before.
‘I should tell you that I was once a champion runner,’ he said. ‘If you run away, I’ll have to run after you. You see, as I said before, I’m still a trainee. It would look very bad on my record if I lost one of my first clients. My career could be ruined forever.’
I started to smile, but stopped when I saw Kate’s angry face. I put one hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.
‘Just go away, Eva,’ she said. ‘You’ve got whatyou wanted all the time. You told on me, and now my life is ruined. I hope you feel proud of yourself.’
‘I didn’t …’ I began, but I stopped. Kate had turned away, like she couldn’t bear to look at my face.
I wasn’t sure how I should feel. I was really, really sorry that my friend looked so sad, but at the same time, I couldn’t help feeling relieved that at last someone else was in charge.
Just then there was the sound of footsteps and a woman came around the side of the house.
‘Nicola,’ said Kate, in a colder voice than this smiling, ordinary-looking woman seemed to deserve.
‘Hello, Kate,’ she said. ‘So you
were
here all the time. My sources were right.’
Kate glared at me. ‘Your source is standing right here. Why don’t you give her a pat on the back – or maybe fifty euro. Do spies get rewarded for all their hard work?’
Nicola shook her head, ‘This has nothing to do with your young friend, Kate. This is a very small community. You think you’re invisible, but people see and hear the tiniest things.’
I thought of Kate and Martha trying to be discreet, as they stocked up their food cupboards. I thought of the vanishing tracksuit and Kate’s long midnight walks.
Nicola continued, ‘You’d be surprised to hear how many people care about you and are interested in your welfare.’
‘Stupid busybodies with no lives of their own,’ muttered Kate.
Tom quickly turned away to hide his smile, as Nicola went on, ‘I have to admire your courage, Kate, but I’m afraid things are going to change now. You know you can’t stay here on your own.’
‘As you can see, I’m not on my own,’ said Kate. ‘Eva’s with me.’
Nicola looked closely at me. I stood as tall and straight as I could and wondered if therewas any way of convincing her that I was a very young-looking, but very responsible, twenty-five -year-old.
Probably not, as Nicola just smiled vaguely at me and then continued, ‘I think we need to go down to my office to discuss what to do next,’ she said. ‘Come on, Kate.’
By now we had all stepped out into the back garden, and I could see Kate looking wildly around her. She looked like a gazelle in a nature programme – a gazelle surrounded by tigers. I knew she hadn’t given up. She was still searching for an escape route and mentally revving up for a dash to freedom.
I don’t know if Tom was reading my mind, or Kate’s, but he caught her eye, and shook his head.
He was tall and fit-looking and happened to be wearing running shoes.
‘Gold medal at 100 metres,’ he said. ‘Five years in a row.’
Kate sighed, and relaxed like a balloon deflating.
‘Do you want to pack a few things?’ asked Nicola kindly. ‘I don’t mind waiting.’
Kate pointed at the rucksack she was still carrying. ‘I seem to be ready,’ she said. ‘I guess I must have had a premonition or something.’
Tom smiled and reached to take the rucksack from her, but she just pushed past him, flung her rucksack over her shoulder and started to walk slowly towards Nicola’s car, which was parked on the road outside the house.
I realised that, only a few minutes earlier, Kate and I had been so excited about making hot chocolate that we hadn’t even heard the car approach.
Kate stopped walking and hugged me.
‘I owe you an apology, Eva,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry I thought you’d told Nicola on me. I should have known you’d never, ever do a mean thing like that.’
‘Er … that’s OK,’ I said, feeling totally
‘I should tell you that I was once a champion runner,’ he said. ‘If you run away, I’ll have to run after you. You see, as I said before, I’m still a trainee. It would look very bad on my record if I lost one of my first clients. My career could be ruined forever.’
I started to smile, but stopped when I saw Kate’s angry face. I put one hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.
‘Just go away, Eva,’ she said. ‘You’ve got whatyou wanted all the time. You told on me, and now my life is ruined. I hope you feel proud of yourself.’
‘I didn’t …’ I began, but I stopped. Kate had turned away, like she couldn’t bear to look at my face.
I wasn’t sure how I should feel. I was really, really sorry that my friend looked so sad, but at the same time, I couldn’t help feeling relieved that at last someone else was in charge.
Just then there was the sound of footsteps and a woman came around the side of the house.
‘Nicola,’ said Kate, in a colder voice than this smiling, ordinary-looking woman seemed to deserve.
‘Hello, Kate,’ she said. ‘So you
were
here all the time. My sources were right.’
Kate glared at me. ‘Your source is standing right here. Why don’t you give her a pat on the back – or maybe fifty euro. Do spies get rewarded for all their hard work?’
Nicola shook her head, ‘This has nothing to do with your young friend, Kate. This is a very small community. You think you’re invisible, but people see and hear the tiniest things.’
I thought of Kate and Martha trying to be discreet, as they stocked up their food cupboards. I thought of the vanishing tracksuit and Kate’s long midnight walks.
Nicola continued, ‘You’d be surprised to hear how many people care about you and are interested in your welfare.’
‘Stupid busybodies with no lives of their own,’ muttered Kate.
Tom quickly turned away to hide his smile, as Nicola went on, ‘I have to admire your courage, Kate, but I’m afraid things are going to change now. You know you can’t stay here on your own.’
‘As you can see, I’m not on my own,’ said Kate. ‘Eva’s with me.’
Nicola looked closely at me. I stood as tall and straight as I could and wondered if therewas any way of convincing her that I was a very young-looking, but very responsible, twenty-five -year-old.
Probably not, as Nicola just smiled vaguely at me and then continued, ‘I think we need to go down to my office to discuss what to do next,’ she said. ‘Come on, Kate.’
By now we had all stepped out into the back garden, and I could see Kate looking wildly around her. She looked like a gazelle in a nature programme – a gazelle surrounded by tigers. I knew she hadn’t given up. She was still searching for an escape route and mentally revving up for a dash to freedom.
I don’t know if Tom was reading my mind, or Kate’s, but he caught her eye, and shook his head.
He was tall and fit-looking and happened to be wearing running shoes.
‘Gold medal at 100 metres,’ he said. ‘Five years in a row.’
Kate sighed, and relaxed like a balloon deflating.
‘Do you want to pack a few things?’ asked Nicola kindly. ‘I don’t mind waiting.’
Kate pointed at the rucksack she was still carrying. ‘I seem to be ready,’ she said. ‘I guess I must have had a premonition or something.’
Tom smiled and reached to take the rucksack from her, but she just pushed past him, flung her rucksack over her shoulder and started to walk slowly towards Nicola’s car, which was parked on the road outside the house.
I realised that, only a few minutes earlier, Kate and I had been so excited about making hot chocolate that we hadn’t even heard the car approach.
Kate stopped walking and hugged me.
‘I owe you an apology, Eva,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry I thought you’d told Nicola on me. I should have known you’d never, ever do a mean thing like that.’
‘Er … that’s OK,’ I said, feeling totally
Similar Books
