‘So it’s just you and me then, Fred,’ said Helena, hoping Jago wouldn’t be too long but knowing the nearest town was miles away and he wouldn’t be back for a couple of hours.
‘That’s right. How are we going to pass the time?’
‘Well,’ said Helena, ‘I was hoping—’
‘Tell you what,’ said Fred, who didn’t seem to have heard her, ‘what I’d really like is for you to read to me.’
‘Oh, what? The newspaper?’ Helena hid her disappointment that she couldn’t spend the time grilling him.
‘Dick Francis!’ said Fred gleefully. ‘They’re all there on the shelf. Haven’t been able to read them for years! You’ve got a nice voice.’ He smiled. ‘See if you can find the first one. Dead Cert, I think it was.’
Helena consoled herself with the fact that she quite liked Dick Francis too.
‘I’ll get myself a glass of water before I begin.’
Chapter Thirty-one
In the end it was three hours before Jago got back. By this time Helena and Fred were close friends. She’d read quite a lot of Dead Cert, made him a sandwich and a cup of tea, watched while he had a nap and, frighteningly, helped him to the loo. Fortunately once he was in there he could manage. But the unevenness of the floors and how hard he found it to manage them demonstrated that he urgently needed to live somewhere else.
Fred was asleep again by the time Helena heard Jago’s pickup arrive. She ran out to meet him.
‘Hi! Did you manage to get everything? Did you text Mum?’
‘I did and she rang me immediately so I was able to convince her you were fine but wouldn’t be back for a while.’ He studied her carefully. ‘I didn’t specify any time so you don’t need to worry about her worrying about you – but of course you can go now if you want to.’
She studied him back, trying to interpret his wishes from his calm, serious expression. She failed. ‘What would you like me to do?’
‘Honestly? I’d like you to stay – it’s too late for you to set off back home today in any case.’
Helena took a breath to ask if it was only concern for her that made him not want her to leave or if there were any other reasons but her nerve failed her. She didn’t feel she knew this Jonathan/Jago very well and couldn’t predict his response.
‘OK, well, let’s see what you’ve got and then think about supper. Fred had a cheese sandwich for lunch.’
‘Really? He managed that?’
‘I took the crusts off and cut it into very small pieces but he did find it a struggle. He enjoyed it though. I read him an awful lot of Dick Francis, too.’
‘So you didn’t talk much?’
Helena suppressed a sigh. ‘No, we didn’t talk much.’ Every time she’d tried to talk about Jago, Fred had changed the subject. ‘He didn’t tell me any of your secrets but I need you to tell me them. I can’t cope with not knowing who you are for much longer.’
Jago didn’t bother to suppress his sigh; it was loud and heartfelt. ‘I know. But it’ll take a while and I’m so tired and busy. Oh, by the way, I broke into your car and retrieved the shortbread and your overnight bag.’
‘Useful and worrying at the same time, but mostly useful so thank you.’ Then, remembering he hadn’t slept properly because he’d been sitting up with Fred, she went on, ‘Why don’t you have a nap? I’ll do supper and maybe put the telly on for Fred to keep him amused?’
‘That would be great, if you don’t mind? Fred is my responsibility, not yours.’
‘He’s my friend, which is also important, and when you wake up, when we’ve a suitable moment, you’re going to tell me just why he’s your responsibility.’
‘OK.’ Jago seemed very tired, more tired even than a night dozing in an armchair should make you. He took a couple of steps out of the kitchen and then turned back. ‘Good luck with the telly. Only three channels and one of them is Welsh. Luckily I bought a paper …’
By six o’clock Helena had made a cottage pie out of the mince Jago had bought, and given Fred some. He was very enthusiastic about it but didn’t actually eat very much. Helena didn’t eat very much either. She and Fred were drinking tea and looking at the view (Jago had been right about the telly not being up to much) when Jago came in.
They were both pleased to see him. Although happy with each other – Helena was learning how best to help Fred all the time – they were both aware of Jago’s absence, although Fred called him Jon.
‘Go and get yourself some pie and then come and entertain this young lady,’ said Fred. ‘She’s bored with me.’
‘I am absolutely not bored with you!’ said Helena indignantly. ‘But do help yourself to pie, Jago, and then join us. I want to know how you two met.’
It was a simple question and Helena said it in the bright way people do when they’re making small talk. But no one was fooled.
‘This may need a drink,’ said Jago. ‘I bought a bottle of rum. I know you like it, Fred.’
‘Not really allowed it now, but you could put a drop in my tea and no one would notice,’ he said.
‘Just more tea for me, please,’ said Helena when Jago looked at her enquiringly. ‘Oh, and ginger biscuits please. For dunking.’
‘Good idea,’ said Fred.
While Jago was away Helena smiled at Fred. ‘So you and him go back a long way?’
Fred smiled too, but shook his head. ‘I’ll let him tell you.’
There was a lot of moving small tables and shifting chairs slightly and seeing Fred was all right before Jago finally said, ‘OK. Well, it was about ten years ago, wasn’t it, Fred?’
Fred nodded. ‘Ten years. I was a relatively fit man then.’
‘And you met where?’ said Helena, who was by this time beside herself with impatience. She was crunching into ginger nuts as if they were the enemy.
‘You’d better start at the beginning, lad,’ said Fred.
‘I don’t know how much Helena knows. There’s stuff on the internet and she’ll have read that,’ said Jago.
‘You tell her,’ said Fred firmly. ‘There were a lot of lies told at the time. She’ll only hear the whole truth from you.’
‘What have you read?’ Jago asked Helena, obviously terribly unwilling to say a word more than necessary.
‘I read about the fire in the block of flats where five people were nearly killed. The fire brigade got awards for saving them. It was thought to be shoddy building work that made the fire spread once it had started. The building company – Relto – was condemned for its bad practice. The head of the company was sued for manslaughter but got off. Clever lawyers, everyone thought. The world was outraged. I actually remember it although I was quite young and didn’t pay much attention to current events.’
‘So was I,’ said Jago, ‘though I was of working age.’
‘You were just a lad, Jonathan, and they tried to blame you for everything,’ said Fred. ‘His uncle’ – Fred addressed Helena – ‘he owned the business; he was responsible. What he said, went. Young Jonathan was in quite a different part of the business. He was selling the properties that his uncle threw up.’