Changing Places by Colette Caddle Read Free Book Online Page B

all the time.’
    ‘You need to get out more. Stop depending on Gary for your social life. Do something different.’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘I don’t know – yoga, dance classes, bridge.’
    Rachel stared at her. ‘I’m twenty-fucking-eight, Jill. I should be out clubbing, for God’s sake, not playing bridge!’
    ‘Then do it,’ Jill shot back.
    ‘Yeah, right.’
    ‘I’m serious. Come out some night with Anna and me. We could make a night of it. It’s been ages.’
    Rachel looked dubious at the mention of her sister.
    ‘Oh, come on,’ Jill urged. ‘It would be fun.’
    ‘Anna will probably be too busy to go out with us.’
    ‘Of course she won’t, I’ll ask her. How about Wednesday?’
    Rachel looked taken aback. ‘What –
this
Wednesday?’
    ‘Why not? If Gary’s working you can always get a babysitter.’
    Rachel looked vaguely surprised at the idea. ‘I suppose. Linda next door is always offering to look after Alex and he worships her.’
    ‘There you are then.’ Rachel glanced at her watch and stood up. ‘I’ll call Anna in the morning.’
    ‘Are you going already?’ Rachel looked disappointed.
    ‘I need to be in at the crack of dawn tomorrow,’ Jill said, kissing her cousin’s cheek. ‘I have some knives to sharpen. But I’ll call you about the arrangements.
And Rachel?’
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘Phone me when you’re ready to talk.’
    ‘Talk?’
    ‘About the baby, about Gary.’ Jill shrugged and smiled. ‘Hell, about the price of petrol if you like.’
    Rachel hugged her fiercely. ‘Thanks, Jill.’
    Anna was waiting outside a small, drab terraced house in Kinsealy at ten o’clock the next morning when her mobile rang. Jill was between meetings and hurriedly filled
Anna in on the proposed night out. Anna agreed readily although her enthusiasm dwindled when she heard her sister was going.
    ‘It will be fun,’ Jill said firmly and rang off.
    Anna had her doubts, but she didn’t have time to think about it right now as the young couple who had come to view number seventeen were getting out of their car.
    ‘Hello, there,’ she smiled and switched into business mode. ‘Susan?’
    The girl nodded. ‘And this is Damien, my boyfriend.’
    ‘Nice to meet you.’ Anna held out her hand and after a moment’s hesitation the man took it.
    Anna withdrew from the limp handshake and turned to open the door. ‘Shall we go in?’ She led the couple around the small house, pointing out the marble fireplace (a very strange
orange colour), the Aga (way too big and imposing for the small, plastic kitchen) and the wonderful storage (dark brown hulking great wardrobes that dwarfed the bedrooms and shut out the natural
light.) ‘Very well maintained,’ she said as they stood in the tiny back garden. Well, that wasn’t a lie. There was sod-all in the garden to maintain!
    ‘It’s a bit poky,’ the man complained.
    ‘Oh, but it’s so cosy!’ His girlfriend snuggled in against his arm. ‘I’m sure I could make it into a wonderful little home for us.’
    ‘It’s overpriced,’ he muttered, moving away from her, ‘and what about that field at the back? They could build a bloody factory there for all we know.’
    ‘It’s actually zoned as a green area,’ Anna told him with a pleasant smile.
    ‘Huh, that’s what they say
now
,’ he snorted.
    Anna kept the smile fixed firmly on her face. ‘Shall we move on to the next house?’
    ‘Yes, please.’ Susan beamed at her. ‘It’s in Ashgrove Lane, isn’t it? That’s such a lovely road.’
    Her partner frowned. ‘I don’t think we can afford a house in that area.’
    ‘It’s only five thousand more than this house,’ Anna told them as she locked up and led the way out to her car. ‘The owners want a quick sale.’
    ‘Why, what’s wrong with it?’ he replied.
    Anna suppressed a sigh. ‘Not a thing, I assure you. They’re emigrating and they need to sell up before they can afford to buy a place.’
    Poor Susan, Anna thought as