Page 58 of The Temp

‘Zee, what is it? You’re shaking.’

She looks at me, eyes full of unease. ‘I haven’t been completely honest with you.’

My stomach clenches. ‘Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?’

‘Because I don’t think you will. Sit down.’

‘Whatever it is you’ve got to say can’t be worse than finding out my ex has been murdered.’

‘Sit,’ she demands, chest heaving.

I do as I’m told, feeling numb. Zelda pulls out a chair and sits down next to me. Legs wide apart, elbows on knees, hands pressed together against her mouth. ‘Daisy told me something at the barbeque last Saturday.’

‘Daisy?’ Pulling a face, I scratch the side of my neck.

‘Yeah,’ Zelda confirms.

‘Go on.’

Zelda shakes her head. ‘You’re not going to like it, Bells.’

My phone buzzes on the table with a WhatsApp message. I quickly read it before it disappears. It’s from Maggie.

Guess what? Mum has agreed to babysit.

The screen goes black. I go to look away but then another message pings through.

Can come back to work as soon as. x

‘It doesn’t matter whether I’m going to like it or not’ I flip the phone over to avoid any further distractions. ‘I need to know what’s going on.’

‘Who just messaged you?’ Zelda nods at my phone. ‘Was it Tom?’ I shake my head. ‘Daisy?’

‘No,’ I snap, ‘it was Maggie if you must know. She wants to come back to work. Look, I’ll ring her later. Come on, tell me what Daisy said.’

‘Promise me you won’t freak out.’ There’s a warning edge to her tone, which I don’t like. ‘No, I can’t tell you, you’re already freaking out. You’re doing that thing with your lips.’

‘What thing?’ I say, annoyance bubbling in my chest.

‘Sucking them in and then covering the top half with the bottom and then switching over and biting the bottom one.’ God, she makes me sound like Les Dawson.

I purse my lips. ‘I promise I won’t freak out,’ I say calmly, even though I know I probably will. ‘Or do the lip thing. Come on, Zelda, this is serious.’

Zelda shoots to her feet and starts pacing, rubbing her lips with her fingers. ‘Daisy told me something about Tom, something very serious.’

Chapter 54

I watch Zelda pacing up and down the kitchen, arms folded. ‘I need you to tell me what’s going on between Tom and Daisy,’ I say firmly.

‘Okay, okay. Just chill, will you?’ A beat and then. ‘After she made us the hot drinks, Frank went off to the loo,’ Zelda clarifies, ‘leaving us alone in the kitchen.’

‘And?’

‘And Daisy confided in me. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now.’

I frown at her, pulse picking up speed. ‘Go on.’

‘On the day she turned up for the interview, you were out.’

---