You’ve done so much for me already, and now it’s time for me to cut you loose from feeling you have to do any more. It’s right that I should get sent down for being reckless about endangering life. It’s a no-brainer, everyone heard it today, and we both know it’s true.

Before I end this letter, I want to say thanks for letting my ma sit with you today (Dan told me it was going to happen so I’m presuming it did). I heard her a couple of times and was sure she’d get thrown out, but I don’t think she did. I’m going to talk to Dan and Helen about her being somewhere else when I get sentenced to the full stretch because I think that might be too hard for her to take.

Anyways, thanks for believing in me. I don’t deserve it, but thanks anyway.

Be seeing you,

Archie

Chapter Fifty

Andee was waiting to greet them in the lobby the following morning. “Dan’s talking to Gordon Lock,” she told Claudia as they embraced, “and Helen’s just gone to check if Archie’s arrived. Are you OK?” she asked, peering worriedly at Marcy.

As Claudia started to answer Marcy said, “Why don’t we get a coffee?”

“Miss Kav’na!” a voice called from the screening station.

They turned to see Maria clearing security with another woman following close behind. The stranger was plump with a nest of mussed blond hair, dark at the roots, and a proprietorial air toward Maria that seemed almost aggressive.

“This ma nay-buh, Raquel,” Maria told them.

“Everyone calls me Raq,” the woman added, reaching out to shake Marcy’s hand.

“Good morning,” Marcy responded, aware of Raq staring openly at her damaged face, almost as if inspecting it.

“Blimey, made a right mess of it, didn’t he?” Raq declared with a sniff. “Still, from what I hear he’s going down anyway. I told Maria he had to—”

“He not tryin’ to get off,” Maria broke in indignantly. “He said he did it and I tol’ you not to come if you was goin’ to say fings like tha’.”

Suspecting this neighbor had bullied Maria into letting her come so she could gather gossip and share it around the estate later, Marcy glanced at Andee, certain she’d have a way of dealing with this.

Apparently Andee did. Stepping forward she took Raq’s arm and began walking her to the door, saying, “It was lovely of you to make sure Maria got here safely, we all need good friends in difficult times, but we can take over now.”

As Raq tried to protest Maria muttered, “Nosy cow. Din know how to get rid of her.”

Claudia said, “We’re just about to get a coffee if you’d like to come.”

Holding back, Maria said, “Has anywuh see Ochie this mornin’?”