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cheaper price.’
    â€˜Yes, well, that’s no good. You can’t have someone like that working for you.’
    â€˜But, Mum, the thing was that Doug wouldn’t admit it was his fault. When Pete asked him he swore black and blue he quoted them the right price. Even though he’d written the wrong price down in the book. He even tried to say it was just his messy writing — that Pete couldn’t read the numbers properly.’
    â€˜Did Pete blame Doug?’
    â€˜Yeah, of course. But I don’t think he pushed it. I think he just let it go. But Doug was offended anyway.’
    â€˜And feeling guilty too, I imagine.’
    â€˜I don’t know about that. He’s a pretty weird guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he convinced himself it really wasn’t his fault.’ She stood up. ‘Anyway, that was the last we heard of him — until now. Come on, we’d better get these kids in the showers.’ She went to the edge of the pool. ‘Edie! Louie! Time to get out.’
    Edie looked up at her, flashed a smile and blithely splashed off in the other direction.
    â€˜Right.’ Bonnie went along the edge a bit, closer to where they were. ‘Edie! Louie! Out now or there’ll be no hot chocolates!’
    â€˜The thing is, Mum,’ she said, as they herded the kids out to the car park, ‘with this whole Doug business — I mean, one of the things I love so much about Pete, and really admire in him, is his generosity. He really is one of the kindest people I know. And I wish I was more like that myself. You know?’ She stopped at the car, felt in her bag for the keys. ‘I mean, poor Doug — he’s got troubles, obviously. He never has any money. He doesn’t own any property or assets.’
    â€˜What’s he spend all his money on then?’
    â€˜I don’t know. Gambling, I think. He’s into the horses.’
    â€˜Then he’s only got himself to blame for that.’
    â€˜Yeah, well. But, you know what I mean — he’s on his own. I’ve never heard of him being in any sort of relationship — a girlfriend, or anything. And I don’t think he’s got much support in terms of family or whatever, and he doesn’t seem to have many friends.’ Bonnie pulled out the keys, unlocked the car. ‘He really is a lost soul. And we’ve got — you know, it’s no skin off my nose if someone else eats a bit of our porridge in the mornings — why should I begrudge him that? And the kids do really love him.’ She looked across at Edie and Louie, who were swinging on a rail. ‘He reads them stories and all that, and, you know, it probably means a lot to him, that contact, if he’s as lonely as he seems —’
    â€˜Yes, but, Bonnie, this is business we’re talking about. That bloke sounds like a liability.’ Suzanne leaned over to kiss her cheek. ‘You need to put a stop to it.’
    Doug’s van wasn’t out the front when they got home.
    â€˜Where’s Douggie?’ said Louie.
    â€˜Don’t know, darling. Maybe he’s gone out to get something.’
    â€˜Some wood?’
    â€˜Yeah. Maybe some wood.’
    All afternoon she found herself listening out. Glancing towards the hallway, the front door. Doug didn’t return though. She saw Pete go down along the side of the workshop to the outside toilet at some point, but he didn’t come up to the house.
    When he did come in, at five-thirty, she was at the stove stirring a cobbled-together pasta sauce of canned tuna and tomatoes.
    â€˜Smells good.’ He put his arms around her.
    â€˜The only part of it not to come out of a can is the onion.’
    â€˜Well, it still smells good. I’m hungry. I’ll just go and get cleaned up.’
    â€˜Wait.’ Bonnie turned and reached up to him. She kissed him, his face and neck. ‘I’m sorry I’ve been so