The mistake of Jack - Chapter 5

Miranda and Jack looked at each other as Tracey informed them about their guest. They barely got home and obviously needed rest and now this. He has never visited their house before and must surely have a good reason for his visit. Jack stood up from the bed. Miranda wanted to help him but she had already removed a few pieces of clothing as she got ready for her bath. He didn’t want her to hear what Fischer had to say so he assured her that she can relax in the bath and that it’s probably just some work related matters that needed to be discussed.

Reluctantly, Miranda closed the bathroom door and took her bath. She wasn’t very convinced about this “work-related” visit because her conversation with Mr. Fischer from the day before was still bothering her. She has so many questions for Jack about what happened yesterday. Something felt off about this whole incident and she got a feeling that Jack wasn’t really up for discussing it. She wanted to tell him the good news in the car as they drove home from the hospital but it didn’t feel like the right time. When will the right time be? Perhaps this evening, she thought.

In the living room, Jack greets Mr. Fischer with a frown on his face. It’s a very stiff atmosphere between the two of them. Fischer makes small talk while searching around in his pockets and then hands Jack his cellphone.

“You came here to bring me my phone? Are you serious? You could have just given it to our assistant or is there another reason for you to deliver it in person?” Jack asks, irritated with the small talk.

“If that was the reason, I would definitely have sent Cindy with it but we all know how that would have turned out.” Fischer replies. “No, I’m here to hand you the police statement and to inform you that the lawyers will contact you soon. The police will also show up here to take your statement and it’s obvious that you haven’t spoken to your wife yet.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong, Fischer. You and I both know she’s making it all up. What am I supposed to tell my wife about this? You suspended me for a few weeks without hearing my side of the story and yet, you’ve now dragged the police into this too” Jack says, talking very softly.

Fisher raises his voice and replies: “It’s company policy Jack. There was nothing I could do!”

The conversation became serious and Jack couldn’t risk Miranda overhearing. “I’ll walk you to your car” Jack said, while pointing towards the door. The thought occurred to Jack that Tracey might have overheard them. He didn’t see her but she must have been around somewhere. Although Jack knew that Tracey doesn’t like Miranda, he didn’t know her well enough to know if she would say anything.

“You have to talk to your wife before she finds out from someone else” Fischer said.

“There is nothing to tell!” Jack snaps at him and throws his hands in the air. “If anything, I should be the one taking her to the police. She tried her luck with me and then when she didn’t succeed, she threatened me and then told this lie to get back at me.”

“Then tell that to your wife…and to the police. If you didn’t do anything wrong, you should have nothing to worry about!”

While Jack and Fischer were saying their goodbyes, Miranda had finished her bath and was watching them through the bedroom window. She stood behind the lace curtains and the conversation between Jack and his boss seemed a little intense to her. Jack threw his hands in the air and she was afraid that he may collapse again. She could not hear a word they were saying and the fact that everyone is acting all too weird is starting to bother her a lot. “If Jack is up to a stroll outside with his boss, then talking with his wife shouldn’t be so tiring then, should it?” she says to herself. Perhaps, she thinks, she should not ask anything about that now and just tell him the news…No! Her head and her heart is now involved in an argument. Her heart is telling her to let go of the weirdness and just tell him the news, and her head is telling her to find out what is going on first. Maybe she should just sleep about it?

Jack enters the bedroom and finds Miranda sitting up on the bed, the way she always does when something is bothering her.
“Jack, we should talk.”