Chapter Ten: Another Visit
Geoff returned to the street the day after the meal, wanting to tell his son on purpose about the will. He put his name down on it. Besides he wanted to have a good look at the factory and the house. Stephen has told a lot of lies to him about his status. He returned to the pub first however and once again Rita was sitting in there. He stood besides her as he ordered a pint from Daisy, gripping onto his walking stick like always.
"Hello again. How are you?" Rita asked him with a small smile.
"Good. I'm just having a pint and then popping to the factory. Got some good news to tell Stephen" Geoff admitted to her.
"Oh. Well maybe you should try Audrey's instead" Rita responded innocently.
"No thank you. I don't want a catch-up with her ever. Thanks lovey" Geoff said before taking the pint from Daisy.
Rita followed him to one of the compartments. As she sat on the opposite side of him with her own glass. She was quite enjoying having a man (besides Ken Barlow) her age to talk to. Though she couldn't get much out of him as he seemed quite reserved and isolated. As she gave him a nervous smile before taking small sips in between thinking what she could say.
"What good news have you got to tell him then?" Rita questioned after a minute of just thinking.
"Just will business. Not like he needs it. My son, the rich factory owner" Geoff replied with a smile.
She just laughed nervously as she quickly cottoned onto the fact he had been lied to. He didn't own anything and last time she checked, he had been sacked and was jobless. Obviously Geoff didn't get the update and she really didn't want to be the one to spill the beans. Audrey wouldn't forgive her for it, nor would Stephen really. So she just sat there with nothing to say again as she took another sip...
"Have you tried calling him?" Rita asked while gripping onto her glass tightly.
"Not yet. I was hoping to catch him at the factory and see what it looks like. I always wanted to go in the office of the boss"
"Well there may be a problem with that but it's not my place to say. Try calling him honestly"
"What problem?"
"Nothing that concerns me. And I don't want it to concern me if you don't mind. Ask your son or Audrey"
"Alright then"
"Sorry. Well let's discuss you instead...Where did you get the money in the will?"
"Hard graft and nobody to spend it on" Geoff replied in a sad tone of voice.
Rita seemed to feel sorry for him even more now. Thankfully for her sake as the conversation was drying up. Mary Taylor walked in and Rita called her over to see if she could get the conversation going up. Mary walking over to see who this was she plonked herself down besides Rita.
"Sorry Geoff. This is my friend Mary, she's a lot more chatty than I am" Rita insisted.
"That I am but it depends on the subject matter. So what's the story here? Because if it's a bad first date, I can't help you" Mary spoke with a sarcastic smile.
"No it isn't! This is Stephen's father...He came to tell him some good news but he can't find him at the minute" Rita explained.
"Oh. I should have known...You have the look of him. Well have you tried Audrey's? He's there a lot" Mary told him.
Geoff took a large swig from his drink. He didn't want to go to Audrey's, did he? He still had ill feeling towards her for keeping everything from him. He was also annoyed that this Rita knew something he didn't. Silence followed this exchange as Mary found herself struggling as well as to what to say. They were hoping for somebody who knew where he was to walk in.
"So. Who wants a hot pot?" Mary asked out of the blue.
"No. I'm going to drink this and go to the factory" Geoff replied quickly.
"Geoff. You're not going to find him in the factory. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Please just call him" Rita repeated again.
Though he wasn't having that as he got up. Telling them thank you for wasting his time. Rita gasping to herself in response to his sarcastic jibe as she let him go. He can make a fool out of himself he wants to she thought.
...
The factory itself was busy. Sarah and Michael were working overtime to make up for Stephen's mistakes and to keep in Carla's good books. So Sarah didn't see her uncle's father when he entered as she was busy in the back. His presence caused a stir among the factory lot as they wondered who this was. Geoff acted as if he owned the place but that was only because he thought his son owned it. Sean being the one to brave it as he walked over to see if he could help. And maybe to be a bit nosy.
"How can I help?" Sean asked him with his arms crossed.
"Nothing you can do. I want the boss" Geoff answered quickly.
Sean telling him fine as he said he would go and get the boss. He came out with Carla but this just made Geoff more annoyed. He thought they were having him on or something. He gripped tighter onto his walking stick and was half-attempted to barge past them into the office with it. He just wanted to tell Stephen the good news to his face. Yet he's nowhere to be seen despite 'owning this factory' and 'living on the street'.
"I want the boss" Geoff told Carla; ignoring Sean totally.
"I am the boss" Carla responded with an amused look.
"No you're not. Unless I got the wrong factory but this is the only factory around here. Does Stephen not own this?" Geoff asked.
The factory lot smirking under their breath. Another person he lied to then. Carla however found none of this funny. In fact, she was starting to get annoyed at hearing his name associated with her factory. He had nothing to do with it anymore but he still has led others to think it. Sean walked back to his peers as he couldn't help but smirk too.
"No he does not. I don't know what that lying little snake has said to you but I own the factory. He has never ever owned this factory and I sacked him recently because he's in debt" Carla explained.
"What?"
"He's in debt. I don't know who you are and I'm sorry if he's promised you something. Though please mark my words, he's got nothing to offer anybody anymore. He's living with his mum and he's jobless"
"Stephen Reid?"
"Yep. Exactly him"
"Okay. Sorry I wasted your time" Geoff replied with a sigh.
He walked out slowly and kept looking back like it was a joke. Though no, she was deadly serious. Geoff felt stupid as he left the factory and finally got out his mobile phone. He clicked Stephen's number, knowing he would answer as he's keen to know about the will and now Geoff knows why. Geoff kept his mouth shut briefly as he calmed himself down.
"Hey. Is everything alright?" Stephen asked him; he was currently at Audrey's looking through his other options.
"Yes. Just fine and dandy, Stephen. I've been looking for you at Coronation Street but can't trace you. Funny that"
"Oh sorry. I'm at my mom's. Helping her out"
"I think you need more help than her, don't you? Listen to me, I got the will sorted out and your name is on it. Everything I have will go to you but you have to promise me one thing"
"What's that?"
"Don't lie again. I know you're in debt and I know you never owned the factory. You're skint, aren't ya?"
"Who told you that? Because that's nonsense"
"I just been to the factory!" Geoff snapped as he began walking towards the bus stop.
Radio silence came from the other end as expected. Stephen was losing his grip as everybody was getting too much information.
"Listen. I will come round tonight again and explain" Stephen pleaded.
"Fine but it better be good"
...
"Thank you for letting me come in. I'm sure the factory made it sound worse than what it was" Stephen said later that night as he returned to his father's flat.
"You're in debt. Which explains why you want what's in this will so badly" Geoff responded calmly.
"That's not entirely true. I wasn't in debt when you met me...Well I was getting out out of it. I was really working in the factory"
"You didn't tell me that. You made up an entire story about owning the factory, your employees, Sarah being like an intern. You went into so much detail, Stephen"
"I know I did and I'm sorry. I got carried away...I'm ashamed that I let myself get this bad"
"And how did you get this bad?"
Silence followed this remark as it was almost like Stephen was rehearsing an answer. Geoff clicked his fingers, making him lose his train of thought. He was sick of all this lying actually. All Geoff wanted was to meet his son, get to know him a bit and die happy. Knowing his money will go to his only close family member left. Now he's not so sure if he wants him to have it. Maybe David is right he thought, maybe he should spend it all on himself.
"Y-You know how it is" Stephen nervously answered; avoiding eye contact.
"No I don't. Were you ever a rich businessman?"
"Yes. I promise...Ask anybody. It was all Gabrielle's fault. She's the one who did this, my ex-wife is the one who did this"
"And how is that?"
"There was a fraudster in my old company in Milan. Gabrielle blamed me but it was her fault. She blamed me for not seeing it but she never saw it either. I didn't even know him really. Now she took all my money in the divorce settlement"
"And what? You expect me to buy any of this? Putting the blame on somebody I don't even know is a classic, Stephen"
"It's true...It's really true. That woman had run me dry and I've been trying my damnedest to get back to where I was before her. I came back to England because I was desperate and had nothing left in Milan"
"Desperate for your mom's money, you mean?"
"No! No...I couldn't do it. Not this time" Stephen responded with his head down.
Geoff leaned in closer as he asked...
"There was a last time?"
"No. Not like that...Why do you ask such stupid questions? I'm sorting myself out. I'm going to sort it out" Stephen responded shakily.
"Listen. I still want you to have this money but you have to give me time to process everything. Just go and let me think" Geoff nervously answered.
The tone in his voice however was obvious. He knew something or at least thought he knew something. Stephen nodding as if he was going to do that, he briefly looked towards his father's coat. Asking for one more cup of tea before he goes back to Audrey's. Geoff however shook his head like he didn't want to turn his back on him or something. He was slightly scared in fact.
"Just leave" Geoff pleaded quietly.
"Why are you so nervous? What do you think I am? I have money problems and that's it. I'm not a bad person"
"Yeah I know you're not. I'm just sleepy and need a rest. That's all. More to the point, Stephen. You're the one acting nervous, not me"
"May I borrow your phone at least? Phone for a cab?"
"If you want"
The tension could be cut with a knife by this point. Geoff watched as Stephen slowly rooted through his coat pockets. He knew that his son's hand must have felt his mobile by the time he got into the second pocket. Yet he acted like he couldn't find it and that's when he looked through the inside pocket. His hand landing on the switchblade which he knew was there. Geoff might be as healthy as an eighty year old man could be but the fact was he was still eighty. He grabbed onto his walking stick again as if he was willing to pick it up and swing it. Stephen took his hand away from the inside again and just took the phone which made Geoff gasp out in relief.
"Not this time" Geoff mumbled to himself. Watching as his son ordered himself a cab as promised.
...
That night was a long night for him. He kept expecting the police to come knocking but then what could Geoff tell them? The police can't arrest you because of another person's hunch. More to the point, he told him nothing about his crimes. Yet he was tossing and turning, muttering to himself every few minutes. He was worried about his name being taken off the will too. He forced himself up from his bed as he began to pace around. His mother was nearby in the other bedroom as she could hear him do this as she laid in bed confused. Even more so when she heard his wardrobe open. It was nearly 1am! All she could hear was the faint sounds of him zipping up his coat, his trousers and his wallet (or maybe a folder, she couldn't tell). His bedroom door opened and shut. Audrey forcing herself up as she ambled towards her door. She heard him walk downstairs, open the front door and then shut it. Audrey was worried for him, he was acting very odd.
...
TBC