‘They don’t. More accurately, they don’t want me. I can’t even get Simi to take my calls,’ said Jemima with a morbid finality.

‘Jemmy, don’t do something you’ll regret. Nothing is broken forever. Besides, what about me? I need you.’

Jemima fell silent. This was the sweetest thing Shaheena had ever said to her but it was too late. She had to do this.

‘Hey, did I tell you about the waiter I snogged at the party?’ said Shaheena.

Jemima groaned to herself. Only Shaheena could one-eighty like that on a heart-to-heart.

‘Shaheena, I have to go,’ said Jemima.

‘He’s into all that Tao stuff and he told me a story about this girl who tried to run away from her shadow. You heard it?’

‘No,’ said Jemima, rolling her eyes.

‘So this woman wants to escape her own footsteps and her shadow,’ began Shaheena.

‘Why?’ Jemima asked like a cranky teen.

‘I don’t know. That’s just what happens in fables. Anyway, she wanted to escape her footsteps and her shadow so she decided to run but every time she put her foot down, there they were, her footsteps and her shadow, so she ran faster and faster until she dropped dead.’

‘Well, you know I love a happy ending,’ Jemima grizzled.

‘The point is, Jem. She didn’t realise, if she’d just stepped into the shade, the footsteps and the shadow would have disappeared. She just needed to find herself a big old tree and stay still.’

Jemima sighed. ‘Listen, Shaheena. I really have to—’

‘Look, usually I hate fables. I’m like, no one sleeps for a hundred years, stop demonising old women and under normal circumstances, the hare would have won! But I heard this one and straight away, thought of you. Just chew on it, okay? Laters,’ said Shaheena, and she hung up.

Jemima set down her cup, massaging her brow. Maybe Shaheena had a point and this was fixable. Maybe too, this wasn’t the time for running away but to take on her life, walk past that body and look. As she contemplated this, her phone pinged with a text message from her local taxi firm.

Your airport pick-up is outside. You have five minutes of free waiting.

Well, she couldn’t think about that now. Life would just have to take its course. Only time would tell if she was making the right choice, she thought as she headed for the door.

Chapter 48

Simi

Simi watched the carousel trundle past, battling the urge to clamber on and get carried around the baggage reclaim hall.

‘Don’t you just want to sit on that thing?’ said Morenike as she waited for her bag next to Simi.

‘I was just thinking that!’ Simi chuckled.

How things had changed since the catering truck, she thought. After filming their scene, which Simi was relieved had gone well, all the kitchen girls and Morenike had gone out together. Had they not had such an early flight, Simi was sure they’d have stayed up all night. After raiding their minibars they’d retreated to her room where they’d shared acting horror stories. Simi had had them howling at her impression of Gabe. They’d discussed creepy directors, lovely producers and everything in between until they’d noticed the sun creeping up and reluctantly called it a night. On the plane, Simi and Morenike had sat together and hardly stopped talking and laughing the whole flight home.