A call to a taxi firm informed Sarah there would be a forty-five minute wait. She should have swallowed her pride and waited for Bob to give her a lift, but then she would’ve had to pretend she wasn’t hurt that Kate and Bob had invited Mark to the wedding.
Sarah found a bench positioned below a street light and pulled out her phone. The lie of needing to call Colin held an element of truth. She’d had three messages from him that week asking when was a good time to call. He picked up on the third ring.
‘Sarah?’
‘Hi, Dad. Where are you?’
The noise on the other end of the phone was deafening, and Sarah struggled to hear her father’s voice.
‘I’m in the pub with a couple of mates. Hang on, it’s pretty noisy in here, I’ll just go outside.’
‘That’s better,’ said Sarah, as the racket on the other end of the phone lessened. ‘Sorry it’s taken me a while to call, it’s been a busy week.’
‘No problem. Are you in your tipi? I loved the photos you sent, by the way. It looks just my kind of place.’ Sarah struggled to imagine the father she’d known sleeping under canvas.
‘No,’ said Sarah, ‘I’m…’On a bench in the middle of town, in the dark, on my own. ‘I’m at a friend’s house.’
‘That sounds nice. You can call me another time if you’re busy with your friends.’
‘No, it’s fine.’
‘OK.’
Did she detect disappointment in her father’s voice? Was it he who wanted to get back to his friends?
‘Are you still sailing your way around the Norfolk broads?’
‘Yes, I am. I could get used to the lifestyle. In fact, I’m thinking about buying myself a boat.’
‘Right. How are things going with the house?’
‘There have been a few delays with the buyer’s chain, but it should all be done and dusted in a month.’
‘Great,’ said Sarah, struggling to keep the disappointment from her voice.
‘Would it be OK if we had a longer chat another time? Only it’s karaoke night at the pub and I’ve signed up to sing a Beatles number with my mates.’
Mates? Karaoke? Who was this man she was speaking to? ‘No problem. I’ll get back to my friends too. Speak soon.’
Sarah hung up the phone and looked around her. While her father was having the time of his life in a pub with friends, she was sitting alone in the dark, her only company the odd drunk stumbling by. So much for a new life, a fresh start. Sarah checked her watch, praying the taxi wouldn’t be much longer.
Chapter 35
Sarahlookedfromthepaper in her hand and back to the cupboard. ‘Fran? Something’s not right here.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘You know that delivery we had yesterday?’
‘What about it?’
‘I don’t understand. I’ve been checking the inventory and lots of the items are missing.’
‘They can’t be. I checked everything in myself.’
‘I know. But look at this.’
Fran looked over Sarah’s shoulder. ‘It looks like all the perishables are there, it’s the tinned goods that are missing. This is strange. You know, it could be me. I’ve been distracted lately.’
