Hayley shook her head. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with the Globe.’
‘We don’t know that.’
‘He didn’t sleep,’ Angel stated, a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.
‘How doyouknow?Youshould have been asleep.’
‘I’m going to tell him,’ Angel said.
‘Tell him what?’ She raised her teacup in innocence.
‘That there’s nothing wrong with the Globe and that you’re trying to get a job.’
Hayley watched Angel swing her legs to the side, facing her body towards Dean.
‘Uncle Dean!’ Angel called loudly.
Hayley jumped down from the high stool, spilling tea as she set the cup down and raced to Angel. She put a hand over her mouth and pulled her into her body, muffling the sound. This was becoming a regular tactic.
‘Angel, please don’t,’ she begged.
Angel fought herself free and wiped at her mouth with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. ‘You leave me with no choice then.’ She reached across the table and dragged the New York guidebook across the countertop.
‘Oh please, not 101 facts about the birds of Central Park.’
‘Let me see.’ Angel thumbed the pages of the book. ‘I think… yes… the New York Public Library followed by the Empire State Building and then the Rockefeller Center.’
‘I thought we might have a look at a couple of galleries and canwe swap the library for a browse around Barneys or Bloomingdales?’
‘No.’ Angel crossed her arms over her chest.
‘Oh fine, you win.’ She stuck her tongue out. ‘Go and get dressed then.’
Angel pulled a face and headed towards the door, swinging her hips in some sort of victory dance.
‘I’ll see you when I get in.’ Dean ended the call, putting his mobile phone down on the countertop. He did look pale and harried, and it was all her fault.
‘Listen, I reckon Oliver’s got it wrong. You know what these MDs are like. What do they know about the grass roots of the business?’
Dean was suddenly looking at her like she had grown a second head.
She looked down at her onesie. Had she spilt something on herself? ‘What?’
‘You saidOliver,’ Dean stated.
She swallowed. She’d totally forgotten Dean knew nothing about any of their meetings. She could feel her cheeks turning into a riot of colour. ‘Isn’t that his name?’ she offered.
‘Yes, I just?—’
She interrupted quickly. ‘Angel wants to go to the Empire State today and, after I’ve phoned as many galleries as I can, we’re going to go and visit some more and hope I get a lead on Michel.’
Dean picked up his coffee mug. ‘D’you think that’s wise?’
‘What?’
‘Going to the galleries with Angel. I mean, what if he’s actuallyinone of them?’
