Kate arrived at Bridge Café early, hoping to beat Ryan to it and find a table first so she could get her thoughts together. The café was only small; four tables downstairs and three upstairs. She had deliberately chosen it as she knew it would be quiet at that time of day: the hill walkers would have been and gone. She was gutted when she pulled into the car park to see Ryan sat waiting on a bench. Steeling her resolve, she stepped out of the car and crossed the road.
“Hey, you came then?” Ryan greeted her, moving forward to kiss her cheek. Kate took a swift side-step and headed into the café without saying a word. They both ordered coffee and Kate led the way upstairs. Silence descended. Unable to bear it any longer, Ryan broke the frosty atmosphere.
“So how have you been?” he asked, looking at her.
“I’ve been doing fine, thank you.”
Ryan realised this wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought. “Kate, look. I don’t want it to be like this.”
“Like what exactly?”
“This. Cold, frosty, defensive. It’s not like you. Well, not like the Kate I used to know anyway.” He watched Kate’s face closely for a response.
“I’m not the Kate you used to know, that’s why.” She picked up a sugar packet and tore off the top, pouring it into her cup.
“I know, I get that. How did you end up here of all places?”
Ryan didn’t know about Witness Protection so Kate was cautious with her answer. “Seemed as good a place as any.” She stirred her coffee, avoiding his gaze.
“Really? Well I’m glad you did.” He reached his hand forward to stop her constant stirring and felt her shake. “Hey, what’s with the shakes?”
“It’s all just a bit of a shock Ryan, can you blame me?” Finally, she met his eye but pulled her hand away.
“No. I understand, really I do.”
“So what did you have to tell me? You’ve spoken to Darren? I’m amazed you had the guts.”
“I didn’t ‘speak’ to him exactly. More like I had a message delivered from his cronies.” Ryan paused. “He proper screwed me over Kate.” Ryan adopted a semblance of being the wounded party.
“Is that right?” Kate asked warily.
Ryan carried on. “It is pure chance that I’m here at the same time as you, but it couldn’t have happened at a better time for me to be honest.” He looked away, staring out of the window.
“Go on.”
“Darren and his little cronies played a right number on me. Tried to grass me up but when that didn’t work he got some of his ‘gangster’ mates to start spreading shit around about me.” Ryan shifted in his seat and looked back at Kate. She was staring at him and he could see the uncertainty on her face. “Some really nasty rumours involving kiddies and that.”
Kate was stunned into silence. She looked at him questioningly. “What? You mean...” Kate couldn’t quite form the words to finish the sentence.
Ryan nodded. “Yeah. Exactly. Course it doesn’t take long for mob mentality to kick in where we live does it? It was a blessing when Dad rang and asked me to look after the pub. Gave me a reason to leave and I couldn’t get away fast enough.”
“Shit Ryan, that’s awful.”
“I know, right? You don’t believe them do you?”
“No, no of course not. How awful. And what a bastard Darren is. God, I’m glad I got away when I did.” She reached over and took Ryan’s hand. “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that.”
“Huh, it’s not your fault. Just a bit shit, know what I mean?”
“Yes, yes of course. So what will you do? How long are you staying?” asked Kate, concern written all over her face.
Ryan didn’t answer immediately, framing his response in his head before he opened his mouth. “Erm, not sure. Dad goes in hospital for a knee op shortly, but it’s the recovery that takes longer so who knows? Definitely over the summer anyway. After that, who knows?”
They let the sentence hang between them until Kate realised the time. “I have to go. I need to pick Joe up from school.” She pushed her chair back and pulled her coat on. Ryan stood and helped her with it.
“Look, Kate. I know this is all a bit sudden but can we at least keep in touch?”
Kate looked at Ryan, studying him. She knew what it was like to be forced out of your own home. She knew Darren was a nasty vengeful bastard but he really had gone too far this time. She knew that Ryan had been used as a punching bag, and looking at him she could see that he was putting a brave face on the situation. “Let’s keep in touch and see how it goes, OK?”
“Thanks Kate. It’s nice to see a friendly face. I imagine things haven’t been easy for you either.” He took one of her hands in his.
“Oh, I’m fine now but yeah, it’s been a bumpy road. No one knows anything about my previous life around here so let’s just say we’re friends from way back if anyone asks?”
“Well, that is true really isn’t it?” Ryan smiled at Kate and she found herself smiling too in acknowledgement. She turned to leave him, and he pulled her back towards him when she didn’t pull away. He kissed her gently on the forehead and said goodbye. He didn’t follow immediately, claiming he had to use the facilities.
He watched from the window as Kate’s car disappeared off into the distance. ‘What’s one more secret between us Kate?’
7
Harehills Lane, Leeds 1997
Ryan pushed opened the door to the Dog and Gun and stepped inside. It wasn’t one of his usual haunts so there was little chance of him bumping into anyone he knew. The place was a dump. Sticky carpets, nicotine-stained walls and less than welcoming bar staff. It was still early doors so the place was empty, but the smell of body odour lingered and last night’s beer dregs added to the slickness across the bar top. A barmaid wandered through, half-heartedly wiping a filthy cloth across the pumps. Ryan could see directly into the tap room where his counterparts were already seated and slurping pints of bitter. As he waited for his own pint to be poured, he studied the motley crew he had unwillingly become a part of. Three of them huddled around a small table, and from his vantage point he studied each of them. As usual, Jon was banging on about his days as a rally driver. If Ryan could be arsed, he would love to know how much of this were true. Having seen Jon’s driving, it wasn’t so much that he had a lead foot but he had absolutely no spatial awareness on the road: forever clipping mirrors and scaring pedestrians with his erratic driving. The bloke was harmless enough, just a bit of a knob in Ryan’s opinion.
Suddenly the three roared with laughter and Ryan assumed Clive had said something random as always. For the life of him Ryan couldn’t figure out why Charlie had even brought him in on the deal. At 52, he was older than the others, and a bit gormless but he had also been a long-time associate of Charlie’s. Hilariously Clive had been told to be the lookout but with one eye pointing east and the other west, he really was a standing joke.
Finally, with his pint in hand Ryan made his way through to the back room. “Alright?” he asked, dragging a stool over.