Page 52

“Sure, Mr. Greenberg.” Liz took her mug. “You going to change?”

Gabriella nodded and limped out. She could hear Mr. Greenberg ordering her a taxi in twenty minutes.

“You look done in,” Liz said. “And your uniform is torn.”

Gabriella hadn’t even noticed that, and looked down at the rip in her skirt with horror. She hadn’t felt like crying before, but now the first tear fell.

“None o’ that.” Liz took the skirt from her when she got out of it. “It can be put in the repair pile. I’ll find another one in your size while you get into your civvies.”

She managed to blink away the rest of the tears and get into her tights and skirt. She had just carefully unbuttoned her shirt when Liz made a sound behind her.

“What is it?” She turned to look over her shoulder.

“You’re scraped raw. Blood and bruises. I’m going to ask Mr. Greenberg for his camera and come and take a few photos for evidence in case they get the bastard.” She strode off, and in the meanwhile Gabriella sat down and pulled her shoes on.

Liz came back with the camera, had Gabriella turn her back and lift her shirt up, and took about four shots, and then went off and got a warm flannel which she ran carefully over Gabriella’s back. “That’s better,” she said.

Gabriella discarded her work shirt and pulled on her top, then buttoned up her coat. “I bet that taxi’s been waiting for a bit,” she said.

“Nah, Mr. Greenberg told them we needed another ten minutes when I came to get the camera. No rush.” Liz disappeared to take the camera back to Mr. Greenberg, and he was waiting by the entrance when she emerged from the change rooms.

“Keep your eyes peeled,” he said as he held the door open for them. “If it was the same person, someone has it out for you.”

She nodded, and let Liz help her down the stairs. As she settled into the taxi, she wondered if it truly was a random grudge, and if it wasn’t, who could feel such animosity toward her.

She would stay far from the edge of the pavement until she knew.

chapter

twenty

“This is really the only traditional English meal I like,” Gabriella said around a bite of chips.

“Well, there’re a few other good ones,” Liz said. “Sunday roast, for one. That’s lovely. Especially with a bit of Yorkshire pud.”

“I don’t think I’ve had Yorkshire pudding,” Gabriella said. “I’ll have to give it a go.”

“You won’t regret it.” Liz took a bite of fish, and then shook more vinegar over her chips. “The fish ’n chip place near you is one to remember. I don’t think I’ve ever had such good chips.”

Gabriella looked across the table at her and smiled. She was a good friend. She’d come home with her, and then persuaded her into a hot bath while she went and got them fish and chips for dinner, or as Liz called it, tea.

“Thanks for everything, Liz. When I invited you over for dinner the other day, I meant to make the dinner myself.”

Liz laughed. “You can do that on a day that you haven’t had to battle road rash.”

“It’s a deal.” She pushed her plate away with a sigh.

“What you need is an early night.” Liz collected their plates. “You have morning rounds, don’t you? Same as me?”

Gabriella nodded. “I think an early night is good, and it sounds like the weather’s calm right now. You should get home while it’s clear.”

“And your man?” Liz asked. “Is he coming round?”

She shook her head. “I think he’s working tonight. I doubt he was even in his office today, because he’s part of the post office robbery case.”

She walked Liz to her door, opened it up, and saw Jerome coming up the stairs.

“Hey, Jerome. This is my friend Liz.” She made the introductions, and she could tell from Jerome’s behavior that he had heard of Liz from Melvin.