‘Aren’t you staying at The Ship?’
‘I was staying at The Ship. It’s fully booked tonight.’
‘So what do you want from me?’
‘I wondered if you could suggest anywhere else that might have available rooms?’
‘No, I can’t, and you’re unlikely to find anywhere at this time of year. Some schools have already broken up for the holidays, so there won’t be much accommodation left.’
‘In that case,’ said James, ‘I’m not sure what I can do.’ He stared at the sky as if asking the heavens for inspiration.
A rumble rolled across the bay. The sky darkened. Kitty didn’t move the chain. ‘Give me a minute,’ she said. ‘Stay there.’
She pulled out her phone, stepped away so he couldn’t see the screen, and fired off a message to Alice:J at my door. I’m fine. Stay on standby. If I text “kettle”, call me.Then, with deliberate slowness, she rang The Ship and asked about rooms. Fully booked. She called two B&Bs. Also full. She tried a third in the next village. A single room. Held for thirty minutes.
‘There’s a room at Trewithen,’ she said, returning to the door. ‘I’ve put it on hold. I’ll book you a taxi.’
James’s face fell. ‘It sounds great, but I need to stay in Saffron Bay so I can pick the car up as soon as it’s fixed. And with Rae—’
‘The room is only in the next village. Not far,’ said Kitty. ‘What’s the garage called?’
‘Er… Saffron Motors,’ he said.
Kitty dialled, confirmed they had his car, and confirmed they’d look at it first thing on Monday morning. She let that sit. ‘Right,there’s nothing you can do until Monday. I’ll book the taxi. Wait there.’
He winced at the rain, which had started to spit properly now. ‘Could I… while you make the call… come in out of this? Two minutes.’
Kitty weighed it. ‘Two minutes and the door stays open.’ She slid the chain free, left the door wide, and stood between him and the hall. ‘No further than the mat. Your bag stays outside.’
‘Gosh, Catherine. I don’t know what to say.’
‘Then say nothing.’
He mimed zipping up his lips and hovered on the welcome mat, shifting from foot to foot. Kitty folded her arms.
Her phone buzzed. Alice:Want me to pop round?Kitty:No, I’m fine. I’ll text if that changes.
When she looked up, James was distracted, frowning at his phone, tears glistening in his eyes.
‘Is it Rae? Is she all right?’
James tapped some buttons on his phone and held it out for Kitty to see. Kitty gasped at the photograph of a little girl in a hospital gown.
‘Oh my goodness.’
‘She’s been rushed into hospital again and is having more tests.’ James grimaced. ‘Honestly, Catherine, it’s been never-ending these past few months. My poor little girl. I hate seeing her in so much pain.’
‘I bet you do. It must be hard.’ Kitty’s sadness at Rae’s plight was exacerbated by the image of the child in the hospital gown. ‘And they still don’t tell you what’s causing her problems?’
‘No.’ James shook his head and slipped the phone in his pocket. ‘That’s the hardest thing. If they could prescribe some medication… or an operation, which would be better than this endless cycle of in and out of hospital and not knowing.’
Kitty couldn’t avoid a rush of sympathy for James, though the feeling was unwelcome. She reminded herself how very good he was at making you feel sorry for him. But then, the photo of Rae in the hospital gown couldn’t be faked. And despite everything, she didn’t think he’d lie about his daughter’s health.
‘I was thinking,’ said Kitty, ‘maybe I could visit Rae.’
James frowned. ‘That would be lovely,’ he said, drawing out each word. ‘It would have to be later, because we’re keeping visitors to a minimum to avoid the risk of infection.’ He smiled. ‘Soon, definitely soon. She’d love to see you. She’s missed you so much.’
‘And I her. Send me updates. By email.’ She checked the time. ‘Your two minutes are up.’ She had just ushered James outside when her phone rang. The only available room within a twenty-mile radius had been given to someone else. Defeated, she passed the news to James, who sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
