‘When Joel actually tried to ring me, I was in a couple of meetings with suppliers…’ Fabian went on.
‘Suppliers?’ Mum had obviously changed her tune, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Fabian. ‘Whatkindof suppliers?’
‘Yorkshire cheeses for one and then right out past Holmfirth, at a vinery…’
‘They make wine in Holmfirth?’ Kamran squinted across at Fabian. ‘Are you sure?’
‘They do.’ Fabian actually laughed at Kamran’s incredulous face. ‘So, by the time I was out of meetings and had eaten my fill of cheese as well as drunk rather more wine than I should have – God, I love this new job of mine – I had to abandon my car and get an Uber back. Once I got round to checking my messages, Joel had already cycled down to Queen’s Gardens. It’s a good seven or eight miles from here, you know.’
‘He walked back,’ I put in. ‘I saw his blisters.’
‘And Fabian finally got round to telling me all this – you know, about what Singleton’s been up to – only last night,’ Robyn said crossly, turning to him. ‘And then only because he was very drunk.’
‘You’d have only got yourself in a state.’ Fabian tutted. ‘It was all over and done with…’
‘He arrived back late, absolutely pissed.’ Robyn wasn’t letting it go.
‘Bit of an exaggeration that, Robyn.’ Fabian frowned, but he did have the grace to look embarrassed.
‘I do hope every time you go out to a new supplier, you’re not going to drink the profits,’ Kamran said primly.
‘Got to keep in with the natives.’ Fabian grinned. ‘You know what these Yorkshire folk are like, especially the farmers round here. If I’d turned down having a drink with them, they’d think I was a posh southerner and not give me the time of day, never mind a good deal on their produce.’
‘So Joel was telling the truth then?’ I felt awful that I’d not listened properly to him. That I hadn’t believed him. Sorrel would be furious with me.
‘I keep telling you, he’s a good kid,’ Robyn said, standing up and heading for the stairs.
‘Hang on, let me go,’ I said. ‘I need to thank him.’
‘And apologise,’ Robyn added as we both set off at once.
* * *
‘So did you really fancy him?’ Robyn whispered as we climbed the stairs together. ‘You know, this Henry/Darren bloke?’
‘Me? Fancy him? Not at all,’ I said prissily. ‘I wasn’t taken in by him at all…’
‘You great big fibber, Jessica Butterworth.’ Robyn started tittering, and I joined in until we were both giggling like a couple of naughty kids on the stairs, as we so often had when we were actually kids. ‘Bloody hell,’ she went on, ‘you could have ended up as a gangster’s moll…’
We started laughing again. ‘Straight face,’ I ordered as I knocked on Joel’s door. ‘Joel?’
When there was no answer, Robyn opened the door and we both peered round. Joel’s bed was neatly made, his books, schoolwork and clothes all gone.
‘Oh hell,’ I said, ‘where’s he gone, Robyn?’
* * *
I ran back down the stairs, leaving Robyn, who needed the bathroom.
‘Joel’s gone,’ I said to the others who, now that the excitement over Darren Singleton appeared to have abated, were starting to make moves to leave. ‘And,’ I said, lowering my voice, looking directly at Kamran, ‘George was down there too last night.’
‘But George was with us last night.’ Mum frowned. ‘We told you that, Jess. We went to the theatre in Leeds with him.’
‘Well, I saw him down there and so did Joel,’ I insisted. ‘According to Joel, George almost knocked him down, speeding out of the gates just before the police arrived. What time did you meet him?’ I asked. ‘In Leeds?’
‘We didn’t. We went to pick him up as arranged. We were a bit late – only just made curtain up – but George was definitely with us.’ Kamran glanced across at Mum for confirmation.
‘How did he seem?’ I asked.
