Right Number, Wrong Girl

“Well, I don’t mind if I do. I’ll even buy you a cake for your troubles.” She paused. “I’m not allowed to drive anymore, though. Something about not being as sharp as I once was, which is utter bollocks. I’m sharper than a knife, me.”

I was inclined to agree.

“Grandma, you almost ran over someone who was only here to ask us to vote for them in the local council elections,” Hugo pointed out.

Evelyn blinked at him. “Well, she shouldn’t have been in front of my car, should she? Driveways are for cars, not jumped-up councillors with a misplaced sense of importance.”

“You could have killed her.”

“She was going to kill me with her harping on about wind turbines. We have quite enough of those ruining the countryside, thank you very much.”

Again… I had to agree.

Evelyn sniffed and looked at Hugo. “Get your car keys.”

He blinked at her. “What for?”

“To be a gentleman and take us for cake. You’ve not got anything better to do, have you?”

“I have my car. I don’t mind driving,” I said.

“No, it’s fine. Hugo will take us. He doesn’t have anything to do.”

“Actually, I do,” he replied.

Evelyn looked him up and down. “Why are you in here, then?”

I raised my eyebrows in question and met his eyes. “She has a point.”

He glanced at me and grumbled, “I’ll get my bloody keys, then.”

“Make haste, boy!” Evelyn hobbled over and tapped him with her walking stick. “I’m starving!”

CHAPTER NINETEEN – SOPHIE

Cake and Co-operation

“I want the glitter ones,” Evelyn said, peering at the laptop. “Those shiny ones.”

I read the description. “The iridescent ones from the mermaid collection?”

“Yes,” she replied without batting an eye. “They’re pretty and I like them.”

Hugo pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you still doing this?”

I looked up at him and nodded. “I have been given a very strict colour scheme by your mother, and iridescent or glitter decorations do not fall under that.”

“I don’t care what Anna wants. She can have that stupid colour scheme for her own birthday.” Evelyn sniffed. “The woman is a menace to society and will be the death of me.”

Hugo dropped his chin to his chest. “Slightly strong words there, Grandma.”

“I’m not wrong, am I?”

“I’m really not going to get involved in that,” he replied, sitting down. “How was your cake?”

“Sliced far too small.” Evelyn sniffed. “Kellie would never serve me such a small slice of cake. It’s a travesty.”

I peered over at him. “She had two slices of cake.”