Page 79 of Loving Netta Wilde

Geraldine and Arthur were round within the hour. Geraldine had even bought a lemon drizzle cake for them to discuss tactics over. ‘Just a small slice for you, Frank. I don’t want you going off the rails, health-wise.’ You could always rely on Geraldine to keep you grounded.

Arthur leaned forward on the table and slid his fingers together so that it looked like he was praying. ‘We’ll help out in whatever way we can. Although Gee’s the one with the experience when it comes to mental health.’

‘Well, I went through the mill and came out again with the help of therapy. It’s experience of a sort, I suppose,’ said Geraldine.

‘It’s the best we’ve got at the moment, Mum,’ said Netta. ‘Also, he needs building up. Clive says he’s underweight, and you are by far the best cook in the family. No offence to anyone else here.’

‘None taken,’ said Frank.

‘We need to get him checked over by a doctor, to make sure there isn’t another reason,’ said Doogie. ‘He’s probably just not been eating but Clive said it was best to check.’

‘Very sensible. That will stop us all worrying.’ Arthur’s eyes fell on Liza. God love him, he was trying to put her mind at rest.

‘And when he’s strong enough, what do we do then? He can’t stay here in limbo forever. It’s just not good for him. Besides, Arianne has stolen his house,’ said Netta.

Frank noticed Liza and Doogie exchanging looks. ‘Actually, me and Doogie started working on a plan before all this happened. He’s been watching the house.’ She nodded at Doogie.

‘Yeah. I’ve been checking for any patterns to their movements. The guy she’s living with goes out in the mornings at around half nine and comes back just after one. I don’t know about afternoons. I’m only doing mornings,’ said Doogie.

Smart. Frank wished he’d thought of it. ‘What do you have in mind?’

‘We thought we might be able to work out a way of getting in there when Arianne’s on her own,’ said Liza.

Netta clapped her hands together excitedly. ‘Stage a coup. I like it.’

‘Clever girl,’ said Arthur.

Liza blushed. ‘Thanks, Grandad, but it was mostly Doogie.’

‘Nah, she’s the brains behind it. I’m just the one with the incognito spying experience.’ Doogie’s eyes flittered over to Netta for an instant. There was a coded message there. Frank was sure of it.

‘How exciting,’ said Geraldine. ‘Looks like we’re pooling our experience. And Arthur, I think we’ve found you a job. You can do a spying shift. So can you, Frank. Doogie can teach you the tricks of the trade so that she doesn’t spot you. Will they need to wear dark glasses, Doogie? She might know their faces.’

‘Probably not. They just need to keep a low profile,’ said Doogie.

‘Shame. Arthur looks rather a hunk in dark glasses.’

Doogie smiled and shook his head. He wasn’t used to Geraldine and Arthur’s little flirtations with each other yet. ‘Okay, well I guess if it’s sunny.’

‘Excellent. Let’s work out the shifts for the next week,’ said Arthur. ‘We can start tomorrow.’

Frank, Netta and Doogie were sitting in the garden, sharing a bottle of wine. Liza had gone round to her friend’s to pour her heart out. Colin was still dead to the world, but they were taking it in turns to check on him.

‘It feels like the start of something good tonight,’ said Netta. ‘Not just because we might actually be getting somewhere with Colin. But you two. Look at you. You’re working together. You’re getting on.’

Doogie laughed. ‘Fuck off, you patronising cow.’

She jabbed his arm. ‘Don’t ruin it, nobhead. Oh, by the way, Frank. It seems Betty might be with child. Apparently, Spike’s been getting amorous which was the real reason idiot-features here took him to his mum’s.’

‘Yeah, who knows, Spike and Betty might be able to go where me and Netta failed.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘Not funny, Doog.’

‘It is a little bit though, isn’t it?’

‘Not even a tiny bit,’ she said, but her mouth was twitching.

She was different with him. Playful. Teasing. Girlish. Frank hadn’t noticed it before, but that was probably because he’d excluded himself from their company up until now. Doogie was a different man too. Softer. Less composed. Less sinister.

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