Page 24 of The Girl in the Woods

‘Let it go?’ Beth thundered. ‘They’ve got a fucking surrogate mother. Don’t you think Ben’s humiliated me enough, and you say, let it go? How fucking dare you. Don’t you think I wanted kids? It’s all right for you with your daughter. Can you imagine what it will feel like seeing him and Mark with their child?’

‘Beth, keep it down,’ said Sandy, aware of the looks the other diners were giving them.

Beth felt a tightness in her neck. ‘Whose side are you on, Sandy?’ she asked, trying to control her anger.

‘Beth, it’s not a matter of sides.’

At that moment, Ray bounced happily towards them, a prettily wrapped present in his hand. ‘Sorry I’m late,’ he said, kissing Sandy and hugging Beth.

‘You look knackered,’ he said.

Beth sighed. ‘Don’t start. I was woken at one this morning by the villagers at Longbridge over that bloody trail bike.’

‘I saw Leigh Moulson today. She’s terrified about the whole thing. They can be nasty buggers on the Ludbrook Grove estate,’ said Sandy, relieved to change the subject.

‘Her husband, Will, phoned me at two this morning. He is not the most pleasant man I’ve ever met.’

‘He’s a bit of a rough diamond,’ said Sandy. ‘This lad is from Ludbrook Grove, isn’t he? Don’t you know the social worker who deals with some of them?’ she asked Ray.

Ray called over a waiter. ‘It’s humid as hell out there. I’m parched. Did any of you alcoholics think of ordering a jug of water?’

It was a throwaway comment, but Beth blushed as she felt Sandy’s eyes on her.

‘Not yet,’ said Beth.

‘You’re ignoring my question, Ray,’ persisted Sandy.

‘You know I can’t discuss things like that,’ he said, as he studied the menu.

Then Beth’s phone rang, and for one awful moment, they were all thrown back to that evening a year ago when Tom Miller had phoned her to say a woman had been attacked in the village. They’d been celebrating Sandy’s birthday just as they were doing now.

‘Blimey, we’re not even on to pudding yet,’ said Ray. ‘This is a bit déjà vu.’

No one spoke, and Ray realised his mistake immediately.

‘Thoughtless as ever,’ muttered Sandy.

‘It’s okay,’ said Beth.

Ray poured wine into his glass. ‘Sorry,’ he said.

Beth glanced at the screen; the caller was Tom Miller. Ray was right, déjà vu or what?

‘I need to take this,’ said Beth.

No one commented as she got up from the table and made her way to the exit. The muggy air was a shock after the restaurant’s air conditioning.

‘Hello,’ she said.

‘Beth?’

The sound of his voice took her right back to a year ago when they’d first met. It had been even hotter then. Beth remembered she’d had a hangover. There had been a leaving party the night before, and to top it all off, some idiot had parked in her spot in the station’s car park.

‘Okay, which one of you wankers parked in my space?’ she’d demanded, and then she’d seen him.

‘I think the wanker might be me,’ he’d said.

She’d always known he was handsome, but his looks had left her breathless.

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