Jade shrugged. ‘I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice to have a local theatre.’
‘I thought you rather enjoyed her spectacular fall from grace blasted all over social media.’
‘Well, yes, but every cloud has a silver lining. What if that led to us having a local theatre where we could take the kids?’
‘I wouldn’t go,’ Jack mumbled, although he did think about what Jade had just said. He remembered his first visit there when he’d found Bridie and all her little helpers from Cobblers Yard rallying around. He’d have to put a stop to that. If word really got out about her plans for the theatre, and lots of people volunteered to get involved and help out, then he really might have a problem on his hands. He wasn’t investing in it for the long haul, for a slice of the profits from ticket sales, despite what he’d told Bridie.
‘That’s not going to happen,’ Jack said adamantly.
‘How can you be so sure?’
‘Because … because I’ll make sure of it.’
‘You mean … sabotage?’
Sabotage. Jack raised his eyebrows – now there was an idea.
‘You do know there’s this stupid rumour about some ghost? I didn’t tell you this, but Milo and his friends from school got into the theatre one time, and they scarpered, said there was someone else there.’
Jack sighed. ‘It’s just other kids larking about because everyone has heard the rumour. You know what kids are like.’
‘No, I don’t.’
Jack pursed his lips. He remembered what Jade had been like at school. She hadn’t been like Bridie and Oliver, game for anything, although Jack suspected Oliver had only been game for urban exploration because he’d go anywhere with Bridie.
‘I wish you’d never developed this obsession with that theatre. Why even get involved?’
‘I want to make sure it goes down. I told you, if I have a stake in it, I can make sure it doesn’t work and then I can get my hands on it.’ He sighed heavily. ‘Why doesn’t she just sell it to the highest bidder?’
‘Which would be you.’
‘Exactly.’
‘I still don’t know why she’s doing it,’ Jack said, annoyed, ‘renovating the damn theatre to stage a play.’
‘I do.’
Jack leaned forward, elbows on his desk. He looked at her eagerly. ‘You do?’
Jade nodded, her silky locks bobbing up and down. ‘She’s trying to relaunch her career. I bet nobody in the London theatres will touch her after what happened. If she can relaunch her London career, then she can move back there.’
‘But how? It’s just a small local theatre.’
‘Yes, that’s true, but she might invite some casting agents from London to showcase her talent.’
‘You think so?’
‘Yeah. The show in London looked amazing. It was a shame what happened. I love London shows.’
‘You go to London shows?’ Jack didn’t know why he was acting all surprised. He worked crazy, long hours and honestly had no clue what his wife and Milo did half the time – all he did know was that it involved spending his money.
Jade looked at her nails. ‘I like live theatre.’
‘I didn’t know that. I didn’t know you even went to the theatre.’
‘Yeah, well, you never want to go to the theatre, so I never bring it up. I go myself when I’m in London having my hair done with my girlfriends, and I take Milo into London on the school holidays to see shows.’
‘Your friends never mentioned that.’
