They are eating a rather silent and grumpy breakfast when there抯 a knock at the back door. This is unusual enough to make mother and daughter look at each other. Ruth feels an actual twinge of fear. They are on their own, without the protection of Nelson. What if it抯 the person who抯 been sending her the messages? The Grey Lady can walk through locked doors. You can never be safe from her hunger.
The door is the stable type. Ruth opens the top half to see Zoe standing on the other side. She抯 wearing jeans and a pink jumper but still manages to look somehow chic, pulled together in a way that Ruth can never achieve.
慡orry to disturb you,?says Zoe. 態ut I抦 going mad with boredom on the other side of the wall. Do you two fancy going for a walk? We could take tennis rackets and play on the beach. It抯 the perfect game for keeping two metres apart.?
Ruth is afraid that Kate is going to pull that face again but it seems that a walk with their fun new neighbour is far more exciting than one with just her mother. She agrees immediately and goes off to get dressed. Ruth makes Zoe a coffee and passes it over the door.
慣hank you,?says Ruth. 慪ou抳e saved our lives. Or rather you抳e saved our Sunday.?
慖t抯 a funny day, isn抰 it??says Zoe. 慐ven if you don抰 go to church it feels different from other days.?
慚y parents were very religious,?says Ruth. 慣hey spent almost the whole day at church. I hated it when I was a child, but I suppose it gave them something to do. I wonder what my dad抯 doing now that churches are closed.?
慖s your dad on his own? Oh no, I think you said he抎 remarried??
慪es. It was a bit of a shock at the time but I抦 just glad he抯 got someone to keep him company. And Gloria is very nice, which helps. She抯 religious too. In fact they met at church. This whole thing has made me a bit more tolerant of religion. Their church really does seem to be looking after its parishioners.?
慚y parents went at Christmas and Easter,?says Zoe. 慖 quite liked the ritual of it.?
慪ou must miss them,?says Ruth.
Zoe looks away for a minute. 慖 was watching a programme about Romanian orphanages the other day,?she says, 慳nd I realised that I抦 an orphan. It抯 like something out of a Victorian children抯 book.?
慣here are lots of orphans in children抯 books,?says Ruth. 慉nne of Green Gables. Mary in The Secret Garden. Harry Potter.?
慦hy are you talking about Harry Potter??Kate appears, fully dressed, even wearing an anorak.
慉re you a fan??says Zoe. 慖 am. Let抯 talk about it on the way. Who抯 your favourite character??
Zoe really is the perfect neighbour, thinks Ruth, as she fetches her own cagoule. Ruth would be hard put to think of her favourite Harry Potter character though she does have a soft spot for Dobby the House Elf.
Judy waits until late morning to ring Tina抯 number again. There抯 no answer but she leaves a message.
慔i. This is Judy Johnson. Hope you抮e feeling better. When you抮e up to it, please give me a ring. I抎 love to hear what you remembered about Avril. Take care. All best.?
She feels twitchy all day, all through a long walk along the beach, Sunday lunch and Michael and Miranda抯 afternoon concert with Michael playing the piano and Miranda the recorder, accompanied by Maddie抯 unexpectedly beautiful singing voice.
When the children are in bed and Cathbad抯 listening to music on his headphones, Judy and Maddie settle down to watch Grey抯 Anatomy. They are just into the first soothing medical catastrophe when Judy抯 phone rings. Tina Prentice, says the screen. It抯 ten thirty p.m. Tina must be back from hospital. Thank goodness.
慔allo. Tina??
There抯 a pause and then a voice says, 慖t抯 Denise. Tina抯 daughter. Mum passed away this morning.?
慜h my God,?says Judy. 慖抦 so sorry.?She stares at the TV. Maddie has thoughtfully turned the sound off but figures in blue scrubs are moving purposefully round a pristine operating theatre. Judy can抰 help thinking that Tina抯 last moments must have been very different.