked at her for one last time before pushing open the kitchen door.