Page 87 of Don't Believe A Word

‘Set it up,’ Connor replied, ‘and send her copies of the first two pods just in case she hasn’t already heard them.’ To Cristy, he said, ‘Why do you keep checking the time? Do you need to be somewhere?’

‘It’s OK,’ she assured him. ‘I’m just …’ She broke off as Robert texted back.

Taking part in an online seminar at eight, so let’s reschedule. Same time, same place on Wednesday?

Hoping it wasn’t going to clash with the Natalie Irwin interview she texted back,See you then, and was about to put the phone away when Matthew’s name came up on the screen. Ordinarily she’d have hit reject; however, they’d asked a favour of him and it might be about that.

‘Before you ask, no word yet from my Interpolguy,’ he told her when she answered.

‘Then why are you calling?’

‘Nice to hear you too. I was hoping we might get together …’

‘It’s not a good time, Matthew. I’m about to do an interview …’

‘So will you let me know when is?’

She didn’t answer.

‘No, of course you won’t. By the way, everyone was asking about you on Saturday night.’

Unable to imagine why, when everyone knew she was no longer his wife, she said, ‘I really do have to go …’

‘You know, I thought I recognized the main speaker, and then it came to me. He was your Tinder date …’

‘I’m not on Tinder,’ she said, through her teeth.

‘But it was him, wasn’t it? Nice guy. Hayley was smitten at first sight.’

‘She told me.’ Cristy also knew, from Robert, that he thought she had a very beautiful daughter and he’d been charmed to meet her ex-husband (no irony there). ‘I’m ringing off now,’ she told Matthew, ‘but thanks for trying to help with this Symmonds-Browne character.’

‘You know he’s distantly related to the Duke of …?’

‘Yes, I do. Is that a problem?’

‘No idea yet, I guess we’ll find out. OK, off you go, but thanks for FaceTiming with Marley at the weekend. It meant the world to her.’

Having no idea how to respond to that, Cristy simply ended the call and turned to her screen where Felicity Green was ready and waiting.

*

‘Sorry. It’s late. Did I wake you?’ Sadie asked.

Keeping her eyes closed as she spoke into her mobile, Cristy took a moment to register that she was at home and said, ‘It’s fine. I was just dozing. Is everything OK?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Sadie replied. ‘I mean, yes is the short answer, but I’ve found a portable safe at the back of one of Lottie’s closets. I’ve tried opening it, but I don’t know if I’m even close to guessing the combination, and I don’t want to ask Mia in case she just spirits it away, or throws another scene.’

Swinging her feet to the floor, Cristy said, ‘Why not take it to David? He might know someone who can help.’

‘That’s what I thought. There’s probably nothing important inside, just cash or some jewellery, that sort of thing, but it’ll be interesting to know, because I haven’t found anything else that’s as securely locked.’

‘Where is it now?’

‘Jasper helped me bring it up to the lodge, so it’s right in front of me.’

Seizing the moment, and hoping she wasn’t going to be too clumsy about it, Cristy said, ‘Maybe there’s a copy of her will in there. I know it’s been read and presumably everything’s sorted …’

‘Yes, that happened not long after she died. She left everything to Mia.’