‘Where were you?’ Joyce said, appearing next to my table as I tipped the numbers into a bag.
‘I was looking for someone.’
‘That Finn?’
‘No.’ I dropped the bag and number tiles spilled out over the floor. Tutting, I crouched down and began scooping them up again.
‘He’s gone, you know?’ Joyce said, watching me reach for the number 22, which had slid under the table. ‘Does that mean he’s not helping with the mural anymore?’
‘I don’t know, Joyce.’ My fingers reached the number and Ipulled it out, shoved it in the bag, and got to my feet. ‘Why don’t you go and sit down and I’ll start the game?’
She ignored me.
‘Because I think we’re going to need him,’ she said.
I bristled. ‘We don’t need him, because it’s my project.’
‘But he knows all about the book, doesn’t he?’
‘I do too.’ I sighed. ‘Joyce, what’s the problem?’
‘No one’s written in the book.’
I looked at her. ‘The new book?’
‘Yes, the new one.’ She ran her fingers through her hair. ‘Blessing said you weren’t well, and I thought it would be nice for you if I took it round a bit and got folk to write in it so when you got back, all you’d have to worry about would be the mural. So I got hold of it, and took it round to everyone.’
I smiled at her. ‘That was kind of you, thank you.’
‘No one will write in it.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Not even Mr Yin and he does everything I ask.’
‘Really?’
‘Really. All that’s in there is a letter from Val and some funny doodles.’
I felt my cheeks flush at the mention of doodles. ‘No one else has written anything?’
‘Nope.’
‘Why not?’
‘Some people said they felt it was an invasion of their privacy. Others said something about data protection laws.’
‘I’m not sure those apply here,’ I said.
‘I know, but that’s what they said. Kenny said you were going to put the letters on the internet for everyone to read.’
‘No, where did he get that from? That’s not true.’
‘Kenny doesn’t think so.’
‘Where’s all this come from?’
‘I don’t know.’ She thought for a moment. ‘You know how rumours spread.’
I sat down at the bingo table and put my head in my hands. ‘The book is a big part of this project,’ I said into my fingers. ‘It was the main reason the council picked my application over others. The mural on its own isn’t good enough.’
‘I’ll write in it,’ said Joyce.
