TOYL

jump.’

    ***

    ‘I didn’t take the photo,’ said Eric, looking at the newspaper that Emma had picked up on the way to the park – a replacement for the one her father had torn up.
    ‘It must have been you,’ Emma accused. ‘This was taken on the day I spoke with you – the day you were taking my photograph.’
    ‘But this isn’t one of my photos,’ Eric countered, pointing at the image. ‘I only took your photograph up close. This was taken from a distance, with a zoom lens.’
    ‘Why should I believe you?’
    ‘Because it’s the truth – and I already told you, I don’t sell my photos to newspapers. I never have and I never will,’ he said with passion. ‘Someone must have been watching you from a distance. It’s nothing to do with me.’
    ‘Are you sure it was taken from a distance?’
    ‘Positive. Look, I know more about photography than most people. It was definitely taken from a long way away.’
    Emma looked across the park, as if a person might still be there, watching with the long-range camera. Of course she couldn’t see anyone. She turned back to Eric.
    ‘Were you at the launch party last night?’
    ‘No. I thought about going, but I didn’t in the end. Why?’
    ‘I thought I saw you there.’
    ‘Must have been my clone,’ Eric joked. ‘I was tucked up in front of the television. You can ask my mum if you like.’
    ‘I’m sorry, Eric, for accusing you. It’s just that when I saw that photograph, I just thought that it had to be you who’d taken it.’
    ‘I can understand that,’ he said. ‘It must be awful being splashed all over the newspapers like that.’
    ‘It is,’ she admitted.

    ***

    As Emma returned to the apartment she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone might be watching her – maybe the same someone who had taken her photo for the newspaper. She hurried back as quickly as possible without breaking into a run. Occasionally she glanced around, but she didn’t spot any photographers. But then again, they were probably very good at keeping out of sight.
    There were a few letters waiting for her back at the apartment. She could tell from looking at most of them that they were junk mail. But one letter was so intriguing that she opened it in the hallway. It was in a standard white envelope, with her address typed across the front. But it just seemed different to the rest of the post. As she tore it open she hoped it was from Dan.
    Within seconds of starting to read it, she wished it hadn’t been from him.
    ‘No,’ she said, shaking her head in disbelief, as tears splashed down onto the paper. ‘She wouldn’t do that to me… she wouldn’t.’

40

    ‘We were starting to wonder if you’d forgotten,’ joked Sarah, as Emma entered the theatre lobby.
    ‘Sorry, got delayed. Couldn’t decide what to wear.’ Emma met the group of girls with a smile and a “what can you do?” shrug. But the smile was an effort. It was hard not to think back to the hen party, the last time that they had been together. How things had changed. But as if that wouldn’t have been bad enough, she was still reeling from the revelations contained in Dan’s letter earlier that day.
    ‘You just missed Lizzy,’ Sarah said. ‘She popped out to say hello – she’s invited us to some nightclub after the performance. Supposedly they’ve hired out the whole place. Should be a great night out.’
    ‘Sounds great,’ Emma said.
    ‘Lizzy’s got herself a secret admirer,’ Sarah continued.
    ‘Really?’ Emma said, her stomach sinking at the news.
    Sarah nodded. ‘Someone sent her a massive bouquet of flowers, wishing her luck for tonight.’
    ‘She didn’t say who it was from?’ Emma asked.
    ‘Unfortunately not,’ Sarah lamented. ‘We were hoping that you might have some idea – you being her best friend and all.’
    ‘Haven’t got a clue. She hasn’t mentioned anyone to me.’
    ‘Pity,’ Sarah replied. ‘We’ll have to try and drag the truth out of her. Call me suspicious, but I’m sure that she does know who sent those flowers. I just got the feeling that she knew more than she was letting on. Maybe I’m wrong.’
    ‘Maybe,’ Emma mused, thinking about what she was going to have to do.
    ‘We’d better get to our seats,’ interrupted Claire, another one of the gang, poking her head around from the front of the group. She was holding a gigantic bag of chocolates. ‘The show will be starting any minute.’

    ***

    Emma watched in the darkness as