Just The Way You Are(67)

‘The group won’t want to restart,’ Irene snapped. ‘They said they would never set foot in the library again. Which is fine by me, because the Friday Business Hub is barred.’

‘Well, how about the Wednesday Business Builders?’ Jaxx asked. ‘No biscuits, unless we offer you some, Irene. See.’ He winked at Yasmin. ‘That’s the kind of quick thinking means I’m going to be a millionaire one day.’

After a lot more wrangling, finished off by me offering to speak to the director of Notts libraries, who loved ReadUp, Irene agreed to a small meeting, once a fortnight, for business support. The terms included no presentations, or activities that might disturb the other library users. Biscuits were allowed, in return for a small donation.

Trev asked if he could join them.

‘Of course, mate, the more the merrier. What’s your business idea?’ Jaxx asked.

I strongly suspected that any ideas Trev had were nothing to do with business.

‘Reckon I can come up with something.’





22





When there was a knock on Saturday morning, I was surprised to find Pia, Sam’s mum, wringing her hands on my doorstep.

‘I’m so sorry it’s taken me a whole week to call in!’ she exclaimed, leaning past Nesbit’s enthusiastic greeting to give me a suffocating squeeze. ‘We were away last weekend, and then I’ve had my grandchildren to stay.’

‘Um, okay.’ I stepped back automatically, directing her towards the garden. It was a gloomy day for August, with a distinct nip in the air, but the living room and kitchen were still a complete mess, due to me choosing to keep my promise to Yasmin and spend Friday evening tidying up myself and my wardrobe before collapsing into fretful sleep, ignoring the disgusting state of the cottage. I tried to wrack my brains to find a reason why Pia should have called around. I’d not seen her since the outdoor theatre a few weeks ago, and couldn’t recall anything being said then or since about her coming over.

‘Would you like a tea or coffee?’ I asked, once we were safely seated at the table.

‘Goodness, no! You sit down and stay put. I should be the one making you a drink!’

‘Um, the kitchen’s in a bit of a state.’

She looked at me askance, adding, ‘Well, of course it is!’ before going back inside.

A few awkward minutes later, she came out of the kitchen with two mugs of tea.

‘My dear, I am so, so sorry,’ she said, once she’d sat down, and then promptly burst into tears. Wow. I didn’t realise the kitchen was quite that bad.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said a few more times while blowing her nose and dabbing at perfectly made-up eyes. ‘I know I have no right to be the one crying. I just feel so guilty. When I heard what happened, I couldn’t believe it.’

‘Um, I don’t really know—’

‘In hospital!’ she cried. ‘Ginger said that Joan found her – collapsed! Oh, that poor, poor girl. Those poor, poor girls.’

‘Leanne.’

‘Well, of course. Why else would I be here?’

‘I didn’t, um, know that you knew her. Why would you feel guilty?’

‘She’s cleaned for me for nearly two years. Always done a stellar job. I recommended her to three of my friends. Fantastic attitude, works until she’s dripping with sweat… so I should have… I couldn’t have…’

While Pia started weeping again, I mentally went back over the list of cleaning clients that Leanne had provided so I could let them know she was in hospital. She visited nine houses from Monday to Friday with varying frequency, as well as Hatherstone Hall. There had been a mixed response, from disinterest to annoyance to Ginger, who ran the hall, expressing a gush of relief that the recent drop in standards wasn’t down to Leanne growing sloppy or lazy.

‘You weren’t on the list Leanne gave me. Otherwise I’d have called to let you know.’

Pia lowered her tissue, taking in a shuddery breath. ‘That’s because I let her go.’

‘Ah.’

‘She’s always been brilliant, like I said. Over the past few months I noticed she was taking longer to complete the work, and then things started not getting done. One day I arrived home early and found her sprawled on the spare bed! When I asked what was going on, she denied any problem, slurring her speech and swaying all over the place. I assumed she’d been drinking. And, given the quality of her work, that it wasn’t the first time. It was one in the afternoon!’

I took a slow, deep breath. ‘Did you call children’s services?’

My heart had time for several painful, pounding thumps before she replied. ‘I was worried for Joan. I knew she didn’t have anyone else.’

‘You had no proof that she was drunk.’

‘Well, something was clearly not right.’

‘But still – as if Leanne didn’t have enough problems! She was terrified that her daughter might be taken from her. You have children; can you possibly imagine what that was like?’

‘My dear, I’ve worked as a family solicitor since before you were born. I don’t have to imagine. I also know all too well what it could have been like for Joan, with no one to help her.’

‘You could have asked me.’ A bubble of hot rage began expanding in my stomach, squeezing up against my diaphragm. ‘I’ve been looking after Joan most evenings after school and on Saturdays.’