‘No, they just described her as short, blonde haired, with statement glasses.’
Sabrina felt an overriding anxiety that somebody was on to her. They hadn’t mentioned her nose ring, so at least that was a bonus.
‘Anyway, Jilly. I will come and have a proper look at your stuff nearer Christmas as it looks like you have some lovely bits that I could dress my window with. Better get on. Great to meet you.’
‘You, too.’
Sabrina went to the door, locked it and turned theopensign toclosed. Lowen surely wouldn’t have contacted a reporter– he had two much skulduggery going on himself. And who would actually know to describe her with her current look? With a loud, ‘Shit!’ She put her hand to her head. How could she have been so naive to think that Giselle wouldn’t make herself busy trying to find her. It probably still showed online there was a reward if anyone spotted her, and Lowen had said what a soap fan she was. And now that the woman knew she was in the area and had changed her hair, maybe she was pulling out all the stops to locate her even without knowing her boyfriend had been unfaithful with her. She knew she hadn’t given much away, but it was a small town and if you were looking for someone with the same description as her, in a place where even the walls talked, it would be quite easy to find her if someone was on a mission and had a photo or her pre-haircut, and a description of what changes she had made to her appearance.
She quickly called Belle. ‘Hey, it’s me.’
‘Hey, Sabrina, how’s it going?’
‘It was going amazingly, thanks, but I need to change my hair.’
‘What colour?’
Sabrina smiled; a no-questions-asked friend really was the perfect one to have.
‘I don’t care, as long as it covers this blonde. Will you be home in an hour?’
‘Sure. Come over then. We can hatch a plan.’
Sabrina chose a Beanie hat from another box of stock that had come in
that morning. She pulled it completely over her hair and, happy that the sun had come out, donned her sunglasses. She was just on her way to get some honey to take to Belle from Alicia’s place when she saw Lowen and the man from County Homes leaving Monique’s.
She watched with surprise as an over-friendly Charlie Dillon called them over. ‘Alright gentlemen. Cox!’ He paused and smiled sweetly. ‘Got a basket full of ’em here. Fancy trying one?’ The greengrocer was polishing one in his hand. ‘All free of charge. My lad’s missus has got a glut of ’em in her garden. And isn’t it right, we must give to receive and all that, and I’ve got twenty quid onHey Judein the four twenty at Haydock.’
The men laughed as Charlie handed over the apple he’d been polishing to Lowen, and the other man took one from the basket. As they made their way down Ferry Lane, Sabrina took off her sunglasses and rubbed her eye.
‘Now, I know you’ve declined my ripe and juicy Cox before, Jilly, but—’
‘You’re alright, Charlie.’ Sabrina grinned.
With a pot of honey in hand, Sabrina headed back down to her apartment to get her car. She smiled as she saw Conor and Billy getting the ferry ready for a crossing, and Frank chatting amiably to a passer-by as he swept the benched area outside. Despite there being a nip in the air, the sky housed not a single cloud and the still expanse of the sea below offered twinkling reflections from the warm Autumn sun. The mesmeric sounds of sea birds swooping, feeding and going about their daily feathery business were carried on the soft breeze. She still had to pinch herself that this was currently her home. And a home that she wanted to remain as peaceful as this for ever. Lowen had no reason to tell the press she was here, for she had kept her side of the bargain and there was no win for him in her being outed– quite the opposite, in fact, as if he did tell the world, it would only give more reason for her to reveal his plans. And an angry market-stall-holder mob was in fact far scarier than a few members of the gutter press.
She was just about to get in her car and head off to Kevrinek when she noticed Lowen, now alone, heading towards Frank’s. He caught her eye. She couldn’t help herself. ‘Don’t see you for days then you’re everywhere. Busy day?’
‘Busy? More like hungry.’ He sneered. ‘All-day breakfast here and then plans a-plenty to get my teeth into back at the ranch.’
Sabrina shook her head in disgust. ‘Oh, yes. Whilst you’re here, Brian says he hasn’t received his money. Are you intending to send it?’
‘Yes, of course I am.’ He started to walk away.
‘When?’ Sabrina shouted after him.
He turned back. ‘When I’m ready.’
Sabrina messaged Belle to say she was on her way, and with her roof down and feeling melancholic, she put on her Songs to Make you Cry, playlist on Spotify. Speeding out of Hartmouth and on to the coastal road, she began to sing along at the top of her voice to George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’.
It really was a spectacularly scenic route to Penrigan Head, with rolling fields to her right and, when the tall hedgerows and hand-built granite stone walls allowed, glimpses of the sea to her left.
She was just about to turn into the quiet lane leading up to Isaac and Belle’s farmhouse when Belle’s name flashed up on her phone. Sabrina put her on speakerphone and spoke first.
‘Hey, sorry, have I been ages? I’m literally just turning into your lane.’
‘It’s not that.’ Sabrina could hear an edge in her friend’s voice. ‘Dominic’s here.’
