The one where his eyes twinkled to convey there was a connection. Usually it gained him a winning smile in return, signalling a woman was interested.
Jade didn’t react.
‘See you later then,’ he said, giving it one more try.
‘Bye.’
Jade wasn’t even looking at him.
He watched her walk towards her car. Sighing, he did likewise.
In her peripheral vision, Jade observed Brad. His vehicle was parked directly in front of hers. He was now lowering himself into his old Citroen C1. A moment later and he’d started up the engine. She waited for him to pull out and be on his way, but he didn’t move. She realised that Brad was being polite, allowing her to go first.
Jade instantly turned her attention to her handbag on the passenger seat. She began rummaging within, apparently looking for something. When she glanced up, Brad was still there. Bugger. She retrieved her mobile from the handbag. Seconds later, she was seemingly immersed in a telephone conversation.
Brad finally indicated and set off. He put up a hand in farewell as he passed. Jade didn’t wave back. Relieved that Brad had gone, she slung the mobile back in her handbag before swiping her palms across her skirt. They were damp. Anxiety had gotten to her, but now that Brad had gone it was slowly receding. He wouldn’t be able to follow her and discover where she worked.
Jade instantly recognised this as a paranoid thought. The likelihood was that Brad Grimshaw didn’t give a stuff about where she worked. Nonetheless, she was glad he’d now gone.
Starting up the engine, Jade signalled. Before pulling out, she checked her rear-view mirror and caught a glimpse of Greg Good. He was standing behind the curtains of the downstairs bay window, watching. Bloody man. He was always doing that. She didn’t like it one little bit.
Chapter Nine
When Jade returned to Gresham Terrace after work, it was to find both sides of the street rammed with cars. They were almost bumper to bumper.
For a moment Jade fretted she wouldn’t find anywhere to park. Ahead, a small removal van was taking up valuable parking space. Terrific. But… wait. Jade mentally punched the air. An indicator had been flicked on. The van was leaving.
As the vehicle slowly edged out, it revealed a woman standing on the pavement. She was raising her hand in farewell to the driver, exchanging smiles and a few words before he left. This must be the new neighbour Brad Grimshaw had mentioned earlier.
Jade discreetly checked the newcomer out. She was about forty years old and very slim. Her cropped platinum-blonde hair suited her elfin features.
‘Thanks for all your help today,’ Jade heard the woman call out.
The driver gave a friendly toot before pulling away. Jade immediately edged forward, manoeuvring into the vacated space. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see the newcomer was still standing on the pavement. The blonde appeared to be watching Jade with interest, perhaps keen to say hello to a potential new mate.
Jade inwardly groaned. Not another neighbour wishing to be pally. She really didn’t care to say hi. She wanted to keep herself to herself. She delayed getting out of the car, pretending to faff about with the control sticks on the steering wheel. After a few seconds, Jade realised she probably looked ridiculous. Opening the driver’s door, she slowly emerged.
Jade kept her head down, busying herself with her handbag and car keys, before pretending she’d left something on the passenger seat. Seconds later, she’d ducked back into the vehicle in an apparent search for a lost object… anything to avoid the blonde who – at last! – was turning away. Hoo-flipping-ray.
The woman was now walking slowly along the path to the front door of Number 4. Jade then noticed her pause, before glancing back, causing Jade to immediately stop and do a fake rummage through her handbag.
Please, God, she thought. Don’t let that woman want to say hello and have a cosy chat.
The blonde was still loitering. Why did some people have this ridiculous desire to get involved with neighbours? To be part of a community with some sort of happy-clappy attitude? Jade couldn’t understand it. She was a loner. It suited her and she wanted it to stay that way. She had absolutely no wish to be buddies with any resident of Gresham Terrace. She’d leave that to busybodies like Greg Good.
Jade couldn’t mess about with the contents of her handbag any longer. There was only so much time you could take apparently searching