Chapter 22

Monday was spent with lawyers and estate agents getting the girls' two properties on the market, negotiating a bridging loan and drawing up agreements to pool their financial resources etc., etc. Both were increasingly happy to see Saturday's resolution to share each other's lives being implemented. They identified the perfect house in Hampstead, high up and with a flat roof, from which it was possible to look out at the vastness of London in the distance. And, bliss! Katie received an offer for her house within hours of putting it on the market. This was all going so well, it was just too good to be true. They were both on top of the world.

Within a month, they were to be in their new home and walking daily hand in hand, barefoot and bikini clad across the Heath to the swimming pool early every morning.

TUESDAY - BACK TO WORK AT LAST.

"Katie, are you sure you are fit to come back. You look awful! Funny sort of fall! More like you went fifteen rounds with Mike Tyson!"

This from her Editor as Miss O'Brien, Financial Editor, took her seat for a monthly editorial conference. A murmur of surprised sympathy went up from her colleagues, all much older than she and all male, as they saw the condition of their lovely young high-flying associate. This girl certainly seems to attract trouble wherever she goes, they all thought. None believed her story of a fall. Fell on someone's fists, more likely! Upset her boyfriend - filthy brute, whoever he is - just give me five minutes alone with him - I'd teach him to treat a woman like that. This was the universal reaction. Then the meeting got under way and Katie went back to her room and made herself comfortable (Removed her jacket and blouse) and buzzed Jean to come in with all the correspondence of the last few days.

"Gosh, Katie. You're black and blue all over! You and Angie been at it again?"

"You've got it Jean. You should see the state she's in!"

"Good, Katie. It's a funny sort of friendship - but if you both insist on that kind of thing, I want you to win every time! But don't ask me to come and watch - It'd make me ill."

"Don't fret about that Jean, it's strictly personal between us, although we did have a man and his darling dog watching us on Thursday."

"Not a darling man, then."

"He's married with three daughters. All lovely girls and his wife is sweet, if a bit feeble looking. You might look up a couple of people, Jean. See what the paper has on them. Leave all this rubbish here. It looks like a long haul catching up on all this."

It was all pretty routine stuff, though, and Katie soon had her desk clear. This phenomenally well-organised person raced through her work in a frenzy.

Jean came back after a couple of hours and handed two folders to Katie, who smiled her thanks and asked not to be disturbed.

FOLDER 1