Page 58 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
‘We’ll get going straight away and do an outline and send it to you tonight,’ Monica suggested. ‘It’ll be the middle of the night for you, so you’ll have to be on the ball, too, guys.’
‘If we agree to all this,’ Liz cut in.
‘Why wouldn’t we?’ Jack asked.
‘Because I don’t believe a word of this story,’ Liz replied.
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‘What do you mean?’ Jack asked, glaring at Liz.
‘What I just said,’ Liz replied and pointed at Vi. ‘She comes in here with this story she heard from some old dear, she tells us. But it could just as well be some ploy by Violet to make her part more dramatic so she can flex her acting muscles. You haven’t been happy with the script from the start, I thought so during your audition.’
‘You mean you think I made it up?’ Vi asked, feeling close to tears.
‘It’s possible,’ Liz said.
‘That’s a little unfair,’ Jack said, frowning.
‘Maybe,’ Liz said. ‘But if she didn’t, how do we know this story is true? How do we know that this old woman is not making it up? You know, the way old people get confused and make up stuff they think they remember but it was a dream or something. We have to check all those facts before we can go ahead. There will be records.’
Vi looked around, shocked. Jack had put his head down, studying his notes. Wasn’t he going to stick up for her?
‘I’m not going to agree to anything before we have some proof,’ Liz continued. ‘Let’s discuss this in more detail in private. If you don’t mind, Violet?’ she said, gesturing for Violet to leave. Violet was speechless, as was everyone else. She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and started to roll it to the door. She had expected Jack to stick up for her, for someone to say something, but she only heard the wheels of her case against the laminate as she left. She couldn’t believe what had happened.
And then she heard footsteps behind her. It was Jack.
‘What about dinner?’ he asked as he shut the door to the room behind him.
‘I’m not really hungry,’ Vi replied. ‘I just want to get to my flat and go to bed.’
‘You’re not going to take the Tube?’ Jack asked incredulously.
‘No, I’ll call an Uber,’ Vi said and pulled her phone out of her handbag. She knew it would be expensive, but she just wanted to get home so she could crawl under the duvet and cry. Her eyes were already stinging with tears and she wanted to get out of there, away from their probing looks as fast as she could. ‘Let me know what you decide about the movie and everything.’ She started to walk to the door, but as a thought hit her, she stopped and turned around. ‘You know what? I could do what you did and pull out of the movie altogether.’
‘How can you do that without breaking the contract?’ Jack asked.
‘I can if there’s a health issue. It’s in my contract, so you can tell Liz I’m feeling quite sick right now.’
‘What’s up with you?’ he asked, putting a hand out to stop the door closing. ‘Liz’s comments were extreme, but she does have a bit of a point… we need to verify this.’
‘I’m just a bit tired of everything,’ Vi said. ‘I tried so hard to find out what Kathleen’s secret was and then, when I finally did, you don’t believe me.’
‘I do,’ he said. ‘But we have to be careful. Someone could expose us if we tell a story that isn’t true,’ Jack argued. ‘It would be bad for the reputation of our company. Liz and I started this together and we have worked so hard to produce good movies.’
Vi nodded, wondering if that meant he couldn’t stick up for her? ‘Okay. I understand where your priorities are.’
‘Not only that, but there is an issue you might not have considered.’ He paused. ‘Look, we need to talk. How about that dinner? Or a drink? Or I could get my car and drive you home. Then we can chat during the trip to… where did you say you live again?’
‘Croydon,’ Vi said. ‘I’m sure you’ve never been there or anywhere near it. And it’s a long way from your comfort zone.’
‘Why are you so angry?’ Jack asked, looking both puzzled and irritated.
Vi felt tears of frustration well up. ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered, now so tired she could hardly stand up. She knew he had stood up for her but then he had agreed with what Liz said and that, to Vi, was a sure sign there was still something between them.
Jack took his hand away from the door of the lift and stepped inside, pulling Vi with him. ‘You’re exhausted, overwrought and sad. I’m going to call my driver now and then we’ll chat in the car on the way to Croydon. I do know where it is, by the way.’ He pressed the button for the ground floor and took his phone from his pocket. ‘Hi, Tom,’ he said. ‘I’ll need you to take me and my friend to Croydon. We’ll be waiting outside the office. Thanks.’ He pocketed the phone and looked at Vi. ‘All sorted.’
‘Thanks,’ Vi mumbled, unable to argue. In any case she was, as Jack had said, both physically and mentally exhausted.
