Page 33 of Loving Netta Wilde

‘I think so. He didn’t say where exactly. We met up in the city centre.’

Still not looking at her then? Netta fixed him with a hard stare until he was forced to raise his eyes just long enough for her to make it clear she could see right through him. He loved that dog. There was absolutely no way he would leave him with someone whose address he didn’t even know. Something else was going on here. It was just a pity she didn’t have the time or headspace to try and work out what. ‘You didn’t have to do that on Betty’s account. I thought she was getting on a lot better with him.’

‘Just a few days and I’ll fetch him back. When did you want to have the meeting?’

‘Let’s get dinner out of the way first, shall we?’ said her mum.

Frank cleared his throat. ‘I have to go out later. I’m meeting friends for a drink.’

Netta tried to catch his eye. ‘I don’t think it’ll take too long. How was your last day?’

‘Great actually. Really nice.’

He was smiling for everyone else’s benefit, not hers. So was she. ‘Great.’

The plates were cleared and everyone had settled back down at the table, including Will. Netta sat next to him. ‘You know you don’t have to be here, don’t you?’

‘Yeah, but no one minds if I stay, do they?’

‘Of course not.’

Netta’s dad clapped his hands together and everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at him. ‘Right. Let’s get started then. Over to you, Nettie.’

‘Yes. Right. Thanks Dad. The thing is, I’d hoped that Colin being here would help him to sort things out with Arianne, but that hasn’t happened. If anything, his state of mind seems to have gone downhill and I’m worried. I am worried about Colin.’ There, she’d admitted it. She looked around the table for reactions. Her gaze was met by a host of impassive faces which came as no surprise. It wasn’t as if any of them, aside from Liza, could say they liked Colin enough to care. Not even Will.

‘Me too.’ It was the person Netta least expected it to come from. Her mum.

‘I suppose I am too, a bit,’ said her dad. ‘I thought he was perking up at the allotment. He was getting on quite well with Ursula. And Clyde was tolerating him. But this black eye business has stopped him coming.’

‘About that black eye. Does anyone have any idea how it might have happened?’ Netta glanced at Frank who immediately folded his arms and set his mouth into a straight line. She looked away. ‘No? Okay, so I was thinking. Actually it was Neil’s suggestion. We should try to piece together Colin’s movements to see if we can pin down a time and place.’

Frank pulled his arms in even tighter. ‘Why?’

‘I, that is, Neil and I, thought that by doing that we could try to get to the root of Colin’s problem and really start to help him. Of course, it could have been a random attack but I’m not so sure.’

‘That’s a great idea.’ It was Doogie. He had a sarcastic smirk on his face. At least he didn’t call her Miss Marple again.

‘What makes you think there’s more to it?’ said Will.

‘Because it’s not the first time I’ve seen bruises on him. The first week he was here, I bumped into him as he was coming out of the shower. His back was covered in them.’

Liza shot forward in her seat. ‘Oh my God. Why didn’t you say before?’

‘Because he asked me not to say anything. He didn’t want to upset you. He said he tripped on the stairs at his house.’

‘Ursula saw him at the allotment on Tuesday evening. Apparently, he was fine when he left,’ said her dad.

‘What was he doing there?’ said Netta.

Frank coughed again. ‘He left the house just after Arthur dropped him back. He was upset.’

‘He was perfectly all right when I left him,’ said her dad.

‘I don’t doubt it, Arthur. He er, he saw something that upset him,’ said Frank.

‘What?’ said her mum.

‘Me?’ said Doogie.

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