Chapter 24: Back to Twinbrook

Our story began with Adam Slade arriving in Sunset Valley to start a new life and a lasting legacy, a Slade dynasty that would be at the heart of the town's life. Time has passed, and that original vision has been handed down through Adam's only son, Brandon and then on to the third Slade generation, Cleo and Carl.

In this chapter Garett introduces Cleo to her own past ...


Cleo was not in any mood to see Garett. In her mind he had played her and her brother, he had wormed his way into their family and cold-bloodedly ripped it apart. But...

But the photograph that he had sent to her, of her grandfather in Twinbrook, posed questions she had no answers for. Garett, of all people, was claiming that he knew something of her family's history, was it possible that he really did know why Adam had come to Sunset Valley? So why, then, would he play such games with them now?

With her head full of confusing questions, Cleo made her way to the Pleasant Rest graveyard to meet with Garett as he had requested.

"Ahh Cleo, I'm glad that you decided to come, so I assume you recognised the photographs?"

"Yes, one of them. Is that really my grandfather? Why would you have a photo of him, and why is he in Twinbrook?"

Garett smiled, "As I thought, you know nothing of your history. How simple it must be to be fresh and new in this world, unencumbered by a difficult past. Well, today is the day when you learn about your family's past, your family's secret past."

Cleo was not enjoying Garett's gloating, "Look, Garett, if you have something to say, just say it, after what you have done I'm not in the mood for riddles."

"What I have done?" Garett repeated, amused by her choice of words.

Abruptly his tone changed, the smile leaving his face. "Do you recognise any of the graves Cleo? Do you know any of these people or their stories?"

Cleo frowned at him, glancing quickly at the nearby gravestones. "No, I can't say that I do."

"No," Garett continued, "you have your smart, expensive, memorial garden on Summer Hill, isolated and separated from all the others here. These are not the graves of rich people Cleo; their families did not have the means to build large mausoleums or anything like the grand gravestones you have erected. But every one of the people buried here has a story that can be traced back for generations. Generations of history, not always honourable, but a history that informs the people they leave behind."

Cleo was getting ever more impatient, "That's all very well but what has that got to do with me, or my family?"

"Because, Cleo Slade, when your grandfather arrived in Sunset Valley, it wasn't to create a new life for himself but to hide his past and what his family had done. He didn't want anyone to know his story, the part he had played in ... well, no, let me start at the beginning."

"That photo is indeed of your grandfather, Adam Slade, with his mother, Wanda." Garett began his story ...

"Adam's father had run off soon after he was born, Wanda was only a girl herself when she got pregnant and wasn't what you'd call a 'good mother'."

"When she moved out of her parent's place, they could only afford a shack down on Bayou Gulch, a run-down, partially abandoned, area on the edge of the Twinbrook Marshes."

"To keep the boy amused while she was out partying and getting drunk, Wanda had picked up this stray dog to serve as a surrogate parent."

"Adam would have spent more time with that dog than with his mother."

"Unlike his mother, Adam, was a pretty serious kid. He did well enough at school – he actually went, which is more than his mother had!"

"Seeing as they didn't have much in the way of income the boy kept a little vegetable plot by the side of the shack. From what they say he didn't socialise much with other kids, preferring to stay at home with the dog or tending to the garden."

"His mother, on the other hand, spent as much time as she could away from their home."

"The story goes that one of her favourite hang-outs was one of the down-town gyms. She'd managed to get hold of a membership card and would spend hours on the machines or in the bar finding gullible men to spend money on her."

"It was at the gym that she met Sinbad Rotter. It was that meeting that has led us to situation we now found ourselves in ..."

Chapter 25: Sinbad's Offer

Chapter 23: Photographs

Our story started with Adam Slade arriving in Sunset Valley to start a new life, not just for himself but for the many generations that would come after him and to create a lasting legacy. In time Adam passed that legacy on to his only son, Brandon who, in turn, handed the dream on to his children, Cleo and Carl.  Cleo is now raising her heir, Danielle, but, for now, the Slade story is still with the troubled third generation.

In this chapter Cleo hears from Garett and receives a surprising package ...


In the longest week of her life so far, Cleo had begun to settle into a routine with Danielle. It was tough and she hated leaving her young daughter in the care of a babysitter but there was a pretty good nursery system in Sunset Valley so good quality day care was easy to find.

Carl and Malia had set off on their grand adventure, although the plan had changed somewhat. They had found there was a like-minded community of travellers and adventurers in the resort town of Hidden Springs, so they have leased a small place which will be their base for their trips abroad.

Pascal had arrived safely back in Champs Les Sims, and his father had left a message to say he was OK, but there was no news on when Pascal might come back to the Valley.

-- * --

Having fed and dressed Danielle Cleo was about to start her normal week-end chores when her phone rang. It was not a number she recognised.

"Hi Cleo ..."

It was a voice she knew instantly.

"Garett!"

Before she could frame a response, he implored her, "Hi, don't hang up. I have something important to tell you, something that will make you understand."

"Understand?" She could hardly believe he would have the temerity to think he could excuse his behaviour. "What is there to understand? You deliberately screwed up my relationship with Pascal, and with Carl. There is nothing you can say."

In contrast to Cleo's anger, Garett remained entirely calm and even in his tone. "I think, Cleo, that your problems with Pascal were not all down to me. You had a choice too."

Garett's apparent composure only served to further infuriate Cleo. "That was for me to deal with, you went out of your way to blow it all up and destroy my whole family!"

"Ahh, yes, that would appear to be what's happened, and now, now, I want you to know why. It is important to me for you to understand. I want you, Cleo Slade, to know where you came from and then you will understand everything."

"Where I came from? What are you talking about? I know exactly who I am!"

"No Cleo," Garett continued, "I don't think you do, not at all." He paused, briefly, "Check your mailbox. You will find two photographs, one of which I think you will recognise. Then come to the Pleasant Rest gardens at two o'clock this afternoon and I will explain and then, then, you will understand."

And the call was disconnected.

Cleo's anger at what Garett had done or, more accurately, what she and Garett had done was replaced by a feeling of unease, what could he tell her that would make sense of what he, they, had done?

She hurried down to the mailbox, there was a single unaddressed envelope. She ripped it open and found two old, faded, photographs as Garett had promised.

The first was of an apparently wealthy family. Well dressed, in front of a large, elegant, house, a small mansion you might say.

But, as much as she studied their faces, Cleo could find no clue as to who they might be.

Frustrated she turned her attention to the second image.

The photograph was faded, the paper worn, but there was no doubting who she saw.

Her left hand moved, involuntarily, across her mouth, as questions flooded into her mind.

She turned the paper over, in clear, even, hand-writing was a single word: "Twinbrook"

This was her grandfather, Adam, as a young man, but what was he doing in Twinbrook? And what was his relationship with the other family?


Chapter 24: Back to Twinbrook

Chapter 22: Crashing

In the beginning there was Adam Slade. Arriving in Sunset Valley to start a new life, not just for himself but for the many generations that would come after him, to create a dynastic legacy.  Adam passed that legacy vision to his only son, Brandon. Now the Slade dynasty is in the hands of Brandon's children, Cleo and Carl.  As yet unaware of her destiny is Cleo's daughter, Danielle.  But, for now, the Slade story is still with the troubled third generation.

In this chapter everyone learns something of the truth and decisions are made ...


It was the most uncomfortable night Cleo and Pascal had ever endured, neither slept, however much they tried they could only think about Cleo's terrible confession. That she had slept with Garett.

They both rose early from their unsatisfying slumbers and sat together in the main lounge in the hope of finding a way to deal with the crisis in their relationship.

Cleo could hardly look at Pascal, if he knew the full extent of her betrayal she feared that she would lose him forever.

Pascal tried to make sense of what he had learnt last night. "Cleo, I just don't understand it. I thought we were happy, that you had all that you needed. What could he give you that I couldn't? What would be worth losing what we have?"

Cleo wasn't sure she understood it herself. "I wish I could tell you Pascal, I really wish I could. There was something about him that, somehow ... I don't know ... it was as if he could fulfil a need I didn't know I had, a need that I couldn't resist."

"Oh, that doesn't make sense! Did he hypnotise you? Was it a drug?"

"No, nothing like that. I can't even make that excuse, I wasn't drunk or drugged. I knew what I was doing but somehow, at the time, it didn't seem wrong ... oh Pascal, I can't excuse it, I was weak, and stupid. Stupid because I always knew, before and after, that it was you I loved. You."

"Weak!" This was not a word Pascal associated with Cleo, "But you are one of the bravest and most confident women I have ever known, it is something I always loved about you, that you were in charge of your life, that I felt honoured to be part of it."

Cleo struggled to hold back the tears. "I know, but that is only one part of me, I still needed you to give me the confidence to be strong, I knew that if I failed you would be there for me, unconditionally."

"And I was, Cleo, I was, and thought I always would be, for as long as we lived. But that wasn't enough was it? You needed more, you needed Garett?"

"No, that's it, I don't, but when I was with him, sometimes I thought I did ..."

"A friend from school, someone you hadn't seen in years ... how could that happen? You don't meet someone after so many years and just fall into bed ... or I thought you didn't!"

Cleo was horrified, what was he saying, that she'd had a string of lovers? "How could you even think that! I have not slept around, there was only him, please believe me."

"And yet, how soon was it after he moved in here? How long did it take Cleo? There is more to this than you are telling me."

She knew he was right, it didn't add up that she would fall into Garett's arms so easily, not if she truly loved Pascal. How had she got herself into this mess? There was only one way out of this, only one way that she could possibly forgive herself, although it might mean Pascal never could; she had to tell him the whole truth.

"Alright, I know I have let you down, I have let myself down," Cleo leant forward and, glancing quickly at Pascal, she could see the anger, and the hurt, in his eyes. This was going to hurt him even more, she couldn't look at him as she hesitatingly told him of her history with Garett.

"I first met Garett when, he was our babysitter for Carl, and I suppose I developed something of a crush on him, a lot of the girls did. He was seeing a girl at my school and she was always showing him off to impress us – he was very cute and we were very impressionable."

"If you remember, after our first week-end here, the local paper had a photo of me from one of the house fires I attended. Well, he said he saw that and arranged a sort of date in town and, and, he told me he loved me.  I was that little girl again, the boy I had a crush on had said he loved me ..."

Cleo paused as the memory of how she felt on that date with Garett replayed itself. She had 'chased' Pascal and it had been quite exciting to have a man 'chasing' her.

She looked to Pascal again, briefly, he held his hands out as if trying to weigh up an invisible object – the object in question being the point of Cleo's, so far, inconsequential story.

She continued, "And then he kissed me. I loved you then Pascal, just as I do now, but there was something different about him. I don't know, maybe it was like the sense of danger, the adrenaline rush, I had become used to at work. I think I knew he was 'dangerous' and somehow ..."

"Well, a couple of months later, he turned up here, at the house. Everyone else was out ... and ... well he's a very charming man ... one thing led to another and ...", Cleo stopped, brushing away the tears welling up in her eyes.

"All this time?" Pascal broke his silence, barely able to contain his anger. "All these years; you have been sleeping with that man! How could you deceive me for so long?"

He suddenly stood up, turning away from Cleo for a moment before turning back to ask, with the brutality, the coldness, of a man whose whole life was being torn apart. "So, tell me Cleo, is Danielle even mine?"

"Of course she is. Please believe me, I am not having an affair with Garett, I have known him for years and, yes, I have slept with him, but it has only been a very few times. He is not my lover, he never could be. You are the man I love and Danielle is ours."

"You tell me that now, but how can I believe you when you have lied to me for all these years." Pascal pulled free of Cleo’s grip, "I don’t know if I can trust you again."

"Look, I spoke to my father last night, and my mother is not well, so I think it is best if I go back to Champs Les Sims to help care for her."

"Of course, I understand Pascal, but what does that mean for us? We can't just leave this, we need to sort this out together. If not for us, then for Danielle."

"I don't know Cleo, I could perhaps forgive you one mistake but now you tell me that this has been going on for as long as we have been together ... I am not sure that I will be able to. I need some time to work out what to do. Now, I have to get ready to get to the airport."

He did not need to pack much for this trip back to his parent's home; it was not long before Pascal was ready to leave.

"Pascal, I know I have hurt you, but please know that I did not mean to, that I love you with all my heart and will do anything to make it up to you."

"I want to believe that ma chérie, but once trust is broken ... I am not sure it is possible to get it back."

Holding Danielle ever more tightly, as if to ensure that she would lose no one else today, "Please give my love to Gerard and Edith, I hope she gets well soon and please, please, call me when you get there."

As Pascal turned and walked to the waiting taxi, Cleo whispered softly to herself, "I am so sorry my love, please don't let this be the end."

-- * --

When Carl awoke that morning, neither Cleo nor Pascal were anywhere in the house. Nothing too unusual in that of course; Cleo could be out on a job and Pascal was often visiting garden centres and the like these days. Though there was no note as to when they would be back or to say who had Danielle, but they knew he had plans today so he assumed that they had everything organised.

-- * --

It was quite late in the afternoon when Carl returned home from his day out with Malia. Danielle was playing in her room and he could hear Cleo shuffling around in the main bedroom. She had obviously heard him too as she called out to him as he got the main landing, "Carl? Is that you? Hold on a moment, I need a word."

Carl was quite surprised to see his sister dressed in one of her night shirts, she was always smartly dressed, even when just lounging around at home.

"Carl, I need to tell you something ... about me and Pascal."

"You mean, like how you got rid of Garett?"

"No, Carl, well, not exactly. We had an argument last night, it was about Garett, and, well, Pascal has left."

Carl was confused, why would Pascal leave after they had thrown Garett out? "What do you mean 'left'? What's that got to do with Garett?"

"I have done something terrible, and I'm afraid Pascal might never forgive me, but I want you to know the truth so when people start talking you won't listen to the lies and gossip."

"OK sis, you're proper worrying me now, what has happened?"

"Garett told Pascal that I had been sleeping with him and ..."

"What! Why would he?"

"Because I had."

"What the ...! Oh, right, it all makes sense now, why you were so pissy with me yesterday; you'd already got your claws into him!"

"No Carl, it wasn't like that."

"You knew I had feelings for him, ever since mum died, and then you turn on your charms and get him into bed, what the hell sis, you already had Pascal?"

"No, I've known Garett since you were a baby, I'd been seeing him long before mum died ..."

"Oh crap, this just gets better and better! You were with him even before Pascal moved in here."

"Oh, no, oh ... this is so messed up, it wasn't ... we weren't, we weren't lovers."

"Right, so he was your bit on the side for when you got bored with Pascal?"

"Carl, please, let me explain, it was just the once, twice, with Garett, I was young and confused, and you know what he's like, he's too easy to fall for."

"Yeah, like that's an excuse, someone's nice to you so you have sex with them! I really thought you were better than that."

"I am Carl, I am, it was one mistake, that I have to live with for the rest of my life, and now I think I may have lost Pascal, I don't know if I could cope if you hate me as well."

"You don't have any right to judge how I feel, you have brought this on yourself. I'm not going to hate you for sleeping with Garett; but for what you have done to this family … I don't know if I can forgive you. I gotta get outta here."

With that Carl zipped up his jacket, pulled the hood over his head, and ran out of the house.

-- * --

The following morning Carl rang Malia, inviting her over for a chat.

When he greeted her at the door Malia could see that something was wrong. He kissed her as warmly as ever but as broadly as his mouth smiled at her, his eyes were not smiling, they looked red and puffy.

"Are you OK babe? Looks as if you didn’t sleep last night?"

"Umm, no, I'm OK Mal, but I had a fight with Cleo last night that kinda freaked me out."

"Cleo? You had an argument with Cleo, but you two are so close?"

"I know, that's what kills me. I thought I could trust her with anything and now I find out that she's been lying to us."

"What would she have to lie about? She's as straight as they come surely?"

"Garett, she'd been sleeping with Garett. Pascal found out and now he's gone."

"Oh my ...!"

She could see that fighting with his sister had really upset Carl, and there was probably not a lot she could say that would help him feel any better.

But actions can be as significant as words, she moved in closer to him, so that he knew she understood he was hurting and was there to support him.

"I am so sorry to hear that babe, I really wouldn't think she could do anything like that."

Carl put his arm around Malia, drawing her close, "Thanks Mal, I know anyone can make a mistake, but I think this has been going on for years, for years she's been lying to us ..."

"Carl, you know what we were talking about yesterday? Perhaps now would be a good time, just get out of this situation for a while?"

"You think so? I don't know, you may be right, but could I do it to Cleo, I mean, Pascal has left and I don't know when, if, he will be back. And there's Danielle."

"I know, but maybe you both could do with some space. Otherwise you'd be rubbing up against each other all the time and just constantly repeating the arguments."

"Yeah, maybe, but it feels like I'd be running away, and what would that solve?"

"I'm not suggesting that you abandon Cleo, but having distance between you might give you that time and space to deal with this without fighting about it."

Carl, thought for a while, feeling the warmth of having Malia close to him, how comfortable he felt with her at his side and how much he hated fighting with his sister.

"Do you know something Malia Norwood? I do believe I love you."

-- * --

Cleo had gone out to buy supplies, so Carl and Malia had to entertain themselves for a few hours until she returned, when they told her about their plan.

"Hey sis," Carl began, "Mal and I have been talking and we've decided that it's best if you and I give ourselves some 'space'; so we’re not always arguing over this business with Garett."

Cleo’s heart sank; she knew what people meant when they said they needed 'space'.

"Look, you know I've had some success with my books, well, the publisher has said that it would help if I had some more 'real world' experience - it would make them even better."

Cleo was confused, "'Real world experience', what does that mean? You're only young, where are you going to get 'real world experience'?"

"Travel. I want to travel, we want to travel. See more of the world, see more of life than we could here in the valley."

"Ahh, OK," Cleo was feeling a little happier, "you want to go on holiday somewhere, some place exotic?"

"No, more than a holiday, we want to travel the world, while we're both young and free of responsibilities, see as much of it as we can."

"Travel the world?" Cleo was taken aback by the idea that her brother could be leaving her, "how long for?"

"We don't know, I reckon several months at least, maybe a year ..."

"A year! How are you going to afford that?"

"Mal and I have worked it out, we've both got family savings we can use to start with, and we reckon we'll get by on working locally in some places where we want to stay longer. Besides which I can always call on my share of this house if we ever get really stuck."

Cleo knew that finances weren't really going to be a problem. They were both young and fit, and could quite easily find some sort of work almost anywhere. But the thought of losing her brother as well as Pascal was too much to take in.

"And when do you plan to do this?"

Carl looked at Malia, who nodded encouragement, "Now, as soon as we can get tickets. We'll see Malia's parents tonight and then I want to be off."

There was little point in arguing with him, they had clearly made up their minds and, to be honest, Cleo couldn't face another argument like the one they'd had last night.

"But, sis," Carl wanted to reassure her, "I don't want you to think that we are running away. Sure, I'm still angry but you're my sister and I love you. So, wherever we go, I want you to know that I will always keep in touch with you, I don't want to lose you forever, but I think having some time apart will help us get over this business without arguing all the time."

And so, Carl and Malia kissed Cleo and Danielle goodbye and set off to see Malia's folks and, from there, start on their grand adventure.

Cleo held Danielle close as they waved the young couple off, as the taxi disappeared from view, she turned back into the house, locking the front door behind her, "Just me and you now, doll, we've still got each other."

But once alone in her room, Cleo collapsed onto the floor, she couldn't stop the tears rolling down her cheeks as the events of the last couple of days sank in.

"What have I done? What have I done, how can I cope, here, on my own with Danielle and this huge house ..."

She didn't hear her door swing open, and the small, hesitant footsteps as Danielle came in to see why her mother was crying.

"Mummy? Mummy hug?"

Chapter 23: Photographs

Chapter 21: Confrontation

The Slade story begins with Adam Slade arriving in Sunset Valley to start a new life, not just for himself but for the many generations that would come after him.  That vision of a Slade legacy was passed down to his only son, Brandon, who, in turn, passed it on to his children, Cleo and Carl.  Now, with the recent birth of Danielle, there is a fourth generation Slade waiting in the wings to carry on the family name.

In this chapter relationships are tested and secrets revealed ...


The morning after Cleo and Garett's 'rendezvous' in the shower Cleo was racked with guilt.

It had been an uncomfortable night for Cleo. It had taken her an age to get to sleep, listening to Pascal's slow, rhythmic breathing as he lay beside her, oblivious to what had happened earlier that day. Today he had left early to attend a Home and Garden exhibition in Riverview and would not be back until late afternoon, leaving Cleo alone with her thoughts. Knowing that she had betrayed the father of her daughter, the man who had been her rock when she lost her mother and father.

Now she was sharing breakfast with the man she had given in too.

"Look, Garett, yesterday ... you know it didn't mean anything?"

"Sure Cleo." Garett agreed, not even looking up from his breakfast.

"I was exhausted from work and not really myself ..."

"Whatever you say Cleo, it just happened."

"And it won't happen again, it can't happen again."

Getting up from the breakfast bar Garett paused, looked back at Cleo and with the barest hint of a smile, "No, of course, it won't happen again."

Cleo was about to get ready for work when Carl asked if he could have a few words...

"I've got to be at the station in about an hour, but sure, what's it about Carl?"

"Thanks sis, well you know I've been seeing more of Malia recently ..."

Cleo smiled, was this that conversation, had her little brother found his first real girlfriend?

"Yes, she's a really nice girl Carl, you make a cute couple."

Carl blushed, "Well, I don't know if we're a proper couple just yet."

Cleo had worried a little about her younger brother, he wasn't the most outgoing of people, and often found it difficult to speak to people at parties or, indeed, anywhere there were crowds. But ever since they'd met he and Malia clearly had some sort of bond and if anyone could bring a smile to his face it was Malia.

"OK, so you've known her for a while now, and you always seem happy when you're with her, right? I've seen that sappy grin you get when she turns up - which she seems to do quite a lot recently. So what's the problem?"

"Umm," Carl stammered, fidgeting and looking away, as if to compose his thoughts, "I ... err ... there ... ohh" His mouth twisting to form the words, but unable to actually speak them."

"What is it Carl?" Cleo was becoming concerned, was he in trouble, was Malia in trouble? "Is she pregnant?"

Carl flinched, "No! Nothing like that."

"So what is it then? Whatever it is, you can tell me, we've coped with a lot over the last few years, together. You know I am here to help you. With anything, just tell me Carl."

"Oh shit, OK, I'll just say it." He paused, and in one breath, so that he might say it too quickly for anyone, himself included, to stop him "I've also got feelings for Garett."

Cleo blinked, frowned, and stared at Carl. Did he really say that? "Garett?!" The disbelief gave way to shock. "You have feelings for Garett? I don't understand. How?"

He hadn't been at all sure how his sister would take it, but somehow she sounded more shocked than surprised. "Because he makes me feel good about myself."

"But ... Garett? I thought ... you and Malia?"

As Cleo struggled to comprehend what Carl had just said her mind raced through all those moments she had seen Carl and Garett together. Those long conversations they had, the almost 'conspiratorial' closeness between them. Maybe that was it. Perhaps Carl had read more into Garett's support and friendship?

"Yeah, I love Malia but Garett, y'know, he gets me."

"Look Carl, you're obviously confused. You've got all these feelings for Malia and they're getting mixed up with your friendship with Garett. I mean, he's not even, you know, he's not ..."

"Gay?" Carl snapped, "Is that what you're saying, he’s not 'gay'? I thought you were better than that Cleo? It's not about 'gay' or 'straight' or 'whatever'. It's not about being confused, I know what I feel and so does he."

Cleo knew that Carl was right, it wasn't about labels, and it wasn't about whether he was in love with a man or a woman. But why Garett? She also knew that she had not really dealt with her own feelings for him, and her anger now was more to do with her own guilt than Carl's choice of girlfriend or boyfriend.

She was also concerned that if Carl had these feelings that Garett could become a destructive force in the house, that it might be better for all of them if he left, but until then ...

"Carl, I'm sure it feels real to you, but how many relationships have you had? Can you really know what love is? Trust me on this, it will pass. I don't blame you, or judge you for falling for Garett, he is a charming man but I really don't think it is what you think it is, the two of you."

Carl couldn't believe how negative his sister was being. He had opened his heart to her, hoping for understanding and guidance and, instead, she was telling him he didn't know his own mind!

"I am not a child! I don't need to have slept around to know who I have feelings for. And I don't need you to tell me!"

The two of them glared at each other, neither knowing quite how they had come to this.

Cleo tried to calm the situation, "I'm sorry Carl, you know I love you, that I want the best for you, but I just don't believe Garett thinks the same about you."

Carl didn't want to argue, she was wrong but now was not the time to fight about it. With a resigned "Whatever." he turned and left, leaving Cleo wondering if he had known what he'd just said ... "I don’t need to have slept around..."

-- * --

Carl went up to his study, hoping to do some writing, but the argument with his sister had unsettled him too much, he wasn't able to concentrate on the book, so he shut the laptop and went down hoping to relax in the hot tub.

When he got there Garett was already in the tub, soaking in the bubbling waters.

Garett noticed that Carl was unusually tense, he noticed the way Carl had stopped and hesitated before stepping into the water.

"You OK buddy, the book not going well?"

"No, no, it's nothing really, jus' wanna chill for a bit."

Something was clearly wrong but Garett wasn't going to push it, if Carl wanted to talk he would, "Sure thing, and you've come to the right place for chillin'."

For several minutes the two men sat back, relaxing into the steady motion of the hot water around them.

Carl broke the silence, "It's Cleo, we just had a fight. I don't think she wants me to spend so much time with you."

"Really? I thought your sister was OK with me staying here? But y'know if it's causing you problems I can leave."

"Look," Garett continued, "the insurance should come through on my old house in the next few days and there's a few good B&Bs around I can easily find somewhere to stay."

"No, you shouldn't need to do that, Cleo was probably just in a mood or something. This house is as much mine as it is hers and I want you to stay."

Garett tried to reassure his friend, "Carl, you know how much I enjoy spending time with you, I've really come to value our friendship, but I don't want to cause problems between you and your sister. I'm going to be moving out soon anyway but you know that I'll always be here for you – wherever I am."

-- * --

Late in the afternoon Pascal returned from Riverview, Garett went out to meet him in the garden.

"Good trip?" Garett asked.

"Yes, it certainly was. There were a lot of interesting garden designs on show which have given me ideas to try out here. Plenty of good advice as well, on how to improve the quantity and quality of produce."

"And I thought you had the best soil there was here on Summer Hill?"

"Oh, we do, it is excellent soil," Pascal agreed, "but there's always room for improvement, new varieties, better supplements."

He wasn't really a gardener, nor that interested in Pascal's horticultural plans, but when you have bad news to break Garett thought it was only polite to do it as pleasantly as possible."

"Look, Pascal," Garett's tone changed and the smile left his face, "I really appreciate your generosity in letting me stay here after my house was trashed and I hate to do this but I think you deserve to know ..."

"There’s no easy way to say this ... I've heard talk around town that Cleo has been unfaithful."

"What!" Pascal was dumb-founded. The very idea that his Cleo could be seeing some other man was insane, "That's ridiculous! Cleo would never ..."

"I know," Garett said, as sympathetically as he could, "from the time I've been here I've seen that she adores you and Danielle, but that is what I have heard."

"But," he continued, "it's not just one idle gossip-monger, I've heard the same thing from several people, people I'd trust."

To Pascal, the thought that Cleo could play away was preposterous. Why would Garett make up such a story?

"Garett, I don't know what you've heard or why you would think it could be true, but there is no way Cleo would do that to me, to any of us."

"Believe me Pascal, I don't want to believe it either, but..."

"No!" Pascal snapped, "This is impossible, I will not hear any more of it! Cleo is a beautiful woman, she is a brave and successful woman, there are some very jealous people here. Jealous of what she has, of what we have here."

Garett stood his ground, "You are right, there are people here who are jealous of you, but this is more than jealousy. I know you will hate me for telling you this, but I can't stand by and not let you know, not give you the opportunity to deal with it."

"Deal with it?" Pascal scoffed, his normally placid features contorted by anger. "You come here with baseless stories, to wreck my marriage ..."

Garett interrupted him, "But that's it isn't it? You're not actually married are you? After all these years, even after Danielle, has Cleo ever asked you to marry her?"

"You know what I mean! We don't need to be 'married', we are a family."

"No, but Cleo has never even mentioned it has she? And, let's face it, you're getting older and in her line of work – the stress of the job, the camaraderie of the station house, those men and women spending hours together – there is plenty of temptation."

"That. Is. Enough!" His whole body taut, his fists tightly clenched, Pascal was on the verge of lashing out to bring an end to these lies.

"I don't know what you hope to gain but I know one thing. You will never set foot in this house again. You will leave, now, take what you have and get out of this house. Now."

"OK," Garett conceded defeat, "I will leave but you should know that I have only tried to tell you the truth."

Inside the house, Garett had a quick phone call to make.

"Hi, yeah, it's done, I'm leaving here now so I should be with you in about an hour. ... oh yes, I know her well enough, she won't be able to stop herself and the little seed I've planted will blossom here just as theirs did in Twinbrook."

It didn't take long to pack his few belongings, and Garett was ready to leave the Slade house.

Before he left, though, he wanted to say goodbye to Danielle.

"So, little one, this is it. 'Uncle' Garett has got to leave now. I don't know what they'll tell you, if you will ever understand why I had to do this. And I can't say you deserve this but a price has to be paid, and sometimes innocents have to suffer as well."

Kissing her lightly on the forehead, Garett put Danielle down, ruffled her hair and left 15 Summer Hill Court.

-- * --

When Cleo returned home from work she found Carl slumped, sullen, in front of the TV. Without even turning to acknowledge her presence, "You've got what you wanted, he's left."

Cleo was taken aback by the cruel tone in her brother's voice, "What? Who? Who's left?"

"Garett, he's packed up and gone. I hope you're happy."

"Carl, I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't asked anyone to leave."

"Yeah, whatever, you and Pascal made like he wasn't welcome anymore and now he’s gone."

Still confused as to what was going on, Cleo went looking for Pascal.

"Pascal, Carl tells me that Garett has left, and he thinks we had something to do with it?"

"Yes, we had an argument and I thought it would be better for everyone if he left, and he has."

Pascal was not the type of man who got into arguments, this did not make any sense.

"An argument? What about, what could have been so bad that he had to leave, so quickly?"

"It was nothing important really, he just said some things that I was not happy about, really it's nothing for you to worry about."

No Pascal, I don't understand, he had been no trouble at all.  I want you to tell me what he said."

He couldn’t look her in the eyes, this was not a conversation he wanted to have but Pascal knew that sooner or later she would hear about Garett's lies.

"He said things about you ma chérie, unpleasant lies."

Cleo felt her stomach churn, what exactly had Garett said?

"What things Pascal, what did he say?" she insisted.

"He said that you were having an affair, he said that was why we have never got married."

"Oh god." Cleo’s mind was racing. Why would he do that? Why would he say anything now?

She could deny it, laugh it off as the ravings of a spurned suitor, she could reassure Pascal that there was nothing in it; they could get married, to prove it. But the guilt would be with her forever, the guilt of her betrayal.

No, there was only one way that she could live with herself.

"Oh god, I'm sorry Pascal."

"Cleo? Are you ..."

"I am so sorry. You know that I love you, that I love our daughter. It meant nothing, I was weak, it just happened, I don’t love him."

"Love him? Who Cleo, who?"

"Garett of course. I slept with Garett."

Pascal went cold. Garett had been laughing at him! He had let him stay here, with Cleo, behind his back.

"Where Cleo? Here in our house? In our bed?"

"It was nothing Pascal, believe me. It was once, he is nothing compared to you."

"When did you start lying to me Cleo? When did it start?"

Cleo could say nothing in response. She had cheated on Pascal for almost as long as she had known him.

As much as she loved Pascal, she had never been able to turn her back on Garett and if she admitted the full truth of it Pascal would never forgive her.

"I can’t bear to look at you tonight. I will sleep in the spare room and tomorrow, tomorrow, we will be honest, you will tell me the truth and we will decide what to do."

In some ways Cleo wished that Pascal would stay, that he would scream and shout at her and let his anger out but she knew that was not his way. She could only hope that he would accept that she had a moment of weakness and would find it in his heart to forgive her.

As she watched him walk silently out of their room, the fear of what would happen if Pascal couldn't forgive her ran like a cold current through her body, causing her stomach to lurch violently again.

Chapter 22: Crashing