‘They asked where you were.’
‘And?’ I tried to keep my voice below a screech, despite my throat having seized up.
‘Well, I asked who was asking. They said an old friend from school. I don’t know who they were but with an accent like that they weren’t from round here. I’m not about to give away any details to some stranger. I know all about stalkers and super-fans and things. I’m not an idiot, Eleanor. I told them to try your online whatsit. They could have been a tabloid journalist looking for a dirty scoop.’ She bent over to start damp-dusting the skirting boards.
‘Was it a man or a woman?’
‘A woman. I think.’
‘Anything else about her you remember?’
Mum stood up and went to shake the duster out the window. ‘No.’
‘When did she call?’
‘A few weeks ago I suppose. Please don’t stand there staring at me. That mirror won’t clean itself.’
‘After I’d called to tell you I’d left London?’
‘Well, it must have been, or else I’d have mentioned it then.’
‘Okay. Thanks for letting me know.’ I gave the mirror a squirt of cleaner.
She was the one to stop then. ‘Is everything all right? Because you’ve just sprayed bathroom cleaner on a glass surface.’
‘Yes.’ I used the duster to wipe off most of the fluid. ‘It’s fine.’
‘And you’ve no idea who it is?’
‘Like you say, probably a fan of my writing. They can always get in touch with me online. Thanks for letting me know.’
My mother was about as convinced by that theory as I was.
I ducked into the bathroom and started scrubbing before she could see my hands trembling.
* * *
Daniel messaged to say that he’d not be back for lunch. I shoved down the immediate thoughts of panic that I’d scared him away forever, and made a cheese and tomato toastie.
Dad and Grandma joined me with locally bred ham and mustard rolls left over from the Weighbridge Walkers’ picnic choices. Not a squeak of halloumi anywhere.
Ah, home sweet home.I took a happy bite of toastie and sat back in my chair.
‘Did the woman find you?’ Grandma asked, around a mouthful of white bread.
The toastie formed a solid lump halfway down my throat. ‘What woman?’
I was torn between being relieved I hadn’t decided to come home, and terrified that someone from the Alami family might come looking for me while I wasn’t here to deal with it.
‘She phoned. Asking for you.’
‘Did you get her name?’
‘I did!’ Grandma nodded eagerly, before pausing to think. ‘I can’t remember it.’
‘Okay, it doesn’t matter.’And if it’s who I think it is, they won’t have given a real name, anyway.
‘She sounded posh. Like that woman off the telly.’ That made Grandma smile. ‘Perhaps it was her! Maybe she wants to invite you onto her show.’
