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“Yes, Ma’am,” came Gabi’s respectful voice. Joy heard the lid crack off the Tupperware.
“Thank you, mama,” Salma murmured. “That’s more than we could see.”
“Do you know her name?”
“No.” Salma paused. “Do you?”
“It’s hard to see. She’s twisted it, hidden it.”
Joy met Gus’s eyes, then Eilidh’s. Her frown matched theirs. Hidden her name? She wanted to voice her confusion, but Salma had given strict instructions not to speak—they’d be able to hear it on the other end and Salma’s mum was freaked out by any voices she didn’t know the origin of. Which, Joy thought, was reasonable. If a voice came out of nowhere and spoke to Joy, she’d be pretty freaked out, too.
“Hidden it where? Where’s she hidden her name, mama?”
“That mountainy place. They know it and fear it, but we haven’t learned to. Yet. That’s why she’s come here. No. She was … brought.”
“Is she alone?” This was one of the most important questions. They’d all felt a female presence and Gus had seen a woman from his window, but what if there was more than one person?
“Alone,” Salma’s mum confirmed. “But someone knows she’s here. She’s not listening to him anymore, though. She’s found too many naughty people.”
Salma was quiet. Joy wondered if Gabi was scratching all this down in her new notebook—Joy had noticed she only had a few pages left yesterday and had plenty of blank notebooks stashed away. It was a casual gesture, but it was clear it had meant something to Gabi by the way she tucked her hair behind her pink ears.
The book was the brand Gabi liked, which Joy was sure had not escaped her attention.
Gus nudged her, and she frowned, realising she’d zoned out.
She tuned back in just as Salma’s mum said, “Lying. Lusting. In that order.”
There was a moment and then Salma said, “Are there any details? Can you tell me what lies, mama?”
“The girl lied to her boyfriend about her fidelity. The man lusted over a girl who wasn’t his wife.”
“Lust,” Salma breathed, her tone sending a shiver down Joy’s spine. “Does this have anything to do with the seven sins?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. They were bad. Naughty, not nice. That’s why they’re dead.”
A shuffle of bodies and then Salma said, “Thank you, mama. That’s all really helpful. Do you want a cup of tea before I go?”
“You’re a good girl,” Mrs. Nazari said, a smile in her voice. “I’ll have a cup of the good tea. From the tin.”
“Alright, mama. Gabriella?”
Half a minute later, the door to Salma’s room opened and Gabi and Salma edged their way around the bed and drawers that took up most of the floorspace. Gabi was barely looking where she stepped, her pen moving feverishly across the paper, phone balanced dangerously. Salma took it from Gabi’s hand and ended the call.
“So,” Gus sighed, looking fed up. “That was helpful.”
Maisie made a low noise of agreement.
Salma gave them a sharp look but didn’t comment. “Gabriella. Did you hear anything to help you?”
“Maybe,” Gabi replied, finally glancing up, a lock of short dark hair falling into her face.
“I’ll go find Victoriya,” Gus offered, sliding off the bed to his feet. “Tell her what’s going on.”
Check if she’s alright, he meant.
