Read Online Blue Skies by Helen Hodgman - Free Book Online

door at me. Angelica, far from having dehydrated, had apparently blown up, as if filled with soggy air. Her puce tomato face bobbled at me over her grand.mother‘s shoulder. Her eyes had disappeared in swollen pulpy flesh, her lips quivered sadly across her face like reproachful purple slugs, her arms waved in the air like floating saveloys. It was the sort of thing you felt tempted to crush, but wouldn’t, for fear of the mess it would make.
    â€˜So there’s a naughty Mummy, then, gossiping on the phone.’ She was waving Angelica at me, holding her up so that somehow the words seemed to come out of Angelica’s tummy like a pre-recorded message. I turned my back on them both.
    He was still going on. With the inflection of someone ending a long debate he said ‘…so I suppose I’ll just have to close for a while if I can’t get more staff.’
    â€˜Yes. Well, why don’t you? At least until the fuss dies down. It will all be forgotten in a week or so, you’ll see.’
    â€˜Maybe. But it will all start up again when it comes to court. I might have to close up for good. Or sell up and begin again somewhere else. On the mainland.’ He sounded doubtful. ‘That’s if I’m not in prison.’
    I hadn’t thought of that. ‘Oh, surely not. How could they? It’s ridiculous. I’d be surprised if the police even have a case. The whole thing will probably be chucked out of court.’
    â€˜No. You don’t understand what this is all about. The police have been after me for a long time, you know. I’m not well liked in this town. I know too many things about too many important people. Certain people would be very glad to see the back of me.’
    Embarrassed by this paranoia, I said: ‘Yes. Well, maybe. Look, I really have to go now. James’s mother is here. I have to talk to her—make her a cup of tea or something boring like that. You know how it is. Phone me again, won’t you. Any time. Let me know what’s happening—if there’s anything I can do. I’ll come to the flat on Tuesday, OK? Will you be there?’
    â€˜I don’t know. I may go away somewhere. Trouble is, I can’t leave the state because of the bail. Can’t you come up to town before then? I mean, if I could just get a little help and keep the business going I could possibly face this thing down. I just need a bit of moral support, that’s all. Then I can make these bastards pay for the privilege of staring at me.’
    â€˜Listen, I’m really sorry about this, but I can’t come up to town before Tuesday. Tuesday’s the day James’s mother looks after Angelica. It’s difficult otherwise. I can’t lug her up to town with me.’
    â€˜No, I suppose not. Perhaps I’ll phone you over the weekend. If I’m in town on Tuesday we’ll meet somewhere. Thanks for talking to me. Goodbye.’ He hung up on me.
    Well, I hoped I’d helped get the whole thing into perspective, that’s all. It was nothing really, a storm in a teacup. It had its funny side too, although you couldn’t expect him to see that, I thought, following the sounds made by Grandmama and Angelica. It would all blow over; there was no real point in my going up to town to help. Tuesday was soon enough. By that time we would probably be able to sit down and laugh about it together, which would be fun. I wasn’t going to be put off being his friend by a bit of scandal.
    Grandmama and Angelica were in the bathroom. Angelica was being washed out in the hand basin. The water had shrunk her back to her usual perfectly balanced and pale proportions. A neatly folded pile of baby clothes lay ready for her.
    I leaned in the doorway. They were too absorbed in each other to notice. I went into the kitchen. Angelica was just starting on solid foods. I studied the neat rows of tinned baby food in the cupboard and took out one of