‘Tell me about you, Leo,’ Tom said. ‘It was good of you to offer all the ladies your life coaching services free of charge. Do you think they’ll take you up on it?’
He rested his forearms on the table and leaned forward, hoping she would realise that his interest was genuine. He found it quite amusing that they both probably spent their lives trying to get people to admit to the truth, but with entirely different objectives.
Leo appeared to be finding the froth on her rapidly cooling cappuccino fascinating as she stirred it gently with her teaspoon.
‘I think that in more than one case there are some problems lying hidden, and I think I can help. Whether any of them will speak to me or not, I don’t know. But on the whole, I suspect not. Penny said she was keen, but Gary had a face like thunder.’
Tom couldn’t forget how upset Penny had been when he’d arrived on Saturday, and how quiet she was for the whole evening. Gary seemed a cheerful kind of guy, but it was that type of cheap bravado that Tom didn’t appreciate in other men.
‘I can see that you understand people really well, and that must be a hell of an asset in your job - a bit like mine in that respect.’ Tom smiled as he signalled the waitress for another two coffees. ‘So tell me more about these demons you’re laying to rest. The local sweet shop seems a strange place to start.’
For a second Leo looked cross and Tom thought that he’d gone too far. He didn’t mean to pry, and he wondered if he should change the subject. There was an uncomfortable silence.
‘Now listen, Tom, you can’t play the “say nothing - she’s a woman so she’s bound to fill the void” ruse on me. I do the same thing with my clients, so I know what you’re up to.’
Tom instantly felt embarrassed. He had actually been searching for a safe topic of conversation, but Leo wasn’t to know that.
‘I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional. Based on your smile, I’d assumed your demons were something trivial - and anyway it’s none of my business.’
Leo gave him what could only be described as a calculating look.
‘You’re right, Tom. It is absolutely none of your business - but I’m going to tell you anyway.’ Leo sat up straight and looked him firmly in the eye. ‘However, as it is now just after mid-day, the cost of telling you will be lunch and a nice cool bottle of white wine.’
* * *
She waited until the wine was poured, and took a large gulp.
‘Okay - I’m going to give you the short version. My principle motivation for telling you is that half the village knows most of this, and I would rather you heard the truth from me than some distorted version that has had lots of intriguing - but untrue - embellishments.’
Tom leaned across and chinked his glass with hers, and gave her an encouraging smile. She took a deep breath.
‘When I was ten, my mother died. She was epileptic, and she died in the bath. I found her when I got home from school.’
She saw the consternation on Tom’s face, and realised that he probably wished he had never encouraged Leo to bare her soul. She mentally gritted her teeth and forced herself to continue.
‘We lived in Shrewsbury - me, my mum, and my dad. My dad theoretically had a job that required him to be away from home a lot - three or four nights most weeks. He had a senior position in one of the pottery companies in Stoke on Trent. He told my mum that he was on the sales side, which is why he had to be away so much. But that wasn’t true. He was a director, but nothing to do with selling. He was actually the finance director, so in fact he didn’t have to be away at all.’
Leo took another sip of her wine. The waitress walked over with the menus, but Tom shook his head, and she took the hint and backed away.
Leo paused for a moment and willed her voice to be level. ‘When I found my mum, the police had to track Dad down and ask him to come home. I assumed we’d carry on living in our house and it would just be the two of us, but he took one look at me and went upstairs and started