“Whatever you said.”
Abby grinned. “I’ll get on it. It’s my break in ten. Mind if I join you?”
Rayah smiled and shook her head. She liked Abby, even though she didn’t know her really well. Abby had lived in Severton for probably nearly two years, arriving from somewhere Rayah wasn’t sure of and working casually at Scott’s until she made herself indispensable. She’d since taken on extra hours managing the hotel when Sorrell couldn’t be around, clearly needing the extra income. She’d remained quiet and closed up about her background, so no one had really pried.
“Sure. It’ll be good to look less desperate.”
Abby brought her cocktail over and a huge mug of tea. She slid into the seat across from Rayah and sat back, as if the seat was a giant hug.
“Long shift?”
“Night shift at the hotel, eight hours at home and then here until closing. Then an early shift at the hotel and so I keep running on the hamster wheel. I’m not complaining though.”
“Next time you have a weekend off, let me know and we’ll have a night out somewhere. All work and no play makes for a very boring life.” Rayah took a sip of her drink.
“It’s rare that I have a weekend off. But next time I do, I’ll let you know.”
Rayah smiled, still pre-occupied with what had happened today. “Have you heard anything about the church at Felley Manor?”
Abby frowned. “A little. Why?”
“I just wondered. Given you’re not from here, I was curious as to what your thoughts were.” She’d grown up with the cult being there. It had taken over the manor house in the sixties and grown slowly but steadily ever since.
“I don’t know much about it.” Abby tipped her mug back and pretty much downed the rest of the tea, then stood up. “Do any of the members come in here?”
Rayah shook her head. “No. I don’t think they drink.”
Abby smiled. “I wouldn’t know much about them, not unless they came in here.”
It was one of those moments when a room was illuminated, but the shade around the bulb was too thick to be able to see what was there. “Are you feeling better? I remember you missed a shift at Sorrell’s – when there was the fire recently.”
“Lots, thank you. I’ve just been a bit run down recently. Probably working too much. Maybe I do need a night out?”
“You’ll probably feel worse after.”
Abby slipped away, back to her shift. Rayah fiddled with her phone, playing a game of solitaire to which she was totally addicted.
“I’m surprised to see you here.”
She looked up, completely dragged out of her trance. “Jonny!”
He chuckled, the deep throaty noise that took her mind straight to what he was often doing when he chuckled.
“You were buried in your thoughts.”
“It’s been a busy day. Fucking horrible, actually.”
“Want to talk about it?”
There was only so much she could say because of confidentiality, but she needed to sound someone out.
“How come you’re out and about?”
His smile was wide. “Mandy and Ian are taking the kids out for tea. They’re also taking them away for the weekend to London once school’s out tomorrow. How busy are you?”
She was never going to be too busy to rearrange her weekend for him, not that she had much planned other than school work and binge watching something as yet undecided on Netflix.
“Nothing crucial. Are you on shift?”
