Page 148 of Maybe Tomorrow

ChapterSixty-Nine

Judith and Geoff had met a few times since the first phone call. It felt like they were getting to know each other all over again, almost as if they were meeting for the very first time. Geoff took her for a meal and then a drive along the coast. They even went to the cinema to see a film they both wanted to see, that Lisa wasn’t interested in.

When news broke of Malcolm Ripley pleading guilty to killing their daughter, Judith ran to the nearest phone and dialled her ex-husband.

‘They’ve got him, Geoff. They’ve finally got him,’ she’d cried down the phone.

He left work early and was by her side within two hours.

That night, sitting on Judith’s sofa, all the tears and resentment and bad feeling came out into the open. Judith said she felt she could finally lay Alice to rest and begin to move on. She looked to Geoff, and he kissed her firmly on the lips. She didn’t stop him. She took his hand and led him into the bedroom.

The following morning, he told Judith he loved her, that he’d never stopped loving her. He went back to South Shields and broke up with Lisa, returning that night to cement a new relationship with his ex-wife.

On the day of Malcolm’s sentencing, Judith and Geoff went to the court. They sat in the public gallery, holding hands to support each other, and listened intently as the judge passed down a minimum jail term of twenty-seven years. As relieved as Judith felt, she couldn’t hold back the tears and, once more, Geoff was by her side to protect her.

A few journalists outside the court asked for a response to the sentence, but they ignored the questions, climbed into a nearby taxi, and headed for Judith’s flat.

Once inside, they raised their mugs of tea to the memory of their only child and told her to rest in peace.

‘Mrs Clover’s retiring next year,’ Judith said.

‘Who’s Mrs Clover?’

‘She owns The Rushes, one of the bed-and-breakfasts I clean for.’

‘Oh.’

‘I haven’t touched any of the money I got for my share of the house,’ Judith said, looking at Geoff out of the corner of her eye. ‘Mrs Clover said she’d give me first refusal before putting it on the market.’

‘Are you serious?’

‘It’s a fresh start of sorts.’

‘You and me? Running a B and B together?’

‘What do you think?’

Geoff let the silence grow.

‘I think it sounds amazing,’ he smiled.

She smiled back and fell into his arms.

ChapterSeventy

Wednesday 24th January 1996

Lothersdale, North Yorkshire

The journey from Whitby to Lothersdale took over two and half hours. A small village in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, Lothersdale had fewer than two hundred homes, none of which had mains gas or water. This had the effect of limiting the amount of development potential over the years and had given the village an unspoilt atmosphere. It almost felt like going back into the past, visiting Lothersdale, and that was exactly the kind of life Anthony Winstanley wanted.

He lived in a stone-built cottage with his mother and stepfather. Pauline worked in the village shop four afternoons a week and Leo worked behind the bar in the pub every weeknight. Occasionally, Anthony would go with him, sit at the bar while Leo was serving, have the odd glass of Coke and packet of crisps, and chat to the locals. They all knew who Anthony was, and all about his past, but they never questioned him about it, and he never volunteered any information.

During the day, Leo and Anthony would take to the hills for long treks. Sometimes they’d take Woody, Anthony’s guide dog, but it depended on the weather. The two of them liked nothing more than wrapping up against the elements, throwing a flask and a few sandwiches into their backpacks and disappearing for the day.

They didn’t speak much. They didn’t have to. Occasionally, Anthony would reveal more about his time in prison, to unburden himself, and Leo would listen. It would never go any further than the two of them.

Today was a change from the norm. Today, they were to have a visitor to the cottage. Jennifer Ripley was coming all the way from Whitby, and she was bringing the twins. One of them was named after Anthony, which almost made him cry when he heard. Jennifer had sent over photographs of them, but he was yet to see them in the flesh, so to speak.