Page 110 of Friend of the Family

Juliet’s reply came back immediately. Peter was out and she had the house to herself. Dinner was in the oven and if Amy could get there within the next thirty minutes, she was welcome to share it.

It only took minutes in a cab to get from the Whittington Hospital to Hampstead, to Juliet and Peter’s tall, dark-brick Georgian house a stone’s throw from the Heath. Amy had always admired Juliet’s eclectic home, a riot of souvenirs and trinkets from the couple’s travels – rugs from India, tapestries from Peru, books in a dozen languages – but found it a little spooky. Tonight, it was particularly sinister. As she approached, all the leaded windows were dark except for one square of light where she could see Juliet pouring some wine.

On any other occasion, she would have arrived with a bottle of good red herself, sometimes with David, sometimes alone. She thought about Peter and wondered where he was tonight. With his lover? Or was this one part of the puzzle where Amy had been mistaken?

When Juliet answered the door, she was holding a wine goblet and wearing jeans and a cashmere sweater rather than her usual work outfit of a severe trouser suit. Amy almost felt guilty that she wasn’t here for a social call, and wondered if Juliet had any idea of what had happened to Josie.

She followed her through into the kitchen and let Juliet pour her a glass of wine, although she had made up her mind she wasn’t going to drink it.

‘I can’t believe it,’ Juliet said, shaking her head. ‘Max called me trying to find out what I knew. Turns out he knows more than I did.’ She flashed Amy a little look. ‘At least he has the lawyers all over it. It’s obviously a transparent case of unlawful dismissal.’

‘You know it’s complete rubbish, don’t you?’

Juliet rolled her eyes. ‘I think I’d know if my best friend had a heroin addiction.’

Amy tried to collect her thoughts.

‘Is that what I am to you, Juliet? Your best friend?’

She saw a little vein start pulsing underneath the pale skin below Juliet’s eye.

‘I called you at least half a dozen times yesterday. I’d have come round but I had no idea where you were. Eventually I spoke to Claudia and she said you weren’t due back until late. David and I were both worried sick.’

‘You got Josie the job at Genesis, didn’t you, Juliet?’

Her friend looked stunned, but Amy couldn’t put up with the pretence any longer.

‘Don’t deny it,’ she said before Juliet had the chance to even open her mouth.

Juliet tossed back a slug of wine, leaving a red rim around her lips, and levelled Amy with a formidable stare.

‘Yes, I did,’ she said after a few moments. ‘Why? Because I felt bloody sorry for her.’

‘Why did you feel sorry for her?’ said Amy, unable to believe that Juliet felt so little remorse.

‘It was after Provence. Peter gave her three handkerchiefs on the flight, she was crying so much. Her eyes had disappeared into slits by the time we got to Heathrow. The least I could do was make a call to Douglas and HR to see how we could help out. I only imagined it would be some temp work, but Douglas apparently liked her.’

‘You’re my friend, Juliet. You know what Josie did to me in Provence.’

‘What did she do in Provence, Amy? Tell me. You found a bra and a receipt for a necklace – or so you say. You were stressed out, paranoid, and you took it as an excuse to crush her.’

‘She tried to seduce David. She admitted it herself.’

‘So she didn’t actually sleep with him?’ Her eyes were bright and challenging.

Amy didn’t reply.

‘Amy, I’m worried about you,’ said Juliet, her voice softer. ‘We all are. You’re behaving as if you’re having some kind of breakdown. You’re irrational, jealous, crazy. Perhaps you really do need some time in rehab.’

‘Do you know where Josie is tonight?’ said Amy after a pause.

That rattled Juliet.

‘She’s in hospital. The Whittington. She took an overdose this afternoon.’

Juliet reached out to the table to steady herself. ‘An overdose.’

‘She’s fine, but it was a close call. Karen should be arriving in London any time now.’