Dangerous Encounters

Chapters 15/1 Keeping it together and 15/2 Offloading the past

Authors note. This somewhat clumsy edit to two chapters was made as a result of a well placed comment about the content of the original Chapter 15 and its title. I'll have to go back to my original file to rectify it properly.

Chapter 15/1 Keeping it together.

   I made my way back to the Dene Court, and lay on my bed at half past six. I wasn't hungry. I wasn't even very tired. What the hell would I do now? The emptiness of my life once work was done hit me. This was what Ruth could not help me with. Without work I was an empty shell. 

I had one task to occupy me. I sat at the desk and started programming the lap-top for Ruth and my week ends. Two and a half hours later I removed my glasses and rubbed my eyes, and poured myself a scotch. It was done. Every Friday when I booted the machine up, it would consult the last throw of the two to seven dice, and if we were lucky Ruth and I would be together again. Unfortunately there was no way I could fathom of fully concealing the result from myself. I knew the file name of the stored date. I had used Norton Utilities to hide the file, but of course I could use the same program to un-hide it. I just had to be disciplined. 

I rang Ruth at nine thirty. 

"It's done - the computer programme." 

"Oh. Good. I think. As Mandy says, it seems so bleak to wait for an electron to find the right hole in a chip. What are you doing now, my love?" 

"Having a whisky and feeling at a loose end." 

"What, no corporatism a la jeune femme?" 

"No, she's gone back to London." 

I told Ruth about our day. 

"God," she said, "and you think what I do is disreputable?" 

"No, sweetheart, not disreputable; inappropriate and dangerous. I agree the Railton House set up is appalling. But Liz has to find out how far the influence has spread before we can move forward. As she said, if everyone on the main board is one of Eve's clients, she won't stand an earthly. We'll just have to pull out and leave Wolfenden to a not very comfortable fate." 

"That's terrible. You'd feel dreadful. All your friends scrapped because of the venality of a board of directors." 

"Yes - well, I'm hoping it won't come to that." 

"How does Liz feel about it?" Ruth asked. 

"Oh - she was shocked. I knew of it but hadn't given it much thought until I was faced with the reality once more. Railton House had no significance for me until we were brought under the same holding company. Liz knew nothing of it until yesterday when I described it." 

"We could mount a protest." 

"No thank you, Ruth. It wouldn't work and it would make things more difficult." 

"But the drugs side of it. Doesn't that concern you?" 

"Of course it does. But I'm not so bothered about rich middle aged men shooting drugs, as I am kids getting addicted in early life and being ruined." 

Ruth said with some impatience, "Sometimes I think you leave your brains behind at work, Graham. What about the little waitress in her scanty skirt and whoever all else Eve imports to satisfy her client's fantasies? They won't be middle aged. They could be Pat and Mandy's age or younger. And they'll be encouraged to take the drugs. It'll be part of the fantasy." 

"Ah - yes, I see. You're right. Well, that makes it all the more necessary to get it stopped." 

"I hope you mean it. If you saw how youngsters react when they have no stable background, you would realise how vulnerable they can be."