Nelson thinks of Ruth inviting him to supper. 慞asta. Or something.?He doesn抰 get the impression that Ruth is much of a cook. Has he ever eaten a meal prepared by her? He doesn抰 think so. What would he have done if Ruth had invited him, not just to eat, but to stay the night? There抯 nothing stopping him. Except Bruno, who is still looking at him expectantly. Nelson lets the dog out into the garden, which will satisfy him for a few minutes. He could have taken Bruno to Ruth抯。 That grumpy cat would get used to him eventually. But it still doesn抰 seem right. Not until he has had that conversation. Is it the thought of the complications ahead that is making him feel uneasy tonight? No, he thinks it抯 something else. Something connected to his conversation with Ruth. Nelson broods, watching the container revolving under the electronic spotlight.
It抯 a few minutes before he realises that his phone is buzzing. Michelle.
慔allo, love,?says Nelson. 慖s everything OK??
慦hy do you always think something抯 wrong? We抮e all fine. We took George for a donkey ride on the sands today.?
Katie had loved the donkeys in Blackpool, thinks Nelson. But, of course, he can抰 say this.
Michelle talks about George for a while and then says, 慔arry? Are you worried about coronavirus??
慛ot really,?says Nelson, wondering if this is true. 慖t抯 just the flu, after all.?
慖抦 a bit worried about Mum.?
慦hy??Michelle抯 mum is young and active in her early seventies. She抯 the perfect grandmother. And mother-in-law. Nelson抯 mother, Maureen, seems like she comes from a different generation.
慡he抯 diabetic,?says Michelle. 慠emember??
Nelson had forgotten.
慣hey say people with diabetes might be at risk. And people over seventy.?
慣ry not to worry, love. I抦 sure she抣l be fine.?
Michelle sounds comforted though she must know that Nelson doesn抰 know the first thing about this mysterious virus. She puts George on the phone to say goodnight. He wants to talk to Bruno but the dog is still in the garden, so Nelson has to improvise whining and panting sounds. He thinks that George is convinced.
After supper, Ruth sits down with her Lean Journal.
慣uesday 25th February,?she writes. 態reakfast: two slices toast and marmite. Cup tea. 11am: Cappuccino. Blueberry muffin. Lunch: Hummus and roasted vegetable wrap. Apple. Supper . . .?
She sighs and thinks of Kelly saying Alison must have lost five stone. Of Zoe saying, 慖t抯 how you feel inside.?Of Nelson抯 face when he asked, 慦hy would you want to lose weight??
And she tears the page into tiny pieces. Then she puts the journal in the bin.
Chapter 9
When Nelson gets into work the next morning ?later than usual because he has had to wait for the dog walker to collect Bruno ?he knows that the team have something to tell him. Tony Zhang looks exactly like Bruno when he抯 discovered something to deposit at Nelson抯 feet.
慣here抯 been another one,?says Tony, as Nelson makes his way through the open-plan area.
慉nother what??says Nelson. He wants to get into his office and have his first coffee of the day. He still can抰 get used to not seeing Cloughie at his desk, demolishing a McDonald抯 breakfast. But Clough is a DI now and has his own team in Cambridgeshire. Rumour has it that he抯 even given up junk food. The team also still feels the loss of Tim, who died five years ago. For Nelson, thoughts of Tim resurrect so many different emotions that he tries to keep them suppressed.
慉nother suicide that looks slightly suspicious,?says Judy, giving Tony a quelling look. 慖抣l tell you at the briefing.?
慪ou do that,?says Nelson. Leah brings him a coffee and he drinks it while deleting most of his emails. Then he summons the team in.
慉vril Flowers,?says Judy, 慳ged sixty. Found dead yesterday in her bungalow near Hunstanton, probably from an overdose. She was in her bedroom, which was locked.?She looks at Tony, daring him to give away the punchline. 慒rom the outside.?