‘Hmm?’ For a moment he was blank. ‘Oh, the paper? Here.’ He pulled a copy of theEdinburgh Broadsheetout of the suitcase.
‘I think if you’ve got bad news to tell you should just come out with it, right Mirren?’ She took the paper from Jonathan and opened it at the centre pages. ‘Mum kept this to show me. It’s the fourteenth of November edition. She wasn’t sure if I should tell you or not, but… look…’
Mirren’s face lit up. ‘Festive Theatre Minibreaks That Won’t Break The Bank?It’s my article. They ran it! I don’t believe it. I submitted on the Friday before that stuff with Jamesey happened so it’s only right they run it, actually. They’ve changed some of my wording and cut it a bit but, still. Ooh, look at the pictures, they’re lovely.’
Kelsey stepped closer to her friend, speaking softly. ‘Mirr, they didn’t put your name on it.’
Mirren scanned the by-line, recoiling as though she’d been shot. ‘By James Wallace, Senior Reporter? What the…?’ Her mouth opened and closed and her eyes flickered in disbelief. ‘They published it withhisname on it? But these are my words!’
‘I know. I don’t know how they had the brass neck to do it,’ Kelsey commiserated.
‘I do,’ said Mirren, gravely. ‘It’s a sign, if a sign were needed, that they hold all the cards, and that they don’t care about me or my feelings. It shows they’ve got all the power and I’m irrelevant to them, they’ll do what they want without fear of consequences, and they’ll champion Jamesey no matter what.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Kelsey said, rubbing Mirren’s arms. ‘I thought it was better that you knew… but now I’m not so sure. Are you OK?’
Mirren shook herself alert at Kelsey’s words. ‘No, you were right. Itisbetter to get things out in the open… even if they hurt a bit, right?’ All her instincts were yelling at her that no, it wasn’t better at all.Turn around and leave them to say their goodbyes and let them live in blissful ignorance for the rest of their lives, her nerves screamed, and she would have left if it wasn’t for Kelsey staring piercingly at her and stepping even closer, lowering her head inquisitively. Mirren tucked the newspaper under her arm. She’d have plenty time to weep over it later. She had a job to do.
‘Did you… did you find something?’ Kelsey’s voice was slow and cautious and she turned twice to look at Jonathan as she spoke. ‘You said there was something you wanted to tell us?’ The alarm coloured Kelsey’s cheeks. The sense of there being no going back now was already in the room between them all.
‘Something up?’ Jonathan asked.
‘Um, Jonathan, you should sit down,’ Mirren said.
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know. On films they always tell you to sit down when there’s news…’
‘OK,’ Jonathan laughed but his eyes were questioning. He did as he was told and sat on the bed. Kelsey slipped in beside him, clasping his hand and making him even more confused.
‘Has something happened? Look, you’d better tell me quick before I really start to freak out.’
‘OK,um…’ Mirren flustered. ‘Well… we think… we found your dad.’ She jumped at her own words.
Jonathan didn’t react other than drawing his neck back an inch.
‘We found out who he is and he still lives in town and…’
At this Kelsey made a squeaking sound and clamped her hand to her mouth. ‘You know for sure?’
Jonathan was looking between them both, squinting, his mind working.
Mirren couldn’t stop now, not with the tale half told. ‘He… he’s an actor too, well you already knew that, didn’t you? He’s called Jonathan Wagstaff.’
‘Who iswe?’ Jonathan asked in a dry monotone.
‘Huh?’ Mirren started.
‘You saidwefound out who he is.’
Kelsey watched Jonathan’s eyes darken and his profile harden into an expression she’d never seen before.
‘Me and Adrian Armadale,’ Mirren said ruefully.
‘Who the hell’s that?’ Jonathan snapped.
Kelsey, sensing danger, took over. ‘He’s a reporter. He works at theExaminer. You can trust him. I’m sure he’s not going to tell anyone, right, Mirren?’ Kelsey added hurriedly.
Mirren had texted Kelsey to tell her about the night she’d spent with Adrian and how sweet and kind he was and how she might actually have turned a corner, but Kelsey knew nothing about him disappearing since then. There hadn’t been time to let her know. Mirren was looking at her now with sorrowful, guilty eyes.
