Chapter 6
It was no surprise that Sally had invited a fourth person to supper to ‘even out the numbers’, as she put it. Rob is a team-mate of Matt’s and they arrive back from their match around seven, already the worse for wear, having celebrated a crushing victory over their local rivals Nexton United in the pub on the way home.
‘Nine nil,’ Matt says, slurring slightly while pulling Sally into a bear hug the moment he is through the door. ‘It was a massacre. We were six nil up by half-time, and that was mostly down to Rob.’
Sally and I transferred our gaze to Matt’s sandy-haired friend who smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
‘He put five past their keeper. He was on fire today. It must have been the thought of his blind date tonight.’
Rob colours up and I take a sudden interest in the oak floorboards, but Matt is seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness he has caused.
‘Perry stuck him in goal for the second half so he couldn’t do any more damage and we still scored another three. I reckon we could easily have gone into double figures if he’d stayed up front. Something smells good. Is it nearly ready? We’re starving aren’t we, Rob?’
‘You’re forgetting your manners, Matt. Rob, this is Carol, our new next door neighbour. Carol, this is Rob, one of Matt’s team-mates at Belton Rovers. And, in answer to your question, dinner is ready when you are. I did it in the slow cooker while Carol and I were out making five hundred and sixty pounds on the cake stall. It seems we’ve all had a pretty successful day.’
‘That much, just for a few cakes and biscuits? Mind you,’ he says, addressing Rob, ‘she’s a pretty good cook. She should go on that Great British Bake Off programme she makes me watch. How about you, Carol? Are you a good cook too?’
What a great start to the evening, having to admit to a complete stranger that the tin opener and microwave are my best friends in the kitchen. It’s a good job that I don’t fancy Rob or I would have been mortified.
‘Carol may not know a choux puff from a filo parcel,’ Sally says, rushing to my defence, ‘but she’s a dab hand with a paintbrush. She only moved in a week ago, and she’s already decorated her lounge, hallway and front door. Come through to the kitchen, we’re eating at the table tonight rather than on our knees in front of the TV.’
‘Wow, that’s pretty impressive to get all that done in a week. Do you not work, Carol?’ Rob asks.
‘I’m a teacher in a private school. We break up a week or so before the state schools so I’ve been able to make a start on getting my house the way I want it. There’s a long way to go before it’s anything like this though. I love what you guys have done with this kitchen. I remember you suggesting I could do something similar when you showed me around next door, Matt.’
‘Matt sold you the house?’
‘Yes, although he didn’t mention at the time that we would be neighbours. I only found out when Sally popped round to introduce herself on Thursday.’
‘That’s the easiest commission you’ve ever earned, mate. It must have been like showing someone around your own house. I was surprised it went so soon after going multi agency. We hadn’t had so much as a sniff of interest.’
‘Rob’s an estate agent too,’ Matt explains, pre-empting my next question. ‘His company took it on back in March as sole agents but they couldn’t get a sale. The vendor realised the error of his ways and offered it to a decent agency.’
‘You just got lucky that Carol came along when she did and fell in love with the house.’
‘When we eventually fought our way in through the overgrown garden. What on earth were you thinking getting rid of the gardener?’
‘Ignore them, Carol. They’re always like this when one of them steals a sale from under the other one’s nose. Good-natured banter, so they say.’
‘Actually, Rob, you might be able to help me. I was going to ask Matt, but if you had the property first, I’m wondering if you were the agents when it was rented out?’
‘Yes, we were. Why?’
‘I just wondered if you had a forwarding address for the last tenant, Leanne something?’
‘No address, but I think we have her parents’ number on file. That was a really odd business. She had paid six months’ rent in advance so we had no idea she had moved away until she failed to make her February payment. The owner didn’t need to get any kind of court order to evict her cos she’d already gone. You guys were quite worried about her, if I remember rightly?’
‘Sally was. She even rang the police towards the end of January, when we hadn’t seen her for over a month, but they weren’t interested unless a crime had been committed. Why do you need her forwarding address?’
‘A letter arrived for her. I think it’s only a Christmas card but it’s a shame for her not to have it just because the sender is unaware that she has moved on.’
‘Give me your mobile number, Carol, and I’ll text you when I’m in the office on Monday if her parents are happy for me to pass on their number to you.’
‘Now that’s what you call smooth,’ Matt said, winking at his girlfriend.
‘Stop it, Matt, can’t you see you’re embarrassing them both? You’re terrible when you’ve had too much to drink.’
‘It’s just banter. You know that don’t you guys?’
I hesitate, unsure now whether to give Rob my number or not.
‘I’ll tell you what, Carol. I’ll give you my direct line at work and you can call me at the office on Monday. We don’t want people starting fake rumours,’ he says, glaring at Matt.
Matt shrugs his shoulders and sticks his fork into a piece of chicken coated in an unctuous red wine and herb sauce.
‘Divine,’ he says. ‘Maybe you should go on MasterChef rather than Bake-Off.’
It’s the first sensible thing Matt has said all evening. He was so charming when he showed me around Wisteria Cottage, and devastatingly handsome I couldn’t help but notice, however I’m not sure I like Matt when he’s had a drink. Maybe that’s my problem when it comes to men: I’m looking for Mr Perfect and he probably doesn’t exist.