Necessary as Blood

first, but when I assured him I knew you, and I told him that Sandra‘s brothers were responsible for the attack on Azad‘s restaurant, he was furious.
    ‘He said Sandra didn‘t tell him that she knew what they‘d done, but he thinks it was the Sunday a week before she disappeared that he saw bruises on her arms.‘
    Gemma sat up so fast it made her head pound. ‘Bruises? And he didn‘t tell me?‘
    ‘I‘ve checked the dates. That would have been a week after the fire-bombing of Azad‘s restaurant. I‘d guess either they bragged to her, or she heard it from someone else, and confronted them.‘
    ‘Bloody hell!‘ said Gemma, sinking back into the pillows. ‘That gives them a second motive for wanting Sandra out of the way. Maybe she threatened to shop them for that, instead of the drugs. Or as well as the drugs.‘
    ‘Are you going to tell Duncan?‘
    Gemma rubbed her head. ‘I don‘t know. He‘ll be livid, but his hands are tied as far as the Gilles brothers are concerned. I don‘t think he could pull them in, even if he had hard evidence.‘ She could see that Melody wanted to ask more, but didn‘t.
    Instead she said, ‘Well, you‘d better tell him, nonetheless.‘
    ‘He won‘t be best pleased with me, either, but I suppose you‘re right.‘
    ‘Oh, I almost forgot.‘ Melody reached for her handbag and pulled out a small bakery box. ‘Roy sent this, for Charlotte. It‘s a lemon cupcake from a shop near his stall, called Treacle. He said it was her favourite.‘

    Melody had excused herself before Duncan and the boys returned from Leyton. ‘Sunday lunch at my parents‘ in Kensington,‘ she‘d said with a grimace. ‘And my mum is famous for inviting unsuitable blind dates for me to her Sunday soirees.‘ Her face settled into the expression Gemma had seen on Friday. ‘We‘ll hope she hasn‘t asked anyone else today, because I can tell you, it is not going to be pleasant.‘
    For just a moment, Gemma felt sorry for Ivan Talbot.

    When Melody had left, Gemma rang Betty and asked if Charlotte could come for a visit that afternoon, as an old friend had sent a treat for her. ‘And besides,‘ she added, ‘I miss her.‘
    She then had to explain why she hadn‘t come round herself, reluctantly relating the previous day‘s trip to hospital and the doctor‘s orders to take it easy.
    She hadn‘t admitted to anyone how much that hospital visit had unsettled her. The memories of pain and loss associated with the last time she had been there were still too close, too shatteringly clear.
    ‘Oh, I blame myself for not making sure you got that head looked at,‘ said Betty, clucking a bit. ‘I could tell you were not feelin‘ yourself yesterday.‘
    ‘I‘m fine now, Betty, really.‘
    ‘Well.‘ Betty didn‘t sound entirely convinced. ‘I‘ll bring the little one round for an early tea, if you‘re certain, but only if Duncan and the boys are back to help look after you.‘

    Kit had insisted on carrying her tea, giving Toby the task of bearing Charlotte‘s cupcake, carefully enthroned on a plate. What neither Roy nor Melody had foreseen, however, was that there were now three children and one treat.
    ‘Why don‘t we get one?‘ demanded Toby. ‘Me and Kit should have a cupcake, too.‘
    ‘Kit and I,‘ Gemma corrected automatically. ‘And the cupcake was a special gift to Charlotte from a friend. You‘ve had plenty of treats of your own.‘
    ‘Don‘t be greedy,‘ seconded Kit, handing Gemma her mug and settling on the end of the bed.
    Charlotte had climbed up next to Gemma. ‘Wanna share,‘ she said unexpectedly, and when Toby handed her the plate, she thrust it back.
    When Toby reached for the cupcake, Gemma smacked his hand. ‘Go downstairs and get a knife, then. You‘ll divide it properly. And don‘t run,‘ she called after him.
    Toby returned, holding a table knife point down as instructed and, Kit having declined, the cupcake was ceremoniously divided in two.
    ‘You‘re a good girl, Charlotte,‘ said Gemma. ‘Toby should take lessons.‘
    ‘You eat some, too,‘ said Charlotte, holding her half up to Gemma, so Gemma cut off a tiny corner and nibbled it, then sipped her tea.
    ‘I feel like the Queen, being waited on in bed.‘
    ‘The Queen never stays in bed.‘ Toby had dispensed with his half in two bites. ‘She‘s always out with her dogs and waving at people and stuff.‘
    ‘I‘ll bet someone brings her tea in bed every morning,‘ said