Chapter 66
It was nearly nine o’clock when they’d finally finished clearing up. Both Joe and Gemma, who was rather quiet, had insisted that Bella left early as she was having yet another engagement drinks do with her friends. ‘It’s much better the second time round,’ her assistant assured them both with all the confidence of a twenty-three-year-old. ‘We’ve matured. Honest.’
Natasha’s mother had come up to them to say that if it was all right with them, she would like her daughter to continue at Puddleducks next term.
‘I’ve got a new book,’ said Natasha, whom he still couldn’t stop thinking of as Lily. Solemnly, she handed them a well-thumbed book with cardboard pages and brightly coloured illustrations, the text in a foreign language.
‘It was Mama’s when she was small.’ Natasha/Lily gripped her mother’s hand. ‘I am teaching her some English words too.’
That child’s English was better than that spoken by many of the kids around here who came from wealthy backgrounds. Feeling moved and needing to root himself in reality, Joe helped gather up all the left-behind shoes and sandwich boxes and mobile phones for the Lost Property box, and then Gemma said a subdued goodnight, leaving him to lock up.
Had Lynette been right about the argument she’d overheard, or was Gemma just tired?
‘Very well done,’ said Beryl, as she left with him. ‘Actually Joe, I wonder if I could have a word. I was going to leave it until tomorrow, but as you’re here, I thought I’d ask. Have you got another job yet?’
If this had been yesterday, he’d have said no. But even as she spoke, he felt in his pocket for the envelope that was tangible proof. His old school, after rejecting him, had gone for someone else, which had hurt. But a similar school, in Brixton, had made him an offer.
‘I have, actually.’
Beryl’s face fell. ‘That’s a shame. Oh well. Just thought I’d ask. Goodnight. And well done.’
You silly oaf, Joe thought as he went out into the car park in the cold dark night air. You could at least have asked her the reason for her enquiry. It would have been nice to have heard her say that she wanted him to stay on.
Swinging his right leg over the saddle, he turned the key in the engine. He might still have said no; in fact, he would definitely have said no, but on the other hand …
What was that? Joe felt the vibration pass right through him as the bike reversed. No. Please no. He’d hit something. Even worse, there was the sound of someone weeping.