laugh.
“No,” she said slowly. “Drinks with you.”
“Sure,” I said. “We’ll have to arrange something again soon.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” she said, holding my gaze. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” She shrugged her coat over her shoulders.
“You sure will,” I said. “Hey, thanks again.” I opened the door for her, peering outside into the hallway, relieved that the CD container was now spiderless.
“Any time,” Elise said, walking past me and bending to pick up her spider-catching implements from the hallway floor. She paused. “Actually, no. Not any time!” She pulled a face as she handed me the container and postcard. “See you soon.” Elise nodded, kind of curtly, before turning and walking off towards the lift. I stood in the doorway and watched her reach the lift and jab at the buttons, turning to look at me one more time as the doors opened.
I closed the door to my apartment and leaned against it, thinking. It was as though I’d seen the real Elise that night for the first time, not the Elise that I’d been working with, and even if it meant she’d probably still drive me crazy at work the next time I was there, it really did seem as though I was finally making progress with the mystery that was Elise Manford.
And I liked what I was seeing. I mean, I really liked what I was seeing.
Chapter Seven
The phone rang shortly after two p.m. the next day, just after I’d finally persuaded my hungover stomach to accept some food. I had no plans for the day, which was probably just as well, considering I didn’t feel capable of doing anything more than just chilling out on the sofa and watching a soppy movie on one of the satellite channels.
I saw Elise’s name flashing up on the screen at me, sending a rush of adrenaline down my spine the minute I saw it.
“Hey.” Elise’s voice sounded hoarse, presumably still rough from the previous night.
“Hey.” An image of her face entered my head as I heard her voice.
“I wondered if I could come over,” Elise was now saying. “I wanted to show you something.”
I scratched sleepily at my head. I knew that I was tired, hungover, and scruffy, but I was still ridiculously pleased that Elise wanted to come to my apartment again.
“Sure,” I said, trying to hide the pleasure in my voice.
“I think you’ll like it,” Elise said.
“What will I like?” I clenched my jaws tight, trying to stop a yawn.
“The thing I want to show you!” She laughed.
I texted Elise my address, thinking she’d probably been too drunk last night to remember it, telling her to take the Tube as it was easier to come across town that way. She’d told me she lived up in North London somewhere on our first meeting, but that’s all. Wherever she was, it was a darned sight easier to Tube it than try to drive across London.
Once I’d also texted her directions from my nearest Tube station, I pulled myself wearily from the sofa and wandered into the bathroom, pulling a brush through my hair and covering up the tired-looking blotches on my face. I put on a hoodie and sweatpants, not wanting to look like I’d just got up—even though I had—but equally not wanting to look like I’d made too much of an effort for Elise, either. Crazy.
She arrived around forty minutes later, looking as fresh as a daisy and as though she’d been up for hours, not the short time I’d been up. As I saw her standing in my doorway, dressed immaculately, hair perfect, face made up, I looked down at my crumpled sweatpants and fluffy-socked feet and wished I had made more of an effort, after all.
I stood aside and motioned for her to come in.
“I see you got dressed up for me, then,” she said, eyeing up my baggy hoodie as she sauntered past me and entered my apartment, flinging herself down onto my sofa. She looked across to me, still standing in the doorway, a huge grin spread across her face.
“Very funny.” The sight of her sprawled out on my
“No,” she said slowly. “Drinks with you.”
“Sure,” I said. “We’ll have to arrange something again soon.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” she said, holding my gaze. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” She shrugged her coat over her shoulders.
“You sure will,” I said. “Hey, thanks again.” I opened the door for her, peering outside into the hallway, relieved that the CD container was now spiderless.
“Any time,” Elise said, walking past me and bending to pick up her spider-catching implements from the hallway floor. She paused. “Actually, no. Not any time!” She pulled a face as she handed me the container and postcard. “See you soon.” Elise nodded, kind of curtly, before turning and walking off towards the lift. I stood in the doorway and watched her reach the lift and jab at the buttons, turning to look at me one more time as the doors opened.
I closed the door to my apartment and leaned against it, thinking. It was as though I’d seen the real Elise that night for the first time, not the Elise that I’d been working with, and even if it meant she’d probably still drive me crazy at work the next time I was there, it really did seem as though I was finally making progress with the mystery that was Elise Manford.
And I liked what I was seeing. I mean, I really liked what I was seeing.
Chapter Seven
The phone rang shortly after two p.m. the next day, just after I’d finally persuaded my hungover stomach to accept some food. I had no plans for the day, which was probably just as well, considering I didn’t feel capable of doing anything more than just chilling out on the sofa and watching a soppy movie on one of the satellite channels.
I saw Elise’s name flashing up on the screen at me, sending a rush of adrenaline down my spine the minute I saw it.
“Hey.” Elise’s voice sounded hoarse, presumably still rough from the previous night.
“Hey.” An image of her face entered my head as I heard her voice.
“I wondered if I could come over,” Elise was now saying. “I wanted to show you something.”
I scratched sleepily at my head. I knew that I was tired, hungover, and scruffy, but I was still ridiculously pleased that Elise wanted to come to my apartment again.
“Sure,” I said, trying to hide the pleasure in my voice.
“I think you’ll like it,” Elise said.
“What will I like?” I clenched my jaws tight, trying to stop a yawn.
“The thing I want to show you!” She laughed.
I texted Elise my address, thinking she’d probably been too drunk last night to remember it, telling her to take the Tube as it was easier to come across town that way. She’d told me she lived up in North London somewhere on our first meeting, but that’s all. Wherever she was, it was a darned sight easier to Tube it than try to drive across London.
Once I’d also texted her directions from my nearest Tube station, I pulled myself wearily from the sofa and wandered into the bathroom, pulling a brush through my hair and covering up the tired-looking blotches on my face. I put on a hoodie and sweatpants, not wanting to look like I’d just got up—even though I had—but equally not wanting to look like I’d made too much of an effort for Elise, either. Crazy.
She arrived around forty minutes later, looking as fresh as a daisy and as though she’d been up for hours, not the short time I’d been up. As I saw her standing in my doorway, dressed immaculately, hair perfect, face made up, I looked down at my crumpled sweatpants and fluffy-socked feet and wished I had made more of an effort, after all.
I stood aside and motioned for her to come in.
“I see you got dressed up for me, then,” she said, eyeing up my baggy hoodie as she sauntered past me and entered my apartment, flinging herself down onto my sofa. She looked across to me, still standing in the doorway, a huge grin spread across her face.
“Very funny.” The sight of her sprawled out on my
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