The Ninth Life

Chapter Five

On her way home in the taxi, Kate racked her brains to come up with a reason for Danny's appearance. She hadn't seen or thought of him for years and hadn't missed him one little bit.

Try as she might, she could not think of a single way he could have known about what happened last night. The thought he might be up to something was making her uncomfortable and more than a little angry. She simply could not have him sneaking into her life again.

She hadn't thought to take anything with her when they carted her off last night, so she knocked on her neighbour, Mrs Goldman's door for her spare set of keys.

Janet was a small woman, wrinkled and ancient, almost embalmed, but most days she seemed to be a lot fitter than Kate was. She always wore a lavender body spray Kate knew was her favourite and reminded Kate of the fairy godmother in Disney's Cinderella, tiny, amusing and cuddly, the perfect grandmother. It was a shame she had no grandchildren.

Kate looked around the room; discreetly checking the old woman was indeed managing and needed no help. She usually declined all help, especially from the Welfare. She always said the day she needed help was the day they could slide her into a coffin.

Bright as a button, she seemed to sense good people from bad and instinctively knew in which category Danny belonged. One of the reasons Kate knew she wouldn't have told Danny anything about her.

'Hello Janet, how are you today?'

'Oh, I'm fine. How are you would be more to the point. What did they say the problem was? You didn't look too good when they took you off last night.'

Kate smiled at her. 'Oh you know, a lot of fuss about nothing.'

The old woman looked up from the china ornaments she was dusting and frowned. She instantly looked about ten years older. 'You didn't check yourself out, did you? I know what you're like.'

Kate laughed, knowing her reputation had gone before her. 'No, I was a model patient, just wasted their time, is all.'

She could tell Janet didn't believe her, she knew Kate too well. Changing the subject, she asked, 'How has Dylan been? Did he miss me?'

Janet stopped frowning at the mention of the silver tabby. 'I'm sure he didn't even know you'd gone, and you back so soon, no harm done.'

Kate smiled. She was probably right. Dylan fussed her when she was around, but she knew where he went when she wasn't. Sometimes she thought he was fonder of Janet than herself.

'By the way Janet, have you seen or heard from my brother at all?'

Janet turned her head sharply at the mention of his name. She looked intently at Kate, her shrewd blue eyes peering out of all the wrinkles. 'No, I have not. Did someone say I had?'

'Actually he did, he said you called him and said I was in the hospital.'

Kate could see the indignation bristling from every fibre of the old woman's demeanour.

'I'd have a job, wouldn't I? I don't know where he's at, or his number. And,' she said pointedly, 'I wouldn't tell him if I did. You know that Kate.'

'Yes, I know, just checking. He turned up last night at the hospital like the bad penny he always was'.

'Why on earth does your brother bother you so much, Kate. Would your world be any better without him, do you think?'

She pretended not to have heard him, but for a fleeting moment thought what he suggested might be a good idea at that. She wouldn't miss Danny for a moment and it would be one less waste of space in the world, but common sense reared its ugly head and she knew if anything did happen to her brother, the guilt would probably kill her.