Take a Chance on Me (28 page)

Charlie shook her head in disbelief.

Harrison continued, pleased with the response. ‘I sent an email to the Art café too and…' he paused for effect, ‘I sent one to that journalist.
I wasn't thinking straight. I used you. I took your affection and used it to help me through my misery. I'm so sorry. I don't want you to think we have anything special. We don't,'
he said in a girly voice. ‘I also told him that you won't be repeating that episode again with him.
It was a mistake.
I was drunk and lonely
. Does that sound familiar? It should do. It's what you told me. You ripped me apart, Charlotte.'

‘I'm sorry,' she whispered.

‘Of course you are. I know you are. We can resolve this, Charlotte. You and I. We'll have plenty of time to fix it,' he replied. His demeanour changed. He was suddenly happier. ‘We'll leave together later after Mrs Nosey next door has gone to bed. We'll take your car. I came here by taxi. I'm so clever. I haven't left anything to link your disappearance to me. Your journalist friend won't be bothering us. I doubt he'll be interested in finding you. He's not got the same tenacity as me. Patience pays off in the end, you know. His ego will be deflated and he'll be upset that you thought he was not for you. I bet that charmer's not used to women telling him that.' He sat back in the chair, played a drumroll on his knees with his hands and chuckled. ‘Imagine his face when he reads the email. He'll be gutted. Still, he'll get over it. Men like him always find new girlfriends. They have it all. It's easy for them. Women chuck themselves at them. It's not like that for all of us. Some of us have to try much harder.'

Tears filled Charlie's eyes. She blinked them away, refusing to give Harrison the satisfaction of seeing them, raised her head and confronted him.

‘It won't work. You can kidnap me or do whatever you plan, but I'll spend all my life rejecting you and trying to escape from you.' She gulped. Harrison was giving her a steely look. ‘I don't love you. I'll never love you,' she said, heart quickening at her bravery. ‘I... I love Jake.' There she had said it and she knew it was true. She may not have known him a long time, but she felt it was right. He was the man for her. They were soulmates. The irony of the situation hit her squarely. Here she was finally recognising she had deep feelings for Jake and yet wondering if she would ever see him again.

Harrison's eye twitched again. ‘Rubbish. You'll forget him. He doesn't worship you like I do. I've got a whole room in my house dedicated to you. I've got photographs of you all over the wall and some small mementos of our time together: the menu from the Italian restaurant, the ticket stubs to the comedy show we saw. I've even recorded some of your radio shows and play them when you're not on air.' His tongue flickered out again. ‘I need some water. I have to take my pills. He rummaged in his trouser pocket and pulled out a small brown pot. He rattled it. ‘Kitchen?'

Charlie indicated the door but remained where she was. This could be her chance to escape. If she could run quickly enough she could get to the front door while he went to the kitchen. Harrison second-guessed her again.

‘Oh no you don't. It's going to be different from now on. I'm the boss. You're coming with me.'

He seized her arm and dragged her off the sofa. He was much stronger than she anticipated, and although she struggled, he held on to her, pinching her arm tightly. She whimpered.

‘If you just behave, everything will be fine,' he whispered into her ear.

Charlie kicked out blindly, causing Harrison to loosen his grip. She wriggled away, squirming from under him. As she inched away, he lunged at her legs, grabbed her ankles and hauled her backwards along the carpet. The friction from the carpet burned her arms and made her cry out. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and instinctively, she kicked him again, landing a blow between his legs which made him double up. Struggling to her knees, she scrambled towards the door and was almost within reach of the door handle when Harrison launched himself at her with a snarl, and rugby tackled her to the ground, landing heavily on top of her. Excruciating pain seared up her arm. She let out a horrified scream. Her wrist was on fire. Oblivious to her discomfort, he hauled her back onto her feet, ignoring her pleas, and thrust her towards the kitchen.

He opened the door with a scowl and shoved Charlie ahead of him. Tears rolled down her face. From one corner came a growling, followed by barking.

Charlie called out, ‘Bert! Help!'

There was a flurry of feathers and claws as the bird propelled itself towards Harrison, diving at his face. He yelped in pain and raised his hands to bat it away. Bert flew at him again, pecking at his face and eyes. Harrison shrieked and covered his eyes. Charlie seized the moment to race for the front door. She heard Bert screeching in anger. She stumbled into the hallway and pulled at the doorknob with her good hand. The door opened and she ran outside. Darkness was falling and she almost didn't see the man blocking her path.

‘Charlie, is everything okay? Charlie, speak to me, sweetie.'

It was Jake. She flung herself into his chest and sobbed. ‘I didn't send the email. Harrison…' she pointed back at the house. Jake took in the tears, her injured wrist and her bruised face.

‘Wait here,' he whispered. He raced into the house. She could hear anguished screams. She held her damaged wrist and wept.

P
eggy tickled Bert's beak
. He made soft, appreciative responses. ‘What a brave boy,' she murmured.

It was late afternoon. Jake was on Charlie's sofa, one arm curled around her shoulders. Gordon, having made everyone a cup of sweet tea, was now sitting on the arm of Peggy's chair listening to the story of what had happened. Having spent the night and some of the morning at the hospital, Charlie had been discharged with a severely sprained wrist.

‘You were very courageous to rush inside, Jake,' said Peggy. ‘That man could've hurt you.'

‘I didn't think about that. I was furious at what he'd done to Charlie. I heard angry screams from the kitchen and expected him to be on the rampage. I intended confronting him and trying to reason with him. Fortunately, Bert had taken care of him. Harrison was holding his bleeding nose and moaning loudly when I found him hiding under the kitchen table. Bert was throwing plastic balls at him. He's very intelligent, isn't he? He whistled when he saw me and said “G'day mate.” Then he hurled a ball at Harrison's face and cackled like a witch.

‘Bert's my hero,' said Charlie. ‘And you, of course,' she continued, giving Jake's arm a squeeze.'

‘That's a nasty bruise he left on your face, my dear,' said Peggy. ‘And how's your wrist feeling?'

‘It's bearable thanks, Peggy. The painkillers have helped. I was lucky it wasn't broken. It'll heal. I think it'll take poor Harrison longer to recover from his ordeal with Bert.'

‘I'm sure the hospital will look after him and, more importantly, evaluate him. He needs to be in care. He'll recover, in time,' said Jake.

‘See, that's what I like about you. You're very caring,' said Charlie. ‘I was so upset when Harrison told me he'd sent that email to you. You must have thought I was a right bitch.'

‘Not at all. I was puzzled because, firstly, it made no sense, given the events of the night before, and even though it was signed
love Charlie
I had a feeling it wasn't genuine. Call it intuition. Then, Mercedes phoned me. She said you hadn't turned up for the show and had sent a ridiculous email stating you were going away on an adventure. She was concerned. She knew it was completely out of character. You're far too close to her to tell her such news in an email. She wondered if I'd seen you, or heard from you. I mentioned the incident with Rob and we came to the same conclusion, so I shot around. She phoned Ryan immediately after speaking to me. That's why the police arrived so quickly. Harrison should have guessed your friends would be suspicious. I'm surprised he thought he could get away with that. Surely he knew you better than that.'

‘He didn't know me at all. He was in love with a fantasy. Turns out he'd been warned before at his previous employment because he kept annoying a young nurse. He followed her about the hospital and repeatedly asked her out. He'd also been reported at university for hanging about girl's residences late at night. I talked to Mercedes about it last night while I was waiting for an X-ray. She admitted that she'd told HR about Harrison pestering me. The manager did some digging around and discovered the complaints about him. Based on that information, they confronted him and he went wild. They didn't actually fire him. He stormed off. It was shortly after that he disappeared. He moved in with his sick father who passed away recently. I guess that was the final straw. He was so desperate for someone to love.'

‘I'm very happy that you've found someone to care for you, dear,' said Peggy as Jake stroked Charlie's hair tenderly. ‘That makes two of us who have had happy endings.'

Bert trilled.

‘Sorry, Bert. I mean three of us. I meant to tell you. Bert and Sunny are in love. They enjoyed their Skype call so much, Sunny is going to come and visit him at home. If they get on as well when they meet up, we're going to invite her to live with us when we get back off honeymoon. Her owner is thrilled that Sunny has found a new boyfriend. She'll be a welcome addition and she'll keep Bert on his toes.' Bert whistled and shook his feathers then said, ‘Mmm mmm.'

M
ercedes put down the phone
. ‘The challenge is off,' she announced.

‘It's off?' repeated Charlie.

‘Yes, that idiot Harrison really lost the plot. Fancy breaking into the hangar and smashing the stunt aeroplane with a hammer. The company has insurance for the aircraft, but it'll take a few months to repair it. Good thing they captured it all on CCTV. It showed Harrison bashing away at the aircraft. The police are going to have to add this to the list of charges against him. They discovered the hammer at his house. He'd left it in a pannier on his motorbike along with a can of petrol. They think he might have considered setting fire to the hangar. What a nutcase! I expect he'll get off, after all, he clearly has issues. His lawyer will plead some sort of mental breakdown. I'm so glad he didn't manage to kidnap you and hide you away to be his love maiden, or whatever his ridiculous plan was. He was always odd, but I'd never have guessed he was going to completely fold like that.'

‘It was quite possibly one of the most terrifying moments of my life. He was out of control and I didn't know what to do. I hope he gets some treatment.'

‘He'll get plenty. Don't concern yourself over him.'

‘Have we any other challenges we can attempt?'

‘There are a few but that was the best one. The hospital authorities aren't keen for you to do anything outrageous, especially given what has happened. They're trying to play it all down. After all, Harrison was a hospital employee and the situation with him should've been dealt with differently. We also seem to have reached an impasse as far as collecting new money is concerned. Seems most people who live locally have already given generously.'

Charlie bit her lip. This was disappointing news.

‘I could still shave my head,' she began.

Mercedes gave her a look that silenced her.

‘Charlie, I think we're going to have to admit defeat,' said Vivienne. ‘You've done so much and we raised significant funding thanks to you. If it'd been merely for the upkeep of the old radio, we'd have succeeded. It's only because we need to build a new studio that we're short of funds. We'll keep on with our efforts and maybe we'll be able to raise enough over the next year or two to start building.'

‘That's too far away. I wanted to be able for us all to stay on and have a new studio to move to at the end of the year,' said Charlie.

‘Look, you've given us a fantastic start. Be happy you've done that. We're all resigned to going off air for a while. Hopefully, in a couple of years, we'll be able to start afresh.'

Charlie looked away. She had failed. Harrison had put paid to the fundraising for City Hospital Radio, and there was nothing she could do.

‘On a brighter matter, have you decided what you're wearing to your birthday party, next month, or do you and I have to go out and do some serious shopping?' asked Mercedes.

‘I've ordered a new dress online. Thank you so much for organising this party for me. I was trying to ignore the fact I'm going to be the big four-oh, but now I'm looking forward to it, thanks to you. I can't believe you've booked Swinfen Hall. It's so upmarket. You are without doubt, the best friend in the world.'

‘I know. You're very lucky.' She chuckled. ‘It's not every day you have a big birthday, a lovely friend and a new man to celebrate it with. Gosh! Is that the time? I have to go. Got an appointment. See you later.'

Mercedes disappeared and Vivienne went off to man the reception desk. Charlie felt she had let everyone down. There must be another way she could raise enough money for the new studio. At the moment, however, she had no ideas as to how she could accomplish that.

T
he month passed
without any further hope on the challenge front. Mercedes revealed the remaining challenges on her own Carpe Diem list but they were way too ambitious for Charlie to complete. They included ice climbing, coasteering and flying on a trapeze at a circus. Even she admitted they were too wild for Charlie to attempt in normal circumstances let alone with a nasty sprained wrist.

Since the excitement and publicity surrounding the shark dive, interest in
Challenge Charlie
and support for the radio station had waned. People who had already donated towards the cause had too many other demands on their resources. It was summertime with holidays to be enjoyed and outings planned for families.

The team gathered to take a decision on the fate of City Hospital Radio. Andrew Carnegie agreed that the amount raised had been remarkable and he would keep it safe for the station's future. They would stay on air for a few more months until the hospital requisitioned the studio, then they would have to abandon the station until they could find further funding. They decided to try the usual channels and contact local businesses for support and raise money at annual fund-raising events. Andrew Carnegie was convinced they would raise enough money in time and asked everyone to be patient. He told them City Radio would broadcast again but not for two or three years.

Sam stared at the floor. Three years was a long time. Things would have changed and even if they succeeded in getting it up and running who was to say that any of the presenters would be welcome back?

‘So, that's it?' asked Sean.

‘For the moment,' replied Andrew Carnegie. ‘We've got a couple of months though if any of you can think of any other ways to get the money we need.'

A couple of the presenters shook their heads. Vivienne looked like she might cry. The mood in the room was downbeat.

‘No ideas?'

The silence spoke for itself.

‘Two months. We still have two months. Thank you all.'

With that they were dismissed. Andrew Carnegie's words offered little hope. It was unlikely that anything was going to happen in the next two months to save the station. Gradually, they turned to leave. Mercedes glanced over at Charlie. She was taking it badly. She had hoped to save them all and Mercedes knew she now felt she had let everyone down. She hoped the new relationship with Jake would help to take her mind off it.

T
he month had passed quickly
. Her relationship with Jake was going well and she had all but moved in permanently with him. She only visited her own home to collect clothes or check up on Peggy, Gordon and Bert. It seemed completely natural to be with him. They fitted together seamlessly and she felt blessed to have found another man who she could love with every fibre of her being. She was also becoming extremely fond of Toby who spent most weekends with them. The ache that had lived inside her since the death of her daughter seemed slightly less raw these days. She still thought about and missed her daughter terribly and Toby was a constant reminder of what life with a thirteen-year-old was like but he had unwittingly helped fill the hole that losing Amy had left. She and Toby had an easy relationship and she relished his company almost as much as she enjoyed being with his father.

Jake wanted Charlie to join him and Toby on their outward bound adventure. Whilst she was was thrilled to be included, she decided it would be better to let the boys have time together without her.

‘Come on,' said Jake, trying again to persuade her to join them. ‘Toby would love to have you along. He's always on about the weekends when I take him back to school. It's all “Charlie this and Charlie that”. He really likes you.'

‘And I like him. A lot. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy being with you both on this adventure, it's just that I want you and Toby to spend some proper quality time together. I've had quite a few chats to him recently and there are moments when he seems to want to say something but clams up again. I have an inkling there's something he's keeping from you and Fiona but I believe he'll open up to you because you're away from the usual home environment. I'm sure he feels a bit overwhelmed by Fiona at times and only says he wants to be a barrister to please her. Give him time out. His life is too serious at times. He'll love doing dad and son stuff in the wild away from the pressures of modern life.'

‘Pity I'm not much good at being a dad,' he said, regret evident in his tone. ‘I feel I should have done more.'

‘Rubbish. You're way better than you think. I don't know many thirteen-year-old boys who'd even agree to go away with their fathers. Let alone spend a week in a tent in the middle of nowhere with no mod cons or technology to keep them occupied. It'll be just what he needs. You'll be what he needs,' she added.

Charlie assumed correctly because as soon as they returned from their trip, Toby decided he no longer wanted to be a lawyer or work in an office.

‘I want to go travelling, when I finish school. I'm going to explore. I might even be a gamekeeper. What do you think, Dad?'

Jake ruffled his hair. ‘You can be whatever you want.'

Toby stayed with his father for half of the summer holiday. Jake and Charlie ensured his days were filled with as many enjoyable trips, sights to see and days out, as possible. All too soon it was time for him to return to his mother and go abroad with her and Simon. He trundled downstairs carrying his heavy backpack and entered the kitchen where Charlie and Jake were busying themselves trying to take their mind off Toby's departure. Neither wanted him to go.

‘Do I have to go to Mallorca?'

Jake replied, ‘Of course you do. Your mum will be looking forward to having you home.'

Toby harrumphed.

‘Now then, Toby. You know she loves you. She'll be very upset if you didn't go. Besides, I thought you really liked doing all that cool stuff with Simon, you know the boat, trips out to beaches, that sort of thing.' Jake kept up the diplomatic act even though he knew it sounded false even to his own ears.

‘It's okay, I suppose. Mum spends most of the time sunbathing though and Simon's all right but he doesn't talk to me like you do. He calls me Sonny and he always pats me on the head, like I'm some sort of dog, or something.' He looked forlorn.

‘Come on, Toby. This isn't like you. You're never normally reluctant to go back home to your mum.'

‘It's different now. You're much happier and you do all sorts of fun things. I had a blast going karting with you, and tackling that indoor climbing wall. I liked everything we did; going to Cadbury World and visiting the Thinktank in Birmingham. Mallorca's boring. We never go anywhere. I get to swim in the pool and ride my bike, but it's not as much fun as being here with you both.'

Charlie felt a lump rise in her throat. Being with Toby had been wonderful. She wished Toby could have met Amy. He would have liked her.

Jake put an arm around his son, marvelling at how tall he had suddenly become. He seemed to have sprouted in four weeks. It was not going to be long before he would find going out with his father a drag. He was growing up fast.

‘Look, you'll enjoy it once you get there. When you come back, I'll still be here, with Charlie and you can come around any time you want.'

‘Dad,' he said quietly.

‘Yes.'

‘Could you ask mum if I can become a weekly boarder and not full-time? A lot of the other boys do that. They spend weekends at home and only come back to school on Monday mornings. There's only really me, Hugh and Thomas who stay at school all the time in my year. I asked her before but she said it would be impractical. Can I come and spend weekends here with you two?'

Charlie felt her stomach tighten with anticipation. She looked across at Jake. He knew how much she liked Toby. He did not need her affirmation. He must have sensed her approval. His face broke into a huge smile and he replied, ‘Of course you can. Go away with your mum and Simon, have a great time and if that's still what you want to do when you come home, I'll talk to her and arrange it.'

He gave his son a man hug but found the boy clung to him more than usual.

‘Thanks Dad. You're the best. And you, Charlie. You're the best too. It'll be brilliant. I'll send you a text from Mallorca when I get there. He leant towards his father and whispered in his ear, ‘ And don't forget to give Charlie her birthday card from me.'

A car horn hooted outside the house. Fiona had sent Simon around to collect Toby. He waved from the front seat of his silver Audi TT convertible.

‘I won't forget. Take care, mate. See you in a few weeks.'

Toby hugged Charlie and then headed outside to the car watched by both of them.

He threw his backpack into the boot and climbed into the car. Simon patted him on the head. Toby threw his father a look of exasperation and shrugged. Jake put his arm around Charlie and both waved. Simon sounded the horn and pulled off the front drive with speed.