Page 51 of Loving Netta Wilde

‘I’ll see you tomorrow then, Colin.’ Arthur stared at the wanker until he got the message.

‘Oh right. Yes, okay. I’ll bugger off then, shall I? My presence not required.’

‘Exactly. Try to get through the night without doing any harm to yourself or anyone else, won’t you?’ said Arthur.

‘Rest assured, I’ll do my utmost not to cause you any further trouble.’

‘Everything okay between you two?’ said Doogie, when Colin the Wanker had gone.

‘Things haven’t been okay between us two for years, but if nothing else, becoming his minder has loosened my inhibitions when it comes to speaking my mind. I’m a liberated man, Doogie. Everything all right with you?’

‘Yeah. About tomorrow, I’m going to cut Mrs Sweeting’s hedge. I just didn’t want to say in front of him.’

‘Enough said. I must have got it wrong, I thought she wasn’t very welcoming.’

‘She wasn’t but I dropped by today, to see how she was. The letter must have come as a shock.’

‘And how was she?’

‘Still unwelcoming. But she did ask me to come back to cut the hedge, so I guess I’m growing on her.’

Arthur went straight off without going into the house. Poor guy probably wanted a quiet night in without having to babysita man he couldn’t stand. Doogie felt bad about not stepping up more, especially as that was why he was supposed to be here.

As he walked up the path, he got a message from Claire ordering him to call her. Yeah right, like that was gonna happen.

Netta was in the garden with Frank. They had faces on them like an old married couple who just about tolerated each other. From what she’d told him about their relationship, it wasn’t how Doogie had expected them to behave. He guessed it was the current situation that was screwing things up with them. Only thing he couldn’t pin down was whether it was him or the wanker that was doing the screwing up.

Netta looked as if she couldn’t decide if she was happy or sorry to see him. Her face eventually settled into a smile so that probably meant she was happy. ‘Hi. Good day?’

‘Yeah. You?’

‘Sort of.’ She flashed a look at Frank. ‘I’ve found out something worrying about Colin.’

‘What, just the one thing?’

She did an eye roll. ‘I think it was Arianne who gave him the black eye.’

Doogie took a seat. ‘Okay.’

‘Okay? Is that all you have to say?’

‘What do you want me to say? The guy’s had it coming for years. He probably tried to do the same to her that he did to you, but she wouldn’t stand for it.’

‘Oh and I would, I suppose.’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘No, but you insinuated it.’

‘You misinterpreted it.’

‘No I did not.’ She jumped up and stormed off into the house.

Doogie scratched his head. ‘What is it with that woman?’

Frank shrugged. ‘I have no idea.’

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