Author's note: Thanks for the lovely reviews, it's great to know there's still interest in this story.
Chapter 23 - Dinner disaster
The walkway of the red rec was deserted at this ungodly hour. Carla was used to seeing it bustling with joggers and dog walkers alike, and seeing it so empty, shrouded in a layer of morning fog, was a little unsettling.
In hindsight it probably wasn't the smartest idea to be out walking alone with a killer on the loose, but after hearing news of Gary's escape, she'd spent the night tossing and turning and had come out here in hopes that some fresh air might clear her head.
She'd brought along Sadie, her trustee companion.
Every few steps she'd throw a look over her shoulder to make sure there was nobody sneaking up behind her. It was completely paranoid behaviour but she couldn't help it. The whole thing had her on edge.
She felt a sharp tug on the lead as Sadie started barking at something up ahead.
Further along the walkway, a figure emerged through the fog. They were running towards Carla at a considerable speed.
Not knowing what to do, she froze. Was this the kind of surprise attack she'd been dreading?
But as the figure drew closer, Carla breathed a sigh of relief. It was only a jogger, and not just any jogger…
Nick came to a breathless standstill before her. Smiling, he popped out of his earphone. "Fancy seeing you out here. It's not like you to be up with the larks."
"Yeah, well, I couldn't sleep, so…" She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders.
Of course, he knew why she was really out here. "I take it you've heard about Gary?"
"The great escape?" She laughed. "Who hasn't?"
"Leanne's scared to leave the house, Sarah too. They're both terrified he's going to come back here."
"Tell them to stop being so ridiculous. Gary might be stupid but he's not an idiot. He knows if he shows his face around here, he'll be snapped up in a pair of handcuffs quicker than you can say dodgy factory roof."
She was trying to make light, but Nick knew her well enough to see through the act. He regarded her warily. "Even so, until he's caught, maybe it's not the best idea to be out walking alone, especially in a place like this."
"Thanks for your concern, Nicholas, but I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. Besides, haven't you seen my guard dog?"
Nick looked down at the puppy sniffing his trainers. "Ah yes, terrifying." They laughed. "Well, I better be going," he said, popping his earphone back in. "I'll see you around. Look after yourself, Carla."
Before he could go running off, she caught his arm. "Actually, while you're here, there's something I wanted to speak to you about." He removed his earphone to show he was listening. "That woman you're thinking of doing business with at the factory… Chloe Tipton."
"Yeah, what about her?"
"You know who she is, don't you?" It was clear from his blank expression that he didn't, so she was forced to elaborate, "Nick, she's Peter's stalker from a few years back, the one who accused him of roughing her up."
Nick's eyes grew wide. "Crazy Chloe? No, I had no idea."
"She's trouble, Nick. I'd steer well clear if I were you."
"She's supposed to be coming over to the factory this afternoon to discuss the contract." He scoffed. "I'll tell her where she can shove her contract!"
When Carla returned home, she took the extra precaution of sliding the chain over the door. With the likes of Gary and Chloe out there, she couldn't be too careful.
"Carla?"
She jumped at the voice and spun on her heel. Peter emerged from the landing, dressed in shorts and a vest, his hair ruffled with sleep.
She clutched her heaving chest. "Jesus, you scared me!"
He squinted at her from the darkness. "Where have you been?"
"For a walk," she said once she'd caught her breath.
His frown deepened. "It's five in the morning."
"I know, but I couldn't sleep and Sadie was whining to be let out so…" She trailed off.
She bent down and let Sadie off the lead and the puppy ran straight to Peter and jumped up at his leg, desperate for a fuss, but Peter paid her no attention, too distracted by Carla. He watched her hang up her jacket and head over to the sink to pour herself a glass of water. "Love, is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine."
She gave him a smile, but Peter wasn't fooled. He'd noticed the chain over the door. "Because if you're worried about this Gary stuff then I want you to know they've got every copper in Manchester out looking for him. He can't come anywhere near us, love."
"That's what they said about Tony. And look how that turned out."
Peter walked up to her, taking the glass out of her hand, and framed her face with his hands. "Listen to me, okay? Gary's not going to bother us again. You know why? Because I'd kill him first." He kissed her forehead then tugged her lips into a smile. "So please, stop worrying. Everything's going to be fine. You'll see."
The baby monitor crackled to life, breaking the tender moment.
Peter groaned. "Somebody's awake."
He padded down the corridor and returned moments later with Bertie.
"Is he alright? He's never up this early."
"He's fine, aren't you buddy?" Peter said, bouncing his nephew in his arms. "He must've heard us talking. Oh, that reminds me... good news about tonight, Beth's agreed to babysit."
"Why, what's happening tonight?"
"Dinner at the bistro."
She slapped her forehead. "Oh, I completely forgot!"
She'd been so preoccupied with Gary and Chloe that everything else had slipped her mind.
"You're the one who organised it," Peter chuckled.
They'd had enough stag and hen parties to last them a lifetime so they'd opted for something lowkey, a meal in the bistro with a few family and friends.
"Remind me who's coming again?"
"There's Jenny, Johnny, Roy, Ryan and Maria," Peter said, listing the names off his hand. "Then from my lot there's Adam, Sarah and our Si. I think that's everyone."
Carla went to say something but stopped herself.
"What is it?" Peter asked.
"It's about tonight," she began nervously. "I was wondering if I could ask you a favour?" A swallow. "It's about Rob."
That morning Rob set about trying to convince Tracy to move away with him.
Tracy arrived downstairs and found him in the kitchen, wearing his boxers and Deirdre's floral apron, whistling a merry tune to himself as he tended to something on the hob.
She marvelled at the peculiar sight. "What are you doing?"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" he said, throwing her a smile over his shoulder. "I'm cooking you breakfast."
She detected a sweet aroma in the air. "Do I smell pancakes?"
"You sure do." He flipped one into the air and caught it in the frying pan. Then he stacked three onto a plate and finished them off with a handful of blueberries and a drizzle of syrup before serving them up at the table. "Bon Appetite."
Tracy licked her lips. "Wow, would you look at this!"
He grabbed himself a plate and joined her at the table.
She stared at him curiously. "What's gotten into you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Last night you were acting all weird and now I find you up at the crack of dawn in my mother's apron flipping pancakes."
He swallowed a greedy mouthful then shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a spontaneous guy."
"Aren't you just."
He drizzled more syrup onto his pancakes and Tracy pointed at the bottle in his hand. "Where did you get that from? Please don't say the back of the cupboard?"
"Yeah, why?"
"That's the bottle dad brought back with him from Canada. He was saving it for a special occasion."
Rob frowned. "Who saves syrup for a special occasion?"
"He's going to kill you for using it."
"He's going to kill me for being in this house," Rob pointed out. "So I might as well go all out."
Tracy couldn't manage all three pancakes so Rob greedily wolfed down what was left on her plate. She lounged back in her chair and patted the small bulge of her stomach with a contented sigh. "If I was wearing jeans right now, I'd need to undo my fly."
"They were good though, right?"
"Those, Robert, were the best bloody pancakes I've ever eaten. But I'm not daft, I know you're buttering me up for something. So come on, what is it?"
"Alright, you got me." He held up his phone and loaded an image onto the screen. "Take a look at this."
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Tracy squinted at the bright screen. "Care to tell me why I'm staring at a picture of a cottage in Devon?"
"Because I think we should buy it."
Tracy laughed and waited for the punchline. Only there wasn't one. Suddenly she was wide away. "Are you being serious right now?"
He started scrolling through the gallery of photographs. "It's detached with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, overlooks the beach—"
She scoffed. "We'd never be able to afford it in a million years!"
"That's where you're wrong. A mate of mine owns it. He owes me a couple of favours and is willing to give it to us for a knockdown price."
"Even so, a chocolate box cottage tucked away in a hillside isn't very us, is it?"
"How will we know until we've tried? It could be a whole new life for us, Trace. I can see us now, sat on the beach, watching the sunset on the horizon. What could be better?"
"You're living in a fantasy land! Where's all this coming from anyway? I thought we were enjoying taking things slow."
"I've spent the last six years taking things slow. I don't want to waste any more time."
"What about the shop?" she asked him. "What about Amy? My dad? I can't just up sticks and leave, I've got responsibilities here."
"We'd take Amy with us," he said. "Oh, she'd love it down there, Trace. And you could open up a florist in one of the market towns, they thrive of small independent businesses like yours."
"You're actually serious about all this, aren't you?"
He nodded enthusiastically. "Come on, what have we got around here really? People treat us like we're something they stepped in. Here, we're murderers. That's all we'll ever be in their eyes. I'm sick of it. So let's cut our losses and run. Let's start again somewhere else, just you, me and Amy. What do you say?"
There was a childlike adventure in his eyes when he spoke and Tracy couldn't help but be enthralled by it. But one of them needed to be practical. Yawning, she rubbed her eyes. "Rob, this is a lot for a girl to take in first thing in the morning."
He leaned across the table, reaching for her hand. "Remember that cottage we stayed in down in Cumbria?"
She arched her brow. "When you were a fugitive, you mean."
They both smirked a little at that.
"We loved it down there, didn't we? Those long country walks, the cosy nights by the fire, looking out the window and seeing nothing but green fields…"
Tracy recalled it with a fondness. "It did have a certain charm to it, I suppose."
"We could have that again," he said, stroking her hand, eyes brimming with love and affection. "You're the only woman for me, Trace. I want us to be somewhere where nobody knows our names or the things we've done. A place where we can start again with a clean slate… somewhere we can be happy."
She wanted to say yes right then and there but she knew better than to get carried away. This was a big decision that needed proper time and consideration, not made on impulse.
She squeezed his hand. "I'll think about it."
"You promise?"
"I've said, haven't I?"
That afternoon Tracy was out on a delivery so Rob had agreed to mind the shop. It had been dead all afternoon and the boredom was starting to get to him.
The bell rang as someone entered the store and Rob looked up, excited to serve his first customer, but his face dropped when he saw who it was. "Oh great, it's you. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Peter strode up to the counter. "Let's make one thing clear. I don't like you, I never have liked you, and I never will like you."
"I'm glad we got that out of the way."
"But, like it or not, you're Carla's brother, and for whatever reason, she still loves you, so—"
"Get to the point, will you?"
"I'm here to call a truce."
Rob laughed. "Come again?"
"This feud between us has gone on long enough and it's wearing Carla out. She doesn't need us butting heads every time we pass in the street. So for her sake I'm willing to draw a line in the sand and be civil. Question is, do you love her enough to do the same?"
Rob looked at him sceptically. "You think it's that easy, do you?"
"Of course I don't. I'm not an idiot. But we owe it to Carla and Tracy to at least try. As I'm sure you've heard, the wedding's this weekend and to celebrate we're having a family meal in the bistro tonight…" Peter paused. He couldn't quite believe what he was about to say. "And we were wondering if you and Tracy would like to join us."
"I thought we were barred from the bistro?"
"Well, come along tonight and you can consider yourselves unbarred." Peter offered up his hand. "So what do you say? Truce?"
Rob went to shake it only to snatch his hand away at the last second. "I'll have to think about it."
Unbelievable, thought Peter.
Why did Rob always have to be so difficult?
Lowering his hand, Peter said, "You know what? Just forget it. I came here to try and smooth things over because it's what Carla wanted, but fine, whatever, have it your way. Don't say I didn't try."
As he turned to walk away, Rob was hit with a pang of guilt.
He hated Peter with every fibre of his being and always would, but he loved his sister. And he missed her. She only lived across the road and yet it felt like there was a million miles between them. Perhaps it was time to put his hatred of Peter aside and make peace.
Rob had been given a second chance at life. Wasn't Peter deserving of one too?
"Peter, wait!"
Peter stopped at the door, turning his head to look back at him.
"What time's the meal tonight?"
The question took Peter by surprise. "Um, seven O'clock."
Rob smiled. A genuine smile with no malice behind it. "Me and Tracy will be there."
Chloe Tipton breezed past the rows of gawping machinists and dumped her bag and coat on an unsuspecting Sarah. "I'll have a skinny latte with two sugars when you're ready. And a couple of digestive biscuits if you've got any, I'm feeling peckish."
"Scratch that, Sarah," Nick said as he appeared from his office. He beckoned Chloe to step inside. "Shall we?"
Once inside the office, he closed the blinds to give them privacy from the prying eyes of Sean, Sally and the others.
Then he took a seat on the leather recliner behind his desk.
Chloe stood before him with her arms folded. "What's going on here, Nick? Why do I feel like I've been summoned to the headmaster's office for a telling off? I thought I was here to discuss the order."
"The thing is, Chloe, there is no order."
The words took her by surprise and she craned her neck forward as if she'd misheard. "I beg your pardon?"
"I'm not sure if you're aware of this but I'm Simon's stepdad. Simon as in Peter's son. Peter Barlow."
He saw a flicker of recognition on her face that she tried to hide. "I'm sorry, I don't follow."
"Let's not play games here," Nick said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I know who you are. You're Peter's stalker."
"Stalker?" She scoffed loudly. "Oh please, I was so not a stalker!"
"Fine, you wrongly accused him of something he didn't do."
"Who have you been talking to?" she demanded. "Peter? Carla?"
"That's doesn't matter. The fact is, I don't want my business associated with someone like you."
She gave a laugh of outrage. "Someone like me?"
"Yes. Someone who makes up false and damning allegations."
"You know what's funny? Peter accused me of wrongly attacking his character, well now I feel like my character's being wrongly attacked! You're making me out to be some sort of deranged, scorned psycho!"
"You have to admit it's all a bit strange… you wanting to do business with this factory, a factory that just so happens to be across the street from where Peter lives. Face it, this is all about Peter. So I'm sorry, Chloe, but the deal's off."
"What? You can't do this!"
"My decision's final. Now if you'd like to see yourself out."
But Chloe didn't leave. She towered over him, trying to appear powerful and intimidating. "You need me, remember. This factory's a sinking ship. Without my order, Underworld will go under – no pun intended."
"That's a risk I'm prepared to take."
Her eyes bored into him a few seconds longer but Nick refused to back down. "Fine, have it your way," she said. "I don't know what I was thinking wanting to do business with such an outdated old relic anyway! But you've just made a very big mistake."
She stormed out of the office, knocking over a mannequin, and thundered past the rows of silent machinists who began whispering in her wake.
Rob stood behind the counter of Preston's Petals, rolling his eyes as Tracy berated him down the phone. "Look, Trace, I'm not looking forward to it either but I said we'd go now…." More yelling. "Why did I agree to it? Because as much as I hate to admit it, I think Peter's right, this feuding's gone on long enough, it's time we tried to put the past behind us and get along, however hard that might—"
A woman ran past the window in floods of tears. Rob recognised her straight away as the woman who'd showed up on his doorstep the day before, asking about Peter. What was she doing still hanging around, he wondered.
"Rob, are you listening to me? Oi! Are you still there?"
"Sorry, Trace, a customer's just walked in, I've got to go. Don't forget, seven o'clock!"
Before Tracy could get another word in, Rob hung up and hurried out of the shop. He chased after the woman. "Excuse me! Hey, excuse me!"
She stopped in her tracks and turned slowly, wiping her eyes. It was clear from her furrowed expression that she didn't recognise him. He approached her in a slow, disarming fashion. "It's me, the shirtless guy from yesterday," he said, hoping to jog her memory. "I saw you walk past my window and couldn't help noticing you looked upset. Is everything okay?"
A tear rolled down her cheek and she swatted it away. "I'm fine."
Clearly, she wasn't. Something, or someone, had upset her, and Rob had a feeling he knew just the person. "Is it Peter? Has he done something to upset you?"
She became instantly defensive. "What makes you say that?"
"Because I know Peter."
There was a moment where it looked like she was about to open up to him, but then, as if deciding against it, she straightened and her demeanour grew cold and dismissive. "I appreciate your concern, but this is none of your business. Now if you'll please excuse me, I've got places to be."
She began hurrying away.
But Rob couldn't let her go, not without getting some answers. "Please," he called after her. "He's marrying my sister in a few days. So if he's messing her about, I need to know."
His words stopped Chloe in her tracks. She turned slowly, eyebrow raised. "Your Carla's brother?"
"That's right." He extended a hand towards her. "Rob Donovan."
The cogs began turning in Chloe's mind…
She was still reeling from the humiliation of getting booted out of the factory and she knew Carla and Peter were to blame. And now she knew exactly how to make them pay.
After a brief hesitation, she tearfully accepted his handshake. "Chloe Tipton."
Rob was struck again by how attractive she was. Tall, glamorous, brunette – exactly Peter's type.
"Listen, I'm supposed to be minding my girlfriend's shop while he's out on a delivery, but it's dead in there so why don't you come through to the back and I'll make us a brew?"
Chloe pretended to mull it over before inviting him to lead the way.
In the cluttered back room of Preston's Petals, Chloe made herself comfortable on the tatty armchair. Rob handed her a cup of tea in Mary's favourite mug before taking a seat on a stack of boxes. "So, come on then, tell me, what's the story in Balamory?"
"Huh?"
"What's the story with you and Peter?"
She sighed wearily. "It's a long and complicated story."
"They're my favourite kind."
"It all started a few years ago," she began. "Peter was working as a cabbie. He picked me up one day and we hit it off. From then on it became a regular thing, him picking me up, driving me places. We came up with this arrangement, you see."
"What arrangement?"
"He'd pick me up, drive me to a hotel, then we'd sit for hours in the lobby just talking."
Rob looked at her sceptically. "Talking?"
"Yes, he was a great listener. He really seemed to get me. We got each other actually. We told each other everything about our lives. He opened up about how he and his partner were going through IVF but he was struggling to come up with the cash. Naturally I felt bad so I offered to help him out, financially."
"You gave him money? How much?"
"Two grand, maybe three."
"Three grand?! That's mighty generous of you."
She shrugged. "Money's no object to me and like I said, I wanted to help. But things soon got complicated…" She paused and Rob had a feeling he knew where this was going. "The more we hung out, the closer we became, and as the famous saying goes, one thing led to another…"
She briefly looked away as colour flooded her cheeks.
"I never wanted an affair," she continued. "I despise women who sleep with other women's fellas, but what can I say? Peter Barlow brought out the worst in me."
She blew on her tea before taking a sip. "The affair lasted a few months. Then one day, completely out of the blue, Peter told me it was over. As you can imagine, I was heartbroken. He promised me he'd end things with Toyah so that we could be together and then he goes and drops me like a lead balloon."
"So what did you do?"
She laughed. "Well, I wasn't going to let him drop a bombshell like that and walk away! I told him I was going to tell Toyah everything. And that's when he went berserk…" Her eyes grew fearful as she recalled the memory. "He went insane, started smashing the place up like a maniac. I'd never seen him like that before, he was always such a gentleman, and it scared me… I begged him to stop, tried to get him to calm down, but he wouldn't listen, and that's when…"
Her gaze dramatically fell to the mug of tea.
Rob was hanging off her every word. "Then what? What did he do, Chloe?"
Expelling a shaky breath, she met his eyes. "He hit me."
Her confession made Rob's jaw drop. "He hit you?"
Rob knew Peter had had a bit of a temper, but to strike a woman? He didn't think him capable of such a thing. Then again, in the heat of the moment, people were capable of all sorts. Rob knew that better than most.
"What happened next?" he asked her. "Did you go to the police?"
"You bet I did. Peter was arrested, they would've charged him too."
"So why didn't they?"
"Because I dropped the charges."
"What? Why?"
"Because his family started putting pressure on me. His girlfriend showed up at my house and practically begged me to drop the charges. She played the baby card, said if I got Peter sent down that I'd be robbing a child of its father…" Her shoulders drooped. "In the end it got too much, so I caved for the sake of a quiet life. If I'm honest, I didn't want to see Peter behind bars. I know he didn't mean to hurt me that night. That wasn't the real Peter. He was just angry, upset, he wasn't thinking straight—"
"Don't make excuses for him because there are none, believe me."
"I can't help it," she apologised. "Even now I find myself defending him and I'm not sure why. Old habits, I guess. Anyway," she continued, "after dropping the charges, I didn't hear from Peter for a long time. I moved on with my life, or tried to. But then December rolled around and we ended up bumping into each other at a hotel. He was sitting alone at the bar. I was worried he might be drinking again so I went over. You must think I'm mad, giving him the time of day after what he did to me, but the truth is, I was still in love with him." She laughed. "I know, pathetic, right?"
"We got talking and he apologised for what had happened between us, told me he'd ended things with Toyah and that he missed me. I should've told him to get stuffed but Peter Barlow has a way of getting under your skin. The next thing I know, we were in bed together."
"And this was in December?" Rob asked, needing to be clear of the facts. "As in this one just passed?"
She nodded. "We've been seeing each other ever since. It was only yesterday when I showed up at his flat, that I discovered he was engaged." Her eyes lifted to meet Rob's. "I swear I had no idea he was engaged to your sister. If I'd known that, I would never—"
"This isn't your fault," he said. "You're not the first woman to fall victim to Peter Barlow's charm and you won't be the last. What did he say when you showed up at the flat?"
"He started making all kinds of threats and said that if I ever showed my face around here again, I'd live to regret it."
Rob massaged the bridge of his nose. It was a lot for him to take in and he needed a moment to process it all. Even now he couldn't believe Peter was capable of such behaviour, such violence.
"You must hate me for what I've done to your sister."
"Not at all," he reassured her. "This isn't your fault. Peter lied to you like he lies to everyone. You're as much a victim in this as my sister."
"So what are you going to do? Are you going to tell her?"
He shrugged. "What choice do I have? I can't let her marry him knowing what I know, can I? She's going to be devastated…"
"Then maybe it's best not to say anything."
"No, he needs exposing for the liar that he is. Everyone thinks the sun shines out of his backside, they think he's this changed man, this reformed character… " He kicked himself for agreeing to Peter's truce. "And to think I nearly fell for it! No, it's time I opened up their eyes to truth. But I'm going to need your help."
Chloe sat up in shock. "Me? What can I do?"
"Come with me to see my sister and tell her what you told me."
"No, I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because…" Chloe panicked as she quickly thought of an excuse. "Because it's doesn't matter what I tell her, she's not going to believe me. Peter's convinced everyone around here that I'm a mentalist. That I'm this psycho stalker who tried to get him thrown in jail because I can't handle rejection. The bloke at the factory just cancelled a huge contract with me because he's fallen for the lies Peter's spouted off about me. If he believes it, then so will Carla. She'll take Peter's side over mine. So there's no point in me talking to her."
"But we've got to at least try. If Carla hears what you have to say, maybe she'll—"
Chloe stood up. "Listen, Rob. You're free to do what you want with the information I've given you, but as for me, I don't want any further part in this. I just want to put Peter Barlow behind me once and for all. I think I've suffered enough."
"Of course," he said. "I understand."
Chloe left the shop with a spring in her step. Rob had fallen for every word of her story. She'd set the plan in motion, now it was time to sit back and watch the chaos unfold…
It was seven O'clock and in the bistro Jenny, Johnny, Ryan, Adam and Roy sat waiting for Carla and Peter to arrive.
Naturally the hot topic of conversation was Gary's escape. It's all anyone on the street was talking about.
"So, Adam, what do you make to all this Gary nonsense?" asked Johnny.
The Scotsman shook his head in anger. "Don't get me started, mate. The security at that prison's a joke. Sarah was supposed to be here tonight but she's too scared to leave the house. How's Kate taken the news?"
Johnny shared a look with his wife. "We haven't had the heart to tell her," said Jenny. "She's having such a great time, we don't want to spoil her trip."
"Aye, fair enough."
Ryan stirred his cocktail. "There was another bloke who escaped as well as Gary, wasn't there?"
"That's what I read in the paper," said Adam. "A real nasty piece of work apparently."
Maria shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly wishing to change the subject. "Let's just hope the police catch them soon."
"Am I right in thinking Carla's brother will be joining us tonight?" Jenny's attempt to steer the conversation away from Gary only brought them to a more uncomfortable topic.
"So I've heard," said Roy.
Jenny reached for her wine. She was already on her third glass, way ahead of everyone else, and her eyes were beginning to glaze over. "What did he do again? I mean, I know he bumped off the barmaid Peter was knocking off, but what's the full story? This one's sketchy on the details." She gave her husband a nudge.
The tale of Rob and Tina was one nobody particularly wanted to tell and they all looked at each other to see who would be brave enough to tell it. Maria decided to bite the bullet. "Her name was Tina McIntyre," she said. "She worked for Carla and Peter as Simon's nanny. She and Peter were having an affair. Rob killed her by pushing her off the builder's yard balcony."
Ryan interjected, "But it wasn't the fall that killed her though, was it?"
"Then what did kill her?" Jenny asked.
"The great big whack to the head from a metal bar!" Ryan exclaimed.
Johnny glared at the younger man who shrugged defensively. "What? She asked!"
Jenny's hands were clasped over her mouth in horror. "Why would anyone do such an appalling thing?"
"Because he didn't want Tina to go blabbing to Carla about the affair," said Ryan.
"So he keeps her quiet by bludgeoning her to death?" Jenny shuddered. "That's taking the whole protective brother thing to a whole new level…"
"Peter got the blame for the whole thing," Adam told her. "Got sent down for it too. Sure, Rob got found out eventually but that was still four months of Peter's life spent behind bars for something he didn't do."
"Well, he didn't sound entirely innocent if you ask me…" Jenny mumbled into her glass before taking a sip. "Where does the land lie between them now?"
Adam shrugged. "Last I heard they all hated each other's guts but I think Carla and Peter have invited him here tonight as a way of putting the past behind them."
Ryan sniggered. "Good luck to them, I say!"
Johnny eyed the giant cocktail Ryan was drinking. "How much have you had to drink, son?"
"Not as much as her!" Ryan pointed at Jenny who was knocking back her glass of red.
Adam smirked at the others. "Looks like we're in for an eventful evening."
"I don't know how I feel about this," Jenny said, pouring more wine into her glass. "Having a friendly sit-down meal with a murder. I'm going to feel like Jodie Foster when she's stuck in that cell with Hannibal Lecter. I mean, the man's a killer… He's killed somebody. How am I meant to look him in the eye?"
"You do know Tracy's killed someone too, right?" Maria reminded her.
"Yeah, but that was different."
"How?" asked Adam.
"Because… Well, because…" Jenny struggled to think of a reason before admitting defeat. "Alright, maybe it's not." She shuddered again. "God, they make a right pair, don't they? They're like Bonnie and Clyde. Or Myra and Ian Brady. Or…"
Johnny patted her hand as she tried to think of another example. "I think we get the picture, Jen."
Roy awkwardly raised his hand like he was a kid asking a question in class. "Might I suggest that from now on all talk of Gary's escape, Peter's infidelity and Rob's misdemeanours be out of bounds?"
Johnny raised his glass. "Here, here."
Adam's eyes shot the entrance as Carla and Peter walked in. He quickly plastered a smile on his face. "Everyone look sharp, they're here."
The couple were all smiles as they came over. Peter eyed them suspiciously, noticing how they'd all gone quiet at his approach. "What were you lot gossiping about then?"
His question was met with more silence and awkward looks. Jenny drunkenly tapped her nose. "Wouldn't you like to know."
"What time do you call this?" Adam tapped his wristwatch. "Seven O'clock on the dot, you said."
"Sorry mate, it was this one's fault." Peter nodded to his left. "She took forever to get ready."
"Oi cheeky!" Carla playfully hit his arm.
As Peter looked at the faces gathered around the table, he noticed someone was missing. "Where's our Si?"
Another awkward silence.
Adam cleared his throat. "He um… he heard Rob was coming so he decided not to come. Sorry."
"Oh, right." It disappointed Peter to hear his son wasn't coming, but given how fond Simon was of Tina, he understood his reasons for staying at home.
Still, Peter was determined not to let it spoil his evening.
"On a positive note, there's no sign of Rob and Tracy either," said Ryan.
"Maybe they're not coming," wondered Jenny.
"We can but hope," joked Peter, except he wasn't really joking.
Then Jenny's eyes shot to the double doors. "Whoops, spoke to soon!"
Peter followed her gaze and his hopes were dashed when he saw Rob and Tracy walking over, hand in hand. At least they had bothered to dress up for the occasion. Rob sported a blazer with a loosely buttoned shirt and blue jeans and Tracy was wearing a red cocktail dress.
Johnny forced a smile of greeting. "We thought you weren't going to make it."
"Sorry to disappoint you," said Rob.
"Yeah, sorry we're late everybody," said Tracy. "It's been like Piccadilly Circus in that flower shop today. You wouldn't believe the amount of deliveries I've made."
Carla eyed Tracy's eye-catching outfit. She was a little overdressed for the occasion but then again, Tracy Barlow didn't do low-key. "Wow, Tracy, you look nice… I like your dress."
The brunette blushed. "Thanks babe, that's so sweet of you to say so! I like your…" She pointed towards Carla's outfit. "Playsuit?"
"Jumpsuit," Carla corrected her.
"Oh right." She laughed. "I can never tell which is which!"
"Jumpsuits are long, playsuits are short," said Carla.
"Well, I tend to avoid them altogether if I'm honest. I've got a long torso so they give me camel toe."
"Whoa, too much sharing," said Adam with a grimace.
Carla embraced her brother and introduced him to the rest of the table. "For those of you that don't know, this is my brother, Rob."
Jenny felt herself grow hot under the collar and starting fanning herself with the menu. "Nobody told me he was good looking."
Tracy smirked at her. "You alright there, Jenny? You having a hot flush?"
Adam rose from his chair and greeted Rob with a firm handshake. "Adam Barlow. I've heard a lot about you."
Rob grinned. "All bad things, I hope?"
"Adam's the lawyer of the family," said Tracy.
"Impressive," said Rob. "What area of law do you specialise in?"
"Contract mostly."
"Not Criminal then? Shame."
The men laughed and it irked Peter to see them hitting it off. He didn't want his family warming to Rob. He wanted them to hate him as much as he did.
Peter gestured for them to take a seat. "Shall we?"
The evening got off to a surprisingly good start. The conversation was flowing nicely and everyone seemed to be making a real effort to get along. But Peter kept noticing Rob glaring in his direction. He tried to ignore it, but it was ever so distracting.
"So when do Ken and Claudia get back from Venice?" asked Jenny.
The question pulled Peter's attention away from Rob. "I'm picking them up from the airport tomorrow," he said. "So you better clear out of dad's house and get the place looking ship shape, Trace, otherwise he'll be baying for your blood."
"Yeah, yeah," Tracy said with a roll of her eyes.
Jenny leaned across the table towards Carla, donning a mischievous grin. "So… not long now till the big day! Is everything organised?"
Carla shrugged. "Don't ask me. Peter's the one in charge of all that."
Jenny's eyes widened. "You've left him in charge of your wedding? Haven't you seen Don't Tell The Bride? You'll end up saying 'I do' hurtling down a zip wire or jumping out the back of a plane!"
"There'll be none of that, thank you very much!" chuckled Peter.
Carla affectionately bumped his shoulder. "Don't worry, I trust you."
"Are you sure about that?" The question came from Rob who was shooting daggers in Peter's direction.
Peter wanted to ask him what his problem was but didn't want to cause a scene.
Luckily Rob's remark seemed to go over everyone's heads and the jovial atmosphere continued.
Jenny rubbed her hands together with excitement. "So what's the dress like? What can you tell us?"
Maria proudly placed a hand on her chest. "Well, as maid of honour, I've been lucky enough to see the dress, and without giving anything away, let's just say she looks absolutely stunning!"
"No surprises there then," Jenny groaned.
Maria stirred her gin and tonic. "What about you? Have you got your outfit sorted?"
"Of course I have!" exclaimed Jenny. "What do you take me for? I got it weeks ago! It's a designer number too!"
"Yeah, and it cost a bomb," added Johnny.
"Yeah, well, your daughter's getting married! It's a big deal, Jonathon! And as stepmother of the bride, I've got to look my very best, haven't I?"
"But you've got dozens of dresses. I don't see why you had to buy a new one."
"Because it's about making an effort!"
As the wedding talk continued, Carla noticed Tracy was looking left out. It occurred to her that Tracy and Rob were the only ones who hadn't been invited to the wedding. Deciding to change that, Carla looked over at her soon to be sister-in-law. "You know, if you and Rob find yourselves at a loose end on Sunday, you're more than welcome to come along."
Tracy was shocked by the offer. And secretly touched. "Will there be a free bar?"
Carla nodded and Tracy's lips curled into a smile. "In that case, we'll defo be there, won't we, babe?"
She nudged Rob who looked less than thrilled, as did Peter.
Tracy, however, was ecstatic and immediately got herself into a frenzy over what to wear. "It's going to be a nightmare finding something this last minute."
"As long as you don't wear a jumpsuit, you should be fine," said Maria, which won a snort of laughter from Jenny.
"So you didn't fancy a stag night then, Peter?" asked Rob.
"Nah, I've had enough of those to last me a lifetime."
"I'm sure," said Rob. "But you didn't fancy hitting the town one last time as a single man? One last night of freedom before settling down for good?"
Peter felt like Rob was testing him, probing for something.
"Nope."
When the food arrived, the conversation was still on weddings. Roy made everyone emotional as he spoke about his wedding day to Hayley. Then Johnny and Jenny reminisced about saying their 'I do's' at Rita's hospital bed. Then Ryan told the story of Michelle's disastrous wedding to Robert. "When Vicky showed up it was the ultimate mic drop moment," he was saying. "Robert was sweating bricks! Seriously the guy looked like he was about to shit himself!"
"It has to be said our lot are cursed when it comes to weddings," said Jenny and she began to list off all the ill-fated weddings they'd endured over the years. "There was Michelle and Robert's first wedding when Phelan burst in with a gun and took the place hostage. Then there was their second wedding—"
"Which is when Vicky made her epic cameo appearance," said Ryan.
Jenny stroked her chin. "I'm trying to think what the next disastrous wedding was…"
Then she remembered, as did everyone else.
It was Kate and Rana's.
Although almost a year had passed since that tragic day, Gary's escape had brought it back to the forefront of people's minds and they all took a moment to remember Rana and the awful tragedy that had befallen her that terrible day.
Jenny felt awful for bringing the mood down and tried to bolster people's spirits. "I'm sure this wedding's going to be the one that lifts the curse! It's going to be a brilliant day, because if anyone's due some happiness and good luck around here, it's you two." She raised her glass to the happy couple. "To Carla and Peter everybody!"
Once everyone had finished eating, Peter decided to say a few words. He stood up and tapped his glass with a spoon to get everybody's attention. "Don't worry, I'll keep this brief, but I just wanted to say thanks for being here with us tonight, and I hope you'll all join us on Sunday when this beautiful woman sitting beside me makes me the luckiest man in the world."
Everyone cheered and clapped and Carla lovingly pecked Peter on the cheek as he sat back down.
Then, in a move that took everyone by surprise, Rob stood up. "I've also got something I'd like to say."
Carla and Peter were a little wary to let him speak but decided to hear him out. Rob cleared his throat. "As most of you know, there's a lot of bad blood at this table. And I'll be honest, I didn't want to come here tonight, it's the last place I wanted to be. No offense. But I came for my sister, because I love her… and because I don't want to see her be made a fool out of."
Rob was staring at Peter now. Hatred and anger burned in his eyes.
"What are you talking about?" asked Carla.
"Yeah, come on babe, why don't you sit down?" urged Tracy.
Rob looked at his sister and his expression filled with sympathy. "Carla, I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but Peter's been having an affair."
There were shocked gasps from Jenny and Maria. Johnny turned on Peter. "What's he talking about?"
"I have no idea!"
"Oh give it up already, Peter! I spoke to Chloe this afternoon. She told me everything. About how you met in a hotel in December and how you've been carrying on ever since!"
"I haven't got a clue what you're going on about!" said Peter.
"Chloe…" Carla frowned. "Chloe Tipton?" Suddenly it became clear to her what was going on. "Rob, you've got this all wrong, the woman you met, Chloe… she's not who she says she is… she's a nutter!"
Rob laughed. "Well, of course that's what he wants you to think!"
Carla shook her head. "No, Rob, listen to me—"
"No, you listen to me! He's cheating on you, just like before!"
Peter threw down his napkin. "I'm not listening to this!"
Rob goaded him as he got up to leave. "Yeah that's right, Peter, walk away like you always do! But I know the truth. Once a cheat always a cheat. At least this time she wasn't young enough to be your daughter!"
The low blow got the desired reaction. Peter went to attack him but Carla stood in his way, placing a calming hand on his chest. "Hey, go sit down. Rob, outside now."
Rob stared at her in disbelief. "You're taking his side?!"
"Outside now!"
Carla dragged him out the double doors and everyone at the table was left looking at Peter who had slumped down in his chair, his leg shaking as he tried to calm himself down.
Jenny sighed miserably. "Well, tonight was fun while it lasted."
Outside the bistro, Rob paced back and forth like a caged tiger.
"You need to calm down," Carla told him.
He stopped still and threw his arms out in exasperation. "Then listen to what I'm telling you! The guy is making a fool out of you!"
Carla pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Rob, for the last time… Peter is not having an affair with Chloe!"
"Wake up and smell the roses, Carla!"
"He's told me about Chloe, okay? She's a nutter!"
"She didn't seem like one to me! You know he hit her, right?"
"No, he didn't, she made it up."
"Oh, she made that up as well, did she? Of course she did! Why would anyone lie about something like that?"
"Because I've told you, she's crazy! And she's obsessed with Peter! When he turned her down, she couldn't handle it and tried to get her own back!"
"By accusing him of GBH? Seems a little extreme! You know, I wanted her to come here tonight and tell you all this herself so you'd hear it from the horse's mouth, but she wouldn't do it. Do you know why?"
Carla shrugged. "Maybe because she's lying?"
"No, because she said that even if she told you, you'd choose to believe Peter – and she was right!"
"I give up! You do what you want. I'm going back inside."
She turned away but he called her back. "Answer me this! If he could cheat on you when you were married, when you were carrying his baby… what makes you so sure he wouldn't cheat on you now?"
"Because he's changed," Carla said, turning back to face him. "And because he loves me."
"I love you. And I can't stand to see him making fool out of you again!"
The desperation in his voice made Carla soften a little. She sighed. "Look, I know you're just trying to protect me, but you have to accept that you've got it wrong this time. I know Peter's no angel, but he hasn't done anything wrong. Chloe's a troublemaker. She told you what you wanted to hear because she knows we're getting married and she's trying to rock the boat, because that's what Chloe does."
"Will you ever stop defending him?" Rob stared at her long and hard, then shook his head in defeat. "I don't know why I'm surprised, because it's always been blokes first with you, hasn't it sis?"
Carla rolled her eyes. "Oh, here we go, the violin's coming out…"
"You spent all your time cosying up to the Connor clan and as soon a Paul popped the question, you were off, never to be seen or heard from again! Me and Mam weren't even invited to the wedding! We had to hear about it from the neighbours. We were your family, Carla, and you cut us off and cast us adrift!"
"What's that got to do with anything? What's your point?"
"The point is I've always been there for you. I've always had your back. It's just a shame you've never had mine." Shaking his head, he turned away. "Tell Tracy I've gone home."
As Rob stormed off down the cobbles and Carla headed back inside the bistro, neither one of them noticed the white van parked in the shadows, watching them.
Arriving back at number one, Tracy fell back onto the sofa and kicked off her heels like it was a real effort. "What a fun evening that turned out to be. Got all dressed up for nothing. I wish you'd told me what you had planned. I thought tonight was supposed to be about making peace, not starting another war! You just can't help yourself where Peter's concerned, can you? I like antagonising people, you know I do, but there's a time and a place and tonight was neither!"
"What was I supposed to do? Sit there and be quiet when I know he's cheating on my sister!"
"Nobody's cheating on anybody!"
"And can you believe Carla," Rob continued angrily. "I tell her Peter's playing away, and what does she do? She takes his side! She defends him! What spell does he have over her? Seriously, I don't get it. He's a middle-aged alcoholic who smokes sixty a day. What's so endearing about that?"
He poured himself a whiskey from Ken's liquor cabinet. "I'll tell you something else, that's the last time I stick my neck out for Carla. Me and her, we're done. I'm done with her, done with Peter, and I'm done with this place!"
Tracy was quiet for a moment. "Were you really serious about what you said this morning? About moving away?"
"Yeah. Why?"
There was a pause.
"Because I think we should do it."
He studied her face and tried to work out if she was having him on, but saw no hint of a smirk.
"Are you serious?"
She nodded. "You're right, what's there around here for us? Everyone hates us and I don't see that changing any time soon, especially now you've declared war on my brother for the millionth time."
"But Trace, it's a big deal, moving away. You have to be sure. "
"I am. I've been thinking about it all day and I've really come around to the idea. That cottage you showed me, I can picture us living there, it being our home. We can take Amy with us and I can open up a florist's like you said… It could be great, a real adventure. Plus, the sight of you in budgie smugglers on a surfboard every day… what's not to love?"
They giggled and he knelt before her, taking her by the hand, looking deeply into her eyes. "I'll ask you again. Are you sure?"
"No, not really," she admitted. "But what the hell! Life's too short." She beamed at him. "Let's do it! Let's move to Devon!"
He kissed her passionately before pulling her into his arms. "I love you, Tracy Lynette Barlow."
"I love you too, but don't ever call me Lynette again."
Peter lay in bed, staring up at the darkened ceiling. Carla hadn't said much since dinner and he was worried Rob's words had gotten to her. Before he could go to sleep, he needed to know that they were okay, that the trust they'd worked so hard to rebuild hadn't been broken. "Love, are you awake?"
No answer.
She was asleep. Or pretending to be.
"Listen, I'm sorry about dinner, that's not how I wanted things to go. I know how much you wanted to patch things up with Rob." He waited for her to say something but was met again by silence. Not letting it deter him, he continued nervously, "The stuff Rob was saying about me and Chloe…you know none of it's true, don't you?"
Again, no answer.
Her silence was excruciating.
If ever Peter needed reassurance, it was now. He needed to know that she believed him, that the wedding he'd spent the last few months tirelessly planning, was still going ahead.
Then, from the darkness, came her reply. "I know."
Hearing those words was like a giant weight being lifted.
Peter switched on the bedside lamp and turned to face her. They gazed into each other's eyes and Peter knew in that moment that everything was going to be okay. Chloe's plan to tear them apart had failed. Their love for each other was too strong, too powerful to be destroyed.
He kissed the engagement ring on her finger. "Well, thank God for that. Because I really really love you, Carla Connor. And nothing's going to stop me from making you my wife on Sunday. Nothing."
Author's note: Really struggled with this chapter for some reason but I hope it wasn't too bad! It's all building up to the wedding, but will it go without a hitch? Let me know your thoughts and predictions! Love hearing feedback from you guys.