She sent back a smiley face and I switched off my phone. I was troubled. I’d never had a call like that in my life; now I’d had two in one day. And the bogus interview with Alan Walker still played on my mind. Who had sent the e-mail, inviting me to go there? But the thing that bugged me the most was that memory of my dresses hanging in the closet. When I tried to remember putting them there I felt as though I was grasping at something out of reach. At a memory that wasn’t there.

CHAPTER 38

Ruby

I woke early the next morning with a thumping headache to find forty-seven missed calls on my phone. Eleven of them had left messages on my voice mail. At first I felt a rush of excitement, thinking that I’d soon be offered a job and wouldn’t have to take that low-paid receptionist’s role. I started to listen to the first message, then hastily pressed the delete key as soon as I heard the guy breathing heavily. With growing trepidation I listened to the second, before cutting it dead as soon as he said what he wanted from me. Feeling sick, I blocked all of the callers without listening to what they had to say.

I sent Sarah another message:

I’ve had loads of dirty calls, Sarah. I’ve blocked them but I don’t know where they’re coming from.

She replied: Sorry, in a rush with the kids. You need to change your number.

But how can I? I said. I’ve just sent out over 100 resumes to employers and I’ve registered with all the agencies in the northwest. I could feel myself becoming increasingly upset. I can’t just change my number! It would take weeks to tell everyone. I need a job!

My phone rang and I thought it was Sarah, grabbing a moment from work to reassure me. It really wasn’t. My hands were shaking when I ended that call and blocked the number.

Google yourself, wrote Sarah. See if your number’s anywhere. And buy a whistle. At least nobody will call twice.

There was a hardware shop on my street and I went there immediately. I tested a couple of whistles in the shop and bought the loudest one they had. Back home, I Googled myself, terrified of what I’d find, but nothing was there. I thought of entering the blocked numbers into Facebook, but couldn’t bear to put faces to the voices that had called me. I knew I’d never sleep at night if I could picture those men.