This is the nineteenth part of a fiction serial, in 1220 words.

Daisy spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen. Although she had bought a few prepared items, it appeared that she enjoyed cooking and seemed to know what she was doing too. As the smells from her efforts began to drift around the place, Martin realised just how hungry he was. In this life so far, he had only had two cups of coffee, and hadn’t eaten since the Chinese food in Basildon, which was almost twenty-four hours ago, in the time frame he existed in. She didn’t ask him to do anything, and he didn’t offer. He was too afraid to let on that he didn’t know where most things were stored.

So he sat watching TV for a while, until she appeared in the living room. “I’m going to shower and get ready now, Martin. They are supposed to be here at seven, but I reckon Mum will be early, and Chloe late. She’s always late. Why don’t you open some wine, and maybe think about changing before they turn up? I thought the linen suit, that nice light blue one”. She headed off in the direction of the bedroom, and Martin looked around in some cupboards, until he found the red wine. He checked the huge fridge, and found two bottles of Prosecco cooling in the door. A short rummage in one of the drawers revealed a corkscrew, and he opened two bottles of Burgundy, allowing the air to get to them.

When he got into the bedroom, she was out of the shower, and doing something with her make-up. He was pleased to see that she was wrapped securely in a towel, avoiding any awkwardness on his part. He found the blue suit she had mentioned, and slipped on a nice crisp white shirt from its dry-cleaning wrapper. Reaching in for socks, Daisy shook her head. “No socks, love. Leave it casual, those nice soft leather Italian loafers will go well with that. You will look nice and summery”. He smiled, and did as she asked. When he was fully dressed, he left the bedroom, and went and sat in the office chair again. Thoughts were coming to him, and he didn’t want any distractions.

All the coincidences were making him sure of one thing. Each of these new lives was probably nothing of the sort. Could it be that every life carried on, in some kind of parallel universes, with him in each of them? If not, then what was Pamela doing today, when her husband wasn’t anywhere to be seen? Was she married to someone else? And was Daisy living both lives, separated by fourteen years in her time? And there was Vanessa. First encountered in his bank, then appearing as his lover in Spain, and again as his sexy next door neighbour, in Essex. And now she was his reluctant mother in law, according to Daisy at least. He hadn’t written any of it on the Remington, but somehow those people had kept appearing in every incarnation of whatever life he woke up to. Could they really all be happening at once? One day plastering in Essex, the next driving a range-rover in Spain, his conscious awareness changing, every time he used the typewriter?

The loud buzzer of the entryphone snapped him back into this world. Daisy was there to answer it, and he heard her say “Hi, Mum. Come on up. Top button in the lift”. He went back to the living room and sat down.

Martin stood up, as Daisy walked in with Vanessa. Her hair was short, cut in a choppy style. Flecks of grey could be seen at the sides. She looked a little older, and rather stressed. Her eyes met Martin’s without a hint of recognition. She accepted his outstretched hand with the briefest of handshakes in return. “We have never met, but I have seen many photos of you, naturally”. Martin waited until she sat down. “Can I get you a drink, Vanessa?” She was casting her eyes around the room, taking in her surroundings. She spoke without looking back at him. “Red wine please, Rioja Gran Reserva, if you have it”. The wine connection made him want to smile, but he kept a straight face. “Actually, I have already opened a nice Burgundy. Will that do?” She nodded, turning to Daisy. “You haven’t made much of a mark in this flat, Daisy. It feels very masculine, you know”. Daisy sat down next to her, a weak smile. Keeping the peace.

Martin poured the wine, hoping that he wouldn’t face any questioning. How long had they been married? He had no idea. Vanessa’s comment implied that this had been his place, and that Daisy had moved in with him. Was that after the wedding, or before? He had a feeling it would be best to say very little, and be vague in his answers too. She took the glass from him carefully, avoiding contact with his hand or fingers. Daisy looked up, with a mock frown. “What about me, darling? Do I get a drink?” To avoid confessing that he had no idea what she might like, he returned with another glass of the Burgundy, along with his own. He sat down slowly, looking across at Vanessa’s unmistakable profile. She was very smart, with good style, and clothes that looked expensive. But she had lost that spark, that sultry feel that she once exuded. The buzzer went again, and Daisy turned. “Will you get that? It’ll be Chloe”.

Chloe smiled at Martin when he opened the door. Then she surprised him by leaning over and kissing his cheek. “You look good, Martin. Nice suit. I haven’t seen you since the wedding. Have you lost weight?” Without waiting for him to reply, she hurried in, squealing at Daisy, and greeting Vanessa. She looked much younger than when he had first met her at Harris-Coyle of course. And she was less edgy and bitter than he remembered her too. Other than the mention of the wedding, she paid him little heed, and he heard nothing to pick up on during her dinner conversation. Luckily, there wasn’t a single mention of Pablo, Spain, or Pamela Murray. In fact it all went rather well, even though Vanessa was looking at her watch by ten, and saying she should go. Chloe took the cue, and suggested they share a cab.

Daisy was so happy. As she loaded the dishwasher, she raved on about how relaxed her Mum had been, how Chloe had said how nice Martin was, and how she thought that bridges had been built with her Mum, and they could now move on. He told her he had a little bit of work to check on in the office, and she said that was good, as she wanted an early night anyway. With a big smacking kiss on the lips Daisy said goodnight, and headed for the bedroom.

In the office room, he slid the old Remington out from the drawer. Removing the existing sheet of paper, he inserted a new piece into the roller, and lined it up.

Martin stared at the blank page for a very long time.

He was going to have to think much more carefully about what he typed on it.

This is the seventeenth part of a fiction serial, in 1120 words.

When his eyes opened, Martin looked to his right. The naked form of Vanessa was stretched out on top of the duvet, and she was snoring quietly. He felt like he had just endured a workout at the gym. She had been insatiable, and he certainly couldn’t complain about what they had been doing for most of the day. But something would have to be done. He couldn’t allow this current life to carry on. Being married to Pam was one thing, but being blackmailed and tempted by his next door neighbour was always going to end in disaster. He eased himself off the bed, and grabbed his clothes and shoes from the floor. Slipping quietly out of the bedroom, he dressed downstairs, and walked next door into his own house.

His own house, that felt weird to even call it that in his mind.

Before he could even think about searching the place for clues, Martin got into the shower. After a good scrub, he had a shave, smiling at how all the necessary stuff was there. His mark on this life. His large toothbrush, can of shaving foam, razor, and deodorant spray. He didn’t want Pam and Daisy to come home and see him still unwashed from the morning. Daisy! The thought hit him like a hard slap on the head. Pulling on some clean clothes in the bedroom, he checked his watch. He was going to be so late to collect her. He checked his phone as he rushed to the van. No calls. Hopefully, it would be OK.

There was no sign of Daisy on the deserted school entrance, so he drove the van into the car park, and ran across to the doors. He buzzed the entry system, and a flat voice answered. “Yes”. Trying to sound harassed, which wasn’t difficult, he almost shouted into the speaker. “It’s Martin Harwood, to collect Daisy. Sorry, I got held up”. The girl was sitting inside, by a reception desk manned by a woman who looked too old to still be working. The grumpy-looking thin woman shook her head at him as he approached. “You really should call us if you are going to be late, you know. Five more minutes, and I would have called your wife”. He managed a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Thanks. Won’t happen again”. He knew it wouldn’t, as he had no intention of being in Basildon tomorrow.

Daisy didn’t seem concerned. She wanted to play the Satnav game again on the way back, and as soon as they got back to the house, she took off her blazer and shoes, before running upstairs to her room. Forgetting about searching the house for clues, Martin decided to look for the Remington instead. There was no trace in the two downstairs rooms, so he went outside to the garage. It was almost empty, save for an old child’s bike, and a folded-flat Wendy house. No doubt Pam had a car, and actually kept it in there. He went back inside and started to look around upstairs. The small third bedroom was decked out like a study. Desk, laptop, printer, and some shelves containing box files. It was all very neat and tidy, and it was easy to establish that the typewriter was nowhere to be seen. The main bedroom required a more careful examination. But it wasn’t that big, and almost everything was in its place in the fitted wardrobes surrounding the bed. That left two options; Daisy’s room, or the loft. He suddenly wondered if there might be a shed in the garden. If it wasn’t in the house, then maybe the Remington was stored out there.

He walked down the stairs, to check outside, but was only halfway down when he heard the unmistakable sound of clattering typewriter keys. The sound was coming from behind the closed door of Daisy’s room. Rushing in, he surprised the girl, and she scowled at him. “Daddy, you didn’t knock. We said you would knock now that I am eleven. I’m not a baby anymore”. He smiled at her serious expression. “Sorry honey, I completely forgot. I will go out and come in again, OK?” He had spotted the typewriter between her legs on the bed, still in it’s case. Biting back the frustration, he closed the door, then knocked carefully. “Daisy, it’s Daddy. Can I come in?” She had obviously decided to play with him. “Just a moment, I’m not ready”. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for what seemed like ages. “OK. Come in, Daddy”. She was sitting at the small dressing table, taking her hair out of the bunches. As he walked in she turned and smiled, continuing her charade. “Hello Daddy, what did you want?”

Martin kept it going, not wanting to cause any fuss. “Oh I was wondering if I could use that typewriter, the one on your bed here?” She waved a hand in a royal gesture. “Yes you can have it back. I don’t know how to use it, and I was just typing because I like the noise it makes”. He smiled, and picked it up. “Why thank you, young lady”. In the small study room, he looked at the sheet of paper in the roller. It was half-covered in all sorts of nonsense.
‘Daisy Harwood. DAISY HARWOOD. MISS DAISY HARWOOD. Basildon XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ###~~~ }]{{ 11111 qazwsxedcrfvtgbyhnujmik,ol.p’

He wondered when she had typed all that, and hoped it was just now, when he had heard her. Then he pulled the paper out, and inserted a clean sheet from a stack next to the printer. If he was quick, he would have it done before Pam got home. But he had to be careful, he knew that by now. The thought came to him, and he acted on it immediately.

‘Martin Harwood was one of the most successful traders in the City of London. When he started out, big firms had tried to poach him, even the powerful Harris-Coyle. But he kept his integrity, knowing they were involved with insider trading. He decided to start up his own company, playing by the rules. That earned him a reputation throughout the money markets, and despite the financial problems affecting Europe, he saw steady growth, and was left with a solid and respected company.’

He sat back and re-read the paragraph. Back to the beginning. No dodgy dealings. No Harris-Coyle, no Chloe, and no Pam.

One night to get through, playing the devoted husband and father. being nice to Pam and Daisy, and listening to Pam tell him about her new job. Eat the Chinese food, drink some wine, and get an early night.

Tomorrow, it would all start again.

This is the sixteenth part of a fiction serial, in 1475 words.

As he pulled up on the driveway back at the house, Martin’s phone started to ring again. The screen showed the name, PAM. He answered with an upbeat tone. “Hello, love. How did it go?”
She squealed in reply, her voice raised and excited. “I got it. I got it!. They were really nice. It’s more than just filing and typing too. I will be the personal assistant to the chief executive. Can you believe that, love? This could be a great move for me”. He paused, and then tried to sound casual. “Remind me again, who is it you will be working for? You know me, I forgot”. She didn’t seem to be bothered by his forgetfulness. It’s that city firm I mentioned. You know, stocks and shares. Brokers, finances, all that stuff. It is called Harris-Coyle, and I will be working for Chloe Harris, the woman in charge”.

Martin felt a chill creep down his back, and said nothing. Pam continued, still excited. “Anyway, I am going to pop over to the shops in the West End, and get some new things to wear. They want me to start next week, an induction period. I will want to look my best. So I won’t be back in time to get Daisy from school. Don’t forget to pick her up, you will have to finish work early. I will order us a Chinese takeaway tonight, to celebrate. See you later, love”. She hung up without waiting for a reply. Martin sat quietly in the van. It seemed that the spiral was continuing. Whatever he wrote, however things changed, everything else remained interwoven in the new life. And now the past was interfering on a daily basis too. His real past, the one he had actually lived, and remembered. Or had he? It was getting too much for his mind to take in.

Climbing out of the van, he was still intending to search this house for any clues about his current life. There would be the usual papers to look for. Mortgage, Marriage, Bank statements, Utility bills. He would try to piece together the life of a married man in Basildon. Someone who was married to an office worker, and father to a schoolgirl. Someone who worked in his own business as a plasterer. He smiled grimly. A plasterer, for Christ’s sake. How did that ever happen? As he fished for the right key, he didn’t notice the woman standing on a step ladder against the front windows of the house next door, washing the glass with a soapy cloth. But her voice jolted him, and he slowly turned to look at her. “Hi, Martin. Home early today, or just skipping work? I promise I won’t tell Pam”.

He watched as she stepped down from the small platform, shaking soapy suds from the pair of yellow rubber gloves she was wearing. Her smile was warm, her face attractive, and her figure curvy. And that all confirmed what he had known when he heard her voice. It was Vanessa.

Despite not having a tan, she looked like her old self. At least the old self he remembered from the bank, and those first few days in Spain. He decided not to act surprised, and let her do the talking. It wasn’t easy to wait for her to start. “You OK, Martin love? You don’t look well. Like you’ve seen a ghost or something. Why don’t you pop in for a cup of tea? There is something I wanted to talk to you about, so now’s as good a time as any”. He nodded, eager to get it over with. Whatever ‘it’ was going to be. She left the step-ladder and bucket outside, and he followed her in through the open door. The house was lived-in. Not tidy, not messy. A pair of court shoes stood by the door, and an outdoor coat hung on a hook. It would appear she lived there alone.

“Go through, and I will bring your tea. Still two sugars, not much milk?” Martin nodded, and walked into the living room. The house was a mirror of the one next door, the one he apparently lived in with Pamela. He moved a colourful throw that was crumpled on an armchair, and sat down. She was soon back, placing the mug next to him on a side table. He played dumb. “So what did you want to talk to me about?” She leaned forward from her perch on the sofa opposite, close enough for him to smell her perfume. “Well, it’s about my son. You know, Pablo”. He picked up the tea, It was too hot to drink, but he held it close to his mouth, and waited. “He’s been getting fed up living with his Dad, and working as a waiter doesn’t suit him at all. He would much prefer to come and live here, with me. I thought you could take him on. Just try him out, train him up in your trade. Plasterers can make good money, and he’s bright enough. He will learn fast, I’m sure. Pam tells me you have plenty of work on, and you wouldn’t have to pay him too much. What do you think, love?”

Martin sipped the tea, even though it felt as if it was scalding his lips. He needed time to think, and he stalled Vanessa by appearing to be thinking over her proposition. Not only was he married to his ex office girl. Not only was he working as a plasterer, living in suburban Essex. Not only did he have a daughter who had just started her first year of secondary school. But now this. His former lover and one-time fiance was his next-door neighbour. And the waiter from the Tapas Bar and the fancy restaurant in the quiet street was her son. That presumably meant that the older Spanish guy who greeted them had been or was still her husband. All the different aspects of his life written up on the Remington were coming together, merging. And not in a good way. He no longer knew what was real or imaginary. But then it was all real, wasn’t it? The tea was hot, Vanessa looked amazing, and he had just spoken to Pam on the phone.

She was impatient for him to reply. “Well? What do you say, love. Can I give Pablo a call. Maybe start next month?” Martin swallowed more of the tea. He hadn’t realised how thirsty he was, and the hot sweet drink had made him feel much better. He gave her an affable grin. “I’m not sure. I mean, working with your friend’s son. Next-door neighbours and all that. If something went wrong, I would hate for us to fall out over it. Him working for me, well, he might not like that. It’s not like I even know him, after all”. He could tell she hadn’t got the answer she was expecting, as her tone changed completely. “I don’t see any of that as a problem. He speaks good English, he’s keen to learn, and I can vouch for him. He’s my flesh and blood, Martin. And living next door is ideal. You can pick him up every morning, and he will never be late for work”. She stopped there, as if the discussion was over.

He looked back at her over the rim of the mug. As always, she was confident, familiar. Relaxed in his company. “I don’t know. Neighbours, that’s one thing. It’s good to be friendly, but taking it further, I don’t know”. She put her mug down on the floor, still full of tea. “Well you didn’t think that last August, did you? At my barbecue, when everyone had gone, and Pam took Daisy in to put her to bed. Remember? Well I remember. Once up against the back wall of the garage, then in here on the carpet”. She pointed to the space on the floor between them, as Martin felt his face flush. Her expression was triumphant.

“I don’t recall you worrying about taking things further with a neighbour that night, love. In fact, it was me that said you had better get back next door, before Pam wondered where you were”. Of course, he didn’t remember. But he instinctively knew she was telling the truth. At least in her life, if not in his.

Vanessa stood up, her face softening, and a sly smile on her lips. She reached forward and took the mug out of his hands, placing it back on the table. Holding out a hand, she spoke like a purring cat. “Why don’t we go upstairs now, and I will convince you to give Pablo a chance?”

Despite everything, he knew he would follow her up those stairs.