Getting The Picture (18 page)

Am I making any sense? I'm not even sure what happened in Martin's room myself. But I do know I've been clutching your little white handkerchief so hard since, it's a wonder it's still in one piece. And here is another funny thing. After we'd finished, Martin said something to me that I didn't take in at the time. It was only when I was back in my room that I realised how he'd said how lucky I was being born a woman.

I suppose we have to wait now for the photographs to come, but I don't know if I even want to see them. It was enough to have them taken.

Anyway, enough of silly old me. Flirty Flo, you'll be saying. Let me know about the school, won't you, and although we haven't always seen eye to eye, wish Laurie well. However brave she's being it must be difficult. She's lucky to have you.

Yours aye,

Flo

129.
email from nell baker to angie griffiths

Hello Angie,

It's your newly shorn sister here. So I finally had my appointment with Dad's hairdresser and even if I say it myself, it's not too bad. Even Robyn has given it the seal of approval. You would have laughed at Dad. He only waited outside with Martin while I was being done. They set up these chairs outside the room, and the two of them sat there until I was finished. Mrs. Oliver came too. The three of them have formed quite a little clique. Can you imagine Dad with friends? I can't tell you the relief of not having him on my back the whole time, but I do wonder what Mum would have made of it. Don't tell me you never imagined what it would have been like to have had a normal family because I know you used to lie at school too, and pretend we had people around on Sundays and stuff because I looked in your books. I don't think I ever told you how I wrote an essay once about how we'd been on holiday with another family. ‘Every evening we ate and played together', as if that was something marvellous. But then the teacher put it up on the wall, so before parents' night I had to find a way of creeping into the classroom and tearing it down so Mum wouldn't see it. I never knew whether Mrs. Clifford had mentioned it to her.

But now Dad has more of a social life than me. They've even set up a committee which will apparently suit him just fine. ‘Have you got a file?' I asked him as a joke. You know what he had always been like with his files, but apparently Mrs. Oliver has bested him here. She's the committee secretary and has got TWO files. If she wasn't so keen on Martin, I might say she and Dad could get together and open their own filing cabinet. It's a thought.

Will try to attach a photograph of the hair anyway. I need your opinion before I hit the streets of Bedford with confidence. Mark says it's OK, but he would. He's always hanging around me at work now wanting to talk about cooking. I tease him that it's food porn.

Nell

130.
answer phone message from george griffiths to angie griffiths

Hello Angie,

This is your father speaking to you. Or speaking to your machine. Thank you for your card of a French apple tart with your note on the back about your mother's cooking. I wanted to tell you that we both knew it was you who ate that whole date and walnut loaf one day after school. She couldn't stop laughing when she told me, but we pretended we thought someone might have crept into the house to steal it to see if you would own up. Even when Nell had nightmares about the phantom cake thief, you still said nothing. You always were such a stubborn child. And so hungry. Mind you, poor Nell was always having nightmares. If it wasn't a cake thief, it was a playground spy or a Christmas-tree robber. We even had to get rid of the big trees we used to have every year because of that last one.

At least I was able to do something nice for her the other day. She had her hair cut by one of the girls who comes here, and I must say she looks beautiful. I can't claim all the credit because it was Martin's idea. He thought Nell needed cheering up, but that she'd prefer the idea to come from me. I will never get to grips with the fairer sex, but it seems to have done the trick.

Martin said that one of the helpers here, Steve, thought she looked the cat's meow, not that this is anything to boast about.

Steve isn't really quite the thing. I'm not sure why Mrs. Oliver and Martin give him the time of day. I am trying to get his police records at the moment. Do you have contacts? I had hopes for Nell with a policeman she seemed to be friendly with, but Martin tells me I was mistaken.

Anyway, if you want your hair cut, I will be pleased to arrange it. I think even you with your Parisian standards would be satisfied with young Chrissie's work.

Angie, I forgot to say it is six minutes past two on Thursday afternoon and this has been your father.

131.
email from nell baker to angie griffiths

Dad said I looked beautiful??? Holy moly.

132.
note from claude bichourie to angie griffiths

Angela,

I cannot understand your note at all, or why you are angry with me. Am I not always telling you how beautiful you are? And what do you mean you had some photographs taken? But this is a good thing, no? Particularly if I am understanding rightly what you mean by a sweetheart shot. You are a wicked beautiful girl, and I am the luckiest man in Paris.

I will be with you tomorrow night.

133.
email from nell baker to angie griffiths

No, I don't remember Mum ever having photographs taken at all. It doesn't sound exactly like the kind of thing she would do, does it? I seem to remember she hated posing for the camera more than anything.

But here's a strange thing. After I read your email, I went to look at the few photographs we've got of Mum and one of them has gone. I can't find it anywhere.

I suppose Robyn might have got it. After James left us, I found this box full of photographs of him at the back of a cupboard. Not whole photographs, but bits of his face she'd cut out of other pictures. I didn't say anything because I thought she'd grow out of it. I'll ask her when she comes back but she's very sensitive at the moment. She burst out crying yesterday just because I said there was an old woman outside work trying to get across the road and the cars wouldn't stop for her. I felt awful.

Why don't you just ask Dad whether Mum ever went to a photographer?

He's changed a lot recently. He's almost normal.

Kiss to tadpole. Will you tell Dad about him or her too? It's killing me keeping it a secret.

134.
letter from martin morris to robyn baker

Dear Robyn,

Your very dramatic letter touched me tremendously. Please don't worry any longer about me coming to your house for our reading sessions, enjoyable as they have been. I will write to your mother immediately and tell her how the kind of thing you are writing has been too much for me. She will be puzzled but will soon understand what I mean when I show her your work.

Also put your little mind at rest regarding the poetry reading here. It is hard to stand up in public and say your own words at the best of times. So I will save you the trouble. How about if I read them out myself? You won't need to be there, but I will make sure you get all of the glory.

However shy they may claim to be, there is nothing worse for an artist not to get the recognition they deserve. Trust me on that one. I don't intend for that to happen to you. What a pity you don't have your father to protect you. I imagine that he would have known what to do in a situation like this.

Yours,

Martin

135.
email from nell baker to angie griffiths

There's something wrong with Robyn. I'm worried sick. It's not just her being a teenager anymore, but when she looks at me her eyes seem dead and I can't get her to talk at all. I hate to say it, Angie, but it reminds me of when you and Mum weren't getting on at the end. That's why I'm writing now. Tell me what would have helped. Please, Angie, tell me what I'm doing wrong and how I can make things better.

136.
letter from florence oliver to lizzie corn

Dear Lizzie,

How upsetting for you to be blamed like this. Does Laurie have any actual grounds for suspecting you of being the one who went to the school about Troy? She must at least let you tell your side of the story so you can prove her wrong.

Unless.

Lizzie, you didn't, did you?

Oh love. I hoped you would have learned your lesson after what happened when you told Graham about me and the butcher becoming friends in Aldershot. Just because you are right in fact doesn't always mean you are right
in truth
. If you know what I mean.

But I'm not going to jump to conclusions. I will wait for you to tell me the truth. And I feel for you having Troy's mother to stay because I can imagine it must be getting very crowded in Laurie's house. It must be confusing for Brian and Amy to have two grannies, but you are blood so you will always have their hearts. Even despite Cora's homemade puddings and the card games and the fact that Laurie's not speaking to you at the moment because of the tale telling. I don't know any good card games myself, but I will ask Susan Reed. She always seems to be happily busy with grandchildren, so she might have some ideas for me to pass on.

How about bingo? Just a thought. We did love it when we played it despite the fighting after. Shall we give it another whirl in Bournemouth?

And the answer to your question is no. I still haven't seen the photographs. I'm not sure I even want to. Just having them taken is a secret I keep hugging tight to myself.

Yours aye,

Flo

137.
letter from martin morris to mo griffiths

Dear Mo,

So our girl still isn't coming back.

As I suspected, the haircut wasn't enough. According to George, Angie has even seen a photograph of Nell and approves. But she's too busy to come home. ‘Oooh,' he says, rubbing his hands together as if all the money she makes is going direct to his bank account. ‘She's got such a big job.' The funny thing is that Nell calls it the same thing, but no one says exactly what this ‘big job' is.

No, the situation has called for something else, something more dramatic. A family crisis, I thought. And who is the one who is most likely to cause a crisis? The one they all look to for trouble? Robyn, of course. There is always one in a family who carries the burden of all wrong-doing. Plus I know Robyn will do anything to stop her mother getting upset. Even things against her better judgment. She's playing right into my hands, although I have to say she's still proving rather slow.

I can't feel bad because these are desperate times. And, all things being equal, I think your family owes me one. Besides, once Angie's back, everything will be much better.

And just so Nell doesn't feel completely forgotten, I have a plan for her too.

M

138.
answer phone from george griffiths to angie griffiths

This is your father here. At his wit's end. Your father's ends. Normally nothing gives me more satisfaction than being proven right, but this time, I find no comfort in it.

Do you remember how, some time ago, I told you about how I suspected young Robyn of creeping into my room and taking things? At that time, I dropped a few heavy hints and the thieving stopped, but now it seems I was wrong to let sleeping dogs lie. I blame myself for taking my eye off the ball. Robyn, not content with robbing her own family, has been caught stealing from one of our dear friends, Martin Morris, who I have learned has put himself out considerably on her behalf.

Nell is beside herself, which is of no help as the girl clearly needs professional support. I am advising Nell to get the police involved to teach her a lesson. It seems harsh but it is time for action.

We are lucky that Martin is being so understanding about it all, but nevertheless, this is a family matter and, although he is adamant that he does not want to press charges, I do believe we have to make amends somehow.

Thank you for your postcard of French breads. I wonder why they need so many shapes. Very unnecessary in my view.

Your father

139.
email from nell baker to angie griffiths

Yep, this time Dad has got it right. Bloody Robyn. She's upstairs in her room sobbing her heart out, and I can't get any sense out of her at all. I'll email more later. And to think she did it to Martin of all people. He reckons she was after one of his cameras.

140.
note from claude bichourie to angie Griffiths

Chérie,

Why on earth do you need to go to England now? Is it because of the photographs? Or because I haven't been attentive enough recently. I have been at a loss to understand you recently, but the truth is I have started to think about you more than I should. My office will send you first class air tickets to travel to London in six weeks' time. Your visit will then coincide when I will be away in the country. Until then, I crave your company all for myself.

Claude

141.
letter from martin morris to nell baker

Dear Nell,

It was kind of you to write but there is really no need. Although my initial reaction at finding Robyn rummaging through my room was one of shock, I wonder now if I overreacted by mentioning it to anyone. As I have told George, we were all young once, and the last thing I would like to do is to cause problems for your family, particularly when you have been so kind to a lonely old man.

If it would make you feel better to encourage Robyn to write a letter of apology, then I would be happy to accept it but once again, there is no obligation.

Nothing would make me happier than for Robyn and me to put all this fuss behind us and be good friends again. Even so, I'm sure you understand why my little visits to your home must come to an end, much as they have come to mean the world to me. In the meantime, if I own anything at all she would like, even my best camera, then all she has to do is ask for it. I still think she is a wonderful girl and I hope that you will tell her this.