Page 79 of Second Chances at the Board Game Café

‘I’m a Scrabble fiend. The word Tarquin would score sixteen points in Scrabble, only proper nouns aren’t allowed. Never mind.’ She shook her head. ‘He’s not getting away with this.’

Jo had seemed such a gentle person when Taylor had met her in reception, but her eyes were blazing now as she continued. ‘He tried to get my Scrabble group kicked out of the church hall, and he wanted me to come to “an arrangement” with him back then. Only he didn’t phrase it quite so nicely. And you know Emily? Kate’s friend? Well, I’ve found out recently that he was behind her first café being bulldozed. He persuaded the freeholder to sell it to developers. Rumour has it that he owned a stake of the development company. He was trying to bulldoze the old co-op too, but the council wouldn’t let him. He’ll probably try again now. He’ll argue that in light of the damage, it isn’t worth saving and he’ll persuade them to grant the planning permission after all.’

Taylor couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. Her mind was like a washing machine of swirling emotions: the ever-present anxiety about Max, nerves about the fashion show and a mixture of anger and relief about Tarquin – anger at his past behaviour or relief at meeting someone else whom he’d tried it on with.

‘He’s a…’ she began then checked herself. ‘Well, I won’t swear since we’re in a school. Honestly, I’m sort of glad it isn’t just me he’s picked on, but I’m sorry you went through that. D’you know what else he’s said? That I won’t get my deposit back for the house. Because it was my fault the place collapsed.’

Jo put her mug of tea down. She reached into her bag, took out a pen and a Filofax – did people really still use those? – and said, ‘How did the floor collapse, Taylor? Tell me what happened.’

‘I started running a bath, then went downstairs to make a cuppa, then Mr B knocked at the door and we had a brief chat and then the whole ceiling came down.’

‘Mr B. Good. A reliable witness. How long did you chat for?’

‘Not long. A couple of minutes.’

‘Could it have overflowed?’

‘I wouldn’t have thought so.’

‘Even if it did overflow, that wouldn’t make the ceiling collapse. It could be a rotten joist. Although obviously I’m not a builder, but one of the dads in Reception class is.’

A rotten joist? Taylor thought of the stain in the ceiling; there had obviously been a leak in that bathroom for some time. Could that have caused it?

‘Then there’s Milly in Year 3,’ Jo was saying now. ‘I think her dad’s a structural engineer. And we’ve at least two mums who are solicitors.’

‘I can’t afford structural engineers or solicitors.’

‘They won’t charge. I work my butt off for this school. I’m going to get you your deposit back. Tarquin won’t know what’s hit him. And if he dares to apply for planning permission again to demolish that building and redevelop it, I’ll start a campaign to save it. People love the old co-op. It holds a lot of memories for the community round here. And no, don’t thank me…’ Jo held up her hand ‘…I’m doing this as much for me as for you, and I’m going to relish every moment. And in the meantime, we’re going to get all your stuff out of that building.’

41

Harry stood at the top of the ladder and gave the window a shove. He felt like a burglar. He couldn’t believe he’d been roped into doing this, but then it was for Taylor.

‘Are you sure this isn’t illegal?’ he called down to the small group of people watching below in the back yard.

‘The window’s open, isn’t it?’ Kate called back.

‘A crack,’ he shouted.

‘Then it isn’t breaking and entering, is it? Besides, Taylor’s still officially the tenant and you have her permission. Get on with it. We need to be quick.’

If it was all perfectly legal and above board, then why did he have to be quick? Harry wondered.

‘Be careful, Harry.’

That was Taylor’s voice. He smiled to himself. He could do this. He shoved the window again, trying to get a purchase on the old wooden frames. The window was a sash, and, as he pushed, it grudgingly began to rise. When the gap was big enough, he pushed his head and body through and slid inside. It wasn’t elegant, but he’d made it. He stood up, dusted himself off and leaned back out of the window, holding his thumb up to the group waiting in the yard: Mr B was standing alongside Kate and Taylor; Sylvia was there gripping Max’s hand; and Jo had insisted on coming as well, in case Tarquin got wind of what they were doing.

‘If he dares show his face, leave him to me,’ she said, with what seemed like relish.

Ludek was there too. ‘In case you need medical assistance,’ he’d said. He was coming up the ladder now too, ready to receive the first bag of clothes through the window.

This was the third time Harry had been in this bedroom, but there wasn’t time to reminisce now. He unfolded one of the huge blue IKEA bags that Kate had given him. The upcycled garments were all hanging on a clothes rail. He grabbed several at once and put them into the bag. Time was of the essence here, they could always be ironed later.

A floorboard creaked, making him jump. He paused for a second, wondering if he was about to fall through the ceiling into the room below. Apparently one of the dads from Jo’s school had peered through the back and front windows, and thought that the property was unlikely to collapse further, but they couldn’t guarantee it. In all probability, he’d said, one of the joists under the bathroom had been rotting and had given way under the weight of the water as the bath began to fill.

Harry tiptoed to the open window where Ludek was waiting. He handed over the bag then went to collect more of the clothes.

Five blue IKEA bags later, and he was back on terra firma, being hailed as a hero. His back was being slapped, his hand shaken. Taylor was looking through the bags, taking out the garments one by one and staring at them lovingly, as if they were long-lost friends. She saw him watching her, put down a sparkly silver dress and came over to him.