He seemed satisfied at this. “My mum calls my dad a big mummy’s boy,” he agreed.
“Well, there you are, then.” Annie laughed as Gemma grimaced.
Pam gave Annie a kiss on both cheeks and Annie thought she saw tears in her eyes.
“That was marvelous, Annie. Just marvelous!”
Emily was stood beside her mum.
“I’m glad you came,” Annie said to Emily. “It was nice to see you minus your placard.”
“Halloween is an important tradition in Willow Bay. You gave it the respect it’s due, and I can support that,” Emily said. “We’re not out to claim Saltwater Nook for the sake of having it. We just want it to be in safe hands, protected.” And then very loudly in John’s direction she added, “It’s good to know that some people respect the history of this village!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Annie saw John wince, but he said nothing.
The last people left, and Annie heaved a satisfied sigh.
“And then there were two,” said John.
Annie had that strange feeling again. The one where she was excited and uncomfortable and yet somehow at ease being alone with him; invariably he would annoy or surprise her within the next five minutes, possibly both.
“I guess I’d better get this lot cleared up and ready for the morning,” she said.
“I’ll help.”
“Thank you. You don’t have to, but thank you. You can eat leftover cold spuds and cake as payment.”
“How could any man refuse?”
They set about sweeping and cleaning down and moving the tables and chairs back to where they ought to be, chatting as they worked. Annie made them a hot chocolate each before turning off the coffee machine and cleaning it down.
“I see you’ve met Alfred.”
Annie’s guard was suddenly up.
“Yes,” she said. “He’s a good man.”
“He used to sleep in the café when the weather was bad. Mari thought I didn’t know.”
“He still does,” said Annie.
“And you don’t mind?”
“No, why should I? He’s no trouble. Scared the shit out of me when I first found him down here, but now I rather like having him here.”
“He’s too old to live the way he does. He should be living comfortably somewhere in his old age, not kipping on cold floors and in caves.”
“He’s not that old,” said Annie. “What is he? Late fifties? Early sixties?”
“Too old to be sleeping on the streets.”
“Well, yes, I grant you that, there’s no good age to be sleeping rough. But he’s not on the streets at present.”
“Not here, no. But where do you think he sleeps when he heads into the city for winter?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m fairly sure he doesn’t have a café owner in the city willing to let him camp out on her floor every night,” said John.
“I’m not disagreeing with you. I’d like to see Alfred somewhere safe and warm too, but it’s not as easy as just finding him somewhere to live, is it? Gemma said there’ve been attempts to house him before that haven’t worked out. We have to respect that Alfred is a complex man with complex needs.”
“At what point does respect become irresponsible?”
“What do you suggest?” asked Annie. “We can’t force him into housing! It’s more complicated than that.”
“It’s easy to be flippant until somebody finds him dead on the beach from pneumonia.”
“You’re talking as if Alfred is my responsibility,” said Annie.
“Not just yours. Mine. Everybody’s. Apathy is as dangerous as ignorance.”
“I am neither apathetic nor ignorant toward Alfred’s plight,” said Annie.
He held his hands up. “That came out wrong, that’s not what . . .”
“Do you know what?” said Annie. “I’m just about sick of men telling me how life is, or what they think my thoughts on a subject are. Thank you for your help today, but I can take it from here.”
She held out her hand to take the broom from John. John opened his mouth to speak, but Annie gave him a look that brooked no discussion. He sighed and handed over the broom.
“You’re impossible!” said John, and without another word, he picked his jacket from the hook by the door and left.
Damn, Annie thought. I guess the truce is over.
Chapter 55
When she got back up to the flat, she fed Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and got into her pajamas. She couldn’t settle. She tried watching television, drinking hot chocolate with brandy, and reading Lady Audley’s Secret to soothe herself, but nothing held her attention. She was even too fidgety for Tiggs to bother with her.