Hidden Secrets - 9. Knight of Cups

Tuesday morning found me at the library, eagerly checking my emails. There was as much spam as ever, but among them was also the one reply I'd been waiting for, from George Whitaker, former chief at the Regal.

Dear Terry

Sorry I didn't reply straight away, but I've been on holiday. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was working at the Regal, and I'm sure the old place hasn't changed too much. Glad to hear you enjoyed my brief history.

I was interested to read the account of the haunting written by Trevor Godfrey. I wouldn't have thought that particular young man the sort to believe in anything supernatural from what I can remember of him. However he enjoyed being 'in the limelight' and telling tall stories, so maybe that was his motive.

I've worked in a few places where some strange things have happened, but The Regal was always blessedly free of anything like that. I think the author of that site on cinema hauntings was right in saying that the nature of the building has a lot to do with reports of ghostly occurrences. A big, empty space, normally filled with people always feels strange outside hours. And you probably know all the tricks the imagination can play when you are alone in a cinema.

As for the well, it has been a constant source of problems with the drainage, particularly since the conversion. I think the building work may have caused many of them, with the weight of machinery and the disturbing of the foundations. One of my colleagues always insisted that there was a bad smell in the old front stalls, particularly after heavy rain, but I don't have much sense of smell so can't help you there.

Please give my regards to Maurice. If you have any pictures of the Regal today I'd like to see them.

Regards

George

Not much there that I didn't already know, but it was interesting to read someone else had complained of a bad smell. It also confirmed Trevor's reputation as someone who loved publicity of any kind. The time slip story could therefore safely be assumed to be either a wild exaggeration or a total fabrication.

I wrote a quick reply to inform George what had happened to Maurice and asking if he could tell me a bit about how the box had run back in the days before and after tripling. I mentioned Colin still worked there, that I had found logs dating back to the seventies and wondered who had written the snide comments. Then I had to dash off to the cinema.

I had plans for today. I was going to start deep cleaning the smaller projection boxes, beginning with screen two. Firstly, though, I needed to sort through the mess in there. Each box was equipped with a rewind bench for making up features and programmes. This was currently impossible in both the downstairs boxes, due to all of the bits and pieces that were piled on them. I’d had to carry all of the adverts and the new films upstairs last week to check them. It seemed a waste of energy taking stuff up all those stairs only to have to bring it down again. True, most new films began their run in the larger screen one, but that wasn’t always the case.

I got hold of an empty cardboard box and started to sort through what had been left on the bench. Lots of trailers, many of which were for films that had already played. They needed to be boxed up and returned. A film splicer whose cutting blade was so blunt and covered in glue it wouldn’t cut butter, let alone film. That needed to be fixed. If there was a film break, the last thing you needed was to find the splicer didn’t work properly. More Cinema Technology magazines. They could go upstairs with all the rest. I also found a few oily rags, various spare parts and a new xenon lamp.

Sorting through that lot took a while, especially with having to relocate a lot of what I’d discovered to the various stores where they were meant to be kept. Once the bench was clear, I then cleaned it and checked the winders. A quick glance at the clock showed it was almost time to get ready for opening. Looking around, it seemed what I had achieved was only a drop in a vast ocean. It wouldn’t happen overnight. Based on what I’d done so far, I reckoned it would take a good few months to get the place as I’d like it to be.

I’d laced up and got screen one ready to open when my walkie talkie crackled into life. Good job I’d remembered to carry it. Karen had given me a lecture the previous day when - just once - I’d accidentally left it in one of the boxes and she’d tried to call me. This time it was Dan.

‘Do you have a minute, Terry? I’m in the office.’

I’d not seen him since Saturday and dreaded meeting him again. He’d have had time to think over all of what I’d said and I was certain he’d have come to the conclusion his new chief was barking mad. I knocked on the door and went in.

He was pinning up some new charts on the wall, looking smart in a primrose coloured shirt, his light grey trousers hugging those slim hips. Damn! Why did he have to be so easy on the eye?

‘Can you have a look through those and sign on the dotted line.’ He pointed at some papers lying on the desk.

I glanced at them. They were the usual company forms in which you had to confirm you’d received a proper induction, knew what to do in the event of a fire and so forth. As I was signing, he returned to his desk. ‘Everything all right?’ he asked.

‘Yes, fine.’ I took a deep breath. ‘Look, I really should apologise for all of that stuff I was on about on Saturday. Sometimes, I think I watch too many films.’

He smiled. ‘Not a problem. I reckon we were both shaken up after what happened. Still I’ve been thinking about some of the things you said.’

Bugger. I’d hoped he’d forgotten them. ‘And…?’

‘Do you believe in ghosts?’

Now he had me. I didn’t want to lie. ‘Well, yes. At least, let’s say I’ve witnessed phenomena it would be hard to explain any other way.’

‘I have too.’

‘Oh?’ I hadn’t expected this.

‘That feeling I had over the old well. I’ve felt it before, in a supposedly haunted room we visited during a ghost walk. A few other times, too. I’d never thought about it too much, but what you told me made sense.’

‘That’s good.’ I wasn’t quite sure where this was leading.

‘We should still keep it to ourselves though. I’d rather not have the staff worrying unnecessarily. Odd feelings aren’t conclusive proof of anything, are they?’

‘Well, no.’ Even I had to admit that. The only way to prove for certain a body had been dumped down there would be to dig it up. If that happened as a result of investigations into the water problems, then I’d be vindicated.

‘Good,’ he said, evidently happy at getting that out of the way. ‘Oh and by the way, Maurice’s wife called to thank us for our help. He’s been to the doctor and had a check up. Nothing broken, just some bruising. He’s going to be staying at home for a few days, though, so at least we won’t have to worry about him turning up for a while.’

I was glad about that. ‘Poor Maurice. I wonder what will happen to him?’

‘I suppose he’ll end up in a home, when it all gets too much for her to manage. That’s what happened to my grandmother. Sad, really. Better to die quickly, I’ve always thought.’

‘Worse for those left behind, though.’ I spoke from experience. This wasn’t an area I wanted to talk about. I glanced at my watch. ‘I’d best get on. Screen three’s due to open in five minutes.’

‘There was just one other thing…’

His walkie talkie, balanced on the desk, crackled before Sylvia spoke. ‘Popcorn delivery’s arrived.’

‘I’ll be right there.’ He clipped the walkie talkie to his belt. ‘No rest for the wicked. Maybe I’ll catch you later?’

‘I’m here all day.’

I got the first shows on screen, ate my sandwiches, then went back downstairs to continue sorting out box two. I mused over what Dan had been about to say when we’d been interrupted. Probably nothing important. Okay, he didn’t seem to think I was mad, but I shouldn’t get my hopes up. I was on the way back from taking a load of rubbish to the bins when Sylvia called me over.

‘You having a bit of a clear out, love?’

‘Quite a lot of a clear out. You wouldn’t believe the amount of rubbish in those boxes.’

‘I would,’ she said. ‘Maurice was always a hoarder and as for the other one…’ She sniffed. ‘The way he looks when he comes to work you can tell he’s messy. Not like you.’

‘Thanks.’ In projection, there was always the possibility of having to crawl under a stage, or having to dismantle an oily piece of cinema equipment, so it didn’t pay to wear new clothes, but I always tried to look tidy. I usually wore jeans or cargo pants, with an old, but still decent shirt. At my previous cinema we’d had boiler suits available in case we needed to do any really mucky work. I’d have to see about getting some ordered for here.

‘Anyway, do you think you could put a new bulb in that popcorn warmer some time? I asked Colin to do it yesterday but he forgot.’

‘I’ll do it right now, if you like.’ It would be at least fifteen minutes before Nanny McPhee ended in screen three and that would be another job out of the way. I found the spares in the lamp store, which I’d sorted out the previous week and returned to the foyer.

‘Here,’ Sylvia said, as I fitted the new lamp. ‘I’ve got something to show you.’ She brought out some old postcards from a her bag. ‘Remember I said Jenny and Trevor went travelling? I found a couple of the cards they sent.’

I took them and had a quick look. One was from Pattaya, in Thailand; a typical beach scene. Two different hands had written on the back. Wish you were here. Glad we aren’t there! Bet it’s raining back in England. Having a lovely time. No food poisoning yet! The other showed Sydney Opera House. Australia at last! Brilliant. Trev has got a job thanks to his uncle. Things are looking good. Say hello to everyone at the cinema.

‘Lucky them,’ I commented.

‘I always knew them two would do something like that. They weren’t content with all of this.’ She swept a hand around the foyer. ‘You know, for a while it even made me think I could do something like that. Never did, though. Got married, had kids. You wonder where all the years get to.’

‘There’s still time.’ Presumably her children were long since grown up and living lives of their own. ‘It’s easy enough to travel these days. Back when they did it, it must have been a lot more of an adventure.’

She made a face. ‘My Phil would never go anywhere like that. Bad enough getting him to go to Majorca. He doesn’t like planes, doesn’t like the food. The cheap booze is fine with him, though. You ever been abroad?’

‘A few times, yes.’ Cliff had loved travelling. We’d stayed in several luxury beach resorts, visited Las Vegas and been whale watching in Iceland. Even before I’d met him, I’d gone on a few cheap packages; last minute getaways to somewhere hot and sunny, which had been fun. I’d seen my first drag show in a bar at the Yumbo Centre in Playa del Ingles. I must have smiled at the memories from that particular holiday.

‘I can see you’ve had a few good times, love. What it is to be young, in this day and age.’

I clipped the perspex cover back into place. ‘There you are.’

‘Thanks. So, you planning any holidays next year?’

‘Maybe, once I’ve saved some money. I was out of work for a little while before this job.’

‘Anyone to go with?’ she asked.

‘Not at the moment.’ It was always the same, in cinemas. People were inevitably interested in their co-workers lives and the amount of time when there wasn’t much to do encouraged gossip and conjecture.

‘I’ll tell Jane that. She likes the look of you, she said.’ Sylvia gave me a wink.

‘Jane?’ The name was familiar.

‘Works here three evenings a week. Blond hair. Nice figure.’

I remembered her now. The name badge pinned to an ample chest. ‘I, er, try not to go out with people I work with.’ That might put her off.

‘Come on, you’re not getting out of it so easily,’ Sylvia said. ‘Most folk who work in the cinema end up with someone else who works there. Jenny and Trevor, for one. Or Brenda and Maurice. My Phil was in projection when we first met, too.’

What she said was true, up to a point. It was difficult when one partner in a relationship worked the long shifts cinema staff and management were used to. Add to that the unsocial hours and the unique aspects of the job and it wasn’t surprising that most long-lasting relationships were between people who understood the business. ‘Fair enough,’ I said, knowing that I’d have to do better than that. Everyone at Fairford Green had known I was gay. I didn’t go out of my way to hide it and the cinema industry, even before legislation, had always been tolerant. It was almost surprising that she didn’t already know; information usually travels swiftly from one cinema to another. ‘But you’d better let her down gently I wouldn’t be interested anyway. Wrong gender.’

I could almost see the moment when it clicked in Sylvia’s mind. ‘Oh, well. I see. You want to go down to the Crossways, then.’

‘Where?’

‘Gay bar in town. My daughter’s girlfriend works there. It’s very friendly. You might meet someone there.’

‘Thanks for the tip.’ Customers had started to fill the foyer, so I guessed screen three must be on the credits. ‘Best get on.'

The afternoon passed fairly swiftly. By the time the early evening shows were on, I’d cleared box two and washed the floor. It was starting to look like a proper projection room. I took the splicer upstairs to strip down and de-gunk, which filled in most of my spare time during the evening, along with eating one of Cynthia’s vegetable pasties together with some broccoli. The Regal’s staffroom was well equipped with a Baby Belling electric cooker and a microwave, in addition to the essential kettle and fridge. When you worked a twelve or thirteen hour shift, being able to prepare food was essential. My old chief used to cook a proper Sunday dinner every time he worked a weekend. You could still smell the aroma first thing on a Monday morning.

I filled in the box log with details of what I’d achieved. It wasn’t as formal as the ones I’d found in the office, just a page to a day diary in which each projectionist could leave notes for the other, essential as we only met occasionally on shift changes. Colin rarely wrote anything. No surprise there, really. I’d noticed he didn’t even fill in condition reports for the films he made up and would need to have a word with him about that. I’m not crazy about paperwork, but you need to keep some records, just in case of a problem.

It wasn’t a busy evening, but Tuesdays were only slightly better than Monday, which generally had the lowest admissions of the week. After I’d done the last scope change in screen two, I trudged back up the stairs, glad for the chance to sit down and have a cup of tea.

Now it was just a question of waiting for the films to slowly unwind on their platters and roll on ten forty-eight, when the final show came to an end.

I’d dug out my old set of Tarot cards and brought them in with me for just this eventuality. They’d hardly been used for the past few years and I unwrapped them carefully from the slightly dusty blue cloth, shuffling a few times to get the feel of them again, then turning up random pictures to clear my mind and refresh my memory. Just for practice - and out of interest - I started to form a question in my head. Is it possible Dan’s interested in me? As Cynthia had done a few days ago, I drew just three cards, labelling them in my head; yes or no, present energy and possible progression. I turned them up with a degree of anticipation that already let me know what my subconscious would like the answers to be. Yes or no turned up the Star. A good positive card, meaning renewal and hope. Good enough for me. The middle card was an old friend; the Knight of Cups. When the same card shows up twice in a matter of days, it’s usually for a good reason. ‘So,’ I mused out loud. ‘You’re going to come along and sweep me off my feet, are you?’ Finally, the progression card showed the six of Swords. It’s a card that symbolises sadness passing or moving on after a struggle. I was just reflecting on the overall meaning when I heard footsteps on the stairs. Before I had time to put the cards away, Dan appeared in the doorway.

‘Thought I’d surprise you,’ he said, producing a cardboard box from behind his back. The logo showed that it was from The Cake Place, just two hundred metres from this cinema as their advert on screen proudly proclaimed. He saw the cards on the table. ‘What’s this?’

‘Just, er, my Tarot cards.’ I felt slightly embarrassed.

‘You read cards?’ He put the box down on a clear portion of the work surface and opened the lid to reveal two delicious looking chocolate eclairs filled with fresh cream.

‘Sometimes.’ I hoped he didn’t find it too weird. People sometimes did.

‘Let’s have a cuppa, then and you can do mine.’

I refilled the kettle. and found some clean plates for the eclairs. When I’d first started, there hadn’t been any. Colin had evidently used all of the available plates, leaving the dirty ones on the draining board and just washing one as he needed it.

Dan was looking at the cards I’d drawn. ‘What do these mean, then?’ He lightly touched the six of Swords. ‘That looks sad.’

‘It is, sort of. But the sadness is passing. Can you see, in the picture how the boat is moving from rough water to smooth.’

‘Oh, yes. I’d not noticed. What’s with the naked woman pouring water?’

‘That’s the Star. Hope and healing. It sort of reinforces the other card, although a lot depends on the positioning in the spread.’ I wasn’t going to tell him what I was hoping for.

He picked up the Knight. ‘What’s this? Looks like someone bringing gifts.’

The Knight is bearing a cup rather than a box of eclairs, but he’d got the gist of it. ‘It predicted you were going to come through that door with cakes. Spooky, eh?’

‘Uncanny.’

I made his tea, then handed him the plate. ‘Eat your eclair first, then wash your hands. I don’t want my cards getting all sticky.’ That sounded like some sort of innuendo, I realised, but either he didn’t get it or he didn’t mind. He smiled.

There is absolutely no way to eat an eclair that doesn’t look suggestive. Was that why he’d chosen them, I wondered? I didn’t really care. The Cake Place knew their job and the eclair was one of the best I’d had, with gooey chocolate, light choux pastry and plenty of cream. There was no further talk until we’d both finished eating. Dan went and washed his hands as I’d instructed while I licked the last traces of cream from my fingers, then followed suit. ‘Thanks. That was just what I needed at this time of the evening.’

‘I often have a cake once I’ve cashed up.’ He looked at the table again. ‘I’ve never had my cards read before. What do I have to do?’

‘As the actress said to the bishop,’ I quipped. More innuendo. What was wrong with me tonight? I knew the answer even as I asked myself the question. Then I picked up the cards and reshuffled them to clear the energies, forcing myself to be serious. I handed the pack to Dan. ‘Just shuffle them or move them around while you focus on a question. Something you’d like to know about, something you’re interested in.’

‘Do I have to tell you what it is?’

‘No. You can if you want, but it’s not compulsory.’

‘I’m going to test your skills,’ he said, with a small smile. ‘See if you can guess what’s on my mind.’

‘That’s fine.’ I’d already decided I’d do another simple spread; just five cards this time. I could feel the ambience in the room and knew already it would be a good, accurate reading. The rapport was there, even without trying.

He shuffled the pack a few times. Tarot decks are generally larger than playing cards and more substantial. You can’t - and shouldn’t - do the kind of riffle people often use as it will bend and damage the cards. Sometimes, you need to tell new clients this, but Dan seemed to sense it and handled them gently.

‘I’ve thought of something,’ he said. ‘Now what?’

‘Hand them over to me.’ I fanned the cards out in a semi circle across the cloth, smoothly and easily.

‘I can see you’ve done that a few times.’

I nodded. ‘Now, I’d like you to pick five cards. One at a time and lay them face down from left to right, just here.’ I indicated the place on the cloth.

‘Any cards?’

‘That’s it. Just go for the ones that feel right.’ I watched his hands hover over the fan as he made his choices. He had long, shapely fingers with even nails. Clearly, he wasn’t a nail biter. Once the five cards were in place I paused for a moment. ‘Now, in any spread, it’s not just the cards that count, but their positioning.’

‘You said something about that earlier.’

‘Yes. So, in this particular spread, this position…’ I indicated the card to his left, ‘is the first card, symbolising the past.’ I turned it over.

He winced. ‘That looks painful.’

The card was the three of Swords, showing a heart pierced by, you guessed it, three swords. ‘This is often called the heartbreak card. It tells me that in your past, there’s been sadness. Probably the end of a relationship. Some sort of big break, anyway, that upset you a lot.’

He looked at me almost in disbelief. ‘But I never told you that. No one here knows about it.’

‘I’m right, then?’

He nodded. ‘It was before I moved up here. Well, hearing about the move was the final straw, you could say.’

‘Okay. This second card shows you the present energies. What’s happening in your life right now.’ I turned it to reveal the three of Wands. ‘What does that look like to you?’

He studied the picture. ‘Looks like he’s waiting for something to happen.’

‘That’s part of it. Now, you could say I already knew this, but it’s a card that often comes up when someone’s career has progressed. This is your first general manager’s job and you’ve not been here long. It also shows that there’s an opportunity out there, waiting for you to make a move.’

‘Wow,’ he said. ‘That’s scarily accurate. How do you do it?’

‘I don’t. I just tell what’s there. The universe “does it.”’ I moved my hand to the next card. ‘This is where it gets interesting. This one shows you something unseen or unexpected.’

He leaned forward in anticipation, waiting for me to turn the card. With a slight flourish, I did so. The eight of Wands shows eight leafy staffs against a blue sky. There are no people in the picture at all.

‘What does that mean?’ he asked.

‘Well, it has a couple of different meanings. It can be a project moving swiftly towards completion, news or travel.’ I paused, looking him straight in the eyes. ‘It can also signify a whirlwind romance.’

His pupils widened slightly.

‘Whatever, it means that things are going to happen fast.’ Our eyes stayed locked for a couple of seconds. I knew almost at once things were definitely going to happen. I think he did, too. ‘Now, the next card shows the near future…’

‘As in the next five minutes?’

‘Well, maybe not that fast, but certainly within a day or two.’ I was full of anticipation myself as I flipped it over to reveal another knight. ‘The Knight of Wands,’ I said.

‘So, what does he tell you?’ He licked his lower lip slightly, still looking at me.

I tried to stay professional. ‘Knights - well, any of the court cards really - usually signify a person. This particular knight is daring, passionate and, well, sexy.’

‘Yes, I can see that.’ Dan gave another little smile. ‘He certainly has a big wand.’ The look he gave me matched the fiery heat of that particular knight.

‘Hmm,’ I agreed, feeling my own wand twitch a little at the thoughts that were racing through my mind. Damn! I should not be getting hard while at work. I cleared my throat and turned to the last card. ‘Finally, this is the more distant future, maybe a week or so ahead.’ The card was the Chariot.

‘And this means?’ Dan asked.

‘A triumph awaits you. You can progress with confidence.’

‘Interesting.’ He glanced at all the cards once again, tracking them from left to right. ‘Seems a shame to wait that long.’

My hand was still on the last card. He put his over it and squeezed gently. Our eyes met again and we both leaned forward, but the table was just too wide for us to reach. I grinned. ‘Projection staffroom tables are designed to stop any hanky-panky while at work.’

‘There are ways around everything,’ Dan said, getting up from his chair and moving round to my side. Our hands stayed linked and acted like an anchor, pulling us together until our lips met. We kissed. The tiny part of my mind that was still observing rather than getting overwhelmed by the sensations wondered if anyone had ever kissed in this room before. The softness of his lips contrasted with the slight rough burn of his stubble; I imagined it must feel much the same for him as we were close to the end of a long day. I hadn’t kissed anyone for almost a year. It was like giving food to a starving man. His lips parted slightly allowing my tongue to explore. There was a lingering taste of chocolate and cream. He pulled me closer. I could feel his erection through the fine material of his suit trousers; I was certain he’d be able to feel mine, straining against the confinement of my underwear and jeans. Someone moaned. I wasn’t sure whose mouth it had issued from. I felt his tongue meet mine. His free hand went to the nape of my neck, bringing our mouths closer. Mine went to his ass, trying to increase the pressure my body craved.

My heart was beating like a butterfly trapped against a window. Acting like this at work was crazy, that stupid, sensible portion of my mind warned. Yes, but he’s your boss anyway, said the daredevil who was enjoying all of this far too much.

We paused for breath, drawing back enough to look into each other’s eyes again. ‘I’ve wanted to do that for a while,’ Dan said.

‘So have I.’ I wanted to do it again. But we were at work. I imagined what would happen if a film broke down while we were busily exploring each other’s bodies. It didn’t bear thinking about.

He rested his forehead against mine. As we were almost the same height, it was comfortable. I felt his breath against my cheek. ‘Glad I didn’t wait,’ he said. ‘That was worth the risk.’

‘Risk? I reckon we were both thinking the same.’ I stroked his shoulders through the thin cotton of his shirt, his warmth drawing me like a moth to a flame.

‘I never thought of reading cards as foreplay before.’ He sighed. ‘That was a bit crazy, wasn’t it?’

‘Yup. But it’s your cinema.’

‘Don’t think head office would see it that way.’

‘You’re still reachable.’ Very reachable. ‘You’ve got your walkie-talkie with you.’ I chuckled to think of what the staff might have heard had I inadvertently pressed the talk button while groping his ass.

‘What’s so funny?’

I told him.

He smiled too. ‘I had it all planned out. I was only intending to ask you out for a meal with me tomorrow night. Everything moved rather fast.’

‘Just as the cards foretold.’ They’d certainly worked some magic tonight. ‘But yes, I’d like that.’ I wanted more of him. ‘One more kiss before we have to get on with work?’

‘Why not? It’s not as if the manager’s going to mind, is it?’