the crash. I couldnât do it all again. âIâm sorry, Ru, I canât now. Iâve already gone through it all once today. Not now.â
âSorry, sorry. Should have realised. But you know Iâm here when you want me.â
âI know. Look,â I stood up with my bag. âI have to go, Iâm afraid. Itâs good to see you. Iâll ring soon.â
âWell ⦠what about meeting tomorrow?â
âIâve got more CISD to deal with.â
âWhatâs that?â
âTrauma stuff,â I said it so flippantly it made a mockery of my words. I was lying anyway. I didnât have anything to do tomorrow.
The corner of Rupertâs mouth twitched in that way he had when he doubted me, but he nodded slowly. âOK. Iâll be in touch in the next day or so.â
âFine.â I said it emphatically, trying to convince myself it was. He stood up and gave me another hug. I returned it, but resented the stale smoke which lingered on him. âBye, Ru. See you soon.â
âBye, Callie.â
I smiled and walked off, trying not to hurry my steps. At the door, I glanced back. He was reaching for another cigarette.
When I got home â trying to ignore the photographers opposite â my mother looked up from the Telegraph wearily. âWish youâd been here earlier, darling.â
âWhyâs that?â
âYour press conference seems to have roused people to want more of you. You did look gorgeous though, Caroline, I can understand why.â
âWant more of me? What?â
âTheyâre even more insistent than before. The phone hasnât stopped ringing all day and I had the police around to try to put an end to that rabble camped outside. Luckily, they canât see much behind the hedge. But theyâre within their rights, apparently. Vultures.â
âWhat do they want?â
âAnything, it would seem, but youâve got numerous invitations for chat shows and goodness knows what else. Wish theyâd stop harping on about that man though.â
âWhat man?â
âThe survivor. The one on the island.â
âPaul?â
âHm.â
âWhat did they want to know?â
She looked at me disparagingly over the Telegraph . âWhether you and he were ⦠an item.â
âIâve already told them that very clearly.â
âI donât think they believed you. They were trying to catch me out, I could tell. Asking me things to let it slip.â
âThereâs nothing to let slip, Mum.â
âDonât call me that, dear. Makes me sound like an extra in EastEnders .â
I rolled my eyes.
âI certainly hope nothing happened between you. Anyway, they want you to ring them back. Iâve left all the numbers on the kitchen table. Whereâve you been this afternoon?â
âIf you must know, I met Rupert. Does that make you feel better?â
âOh, did you? How is he?â My motherâs face brightened visibly.
âBack to smoking.â
âOh dear, what a shame. Still, we must forgive our men the occasional fault; they all have them. I should know.â She gave me a little look and we shared a sad little conspiratorial smile. Despite my fatherâs indomitable good sense, my mother had to work hard for the marriage at times.
âAll right, Mummy, but heâs not my man.â
âAs good as.â
I sighed. âIâm going up. Do you want me to cook tonight?â
âNo, darling. You wonât be here long, allow me to look after you while you are.â
I couldnât argue. I leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. âItâs so lovely to be back, Mummy.â She reached up and hugged me tight. The tears started.
âI know, my love.â I could hear the thick edge to her voice. I drew back before we both started sobbing uncontrollably.
âIâll be down soon.â
âNo
Olivia Jaymes
Susan Elaine Mac Nicol
Elmore Leonard
Brian J. Jarrett
Simon Spurrier
Meredith Wild
Lisa Wingate
Ishmael Reed
Brenda Joyce
Mariella Starr