BooksBarbecue
Back Before You Were Gone
Chapters (58)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Eight
  11. Nine
  12. Ten
  13. Eleven
  14. Twelve
  15. Thirteen
  16. Fourteen
  17. Fifteen
  18. Sixteen
  19. Seventeen
  20. Eighteen
  21. Nineteen
  22. Twenty
  23. Twenty-one
  24. Twenty-two
  25. Twenty-three
  26. Twenty-four
  27. Twenty-five
  28. Twenty-six
  29. Twenty-seven
  30. Twenty-eight
  31. Twenty-nine
  32. Thirty
  33. Thirty-one
  34. Thirty-two
  35. Thirty-three
  36. Thirty-four
  37. Thirty-five
  38. Thirty-six
  39. Thirty-seven
  40. Thirty-eight
  41. Thirty-nine
  42. Forty
  43. Forty-one
  44. Forty-two
  45. Forty-three
  46. Forty-four
  47. Forty-five
  48. Forty-six
  49. Forty-seven
  50. Forty-eight
  51. Forty-nine
  52. Fifty
  53. Fifty-one
  54. Acknowledgements
  55. An Eastbourne Murder Mystery
  56. Canelo Crime
  57. About the Author
  58. Also by Sheila Bugler

‘I’d better let you two get to your lunch.’ She put the mug down on the single table in the room. ‘I’ve taken up more than enough of your time.’

‘It was lovely to meet you,’ Fiona said. ‘Sorry I interrupted your meeting. I wouldn’t have barged in if I’d known you were here. I’m just so used to Annie losing herself when she’s here and forgetting she’s sometimes meant to be somewhere else.’

‘It’s not a problem,’ Dee said, ‘really.’

‘Thanks so much for being so enthusiastic about my work,’ Annie said, smiling at Dee. ‘It means a huge amount. I’ll call you as soon as it’s ready to be collected. Probably about a week’s time, if that’s okay?’

Dee paid for the painting and said goodbye to Annie and her mother. After leaving the studio, she called Emer as she walked back towards Aldgate East station.

‘I really need to see you,’ she said, when Emer picked up.

‘Is it to do with Kitty?’

‘Sort of,’ Dee said. ‘But it’s not a conversation I want to have over the phone. Can you meet?’

‘Not today,’ Emer said. ‘I know it’s the weekend, but I’ve got a deadline, so I’m working flat out today and tomorrow. Could you do Monday instead?’

‘No, I can’t do Monday,’ Dee said. ‘I’m in London now and, believe it or not, Emer, I actually have a life that involves more than running around the place on your behalf. If you want to see me on Monday, come to Eastbourne.’

‘Wait,’ Emer said. ‘I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. This job is a complete nightmare. I’d walk out of it today and never come back, but I’ve promised myself I’d stick it out, no matter how hard it gets. I haven’t always been that good at sticking things out, you see, and I’m trying to get better at it. That’s why I can’t meet you today. But you’re right, I shouldn’t expect you to come up to London again on Monday just because it’s more convenient. I’ll call in sick on Monday and I’ll come to Eastbourne. Would that be okay?’

‘You don’t have to do that,’ Dee said, already feeling bad. She was disappointed Emer couldn’t meet her, but it was hardly Emer’s fault that her new job was keeping her busy.

‘I do,’ Emer said. ‘You’ve already done so much for me, and I’m really grateful. Just tell me where you want to meet, and I’ll be there. I’ll work out later how to get to you. I can get a train, right?’