Josephine Cox 3-Book Collection 1: Midnight, Blood Brothers, Songbird

Quickly concealing herself beside the paper recycling skip, Libby studied him more closely. Now that she was seeing him in daylight, and he was not completely hidden from sight by his brolly, she could see him for who he was. She could hear his familiar voice, and her heart did a somersault.

It was Jack Redmond!

For what seemed an age, Libby remained concealed but within hearing distance, until Jack had picked up his bags, got into his own car and driven off. Libby was amazed to see that yes, the car was black and the registration number was similar to the one Thomas had mentioned. Only then did she emerge into the open, stunned by the discovery that Jack was back in his home-town, Blackburn.

Suddenly she was fearful. What if she never saw him again? What if she’d found her dear friend, only to lose him again?

Sighing with relief, she then remembered he had told the woman something about Curtis Warren Motors in Lytham. Quickly finding pen and paper, Libby wrote it down. Later she would think what to do about it. She could look it up on her laptop.

For now, she’d better get home. Her mother and Thomas would have been expecting her at least half an hour ago, and she didn’t want to worry them. Excited and reeling with the discovery, she located her car and drove away.

Chapter Nineteen (#ulink_fe79e31b-3dbf-5798-b6c7-f031f5db47a5)

BACK IN BOWER STREET, Thomas was worried. It wasn’t like Libby to be late. He paced up and down, pausing only to look out of his window. ‘She’ll be here soon,’ he told himself. ‘Yes . . . she’ll have been called to do summat an’ nowt, and now she’ll be on ’er way home.’

He toyed with the idea of calling her mobile phone. He even picked up the receiver and began to dial.

‘No. Best not,’ he decided. ‘She’ll think I’m checkin’ up on her, poor lass.’

No sooner had he replaced the receiver than he heard her tapping on his front door. Crossing the room to let her in, he then gently woke Eileen, who had enjoyed a nice nap. ‘Libby’s here, m’darling. Time to go home.’ He would have loved her to stay here with him, but sadly, that was not possible, for many reasons. Some of which were best left alone.

Libby was apologetic. ‘I’m sorry I’m late, Thomas. I’ll explain later on, if that’s OK.’ She went over to Eileen.

‘Fell asleep, did you, Mum? I’m really sorry to be late.’ She bent to kiss her. ‘I’m here now though, and I’m ready for bed.’ She saw her mother yawning. ‘Much like you, by the look of it. The next time they ask me to do a late shift, I won’t be so obliging.’ She was positively bursting to tell Thomas about her sighting of Jack Redmond, but she remained calm in front of her mother.

Eileen had an impish sense of humour, which seemed to just pop out when no one expected it. ‘Libby?’

‘Yes, Mum?’ Libby was easing her mother’s shoes back on her feet. ‘What is it?’

‘Me and Thomas could get married,’ she informed Libby. ‘Then I can sleep here with him, and you won’t need to worry about me so much.’

While Libby was taken aback, Thomas roared with laughter. ‘I don’t know as I could handle a tiger like you,’ he teased.

When Eileen suddenly got up and was taking it upon herself to fetch her coat, Libby quickly went to help.

‘Leave me be, now,’ Eileen edged away. ‘I’m not a baby. I can get my own coat.’ Sometimes, however hard she tried, Eileen could not think straight, so when her head was clear, she cherished being able to do every little thing for herself, such as now. ‘I’m all right, love. Stop fussing.’

Wisely, Libby left her to it.

In his usual gentlemanly way, Thomas walked them home.

‘Are you coming in for a nightcap?’ Libby knew she should have phoned him about being late. It was obvious he’d been worried about her.

‘Oh, go on then.’ Thomas loved spending time under this roof. It was like home from home, especially when the two people he loved most in all the world were right here.

Libby was grateful for the company. There was a lot she needed to get off her chest. ‘Mum?’ She helped Eileen take off her coat. ‘Thomas is staying for a nightcap. Do you fancy one?’

Eileen shook her head. ‘No, thank you, dear. I’m very tired.’ She glanced across at Thomas. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, won’t I, Thomas?’ For some reason, she felt threatened.

‘Yes, m’dear. You get a good night’s sleep, eh?’ Eileen grew anxious. ‘You’re not going away, are you?’ Thomas ambled over to her. ‘Will yer please stop getting yersel’ into a pickle. I’m just having a nightcap with Libby, then I’m away to my bed, just next door. And that’s as far as I’m going.’

Eileen needed convincing. ‘Promise me you won’t go away?’ Her voice began to shake. ‘Promise you won’t leave me?’

Thomas took her into his embrace. ‘You listen to me, my darling.’ Holding her tight, he spoke softly in her ear: ‘You and Libby are my family now. And I love you both, like my own flesh and blood.’

He held her at arm’s length. ‘I promise I will never leave you. Not as long as I live.’ He then made her smile. ‘You’ll not get rid o’ me that easy!’

Eileen looked into his eyes, so kind, so familiar. All these years she had trusted him. Good times. Bad times. Times when shocking things happen and you can never shut them from your mind, however hard you try.

Reaching up, she touched his face. ‘Goodnight, old friend. God bless.’

‘Night night. God bless.’ He gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘It’s Saturday tomorrow. I’ll think o’ somewhere nice to tek yer, after I’ve spent a couple of hours on the allotment. No doubt there’ll be blackberries down the lane.’

As she climbed the stairs he watched her every step. ‘Sleep tight. Mind the bed bugs don’t bite.’

‘We don’t have bed bugs,’ Eileen called back indignantly.

‘No, ’course yer don’t. I’m just being silly, that’s all.’

‘Well, stop being silly then.’

He stood watching until she was out of sight, then he remained there quietly for a minute or two, his hands on the balustrade. His mind wandered back to a certain day many years ago. The sadness showed on his homely face. ‘G’night, lass,’ he whispered. ‘I’m so sorry. I can’t turn the clock back, but I can help you along the way.’

His old heart was sore. Where did the years go? Both he and Eileen were now of an age when looking forward was not a good idea. But, when all was said and done, it had to be better than looking back. Looking back was sheer torture – both for him and for that darling woman up there.

Eileen was a good woman. She did not deserve such heartache. The doctors told Libby that her mother’s condition was not as bad as first thought, though it was bad enough, and could not be cured. They even gave her condition a name – psychosis. But Thomas knew different.

He alone knew the real reason for Eileen’s illness. He knew why she sometimes lived in fear. He knew exactly when her condition had started. And he knew why.

All these years, he had blamed himself. And he would go on blaming himself, until the day he was called before the Good Lord to confess his sins. Maybe then, and only then, would he find peace.

It was Eileen that concerned him; because somewhere deep in her tortured mind, she knew it all. And she had no choice but to keep it hidden, for the sake of others. Meanwhile, the weight of it all continued to ravage her mind.

‘Your cocoa is ready,’ Libby called softly. ‘Let’s pinch a few of Mum’s gingernuts and dunk them, shall we?’

Thomas sat down at the table and wrapped his big hands around his mug of cocoa.

‘I’ve been thinking about taking your Mum for a trip into Blackpool on the bus, but I reckon it might be too much for her,’ he said. ‘What d’you think?’

Libby got her cocoa and sat opposite him, taking the lid off the biscuit tin. ‘I’m not sure,’ she said. ‘Just now, she looked really done in, but that could be because she was late getting to bed. She does love Blackpool, though. One of her favourite things is strolling down the promenade. She says it reminds her of when she and Dad used to take me to Blackpool as a small child.’

Her innocent comments struck deep with Thomas. ‘I remember one time, you must’a been, what . . . eight or nine months old. You’d been to Blackpool with yer Mum and Dad, and as they brought you out the car, you were holding four big, coloured balloons. Laughing out loud, you were, and waving them balloons so high in the air, I thought they’d carry you off and we’d never see you again.’

He smiled at the memory, but then the darkness crept into his mind again, and wiped the smile away. ‘Aye, that were a long time ago,’ he finished lamely.

Just now, while her Mum was in bed and she had Thomas to himself, she had a question for him. ‘Thomas, can I ask you something?’

‘O’ course! Ask away.’