The Restraining Order

"You bitch," he said and swung his open hand round to slap me.

I saw it coming, grabbed his wrist and spun round throwing him over my shoulder. I offered thanks to Richard for insisting I took self-defence lessons. My instructor told me to put the attacker on his back and get to hell out of there, but this was my house and I was going nowhere. I still held wrist as he lay groaning on the floor. I put my foot on his chest and with one hand pushing his elbow straight, I used the other to push his fingers back. I looked down at him. He'd knocked over a chair as he went down and the back of the chair was underneath him.

"Why Tony? What did Richard ever do to you?"

"Nothing, he had what I wanted so I took it."

"Come off it Tony, you don't care for me. If you did you wouldn't have tried to attack me."

"Not just you, you stupid bitch, the whole family thing, that's what I wanted. The business world likes family men they think they can trust them. I'd never become a partner as a single man. Just think how long it would take to find a woman, marry her and produce a couple of children. I saw the chance of doing it all in a year. You're an attractive woman the kids are cute I had it made. Look, think about it, I can still give you a better life than he ever could."

I pushed down with my foot so the four inch heel pushed between his ribs.

"If you make another comment like that I push this heel through your ribs and give you severe heart ache."

That's when I realised, I knew what I wanted. I took my hand off his elbow and reached out and picked up the phone and called Richards mobile. He answered quickly.

"Hello Richard. I need to talk to you, can you come over? -- Yes I know, I had it overturned this morning.—No the kids are fine. I just need to talk to you. -- Right away if you can.—OK. Oh and Richard, bring your shotgun."

I disconnected and looked down to Tony again.

"Well I think you've got between five and ten minutes before he gets here. Do you really want to be here when I tell him what you did?"

"You really expect me to be scared of that wimp?"

"You don't know him. You tried to take his children away the most important thing in his life. I'd say that makes him very dangerous. Now I'm going to let you get up. I suggest you use what time you've got, clearing your stuff out."

*****

Tony was leaving as the old Volvo pulled up outside. Richard got out of the car and watched the red BMW disappear from view. He walked up the drive and I didn't wait for him to ring the doorbell. I threw the door open walked out onto the doorstep, threw both arms around him and hugged him. It had never happened before, but as I wrapped my arms around him I felt his body stiffen. It was like hugging a stranger. He reached behind and took hold of my arms and pulled them away.

"What do you want Cath? You've taken everything I've got nothing more to give you so what's this all about and since when did I own a shotgun?"

I started to realise how big a mountain I had to climb. The man who'd loved me, depended on me and trusted me, now looked for an ulterior motive in everything.

"It's nothing like that Richard. All I want is some of your time. I need to explain things, try to make things right. "

"Wasn't that lover boy I saw driving away? What time is he coming back and is he bringing the police with him to arrest me for breaking the injunction?"

"There is no injunction and Tony's not coming back, not tonight, not ever. The only reason I mentioned a shotgun was to get him out of here before you arrived, now please come inside."

We walked inside. I took him into the living room and he sat on the sofa. He was perched on the edge as if he expected to get up at any second.

"Would you like a drink?" I asked

"I'll have a sparkling water if you've got any. Failing that coffee would be good."

"Are you sure? I've got beer or wine. You don't have to worry about driving. You could stay over here if you want."

"I'm sure, water or coffee. I don't drink now, not since I got so drunk I lost track of a whole night. It turned out to be the most important night of my life. The night my whole world fell apart. That's never going to happen again."

I set the filter machine going. I knew just how he liked his coffee and that was exactly how he was going to get it.

"Where are you living now?"

"With my brother Robb, at the scrap yard. He and Vicki are letting me sleep in one of the kids' rooms until I can save enough money for a deposit on a flat. He's been very good to me, even let me have the old Volvo for fifty quid. It's an insurance write-off. It's not pretty but it's transport."

"How about work, you must be doing well, if you can take time out to come to the school."

"They let me go about six months ago. I can't blame them I was the next best thing to useless for months. They've been very good about it. They give me a bit of contract work."

"Still you are doing OK though? I mean you're still making the payments on time."

"My children aren't going to suffer, just because their dad stuffed up."

"You're not making this any easier."

"Is that what I'm supposed to do, make your life easy? Looking around I think I've done a pretty good job. Excuse me being cynical Cath, but being thrown out of his house and taken to the cleaners does that to a man. I made one mistake, just one, and what did you do to me? "

"That's just it Richard you didn't"

"You know what's worse? I don't remember anything about it.—What did you just say."

"I said you didn't make a mistake. It was all a put up job. You never fucked her, she told me.—I really am so sorry Richard."

The look on his face changed from anger to total disbelief.

"But the photographs, I mean that was me right?"

"Half of them were the rest were of Tony. Eva told me how it was done. She is really ashamed of her part. She's offered to help in any way she can."

I went into the kitchen to pour the coffee and to have a cry. Every time I looked at Richard I could see his heart was breaking again. Just seeing him like that tore me apart. I returned with his coffee and a glass of wine for myself. He seemed to have calmed when I returned. He picked up the coffee, took a sip and smiled at me.

"Some things haven't changed. You still make a great cup of coffee." He put the cup down again. "Now tell me how lover boy set me up and why."

"I'll tell you whatever you want but please don't call him that. I don't love him. He was more like company really. Yes we slept together but it was not love, not like you and I used to be. Call him arsehole, shithead, anything you like, but not lover boy. You are the only man I've ever loved and I stuffed that up didn't I."

I started to cry again and he got up and came to me holding my head to his waist. A year ago, holding my head there would have aroused him. Not this time, he was flaccid and it was like he was comforting a child.

I recovered and he sat down again while I described all the events that had got us to that point. As I did so I noticed how quiet he became. Many people made the mistake of taking quietness for acceptance. I knew Richard, when he got angry he didn't rant and rave he went quiet running things over and over in his head until it eventually exploded.

"Richard, promise me you won't do anything silly. We all need you more than ever now. Why don't you stay here the night? You'll be calmer in the morning. You can sleep in one of the children's rooms if you like."

"I can't stay, I've got a date tonight. Don't worry though I won't do anything stupid."

I felt like I'd been hit in the stomach. He had a date. In all of the scenarios I'd gone through in my head, I'd completely missed that one. He'd decided to move on and was dating. I don't know why It should have come as a surprise, after all I'd been living with Tony for almost six months. I winced as he got up to leave. I used the only weapon left in my armoury.

"The children are anxious to see you could you come around tomorrow?"

"Really? You'd be OK with that?"

"Of course I'm OK with it. Tell you what why don't you collect them from Mum's tomorrow? You could bring them back here and I'll stay at Mum's until Sunday night. You can take them out or just stay here with them."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he took the house keys I gave him.

"Are you sure about this?"

"They're your children as much as mine you should be able to see them whenever you want."

As he left he turned back to me.

"Thanks Cath. I'll be there by about 1:00 pm I've got something to do in the morning."

*****

Mum was hardly understanding when I told her what I'd found out. She'd never liked Tony, creepy little man she called him. She managed to avoid saying "I told you so." She loved Richard and thought I should have given him another chance. In her day you stood by your man. All men got drunk now and again and sometimes they got carried away. But a man who looked after his children and loved his wife was worth his weight in gold. Waiting for him to collect Maddy and Tom I could see her getting excited. It had been almost a year since we'd split and she still called him her son in law.

Richard turned up at 1:30 pm. Mum insisted we all sat down for lunch. She was like the cat that got the cream. All her family together around the table for the first time in a year, she loved it. When Richard left with the children she kissed him and told him to come back soon. We both waved them off and she turned to me.

"Well my girl, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know mum, it's such a mess I don't know where to start."

"Do you think you can rebuild your life with them? He still loves you, you know that?"

"I'm not so sure about that. You didn't hear him last night. He's so hurt and so angry."

"He'll calm down especially now he can be with his children. You know that's the first smart move you've made in a year."

"I know that mum, I'm going to try but I don't know if it's possible. I think I'm going to need all the help I can get."

"Well in that case, you need to start eating humble pie and creating alliances."

Mum was right, of course, I needed to get more people on my side if I wanted to get Richard back. I'd start with his family.

The weekend went well for me. Mum and I were closer than we'd been since dad died. I suppose it was because we had a common purpose. I arrived home at 7:00 pm just in time to help Richard get the children ready for bed. Both Maddy and Tom were really happy and told me what a great time they'd had with their father. After they settled I poured a glass of wine for me and a sparkling water for Richard and we sat and talked about the weekend. I suggested he might like to pick them up from school sometimes and spend the evening with us. We parted on good terms that night and gave me some hope for the future.

*****

Monday morning came all too soon. I was very nervous about going to work and confronting Tony again. I'd already typed up a resignation letter but I felt obliged to honour the pledge to Michael Pendleton so I turned up for work as normal. I watched from the window as Tony arrived and parked in his reserved space. He seemed to have a spring in his step as he walked into the building. I was pre-occupied with how I was going to get through the day. I failed to notice of the white flat-bed truck which pulled into the space next to Tony's BMW

Anthony Woodward hadn't had the best weekend. Finding a hotel for Friday night, then looking for a flat on Saturday. The events of Friday evening had taken the shine off the success of his trip to Southampton but this morning that was all behind him. The trip had been successful, he had brought a high value customer to the firm. Today he expected to have praise heaped upon him. The greeting from his secretary came as no surprise to him.

"Good morning Mr Woodward, did you have a successful trip."

"Yes thank you Maggie, very successful."

"Mr Pendleton would like to see you sir. First thing he said, shall I tell him you're on your way"

"If you would Maggie, thank you"

He dropped his briefcase off in his office and made his way to the top floor. When he got to Michael Pendleton's office the secretary told him to go straight in. Michael invited him to sit down and pulled out a file. Anthony didn't wait to be asked he immediately started to report his success.

"Well Michael I'm pleased to say we now have another Million Pound client. That's a minimum, by the way."

"I'm glad to hear it Anthony but that isn't why I wanted to see you. It seems you have been a naughty boy and you have used the good offices of this company to do so."

"I'm sorry Michael I don't understand."

"Do you deny that you pressured Davinda Trent into filing a request for an injunction against Mr Richard Thompson."

Anthony started to feel uncomfortable. "Yes I did but it was urgent he was making threats against Cathy and me we needed that injunction for our own protection."

"So you deny providing false evidence for that injunction."

"Yes, of course I do."

"I take it you can provide the original statement signed by Mrs Thompson. You see Mrs Thompson denies ever providing a statement. She also says the allegations are false. You provided the court with a copy, so where is the original."

"Bitch," said Anthony as he sprang from the chair. He turned and for the first time noticed the two security guards who had quietly slipped into the office.

"From that response I guess it's true. Please sit down I haven't finished yet."

Anthony sat back in the chair he already knew his career at Pendleton, Syms and Woodcock was over. The question now is how bad it was going to get.

"Now we come to the accounting problems. I have here a list of payments to a Ms Eva Balinkowa. They were all signed off by you. What exactly has this young lady been doing for us? I see you've listed the expense as entertainment. Just what sort of entertainment does she provide?"

"Look Michael keeping the client happy is what gets the business. Sometimes we have to do things we don't like to get that business."

"So on the last occasion you used Ms Balinkowa, what client did she entertain? He must have been important because you paid her twice the normal fee."

"I can't say I'd need to look at my records."

"Ms Balinkowa says you used her to acquire materials to blackmail our client."

"That's not true. He wasn't a client."

"I've heard enough Anthony. We will be providing all our evidence to the police. I expect you to be facing charges. I expect the law society to take action resulting in revoking your licence to practice. I think we're finished here. These two gentleman will escort you to your office. You have an hour to remove your personal items and leave these offices."

*****

The spring had gone from Anthony's step as he left the building. His face dropped even more when he saw Richard Thompson standing in front of his parking space. With his possessions in a box he walked across the car park. Richard stood in his path and didn't move. As he reached Richard Anthony put the box down. He looked at Richard.

"It's a bit late to grow a backbone now isn't it? Now step aside and let me get to my car."

Richard stepped back and turned with his right arm extended towards the parking space. Anthony's mouth dropped open as he saw the 3 foot cube of red painted metal that was occupying his parking space. He walked over to it running his hand on the metal. When he noticed the BMW badge still on what remained of the bonnet he turned and swung at Richard.

"You bastard," he yelled as his fist glanced off Richard's shoulder.

The contact was all he needed. Richard firmly planted his foot between Anthony's legs and then stepped in. As Anthony folded Richard brought his knee up into his opponents face and both hands down on the back of his neck. He stepped back allowing Anthony to fall to the ground. Blood oozed from his nose and mouth as he struggled to get up. Richard stood still as Anthony got to his feet. He stood, supporting himself on the cube of metal as two police constables walked towards them across the car park.

"Perfect timing officers," said Anthony. "You must have seen everything. I want this man charged with assault."

"And your name would be?"asked the policeman.

"Anthony Woodward."

"Anthony Woodward I am arresting you on suspicion of conspiracy to blackmail. You are not obliged to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something you later rely on in court."

The two officers cuffed his hands behind his back, while Anthony continued to protest.

"But what about his assault on me? You must have seen it."

"Yes sir, we watched you punch this gentleman and him retaliating with sufficient force to protect himself." He turned to Richard. "You might like to make a note of our numbers sir, in case you want to press charges."

"Him press charges? What about me? Look what he's done to my car," yelled Anthony nodding towards the cube of scrap.

"Would your car be a red BMW sir? Like that one over there."

Anthony followed the policeman's gaze and saw his car, completely intact, on the other side of the car park. The policeman picked up the key and Anthony's boxed belongings. He placed the box inside the car and returned to lead Anthony to the patrol car. Richard followed them, talking to Anthony as they walked.

"You'd better get used to this Woodward, this is only the beginning. There must be plenty of laws against what you did to me. I'll make sure you're charged with every one of them. You tried to take everything I valued. Now it's my turn."

As the patrol car left Robb pulled the lorry back into the car park and used the HIAB crane to pick up the cube of scrap. With the cube back on the truck he jumped down and with a big smile on his face. He walked over and high-fived Richard.

"Oh Richie, the look on his face was worth taking time off from work. I loved it."

"What about phase 2?"

"Starts tonight, In a week or so you'll be driving a nice new Beemer."

*****

Brenda walked into my office and went straight to the window.

"Hey Cath come and look at what's going on in the car park."

I went to the window and watched Anthony being driven away in a police car. Richard was there also. He was laughing, really laughing. His brother Robb had his lorry in the car park loading something on the back. When Robb jumped down from the truck they high fived each other and slapped each other on the back. I hoped that whatever they were up to didn't get Richard into trouble. It would break the children's hearts to get him back then have him taken away again. I wondered how I was going to make things right if he got locked up?

After lunch I got a call from Michael Pendleton. He told me what had happened earlier and asked if I still wanted to resign. Of course I didn't, with Tony gone what would be the point? He also went to great pains to assure me that Tony was completely on his own and the firm didn't condone his actions. I guess he was worried about Richard or me suing the firm.

By the end of the day most people forgot about Tony's departure and the altercation in the car park. I left to pick up the children from school. To my surprise I found the old Volvo sitting outside the gates, and Richard talking to Penny. They both smiled as they chatted. I got out of the car and walked over to them. As I reached them the children started to come out. I think everyone heard Maddy scream when she saw him.

"Daddy!"

She ran to the gate with Tom right behind her. He bent down sitting on his heels with his arms outstretched. They ran into his embrace and he hugged them close.

"Daddy, will you come home with us tonight?" Tom asked him.

"If it's OK with Mummy?" He looked up at me and I nodded. He smiled at me for the first time since the whole thing kicked off he gave me a genuine smile. I couldn't help myself, tears filled my eyes and I had to turn away.