spun.
‘Of course I will have to make a small fee but—’
‘Then please, just do as I say and insert the clause. If Charterhouse takes issue with it, then I’ll have to rethink the entire contract with them.’ Nina thanked her solicitor and asked him to be quick with the revision.
She walked out into the bright sunshine, her head now fizzing with the start of a migraine, and headed back to thecar park. She approached her car, about to unlock it, but froze. The door was already open.
What the hell . . . I know I locked it. She thought back to when she arrived at the car park. She’d definitely beeped the car locked. Hadn’t she? She peered inside the car. Nothing was taken. Her jacket still lay on the back seat. CDs were still strewn on the passenger seat. Even her satnav was on the dashboard. Surely a thief would have taken that.
She tried to solidify her melting thoughts. Am I going crazy?
Nina pulled her phone from her bag. She would call home to make sure Josie was OK, ask her what she wanted for dinner, ground herself. Her hands trembled and she hit the wrong buttons. Perhaps she had disturbed someone trying to steal her car. She dialled again, stalking around the car park for a better signal, glancing around, wondering if anyone was watching her. The phone rang, eventually answered by the machine. ‘Josie, are you there? Pick up if you can hear me. Josie? Call me as soon as you get this.’
Then she dialled Josie’s mobile number. Voicemail.
Feeling stupid for even worrying about Josie, she dashed back to the car, jammed the seat belt into its slot and drove out of the car park. Should she notify the police? But what would she tell them? My car door was open but nothing was taken. Maybe she’d just forgotten to lock the door.
The drive across town was slow. She called home a few more times, but there was still no reply. She didn’t care if she got caught using a phone while driving. Oh Josie,
Josie.
Just answer. Irrational thoughts started flashing throughNina’s mind, even though she knew her daughter would, in all probability, be absolutely fine. It wasn’t the first time she hadn’t bothered to pick up the phone.
Jabbing the brake, she stopped the car abruptly on the drive. She ran up to the house. She forced the key into the lock and burst inside. ‘Josie, are you home?’
The living room and kitchen were empty. As she went through the hall, she could see that no one was in the dining room. ‘Josie, where are you?’ Each step was a mountain as Nina ran up the stairs. She smelled shower gel, body lotion, hairspray as she passed the bathroom door. Steam hung in the air, indicating Josie had recently showered. She probably hadn’t heard the phone.
‘Josie?’ Nina burst into her daughter’s bedroom without knocking. The curtains were still closed and the blue glow of her computer lit one corner of the room. As Nina’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, all she could make out was the usual disarray of a teenage girl’s bedroom. Josie wasn’t there.
Nina dashed out. It was when she was in the kitchen, redialling Josie’s mobile number that she saw something that made her heartbeat race then stall. ‘Oh, thank heavens,’ she cried, and ran out through the back door, on to the deck, down the steps, and straight into Josie’s arms.
‘Whoa, Mum. What’s wrong?’ Josie was suddenly the adult as Nina trembled against her daughter’s shoulder. She buried her face in the soft fabric of her dressing gown. Josie hadn’t even dressed yet.
‘Don’t mind me. I’m just being a stupid paranoidmother.’ She laughed and hiccupped and sniffed. Josie was safe. Josie was at home where she was meant to be. No harm had come to her. And nothing, Nina tried to convince herself, was going to happen. ‘I just had this stupid feeling, that’s all. I’m OK now I know you’re safe. Why didn’t you answer the phone?’
‘Sorry. I didn’t hear it. Dad wanted me down in his studio.’ She scowled,
‘Of course I will have to make a small fee but—’
‘Then please, just do as I say and insert the clause. If Charterhouse takes issue with it, then I’ll have to rethink the entire contract with them.’ Nina thanked her solicitor and asked him to be quick with the revision.
She walked out into the bright sunshine, her head now fizzing with the start of a migraine, and headed back to thecar park. She approached her car, about to unlock it, but froze. The door was already open.
What the hell . . . I know I locked it. She thought back to when she arrived at the car park. She’d definitely beeped the car locked. Hadn’t she? She peered inside the car. Nothing was taken. Her jacket still lay on the back seat. CDs were still strewn on the passenger seat. Even her satnav was on the dashboard. Surely a thief would have taken that.
She tried to solidify her melting thoughts. Am I going crazy?
Nina pulled her phone from her bag. She would call home to make sure Josie was OK, ask her what she wanted for dinner, ground herself. Her hands trembled and she hit the wrong buttons. Perhaps she had disturbed someone trying to steal her car. She dialled again, stalking around the car park for a better signal, glancing around, wondering if anyone was watching her. The phone rang, eventually answered by the machine. ‘Josie, are you there? Pick up if you can hear me. Josie? Call me as soon as you get this.’
Then she dialled Josie’s mobile number. Voicemail.
Feeling stupid for even worrying about Josie, she dashed back to the car, jammed the seat belt into its slot and drove out of the car park. Should she notify the police? But what would she tell them? My car door was open but nothing was taken. Maybe she’d just forgotten to lock the door.
The drive across town was slow. She called home a few more times, but there was still no reply. She didn’t care if she got caught using a phone while driving. Oh Josie,
Josie.
Just answer. Irrational thoughts started flashing throughNina’s mind, even though she knew her daughter would, in all probability, be absolutely fine. It wasn’t the first time she hadn’t bothered to pick up the phone.
Jabbing the brake, she stopped the car abruptly on the drive. She ran up to the house. She forced the key into the lock and burst inside. ‘Josie, are you home?’
The living room and kitchen were empty. As she went through the hall, she could see that no one was in the dining room. ‘Josie, where are you?’ Each step was a mountain as Nina ran up the stairs. She smelled shower gel, body lotion, hairspray as she passed the bathroom door. Steam hung in the air, indicating Josie had recently showered. She probably hadn’t heard the phone.
‘Josie?’ Nina burst into her daughter’s bedroom without knocking. The curtains were still closed and the blue glow of her computer lit one corner of the room. As Nina’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, all she could make out was the usual disarray of a teenage girl’s bedroom. Josie wasn’t there.
Nina dashed out. It was when she was in the kitchen, redialling Josie’s mobile number that she saw something that made her heartbeat race then stall. ‘Oh, thank heavens,’ she cried, and ran out through the back door, on to the deck, down the steps, and straight into Josie’s arms.
‘Whoa, Mum. What’s wrong?’ Josie was suddenly the adult as Nina trembled against her daughter’s shoulder. She buried her face in the soft fabric of her dressing gown. Josie hadn’t even dressed yet.
‘Don’t mind me. I’m just being a stupid paranoidmother.’ She laughed and hiccupped and sniffed. Josie was safe. Josie was at home where she was meant to be. No harm had come to her. And nothing, Nina tried to convince herself, was going to happen. ‘I just had this stupid feeling, that’s all. I’m OK now I know you’re safe. Why didn’t you answer the phone?’
‘Sorry. I didn’t hear it. Dad wanted me down in his studio.’ She scowled,
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