Free Whispers by Rosie Goodwin Page B

of her bed. Satisfied that the girl was resting, she softly closed the door and slipped away.
    Jo came back downstairs shortly before lunchtime looking a little more like her old cheerful self.
    ‘Feeling better are you, sweetie?’ her mother asked, through a mouthful of pins. She was busily re-upholstering the chairs she had found in the attic.
    ‘Yes, thanks.’
    ‘Good, then why don’t you go and get dressed and I’ll make you something to eat. You can take Alfie for a walk then.’
    Jo hesitated for just a fraction of a second. She was obviously still unsure about going back into her old room, but Jess sensed that if she didn’t make her do it now she might never want to go in there again.
    ‘Come on, chop-chop,’ she ordered with a smile, and Jo reluctantly turned and left the room.
    When she came back ten minutes later dressed in jeans and an old T-shirt, Jess pointed to a plateful of tuna sandwiches and a Kit-Kat on the table. Jo wolfed the whole lot down in seconds before calling Alfie and heading for the door as Jess heaved a silent sigh of relief.
    After lunch, Jess put the sketches in the car, and she and Jo visited the art shop in Abbey Street where they chose three nice frames that Jess felt would fit in perfectly with the décor in her bedroom. The man who owned the shop assured her that he would have them done for her by the end of the following week, and she and Jo then went to do some food shopping at the supermarket. Laura and Beth were sitting on the bench in the courtyard waiting for them when they arrived back.
    ‘Why didn’t you go in and make yourself a cuppa?’ Jess asked. ‘The door’s unlocked as the decorators are in.’
    Laura shook her head. ‘It’s too nice to be indoors so we thought we’d wait for you here.’
    Jess secretly thought that it was probably more due to the fact that Laura was reluctant to go into the house, but refrained from saying so. There was only so much drama she could stand in one day, and she felt she’d already had enough with Jo’s episode.
    Beth and Jo instantly shot off to play by the lake as Jess took a seat at the side of Laura.
    ‘Has Jo not been to school today then?’ Laura asked. She had noticed that the girl wasn’t wearing her uniform.
    ‘No, she hasn’t. She had a nightmare last night and ended up in our bed with me and Simon. Then when she got up this morning she said she wasn’t feeling well, so I thought I’d give her the benefit of the doubt, though she’ll certainly be going in tomorrow.’
    ‘What sort of a nightmare was it?’ Laura probed.
    ‘The poor lass thought she saw someone standing at the side of her bed looking down on her. It scared her.’
    Laura didn’t say anything. She could sense that Jess was as taut as a spring and didn’t want to upset her. They were still sitting there chatting when Simon pulled into the courtyard in his lorry, and Jess started guiltily.
    ‘Good grief. It’s never that time already? I wasn’t expecting him for at least another couple of hours.’
    Simon hopped lithely down from the cab and strolled over to them with a charming smile on his face.
    ‘Don’t look so worried,’ he told Jess. ‘I had to finish early. The extra bricks we ordered didn’t arrive, so there didn’t seem to be much point sitting there twiddling our thumbs.’ Then turning to Laura he told her, ‘You’re looking very nice today, Laura. Is that a new blouse you’re wearing?’
    Laura blushed becomingly as Jess silently seethed. Simon was such a flirt, and quite open with it too. She wondered how he would feel if she were to be as openly admiring to one of his friends.
    ‘I’d better go in and start dinner,’ she said shortly. ‘Would you like to come in for a drink before you go, Laura?’
    ‘No, thanks all the same but I ought to get back to start Den’s dinner too. Bye for now.’
    Jess nodded and went inside with Simon following close on her heels. Once they were in the privacy of the kitchen she