Page 68 of Calling Frank O'Hare

‘She doesn’t want you to know her whereabouts. She asks that you’re patient. I’m sorry, Frank. I can’t divulge anything else.’

‘But I’m worried about her.’

‘Comes with the territory I’m afraid, brother-in-law. You should have listened to me before you married her.’

‘Are you saying she’s done this before?’

‘Yes. My sister is a serial absconder. She can’t help herself. I suppose all those modelling assignments negated the need to bolt. I blame myself. I should have seen it coming, but I’ve been a little preoccupied lately. I’ve met someone.’

‘You’re getting married?’ In all the years Frank had known him, Gavin had never so much as dropped a girl’s name, unless it was a relative.

‘No. I am most definitely not. Not unless the laws change anyway. But I may be taking in a lodger.’

‘You’re–?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well good for you, Gavin. I hope you and your lodger will have a long and happy er, arrangement.’

‘Thank you. Listen Frank, I know it’s not my business but if I were you, I’d get on with my life. Ellen could be away for weeks or months. She may never come back. I’ve got someone keeping an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t come to any harm. What I’m trying to say is don’t sit around waiting for something that may or may not happen. Make the most of your freedom while you can.’

44

Billy the top dog – 1991

Along with hundreds of others, Frank got off the train and edged away from the platform to join yet more passengers milling around Euston station. It was the October half term and he’d been to stay with Adrian. Last year, Ade had married Stella who also taught at his school. She was a great girl and she didn’t mind the two of them revisiting all the old haunts. They’d had a good time, although admittedly, their favourite old pub, the Hope and Anchor was looking a bit tired now.

In the five months since Ellen had walked out on him, Frank had gone through a range of emotions. Mostly, he’d been in a dark place but more recently, he felt like he was coming out the other side. Ade was a great help. He called Frank every week and visited regularly. In the early days, his visits had been the only reason for Frank to clean the flat.

Ma had been frantic with worry when he’d told them about Ellen. The only thing that saved him from her enforced occupation was Martin’s wedding. Although even that was touch and go, seeing as it was his second marriage and everyone suspected it wouldn’t be his last.

Billy was another one who made sure he was okay. Of all people, Billy knew what it was like to have someone walk out on you, albeit a parent. In a funny way, Ellen’s disappearance brought them closer. It was almost as if there’d never been a rift and they’d moved seamlessly from childhood to adulthood. Eve was kind too when he saw her, but she was covering stories all over the country now, so mostly he saw Billy on his own.

Gavin gave him the occasional snippet of information on Ellen’s wellbeing, and she still wrote her column which he read without fail. It was actually quite good. Frank had taken Gavin’s advice and got on with his life. With regard to his missing wife, he expected very little. If she came back, she came back. If she didn’t, she didn’t. It was the best way for him to cope with the uncertainty.

He was about to take the escalator down into the underground when someone grabbed his arm. He turned and saw Eve.

‘I thought it was you. I’ve just come back from Manchester.’ She checked her watch. ‘Fancy a drink?’

‘Sure. Is Billy meeting you?’

‘Mr Big Shot? No, he’s away in the US of A, baby.’

‘I didn’t realise he was doing that well.’

‘You mean he hasn’t been ramming it down your throat? Lucky you. He can’t get enough of telling me how he’s the top dog now.’

‘That doesn’t sound like Billy,’ said Frank.

They laughed because they knew it sounded exactly like him. Billy had always been the one with the big ideas that never happened, only this time they had. In truth, he wasn’t the top dog in the whole music industry, or even the company he worked for, but his skill as a recording engineer was beginning to get noticed by the right people, and London was no longer big enough to contain Billy Mac. Frank was pleased for him. If anyone deserved success, it was Billy.

‘There’s a pub near here we like to use when we want to get away from the high life of Canary Wharf,’ said Eve.

‘We?’

‘Journalists, don’t ya know.’ She stuck her tongue out at him. She hadn’t done that since the night he saw her at the Battle of the Bands.

She took him around the back streets to a pub that was pretty full considering it was only mid-afternoon. A few of the drinkers acknowledged her and invited her to join them. She turned them down. ‘I’m with an old friend. We’ve some catching up to do, and you’d bore the life out of him.’

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