11 Heartbreak In Heaton Valley - By Stephanie Poppins

Heartbreak at Heaton Valley Written and performed by Stephanie Poppins Have you ever noticed things never seem to happen when you're waiting for them?

And yet,

When you least expect it,

The most amazing things come along to remind you just how wonderful life really is.

Episode 11 According to Paul Smart of Smart and Sons,

The difference between a good employee and a bad one was how many unnecessary questions they asked.

Unfortunately for him,

His latest intern had yet to receive the memo.

To need some help with that,

The young man persisted behind him.

Paul looked up from the printer,

The hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

No.

Cup of tea?

No.

Go and polish the windows or something.

This lad was supposed to be making life easier,

But so far he only reminded Paul of what he was missing.

It was unusual for him to be so abrupt.

His reputation stood testament to that.

But Paul Smart needed space.

He had a lot on his mind.

From what he'd just read,

The rest of these messages would make for serious business,

And he'd needed time to digest them.

Get those plans adapted as soon as possible and send them to my man in town,

The first message read.

Stop stalling and do it.

We've not got time to mess around,

Read another.

So far,

Paul concluded,

Jack Riley was a bully and a thug.

And what about the messages he hadn't read yet?

One thing was certain,

The evidence was stacked against the man,

And by the looks of it,

It was only going to get worse.

With a huge sigh,

The printer came to a halt,

And so did Paul.

It was all there in black and white.

Now he must go through it thoroughly before emailing it across to his friends in the planning authority.

The Skinners had thought they were so clever,

Placing a mole in the East Lincoln office.

But his connections had far more authority than that.

West Lincoln held the appeals committee,

Those who really held clout.

With one handshake,

It would be sweet sayonara to their mole,

And good riddance too.

He collected everything together and headed back to his office.

Ava would have made the call by now and exposed Jack to the press,

So everything was in hand.

Taking out his pen,

Paul sifted through the many sheets of paper.

There were pages and pages.

Screenshots of Jack's threats,

Photos of letters stating the land was unfit to build upon.

The list went on.

And they all had dates and times linked to them.

Paul sighed.

Ava knew Lincoln Lakes was wrong,

And this run of documents was proof.

She was a good person who'd made some bad choices,

He reasoned.

And secretly,

He thanked God her signature was nowhere to be seen.

He pushed his office door closed with his foot and reached into the safe for the phone.

It had belonged to her dead sister.

How sad was that?

It felt like an intruder at first,

Sifting through her private messages,

But that was where the evidence lay,

So he had little choice.

It had been easy to find the message thread.

There were no flies on Ava Smith,

That was certain.

But what had happened to her old phone,

He wondered.

Doubtless Jack was behind the disappearance of that too.

Paul took one last look.

He couldn't help himself.

He had a morbid sense of curiosity,

And had already noticed the most contacted person after Ava and her mother was Jack Riley himself.

Would this turn out to be more coercion?

Ava said something about him having a relationship with Jessica before she died.

Selecting the message thread,

Paul scanned through.

Surely Ava hadn't seen this,

Had she?

His heart sank.

Of course she had.

If you'd lost those pounds you kept promising yourself you would,

You might feel better and not be so difficult to be around.

Jack messaged,

Adding a laughing emoji.

It doesn't help that you keep banging on about your diet,

He added later on.

Paul checked the date of this one,

August of the year before.

It had been sent only a few months before she died.

Heart failure,

Ava said,

As a result of years of anorexia.

And this last regression had Jack's name all over it.

Paul placed the phone back in the safe.

Enough was enough.

He couldn't read anymore.

But now he knew.

Everything that could possibly have gone wrong for Ava Smith had happened less than a year ago.

Yet she'd still managed to haul herself up to standing,

Take on the care of her niece,

And move location without once complaining,

All the while fearful of what Riley might do to her next.

How he wished she'd told him sooner.

At least he'd managed to give Jack both barrels when he showed up in the office the day before.

That had shot the life out of him.

He opened the door again.

I'll have something stronger now.

A brandy should do it.

And get me a car.

I'm not driving in this weather.

Then he packed the printouts into an envelope ready for his courier.

With any luck,

They'd be there within the hour.

And before the week was out,

All hell would break loose in the East Lincoln Planning Office.

Wiggling uncomfortably on the corner sofa,

Ava Smith glanced at her sleeping niece.

It had been a long night,

And Daisy was exhausted from it all.

She on the other hand had refused to let her guard down,

Even for a second.

You can't keep us here against our will,

She insisted.

It's abduction.

You booked one of the pods,

Remember?

The Skinner replied,

Eager to set the record straight.

I don't think it is.

Isn't that right,

George?

This conversation had gone back and forth all night long,

With no update on Jack Riney's whereabouts.

Probably with his latest girlfriend,

Ava concluded.

He always looked for an easy distraction when the going got tough.

She swallowed hard,

Her throat was dry and her adrenaline waning.

Their intimidation was working.

Then suddenly her phone began to ring.

She shoved her hand into her inside pocket without thinking.

This was her lifeline.

But too late.

Get it off her,

Said George,

And his brother jumped up like an obedient dog.

While the one left outside was still scratching frantically at the door.

Let that mutt in while you're at it,

Before he gets the back of my hand.

Tracy Skinner unlocked the front door with her key,

And the long,

Thin matted streak of fur slunk in and cuddled up next to Daisy without hesitation.

Aunty Ava,

She woke up with a start,

Where are we?

We're still here,

Darling,

Ava soothed.

But we're going soon.

There's been a misunderstanding,

That's all,

But we're sorting it out,

Don't worry.

This prompted a sneer from the Skinner brothers,

Before they tossed Ava's phone straight into the fire.

Why?

Ava cried,

Watching it melt away.

Daisy,

However,

Seemed less bothered.

You said you wanted the phone,

And now you've got it,

So you might as well let us go.

Ava was speechless.

Her young niece didn't have a clue what was going on,

But she was willing to risk her safety if it meant sticking up for her aunty.

Keep her quiet,

Or I'll do it for you,

George sneered back,

And instinctively Ava placed herself between him and the child.

The phone we want is old,

You know which one I'm talking about.

When Jack gets here,

He'll get it out of you.

Ava sighed.

She was sick of dealing with his imbeciles,

And it was time to stand up for herself.

I'm not talking to Jack.

This did not prompt the response she wanted.

She's not getting the message,

Is she,

George?

Said his brother impatiently.

Seems not,

George replied.

Look,

Ava insisted,

I haven't got it,

And keeping me here won't get it.

I don't know what Jack thinks is on there,

It's just sentimental stuff,

That's all.

Don't talk to me like I'm stupid.

He saw you send those messages,

And you know it,

Otherwise why would he have taken your phone?

Take?

Is that what he called it?

Ava's thoughts ran back to that horrible day.

The news had just broken about the flood at Lincoln Lakes,

And she dashed back to the office to collect all the evidence she could before sending it to her sister's phone in case something should happen.

Jack had always warned her not to talk,

And since they'd split up he'd been even more ruthless in his demands.

She'd known how volatile he was even then,

And it had been hell on earth having to still work with him until all the units were sold.

What are you doing?

He yelled when he caught her at it,

Unexpectedly.

Collecting my things,

She said in as cool a voice as she could muster,

But that hadn't swayed him.

With one vicious swipe he snatched her phone and sent her hurtling towards the back wall of the office.

This is as much on you as it is on me,

Ava Smith,

He hissed,

Glancing at her phone screen before it went black.

I'm just messaging my sister before I leave,

She insisted.

But he wouldn't buy it.

Is that right?

I'm surprised she's got time for you.

She's far too busy missing me.

That had sent Ava over the edge,

And now she knew for sure it was Jack Riley who Jessica was pining after.

Ava met George's eyes defiantly.

You can have the phone,

She said calmly,

But I'll have to go and get it.

And by the time we get to Smart & Sons,

She said to herself,

It won't matter anyway,

All my evidence will be in the right hands.

Where is it?

Said George sourly.

In Market Heaton,

My office in Smart & Sons.

Catching her husband's change in demeanour,

Tracy Skinner dragged her hands across her dirty apron and returned to the safety of the kitchen.

Ava eyed her cautiously.

She was more haggard than your average housewife,

And if Ava was not mistaken,

She was not that much older than her.

But judging by the state of the kitchen and the way her husband spoke to her,

Tracy Skinner had lived two lifetimes' worth already.

Being a housewife at Middlewood Farm was not for the faint-hearted.

There's no story to be had anymore,

She lied,

Eager to calm the tension down.

So it's not worth me saying anything.

Ryegrass Meadows got the go-ahead anyway,

So what would I gain by saying anything else?

I'd be called a liar,

Wouldn't I?

I'd lose Paul Smart money.

This,

Of course,

Was not strictly true.

Paul would have said the evidence by now,

And that would back up her story to the press.

But George Skinner didn't need to know that.

She watched him closely for any sign of acceptance,

But he wasn't convinced.

She must say something else and get him to do what she wanted,

Before Jack Riley returned.

Look,

My days of getting revenge are well and truly over,

She added.

Enough's enough.

I'm leaving Smart and Sons and going back to my mother's,

So what do I care?

This is just Jack hounding me because I dared to say no to him.

Still nothing.

So she changed tack again,

And spoke even more softly this time.

I just want my niece safe,

Is that so difficult to believe?

And you expect us to swallow that,

Spat George,

Who was standing over her now,

The bulk of him protruding over the top of his muddy dungarees.

Ava drew Daisy into her embrace.

Look,

I don't have anything else for you.

I came here for a break.

The phone I left at work,

And that's the only evidence Jack's worried about.

You can get it for him,

And this'll all be over,

Won't it?

George's eyes grew dark and spiteful.

At work,

You say?

He liked the idea of getting one up on Paul Smart into the bargain.

He was in his wife-piped up,

Seeing her husband was about to make a decision.

You might as well let them go and get the phone,

George.

He's not here to get it himself,

Is he?

Otherwise this is going to go on forever.

No,

Replied George coldly.

I'll tell you what,

The girl can stay here,

And you and me,

Ava Smith,

Will go back to market Heaton together.

It was unusually cold in the manse.

Having been out all day in the yard,

Martin Gardner had little time for trivialities like putting the heating on.

It was enough to think about managing the farm.

Maisie was at school for at least another few hours,

And his mother was away,

So what did it matter?

Work,

That would always be there,

And he could rely on the farm not to let him down.

He looked at the latest damage.

He was starting to believe the rain would never stop.

Two days solid it had gone on,

And the riverbanks were beginning to swell.

The fields,

Meanwhile,

Were nothing but a quagmire,

And the stables damp and cold.

At least his lad would be here soon.

That was something.

Better check the weather to see if the drive's likely to get any worse,

He said to himself,

Turning back for his phone.

He'd been avoiding it since his last conversation with Ava,

But it was no use.

Problems didn't just disappear because you wanted them to.

Who did she think she was anyway,

Lying to him like that?

She'd had so many opportunities to tell him how she knew Jack,

And she must have known he was one of the investors in Ryegrass Meadow.

How could he have been so stupid?

He scanned through the week ahead,

And saw only more of the same.

Rain.

Would it ever end?

If it carried on like this,

There would be even more damage.

As it was,

The sandbags were out in the sky,

Very dark.

Almost like nighttime,

He thought.

How apt.

Miserable weather for his miserable mood.

Straighten up,

Gardener,

He said to himself.

But he didn't feel like straightening up.

He checked his watch.

It was only half past nine.

Why was time going so slowly?

Because you haven't got anything else to look forward to,

That's why,

He reminded himself.

Then another wave of water hit him head-on,

And he dived into the porch for cover,

Just as a large taxi turned up.

Five minutes later,

The heating was on,

And Martin was sitting face-to-face with Paul Smart,

Who'd come to reassure him everything regarding his investment was in hand.

I don't see how you're in a position to make that claim,

Said Martin dubiously.

Your mother and I have been friends for a very long time,

Said Paul,

Smarting under Martin's vicious glare.

You can rely on me to cover any losses we incur due to Riley's dubious practices.

I was as much in the dark about this as you.

But Ava wasn't,

I suppose,

Said Martin,

A little too bitterly.

Neither Ava Smith or myself had any knowledge of the arrangement made between you and Jack,

Paul pressed.

And luckily for us,

We hadn't even begun selling yet.

It's the outside investors I'm worried about,

But that's my problem.

Martin froze his cup halfway to his mouth.

So Jack took it upon himself to just defraud me.

That's about the sum of it.

And Ava knew nothing about it?

No.

Paul watched the wave of relief pass over Martin's face.

Mary tells me you two have been getting along,

He said inquisitively,

And their eyes locked.

Ava's like a daughter to me.

We work very closely together,

And she's been through a hell of a lot over the past year.

His words were unusually brusque,

But he needed to make his point.

The last thing he wanted for Ava was another man messing her around.

But before Martin could reply,

Maisie rushed in the front door,

Dripping from head to toe.

They've let us out early,

Daddy.

The playground's flooded,

But I wanted to finish my book project.

The two men stood up immediately,

Paul to rush out and thank the driver of the school bus,

And Martin to collect the wet things.

Okay,

Love,

It's just as well,

He soothed.

Now go straight to your bathroom and dry off,

Please.

Yes,

Daddy,

But there's something else I have to tell you.

Daisy didn't turn up for school today,

And she's not answering her phone either.

Oh,

It's probably just the weather,

He replied flippantly.

The last thing he wanted to do was phone Ava to find out what was going on,

Not after what he'd said to her the day before.

They had to get away as a matter of urgency,

Said Paul as he returned to the kitchen.

I've been expecting a call from Ava,

But I've not heard anything.

We've been working together to expose Jack.

She couldn't go back to the house after the break-in,

Now could she?

Break-in?

Martin went cold.

Have you heard anything?

Paul continued.

She was really upset when she heard about your mum's apartment.

Sitting back down with a bump,

Martin felt terrible.

Hadn't Ava phoned him for help?

And he'd cut her off just like that,

Without even giving her time to explain.

And Daisy said she'd text me about the homework,

Chimed in Maisie,

Because we're supposed to be doing it together,

Daddy.

Tugging at the neck of his cashmere sweater,

Martin thought fast.

Call her again.

Do you know where she's gone?

Not a clue,

Said Paul.

He rang once more,

But the line went dead immediately.

Something's not right,

Mumbled Martin uncomfortably.

She's always got her phone charged,

Paul insisted.

She's very organised like that.

What if she's caught in a flood?

Said Maisie.

What if they've drowned?

She began to cry.

And eager to allay her fears,

Martin said,

It won't be anything like that.

She's a very good driver,

Remember?

That's what Daisy told us,

Didn't she?

And brightening up,

Maisie replied.

You're right,

Daddy.

And anyway,

We can find them.

Yes,

Of course we can,

Smiled Paul,

Completely ignorant of just how far technology had come.

We set up an email address at school,

Remember?

Maisie turned to her father,

The child-friendly one.

You signed the letter,

Daddy.

It was part of computer science.

She was getting frustrated now.

The email address we can use to find her.

Yes,

Dumpling clever girl,

Nodded Martin condescendingly.

No,

Daddy,

You're not listening.

We can use it to find her location.

All we need to do is go into location services,

Then Google Maps like this.

And shrugging their shoulders in disbelief,

Paul and Martin watched whilst Maisie Gardner gave them a whistle-stop tour of the 21st century.

I hope you enjoyed this episode.

If you did,

Don't forget to like and follow.

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