Kerry Barrett - The Hidden Women

I shifted in my seat. ‘He did some of the music for Mackenzie ,’ I said, wondering if I should have mentioned this before. ‘Not the theme but some of the incidental music.’

He gaped at me in astonishment. ‘No,’ he said. ‘My Mackenzie ?’

‘The very same.’

Jack chuckled. ‘Isn’t it a small world, eh?’

‘Isn’t it,’ said Miranda. ‘Dad’s career was just taking off in the Nineties, when we were growing up. He worked long hours. And when Mum got ill, he wasn’t completely able to cope with four kids.’

Jack nodded. ‘And Lil?’

‘She was a musician, like Dad,’ I told him. ‘Piano, mostly, but she’s the sort of person who can play anything. She was a session musician and she travelled all over the world playing with different bands or singers. Six months on a cruise ship here, a year in a jazz club in New York, there. Recording an album with the Rolling Stones one day, hanging out with Fleetwood Mac the next.’

‘Sounds incredible.’

‘She’s got some brilliant stories,’ I agreed.

‘But when we were kids and Mum was poorly,’ Miranda said, ‘Lil stepped in and made sure we were being looked after.’ She drained her wine glass. ‘I’m not sure what we would have done without her.’

‘Blimey,’ Jack said, topping up Miranda’s empty glass. ‘You are really close?’

I nodded. ‘I thought so,’ I said. ‘And yet she’s never mentioned her time in the ATA.’

I looked at Miranda. ‘Manda, we found Lil’s service record.’ I picked up the folder Jack had brought with him, which was now splattered with beer and something that looked like tomato ketchup, even though we’d not eaten. ‘Look at what happened.’

I handed her the sheet of paper and watched as she read the lines at the bottom.

‘Oh shit,’ she said. ‘Dishonourable discharge?’

‘What do you think, Manda?’ I said. ‘Do you still think we should speak to her about it?’

Miranda made a face. ‘I’m going to Paris on Friday for a week,’ she said. ‘So I can’t help. But yes, I think you should go and see her. Find out what it was all about.’

‘She might not want to talk,’ I said. ‘What if it upsets her? She’s really old.’

‘She’s tough as old boots,’ said Miranda. ‘I really think you should try to talk about it. We can’t pretend that we don’t know now – she’d see through that in a flash.’

I nodded. That was true.

‘All right,’ I said. ‘I’ll go and see her at the weekend.’

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