Blink(35)

I couldn’t imagine a worse scenario than being stuck on my own with Bryony, trying to make conversation, even if it was at one of the best eateries in the city.

‘You can guess how the evening went. We ate too much and drank far too much good wine. Towards the end of the night, Bryony suddenly opened up to me. She said it was a relief to talk to someone.’

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t reconcile the picture of the person Jo was painting with the Bryony James I’d just met. We were talking about a woman who seemed so sorted and so in control of her life. I honestly couldn’t imagine her confiding in anyone at all.

‘Turns out she’d just started her third programme of IVF.’ Jo’s voice dropped low, as if she was somehow afraid Bryony might overhear us from Linby. ‘It was destroying her. She said she couldn’t sleep properly anymore because the need to have a child was literally taking over her life.’

‘Oh God,’ I murmured, feeling immediate sympathy.

‘And as I said, that was eighteen months ago,’ Jo continued. ‘She’s had another course of treatment since then. I think the whole baby thing has chipped away at her and she’s just dealt with it by developing an icy, protective shell.’

I thought about the way Bryony had stared just a little too long at Evie’s photograph. What I’d taken as being a slightly creepy expression was probably nothing more than pure longing. Unknowingly, I’d witnessed a deeply buried sadness surfacing in Bryony’s cool demeanour.

‘Is she embarking on another course of IVF?’ I asked.

‘Dunno, she’s been a bit distant the last few months,’ Jo replied. ‘She’s avoided personal chat with me, probably because she can’t face talking about it. Not that I can blame her.’

‘It must be so hard,’ I agreed.

‘Her husband seems a bit of a cold fish. I’ve only met him once. He’s a consultant at the hospital,’ Jo said, breaking off a finger of Kit Kat and biting it in half. ‘They live in a fabulous house at Ravenshead. I haven’t actually been there but she brought me pictures of their new kitchen and the extension. It’s immaculate.’

‘Like her office,’ I remarked. ‘There’s not a thing out of place in there.’

‘You know, I think that’s her way of coping,’ Jo said through a mouthful of chocolate wafer. ‘She keeps everything in her life so ordered and perfect, even herself. I reckon it’s the only way she can make sense of it all.’

I nodded, feeling another twinge of guilt at our casual armchair psychology, dissecting a colleague’s most private personal life.

‘Thanks for telling me, Jo,’ I said, meaning it. It had already helped me to see Bryony in a new light, even though I had the distinct feeling she wasn’t going to be the easiest person to work with.

‘You’re welcome,’ Jo said. ‘Just don’t drop me in it. She’d never forgive me if she knew I’d been blabbing to you.’





31





Three Years Earlier





Toni





I’d just come off a call when the shop door opened. I expected to see Bryony walking in but it was Mr and Mrs Parnham again.

Jo looked up but she’d just begun a customer call she’d been waiting for all morning. I was fine with that, I felt confident I could cope.

‘Mr and Mrs Parnham, how nice to see you again.’ I stood up and stepped forward to shake both their hands. ‘I’m Toni.’

‘Hello there,’ Mr Parnham said, craning his neck towards the back of the shop. ‘We were hoping we might catch Bryony.’

‘I’m sorry, she’s out on a valuation,’ I explained. ‘She should be back very soon though.’

The Parnhams looked at each other.

‘Is there anything I can help you with?’ I offered.

‘Actually, perhaps there is. Those details you copied for us the other day?’ Mrs Parnham fished a property brochure out of her handbag and handed it to me. ‘There’s a house here that we’re extremely interested in and we’d like a few more details, if possible?’

‘No problem at all.’ I smiled, indicating for them to sit down at my desk.

Although it only seemed to irritate Bryony, my previous experience meant I knew exactly how to locate the property database and extract additional details.

I glanced over at Jo and she widened her eyes at me and shook her head. Mr Parnham noticed me looking across the room and twisted round, catching Jo’s expression.

‘There’s not a problem here, is there?’ Mr Parnham frowned, shifting in his seat.

‘Not at all,’ I said brightly. ‘I’m just bringing the property up now. Here we go.’

I rotated the monitor, so the Parnhams could see the additional online interior photographs.

‘I can’t understand why Bryony didn’t mention this house, it’s exactly what we’re looking for.’ Mrs Parnham tapped her long, red nails on the edge of my desk. ‘She said she had nothing with more than five bedrooms and nothing located in the Berry Hill area. Yet this property has both.’

I frowned and scanned the details on the screen. For some reason, it looked like the property had been flagged as under offer when it was clearly still for sale. I felt relieved it wasn’t my error.