Page 66 of The Bookshop Ladies

It was four o’clock in the afternoon when Joy picked up the phone to a girl who said she was a producer from a radio show on one of the national channels.

‘We’ve seen your post on social media,’ the girl gushed. ‘Well, I think everyone has probably seen your post,’ she laughed at this and sure enough, Joy figured, probably half a million people had already engaged with the bookshop accounts since Robyn posted the photograph of Dolly with the copy of the precious book. Unfortunately, for all that engagement, it had got them nowhere. The copy ofAlicewas still missing.

‘My boss, Sandy Seas, was wondering if you’d be free for a five-minute segment, just about the stolen book and, y’know, the bookshop and well…’

‘Really?’ Joy tried to sound cool, but she had spoken to so many hoax callers already, there was no reason to believe that this was anything different.

‘Yeah, no, really!’ the girl giggled, ‘tune in right now, she’s talking about the whole thing live on air…’

Sure enough, when Robyn switched on the radio station back in the old wireless and early media section, she ran in with her thumbs up to Joy. They had made the national airwaves. Even if they never sawAlice’s Adventures in Wonderlandagain, you couldn’t buy advertising like an interview on national radio. Joy knew for a fact that most of the women in the artists’ circle adored Sandy Seas – exactly the sort of listenership that likes a good book.

‘Let me just put you onto the owner.’ Joy held out the phone to Robyn and only then noticed the expression of complete panic in her eyes. Robyn was backing away, pale as a ghost. It was one thing to post a photograph of Dolly alongside the book, but quite another to deal with media on a grand scale. Joy reached forward and pulled her towards the phone and, after clearing her throat, Robyn talked to the girl – Alex – and agreed they would take the call from the radio station in half an hour. Joy raced upstairs to tell Fern the big news. Of course, they’d all have to tune in – Fern agreed to spread the word.

Joy was about to close the shop so there would be no interruptions during the interview when Will Newsome arrived on the doorstep and, behind him, Albie who had just heard the segment on the radio about Dolly and the missing book.

‘Perfect timing,’ Joy said and she explained about Robyn going on live radio with Sandy Seas.

‘Me?’ Robyn looked as if that was the last thing she was going to do. ‘Oh, no, Joy,Ican’t do the interview, you’ll have to do it.’ She had obviously thought that Joy would be happy to take it on.

‘Of course you’re doing it. This isyourbookshop and you’re going to be fine,’ Joy said, but there was a look of complete horror in Robyn’s eyes and Joy knew how important this interview was not just for the book, but even in terms of maybe being asked back again – you just never knew with radio.

‘No, no, I really can’t…’ Robyn backed away and looked as if she might actually run out into the street to get away from the phone.

‘Come on, Robyn, I’d say you’d be brilliant,’ Will said softly. ‘What time are they due to call at?’

‘Any minute,’ Joy said and nowshefelt panicked. ‘Look, we’ve even done a cheat sheet,’ she held the pages out before Will who passed them to Robyn.

‘Well then, I’ll stay next to you and it’ll be fine.’ He placed his hands on Robyn’s shoulders, turned her to face him so their eyes seemed to lock together. Even Joy felt calm descend on her, his voice was so assuredly soothing.

‘Okay, I’ll do it.’ Robyn bit her lip, but her voice held within it a measure of unexpected serenity. Oh, the relief! Still all Joy could see was the look that passed between the two of them as they stood waiting for the phone to ring.

By the time Joy stood back from the phone her stomach was fizzing. Too much tension and excitement for one day. She turned to stand a bit apart, spotting Albie sitting in the huge chair that they had set aside for the children’s story time. She had forgotten he was here. He had slipped so quietly into the background, allowing Will and Robyn to take the reins of things for themselves. She walked towards him now and stood at the shop window looking out. Far in the distance the tide was on the turn and the sea’s steady rhythm calmed her as she watched it. There was nowhere like this in the world, she thought then. She looked back at Robyn, standing next to Will, and her heart filled with love for this girl who had been Yves’s secret for so long. Albie had told the whole village at the launch that she was family and strangely, now, that felt as if it anchored her in the madness that had descended since the bookshop launch. Family. Something she’d always wanted and here it was – she smiled, the light danced off the mezuzah pinned to Robyn’s jacket. A sense of belonging spread across Joy in that moment, one that she had hankered after for so long. It was Albie’s reassuring hand on her shoulder that brought her back to the present.

‘I’m fine,’ Joy whispered, looking into his concerned eyes.

‘You were a million miles away,’ he smiled at her.

‘Maybe, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here, Albie, I can see that now,’ she said and she squeezed his arm as they turned back to listen to Robyn take the call.

45

‘My darling girl,’ Fern said when the interview finished. She’d listened in the coffee shop with Shane and Hilda Newsome. Will’s grandmother had been having tea with some of the ladies from the church cleaning rota. Robyn was brilliant; they all agreed.

‘A total pro.’ Joy put her arms around her. ‘Honestly, I couldn’t have done a better job myself.’

‘I really think you could.’ Robyn laughed. ‘Still, I am quite proud that I didn’t even look at the sheet once, so that’s something.’

‘It was brilliant, darling,’ Fern said and she was beaming. It was hard to know who was most proud, Fern, Joy or Robyn.

‘Anyway, now all we have to do is hope that it shakes some trees,’ Will said. Fern had almost forgotten about him, but he was standing quietly next to Robyn, as if he’d been there all along, right from the very beginning.

‘I think…’ Robyn was interrupted by the phone ringing. The shop fell silent, perhaps, they all knew, this could be the call. Robyn’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘Joy…’ She gestured for Joy to stand next to her – old habits die hard – but then she straightened her back and picked up the phone.

‘Don’t get your hopes up, remember, grifters, scammers and lunatics,’ Will said softly.

And of course he was right. Over the next hour, Fern lost count of the number of callers who had spotted the book and were willing to tell Robyn exactly where it was – if there was a reward worth collecting.

‘Maybe weshouldput up a reward?’ Fern said later.

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