OK, saying “gun” was a mistake. At once Jeff stiffens. He’s been on hyper-alert ever since Dad and Tarkie disappeared.
“If you wish to approach this person,” he says heavily, “I will secure the area first.”
I want to giggle at his disapproving expression. He’s behaving like he’s some stiff and starchy 1930s butler and I’ve said I want to talk to a tramp.
“Fine. Secure the area.”
Jeff gives me another reproachful look, then gets out of the car. The next minute I can see him frisking Lon. Frisking him!
But Lon doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, his face is all shiny and excited, and I can see him taking pictures of Jeff with his phone. At last Jeff returns to the car and says, “The area is secure.”
“Thank you, Jeff!” I beam and bound out of the car. “Hi, Lon!” I salute him. “How are you? Nice boots! Sorry about all the security and stuff.”
“No, that’s fine!” says Lon breathlessly. “Your bodyguard is so cool.”
“He’s really sweet.” I nod.
“I guess you have to be super-careful of nut jobs,” says Lon reverently. “I’ve seen your guard dog, too, patrolling the grounds and everything?”
Lon is so starry-eyed, I can’t help blossoming under his gaze.
“Well, you know.” I toss my hair back. “When you’re in my position, you have to be careful. You don’t know who’s out there.”
“Have you had many attempts on your life?” Lon is agog.
“Er, not that many. You know. Just the normal amount.” I quickly change the subject. “Anyway, so what did you want to say?”
“Oh, right!” Lon nods animatedly. “We saw your special delivery from Danny Kovitz. The van came earlier, and I got talking to the guy. He works at the showroom. He knew all about it. It’s a dress for you to wear tonight.”
“Danny sent over a dress for me?” I’m so touched, I can’t help grinning.
“It’s from the new collection, Trees and Wires? Like, the one that hasn’t even been shown yet?” Lon seems beyond ecstatic. “The one that Danny said came straight from his soul?”
All Danny’s recent collections have been called “Something and Something.” One was Metal and Philosophy. Another was Envy and Scarlet. The fashion journalists and bloggers write screeds on what the titles mean, but if you ask me, he just picks two random words out of the dictionary and chooses two different fonts and calls it meaningful. Not that I’ll say this to Lon, who looks like he’s going to expire with excitement.
“No one has seen anything of this collection,” Lon is babbling. “There are rumors online, but nobody knows anything. So, like, I was wondering, will you wear it tonight? And can we take some pictures? My friends and me?”
His face is scrunched up in hope and he’s folding his bandanna into ever-decreasing squares.
“Of course!” I say. “I’m leaving at six, but I’ll come out five minutes early and you can all see the dress.”
“Yay!” Lon’s face relaxes into a beam. “We’ll be there!” Already he’s tapping at his phone. “Thanks, Becky! You’re the greatest!”
As we head inside, my spirits are higher than they have been for ages. Danny sent me a dress! I’m going to be a fashion story! Nenita Dietz is bound to be impressed when she sees me. But my momentary euphoria freezes into icy fog as soon as I see Suze. She’s sitting in the kitchen, surrounded by papers on which I can see her scribbled writing. Her hair is shoved into a disheveled knot. I can hear The Little Mermaid playing in the next room and smell toast, which is clearly what she’s given her children for their tea.
On the table is a fancy-looking Golden Peace tote bag, which is new. Alicia must have given it to her, as well as that sweatshirt sticking out of it. I know what she’s doing. She’s trying to buy Suze’s love.
“Nice bag,” I say.
“Thanks,” says Suze, barely looking up. “So you’re back.” She sounds accusing, which is hardly fair.
“I was back earlier,” I reply pointedly. “But you were out.” With Alicia, I refrain from adding. “Any news?”
I know there isn’t any news, because I’ve been checking my phone every five minutes, but it’s worth asking anyway.
“Nothing. I’ve been on the phone to all of Tarkie’s friends, but none of them has any leads. What have you done? Have you spoken to your dad’s friends?”
“I went to the trailer park. I did some investigating there.”
“Oh yes, I got your voice mail.” She stops scribbling and draws her feet up to her chair, hugging her knees. Her face is drawn with worry, and I feel a sudden urge to hug her tight and pat her back, like I would have done any other time. But somehow … I can’t. Everything feels too stilted between us. “You met another Rebecca? That’s so strange.”
I tell her all about the trailer park, and she listens in silence.
“Something’s going on with my dad,” I finish. “But I have no idea what.”
“But what does it mean?” Suze rubs her brow. “And why has he got Tarquin involved?”
“I don’t know,” I say helplessly. “Mum will be in the air by now, so I can’t ask her, and anyway, she doesn’t know anything.…” I grind to a halt. My attention has been grabbed by something on the kitchen counter. It’s a big box with DANNY KOVITZ printed on the side.