‘Wonder why she lied like that,’ he said, as I straightened up to put on my coat. ‘I mean, I always knew she was a bit tricky, but that’s above and beyond. She could have just said nothing and you would never have known. So why lie?’

I buttoned up my coat and shrugged sadly. But as I offered him a wave and made my way towards the door of the cafe, I was pretty sure that I already knew at least part of the answer to his question. Because Jason, I decided, had been absolutely right: Ruby Blair did not take rejection well.

Chapter 19

I spotted Nicky as soon as I turned the corner into the avenue. She was coming out of a house just a few doors down and looked to be in a hurry, as she pulled the door shut and made her way quickly down the path. I slowed my pace and then, as she paused to close her garden gate, I stopped walking altogether and turned to examine a shrub in the front garden next to me. My conversation with Luke hadn’t left me in the mood for neighbourly chit-chat and, besides, Nicky didn’t look as if she was up for any either.

But I was wrong.

‘Edie!’ she exclaimed.

I turned to find her smiling as she stooped to retrieve a set of keys from the pavement. ‘Just throwing away my keys,’ she laughed. ‘Are you a bit of a gardener?’ She stood up and nodded towards the bush.

I stopped fingering the twigs of the leafless plant. ‘Oh, hi. I was just…’ I looked at the bush, ‘wondering what this is.’

‘Dead,’ she said, matter-of-factly. ‘But I’m glad I’ve seen you. You on your way home?’ She nodded over her shoulder. ‘I’m walking that way.’

‘I’m going…’

I hesitated and for a moment I considered claiming to be heading in the opposite direction. But in the end, I decided that I didn’t have the energy for a detour. ‘I’m going home.’

‘Great,’ she replied, as we started to walk. ‘I’d actually been hoping to run into you or Giles because…’ She paused and pulled a worried face. ‘Andy told me that I was really loud and out of order at June’s – especially about Giles. I just wanted to say sorry to you both and check that he wasn’t upset.’

Despite the unwelcome reminder of Friday night, I managed a smile. ‘Not at all. He was fine.’