Page 57 of She Saw What He Did

‘Thanks.’

I wait until they’ve gone and then call Daphne. Everything’s fine. I’m sure of it. They’re probably busy having a good time and Daphne hasn’t had time to look at her phone, that’s all. I know the WhatsApp messages haven’t been read. I also know that Sam can be quite demanding. That’s all it is, I tell myself. Daphne’s phone rings several times and then clicks into voicemail. She most likely has no signal. I try our cottage phone but that also goes to answer phone. I try Daphne again and this time I leave a message.

Pearl and the author Nina Grieg are waiting for me.

‘Everything okay?’ asks Pearl.

‘Fine,’ I say.

I’ll try Daphne again when we get to the restaurant; that’s if she doesn’t try me first.

*

Joe checked his watch and strained to see the street from his table.

‘Are you ready to order?’ asked the waiter.

‘No, I’m waiting for my wife and granddaughter. They should be here soon.’

Joe pulled his mobile from his pocket and checked his messages. Daphne hadn’t answered his text, but it had been received. He tapped in her number and waited but it went to her voicemail and an automated voice invited him to leave a message. He hung up and frowned. It wasn’t like Daphne. If she was going to be late then she would always let him know. He’d try the landline at the cottage. Maybe they were there. Signal was always bad at Abby and Jared’s place. He hung up when he got the answerphone. He’d give it ten more minutes and then perhaps he’d phone Abby, see if she’s heard from them. He wasn’t the panicking kind, but he felt a small flicker of fear and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t dismiss it.

*

Maria pushed the key into the lock of the Miller’s front door and let herself into the house.

‘Hello,’ she called.

Mrs Miller had already told her that the house would be empty when she arrived, but Maria thought it best to check. She called out one more time before walking into the kitchen and filling the kettle. Her hands were shaking. She really wasn’t sure about all this. Her husband, Kristof, had said that they would be stupid not to do it. But Maria liked Abby Miller. She’d cleaned for her for two years and she’d always been kind to Maria. But … ten thousand pounds, how could they say no to that?

The man had approached her several days ago in the Turkish restaurant where she worked two evenings a week. He’d been nice. Ordering lots of drinks and leaving her a big tip. He had money, she could tell. He’d been about to leave, and she had gone to clear the table when he’d pushed another twenty-pound note into her hand.

‘You want to earn more money?’ he’d asked.

He spoke in broken English and at first she had wondered if he was Hungarian like her, but she soon realised it was a different accent. She thought he was going to offer her a job and had nodded keenly.

‘You work for Abby Miller?’ he’d asked.

It had unnerved her that he knew that.

‘Yes,’ she’d said.

Her boss had been looking at her, so she’d hurried to clear the table. There was a queue of people waiting.

‘Their daughter has a box. I’m a collector of them. Maybe you can get the box for me.’

‘Why don’t you ask them?’ she’d said.

‘They won’t sell it. I’m offering good money. Ten thousand pounds if you can get it?’

She’d had to grab the table for support. She couldn’t believe it. Ten thousand pounds for that little sparkly box? She could get it easy enough. It was nearly always there. They probably wouldn’t even notice something that small had gone.

‘I suppose I could,’ she’d said hesitantly.

‘You’re there tomorrow, yes,’ he’d smiled.

It unnerved Maria that he knew so much about her.

‘I am,’ she’d nodded.

---