The Lost

The change of tack threw him. ‘No, help yourself.’

‘I’m not normally such a pig, but I skipped lunch,’ she said, reaching for it and taking a bite. She gave a groan of pleasure. ‘God, I’m such a hypocrite. I’m always lecturing Maddie about junk food, and now look at me.’

‘Maddie’s your daughter?’ he asked, remembering the conversation they’d had outside the church.

‘Yeah. I love her to bits, but she can be a complete monster when she wants to be. Winds my parents round her little finger. You know how it is.’ She screwed up her face as she realised. ‘Shit. Sorry, I didn’t...’

‘It’s OK.’ Jonah had learned long ago not to react to unintentional barbs. That wasn’t the same as being immune to them. ‘You said you were a single parent?’

Daly was eager to move past her gaffe. ‘It’s no big story. Her father didn’t run off or die or anything, he was just a shit. Let’s just say it’s another episode in my life I’m not especially proud of. And there have been a few, believe me. But it got me Maddie, so I owe him that much.’

‘Does he ever see her?’

‘No. That was never going to happen, I knew that from the start. But it’s his loss. He wasn’t the sort to bring much joy into her life even if he’d stuck around. So, you know, good riddance. I’m sorry for Maddie, but she’s a happy little girl, she’s got a loving family. I just wish...’

‘What?’ Jonah asked when she stopped. Daly shrugged a shoulder, studying her beer.

‘That I could be around more for her. I mean, I’ve got to work, and I try to make the most of the time we spend together. I try to be a good mum, I really do. But it’s hard, sometimes.’ She stopped, shaking her head. ‘Sorry. I shouldn’t be moaning to you about my problems. Not after what you’ve been through.’

Jonah shrugged, uncomfortable with the direction this had taken. ‘I’m OK.’

‘Yeah, ’course you are.’ Daly smiled. She tucked her legs under her on the sofa, twisting to face him more directly. ‘I’m sorry about Gavin McKinney. Were you very close?’

Jonah felt a cloud pass over him. ‘We used to be.’

‘I know you don’t want to talk about it, but when I—’ She stopped. ‘Never mind.’

‘What?’

Daly shook her head. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

Jonah looked at her, trying to scent a trap. She had her head down, hair falling across her face. ‘Go on.’

‘I was going to say I lost my best friend a few years ago, so I’ve got some idea what you’re going through. Completely different circumstances, she took an accidental overdose. At least everyone said it was accidental, but I always wondered, you know? I kept thinking I should have done more, that I let her down.’

She paused, as though giving Jonah the opportunity to say something. But his feelings for Gavin were too complex to walk into that minefield. When he didn’t respond, Daly bit her lip.

‘I’ve got a question, but I don’t like to ask,’ she said.

Jonah smiled, but he felt some tension creeping back. Here it comes. ‘Then maybe you shouldn’t.’

Her own smile soon flickered out. Somehow she’d moved nearer on the sofa, legs still curled under her but now leaning towards him.

‘I’ve heard rumours about your friend. That he was in trouble. And he shouldn’t even have been at that warehouse because he’d been suspended. Is that true?’

Shit. Jonah set his beer down. ‘Where’d you hear that?’

‘It’s OK, I don’t expect you to confirm anything, but... Well, you can’t deny it, can you?’

Jonah was sobering fast. ‘Jesus Christ,’ he said, marvelling at his own stupidity.

‘OK, I’m sorry, forget I said anything,’ Daly said, as he started to get up. ‘Please don’t—’

But Jonah had already jumped to his feet, momentarily forgetting about his knee. He gave a gasp as his full weight came down on it, sending a burst of pain lancing through the joint. His leg buckled under him, and as he grabbed for the armchair his shin caught the edge of the coffee table. It tipped over, spilling the beer cans and Daly’s handbag onto the floor. Jonah flopped back into the chair, gritting his teeth against the throbbing in his knee as she hurried over.

‘Oh, God, not again! Are you OK?’

‘Yeah, just... stupid.’

And embarrassed. His knee was still throbbing but less so now. Enough for him to be aware of how close Daly was. She had one hand on his shoulder, the other resting on his chest. When he opened his eyes, her face was only inches from his. He could smell her perfume, and the heat from her hands burned through his T-shirt. Neither spoke. Daly leaned closer, or maybe it was the other way around.