Hell's Rayne (Book 1)

Chapter 13

Working the closing shifts behind the bar was really ideal for my case so I certainly didn't mind the idea of Frances and Alan abandoning me so I could work on my 'interrogation' of Jesse. While he and his friends might pop in from time to time during their lunch hour, of if they happened to finish a job early, it was the evenings and weekends when they seemed to take up permanent residence at their table beside the fireplace.

It had surprised me quite how trusting Frances and Alan had been with me, leaving me alone to oversee their precious business. It was either desperation – after months with no luck in finding some help to cover the long hours their job demanded – or Frances had some sixth sense about how much I really needed that job and a place to stay; enough to know that I wouldn't do something to jeopardise our tense relationship – like rob them blind. My money was on the latter, the way I'd seen Frances stare at me was unnerving. She knew far more than she let on.

That first night Frances and Alan had left me with the promise that he would be back down to cash up once I'd called 'Time', as long as I didn't mind the clean up duties. It wasn't really a question, and I knew I didn't actually have a choice in the matter, but I'd nodded agreeably. The new set of customers that had wandered into the bar at that moment had brightened my mood considerably and I was keen to get some real work done.

But time ticked on and, though I was in the same room as my target, the opportunity to speak to him never actually arose. Jesse never came up to the bar, one of his friends seemed to be the designated drinks purchaser for the night. I could see them all tossing him their money and encouraging him up from the table to buy yet another round; all amid ever increasing jeers and guffaws. This guy hadn't been a member of their party the previous day and it appeared he had drawn the short straw for the night.

It was frustrating. I served my way through customer after customer; the bar never seemed to have a quiet moment which prevented me stepping around the other side even for a moment. I could have easily used the ruse of collecting glasses to listen in to their conversations, maybe even introduce myself to the lads at the table and get the ball rolling; but I never got the chance to do even that.

I called for last orders and dished out the final rush of drinks, as everyone crowded the bar for their last chance to take one more step into drunkenness. Alan appeared at the door just as I set the final pint down on the bar and rang the bell to call Time.

“How'd everything go?” he asked me with a warm and inviting smile on his lips.

“Yeah, okay. Busy, Frances wasn't kidding when she said Friday's were usually the most hectic nights.”

Alan was almost a polar opposite of his wife's character. He was friendly and personable, always had a smile on his face. They were like chalk and cheese, it was a little weird, but it obviously worked as they'd been married for long enough and seemingly happy. I'd tried not to sound too exasperated as I replied to him, didn't want him thinking that I couldn't cope with the job – that was far from the real reason for my frustration after all.

While Alan cashed up the till he gave me some basic instructions on how he liked to close up the pub, all the little tasks he would do before turning in that would now be my responsibility. It was all pretty basic stuff; empty the pot wash; sweep out the ashtrays; stack the chairs on the tables so the cleaner could vacuum the following morning; empty drip trays and so on. Nothing that I hadn't done before and I soon tuned out his voice as he went on explaining routines and techniques for the simplest of tasks – especially when the one person I'd been dying to speak to all night finally approached the bar, his arms overloaded with empty pint glasses.

He was literally carrying an armful of glasses – how we had not run out at the rate they'd been drinking without returning glasses I'll never know – and I was amazed at how far he managed to get across the room before they started to slip from his grasp.