Part 10 (2/2)

'We're fine,' Thea trilled.

'Tell her to leave. I want my mother. I want my mother I want my mother.'

Corinne opened the door, her usual faintly disapproving expression in place. 'All right, Toni,' she said gently. 'Don't worry, sweetheart, it's your granddaughter.'

'I don't have a granddaughter! Tell this woman to go.'

Corinne winked at Thea. 'Playing up a bit today,' she whispered. 'If I were you, I'd skedaddle. She'll have appreciated your coming.'

'Do you think so?' Thea asked, eager for rea.s.surance, standing up.

'Oh yes. I'm sure the dears know on some level you're there.' She went over and patted Toni on the shoulder. 'Now, don't worry, love, your granddaughter's off now. But she'll be back soon, won't you?'

'Of course,' Thea said with a forced jollity she didn't feel in the slightest. Gran continued to weep softly. 'I can't just leave her like this,' she said, panicked.

'Don't worry, I'll get one of the girls to check on her,' Corinne said. 'Now, I'm glad I caught you, Thea. I'd just like you to come into my office for a moment, because I need to talk to you about fees. I'm afraid we've had no choice but to put them up again and I wanted to give you plenty of warning.'

14.

It had been a depressing conversation. Another hundred pounds a month was going to be needed. At the end of it, Thea called a taxi. As light drizzle fell, she stood s.h.i.+vering in the drive, doing calculations in her head. She could afford it, but it was getting tighter and tighter. She pulled her jacket more closely round her and fumbled in her bag for her iPod. Some Dylan would cheer her up.

'Excuse me,' said a voice behind her.

She turned round. It was the dark man she'd seen comforting his mum in the hall. He was short, only coming up to Thea's shoulder. Twenty-seven? Twenty-eight? He had pointy ears and sideburns. All in all, he looked like a character out of Lord of the Rings Lord of the Rings, albeit dressed in a Stone Roses T-s.h.i.+rt and denim jacket.

'Are you waiting for a cab to the station?' he asked. Home Counties accent. 'Only I was wondering if you'd mind sharing?'

Thea did mind. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts and her bag of Skittles. She didn't want to share any purple ones, particularly with a stranger. But she couldn't think of a way to refuse him.

'Sure,' she said ungraciously, as a black Mondeo pulled up in front of them. They climbed in.

'Going back to London?' he said after travelling the first few minutes in silence.

'Mmm. You?'

'Yes. Visiting family?'

'Yes,' she said brusquely, then softened slightly. 'My grandmother. What about you?'

'My mum.'

Thea wasn't sure what to say. 'She must have been very young when she... fell ill.'

'Sixty,' he said. He shrugged. 'It's hard, isn't it? I feel guilty that I don't go to see her often enough, but my job takes me away a lot and...'

'Most of the time she doesn't know you're there anyway.'

'Exactly.'

Thea eyed him. He didn't look like an international jetsetter with his beaten-up leather satchel over his shoulder. Curiosity got the better of her. 'What do you do?'

'I work for a charity based in Guatemala. I'm here most of the time, but I go there a lot.'

'Oh right.' She was mildly interested now. It took her mind off her gran in any case. 'What kind of charity?'

'We work with street kids. I'm the press officer.'

'I work for the Seven Thirty News Seven Thirty News. Senior producer.'

She was showing off and she was punished immediately. 'Really? That's my favourite news programme. Only one with a serious agenda any more. I'd love to get something about our work on your show.'

'Mmm,' she said, as the cab pulled in to the station forecourt. d.a.m.n. He'd be forever bombarding her now with dull press releases. 'Oh look, the twelve eighteen's there. Quick!'

They jumped out of the car, fumbled for their tickets to get through the barrier and dashed on to the platform. He held the door open, allowing her to scramble on to the train.

'Thanks.' She smiled politely.

'You're welcome.' There was an empty block of four seats beckoning them. s.h.i.+t. Thea wanted to read and listen to music in peace, not talk to someone barely out of their teens about his page on Mys.p.a.ce and what his favourite ringtone was. But she could hardly move off to the other end of the train. So they sat down together.

'Would you like a paper?' She offered him one. That should shut him up.

'Love one.' He took the Guardian Guardian from the pile. Typical charity worker, Thea thought, amused. from the pile. Typical charity worker, Thea thought, amused.

'Um. Do you mind if I listen to some music? I just need to clear my head a bit.'

'Of course not.'

Relieved, she slipped on her earphones and for once not being in a Bob mood decided to go for some Joni Mitch.e.l.l. For a while she lost herself in the music. She was s.n.a.t.c.hed from her reverie by a hand waving in front of her face. Thea looked up. A man in uniform. She pulled off her headphones.

'I was saying tickets, please, love.'

'Oh sorry!' She fumbled in her bag while the inspector mumbled, 'b.l.o.o.d.y iPods.' She looked up. The press officer grinned at her. There was a c.o.c.kiness about him Thea found a bit unnerving. After the inspector had stamped her ticket, he handed the Guardian Guardian back to her. back to her.

'There you go. Thanks for that.'

'Keep it if you like. I've finished it.'

'Oh, OK. I will.' A pause. 'Nice, Greenways, isn't it?'

'It's beautiful,' Thea said. 'But you can't help wondering whether it makes any difference.'

'I console myself that Mum's in a lovely place, but then I wonder if she'd be better off at home with me.'

'That would be a h.e.l.l of a burden,' Thea said.

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