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Consumed by thoughts of the phone call and the woman called Wendy, Freya rounded on Tarek, annoyed by the question. He didn’t know a thing about what she’d overheard at home that morning, and she wasn’t about to tell him. Why was he asking her such a stupid question? It wasn’t like it was written on her face:I just found out my dad’s having an affair.
‘Of course everything’s fine – why wouldn’t it be?’
‘Ahem, well, you just put a Mayan artefact in an Egyptian display case.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I do something like that?’
Tarek reached into the display case and lifted out the little figurine she’d just placed in there. He handed it to her. ‘I don’t know – you tell me.’
Freya’s eyes went wide. It wasn’t her fault that somehow a Mayan artefact had found its way into the storage box. But she should have noticed. She thrust it back in his hand. ‘I need to speak to Jolene.’ She stalked over to where Jolene was busy reorganising a shelving unit. She was on her knees, shirt sleeves rolled up, using an electric screwdriver.
Freya stopped in front of her.
Jolene looked up. She switched off the screwdriver. ‘Is everything all right, Freya?’
Freya sighed, wishing people would stop asking her that. She shook her head,no. ‘I can’t get this morning out of my mind,’ she whispered.
‘That phone call you overheard?’
‘Yes.’
Jolene put the screwdriver down. ‘How about we take a break?’
A break?Freya didn’t feel she’d done anything productive enough this morning to warrant one.
Jolene stood up and took her hand. ‘Come on, let’s get a cup of coffee.’
‘But—’
‘No buts.’
Freya cast her eyes toward her colleagues, who were throwing disapproving glances their way. Jolene noticed too. ‘Never mind them. We’re doing overtime today. We can take a break when we like.’
Freya followed her out of the gallery containing the Egyptian exhibits and down the stairs to the entrance hall, where there were some wooden benches and a coffee machine. Jolene had come prepared. She always had spare change for the machine. ‘Now, what will it be?’
‘A cappuccino, please.’
‘Coming right up!’
Freya took a seat on a bench while her friend put a two-pound coin in the machine. A few minutes later, she joined her on the bench with two paper cups of coffee. ‘Here.’ Jolene handed her one.
‘Thanks.’ Freya stared at the frothy cup.
‘Why don’t you confront your dad about the phone conversation you overheard?’
Freya turned to her. ‘The thing is, I still can’t believe it’s true – my dad having an affair. I mean – how? When? It’s not like he ever had the opportunity to …’ She paused.
‘Freya – what is it?’
‘When I was young, Dad and I would have our own special time, where we’d go off on a little adventure together. Sometimes we’d go into London, just the two of us. He’d take me to Hamleys, and we’d stop at this café and meet one of his friends, a woman. She had a daughter around my age.’
‘A girl around your age?’
Freya nodded. ‘We’d play together in the park while they chatted.’
‘Didn’t you ever ask who this friend of his was?’
‘I don’t think so. Why would I?’
