“Oh” said Jo, “how’d that go?”

“Oh fine … she brought me some food” added Lottie, “which was nice”

“How did it go then …?” questioned Jo, determined to draw it out of her somehow,

Lottie chuckled, “Well .. erm … I told her … and then I fainted …”

“Oh my god, you fainted?”

“Uh … huh”

“Shit …!” exclaimed Jo

Lottie laughed, “Exactly … eugh … it was pretty awful, but they were both fine, but then I fell asleep, and then this morning I kind of ran out of there …”

Jo rolled her eyes on the other end of the phone in exasperation …

“Don’t do that!!” scolded Lottie, “I know you’re doing that naught school-kid look thingy …

Jo laughed, it was a look she often gave some of the kids, she grinned, thinking about Lottie and the word naughty and finding that her tired mind spun off in a completely different direction …

“Miss Parkes?” said Angelica, her voice quiet and concerned,

Jo turned to look at her, covering the mouthpiece as Lottie launched into a ramble about having slept all day so she wouldn’t sleep that night …

“Angie …?” said Jo, “is there a problem?”

“My Mom hasn’t come …” said Angie, walking towards her teachers desk,

Jo returned to the phone, “Lottie …” she whispered under her breath, “I’m going to have to go … one of the mothers hasn’t turned up”

She hung up, turning back to Angelica, “Right, lets give your Mom a ring and see where she is shall we?”

“Bette …?” called Tina’s voice into the answer machine …

“Bette …?”

“Bette …!”

Bette ran to catch her … “Hey T …”

“Bette?” questioned Tina breathlessly … “where are you? why aren’t you at the school?”

“Oh Fuck …!” exclaimed Bette, without a clue as to the time, “Fuck! … Shit … I’m on my way …” she said, preparing to hang up the phone …

“Hold on …” spoke Tina, “Bette … it’s after 4pm already … stay where you are” Tina added, “Jo Parkes was leaving and said she’d drop her on her way past … … … where were you?” asked Tina concerned, “why aren’t you at the office … nobody knew where you were … why weren’t you answering your phone?”

Bette sensed the anxiety in Tina’s voice, it was why she always made so sure to carry her cell phone with her everywhere … but she was still wearing only a swimsuit, and it didn’t hold a phone so well …

Bette laughed at herself, wondering if she’d have made it to the car before realising she ought to go change before picking Angie up,

“What?” asked Tina,

“I’m still in my bathing suit …” muttered Bette, “I was about to take a swim when I came across that folder of Lottie’s from last night”

“And …?”

Bette chuckled, hearing Tina’s switch into psychologist mode … “and I started to look through it …” she paused, “Tee … there’s some legal documents about Lottie’s trust fund, some paperwork about co-signatories on a charitable trust and a number of collections …” Bette added, sharing with Tina her own confusion over all that, “all from a legal office in Virginia …”

“Why do you think that’s in there?” asked Tina,

“I don’t know …” admitted Bette, “I guess it has something to do with my mother …”

Tina sighed … Lottie really needed to talk to Bette.

to be continued …..