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“Weird how?”
“Like moody, snappy. And he had a black eye last time I saw him that he said was from a squash ball, but something didn’t add up. Oh, and there’s the phone calls and messages. He gets them a lot, won’t tell me who’s contacting him, but he gets a face like thunder every time they do.”
“Probably woman trouble.”
“Maybe.” Kate didn’t like that thought, but struggled to pinpoint why.
“Oh shit, I just realised the time. My lunch break ended twenty minutes ago and I’m due in court at two. Speak soon, love you.”
“Love you too,” said Kate, but Maddie had already hung up.
Kate decided not to intrude on Alex’s space and instead sent him a text.Maddie said you and Jess have split. Sorry to hear that. Hope you’re OK xxKate winced at the white lie. She wasn’t sorry at all. In fact, as much as she hated to admit it, she hoped Jess was suffering as much as she had. Kate’s phone pinged.
I’m fine. The Jess stuff was a massive mistake. I think I was trying to fill the gap left by you. Can we talk sometime? Xxx
Kate frowned at the screen. From what she remembered, her leaving had been at Alex’s insistence, but here he seemed to be implying it was by choice. What did he want to talk about? Did he want her back? Kate’s stomach fluttered at the thought. Looking round her bedroom, she tried to picture Alex here with her, but couldn’t. If they got back together, would she have to give up the house? She hoped not.
A tapping on Kate’s bedroom window made her jump. She leaped up and saw Joy’s nose pressed to the glass, hands shading her eyes as she squinted into the room. She spotted Kate and gave her a wave. Kate walked through to the kitchen and opened the back door.
“You scared me half to death, Joy. What are you doing in the garden?”
“Oh, I was doing my visits at the old folks’ home and remembered you had a back gate. Seemed silly to waste my legs walking round when I could slip in that way.”
“I have a gate in the garden?”
“Of course, dear. Hadn’t you noticed? Well, I suppose it is a bit overgrown up there.” Joy pulled an ivy leaf from her hair to emphasise the point. “Now, I seem to remember you promising something stronger than tea last time I was here?”
Kate laughed. “Wine or beer?”
“Whisky?”
“Sorry, I don’t have any, but I will get some in.”
“All right then, dear. How about we take the civilised option and go for wine? I hope it’s chilled.”
“Yes, madam, it’s chilled. Now would you like to come in to drink it or stay standing on the doormat?”
“I’ll stay out here if that’s OK. But a blanket would be nice.”
“And I thought my B&B guests were demanding,” Kate muttered under her breath.
Kate took the wine and blanket out to Joy, who was puffing her way through a Silk Cut. “You know smoking will kill you, don’t you?”
“Don’t you start on that, dear. At my age, anything could kill you. May as well have some fun while you can.” Joy gave Kate a wicked grin and blew a perfect smoke ring her way.
“You said you were up at the old people’s home?”
Joy let out a throaty bark. “I know what you’re thinking, you think I should be in there myself. Well, let me tell you, age is all in the mind. My body may have shrivelled up like a rotten walnut, but inside I’m still twenty-one. No, scrap that, thirty-one, at twenty-one I was still a shy little mouse who wouldn’t say boo to a goose.”
Kate couldn’t imagine Joy ever being described as shy. “What do you do up there?”
“Oh, you know, natter away, sing a few songs.”
“You’re a singer?”
“Only an amateur. My Fred used to say I had the voice of an angel. He was a piano player, you know, used to accompany me while I belted out the old classics. It was our party trick. Every birthday and Christmas, we’d get round that piano and take a trip down memory lane.”
“Do you have children? Grandchildren?”
