Page 64 of Don't Believe A Word

‘Great idea,’ Cristy told him. ‘It could be quite an emotionalmoment for the old lady seeing Sadie all grown up and still bearing a sweet resemblance to the child she once was. Have you checked it with her and Robert?’

‘Yeah, they’re cool with it. He wants me to tell you he’s just nipping out to buy popcorn and Kleenex.’

Laughing, Cristy said, ‘Please thank him again for doing this and make sure he knows he can call any time if he’s worried about anything.’

‘Will do.’

‘See,’ Connor said, as they rang off, ‘you’re even a good friend to people you don’t really know. Although I’ve got to admire how neatly you worked that in. Tell him to call any time …’

‘You’re starting to get on my nerves,’ Cristy interrupted, and pressed her foot down to speed away from the lights. ‘Where are we heading, again?’

‘Chew Magna, and as we’ve already missed the turn to go up over Dundry, take the next to go through Winford. We could, of course, have gone via Hartcliffe …’

‘What did I just say about getting on my nerves? I take it you’ve got Catherine Shilling’s actual address with you?’

He went silent. ‘Maybe we need to call Clover back.’

Cristy glanced at him.

‘Joke!’ he cried. ‘Of course I’ve got it, and if you don’t slow down right now we’re going to end up at the airport.’

Hitting the brakes she indicated to make a sharp left turn onto Barrow Lane, narrowly missing a van waiting to exit onto the main road.

‘No offence,’ Connor said, as she straightened the car, ‘but would you like me to take over the driving?’

‘I’m fine,’ she assured him, ‘just a little …’ She could have said distracted, but if she did he’d be sure to ask what was on her mind and she wasn’t keen to tell him.

Keen or not, it came out anyway. ‘I had a text from David last night,’ she said, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

Connor turned to look at her. ‘And?’

She shrugged. ‘No big deal. He was just adding his apology to Anna’s for what happened with Sadie.’

‘OK. That’s good.’

‘I guess he was just being a concerned father, taking responsibility for the actions of his daughter. Parents do that. You’ll find out soon enough.’

He returned to his scrutiny of the road ahead. ‘Did he say anything else?’ he asked after a while.

‘No, that was it.’

‘So you told him it was all forgiven and forgotten and you didn’t blame him for anything so there was no need for him …’

‘I didn’t reply.’

He looked at her again. ‘So he’s someone else who’s getting your silent treatment? Marley, Matthew, David … I’m sensing a theme here.’

‘Well, what was I supposed to say?’ Cristy cried irritably. The truth was she really hadn’t known what to write back that felt right, and she hadn’t wanted it to seem as though she was using Anna’s mistake as a way for them to stay in touch. ‘I will reply,’ she said, meaning it, ‘but FYI I’m still feeling a bit raw over the way things ended between us, so cut me a break, OK?’

His hands went up. ‘No more from me about your love life, but just saying, wouldn’t a fling with Robert Brinkley be …’

‘For God’s sake!’ she cried, banging the steering wheel. ‘Apart from anything else he’s married! And you can’t seriously think I’d do to another woman what was done to me.’

‘No, no, engaged mouth before brain. Sorry. Change of subject coming … Actually, saved by the bell!’ And clicking on quickly he said, ‘Hey, Jacks. Great timing!’

‘Cool,’ Jacks responded. ‘Also great news. Just heard from my new best friend at Butlin’s HR, she’s only come through with a surname for Lukas. It’s Andris. I’ll put it in an email, but spelled the way it sounds. She can’t give me any more than that, such as an address for where Lukas was before Butlin’s, or after – not sure if that’s data protection or she just doesn’t know. But she did give me the name of an assistant manager who was Lukas’s boss for the time he was working at the Minehead camp. Hilary Stokes. Could be male or female. No contact details, but I’ll get onto it as soon as we’re back at the office.’

‘Genius,’ Connor declared. ‘And whatever charm you used toget your Butlin’s babe talking, send some this way to help me with Cristy, because I’mreallygetting on her nerves.’