When Sorry Is Not Enough (4 page)

Daisy was twenty years younger than Sally and since the day she was born Sally had always had a special place in her heart for her stepsister. She had also been jealous of her. Unlike herself, Daisy had always known who her father was and okay Paddy Doyle was a rough diamond who had hailed out of the Australian Outback, but Daisy always knew he was there for her.

The confessions of Jock Thomson must have shaken Daisy. After all, by the time he had finished confessing she realised her beloved brother Luke whom she followed everywhere – even over half the world – was in fact only her half brother. Sally twittered as she thought, if ever Luke was only half of anything. Yesterday, she remembered with joy how he had been like a peacock with two tails when he had escorted Daisy up the aisle. It must have been difficult for him to hand Daisy into the safe keeping of Dr Ian Falconer especially when he had been going to castrate the man when he had found out that Daisy was five months pregnant and would therefore be getting married in any colour but virgin white.

Unaware that she was reminiscing, Luke suddenly burst into her meanderings. ‘But,’ he began through a mouthful of toast, ‘now the wedding is over and Daisy will be leaving for Canada this morning, do you not think you could wash your make-up off?’

Sally, who was still a bit soporific, had to blink herself fully awake before she said, ‘Know something, Luke, I think a second-day make-up job is preferable to the mess my face is in right now.’

Luke nodded. ‘Oh by the way, I still have to get to Peterhead. When do you think Nancy will be able to go with me?’

‘Just as soon as she has had new teeth fitted. But know something, that could be at least two weeks away.’

Before Luke could respond the door bell rang. Sally had half risen to answer the summons but then she sank down again and rubbed her hands over her cheeks. ‘I know,’ she began with a twitter, ‘as quite a number of the family are camped in here that we have no vacancies, but there is no need for us to frighten future customers away.’

Luke was already on his feet and walking towards the door when it opened and in walked Maggie. ‘Nothing to worry you, Sally. It’s just Chief Inspector, David Stock,’ Maggie informed, ‘and he’s no come to arrest you, just wondering he is how you are.’

‘That’s fine, Maggie. Now could you brew another pot of tea and toast some more bread?’ Sally now turned her attention to David and her eyes danced with pleasure. ‘Nice to see you, David,’ she enthused. ‘It’s such a long time since we had time to just jaw and sort the world out.’

David pulled out a chair. Sitting down he turned his attention to Luke. ‘Heard you were back.’ Luke nodded.

Chief Inspector Stock was not a person that Luke would ever consider as a friend. There was something about the man that always made Luke’s scalp tingle. He had said so to his sister Josie who had just laughed before saying, ‘It’s because Sally’s sweet on him and if ever he is free he will marry her.’

Sally and David were unaware of what Luke was thinking and they couldn’t understand him shaking his head and mumbling, ‘It’s more than that.’

Maggie came in with the refreshments. Sally then busied herself being mother whilst David turned his attention to Luke. ‘Now if you’re thinking of rejoining the police here in Edinburgh, and I hope that you are, I could put in a good word for you. Of course that would be dependent …’

Sally was about to advise David that Luke had signed up for another tour in Hong Kong when Luke put up his hand to silence her. ‘Now, Chief Inspector,’ Luke sneered, ‘would this be subject to my agreeing to drop down to constable level … ?’

David shook his head before mumbling, ‘Eh, eh … well … not constable for long. I would expect … yes I suppose … that in no time at all you being made up to uniform sergeant.’

‘Uniform! But what about my three years experience firstly as a trainee and then at the promoted rank of detective inspector in Hong Kong?’

David began to bluster. ‘Come on now, Luke, you know the colonial service don’t take on anything like the responsibility of the forces here on mainland Britain.’

‘Could have fooled me,’ Luke butted in.

‘And,’ David continued, ignoring Luke’s comment, ‘as you know our force detectives are specially selected.’

‘Aye, but not for their brains and impartiality,’ Luke jibed.

David, who was still refusing to respond to Luke putting his oar in, took a sip from his tea before saying, ‘And another condition … eh … the most important one would be …’

‘I think you mean ultimatum and that is the real reason you’re here today.’

‘What ultimatum?’ Sally asked, looking from David to Luke.

David stayed silent so Luke said, ‘That I make no contact with Joe Kelly in Peterhead because there are two lazy Leith detectives who might end up with egg on their faces.’

Sally looked directly at David who was now pulling on his lower lip. ‘David,’ she asked when the silence had gone on long enough, ‘is this true?’

Blowing out his cheeks David said, ‘That’s rubbish. All we would ask is that he toes the line. In our job we all cover each other’s backs.’

Luke’s hysterical laughter rang around the room and he went over and slapped David on the back. ‘If by that,’ he hissed into David’s ear, ‘you mean I let Irish stew in prison, then I have to tell you …
no
. And what’s more I’ve just signed up for another tour in Hong Kong and within months I will be matching your rank. And when it’s awarded I will have earned it by honesty and hard work. So I don’t need your invitation to rejoin you lot and could I suggest you go and tell them who sent you, to stick their offer up where the sun don’t shine.’

David sniffed, his eyes glinted, he lifted his hat up from the table and without any further conversation with Luke he made for the door. Sally followed. ‘David,’ was all she said.

He turned, held out his hands to register the hopelessness he felt and whispered, ‘This makes no difference to you and I, Sally. Believe me this was not the top brasses’ idea that I came here today …’ He head shook desolately from side to side. ‘I was just trying to help out a couple of mates – save them from having to endure an enquiry. But most importantly, I’m here because of what I feel for you. Attempting, I was, to keep your brother from falling on his arrogant face. Joe Kelly’s was a fair trial. He is guilty but if Luke goes on, like I think he will, he will never ever be accepted back in the Edinburgh force. Try and get him to see sense, Sally.’

Sally looked back to Luke but he was just staring out of the window and his stance was such that Sally knew that two of the most important men in her life would now be forever at loggerheads.

The midday London train was about to leave. Any ill feelings Luke and Sally may be having about this morning’s altercation due to David Stocks were well hidden. They were determined that Daisy and her doctor husband would board the train knowing that all of the family was assembled in harmony to see them off.

Sally did feel tears spring to her eyes. Daisy had been such a delightful part of her life for such a long time now. Wasn’t it true she had mothered her? And like a mother Sally was concerned that pregnant Daisy would face motherhood without her by her side. The pregnancy was no mistake – it had been planned because Daisy was thirty-seven years of age and she was afraid that she may take after Sally’s daughter, Margo, who was the same age and was having such difficulties in conceiving.
Besides
, thought Sally,
getting yourself pregnant while unwed doesn’t carry the same stigma and condemnation that it used to. And
, she agreed,
rightly so
.

All too soon the guard blew his whistle. The train slowly began to depart from the station. Sally let go of Luke’s arm and she raced up the platform calling to Daisy, ‘Don’t forget me. Please, please, don’t forget me, Daisy.’

‘Mum, for heaven’s sake. The way you’re carrying on you would think Daisy was your daughter instead of me,’ Margo spluttered through her tears. ‘She’s got it all. She won’t need to go out and work because her husband will always be a big earner. And …’ Margo, who couldn’t conceal her abject misery any longer, stopped to wipe her tears before hollering, ‘and in four months, just four months, that you didn’t even seem to think was obscene because it was her, she will have a b,b,b,baby.’

Sally turned to face Margo. Margo was her beloved first born who had broken her heart more times than she wished to remember. She firstly recalled how she had sided with Harry when he had callously left her to set up home with Maggie, her supposedly best friend. Margo hadn’t even tried to comfort her but she did manage to point out that her father’s going was all Sally’s fault. Evidently she thought Sally had spent too much time on other people. These people were her children, one of whom was Margo, and Harry’s mother who Sally always made sure had a home with her even when Harry left. Sally sniffed and brushed her fingers under her nose when she thought back to the time all those years ago when Margo hadn’t even told her she was pregnant. In her hour of need when the little lad was stillborn she hadn’t even called out to her, her mother, to comfort her. Sally was now gnawing on her thumb when the picture that forever haunted her flashed into her consciousness.

The picture was of Maggie, traitor Maggie whom Margo had given Sally’s place to in her life. There she was sitting by distraught Margo’s hospital bed consoling her. Sally was nobody’s fool and her mind now started to wonder just why Margo was crying out to her today – crying out for Sally to be her mother. She nodded before silently acknowledging that there was a reason, there most certainly was, and Margo would reveal just exactly what that reason was in the very near future.

Sally, who was giving Maggie a hand to clear up the breakfast tables, looked up expectantly when Nancy came into the room.

‘You know I’m so excited,’ Nancy announced.

‘About what?’

‘Sally, you know fine that Luke’s taking me today to that denture technician in Musselburgh to get a new set of gnashers fitted.’

‘And you know fine well how I feel about it. Another week of letting your face heal up before subjecting it to breaking in new teeth would make all the difference.’

‘Luke says he’s going to have the man make up the teeth exactly like his.’ Nancy sighed. ‘Imagine it. Me with a smile as bonny as his.’

‘Nancy, the teeth Luke is sporting now are not the false teeth he left here with when he went to Hong Kong.’ Sally stopped. Her eyes flashed to the ceiling. ‘Sure the dentures he left with were so big they made him look like the ass that he is.’

‘Are you saying the ones he has now were made in Hong Kong?’

‘Yes, Nancy, I am. You see the original set got kicked out and lost in a brawl. So Luke being Luke demanded that the Colonial Police Service stump up for the new ones – and of course nothing but the very latest in technology was good enough for him.’

‘So what are you trying to say?’

‘Just don’t expect your ones to be as natural looking as his.’

‘Know something, Sally; I think you’re jealous that he’s willing to shell out for private ones for me.’

‘Jealous! Me! Certainly not and could I point out he’s only meeting the expense so you and he can get over to Peterhead next week.’

Nancy pouted her lips. ‘Know what?’

‘Not until you tell me.’

‘It’s just that I’m wondering why he needs me to go with him so badly that he’s stumping up for my teeth.’

‘Nancy, you’re his insurance policy. He knows Irish will not agree to see him but he will allow you to visit because you were a pal of Marie’s.’

‘I don’t think that’s his motive and neither do you,’ Nancy muttered, making a slow shake of her head.

‘That right?’

‘Aye. Because the real reason he needs me to be lead visitor is David Stock and co. will have asked the prison authorities not to allow him in.’

Sally shook her head before replying, ‘That right? Well, Nancy dear, all I’ve got to suggest is why don’t you stop reading Agatha Christie and putting yourself in the role of Miss Marple?’

Moving her head from side to side Nancy was delighted with what she saw in the mirror. ‘Here, Sally,’ she began as she grinned at her reflection, ‘there’s a plus in everything. Sure these pearlies are just so much better than the ones I lost. Look like my own teeth they do.’ Nancy turned to look directly at Sally. ‘Now come on, admit it, they do make me look ten years younger.’ Nancy turned back to gaze in the mirror again. ‘With a little bit of luck I could get signed up for the telly ad. You know the one,’ she now began to sing, ‘You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent!’

Sally was about to respond when the door opened and in came Luke. ‘Here, Sally, what do you think of Nancy’s teeth?’ He went over to Nancy and began waltzing her around the room. ‘Sure she looks that good everybody will be thinking she could be mistaken for Scarlett O’Hara …’

‘Is that because you think your new dentures make you look like Rhett Butler?’

‘He was dark. I’m fair. More like Alan Ladd.’

Sally shook her head. ‘When are we leaving?’

‘So you’re coming too.’

Lifting up her coat, Sally nodded. ‘Only,’ she drawled, ‘because you need some extra insurance and you have promised me you will take me to Smithton on the way back.’

One thing for certain was that Luke was a first-class driver and the trio were over the bridge before the two women had a chance to realise they had passed the spot of their crash ordeal.

Journeying on with his foot hard down on the accelerator he made even better time than he had done in the city.

‘Any chance of a stop … ?’ Nancy asked.

‘For a cup of tea?’ was Luke’s disgruntled reply.

‘That and a call of nature,’ hissed Nancy.

He did stop but that was the only break he allowed. Reaching Peterhead was his priority and even Aberdeen had to be bypassed at speed.

* * *

Sally felt quite spellbound as they approached Peterhead. She knew that the town itself lay on the north-east coast of Scotland and was in the main a prosperous and busy fishing port, but what she hadn’t expected was that the scenery surrounding the town would be so beautiful and spectacular. However, the panoramic scene changed when they were confronted with the prison itself. To Sally it looked like a soulless place that had been deliberately erected on the edge of the unbridled waters of the North Sea to ensure the inmates were always aware that there was no means of escape.