Work Text:
WHAT IF
Matthew turned his Computer off. He leaned back in his chair watching the screen sign off and become blank. He always liked to see the Company name 'Zetlands' come up, it reinforced his achievement to be working for the top Accounting Firm in London.
Annoyingly he was having to start at the bottom and work his way up but after his father spent a week in London catching up with old associates at least he was now working in their Investment Section which he considered the next step up.
His phone came alive to display a text from Sarah.
“Pictures sold for three times the estimate my commission is outstanding. Dinner is on me, will Friday be OK? Your choice.’
He smiled and replied in the affirmative, naming one of London's upmarket restaurants. He received the thumbs-up emoji from Sarah.
His wife Robin was working late on Friday. She said something about surveillance. He had given up trying to have her work in a decent PR job that paid a good wage but was content at the moment as she was paying half the mortgage; although he always transferred her money into his own account so the total mortgage payment showed he alone bore the full amount. He put his new coat on, checking his reflection in shop windows as he walked to the tube.
Robin was preparing their evening meal, tossing the salad as Matthew came through the front door. She noticed the new fashionable navy overcoat he hung on a hanger in the hall.
“Did you enjoy your day off?” surprising her with a peck on the cheek before sitting at the table unfolding the newspaper, effectively cutting her off.
“Oh yes I love a full day of housework and cleaning” Robin knew he had switched off from anything she said, as she put his fillet steak in front of him before sliding her fish onto her plate. She sat down opposite him taking salad from the bowl and eating while waiting for him to finish reading the Rugby scores and turn to the news.
Matthew ate his steak after laying the paper on the table so he could read it. Robin was enjoying her fish, she idly studied Matthew. His chiseled clean-shaven features now had more lines which creased as he frowned and squinted over the small printed results.
‘Maybe he will need glasses soon’ She smiled at the idea knowing he always made jokes about getting older at any of his group who wore them.
He dropped his head to decipher letters in the crease of the paper. Robin caught sight of the top of his scalp showing through thinning hair. She snorted with mirth changing it quickly into a cough grabbing her glass of water to hide her features.
He had always said that he would never go bald as his father still had a; fine head of hair.
She remembered commenting at the time that his maternal grandfather was totally bald, only for Matthew to tell her that didn’t count as it was his mother’s side of the family.
Robin cleared the table and then turned on the Coffee machine hearing the rustle of the pages being turned.
“What the! Did you know this was taken?” Matthew demanded turning the paper around so she could see a picture of Strike and her outside the Denmark Street door.
“There was a good chance that one of the many pictures taken would end up in a paper.” She looked over at Matthew who was scowling at the paper while he read the article out loud.
“Partners C.B.Strike and R.Ellacott leaving their offices after resolving a 40-year-old cold case. They identified two locations where Police have recovered human remains.
I don’t like the papers saying you and Strike are partners. It’s not a good look with my rugby mates some of them may remember you from our wedding.”
“Wow I made that much of an impression” Robin joked.
“The bride who ran out on the groom during their first dance tends to make an impression.”’ Matthew sneered. “But you've put on a lot of weight since then so maybe not.” Robin watched Matthew's face change to one of disgust as he looked her up and down.
“Hopefully no one at Zetlands will know you’re my wife let alone identify you from this.”
He grabbed the paper from the table and threw it at her. Then it came bursting out of him.
“ I can’t continue to support you while you live your fantasy you must get a proper job with a salary.” he stood facing her his fists clenched.
“Fantasy? What are you calling a fantasy?” Robin stood and faced him eye to eye.
“That world you live in. I know your boss is making the News but seeing you hanging on his coattails like some starry-eyed teenager living her childhood dream of being a Detective makes me sick. I’ll tell you now if you want to keep living here you need to contribute more You need your job to pay overtime for those 14-hour days and working Saturdays and Sundays.”
“STOP right there I’m not the one who has taken a pay cut just to work for a firm where your father has old mates and contacts.
“It’s called playing the corporate game, something you and that uneducated gorilla you work for couldn’t understand.” Matthew puffed out his chest.
“Nepotism is what it’s called Matthew and it’s not something to be proud of. It’s very hard to hide as well if you have jumped over people already there.’
“What do you know about it”
“We have worked cases involving nepotism that have led to many corporate problems.”
“We have worked cases” Matthew mimicked using his high squeaky ‘female’ voice.
Robin sighed. She had started by trying to make this marriage work but she soon knew it was a lost cause. Matt would not change his ways, if anything, he was rapidly morphing into a clone of his narcissistic father.
Without telling her he had contrived with his father to get the job at Zetlands, yes they were the biggest Accountancy firm in London but she knew from the cases the Agency worked that did not automatically mean the best.
He had accepted a huge drop in salary to take this position which he had airily told her would only be for a few months then he would be earning substantial commissions based on his investment advice.
After working on many marriage breakdown cases she could now easily identify the signs and clues. She had started sleeping in the spare bedroom as their sexual activity virtually ceased since he ruined her Vashti dress He had blamed her by starting to cite a litany of her faults in bed. Calling her damaged goods and frigid always came up in his rants.
Robin still wondered what prompted her to take a bread-and-butter case’.
A very busy GP running a large North London medical practice suspected his wife had more than ‘avoiding boring school mothers meetings’ on her mind when taking a part-time clerical job at an architect's office in the modern glass tower that also housed Zetlands.
Robin and Midge alternatively sat in the ground floor coffee shop or sandwich bar with a full view of the tower entrance. She was watching pictures Midge had taken of the target and a man they had identified as ‘Loverboy ‘ walking hand in hand out of the building when Robin froze.
‘What’s up?” Midge enlarged her picture only to see their target kissing her boyfriend as she left for home.
Robin pointed to another couple just coming down the stairs behind them.
“That’s my husband with his girlfriend from Uni. days. The one he swore he didn’t see anymore she is engaged to his friend. “
Midge said nothing just watching Robin’s face.
“Did you suspect ?” she asked. Her knowledge of Robin's detection skills was confirmed with Robin's nod.
Two days later she sat drinking coffee watching Sarah meeting Matthew for a lunch date with his workmates. She was amazed that she really didn’t care, the only thing irking her was that she knew he thought he was still playing her as a fool. Like he did after her attack.
She and Ilsa had some long chats before deciding she had waited long enough to tell Matthew her plans, so she sat opposite him in the loungeroom which was unusual. He looked up at her.
“Matthew, I’m filing for a divorce.’ She watched his face as her words sank in, surprise quickly followed by a flush of anger or was it guilt?
“Don’t be ridiculous on what grounds?”
“Adultery.”
Matthew’s mouth formed words but no sound came out. He swallowed.
“Prove it” He spat out jumping to his feet.
Robin sighed she took no pleasure knowing this would be his reaction” She stood up to place three photographs on the coffee table.
Matthew's flushed face went pale before turning bright red with rage.
“You bitch. You had a camera in our bedroom. That’s an invasion of privacy.”
Robin was so flabbergasted by the statement she nearly missed the movement of his arm and clenched fist toward her face.
Her defense training kicked in as she grabbed his arm using his force against him she flipped him over, he shouted in surprise then screamed in pain clutching his shoulder.
“You've broken my shoulder I’ll have you for GBH’. he roared.
“I doubt that it's any worse than a Rugby tackle but you can have it checked out if you want.”
“Well you can move out and I will sell this house”
“I want my parents 10,000 pounds they put towards the deposit.”
“Oh no you don’t get any of it I have supported you all the time you have lived here”
“Not entirely, apart from the deposit money I have paid for all our food, and done all the cleaning, and cooking. Even for your housewarming party. “She watched as he sat on the edge of the lounge again.
“I will give you the name of my lawyer who advised me not to discuss any more than telling you the marriage is ended. Any further correspondence will be through her.’ Robin placed Ilsa's card on the table.
‘You want to move out so you and your boss can shack up together.’
Robin was just going to say something but Ilsa's warning stopped her. She shrugged her shoulders. “ I will rent for the moment as I have purchased a property that is undergoing renovation.”
“You what” Where did you get the money for that?”
Robin remembered that Matthew measured everything by its monetary value and its place in the society circle he moved in.
“The Agency is now a very successful business, which I am sure you can check through the firm you work for.
Strike and I are Principal partners everything is split 50/50 ’ Hearing the toot of the taxi she had called Robin moved to the hall and picked up her two cases.”
“You can’t just walk out like this,” Matthew shouted grabbing her arm.
“I think you’ll find I can.” She twisted her arm free trying to keep her composure.
Matthew looked crumpled, his face grey with shock. He watched her as she dropped her wedding and engagement ring onto the table, she heard a sob from his direction suddenly realizing she had heard the same sound every time he knew she had the strength to leave, but this time it had no effect on her, it only made her stronger, she walked out the front door handing her cases to the taxi driver.
He’d never thought of checking The Agency's viable business reports in the Zetland records. Turning his laptop on he stared in disbelief at the figures in front of him.
While he had been sneering at the press reports and pictures making jokes with Sarah about Robin and the Agency, The Strike and Ellacott Agency had always been in the top five successful businesses according to Zetland where he now worked.
He rubbed his eyes as he read the predicted profits and percentage payments due to the partners this year, then read them again. This time the tears were real as he reached for the Whisky bottle.