The Heartbreak Cafe (45 page)

‘
Yes, all’s well that ends well,’ Trish said impatiently. She
eyed Ella who was serving a table nearby. ‘So. Which one of us is
going to ask her?’

Ruth sat
back in her chair. ‘Well it’s your project, so I guess you
should.’

Their
conversation was cut short when at that moment Ella came over to
greet them.

‘
Hello girls, how are you all today?’

Ruth
smiled. ‘We’re good Ella, how are you?’

‘
Oh busy busy as always,’ she trilled. ‘Nina pet, don’t think
twice about throwing on an apron, sure you won’t?’

Nina
laughed. ‘Actually,’ she glanced at Trish, who nodded. ‘We were
just helping Trish with the material for the charity book and well
… we found something we wanted to ask you about.’

‘
Well of course I’ll help if I can,’ Ella replied easily.
‘Heaven knows I’ve been around this town forever. So what can I get
you girls? Coffee and pastries maybe? Or I’ve just taken a fresh
batch of muffins out of the oven …’

‘
Well actually, we wanted to talk to you about something that
happened here – in the café, I mean.’

‘
Oh?’ Ella looked puzzled as Trish reached into her bag and
took out the photocopy they’d made of the article in question.
‘That’s odd, I can’t remember anything of interest every happening
–’

But
immediately upon catching sight of the headline, and the
accompanying photograph of the café, Ella’s memory was well and
truly jogged. Her face went white and she stood frozen to the
spot.

‘
Ella, are you OK?’ Ruth asked.

She shook
her head, ‘Yes … I’m fine.’

Trish
turned to her and immediately went into journalist mode, ‘Ella what
can you tell us about this? What happened that day? Who was
responsible?’

‘
Well really, it was all such a long time ago I’ve almost
forgotten about it by now,’ she said with a tight smile, and Nina
noticed her hands were clasped tightly together. ‘So coffee for
everyone, yes?’

‘
Really? Seems like something like that would be difficult to
forget. I mean, it’s not everyday that –’

‘
I’m sorry love, but I really don’t have time to stay and chat.
Maybe come back later when things aren’t so busy?’

‘
But –’

Ella
scuttled off, and although the café was pretty full there was
nothing pressing that Nina could see, which could only mean that
the woman was reluctant – no that was the wrong word – she was
afraid to talk about the article.

But why?
Had she done something wrong herself? Despite their best efforts
back at the library they hadn’t been able to find any follow-up
articles in the microfiche. It was as Trish had pointed out ‘almost
as if the entire thing had never happened.’

Nina
wondered now if they’d been too hasty in probing Ella about it.
After all as she was directly involved, then chances were she was
also involved in the eventual resolution, whatever that
was.

‘
Well that was weird,’ Trish said, staring at Ella’s retreating
back. ‘Did you see her reaction when I showed her the photocopy?
There’s a lot more here than meets the eye, I’m sure of it. Why
else would she be so reluctant to tell us anything?’

‘
I don’t know Trish, maybe it’s something personal – something
she doesn’t want made public knowledge,’ Ruth suggested, echoing
Nina’s own thoughts.

‘
Well I thought it was a good story back in the library, but
now I know it is. And I’m not going to rest until I find out
more.’

‘
Man, do you ever learn?’ Ruth said pointedly, and Trish
flushed. ‘You have no idea what you’re dealing with here. You’re
talking about poking into other people’s lives, maybe opening up
old wounds.’

‘
Ruth’s right, Trish. Clearly, it’s none of our business, and
there’s nothing to be gained from pursuing this.’

‘
What makes you so sure?’ Trish replied, looking from one to
the other. She smoothed the paper out on the table. ‘Look at the
date.’

Ruth
shrugged. ‘Exactly it was something that happened yonks
ago.’

‘
No, I mean the actual date.’

‘
I’m not sure what you’re getting at, Trish.’

‘
Girls, it happened over thirty years ago, the same age we all
are now – well apart from Ruth who’s twenty five of course,’ she
added jokingly.

But
neither Ruth or Nina were laughing. Instead they stared at the
article, both finally understanding what Trish was getting
at.

‘
I don’t believe it,’ Nina whispered, re-reading the headline:
Abandoned newborn found on café steps. ‘That baby could be someone
we know.’

‘
Don’t be silly,’ Ella said, when shortly afterwards they
accosted her again. But her face was flushed and her eyes kept
darting from left to right as if trying to find an escape route.
Had she taken the baby in herself, maybe raised it as her own? Or
perhaps there was some temporary arrangement …

Whatever
it was, there was no denying that her boss was seriously thrown by
the appearance of the article, and their accompanying
questions.

‘
As I said, it’s a long time ago – really, it’s so long I’d
almost forgotten about it myself.’

‘
What about the mum?’ Ruth asked, referring to the police
appeal mentioned in the piece. ‘Did she ever come
forward?’

‘
Yes, yes of course. There was no problem … it was all sorted
out within a day or two. Really, I don’t know why the three of you
are so interested. It’s a nothing story, really.’

‘
A nothing story?’ Trish chortled. ‘Ella, it’s probably the
most interesting thing that’s ever happened in this town – well
apart from Ruth’s big success, of course,’ she added quickly and
Ruth smiled. ‘Look, we just want to know who was involved, you
know, just for interest’s sake. I mean, the baby is about the same
age as us, so chances are we know the person –’

‘
And if you did know all the details, how do you think the
people involved would feel?’ Ella snapped. ‘Look Trish, for once,
just mind your own business. Nothing good will come from you
snooping around in things that you have no business with. You need
to stop this immediately.’

There was
a brief silence as the three were confronted with a side of Ella
they had never seen before. Clearly this was something very
personal to her.

‘
Ah come on Ella, really, it’s no big deal, we’re just curious
–’

‘
Trish, leave it.’ Nina interjected softly, deciding they
should leave the older woman alone. ‘Ella’s right, it is none of
our business. Let’s just forget about it.’

Trish was
about to say something else but seeing Nina’s exasperated look,
seemed to think better of it. ‘Oh all right then,’ she said
wearily. ‘I just thought it might be interesting for my book,
that’s all.’

But it
was a pitiful excuse and they all knew it.

‘
Well pet, some things are just better left undisturbed, trust
me on that.’ Ella said, sounding somewhat calmer now. ‘Now, I’m
sorry but I’d better get back to work.’

‘
Would you like me to stay on and help out for a while?’ Nina
asked, feeling somewhat guilty. ‘Things seem to have calmed down a
little since, but – ’

‘
Not at all, Alice and I will be grand.’ Ella headed back
towards the kitchen. ‘See you tomorrow morning?’

‘
Sure. You know how much I love the early shift,’ Nina joked,
thinking that early mornings would no doubt be par for the course
once the baby arrived in a few weeks’ time.

The three
girls exited the café and drifted down towards the lake.

‘
Bloody hell,’ Trish said. ‘The way she acted you’d swear it
was Prince William that was left on the front step.’

‘
Yes, she was pretty reluctant,’ Ruth said thoughtfully as they
walked along.

‘
You know, we could still figure this out,’ Trish went on. ‘All
we have to do is ask someone else, someone who was around at the
time.’

Nina
rolled her eyes. ‘Trish, didn’t you hear anything Ella said back
there?’

‘
Oh come on! We can’t just forget all about it and surely I’m
not the only one who’s curious.’ She looked at Ruth. ‘What do you
think?’

‘
Well …, when Ella was talking back there, something struck me.
What if … well, what if she was so adamant that we leave this alone
because … well because it was one of us?’

Trish’s
eyes widened. ‘You mean the baby? Oh my goodness – I never even
thought of that!’

‘
You cannot be serious.’ Nina said. ‘Sure we all know that none
of our mums would have done that. Abandoned us on a doorstep? Come
on?’ Nina certainly knew that Cathy would never in a million years
have done something like that. She adored her, always
had.

Ruth’s
eyes were downcast and she looked vulnerable. ‘The date on the
article – it was only a few days after I was born, whereas you two
are a little older. It could be me.’

‘
Ruth no –’

‘
Seriously Nina, it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise. I know
I was … an accident.’ She looked ashamed. ‘It’s why I’m an only
child.’

And
perhaps also why you’ve spent most of your life striving to be
accepted, Nina thought silently.

‘
Oh.’ For once Trish had little to say on the subject. ‘Well
look, if you’re seriously worried it might be that Ruth, it’s your
call. We won’t go any further with this. As Ella said, maybe
there’s nothing to be gained from pursuing it.’

‘
No, I think I’d like to know actually. I mean, it would hurt
of course, but at least then I wouldn’t always be wondering, like I
am now.’

Nina put
an arm around her shoulders. ‘Are you sure? It was a long time ago,
remember? And if something like that did happen, it’s really
nobody’s business but yours and your family’s.’

Ruth
looked out over the large expanse of water, which looked almost
black in this light. ‘No really. I think I would like to
know.’

The three
were silent for a while as they digested the implications of what
they’d found, and what else they might eventually
discover.

‘
So where do we go from here?’ Ruth asked finally.

‘
I suppose we just keep asking around,’ Nina ventured. ‘Trish,
maybe we could try some of the older people you spoke to before,
the ones who were around at the time. Lakeview was tiny back then,
surely everyone would have heard about it.’

Trish was
looking into the distance, towards the direction of Nina’s house.
She seemed to be thinking hard. ‘What about your Dad?’ she asked,
turning to look at her.

‘
Patrick? What would he know?’ Nina looked dubious.

‘
You’re the one who’s always complaining that he’s never put
his nose outside of Lakeview, so it’s likely he was around at the
time.’ Trish looked from one girl to the other. ‘So maybe he’s the
one we should have been talking to from the beginning.’

‘
So do you think he’ll know anything?’ Ruth asked as the three
made their way across the stone bridge to Patrick’s
house.

‘
Well if he does, there’s no guarantee he’d tell us anyway,’
Nina replied in an odd tone, and saw both girls look questioningly
at her. ‘Let’s just say we haven’t been on the best of terms over
the last couple of months – especially since he realised it wasn’t
a beach ball I was hiding under here,’ she said wryly. ‘These days
we sort of just stay out of each other’s way.’

Ruth
sucked air through her teeth. ‘I’m not sure if this is such a good
idea then. I mean, he barely even knows me…’

Nina gave
a short laugh. ‘Don’t worry, he barely knows me either and I’m his
daughter. I’m sure it’ll be fine.’

Soon they
reached the house and with Nina leading the way, the three climbed
up the steps and into the house. As they entered, Nina called out.
‘Dad? Are you home?’

A sound
that resembled something like a grunt came from the direction of
the kitchen and the girls exchanged looks. Nina just shook her head
and smiled as if to say ‘See what I mean?’

‘
Dad? It’s me, and I have some friends with me,’ she
said.

It was
only then that Patrick peered out of the kitchen, obviously
curious.

‘
Oh hello,’ he mumbled, and Nina noticed his gaze rest ever so
briefly on not only her bump, but Ruth’s too.

Obviously
noticing this too, Ruth stepped forward and flashed her best
Hollywood smile. ‘Hi Mr Hughes,’ she said amiably. ‘You probably
don’t remember me but you fixed up a lot of stuff for my parents
over the years. I’m Ruth, Ollie Seymour’s daughter?’

‘
Right.’ Patrick said, staring at Ruth’s outstretched arm as if
he wasn’t sure what to do with it, and Nina was surprised to see
some form of recognition dawn in his eyes. Could her strange old
man be a fan of Glamazons? Nah, she couldn’t see it really –
Patrick wasn’t really into TV (apart from his obsession with their
insides).

But more
to the point, could it be that Trish was right – and that he
recognised Ruth because she was indeed the abandoned baby from all
those years ago?