‘That dog has brought a lot of love into our lives, particularly Stelios’s. We wouldn’t be without him now. So, thank you again.’
‘No problem. Look after yourselves.’
Charlie appeared in the hallway just as Grace was locking up her classroom.
‘All right, Grace? You look a bit mizzy.’
‘Just tired, Charlie.’
The conversation with Konstantina had shaken her. The third anniversary of Phil’s death was coming up in a few weeks. It was only a date, but, as Grace knew, however much you told yourself that, it still had the power to wound deeply. You couldn’t stop the memories coming.
‘Well, don’t overdo it. I’m off home for lunch with Sarah. You’re welcome to join us.’
‘Not today, but thanks anyway.’
Sarah was Charlie’s girlfriend, a model, who featured in the promotional material for the language school, which was how they’d met several years ago. If people thought all the teachers were that attractive, they’d be in for a bit of a shock. Sarah occasionally came to the building to pick her boyfriend up. Though she was outwardly scary, Grace had discovered that Sarah was a pussycat, who suited Charlie down to the ground.
Grace had taken to going for long coffees and the occasional lunch with Charlie once a week to talk teaching methods. He’d asked her to give him tips on how to make the lessons more fun for all age groups. He really wanted to expand his knowledge and possibly open his own school at some point in the future. She had a lot of time for the man.
He’d reciprocated by insisting that for fifteen minutes at the end of each session, as a thank-you, he taught her the basics of DJing, after she’d expressed such an interest in his part-time job.
Grace could now speak with authority on beatmatching, mixing, phrasing and scratching, something she wouldn’t have believed possible a couple of months ago. She’d even been round to his flat a couple of times and had a little go herself on his decks.
Most of his gigs were at eighties nights, and they’d managed to put together a set of Grace’s favourite soul music from the decade. When she was ready, he was planning to let her have a turn live on stage, a prospect that made her feel sick. They’d kept it a secret from everyone except Sarah. Her daughters would be flabbergasted, not that they’d use that word, but it was the astonishment on Will’s face she’d enjoy seeing the most.
Charlie broke into a grin at the beep of a car horn.
‘Don’t forget we’ve got a session tomorrow. It won’t be long now before you’re up there on stage.’
‘Mmmm. Maybe. See you later.’
Grace began the long walk up the stairs to her room, and the Greek salad she’d got in the fridge.
On the turn of the first stair, a sound stopped her in her tracks. It was unmistakably a woman crying.
As far as she knew, everyone had left the building. She’d seen the other teachers walk out together. They’d been informed that Giannis would be away all week on business. She glanced out of the window on the stairwell. Elena’s Mercedes was still in the car park.
Her gentle knock on the door was answered with a muffled ‘Come in’.
Elena’s dark head was bent over the desk.
‘Is everything OK?’
Her red-rimmed eyes told Grace that this was very much not the case.
Will’s warning about not getting involved ran through her head, but Grace wasn’t just going to leave the poor woman there alone.
‘Can I take you out for a coffee? Maybe down by the port where it’s quiet. We don’t have to talk about anything if you don’t want to. We can just watch the boats.’
Elena hesitated before nodding agreement.
Taking her by the arm as if she was an invalid, Grace steered Elena to a café at the end of the port wall. There was no one sitting outside, so she grabbed a table with an umbrella.
‘Espresso, right?’
Elena nodded.
‘And I’m guessing you haven’t eaten this morning?’
