Chapter One

We Need to Talk

I arrived at Laura’s house just after five pm. Laura and Christine usually left school at about four thirty and it was only a fifteen minute walk back home for them. I rang the doorbell and after a few seconds Christine opened the door. She was wearing plain black trousers and a demur salmon pink cardigan, with a white T-shirt underneath it. It was five o’clock on a Friday afternoon, after a hard day at school, and yet she was perfectly made up. She looked lovely actually.

“Wow Christine, you look fantastic,” I blurted out without thinking. “I know it’s probably rude of me to ask, but how much weight have you lost?”

Christine smiled proudly, and stepped back for me to enter. “Well I think it’s a nice compliment, thank you John,” she said. “Actually I’ve lost about thirty pounds so far – that’s since October though, when I went on the ‘Laura diet’. She’s just upstairs fixing her face, by the way. She said she’ll be down in a minute. Would you like a cuppa? The kettle’s just boiled. Happy New Year by the way!” She leaned forward and gave me a peck on the cheek.

“Gosh, sorry, yes Happy New Year to you too. Tea would be lovely Christine, thanks so much,” I replied. Christine seemed more cheerful than of late. I hoped she’d got over the two horrible experiences of a few weeks ago. She was certainly looking so much better and more confident.

I shuffled into the lounge with my bag and flopped down on the sofa. It had been a decent bus ride over. No delays, and there was a nice old chap I’d been talking to on the bus that had passed the time. Seemed to be a local history buff, and had been telling me all about the villages we went through on the journey. It was pretty interesting.

Christine came through with a mug of tea. “I’m right, it’s milk and one sugar, isn’t it?” she asked uncertainly.

“It is indeed. Lovely,” I saw that the tea was quite orange in colour. ‘Builders’ Tea’ we call it. I love it much better than the weak and wazzy stuff Southerners drink. Christine is from Yorkshire, and it’s clear that she knows how to make a decent cuppa. I took a sip of the hot liquid.

“Ooh. That’s proper tea that is!” I said. “Thanks.”

Christine gave me another smile and told me she’d leave me in peace. Two min