CHAPTER 21
(EVA)
One week later…
"Well thank god for that!" I flop down on the sofa and reach for the mug of tea that Gideon is offering me.
I watch as a small smirk fills his face, he knows what I am referring to. He is referring to the crappy day I have had, it has been one of those days where if it could go wrong it will and today it did. Today started badly, with lots of little things going wrong then got progressively worse when we had issues with the forklift mid-morning, and then it entered the realms of completely hideous by this afternoon, all because of Norman fucking Thomas! I thought we had heard the last of him when he was demoted and shipped off to Burnley but no, that fucking twat is still trying to cause trouble.
I think back to this afternoon and the time it took for us to pull together all the paperwork and establish we hadn't fucked up the shipment to the Burnley depot. Gideon had even come down to the picking department to help us out as we tried to unravel the truth about what had happened.
I think back to the shit storm as it unfolded this afternoon…
"EVIE!"
I pause and turn towards the harsh shout, striding towards me is Martin and he looks steaming about something.
"What's up?" I ask.
"Who did the internal supply request for Burnley?" he asks glaring at me.
"Me" I reply.
"Well you fucked it up Evie, I've just had Norman fucking Thomas ranting at me that they've got it and it's incomplete, he said there should be two boxes in the shipment and they only have one" Martin says.
I rapidly think back to the Burnley request I picked yesterday and sent out, and I shake my head, "No, only one – they didn't need that much".
I walk over to the new computer in the corner which has improved things no end and rifle through the discarded screen dumps we take of internal requests and find what I am looking for and thrust it at Martin, "see" I say.
Martin pours over the request which was sent down directly from Burnley, "Well what the fuck is he on about then?" he asks.
I shrug, "You don't think he's trying to cause trouble because of what happened?" I ask.
Martin's eyebrows rise and it is clear he hadn't thought of that.
"Ok, let me see if I can sort this out" he says and disappears.
I think nothing more of it and carry on with today's orders, which we are now behind with after the issues we had earlier with the forklift, then a short while later I see Gideon appearing and speaking to George, who is pointing at me and shaking his head.
I straighten and wait as Gideon walks towards me.
"What's up?" I ask.
"Burnley have been on the phone, apparently the internal request they sent through was incomplete and some of the stuff which was sent was wrong" he says.
I shake my head, "Martin came in earlier and said something was wrong, but I showed him the request and he said he was going to sort it out" I say.
Gideon nods in agreement, "I know, he came to me because something isn't right here, and I want to get to the bottom of this, I think something is being done to try and make Stoke look bad" he says.
"What would that achieve?" I ask.
Gideon sighs and rubs his face, "I have no idea at this moment, but if it is who I think it is, then it could just be him playing silly buggers to cause us hassle while we double check what was done, or it could be something more sinister, like trying to undermine my authority to try and get bad reports sent to my father at head office about the way I am running Stoke".
"But you're the CEO, you are the top man what could they do that would jeopardise that, nothing, as far as I can see" I say.
Gideon considers that and nods, "True, but it wouldn't look very good that the depot that the CEO is based at has fucked up a basic order would it?" he says.
I think about that and look up at Gideon, my anger building not to mention my desire to prove we haven't done anything wrong, "Well, surely we can do something to prove we didn't fuck up the request they sent?" I ask.
Gideon nods, "Yes there is but you're not going to like it considering how behind you all are today after the issues you've had this morning" he says warily.
"Ok, well I want to make sure those fuckers at Burnley know we didn't screw anything up, so where do we start?" I ask defiantly.
I see him think a moment "We need to retrace everything, every piece of paper, every item picked and double check everything" he says.
I stare at him, "You are fucking joking?!" I splutter, he is right I'm not going to like it. That means going on a trek around the depot getting all the paperwork and checking every last detail and makings sure they all say the same thing.
Gideon shakes his head, "No I'm not" he says apologetically.
I sigh, "Alright, well, hang on, let me finish this order and then we can get started. I hope you are going to hang around to help with this as it is going to take a chunk out of my day which I can't afford to lose, we are behind as it is because of that fucking forklift shitting itself earlier" I snap.
Gideon smiles at me, "I am, I don't believe for one moment the mistake has been made here Eva, that is why I want to do this I need to double check everything so I have the evidence to prove this originated at Burnley as I really have a feeling this is Norman Thomas trying to discredit us".
"So, if it is?" I ask.
Gideon shrugs, "If I can prove that, then he's gone" he says coldly.
"Really?" I say.
Gideon nods, "Gross misconduct" he says sharply.
"Shit" I reply.
Gideon smiles, "Quite" he says with clear amusement.
I quickly finish the order I am doing and then pass over my remaining orders that need to be picked to George who quickly re-distributes them between all the guys.
"Sorry guys, but we have to find out what is going on, if someone at Burnley is playing silly buggers with us we need to nip it in the bud, so thanks for helping me out" I say to the men surrounding us.
There is a murmur of agreement. Gideon has already outlined what has happened and nobody believes that a mistake has been made this end. I brace myself for what I have to do now, this is going to be bloody tedious! First of all I grab the screen dump which I had shown to Martin, then I go up to dispatch and find the original order form which was printed off from the original request that was emailed to us. Then I go to the accounts department and grab a copy of the invoice and then I head to the re-order point, and pull off the details of everything that was picked yesterday, by the time I have done I have half a rain forest worth of paper in my hands and sitting down at the small desk I grab a highlighter pen and go through the pages and pages of items picked to find all my picks, I eventually find the Burnley request and highlight all the items I picked for it, then I go down and double check that against the original request, and the screen dump and as I expected it all matches despatches paperwork and the invoice. Everything is, as I suspected, spot on.
Nearly an hour later when I have completed all that I go back to Gideon who is helping with the remaining orders, and I thrust the pile of papers in front of him.
"It's all correct" I state.
Gideon takes the paperwork from me and then goes to the computer once more and calls up the request on the screen. He then takes out his notebook and begins making notes, a moment later I hear him exclaim loudly and I go over to see what has happened now.
"Look this is different" he says pointing at the screen.
"What?" I ask staring over his shoulder at the screen.
"Here, look" he says and sure enough there are seven more items on the bottom of the request list, I point at the original.
"Well they weren't fucking there before!" I say.
"No, they weren't were they… also look, that is different and so is that, and that" he says going through each item on the request and sure enough several of the items are now different to those originally requested.
"That has been altered and updated since I pulled it and I can prove that with this" I say defensively as I rifle through the reams of paper for the original print off from this very computer, which I am eternally thanking everything that I did it and kept it.
Gideon nods, "I don't disagree" he says.
Once again I grab the screen dump and pull it out triumphantly and slap it on top of all the other papers. Gideon quickly scans it and compares it with what now is on the screen in front of him and agrees that it is definitely different. With that he mutters something about IT and after gathering all the papers up he disappears out of the picking area. George comes to me and puts his hand on my shoulder.
"What's going on have you figured out what went wrong?" he asks.
I explain everything and point to the discrepancies on the screen compared to the paperwork which was previously produced.
"Why the fuck would anyone want to do something like that?" he asks.
I stare at him incredulously, "Someone with an axe to grind, to try and make Stoke look bad. To try and discredit us and to cause us problems, because while we are sorting this shit out they think today's orders are not being picked… and maybe their goal is to try and cause enough of a stink that it eventually gets back to head office and makes the people who count regret giving Gideon the top job" I say.
George considers this, "Norm" he says as the penny finally drops and I nod.
I nod adamantly, "I wouldn't put it past him to try and pull something like this, it has his special brand of vindictiveness written all over it" I say.
George looks at me, "Do you think he knows Gideon is the top man now and that you are helping him streamline things and that we are going to all the other depots with him next week to implement everything that's been done here?"
My mind immediately goes back to the bombshell Gideon dropped on the picking department this morning that he is going on a site visit to check out the productivity and hopefully get a standardised system going and have everyone doing the same thing. That has already started to some extent with the computer being installed, so that the other depots can request stock quickly without having to go through the system that ordinary customers do; and that he is taking George and me with him to help implement any changes and help reorganise to our new improved way of doing things. Gideon had also said that while we are there we are to look for other Norm's that might be working at the various depots.
I shrug, "I have no idea, but I'm certain he is probably aware that Gideon is going, and why he is going, so having said that it was Gideon who demoted him and packed him off to Burnley so he is probably trying to discredit him as well in some way. Whether it's just to prove a point because he was sent packing or to prevent any changes being implemented, I don't know" I say.
"Could even be a combination of both?" George muses and I nod in agreement.
"Eva" I look up and Gideon is back looking somewhat victorious.
"What?" I ask.
"Wayne in IT has gone through the records and we have discovered that the request was amended and altered this morning, which I now have documented proof of, and we also know who changed it" he says.
"Let me guess, Norman Thomas?" I say sarcastically.
Gideon nods, "Got it in one!"
He hands me a print off of all the activity on the internal order and there in black and white is a timeline of activity. From the moment the order was first requested at Burnley by a D Williamson, the moment it was authorised by a G Harris, the moment it was forwarded to us and we accepted it and then listed is the time I logged on and printed off the request and then the time I closed it as complete. It also shows the time that it was signed off by despatch and finally the moment the post room handed it over to the carrier. That should be the final moment in the timeline but then underneath that I see further entries dated and timed first thing this morning when a N Thomas logged on and 'amended' the order, it's all there in black and white dates and times and it drops Norm well and truly in the shit.
"So, with that in mind I am now going to Burnley tomorrow but they still think I am going next week, and you two are coming with me" Gideon says looking between me and George.
I drag my attention away from the screen to focus on what Gideon just said, I'm not overly happy that I am going to have to face Norman Thomas again but I would pay to see the moment when Gideon sacks him as he has had it coming for so long and it seems I am going to get it.
We both nod and with that Gideon walks away.
"Well shit!" George says as he watches Gideon go.
I snort, "I think Norm is about to regret trying to cause trouble" I say as I watch the man I love disappear…
"Eva, are you listening?"
I am pulled from my thoughts by Gideon's question, I look up at him.
"Sorry what did you say?" I ask and he smiles at me and sits beside me.
"I said do you want to get a takeaway tonight so you don't have to bother cooking after the day we have both had?" he says.
I shake my head, "No, its fine, I can cook" I say.
Gideon looks carefully at me, "You look tired and you are coming with me to Burnley tomorrow, how about we go to the Red Lion for dinner, Maisie would love to go there again?" he says.
Now I am really tempted but I don't want to take advantage… fuck it! I push those negative thoughts from my head, if he didn't want to take us he wouldn't have offered. I have to stop thinking badly every time he wants to do something nice for us.
"Erm… actually a takeaway would be nice, I really don't want to go out tonight" I say carefully.
Gideon smiles and nods, "no problem, what do you fancy?" he asks, as he says this Maisie appears from her bedroom, she has changed out of her school clothes and is waiting with her reading book.
"Gideon will you read with me?" she asks and Gideon immediately focuses his attention on her.
"I certainly will Maisie, but first I am trying to get your mum to decide what she would like for tea, we are having a takeaway tonight for a change, to give your mum the night off from cooking, what do you say?" he says.
Maisie's eyes widen with excitement and she starts bouncing on the spot, "Fish and chips!" she yells "Can I have some chips and a battered sausage please?" she says and nearly dropping her book she quickly adds "Oh, oh, oh and some curry sauce please I like chip shop curry sauce?" she looks at me and then back at Gideon who laughs and sweeps her up into his arms.
"Absolutely, but you will have to come with me and show me where the chip shop is and help me bring it back?" he says.
Maisie nods and Gideon turns to me, "Chippy ok with you Angel?" he asks and I nod in agreement, with that I watch as Gideon moves away with Maisie to help her with her reading. He is so good with her; he really is a big part of my family now.
My mind once again starts to wander this time to the fab weekend we've just had in Liverpool and Manchester, with Kyle. He had a brilliant time, he was in his element photographing the buildings, sculptures, statues and other monuments in Liverpool, Gideon had started the day by handing Kyle a camera bag, he had just stared at it hesitant at first to accept it…
"Here you go, this is for you" Gideon says as he offers Kyle a bag.
I watch my brother stare at the bag, not offering to take it, he has a look of suspicion and fear on his face.
"What's that?" he asks.
Gideon smiles, "Why don't you open it and find out" he says kindly.
I watch as Kyle reaches for the bag and opens it his eyes widening in shock.
"What the fuck!" he gasps. I lean towards him and see a camera, some SD cards and a couple of batteries, I stare at Gideon in surprise.
"It's my old bridge camera, you said you had a simple point and shoot camera, if you are serious about your photography you need something a bit more sophisticated than a phone camera, although you can't fault many phone cameras these days. This will help you expand your knowledge, it has a pretty impressive zoom and until you are comfortable with the settings and controlling your lighting and shutter speed it has an auto feature which effectively turns it into a point and shoot. I don't use it anymore and it is a bit out of date compared to like for like cameras now but I thought you could use it… you don't have to though if you don't want to" Gideon says. He gives me a worried look and I realise he thinks he has overstepped, but my heart is swelling with pride and love for him.
I quickly step in as Kyle looks worried and overwhelmed, "Wow mate look at that, you will take some cracking pictures with that!" I say enthusiastically.
A smile slowly fills my brothers face and he looks up at Gideon, "Thank you, I don't know what to say, I'll take good care of it, thank you for letting me borrow it" he says.
Gideon smiles, "You can keep it as long as you like, I don't use it anymore" he assures him…
We'd had a cracking time; Kyle had quickly come to grips with the camera and he was thrilled with the options the zoom and the chance to control the lighting and shutter speed gave him. I was aware he knew all that stuff and how he had compensated for it when he didn't have the option to manually control it, it was like watching a butterfly emerge from a chrysalis. He had been in his element in Liverpool. The buildings and different architecture immediately gaining his interest, the statues, and monuments and various modern street art which could be found around the city engaged him like nothing I had seen before, along with the usual buildings which attracted photographers like the iconic Liver building down by the waterfront. He had snapped away happily and must've taken hundreds of photographs. Gideon had arranged for the movers to come on the Sunday and they arrived early Sunday morning. The flat looked nothing like I remembered it from our previous brief stay with only the bare basics left to be moved, all Gideon's belongings which he hadn't already brought with him were also boxed up and ready to go and he had spent most of our stay apologising for the lack of creature comforts available. But because there wasn't much left the movers soon cleared the place completely. Maisie had thought it was an adventure sleeping on a stripped bed in a sleeping bag in the spare room, Kyle was fine with sleeping on the sofa and Gideon and I made do in his bedroom. But as we stood in the completely empty flat on that Sunday morning after the movers had gone it finally dawned on me that there was no going back now.
We had spent a while in Manchester but Kyle didn't seem so obviously thrilled for some reason with this city, but he still took many photographs.
"Ok Eva" I look up and see Gideon and Maisie with their coats on, for a moment I wonder what they are doing then I realise they are going to the chippy.
"What do you want Angel?" Gideon asks as Maisie slips her small hand into his.
"Erm… Pie and chips please" I say.
Gideon nods, "What flavour?" he asks.
"Chicken and Mushroom" I say, Gideon nods again.
"Curry? Mushy Peas?" he asks.
I shake my head, "No thanks, just pie and chips" I say.
"Ok then Maisie, let's go" he says and I watch, smiling happily as they leave the flat.
While they are gone, I quickly get together the plates and some drinks and set the table ready for their return. I feel a little bit lazy not cooking and relying on a takeaway but it's not as if we make a habit out of it. A short while later I am in the bedroom when I hear the front door open.
"Eva!" Gideon calls.
"In here" I reply and a moment later the bedroom door flies open and Maisie comes crashing in and hurls herself at me.
I know immediately that she is upset about something and I crouch down and pull her towards me.
"Maisie, what is it? What's happened?" I ask.
I look up and see Gideon with a concerned expression on his face, his eyes fixed on Maisie.
"Food is in the kitchen" he murmurs, still focussed on Maisie.
"What's happened?" I ask again and I hear a small muffled sob from Maisie who has her head buried in my leg.
"Will someone tell me what's going on here?" I ask my anger starting to rise.
"A man said he was going to tell daddy about Gideon, I don't want daddy to hurt Gideon" Maisie wails and breaks out into full blown hysterical sobbing.
Anger now is consuming me, "Maisie look at me" I say firmly as I sink down into a crouch beside her and hold her gently by the shoulders. I watch as my daughter looks up at me and the fear in her eyes kills me, making my anger evaporate.
"Maisie, your dad is in prison. He can't get at us, he can't hurt any of us, do you understand that?" I say, I watch as Maisie thinks about that and nods.
I pull her close again, "Ok then, let's go and get some tea and just remember we are all safe, your dad is in prison and can't get anyone" I say.
Gideon is still staring at Maisie as we make our way into the kitchen, I grasp his arm and draw his attention to me.
"Are you ok?" I whisper and he nods.
"We'll talk later" he mutters and presses a swift but insistent kiss to my lips.
oooOOOooo
I keep a close eye on Maisie and after dinner it seems that whatever happened at the chip shop is now forgotten. Gideon made a point of focussing his attention on her, playing with her and after I had bathed her and she was in bed he sat with her and read her a story.
I am sitting on the sofa and I can hear his voice, although muffled I can make out what he is reading, and I smile, The Princess and the Pea has always been Maisie's favourite story and she knows it inside out. As I hear the story come to an end and the door click I take a sip of the hot chocolate I have prepared and wait for Gideon to join me. I look up as Gideon comes into the room, he takes the seat opposite me and reaches for the hot chocolate I have prepared for him.
"I think she's ok now" he says as he takes a sip of the drink, he moans appreciatively after drinking and thanks me before placing his mug down.
"Who was it who approached you?" I ask with no preamble.
Gideon shakes his head, "I have no idea, I've never seen him before and he didn't tell me his name" he says.
"What did he look like?" I ask as the motley crew of Nathan's friends fill my mind.
Gideon sighs and leans forward, "Erm… tall, but not quite as tall as me, very very… well there's no polite way to say this, but fat. He was very fat, greasy hair it looked as though it had been dyed blond but not totally, like it had been highlighted but very badly, oh and he had a tattoo on his throat but I didn't study it too closely so I'm not sure what it was" he says.
I nod and know immediately who this is, "That was Gaz, complete twat like all of Nathan's friends, all mouth but cries like a little girl when someone stands up to him. He's just trying to stir up shit, trying to be the big man to scare you off but the fact that all he succeeded in doing was scaring my daughter has pissed me off" I say as I stand suddenly.
"Where are you going?" Gideon asks with a look of concern on his face.
"To teach Gaz a lesson for scaring my daughter" I say coldly.
"You can't go out there tonight, it's dark" Gideon says.
I smile at him, "I'll be fine, I won't be going alone" I say as I reach for my phone.
I call my gran and she quickly answers. I outline what happened tonight and ask if my grandfather is there, he comes to the phone and I outline my request.
"Hi Granddad, can I ask a favour?" I ask sweetly.
"What's up?" he says.
"Gaz Price has been shooting his mouth off at the chippy, Gideon went to fetch something for tea tonight and Maisie went with him. They saw Gaz there and he said he was going to tell Nathan, scared the shit out of Maisie so she now thinks Nathan is going to hurt Gideon. So, I'm thinking that…"
Tez interrupts me before I can finish, "That we should pay him a visit and put him straight" he says.
"Exactly" I reply, "I wouldn't ask, but I can't leave Maisie alone so Gideon can't come with me" I add.
"No, Gideon needs to be there. I'll come over and sit with Maisie while you both go, united front and all that, it sends a message" he says.
"Ok" I say, I thank him and hang up and quickly outline the plan to Gideon.
"How do you know where to find him?" Gideon asks.
I snort with laughter, "Gary Price is nothing but predictable, he still lives with his mum. He will be in his room, stuffing his face and playing on his X Box" I say.
"What about his parents?" Gideon asks.
I shake my head, "He only has a mum, and she will be at the Red Lion – she's a barmaid there" I explain.
A few moments later there is a knock on the door, and Gideon goes to answer it and shortly afterwards Tez appears.
"He's at home, the light is on in the front bedroom" he says.
I nod and turn to Gideon, "Shall we go?" I ask.
Before he can reply I hug my grandfather tightly and thank him for coming and then move towards the door.
(GIDEON)
I am not sure about this, but Eva is adamant to confront this man. She looks focussed and she looks… lethal. Someone has hurt her daughter and now they must pay, all I can do is go with her to support her and intervene if things get out of hand.
As we make our way through the estate, we eventually stop at a small house a short distance from the flat. Eva strides up to the front door and hammers on it so hard it vibrates.
I see movement at the window and then nothing.
"He's there, the curtain moved" I say.
Eva smiles, and pushes open the letterbox. "Open the fucking door dickhead, or I will kick it down and then you will have to explain to your mum why I did it and I'm sure she'll be really impressed that you've been out scaring little kids" she shouts through the letterbox.
A few moments later a light comes on and the door slowly opens, and I see the pasty-faced man who spoke to me earlier, but now he isn't filled with the bravado of earlier, he looks terrified.
Eva turns to me, "Was it this piece of shit?" she asks me and I nod.
"Yes, that's him" I confirm.
Without warning Eva shoves the door hard, I hear a crack and I don't know if that is the door or something else and the next thing I know she has the man by the throat up against the wall.
"You frightened my daughter" Eva hisses at him.
"I… I… I…" he stammers.
His eyes are huge and he darts a pleading look at me.
"You listen to me, you piece of shit. My relationship with Gideon has nothing to do with you and more importantly nothing to do with Nathan, because Nathan is nothing to do with me or my daughter, do you understand me?"
The man nods frantically, and tries to say something but Eva is gripping his throat so tightly he can't get the words out. She leans close and hisses menacingly into his face.
"You know what Nathan is capable of don't you?" she says.
He nods again.
"Well, I survived Nathan and I learnt from the beatings he gave me, learnt how to deal with scum. So, you ever interfere with my life again you will be sorry" she hisses and slowly loosens the hold she has on him.
"I didn't mean to scare Maisie" he whispers.
"Well you fucking did, she came to me in tears thinking Nathan was going to hurt Gideon. You didn't scare him, because he knows Nathan is a coward and bully but my four year old daughter was terrified, now I don't like to see my daughter that upset and scared so as you did it, it's only fair I make you feel the way she felt earlier" she says, as she gets right up into his face once more. I see the man try and curl into himself he is so terrified of what is going to happen to him.
I am shocked, I have never seen this side of Eva before, she is relentless. She looks different too, and then |I realise that I have seen this side of her before. The time at my father's house when she confronted Uncle Hugh, with a jolt of shock I realise she is protecting both of us, she dismissed my reaction to the confrontation earlier to make it look as though she is only protecting Maisie, but in reality she is protecting me as well. A surge of love almost overwhelms me at the realisation.
I return my attention to the situation in front of me.
"I'm sorry Evie" the man whines.
"Nathan Barker is nothing to me, and nothing to Maisie. He is a worthless piece of shit who is where he belongs, you can tell him about me and Gideon for all I care, because I'm not scared of him, but know this if you do and then when he comes out he does something which harms Maisie or Gideon I will hold you entirely responsible and whatever Nathan does to them I will then do to you, have I made myself clear?" she spits.
The man nods, "I won't say nothing to Nathan" he says and I can hear the sincerity in his words. I realise he had no intention of ever saying anything. He was just trying to stir up trouble, but didn't anticipate the repercussions of what he said.
Eva pats his cheek none too gently, "Glad we understand each other" she says and with that she simply turns towards me.
"Shall we go home?" she says.
I nod and hold out my hand to her, which she takes and we walk back to her flat without a backward glance.