Shit.
‘What’s it called?’ I repeat, stalling for time.
‘Yes. What’s the name of the charity?’
Think, Margot, think. I pluck a name out of thin air.
‘The Battered Women’s Victim Charity.’
I know it sounds awful even as it’s falling clumsily from my mouth.
‘I’ve not heard of that one,’ Liv says, puzzled. She begins googling it on her phone. ‘Hmm, I can’t seem to find it ...’
‘I think they’re rebranding,’ I reply. ‘So they’ve probably taken their website down for now. I’ll find out from my contact.’
‘Oh, I don’t want to put you to any trouble. Just AirDrop me the number of who I need to speak to.’
She stands with her phone in her hand, waiting.
‘I would, but my battery is dead.’
‘Later then,’ she replies. ‘I’ll keep an eye open for it.’
I shove her clothes back in the shopping bag where I can’t see them. I cannot possibly wear them now. I’d take them to a charity shop, but it’s too much effort to drive into town and find a parking space. I’ll have to bin them instead.
‘Do you mind if I take the bags back with me?’ Liv asks. ‘I try and reuse them for as long as possible.’
‘Of course you do.’
And for a moment I wonder how long I’d need to keep one over her head before she suffocates.
Chapter 27
Liv
Of course Margot isn’t going to donate to charity the clothes she won from me. Clothes that she could pass off as brand new and that just so happen to be in her size? She ordered them for herself. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I buy plenty of second-hand stuff. But once she started making up a charity I wanted to see how far she’d go with her lie. No shelter for domestic abuse survivors has referred to those it houses as victims or battered wives for about fifty years. While her charity might not exist, plenty of others like it do, so I make a mental note to find a local one and donate next month’s eBay sales to it.
I suspect that Anna was also aware of the hole Margot was digging for herself, but I note she didn’t step in to help her out of it. I assume she was as amused as I was.
‘I wasn’t sure if you’d be in,’ I say, changing the subject. ‘I thought you might be doing interviews and promotion for the tour.’
Her face is blank.
‘Your old group, the Party Hard Posse, going back on the road,’ I prompt. ‘You kept that quiet. They were talking about it earlier onThis Morning. Your fans are very excited, apparently.’
‘Oh my God, is that true?’ asks Anna. Her eyes are about as wide as they can get.
When Margot’s expression remains vacant, it dawns on me she doesn’t know the first thing about it.
‘Why didn’t you say something?’ Anna asks Margot. And then she starts typing something into her laptop and I assume she’s trying to find out more details.
‘“Noughties pop stars the Party Hard Posse have confirmed they are reuniting for a European tour,”’ she reads aloud. ‘“The band has announced tickets will go on sale for the thirty-five-date tour which will be preceded by their first new album together in eighteen years. Singer Gabby Morgan said: ‘We can’t wait to perform our new material along with our greatest hits in front of fans.’ However, it’s believed that original member Margot Ward, now Margot Rosetti, won’t be rejoining the band ...”’
I might have my opinions about Margot, but I don’t like being deliberately cruel in circumstances that don’t warrant it.
‘Why?’ asks Anna, crestfallen.
‘It’s in the past,’ she says, thinking on her feet. ‘And I prefer to move forward than backwards.’
