Page 22 of Maybe Tomorrow

‘Hello Anthony. Are you feeling better today?’ Laura asked.

‘Yes. Just a cold. I’m better now. Oh no, I forgot to bring those hot chocolates again, but I’m going home at dinner time to change my trousers, so I’ll bring them this afternoon.’

‘That’s fine,’ Jane said. Laura hurried out of the room. ‘Anthony, come and sit down for a moment, there’s something I need to tell you.’

His face lit up. ‘Is it about the supervisor’s job? Did Mr Graham say I could have it?’

‘What? Oh, no, it’s not about that. Just… come over here for a moment.’

Anthony sat down on one of the large armchairs. Jane pulled up a chair to sit opposite him.

‘Have you heard the news this morning, Anthony?’

He looked up as he thought. ‘No. Hang on, that’s weird. We didn’t have the radio on this morning. We always have the radio on while we’re having breakfast. I didn’t notice.’

‘It doesn’t matter. The thing is there’s been some sad news. You know Alice Patterson, don’t you?’

Anthony’s smile wavered. ‘Yes.’

‘She died on Monday night.’

‘Died?’ He knitted his eyebrows.

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘I… I don’t know why, Anthony. She was killed. Someone killed her.’

‘Someone killed her?’ he repeated. ‘Who?’

‘I don’t know. The police are investigating.’

‘The police?’ he asked, a look of worry on his face. ‘Will they come here?’

Jane frowned. ‘I’m not sure. They might do.’

‘What will I say?’

‘I don’t know. I don’t know what they’ll ask. We’ll just say we knew her as she came in here regularly.’

‘What happened to her?’

‘Someone strangled her, Anthony.’

‘Who?’

‘A very bad person.’

Anthony didn’t say anything. He continued to stare straight ahead.

‘Are you all right, Anthony?’

He blinked hard a few times. ‘I think so. I liked Alice.’

Jane smiled. ‘I know you did, Anthony. We all did.’

‘Was she killed after she left here on Monday in the storm?’