She patted her bag as if it were her favourite pet. ‘As long as my bag’s OK. You know it’s a limited edition. There are only—’
‘Emily, we have to tell someone,’ I interrupted urgently.
‘Tell them what? We went on a speed-date and picked up a lunatic who’s emailed me twice and sabotaged my computer. It’s hardly Jack the Ripper.’
‘Yes, but what if he’s done something else?’
‘Like what?’ Emily was renewing her acquaintance with her lipstick collection. Opening each one and putting a smear of colour on her hand.
I wanted to shake her.
‘I don’t know, bugged your phone, set up something that sends copies of all your emails to him. I’ve no idea about all that.’
‘Let’s ’ave a look.’
I swung round guiltily. I’d completely forgotten Dom was still there.
He grinned cheerfully at us. ‘Speed-date eh, girls? You shoulda said. I could fix you up with a coupla mates o’ mine.’
I smiled weakly at him, while Emily looked down her nose with complete disdain. Quickly, to stop her saying anything — we needed Dom’s help — I said, ‘That’s very kind of you.’
‘Jus’ lemme know next time,’ he said, swinging back to the keyboard.
We stood in silence behind his hunched back, watching as his fingers tapped away, a blur of motion, while he muttered under his breath. He was a lot chattier to the computer.
After a while he leaned back, put his hands behind his head and swivelled the chair to face us, smiling grimly. ‘It’s clean. Only changed the screensaver. No time to do nuffink else. Wot ’ave you bin doin’ to upset ’im?’
Emily rolled her eyes. ‘You might say I was doing a friend a favour.’
As Dom heaved himself out of the chair and slouched off shaking his head, she turned to me again. ‘All’s well that ends well, then.’
‘You think?’ I asked, looking at the restored screen.
‘He’s made his point, although we can’t prove it was him.’
‘Suppose not.’
‘I shall just ignore it,’ said Emily disdainfully. ‘I’m not rising to his pathetic little tricks. If he thinks I’m a bitch — that’s his problem, not mine. He’s burnt his boat now. Hardly going to bother me again, is he?’
I was still worried. Very worried. Coming in here to make his point was pretty risky. Would that be the end of it?
In the meantime, there was no harm in letting Barney know. I was quite looking forward to that. It might wipe the smirk off his face for at least ten seconds.
Chapter Seven
Barney thought I was making a fuss about nothing.
‘Seriously, Olivia. What do you want me to do? Peter’s totally harmless.’
‘What? You know him?’
There was a brief pause and I tapped my mobile phone impatiently.
‘Not know him, know him.’
I might have guessed. Bloody Barney and his bullshit marketing crap.
‘He’s not exactly my type, darling.’ Barney’s voice was filled with scorn. ‘He came recommended though.’
