which now mocked her with its dimples and twinkling eyes.
‘You’re right about that much,’ she told him, shaking. ‘I wouldn’t want anything to do with someone like you.’
‘But Evie, you must be able to understand. I panicked, I didn’t know what to do for the best. I shouldn’t have just walked away, but I knew I’d be seeing you again really soon. And even though it’s not under the best circumstances,’ he added, lowering his voice, ‘I’m still really happy to see you.’
‘You think I’m this pissed off because you ran out on me?’ Evie was incredulous. She heard a high-pitched laugh, almost a whinny, before she realised it was her making the noise. ‘You’re right – it was the wrong thing to do. You should have fessed up and told me right there and then who you were. But this,’ she waved her hand, taking in the community centre, where people were starting to quieten down now and listen, and the table where Michael had been sitting with the council members. ‘This is what makes you truly disgusting. How could you do it? How could you be part of a plan to force people out of their homes?’
She waited, realising suddenly that she really wanted to hear his answer. Maybe he would have a reason, a good reason. Maybe she was missing something, some key fact that made it okay. Like Cupid’s Way was built on a unexploded bomb and the only way to save the lives of the residents was to move them out post-haste. Or radiation had been discovered in the water, or a meteor was about to land in the communal gardens, or …
Bob Peacock was peering around Michael’s back, his face bright with interest. ‘Hasn’t got much to say for himself now, has he?’ Bob sneered.
Evie looked at Michael and was astonished to see that he looked completely mystified. He said, ‘But, Evie, we’re going to buy their houses off them. We’re talking about a lot of money – we’ll give them a great price, which is probably above the market value, to be honest. And we’re giving them all, every one of them, a new home close by. A brand new home, better and more efficient and cheaper to heat and maintain. Why, people are desperate to get their hands on these new homes. The residents, they’ll be much happier and better off.’
Evie’s mouth dropped open. She could see by his expression that he really believed this. He was genuine, and he was genuinely thrilled for them. It was incredible.
‘Michael,’ she said, for a moment forgetting how angry she was, ‘they don’t want to move. They don’t want to upgrade, improve, get more efficient. They’re happy as they are.’
A tiny crease appeared between his eyes. ‘Evie, I think you’ll find that some of them are actually really–’
‘Evie? Are you coming?’
Mavis and Frank stood behind her, looking totally frayed. Evie nodded, then turned back to Michael. ‘There’s something wrong with this,’ she told him. ‘Something doesn’t add up. But I’m telling you now, Cupid’s Way is not for sale. Not at any price.’
She stalked away across the community centre, slightly hampered in her progress by Frank’s insistence on turning around every few steps to shout abuse at the councillors, and by Mavis’s staggering gait. But all the way she could feel Michael’s brown eyes following her, still twinkling with the remnants of a bewildered amusement.
He absolutely didn’t have a clue.
‘Thanks for trying, Evie,’ Mavis said when they got outside. ‘It was brave of you to just go up to him and tear a strip off him like that. Him being a bigwig and all.’ She tipped her face up to the late afternoon sun, and Evie was relieved to see some of her colour return. It was only a few minutes’ walk back to Cupid’s Way, and they set off arm in arm with Frank trailing behind, muttering to himself.
‘Actually, Gran, it wasn’t exactly like that. Michael Andrews, well, he was … he is … Remember earlier I told you about that man I met at the
‘You’re right about that much,’ she told him, shaking. ‘I wouldn’t want anything to do with someone like you.’
‘But Evie, you must be able to understand. I panicked, I didn’t know what to do for the best. I shouldn’t have just walked away, but I knew I’d be seeing you again really soon. And even though it’s not under the best circumstances,’ he added, lowering his voice, ‘I’m still really happy to see you.’
‘You think I’m this pissed off because you ran out on me?’ Evie was incredulous. She heard a high-pitched laugh, almost a whinny, before she realised it was her making the noise. ‘You’re right – it was the wrong thing to do. You should have fessed up and told me right there and then who you were. But this,’ she waved her hand, taking in the community centre, where people were starting to quieten down now and listen, and the table where Michael had been sitting with the council members. ‘This is what makes you truly disgusting. How could you do it? How could you be part of a plan to force people out of their homes?’
She waited, realising suddenly that she really wanted to hear his answer. Maybe he would have a reason, a good reason. Maybe she was missing something, some key fact that made it okay. Like Cupid’s Way was built on a unexploded bomb and the only way to save the lives of the residents was to move them out post-haste. Or radiation had been discovered in the water, or a meteor was about to land in the communal gardens, or …
Bob Peacock was peering around Michael’s back, his face bright with interest. ‘Hasn’t got much to say for himself now, has he?’ Bob sneered.
Evie looked at Michael and was astonished to see that he looked completely mystified. He said, ‘But, Evie, we’re going to buy their houses off them. We’re talking about a lot of money – we’ll give them a great price, which is probably above the market value, to be honest. And we’re giving them all, every one of them, a new home close by. A brand new home, better and more efficient and cheaper to heat and maintain. Why, people are desperate to get their hands on these new homes. The residents, they’ll be much happier and better off.’
Evie’s mouth dropped open. She could see by his expression that he really believed this. He was genuine, and he was genuinely thrilled for them. It was incredible.
‘Michael,’ she said, for a moment forgetting how angry she was, ‘they don’t want to move. They don’t want to upgrade, improve, get more efficient. They’re happy as they are.’
A tiny crease appeared between his eyes. ‘Evie, I think you’ll find that some of them are actually really–’
‘Evie? Are you coming?’
Mavis and Frank stood behind her, looking totally frayed. Evie nodded, then turned back to Michael. ‘There’s something wrong with this,’ she told him. ‘Something doesn’t add up. But I’m telling you now, Cupid’s Way is not for sale. Not at any price.’
She stalked away across the community centre, slightly hampered in her progress by Frank’s insistence on turning around every few steps to shout abuse at the councillors, and by Mavis’s staggering gait. But all the way she could feel Michael’s brown eyes following her, still twinkling with the remnants of a bewildered amusement.
He absolutely didn’t have a clue.
‘Thanks for trying, Evie,’ Mavis said when they got outside. ‘It was brave of you to just go up to him and tear a strip off him like that. Him being a bigwig and all.’ She tipped her face up to the late afternoon sun, and Evie was relieved to see some of her colour return. It was only a few minutes’ walk back to Cupid’s Way, and they set off arm in arm with Frank trailing behind, muttering to himself.
‘Actually, Gran, it wasn’t exactly like that. Michael Andrews, well, he was … he is … Remember earlier I told you about that man I met at the
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