A Christmas Cracker: The only festive romance to curl up with this Christmas!

‘That’s so kind of you,’ I said, ‘but I don’t think I’ll have enough money to pay you back straight away.’

‘Oh, don’t worry, it can come out of your wages eventually. I’m afraid they won’t be substantial, but as you’ll be living in and eating with the family, that will save you expense.’

‘It sounds wonderful,’ I said.

‘Then that’s settled and you’ll come to us as soon as you’re released. I’ll look forward to it. I’m sure Ceddie was guided to tell me about you, because you’re just the person I need.’

‘I hope so,’ I said.

‘You are bright, artistically talented and practical – those are all the qualities I require,’ she said cheerily, then asked if I had enough money to travel to Lancashire on my release. I assured her I had and declined her offer to send the long-suffering-sounding Job down again to collect me.

I didn’t tell Mercy I intended making an illicit detour to Formby in search of Pye, because I needed to know exactly where he was and if he was happy. I was pretty sure the authorities would expect me to go straight from the prison to the known address, but with a bit of luck they’d never know and I’d still arrive at Mote Farm in time to be ringed like a pigeon that afternoon.

I tried to identify the strange feeling stirring in my heart, and eventually decided it was the pale wraith of optimism.

Chapter 7: Life of Pye (#ulink_e9f9e3da-9935-5b04-9d14-935525eaa289)

Q: What happened to the man who stole an Advent calendar?

A: He got twenty-four days!

By my release day I’d started to wonder if I might have become so institutionalised that I’d soon be looking back longingly at the safe familiarity of the open prison.

The final formalities were completed and I learned that even though I had a long journey ahead of me, I still needed to be at Mote Farm by five, so that I could be tagged there the same day.

When I got into the waiting taxi to be driven to the nearest station I had with me the small suitcase and handbag I’d gone to prison with (though with less money, since my phone calls had been deducted from what I’d had) but also a black bin bag, since Emma had sent me that big parcel of clothes and art materials and I’d had to put the overflow into something. It was not a good look.

Still, at least I now had access to the small amount of cash in my bank account … enough to buy a train ticket and a bit over. When I changed trains in London I purchased a cheap nylon holdall from a shop on the concourse and shoved the whole bin bag into it. I felt less as if I had ‘newly released prisoner’ stamped on my forehead after that.

My heart lifted with every mile that passed on my long journey home to Lancashire, though I was worried that when I got to Formby, either Jeremy wouldn’t be home, or he would refuse to tell me where Pye was. I didn’t have a lot of time to spare before I had to be at Mote Farm for the electronic tag to be fitted, so though I was desperate to discover how – not to mention where – Pye was, I knew if there were any problems I’d have to dash off and come back another day.

Unless the timetable had been changed, Jeremy had no school music lessons after two on Mondays and was always home by three.

And luckily, when yet another expensive taxi dropped me off there (depleting my fast-dwindling reserve of cash), I saw his car on the drive – but unfortunately, so too was Kate’s familiar white Polo.

I wondered why she had come back with him – and also if I could restrain my natural urge to take her by her scrawny throat and shake her till she explained why she’d stood up in court and told all those lies about me. I knew she’d initially resented me when I’d got engaged to Jeremy and the three of them became four, but I’d thought she’d got over that when she saw that Jeremy still adored her. If anything, it should have been me who resented her!

But following my natural urge to throttle her would lead me straight back to prison and, more importantly, delay my finding out what had happened to Pye, so I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

I thought no one was going to answer, but finally the key rattled in the lock and Kate opened it – pink, flustered and tucking her blouse into her skirt.

‘You!’ she gasped, looking like a frightened rabbit, as well she might, given the circumstances. ‘Have they let you out already?’

‘No, I avoided the searchlights and vicious guard dogs and climbed over the barbed wire, using a rope ladder that came in a cake,’ I snapped, wedging my nylon holdall in the door as she attempted to shut it.

Her mouth dropped open, before sanity set in and she realised I was being sarcastic. ‘I suppose they must have let you out, but what on earth are you doing here?’

‘I might ask you the same,’ I replied.

‘I came back with Jeremy, so we could sort out the arrangements for the school trip to Paris, though Luke had to stay at school to take detention, so he’ll be joining us later,’ she said, recovering her composure slightly. ‘Not that it’s any of your business.’

‘Who is it?’ Jeremy’s voice demanded as he came down the stairs, fastening the cord of a blue velour dressing gown that was as familiar to me as my own. The scenario I’d interrupted was plain as a picture.

‘Oh, right, I understand everything now, Kate!’ I said. ‘This is what all the lies were about – you wanted Jeremy to yourself.’

‘Tabby? What the hell are you doing here?’ Jeremy said angrily, pushing Kate out of the way like the gentleman he wasn’t. ‘I told you we were through.’

‘She wants to make trouble, that’s what,’ Kate said. ‘Go away, Tabby, or we’ll ring the police and have you arrested for harassment.’

‘I’m not harassing anyone,’ I said, with more calm than I actually felt, because I knew from the other girls that putting a single foot wrong once I was let out could well mean being sent back to prison to serve the whole sentence.

‘In fact, I don’t give a damn about either of you. All I want to know is, what have you done with Pye?’

‘All this is about a stupid cat?’ Kate said incredulously.

‘He’s not just any cat, he’s my cat,’ I said fiercely, ‘and I love him.’

‘I’ve already told you that he went to a good home,’ Jeremy snapped. ‘There was no point in you coming here.’

‘Then tell me the name of the people you rehomed him with. I need to see for myself that he’s all right and that he’s settled with them. What’s the name and address?’

He avoided my eyes. ‘I can’t give it to you.’

‘Look, this is my cat we’re talking about and he’s microchipped as belonging to me, so it wasn’t even legal to give him away without my permission.’

‘I don’t think that will wash, because in effect, you abandoned him through your illegal actions,’ he said smugly.

‘Listen, you pompous prig, I’m not going until you tell me where Pye is,’ I insisted.

‘Shall I call the police?’ asked Kate helpfully.

‘Yes, why not?’ I said, throwing caution to the winds. ‘Perhaps you’d rather explain to them what you’ve done with my cat?’

Jeremy ran his fingers through his dark marmalade-coloured hair. There seemed suddenly to be a lot more forehead and a lot less hair than I remembered …

‘Oh, just tell her so she’ll go away,’ said Kate impatiently.

‘The Leafy Lane Pet Rescue Centre,’ he replied defiantly.

‘You mean, you put Pye in a cats’ home?’ I said, stunned.

‘It’s a good home, I told you.’

‘But … you let me think you’d rehomed him with nice people! If no one adopted him, he could have been put down by now!’ I exclaimed, panicking, for although Pye was very dear to me, I was aware he wouldn’t be the easiest cat to rehome.

‘They said they never put a healthy animal down, so he’ll be OK,’ Jeremy said. ‘You’re making a fuss about nothing.’

‘How could you? And how was it that I used to think you were so kind and wonderful, when really you’re callous and cruel?’