‘But you can’t tell Ezra!’ It was Gilly’s voice, rising sharply and then dropping again amid another few hurried murmurs.

Ezra stopped dead, listening intently. He looked down to where Bukowski was sitting at the bottom of the stairs with his ears pricked. Was it Ron up there with Gilly? What could they possibly be discussing that involved him?

‘Well, I think he has a right to know!’ Now it was Ron’s voice that was raised. ‘He should know!’

‘No!’ Gilly insisted, louder now. ‘He’d be awful about it. He hates Edie, you know that.’

There was the sound of footsteps coming closer and then stopping. Ezra ducked, turning on the stairs and squashing himself against the wall. He risked a look up, but though he thought Gilly and Ron were probably standing near the mezzanine’s balcony rail, he couldn’t see them. He also couldn’t move, not unless he wanted them to see him.

‘I don’t think he would be. He’s not as hard-hearted as all that,’ Ron pointed out. ‘Who knows – maybe, if he knew she felt that way about him, it would change things between them.’

‘It wouldn’t,’ Gilly said, with utter conviction. ‘It’d be one more thing he can wind her up about. Can you think of a single time that you’ve seen them together that Ezra hasn’t found some way to get at her about something?’

‘Hmm,’ said Ron. ‘You’ve got a point there. But I still think…’

‘Nope,’ Gilly said. ‘Trust me, I know I’m right. It’d be a disaster if he found out.’

‘All right, all right,’ Ron said. ‘I think it’s a shame, that’s all. She’s a lovely lady really. It’s sad that she’s all on her own, pining over a man who doesn’t want her.’

‘I know,’ Gilly sighed. ‘Underneath all that fake toughness she’s really hurting. Edie’s been so good to me and I wish I could do something to help. Which is why I’m swearing you to secrecy. Ezra would only humiliate her if he knew, so he mustn’t ever find out. She’d rather die than let him know that she’s in love with him. Then I’d be homeless again, wouldn’t I, and it’d be all your fault. So – no telling Ezra, all right? Ever. I’m serious, Ron.’

Ezra didn’t hear what Ron said next. His ears had disconnected from his brain and for a moment were buzzing on a frequency his mind couldn’t accommodate. When he tuned back in, Gilly and Ron were moving again. For an awful moment he thought they were coming towards the stairs.

‘Come on,’ Gilly said. ‘Let’s get these on the shelves before Rachel gets back.’

‘All right,’ Ron answered, ‘give some of ’em here. You’re going to have to tell me where they all go, mind…’

Their voices dropped as they headed towards the recesses of the upper level, and Ezra saw his chance to escape. He slipped back down the stairs as quietly as he could, dodged Bukowski, and made for the door. Outside, he stood for a minute, looking up into the afternoon sunlight and breathing in a fresh breeze, trying to make sense of what he’d overheard. It all had to be complete nonsense, didn’t it? There was no way that Edie Strang felt that way about him. It was absurd, completely absurd.