Page 29 of The Runaway Wives

They finished their drinks and had a sandwich and decided to set off back to Sunset View so that they could pick up Edna’s things and take them to the hospital. ‘Tell Edna I’ll visit her tomorrow after work,’ Andi called after them.

‘We will,’ Dee promised.

As they walked back up the hill and turned into the car park, a black Lotus shot out. The driver, a dark-haired man, was scowling.

‘Something’s upset him,’ Babs said. ‘Do you think he’s Edna’s son? He might have been hoping to find the keys and let himself in.’

Dee felt a little uneasy about it all, but they had to abide by Edna’s wishes.

* * *

When they got to the hospital the nurse said they couldn’t see Edna yet as she already had a visitor, so they grabbed a hot drink from the machine and sat down in the corridor to wait.

A quarter of an hour later a man came out. The same man who had sped past them. He walked by Dee and Babs without giving them a second glance.

‘I was right, he must be Edna’s son,’ Babs whispered.

When they entered her room, Edna was sitting up in bed, a determined look on her face. ‘Did you get everything?’ she asked as they walked over to the bed.

‘Yes, it’s all in here.’ Dee frowned. ‘That man who just left, was that?—?’

‘My son, Martin? Yes, he’s been to the cottage he said, to collect some things for me, but he couldn’t find the spare keys. Wanted to know why I didn’t keep them in the watering can any more.’ She nodded. ‘Thank you, ladies. I think you got there just in time.’

Dee handed her the handbag, house keys and the box. Edna opened her handbag and took out her mobile phone. ‘Thank you, you’ve been really helpful and I’m very grateful to you.’ She patted the box. ‘I’ve got personal papers in here, my will, the house deeds, savings. I don’t want Martin getting his hands on them. I think that’s what he went to my house for.’

‘He didn’t look in a very good mood,’ Babs said.

‘That’s because I won’t do what he wants. I’ve got a twisted ankle and a bruised hip, so Martin said I’m not safe to live on my own and he wants me to move in with him and his wife until my hip is better. But I know if I do that they will never let me come back home. They’ll say they’ll look after me, but I’ll have no life up there.’ She pursed her lips. ‘They’ll make me sign the house over to them, sell it, then put me in a care home saying that they’re doing it for my own good. Well, I’ve got other plans.’

‘Well, we’ve packed in a lot in the two days we’ve been here!’ Babs said as they set off home. ‘So much has happened you’d think we’ve been here for a week!’

‘I know.’ Dee glanced in her mirror then indicated to turn left. ‘Shall we get a couple of bottles of wine for tonight?’

‘Let’s get some gin or vodka and have cocktails instead,’ Babs suggested. ‘We could make up our own, that will be fun. Remember how we used to do that back in the day?’

‘I’ll never forget your Tequila Sting, I had a hangover for days!’ Dee told her.

Babs chuckled. ‘Maybe we’ll forget the tequila, but what do you say to cocktails?’

It would be good to let her hair down and have a drink and a giggle with Babs, Dee thought. And they were in their own house – well, holiday let – so no chance of showing themselves up. Nigel always hated it if Dee got tipsy and never let her forget it if she did something daft.

They made a quick stop off at the supermarket, where they bumped into Andi. She eyed the trolley stuffed with vodka, rum, mixers, crisps and chocolate gateau. ‘Are you having a session, ladies?’ Andi asked, her eyes dancing with amusement.

‘You bet we are, we’re on holiday,’ Babs told her. Then she added, ‘Why don’t you join us?’

Dee suppressed a sigh, they barely knew Andi, she wasn’t sure she wanted to spend the evening drinking with her. This was typical Babs. When they’d gone away together before they both got married, their hotel room had always ended up as the party room. They’d had some fun though, she remembered. It had been a while since Dee had had fun.

‘I’d love to, if you’re sure?’ Andi looked from one to the other. ‘I can’t make it a late one though as I’m working in the café tomorrow.’

‘The more the merrier,’ Dee told her, feeling happier now she knew they wouldn’t be having an all-nighter with practically a stranger. ‘We don’t want a late one either, we’re planning on a day trip tomorrow.’

‘Want to come back with us now?’ Babs asked.

‘Can I drop by in an hour or so? I’ll take my shopping home and grab a bottle to bring with me.’

‘Sure, see you in a bit,’ Babs told her.

They’d made a couple of ‘tester’ cocktails and laid the food out on the table by the time Andi arrived with a bottle of Cointreau, a cocktail shaker and a bag of crushed ice. ‘I wasn’t sure if you had one,’ she said, waving the shaker.

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