She looked back at Gabi. ‘What are you trying to say?’
‘That this man may not be who he says he is. Remember all those episodes ofCatfishwe watched together?’
Anna nodded. Gabi had become obsessed with the show after a dodgy internet dating experience. She’d made Anna sit though hours watching the two presenters, Nev and Max, helping people uncover the true identities of their online loves. Hardly anyone had been who they’d said they were.
‘Well? Have you done a reverse image search?’
‘No…’
Gabi let out an exasperated sigh. ‘That is beginner stuff, Anna! Basics!’
‘He’s never sent me a picture,’ she explained.
Gabi buried her face in the duvet and let out a strangled sound.
‘What’s this all got to do with Spencer’s dog, anyway?’ Anna asked, sitting up a little straighter and folding her arms.
Gabi lifted her head and sighed. ‘This is what happens when you watchCatfishand you are in a happy relationship, Anna!’ She tapped her temple with a finger. ‘You didn’t pay attention, because you didn’t think it would happen to you.’
Anna blinked. Obviously not.
Gabi sat up too, all traces of sleepiness gone. ‘He could look you up, find your page, which leads into Spencer’s page – which you made fully public, remember, so anyone could post? All he had to do was what I did, and he would find lots of little details to trick you.’
Anna shook her head. ‘No. No way.’
Gabi gave her a pitying look. ‘That’s what every person on that show always thought.’
Anna racked her brains. She didn’t know how she was sure Brody was okay, she just was. All those hours they’d talked, the details they’d shared… She frowned. Well, okay, the detailsshe’dshared, but still.
And then it struck her. ‘He didn’t know my last name until recently! I’d wanted to tell him before that, but he wouldn’t let me. He can’t have looked me or Spencer up on Facebook without knowing that!’
Gabi pursed her lips. Despite Anna’s protestations, she didn’t look convinced in the slightest. ‘May-be,’ she said. ‘But I am sure there are ways, if someone knows what he’s doing.’
Anna stared across the room. ‘I know you’re just looking out for me, but it’s okay, really,’ she said. ‘A couple of weeks ago, I asked to meet up with him and he said no. He wouldn’t have done that if he had dubious intentions, would he?’
‘Oh, my God! You were going to meet him?’
‘Yes,’ Anna said, getting irritated despite herself. Gabi was missing the point.
‘Anna…’ Gabi said, as if she was explaining something to someone who was very, very simple. ‘Seriously?’
Anna hung onto the one detail that was solid, that proved her case. ‘He said “no”. But even so, I still would like to meet him. Someday.’
Gabi searched her face. ‘You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Even though this means you… What did Spencer used to say? That you have “lost the plot”?’
‘Yes.’ That was what Spencer always used to say, and this was much more like the pre-Lee-break-up Gabi. Anna almost hugged her, welcoming this version of her best friend back.
‘Please tell me you’ve done some research of your own.’
Anna coloured. ‘A little.’
‘Hallelujah! What did you find out?’
‘Not much. I couldn’t find any social media accounts that matched what I know about him. Perhaps he doesn’t have any?’
