if I’m honest. ‘Cally climbed down and collected her bag from the hall, lifted out her phone and began searching the internet. ‘Ok, I’m sure you could get a cheap internet connection. It can go on your phone line. And the next time I come I’ll bring the laptop.’
‘There’s no house phone. Just my pay-as-you-go on this phone.’ Evie held up the old mobile.’
Cally’s eyes widened. ‘Are you kidding? That would be worth more as an antique. Have you even got a camera on there?’ Cally whipped it from her hand, inspecting the screen.
‘Sadly not.’
‘So, no photos of Charlotte?’
Evie shook her head and at the same time gasped. ‘Seb has some on his camera that he’ll print off!’
Cally’s eyebrows stayed fixed as she gave her an incredulous glare.
‘Suzanne has taken some with her phone. She said she will get some printed for me. And, Dad took some last year,’ Evie said hopelessly.
‘Seb can’t leave you a camera?’
Evie’s mouth twisted. It wasn’t something she’d considered early on. Seb had taken numerous photos when Charlotte was a baby but, she had to admit, he hadn’t taken any recently. ‘No. I keep meaning to ask him to leave one.’
‘Oh, Evie, that’s…’
‘Mummy.’ Charlotte sauntered up to the breakfast bar dividing the kitchen and living area.
Cally peered down at her niece as though longing to pick up the child.
‘Hello, poppet.’ Evie stepped down and lifted her to her lap with them at the breakfast bar.
‘I should have brought her another pressie as an ice-breaker,’ Cally told her. ‘I only bought a birthday present.’ She glanced down at her arm full of bangles and bracelets. ‘Can she play with these?’
‘Yes, it’s fine as long as we’re here to watch her.’
Charlotte was soon sitting on her auntie’s lap playing with the novelty costume bangles, slipping them on and off her arms. Evie was delighted that the girls were bonding and enjoyed watching them before going outside and setting the bench table up. She had prepared a colourful salad for lunch under the vine leaf shade.
‘Oh, that food looks divine, Evie.’ Cally carried Charlotte out to the table and kept her on her lap. ‘You are such a sweetie, just like your mummy.’
Hearing such endearing words from her sister brought a lump to Evie’s throat. She collected the wine glasses and placed them on the table before nestling in the seat facing Cally. She swallowed a sip of wine and, blinking back tears, chopped food onto Charlotte’s plate.
Cally squeezed her niece and at the same time kissed her cheek repeatedly, before sitting her in her highchair at the end of the table.
Evie battled to control the tear escaping down her cheek. It splashed, staining the table. If her sister had seen it, then thankfully she wasn’t fussing. They ate in silence.
Cally’s rapid jerk startled her. Evie frowned as her sister glared at the bushes a few feet away.
‘Hello.’ Cally leaped out of her seat, gripping her knife and racing to a boundary hedge. Leaning forward and stretching out her neck, she called, ‘I know you’re there.’
‘Here, hold Charlotte,’ Cally said, dashing back to Evie who was now on her feet, stunned and holding out her arms. Cally extracted Charlotte from her highchair and passed her to her mum.
‘You be careful,’ Evie warned as she heard a rustling on the other side of the tall shrubs, then a thump.
She watched as her sister unlocked the front gate and raced down the side of the property, where a path led to the canal. Tempted to run out after her, Evie turned and unbolted another gate by the table leading to the front of the house which faced the canal. She ran straight to the railing on the front terrace, flicking her head both ways along the grassy stretch beside the water. Only her sister appeared from the alley, gasping for breath.
‘Strange. Whoever it was must have jumped the fence into that garden. Probably still in there.’
Cally scrunched her hair with her hands and pulled it to one side. ‘Ok. Keep a watch on that gate this end, I’ll go back to the other.’
Several minutes later, Cally appeared on the terrace behind Evie. ‘He’s not coming out, is he?’
Evie felt the blood rush from her cheeks. ‘Clearly not, if it is a he?’
‘Yes, I’m sure it was a he. Dark hair, quite young. I just saw part of a face. Unnerving to say the least. Have you noticed anyone before?’
‘No. That cottage is being renovated. I doubt if it was Bram. Maybe it’s some paparazzi. That’ll please Seb – not! Go back to the back entrance and I’ll go and knock at the front. Hold Charlotte a moment, I need to climb out.’ Evie passed Charlotte to Cally and at the corner post hurled one leg over before leaning forward and kicking over the other. ‘Ouch. Not a recommended route,’ she said rubbing her inner thigh and taking Charlotte back before pottering off to the neighbouring gate.
Once in, Evie banged the door knocker twice, peeking her head to the side where a low picket fence edged the side and rear gardens. There was no sign of an intruder nor was there any answer from the cottage. Whoever it was could be in the back, but there was no way she could hurdle over the thicket of shrubs. She pondered whether to wait, hearing fast footsteps from the alley. Her sister appeared, almost breathless.
‘We missed him. He’d come out and was running down the track. I chased for a while but he was too fast. I saw him run down the road and hop onto a bike.’ Cally stopped to breathe. ‘He’s short, about our height I suppose, dark hair with jeans and a green t-shirt.’
‘Oh, Cally, bless you,’ Evie said, gripping her sister’s shoulder, ‘you’re so brave, running after him. I wonder if he’s from the press?’
Cally’s chest heaved and she pressed her hand to her collarbones. ‘Evie, he could be a menace, especially when you’re on your own here.’
‘But I’ve never seen anyone before. Maybe he was walking passed, was just having a nose, and panicked when he heard you call.’
‘You’re so trusting. Why did he run like hell, and why would he leave his bike down the road?’
Evie’s hand flew to her mouth and her stomach lurched. She took in a deep breath. ‘Shit. You’re right.’ Her hand curled around Charlotte. ‘That is weird behaviour. I’ll have to work out the security system. I have to admit, Seb’s a bit of an anorak when it comes to using the alarms and cameras. He did show me but I’m hopeless. But why would he be snooping? It can only be the press.’
Cally began walking and Evie followed, stopping to watch as her sister rolled over the railing to the terrace as simply as walking through a door. She handed Charlotte to Cally’s waiting arms and attempted the easy-looking manoeuvre with less
