‘It came to my flat. Lord knows why. It’s been on the side for a couple of days, kept forgetting to give it to you, so I put it in the car to jog my memory. Leo picked it up while I was driving, so I asked him just to shove it in his rucksack. Anyway, I’m sure it couldn’t have been important, not if they hadn’t correctly addressed it; probably junk mail.’

It seems odd that someone should send a letter to me to an address I’ve never lived at, though. Maybe it was from someone who didn’t realise we’d split and had assumed I was with Nick at the new address.

‘Oh, actually, that reminds me. I’ve got a parcel at the house for you, too. Came on Friday. In the … er … stress of not knowing where the boys were, I forgot to give it to you.’

We left the call on amicable terms, as we always did, even after the heated discussion the other evening. I’ve never been able to stay angry with Nick. And it seemed that was a mutual thing.

So, now I’m left with a missing school bag and a missing letter.

Chapter Seventeen

Amber

When I open the front door twenty minutes later and walk through the hallway, I see the bag.

In the middle of the pile of shoes and stuff Finley had yanked out from under the stairs, there it sits.

‘What the hell?’ I grab it, pulling it free of the shoes. There’s no way I’d have missed it there. How could I have? And Leo, too? I’d been on my hands and knees shovelling all the stuff back. I’d have noticed a rucksack.

But I was rather stressed. And Leo wasn’t even looking properly.

God’s sake. If I make a detour to take it to school now, I’ll be late for work. Great start to Monday. Leo’s teacher was fine about it anyway, so it won’t hurt if I don’t take it. Leo was upset, but he’ll get over it – it’s probably already forgotten.

As I’m about to fling it back under the stairs, I remember the letter.

I check every zipped compartment. No letter.

Typical.

I have to go. I’ll ask Leo about it later. Maybe he took the letter out and put it somewhere “safe”.

I decide not to call Carl now as I’ve had enough stress already. I’ll do it this evening. I make some time up on the drive to work – no slow traffic, no tractors. And a parking space close to the entrance of the car park means I shave a little time off my walk to the optician’s. Hopefully my day is getting better.