Page 87 of Summer at Croftwood Cinema
‘I already have. I don’t need all of that money, Ollie. I don’t want anything from him except for him to leave me alone.’
‘If you give it to him, he will.’
‘No. He doesn’t deserve it. You do. This way, we all benefit. The cinema gets off to a much sounder financial start because you won’t need to take any money out of it after all. And you get a clean break with Amy.’
‘While you’re stuck in that tiny flat with nothing to show for any of this.’
‘I love my flat, thanks very much,’ she said, smiling despite his dig at her little sanctuary. ‘I can get paid properly for running the cinema and,’ she took Oliver’s hands in hers and stared him right in the eye so that he would know how important it was to her, ‘I’ll have closure.’
‘We’ll be business partners in the cinema. That’s the only way I can accept this. Equal partners.’
She flung her arms around his neck. ‘Yes! That’s perfect, Ollie!’
Finally, she allowed Oliver to make coffee for them both while she sat on the sofa, finally able to relax after her hours of hard work and before the kettle had boiled, she had fallen asleep.
She woke a couple of hours later to find Oliver had laid a blanket over her. She could hear the noise of the coffee machine downstairs which meant the coffee house was open. Once she’d freshened up as best she could and made one important phone call, she went in search of more coffee and something to eat, feeling as if a weight had lifted off her.
Oliver was busy serving but she spotted Toby sat at his usual table so she made coffee for herself and Toby, grabbed a cinnamon swirl and headed over to talk to him.
‘Morning, ready for a refill?’
‘Thanks, you’re a mind reader,’ he said with a grateful smile. ‘Look, I’ve been meaning to say, I haven’t had the papers back from your husband yet. I don’t suppose you’ve heard from him?’
‘I have. I’m going to try and see him so I’ll get him to sign them and I’ll bring them back with me.’
‘Right…’ Toby sounded doubtful.
‘I’ve got something he wants back so I’m hoping that’ll give me some bargaining power to get everything sorted out once and for all.’
‘You sound confident. Are you sure it’s a good idea after what you’ve told me about him? You’re not worried about how he might react?’
‘I think it’ll be okay once he sees what I have.’
‘Okay, I’ll leave it with you then. But just for my own piece of mind, will you make sure someone knows where you’re meeting him. Maybe even think about taking someone with you.’
‘He’s been recalled to prison. They picked him up yesterday so I’ve put in a request to visit him. Hopefully it’ll be tomorrow.’ She’d phoned his probation officer before she’d come downstairs.
‘Wow. Well, that makes things easier for you. Best of luck.’
Patsy finished her breakfast and headed home after promising Oliver she’d be back to help with the lunch rush. The plan that had been in the back of her mind the night before was fully formed. All she needed now was the okay to visit Dan and it’d all be over.
‘Patsy Clements,’ called the prison guard, checking her identification before he let her through to a large room where Dan was already sat at a table by himself. All the other tables were empty. She’d been allowed a special visit arranged by Dan’s probation officer and the police sergeant who’d been dealing with Matt’s assault case.
He was wearing a grey sweatshirt and jogging bottoms and looked thoroughly pissed off at her being there.
‘Happy now?’
‘Not yet but it’s a good start.’ She saw the look of surprise in his eyes as she stood up to him. It helped being in the prison, knowing she was protected if he did take exception to anything she said. But that comment was as far as she’d go anyway in terms of winding him up. That wasn’t why she was there. ‘I’ve just picked these up from your parents’ house.’ She pulled the divorce papers out of her bag and laid them on the table between them.
‘I’m not signing those.’ Dan leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.
‘I found the Bitcoin.’
His eyes briefly widened in shock but he didn’t say anything.
‘I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.’ She pushed the papers further towards him.
‘I’m not telling you the password.’
