Page 100 of Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop
Julian glances nervously at Jack, while Jack stares challengingly at Julian.
Julian swallows hard.
‘Julian?’ I ask, thinking he might be the easier of the two to crack. ‘What’s going on?’
Julian looks at Jack again, but Jack shakes his head.
‘Right then,’ I say, getting exasperated by all this. ‘Jack, you tell me why. Remember,’ I add, ‘we promised tonight to answer any question we were asked honestly … Your rules.’
Jack shakes his head again, but this time in defeat. ‘The reason I didn’t want Julian to say he’d seen me was I was dealing with a bit of bother at the time, and I didn’t think it was in your best interests to know about it, that’s why.’ Jack toys with his now empty pint glass.
‘Bother?’ I ask staring at him. ‘What sort of bother? Was someone hassling you?’ I glance at Jack’s wheelchair.
‘No, not me,’ Jack says, looking annoyed. ‘Anita.’
‘Anita!’ I cry, then I quickly lower my voice. ‘Anita?’ I ask again. ‘Who would want to do that?’
Jack glances at Julian again. This time Julian nods his encouragement.
Jack sighs heavily. ‘It was your ex … Joel.’
I suck my breath in sharply at his name. ‘Joel washere?’
Jack nods. ‘At the shop. I was passing by on my way back from getting some fish and chips for Ben and me – if you remember his lunch had been rained off that day – when I heard raised voices coming from your shop. I stopped and popped my head around the door to see if everything was okay.’
‘And Joel was there?’
Jack nods again. ‘Anita, to be fair, was doing a great job of trying to get rid of him. I didn’t know why at the time – I just thought he was an awkward customer. She was staying very calm. It was this Joel who was doing all the shouting.’
That sounded about right.
‘So what did you do?’ I ask quietly.
‘Not a lot I could do,’ Jack says, sounding almost ashamed. ‘Not in this thing. I tried talking to him to calm him down, which seemed to work for a bit, and I almost got him out of the shop, but then he started talking about you again and demanding to see you. Anita had to explain to me who he was and why you wouldn’t want to see him, and that’s when he lost it.’
‘That’s where I come in,’ Julian says, keen to play his part. ‘I’d just got our drinks and saw Jack talking to someone through the door of your shop, and then I too heard a raised voice and asked if I could be of assistance in any way.’
‘You did?’ I ask, most surprised to hear this.
‘Yes,’ Julian says, looking perturbed that I should ever doubt he’d willingly enter into conflict on my behalf. ‘I may not have Jack’s army background, but I am trained in the art of negotiation.’
Julian makes this sound like he’s negotiated hostages to safety from armed situations.
‘In what way are you trained?’ I ask sceptically.
‘I was on the university debating team for several terms,’ Julian says proudly. ‘We had some very heated and lively discussions in our debating chamber.’
Surprisingly, I want to giggle at this, but I notice Jack is not even breaking a smile.
‘Julian actually came in very handy,’ he says supportively. ‘While he was keeping Joel busy talking to him, I made a few quick phone calls and rounded up a bit of muscle.’
‘Muscle?’ I repeat. ‘You used physical violence to get rid of Joel?’
‘No, it wasn’t needed in the end. When Joel realised a few locals had turned up outside the shop suggesting it might be a good idea for him to leave and never return, he seemed to get the message.’
‘But he might still come back,’ I say anxiously, ‘That won’t stop him.’
‘No, but what Anita told him will. Like I said to you the other day, she’s a very wise lady.’
