Free Sweet Damage by Rebecca James Page A

Blake.
    â€˜Yeah,’ Blake says. ‘Nice girl.’
    â€˜A lot has happened to her since then,’ I say. ‘I think she’s changed a fair bit. I mean, she’s still nice, just a bit quiet these days. Her parents died, for one thing. And someone else close to her died, too. Some bloke called Benjamin.’
    â€˜No kidding? Her parents died?’ Blake shakes his head. ‘That’s too bad. What was her mother’s name again?’
    â€˜Dunno,’ I say.
    â€˜And who’s Benjamin?’ Dad asks.
    â€˜I think he must have been Anna’s boyfriend. But I don’t know for sure,’ I explain. ‘I don’t actually know who he is or how he died. I just know he died.’
    Dad looks at me curiously. ‘And how do you know that?’
    â€˜Because,’ I frown, trying to think of the best way to explain it. ‘Anna had some friends over yesterday and they told me. I mean, they told me Benjamin was dead without actually saying who he was. If that makes sense.’
    â€˜How?’ Dad asks.
    â€˜How what?’
    â€˜How did he die?’
    â€˜I told you,’ I say irritably. ‘I don’t know .’
    â€˜Hey, you guys,’ Jo says slowly, looking around the table. ‘Do you remember the story that was in the papers a few years ago? Might have been on the telly, too, come to think of it. That horrible car crash? A semi-trailer lost control coming down some hill and ran up the back of a car. Totally crushed it.’
    â€˜Don’t remember it,’ I say.
    â€˜Some rich couple were killed. And the papers went on and on about their daughter being left all alone. “Poor little rich girl” they called her. Orphan Annie. I’m sure that’s what they said. Stuff like that. It was really sensational coverage. I remember my mum commenting on it, saying it was exploitative,’ Jo says. ‘They put photos of her parents in the paper and then these stupid pictures of her looking really sad. Do you think that was your Anna, Tim?’
    â€˜Maybe,’ I say. ‘Could have been.’
    â€˜God. The poor thing. Imagine having to put up with that kind of crap.’
    â€˜And that would help explain things,’ Blake says. ‘Why she’s changed. Why she’s so quiet now.’
    â€˜It would, wouldn’t it?’ Jo says, stabbing her fork into a piece of fish. ‘What a shit situation. Both your parents gone and then your boyfriend dies. She must feel so lonely, so ripped off by life.’
    â€˜Yeah,’ I say. ‘It’s all pretty full on.’
    *
    I find Anna in the kitchen early the next morning. She’s sitting at the table, a mug in front of her. She looks tired, pale, unhappy. She glances up as I walk in and I get the sense she’s been waiting for me.
    â€˜I’m sorry about yesterday,’ she says immediately.
    I put the kettle on, get myself a mug. ‘You don’t have to apologise,’ I say.
    â€˜Yes I do. I was an idiot.’ She puts her hand on her forehead. ‘I think I had too much beer.’
    I don’t answer until I’ve made a coffee and sat at the table opposite her.
    â€˜First of all,’ I say, ‘you didn’t behave like an idiot. There’s nothing wrong with being sad. And secondly,’ I take a breath, smile, ‘you can blame the beer if you want but it’s obvious there’s something else going on. There’s clearly something wrong.’
    â€˜Something wrong,’ she says wearily. ‘That’s an understatement.’
    â€˜Yep,’ I say. ‘I get that.’ I don’t want to be too pushy or ask too many direct questions. Anna’s so nervy and on edge – one wrong move and I’m scared she’ll flee. I’m pretty sure her sadness is mostly about Benjamin, but Marcus’s strange anger yesterday makes me reluctant to ask about him. The whole topic just seems far too