Chapter Twenty-One
Nicola
Nicola observed Mr Neal’s dishevelled appearance the minute he walked through the door.
Not only was he late, but he smelled of alcohol, too.
Luckily, she could stay on that evening.
She was having a curry with her parents that night, and they never ordered until about eight.
That was always a good meal, seeing as they paid for it.
She told Daniel that she had fed Joel fish fingers and chips as a treat.
He seemed fine about it, although she knew they preferred him to eat healthier food.
But Nicola had thought that, with Joel missing his mum, fish fingers would cheer him up.
Mr Neal looked exhausted. She considered mentioning her phone call and messages to his wife, which still hadn’t been delivered to her phone, but decided against it. He’d no doubt been calling her, too.
‘How is the conference going in France?’ she asked.
For a second, he looked puzzled.
‘Oh,’ he said. ‘Yes, fine. Mrs Neal says she should be home in a few days. That will be great, won’t it, dude?’ he said, turning to Joel.
Nicola was about to ask how he’d managed to speak to Jo, since her own messages hadn’t gone through, but his phone rang, cutting her off.
‘Donald, hi. Can you give me a minute?’
He turned to Nicola, who took the hint and said, ‘I’ll be off then.’
***
Nicola’s mum’s answer to everything is a cup of tea. ‘I’ll pop the kettle on,’ she says. ‘The curry should be here soon.’
Nicola sits at the kitchen table, which is covered in the floral-printed oilcloth tablecloth they’ve had since she was a child.
‘So a cuppa will go down a treat,’ says Mary with a smile. ‘Stephen, Nicola is here,’ she calls to her husband.
He soon joins them. ‘Hello, love,’ he says, kissing his daughter. ‘I ordered your usual.’
Nicola feels stupid now. She has planned to ask their advice about Mrs Neal, but it all seems silly now that she’s here. Mary puts the teapot on the table and places a teacup in front of everyone. ‘Won’t take long to brew,’ she says.
‘There is such a thing as teabags, Mum.’
Mary shudders. ‘That’s not tea!’
Nicola sighs without realising.
‘Something wrong, love?’ asks her dad.
Nicola shrugs. ‘Oh, I don’t know. It’s the Neals. Something’s not right.’
‘Not right?’ repeats Mary, pouring the tea. ‘You mean with your job there?’
Nicola holds the hot cup between her hands.
‘No, my job’s okay. Oh, I don’t know. Mrs Neal didn’t come home the other night.
She knew that I was going out, and they were planning to go out, too.
They were celebrating an anniversary. Mrs Neal had told me she would be home early, but she didn’t come home, and I had to wait until Mr Neal got back.
He was a bit late and didn’t seem to know where Mrs Neal was.
But the weird thing is, she didn’t answer any of the messages or texts that I sent her that evening, or any of the messages I’ve sent since, and that’s not like her. She likes to check on Joel.’
Mary looks puzzled. ‘She’s home now, though, isn’t she?’
Nicola shakes her head. ‘No. Mr Neal says she’s gone abroad to a conference in France. He says he heard from her today, but she’s still not answering my messages. They’re not even reaching her phone. I even sent a photo of Joel. She would always comment on something like that.’
‘Well,’ says Stephen. ‘People like that are very busy.’
Nicola shakes her head. ‘She would always phone Joel. Mr Neal said her battery had died, but she would have charged it by now, and she’d surely have a phone in the hotel she’s staying in. Something’s not right.’
Mary nods in agreement. ‘Does Mr Neal seem okay?’
Nicola shrugs. ‘He’s a bit different.’
‘Can’t you ask someone at the hospital if you’re that worried?’
‘I don’t know anyone…’
Then she remembers Gil, one of Joanna’s work colleagues, and a friend. Nicola has met her a few times. Perhaps she could ask her if everything was all right. There wouldn’t be any harm in doing that.
The doorbell rings, and Stephen jumps up. ‘Dinner. Perfect, I’m starving.’
‘That’s what I’ll do,’ Nicola tells her mum. ‘I’ll contact one of her friends at the hospital.’