12

      Rose Suchard was sitting at a back table in the otherwise almost empty In Italy restaurant at the bottom of their street when Isabel and Alek got there.

      In Italy was one of those new places with all white wooden tables and chairs. On the long side wall there was a giant map of a futuristic subway system made up of multicoloured dots. The restaurant attracted a young crowd who enjoyed the real Italian coffee, great pasta dishes and the atmosphere. Sean and Isabel went there regularly. It was one of the reasons she loved the area.

      A waiter was flirting with Rose when they arrived.

      Carlo, his name badge said, turned and smiled at Isabel as she sat down.

      ‘And for you, signora?’ he asked, as his smile said, you also look fantastic. The black wool sweater and midnight blue jeans she’d put on was her basic outfit these days. It was nice to be complimented, but she really didn’t need it.

      ‘A late breakfast, maybe?’

      But Isabel wasn’t hungry. She ordered a latte and an orange juice for Alek. He was wiggling on the chair to her right. She took off his jacket.

      Once he was settled she turned to Rose.

      ‘Sean didn’t come home last night,’ she whispered, leaning close to her, so Alek wouldn’t hear.

      ‘The bastard,’ Rose hissed back. ‘Are you okay?’

      ‘Not really, I still don’t know where he is.’ She put her hand to her forehead. Rose tutted.

      ‘If I’m arrested for killing him, don’t be surprised.’ She looked out the window, hoping to see his car going by.

      ‘I’ll stand by you,’ said Rose. ‘Did you see the news?’ She leaned even closer to Isabel. Alek was caught up with galloping an armoured knight across a corner of the table.

      ‘What news?’

      ‘About BXH,’ she whispered. She had an are-you-still-with-us look on her face.

      She was scaring Isabel now. ‘You know I’ve sworn off TV in the morning.’

      All the endless bad TV news was like an infection. She’d decided to keep it all out until the evening each day, when Sean brought enough of it home for both of them.

      ‘They were going on about the merger,’ said Rose. ‘Apparently BXH’s share price should be going up, but it’s not, it’s collapsing. You know what Terry said?’ Her voice dropped to a whisper.

      Isabel shook her head, slowly.

      ‘He said if the merger doesn’t happen, BXH will collapse in on itself, like a black hole or something. They’ve been hiding …’ She leaned towards Isabel. Her voice went even lower.

      ‘Something big, he reckons.’ She glanced around, as if they were in a conspiracy movie.

      ‘I don’t like the sound of that.’

      ‘Me neither.’ Rose looked genuinely worried.

      ‘Sean said if the merger fell through, BXH would still be okay,’ she said.

      ‘Sure, but where is he?’

      She opened her mouth, looked at Alek, closed it again. She felt like cursing Sean and BXH, but she couldn’t, not in front of Alek.

      ‘You know …’ said Rose. She looked sad. Her mouth opened. Her eyes were brimming. ‘It’s …’

      Rose was crying. Big tears were running down her nose. Sympathy flared inside Isabel. Her problems suddenly seemed minor. Rose was usually so upbeat. When the western world had been about to melt down, she’d invited them around for a party.

      ‘We’re going … we’re going to lose our home,’ said Rose.

      ‘No way.’ Isabel glanced at Alek. He hadn’t noticed anything.

      ‘What happened?’ she said.

      ‘Terry’s overtime’s been cut. They’re cutting loads in IT. We borrowed so much to get this house. We’re going to lose it all. I just know it.’

      Isabel squeezed her arm. Rose smiled at her and straightened herself up. It was the smile of someone determined not to let anyone else down.

      ‘Maybe it’ll be for the better,’ she said. ‘We don’t need such a big house.’ She sniffed and tried to compose herself. ‘Terry took out another loan. He didn’t even tell me.’ There was a wounded, shocked look in her eyes.

      ‘That’s terrible,’ said Isabel.

      The waiter arrived. He made an elaborate show of placing their drinks in front of them. He was far too solicitous. Had he seen Rose crying?

      ‘You know what else?’ said Rose, after he’d gone.

      She arched a neatly plucked brow, then started talking about how Terry had been acting odd recently. Isabel encouraged Rose to tell her more. After a few minutes she leaned towards Alek. ‘Are you looking forward to playing with Aunty Rosie?’ Alek nodded. She gave his hand a squeeze.

      That was her signal.

      ‘I gotta go,’ she said, She’d hardly touched her coffee.

      ‘Make sure he tells you where he was,’ said Rose.

      ‘He’ll have some amazing explanation,’ she said. ‘Just like the last time.’

      She gave Rose her long-suffering-wife smile.

      ‘Did I tell you Alek likes to sleep with the lights on?’ she said.

      ‘Three times,’ said Rose. ‘Go on. Have a good time. Making up is always the best part.’

      Rose was definitely the most reliable friend she had. Alek would be in good hands.

      ‘Go on,’ said Rose. ‘Call me if there’s a problem.’

      She pecked Alek on the cheek. He looked so cute. His little green weekend bag was under the table. She slid it near Rose. ‘That’s his things. You have my number, don’t you?’ Rose nodded.

      Isabel took the bill.

      ‘This is on me.’ It was the least she could do.

      A blast of bitter wind greeted her as she left the restaurant. She wanted to run all the way back to the house. She could picture Sean waiting there, standing in the hall, smiling, all apologetic.

      A last-minute hitch to the merger could easily have stopped Sean from coming home. The merger was supposed to be a coup for BXH; the first time a Chinese state bank had ever taken a large stake in a major American bank, but God only knew what last-minute hitches might occur or what information was needed on Sean’s software initiative, facial