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.No one handled the incident as something serious and she wondered if the family had over reacted.She was relieved about the lack of media interest but with no further distraction her thoughts began returning to the dead woman and her last moments in Hanna’s hands.The dormant pangs of guilt were once again playing on her mind.Finally there were signs of life from the bedroom and a rather lively Biddy came out of her hibernation with Walter following closely behind.“Hanna, are you sure we can accept this hospitality?” Walter asked her.Biddy looked like she had just been struck by lightning and looked at her daughter: “Do you know Hanna?”“Yes.I think I do,” she replied.“I had no idea.You know Hanna?” Biddy said again with even more surprise in her voice.“Yes.How do you know her?” Hanna humoured her.“Hanna and I are good friends.Don’t tell anyone, please.We don’t want anyone getting jealous.”“Your secret is safe with me.”“Staying here is too much to ask of anyone,” Walter pointed out.“Let alone a complete stranger.What exactly is your relationship with this man, Pumpkin?” he asked forcefully.“Dad, there is no relationship.He is just a friend.Will you please relax? I don’t think we’ll be here for long.I checked it on the Internet and the whole media coverage of my case is pathetic.I doubt that even one journalist made the journey to our house.”“What are we going to do with ourselves in your friend’s house then?” Walter asked restlessly.“The same as we do in your own house,” Hanna replied coolly.“Have dinner, watch television or a DVD, read your book, write your chronicle.I don’t know Dad; do what you normally do on a Sunday.”“I wouldn’t mind checking the sports results,” Walter admitted quietly.“Karim has a Sky box.You can knock yourself out.There are probably about 20 channels dedicated to sport.”“Do you know how to switch the system on, Pumpkin? I don’t want to mess it up for our Good Samaritan,” Walter asked awkwardly.“I will give it a go.”She was lucky.It was easy to work out.I am going to take Mum for a walk around the block,” she told her father after she had found the sports channel section for him.“I think we won’t be doing any cooking here today.The fridge is empty.It will have to be another take out.”“Oh well.A lucky break for both of us,” Walter said, his eyes already glued to the huge plasma TV screen that was showing the Arsenal league game.Karim’s building was part of a new development that combined a converted church and its annex buildings with completely new houses, whose style was just about in harmony with the historic look of the existing ones.The developers had clearly intended the finished product for the higher end of the property market.The settlement had a lot of green and recreational areas which at the moment were so quiet and empty that it felt like their own private park.Hanna was grateful for the solitude and calm.Biddy’s appreciation of nature once again proved itself not to have disappeared forever and the more the old woman lost herself in a euphoric admiration of flowers and birdsong the more her daughter relaxed.A man walked past with a Labrador off the leash and both women greeted the little rascal with joy and excitement: happy dogs were so therapeutic.The path led them away from the development towards a small lake.Hanna could not remember ever having been to this part of town before and she had no recollection of a lake this size.Biddy sat down on a bench that had been set up near the water and stared entranced at a group of swans on the other shore.“You look worried my dear,” she said to her daughter.“I am all right, Biddy.Don’t worry about me.”“Look around you,” Biddy said and pointed at the lake.“This is so beautiful, how can you be upset? There is always hope.”Hanna was rather surprised at this philosophical comment from her mother [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]