Page 59 of Joker in the Pack

Sophie’s eyes turned into dinner plates. “Oh my gosh!”

“Rachel’s exaggerating. I’ve had a couple of break-ins, and one or two other things have happened.”

“That still sounds awful.”

Maddie took over and told her all the details, sounding as melodramatic as possible. By the end of the story, Sophie looked ready to drive to Upper Foxford and beat people up with her stilettos. She clenched her fists at her sides and stamped one dainty foot on the carpet.

“That’s horrific! You poor thing.”

“I’m sure it’ll stop soon. It’s probably just because I’m a newcomer.”

Sophie thought for a few seconds, then clicked her fingers. “I’ve got it—my brother’s friend owes me a favour, and I think he’s some sort of investigator. At least, the rest of the guys call him Sherlock. You know, like Sherlock Holmes? I’ll get my brother to phone him.”

“Soph, I can’t afford to pay him.”

She waved my protest away. “I told you, he owes me a favour. He forgot his girlfriend’s birthday, so I dropped everything and spent the day searching for a last-minute gift to get him out of the hole he’d dug himself into.”

“But you love shopping,” I pointed out. All through school, Sophie had spent more of her time at the mall than at home. She’d been on first-name terms with most of the shop assistants, and I was sure I even spotted several of them at her wedding last year.

“Yes, but he doesn’t know that. I gift-wrapped the present and everything. Bows, fancy bag, the works.”

Before I could stop her, she had her mobile pressed against her ear, repeating my sob story to her brother. Somehow, she managed to make it sound even more tragic than Maddie had.

When she hung up with a look of triumph, I didn’t know whether to be pleased or nervous.

“He’s going to call Sherlock. Can I text him your number?”

I nodded weakly. Trying to talk Sophie down was like trying to stop a suicidal chocoholic from diving into a lake of hot cocoa. I’d learned that at the age of thirteen when she insisted on hiding out in the library instead of going to gym class and we got caught by the headmaster.

“Good. I’ll arrange everything.” She handed me my glass of wine. “And have this back—I think you’ll need it.”

CHAPTER 19

IT WAS ALMOST midnight on Sunday when I arrived home with the remnants of my hangover still knocking about inside my skull. I’d planned to leave London earlier, whereas Maddie hadn’t wanted me to leave at all.

“You can have the sofa bed for as long as you need it. We don’t mind, honestly.”

“Lilac Cottage is my home now, Maddie. It’s hard to explain, but I need to be there.”

In the end, we’d compromised and she and Dave drove me back after dinner. Dave climbed out of his van carrying a tyre iron while Maddie brandished a can of hairspray.

“What are you going to do?” I asked. “Lacquer him into submission?”

She glanced down at her hand. “I could do. This is super-strong hold.”

“Over here,” Dave called. “The bastard’s been at your front door.”

The remains of a dozen eggs and a tin of red paint dripped down it. If Jackson Pollock had been involved, he’d have called it “Sunset over Olivia’s life” and sold it for seven figures.

“The bastard probably had the red left over after doing my living room wall.”

“How can you take this so calmly?” Maddie asked.

I waved an arm at the door. “Pah! This is nothing. It’s like he hasn’t even tried this time.”

“You know I love you, right? Even if you are crazy.”

I gave her a hug. “I know, and I love you too. Thanks for everything this weekend. It’s helped just to talk about things.”

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