Page 27 of The Family Remains

Rachel nodded again.

‘Shit. I mean, that’s amazing. But are you sure? I thought he was just going to be a six-month thing?’

‘Yeah. Well, me too. But seems he’s a keeper.’

‘Oh. God. Well, then get over here and bring it in.’ She opened up her arms and Rachel walked into them and let her friend squeeze her hard. ‘He’s a lucky, lucky man,’ she said. ‘I hope he knows that?’

‘Yes. He totally does. That’s kind of what it’s all about really. He has no side, no game, no bullshit. He just thinks I’m amazing. And I think he’s amazing. And—’ She broke off at the sound of her phone pinging three times in quick succession and switched on the screen with her thumb.

Three messages from Dominique:

Jonno’s got the lowdown.

Some stuff you should know.

Call me.

‘Sorry,’ she said to Paige. ‘I need to make a call. I’ll pop back in a minute.’

She unlocked her studio door and dropped her bag on her bench. Then she pressed in Dominique’s number and cleared her throat while she waited for her friend to pick up.

Some stuff you should know.

She cleared her throat again and stood up straight when she heard Dominique answer. ‘Dom,’ she said in greeting.

‘Rach. Hi. You OK?’

‘Yup. All good. You?’

‘Super trouper. Just felt the baby move for the first time.’

‘Oh. Oh! Wow! That’s—’

‘Weird, actually. It felt weird. Like having a goldfish in there. Anyway. Listen. I finally got Jonno’s full report. On Handsome Michael. Wanna hear it?’

‘Yes. Well, yes, I suppose. I mean – it’s nothing bad, is it?’

‘No. God. No, nothing bad as such. Just a couple of little what you might callred flags.’

‘Red flags?’

‘Yes. So apparently he said his ex-wife – Lucy? Yes?’

‘Yes.’

‘Apparently Michael described her as “a freak”.’

‘Right …’

‘And said that hepicked her up off the streetwhen she was twenty-one.’

‘Sorry, he said he picked her up …?’

‘Off the street. She was busking.’

‘And how old was Michael at the time, did Jonno say?’

‘He didn’t. But let us assume, given the house in Antibes, etc., that he must have been quite a bit older than her.’