She’d texted him after her fight with her mum but there’d been no response. Not surprising, really – why would he want anything to do with her now?
The kitchen smelled of freshly brewed coffee. Two mugs sat at opposite sides of the pine table and her mum was leaning against the countertop that ran the full length of one wall as though keeping a safe distance away until her daughter had made her move. She’d swapped the dressing gown for her usual staying-at-home attire – loose tracksuit bottoms and a tight-fitting T-shirt. Annie pulled out a chair and sat down, grabbing one of the mugs of coffee and clasping it in both hands. She wasn’t cold though; she just needed something solid to cling to. And she could always throw it across the room if she felt the need to express her rage.
‘I am sorry,’ her mum said, pulling out the chair opposite and sitting down. In the dying pink of the sunlight that was still creeping in through the window, Annie could see every line and wrinkle on her face. She looked sincerely anxious and genuinely sorry.
‘I had no idea that things would go this far with Cam. It wasn’t very serious to start with but we seem to get on really well. He did stay over last night but he slept on the couch. I swear. I went out to get a takeaway after he arrived, we had a bottle of wine and watched a film. If I’m being totally honest it wasn’t my decision that he sleep in the living room, but he’s a decent man and I think we might be able to make a go of it in the future.’
‘How lovely for you,’ Annie sneered.
‘I suppose I deserve that,’ her mum conceded. ‘I should have told you sooner.’
‘You think?’
‘Annie, grow up. Sarky comments aren’t going to change anything. I want to know how serious things are between you and Tom. If it’s just a crush that’s got a bit out of hand then I’m sure we can work something out but if you really like him then things are a bit more difficult.’
‘Crush?’ Annie said. ‘I’ve liked Tom for months and I thought he liked me, but he’s not texted since I got home. Christ knows what he thinks about me now he knows about you and his dad. He might even think I already knew and hadn’t told him.’
Her mum just nodded.
‘I don’t know what you see in Mr Cleaver anyway. He’s so full of himself.’
‘We just get on well. I wanted to tell you, but we’ve only been seeing each other for a few months and I didn’t want to upset you if it turned out to be nothing. I am really sorry, Annie. What do you want me to do?’
Suddenly, Annie felt trapped. If she asked her mum to stop seeing Mr Cleaver then she’d be responsible for her mother’s unhappiness but if they carried on as they were, where did that leave her and Tom?
She shrugged and took a sip of her coffee.
‘Do you want me to stop seeing him?’
Annie shook her head. ‘I honestly don’t know what I want. If you stop seeing him, you’ll just blame me if you’re miserable and Tom might not want anything to do with me anyway. I don’t need a new dad and, if I did, Cam Cleaver wouldn’t be my first choice. I don’t know what you see in him, Mum. He’s really not a nice man.’
They sat in silence, stalemate.
‘How about this?’ Mum offered. ‘Cam and I will keep it platonic for now. No more sleepovers, no PDA, I won’t invite him here unless you agree. We’ll still see each other – go out for the odd meal or to see a film but that’s all. If we think there’s something more serious between us and we want to pursue it then I’ll ask you first.’
It was a very generous compromise.
‘What about me and Tom?’
‘That’s up to the two of you. I won’t get in your way if you want to carry on seeing him.’
Annie took another sip of coffee. There was something about her mum’s tone that didn’t quite ring true. This was too easy. Had she completely misjudged the situation and this thing with her mum and Mr Cleaver wasn’t very serious? Mum certainly seemed willing to spend less time with him. Maybe it wasn’t working and she was going to use Annie as an excuse to end it.
‘Do you really like Cam?’
Her mum smiled. ‘Honestly? He’s the first man I’ve been involved with since your dad left. He’s been kind and we have a lot in common but I’m not sure I’d want to settle down and build a life with him.’
‘How come?’
The smile tightened around her mum’s mouth but it left her eyes completely. ‘I’m finding out things about him that might make a big difference to our friendship.’
‘Like what?’
Her mum shook her head. ‘Nothing important. Are we going to be okay? Do I get a hug?’
Annie put her mug down and stood up. ‘Not yet,’ she had said. ‘Let’s see what happens.’
11
Cam kept his eyes fixed on Pearson. Even though the man was speaking quietly, Cam was able to read his lips – not that he was doing much talking: he seemed mainly to be listening and saying ‘right’. Finally, he passed the phone back to Ruth Warnesford.
‘Well?’ Cam asked.
‘They know there are police officers on site. They’ve asked us to hold back on the medical supplies.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘I have no idea,’ Pearson admitted. ‘But I don’t think we need to assume the worst.’
If the words had been intended to calm Cam down, they
