The police promised that they would be keeping an eye on the flat all night but if it wasn’t for Al, sleeping in Tom’s tiny room at the end of the corridor, Sarah’s dreams would have turned into nightmares. Al had checked the laptop over for her, and agreed with the police theory that Marta had dumped the laptop because she couldn’t get into it. Nothing seemed to have been tampered with and it worked perfectly when she set it up on the table. There was a long email from Millie. She said that she was fine, and that she would be home by the end of the week – and that she was bringing a surprise, but more than that she could not say at the moment – just that Sarah was to stop worrying, and to tell Oliver not to be such an arse. Al roared with laughter when Sarah read out the email.

There were more flat details from Roseanne, but Sarah found that she wasn’t really interested in looking at them now. Once she was satisfied that the laptop was fine, she made some coffee, dug out her random-buy biscuits of the day before, and sat down to watch some TV with Al. He was happier watching programmes on the comedy channel that she loved, rather than insisting on anything more essentially macho, or the exceptionally right-on nature programmes that Andy had been obsessed with. In fact, she thought, as she got into bed that night, she was enjoying Al’s company at least as much as she enjoyed the company of Millie or Jude, and maybe even a little bit more? She fell asleep smiling for the second night on the trot.

She slept too soundly in the end, and it was a good job that Al had set his alarm, because Sarah never heard hers go off. The smell of toast and coffee from the kitchen catapulted her out of bed and into the bathroom. It was nice though, sitting there having breakfast with Al, her hair up in a towel, and her voluminous dressing gown wrapped around her. By the time she’d fed a purring Buster and got dressed, Al was out of the shower too, ready and waiting. Although they were going in his car, he insisted on checking Sarah’s just in case Marta was hanging around the car park. There was no sign of her at the studio and as there was no filming that morning, Al felt sure that if she did turn up, she would be spotted by security straight away.

When Sarah got to her office there was a huge bouquet of flowers propped up against her desk. ‘To Sarah, with gratitude from Oliver and Elena’ was written on the card and although she had pushed Friday’s events to the back of her mind, she felt reassured that it was one less thing to worry about. Word about Marta had spread through the building – not because Al had gossiped but due to the higher than usual level of security required. Marta’s appearance was also the main topic of the Monday morning meeting, together with a stern warning to all the staff about giving out personal details to anyone. Natasha’s friends were particularly apologetic, but also curious about what Marta had done. Oliver waited until they had finished giving Sarah the third degree, then he sat down beside her.

“Sorry.” he said. “I was a total arse on Friday. It’s a good job you were being professional. From what I heard your weekend didn’t exactly improve from then on.”

“It’s okay. Elena explained. How is your mum doing?”

“Better, much better thanks. I suppose I ought to stop lecturing everyone on the importance of good communication, shouldn’t I?”

Sarah looked at Oliver and grinned.

“I wouldn’t want to do your job for love nor money, Oliver, and I would never dream of telling you how to do it.  I see my job as providing the support and advice required after people have been on the show.  I’m not as experienced as Millie in this line of work, but I’m learning!”

“You’re doing fine Sarah.  We all miss Millie, and yes, she knows how to handle my temper tantrums almost as well as Elena does.  Any news about when she’ll be back?”

“End of the week according to her most recent email – and she’s bringing a surprise but won’t give any other details.  I have a feeling that Tom may be on the verge of meeting his father at last.  Of course, she could just be bringing a suitcase full of weird and wonderful clothes and ornaments that she’s fallen in love with.”

Oliver looked serious for a moment.

“This Marta woman.  Did we do all we could to get rid of her?”

“We did, unfortunately Natasha undid all the good work by giving out my address when Marta called the studio. I know that her actions were motivated by spite, and a desire to get her own back on me, but it does rather confirm that Natasha has neither common sense nor the ability to predict the outcomes of her own actions.  Daryl tells me that Natasha wants to apologise to me in person, but I don’t really want to go down that route until Marta is found and back in Holland. I asked the police to notify Peter and his friends about Marta; if she can’t get to me, then she is likely to start on them.  The police already had Peter and Ali’s details on file from the previous incidents, so I didn’t have to breach confidence.”

“Natasha is just a typical example of how the children of well-to-do families are endowed with the belief that they are entitled to advantages denied to other people.  She will not be coming back, and this latest incident underlines the fact that, whatever her mother thinks, Natasha does not have the knowledge or maturity to work in this kind of setting.  More ammo for the legal department anyway, and I hear from the Chief Execs department that they are glad to see the back of Mummy.  She spent more time out of the office on holidays, and weekends in the country than actually doing her job.”

“Shame.  Natasha’s Dad seemed a really nice man; with a more realistic appreciation of his daughter’s abilities than his wife.”

There was a tap on the door and Oliver got up to answer it.  Al was there, and looked a little abashed to find Oliver there as well.

“Sorry to interrupt, but the police have been on the phone, and want to have a word with Sarah.”

“Of course, and thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty to rescue Sarah this weekend, Al.  See you both later.”

Sarah waited until the door was closed and gently punched Al in the arm.

“I’m hoping that your actions this weekend had nothing to do with our professional roles, and more to do with a friendship that I am growing to value more each day.”

Al rubbed his arm in mock pain.

“We are friends, aren’t we Sarah? I understand if that’s all it can ever be, but…”

“Al.  After ten years in a safe but extremely sterile partnership, I am something of a beginner at relationships. Despite the threat of Marauding Marta hanging over us this weekend, I’ve had a wonderful time with you and your family, and I look forward to more – if that’s okay with you?”

“Do you mean what I think you mean?” he asked, blushing again.

Sarah stood up on tiptoes, put her hands on Al’s shoulders, and kissed him.  No friendly peck on the cheek this time, but a full-blown kiss that was returned with just as much enthusiasm. He pulled her close to him, and even to Sarah’s rather naïve experience of kissing and all that went with it, she could tell that Al was extremely interested in taking their relationship on to the next step.

“I’d like to continue this,” said Sarah breaking free. “But I am well aware that there will be runners and researchers needing this room at any moment.   Do the police really want to talk to me?”

Looking stunned, speechless, but rather pleased, Al nodded his head and opened the door. Sarah, feeling a strange and rather wonderful sensation in the pit of her stomach, followed him down the corridor to the empty lift. As the doors closed, Al took Sarah in his arms, and gave her another kiss that sent shivers down her spine. The recorded voice warned them that they were about to be on the ground floor, and they broke apart reluctantly, trying not to look too guilty and flushed when the lift doors opened.  There was no one to see them anyway, but Sarah still smiled broadly all the way to the security office.

Al phoned the police, and put Sarah on the phone once he’d found the detective who was dealing with the case.  Marta was still at large, but hadn’t been seen near Peter’s address nor home of his friends.

“She seems to have fixated on you, Sarah,” he said. “which means that there is a real risk that she may try again.  We are recommending that you either go to another address, or that Al continues to stay at the flat with you.  Whichever you decide, let us know where you are.  Al can give us any details.  He’s a good bloke – too good to be babysitting that Standish fool.”

“Not Oliver’s greatest fan then?” said Sarah.

“Trash TV.  Don’t get me wrong, the work that you do helps some of those people afterwards, but doing dirty laundry on live TV causes more harm than Standish realises.  Can’t say much at the moment, but there’s something brewing that might put an end to the show anyway.  That’s a need to know right now, okay?  Just stay safe and keep an eye out for large Dutch women! Good job you’ve got Al to rely on.”

Sarah put the phone down and mulled over what the detective had said.  She repeated it for Al’s benefit, and whilst he smiled at the prospect of keeping Sarah safe, his expression changed when he heard the second part of their conversation.

He nodded his head.

“Rumour has it that one of the people who was on the show last year committed suicide recently.  He failed the lie detector test about cheating on his wife.  I’ve never seen someone so adamant that the test was wrong.  Oliver gave him short shrift, and said that the guy would just have to man up, and admit that he’d been lying.  This was before you started, and I have a feeling that Millie was away with Tom for a couple of days while he went through the admission procedure at Cambridge. None of us felt that happy about it. Lie detectors aren’t fool proof, and the guy was pretty nervous throughout.”

“Let me guess.  Natasha was involved in this somewhere?”

“She shouldn’t have been, but Oliver and Jenny were under pressure from Mummy, and said that Natasha needed to get as much experience as possible.  It depends on what the Coroner says; he or she may feel that the guy had other problems that contributed to his taking his own life, on the other hand, Oliver has made enemies in many areas.  There is a possibility that they might shut down the show if there is too much adverse publicity.  In which case…”

“We could be looking for other jobs.  If that happens, can I come and help you renovate the cottage?”

Al looked stunned.

“Are you serious?”

Sarah punched him in the arm again.

“I have a great deal to learn about life outside social work and needy clients.  It’s time that I discovered what I want, and what suits me.  Talking of which, tonight?  Your place or mine?  Don’t look so shocked Al, the detective said I shouldn’t be alone in case Marta turns up.”

“Yes.  Of course.  Your choice?”

Al was blushing again, and Sarah decided that it was an endearing trait, but some straight-talking was needed.

“I worried about you in Tom’s little bed last night, so can I come and stay at yours?  You said that you had a spare bedroom that was decorated; we could pop into the flat first, feed Buster, and get me some clothes and stuff for tomorrow.  I know that I’m intruding on your space, but I felt so comfortable there yesterday.”

Al nodded vigorously.  Sarah got to her feet, had a quick look out into the corridor, and kissed him again.  He bent his knees and pulled her even closer this time, which only increased Sarah’s goosebumps.

“I’ll leave you to let the police know then,” she said reluctantly.  “I’d better get upstairs or the runners will start spreading rumours.”

“I wouldn’t want to embarrass you, Sarah.”

Sensing that this was one of the hurdles that needed to be overcome, Sarah stroked the side of Al’s face very gently.

“You could never embarrass me.  I am proud to have you as my friend, and I will be even more proud if our friendship continues to progress.  I may even generate a few rumours of my own in fact.  That way we take control of what people think and say.”

Another swift kiss, and she was gone. 

Al sat down at his desk, still feeling the warmth of her kiss and embrace.  It took a few moments before he could rally his thoughts and let the police know where he and Sarah would be spending the night.

Buying bacon and eggs when she went shopping had been an impulse. She usually found that eating a full English was way beyond her. This morning however, with a bright and slightly unshaven Al sat at the table, Sarah felt quite proud that she had something more substantial than toast or chocolate Shreddies to offer him. They had stayed up late talking. About nothing, about everything, and Sarah realised that there was so much more to Al than just a guy who did security on the show. He had already told her about his time in the police force, but sat there, sipping red wine together, he talked more about a life that he kept very private. Like many men his age, he had been married with children, two teenaged boys who lived with their mother but sporadically kept in touch. He lived in a house on the outskirts of the city that he had done up from scratch, and was very proud of. He was in the process of doing the same to his sister’s council house; she had moved there after her partner walked out on her and their children.

Sarah could see, when Al talked about his sons, and his nieces and nephew, that he was very much a family man. He was matter of fact about his ex-wife; they had split up when he was in the police force, grown apart and thrown apart by the long hours, and his admitted distraction by the job. He had gone out with other women since the divorce, but nothing serious. Some women were interested in him because of his job, and once he had refused to get them free tickets and an introduction to Oliver, they tended to lose that interest.

Touched by his honesty, Sarah filled in the gaps of her own story. She had told Al some of it when they went out to the pub for dinner, but she had kept things superficial and light, trying not to paint herself as a deserted woman and unable to look after herself.  She had to admit that she hadn’t done too well on the coping stakes the day before, and was still very angry about not checking to see who was pressing the door buzzer. She was also mourning the loss of her laptop and hoping that Marta wouldn’t damage it once she realised that it was password protected. Al’s phone rang whilst he was tucking into the bacon and eggs. Sarah listened intently, hoping that Marta had been found.

Al put his mobile back on the table.

“The good news is that the police have your laptop. Marta left it in a pizza restaurant this morning and they called the police. The bad news is that Marta is still on the loose and harder to track because she no longer has the laptop. Do you keep any spare keys to this flat lying around?”

“No, Tom has his own set, I had mine on me, and Millie’s are hidden in her knicker drawer.”

“Would you go and check please?”

She didn’t feel that happy about rummaging through Millie’s underwear, but the pleasure of finding the keys safely far outweighed any awkwardness.

“All accounted for.” said Sarah as she sat back down.

“Good. Umm, did you have any plans for today, Sarah?”

“Not really. Why?”

“The police don’t think you should stay here alone – in case Marta comes back. I’d stay with you, but I promised my sister that I’d finish off the front room for her today. Is there a friend you could stay with? Or…”

“…Or?”

“If you want to – and only if you want to – you could come with me to my sister’s house, and give me a hand? You’d be very welcome.”

“Al, I have never done any DIY in my life! For the past ten years I have lived in a seventies tribute house. Before that I was in the house I grew up in. My only other experience of life was a dingy rented house that Millie and I shared with two other very unworldly students. Our housekeeping skills have improved since then, and as you can see, I managed to learn how to cook a bit.”

Looking up from his bacon and eggs, Al grinned.  “No complaints here! You won’t need to do anything technical. Talk to my sister Maggie, meet the kids, be in a place where I won’t be worrying about you all day. I’ve almost finished the room, I just need to do a bit of painting, get the curtain rails and curtains up, and move the furniture back in once the paint is dry. You’ll get a Sunday roast out of it.”

Sarah grinned. “You just said the magic word. I take it that I don’t need to dress up today?”

“No, jeans and a shirt like yesterday is fine. Do you mind if we call in at mine so I can get some work clothes on? I’m still in black stealth mode from last night.”

“I’ll feed Buster and get ready, while you finish your breakfast then. Casual it is.”

Walking into Millie’s room to wake the dozing Buster, Sarah felt strangely elated.

“Come on Buster, dinner.”

Sarah spoke with authority and was amazed when Buster got up from the bed, stretched and followed her out to the kitchen. She looked at Al and nodded toward Buster, who seemed to be in the most compliant mood she had ever seen him in. Al did a quick wash and brush up in the bathroom, then phoned his friend in the police to get an update.

“Can we call by the station to drop off a set of keys? They think that they should be finished with your laptop but they need your fingerprints for elimination purposes. Did anyone else use your laptop?”

“Millie and I were both using it before she went away. Her keys would probably have her fingerprints on them. She has a square security fob like I do.”

“Good, if you pop them straight into a bag, we might be able to kill two birds with one stone then.”

Rooting around in the kitchen drawer, Sarah found some plastic bags that Millie must have used for Tom’s packed lunches. Turning the bag inside out, she went back into Millie’s bedroom again and picked up the keys, turning the bag the right way out again and sealing it.

“There you go.”

Sarah handed Al the bag with a flourish. Before they left the flat, Al went out into the corridor just to check that Marta hadn’t returned for more pizza. The coast was clear, and they took the lift down to the car park.

“What shall we do about my car?” asked Sarah as she climbed in beside him.

“We’ll check on it now, and if it’s okay we’ll pick it up again tonight when we come back from my sister’s. As far as I know Marta knows your car but not mine, so there’s less chance of us being followed. Is that alright?”

“Makes perfect sense to me, but thank you for asking me rather than telling me. I appreciate that.”

Al gave her a strange look as he started up the car.

“Can I ask you something Sarah?”

“Well, you know my age already, and probably my height and weight. I have no more secrets. Ask away.”

“Well, I know that I haven’t known you very long, but in that time, you’ve always seemed confident, you’ve stood up to Oliver, dealt with some awkward people on the show – not to mention the Natasha business – you appear to be so in control, but when you talk about the time you spent with Andy, I don’t recognise you as the same person. It’s almost as if you were totally under his control.”

She thought for a moment before answering. “Control is too strong a word really. I was lazy, too idle to get myself out of a stale relationship that wasn’t doing anything for either of us. I was more interested in my work than a home life that required no effort at all. Andy did everything. I admire Andy for having the courage to make the break, but it feels like I’ve been asleep for the past ten years.”

“Welcome to the real world, Sleeping Beauty!”

“I’m enjoying the real world and I don’t want it to stop. If Andy comes back and tells me that he made a terrible mistake, then I’ll be telling him that he hasn’t.  I like the real world.”

Al smiled as he drove into the burger outlet car park. Sarah’s car was safe and still locked up from the night before. Satisfied that all was well, they called in at the police station where Sarah was overjoyed to get her laptop back. They handed over the flat keys, warned them to be on the look-out for Buster, and confirmed that they would call before coming back to the flat later.  

Next stop was Al’s house, and Sarah had to admit to herself that she was deeply curious to see where he lived.  She wasn’t sure why, but she had a feeling that it was very important. They drove through countryside and eventually came to a small cluster of cottages.  Al turned into the driveway of the last and largest of them. It was obviously still a work in progress but looking at the man beside her, Sarah was amazed by the front garden full of unregimented flowers and shrubs, the soft white painted exterior interrupted here and there by original stonework, and the inviting blue gloss front door.

“Al, this is gorgeous! Is this all your own work?”

Al blushed. “Most of it, I’ve called in a few favours from mates in the trade and it isn’t finished yet, but it’s all mine. Let me give you the guided tour.”

He led the way round to the rear of the house where a large tarpaulin covered a pile of bricks and equipment and the rest of the garden was obscured by more shrubs and fruit trees.  The back door opened into the kitchen; a large room with a stone floor and wooden units, black granite worktops and an impressive range cooker. It lacked a few homely touches, but Sarah could see that it was well planned.  Al was smiling at her reaction, and beckoned her through to the living room. Warm red brickwork and wooden beams; a large squashy brown velour sofa and matching armchairs, and bookcases filled with books that had Sarah itching to go and explore.

She turned to him and smiled.

“What a brilliant house Al! You must have worked so hard!”

He nodded. “Three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, I’ve extended up and down, and put a toilet and shower room down here.  I’ve decorated the upstairs bathroom and two of the bedrooms, but I’ve one still to do.  Have a poke around whilst I get changed. I won’t be long.”

The books were as interesting as Sarah had hoped they would be. In addition to the crime, science fiction and DIY books that she had expected to see, there were some well-thumbed classics, poetry and several authors that were old favourites of hers too.  When Al came downstairs, he found her curled up on his sofa, thumbing through one of these and looking for all the world as if she belonged there. She peered over the top of her glasses as he came down the narrow wooden stairs, wearing old jeans and a paint spattered sweat shirt. 

“Hey Al, you are a man of many surprises!”

“Good surprises I hope?”

He was blushing again.

“Oh yes. Does your sister know that I’m coming over?”

“Yes, I phoned her earlier on. She knows all about what’s happened, and she’ll be very pleased to lay an extra place at the table. You ready to go?”

She was, but it was quite a wrench to leave the comfort of the sofa and book. Having decided that she wanted the cool, minimalist style of Millie’s flat, Sarah was now feeling far more attached to this rustic cottage that had been so lovingly restored.

It wasn’t far to Maggie’s house. She lived on the edge of an estate in Sarah’s own home town. Other houses in her street were less well kempt; had front gardens cluttered with car tyres, collapsed trampolines, and bicycle frames. Maggie’s garden was neat and tidy, the paintwork on her window frames was fresh and her front door was the same glossy blue as Al’s. As soon as he switched off the engine, a small boy, followed by three older girls, came out of the front door like bullets.

“Uncle Al, Uncle Al!” the boy shouted as he threw himself into Al’s waiting arms, the girls hung back a little, shy because of Sarah’s presence. Then Maggie came out through the front door and took hold of Sarah’s hand.

“Lovely to meet you Sarah, and thank you for joining us. I could tell that Al was torn between helping you, and helping me when he called last night. Come on in.”

“Last night?”

Sarah grinned at Al’s blush as she followed Maggie indoors. The hallway was crowded with furniture that had been moved out of the front room but the kitchen was warm, welcoming and smelled of roast lamb. Whilst Al got on with the painting, ‘helped’ by Maggie’s son, the girls went back to their drawing, and Maggie made coffee.

“Place is a bit of a mess I’m afraid.” said Maggie.

“It’s comfortable, you are obviously in the middle of decorating, and I don’t work for social services anymore, so you have nothing to fear from me.  Any fool can see how happy your kids are.”

“Thank you, it’s not how my ex – Bob – sees things. He’s constantly causing trouble for us. I’ve tried not to be angry with him in front of the kids, but he turns up when he feels like it and demands to take the kids out. He brings them back high on sugar and fizzy drinks, and then complains because they are out of control. His ultimate threat is that he’ll report me for being a bad mother and get custody of the kids.”

“How old are they?”

“The twins, Meg and Amy are eleven, Julie is nine and Alex is five. We split up due to Bob having affairs with anyone who’d have him. We had to move here when he stopped paying the mortgage on the house six months ago.  He didn’t care that the kids were uprooted from their home and school. We were lucky to get this council house; I was a bit reluctant because of the state it was in but Al said he would sort it out – and he has – almost.”

Sarah drank her coffee. It was very good.

“If your ex calls in social services, call me. Even though I don’t work for the local authority I’m still a registered social worker and my word counts for something – especially around here.  I spent twelve years working in this area with children and families.”

The quick hug Maggie gave Sarah was unexpected but very welcome. She got on with making the dinner, and they talked companionably whilst Maggie whipped up batter to make Yorkshire puddings, and Sarah peeled potatoes at the sink. It was one of the best Sunday lunches Sarah had ever eaten. The children were noisy but contained, and Maggie was wise enough to let them get down from the table once they’d had enough to eat, leaving the adults to converse, and in Al and Maggie’s case, bicker mildly with each other. Once the curtains were hung, Maggie and Sarah helped Al to put all the furniture back and make the room come alive again. After a few exhortations to keep away from the walls, the children were allowed back in and all voiced their approval of Uncle Al’s handiwork.

“I have to get Sarah back to her car now, and check up on whether they’ve found the mad woman yet,” said Al, looking at his watch.

“Won’t the police call you?” asked Maggie, obviously reluctant to see them go.

“Not necessarily. You have to chivvy them along a bit. See you later Sis.”

Maggie walked out to the car with them and gave her brother the biggest hug. Then she turned to Sarah and hugged her too.

“Is that okay?” she whispered. “Al hasn’t brought a friend back here before. You are his friend, aren’t you?”

“Oh yes.” said Sarah. “He has this habit of being nearby whenever I need him – like a guardian angel.”

“Our Al! Angelic! I won’t disillusion you. He does have a heart of the purest gold though.”

Sarah was very quiet as they drove back to Al’s cottage so that he could change into clean clothes. As they pulled up outside, she turned to him with a wicked smile.

“When did you phone your sister Al?”

“Ah. Yeah, I phoned her last night. I had a feeling that Marta would still be on the loose and I couldn’t bear the thought of her getting back in the flat when you were on your own. I hope I haven’t – you know?”

“I’ve had a much better day than I could have hoped for. If we find out that Marta has been found and is safely locked up, that will be the cherry on my cake.”

“Okay, I’ll get changed and give my mate a call.”

Curled up on the sofa, nose deep in another book, Sarah didn’t really want to go anywhere, least of all back to the flat. She brought sensible Sarah back to the fore, and acknowledged that she couldn’t go to work like this, that she needed her car for work, and that she wanted to make sure that her laptop was okay. She heard Al’s mobile go off again whilst she was reading, but didn’t think much to it.

When Al came down, dressed in stealth black again and carrying a small bag, Sarah frowned.

“Not good news Al?”

“No,” he shook his head. “They’re still looking for her. You can go back but only if I stay with you. It seems that Marta is more dangerous and calculating than we gave her credit for. She has quite a record for stalking, making threats and burglary in Holland. Can you put up with me for another night?”

“Okay, but it’s back to toast or cereals for breakfast tomorrow.”

Al held out a hand and helped her up from the sofa. She thought for one rather lovely moment that he was going to take her in his arms and kiss her, but he didn’t, and she was reluctant to force anything. This slow-burning relationship was rather wonderful and totally unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

Another burden lifted. Sarah sent a text to Millie, trying not to sound too anxious but asking her to get in touch.  Talking to Elena and understanding why Oliver had been so unreasonable made Sarah feel so much better so she decided to celebrate with pizza – her feel good food.  She wasn’t sure that it was such a good thing to have the local pizza company recognise her voice and her order, but it made her feel at home and so relaxed that when the door buzzer went, she pressed the button without checking who was there. She opened the door expecting to see her regular delivery man but instead, she saw Marta. Marta clutching the pizza Sarah had just ordered. Before she could react and shut the door, Marta had thrust herself into the doorway and stomped down the hallway to the kitchen.

“So! You surprised to see me, no? And I have your pizza and garlic bread.”

“Yes. Why are you here Marta? I thought you had gone back to Holland.”

“I go back and I wait for the show to be on. It has not been shown yet. I tell all my friends that I am famous but they don’t believe me. So, I phone the studio and I speak to a young girl. She tells me that the show will be on next month, but that is no good for me. I want you should show it now. I ask the girl if I speak to you. I say that you were kind and listen to me so she gived me your address. And here I am! And you have pizza which is my favourite! I shall stay here and you will get my show on the TV so my friends will know that I am famous and I am not the liar.”

“It isn’t up to me when shows are scheduled to be shown Marta. I am on the aftercare team, we deal with the social care side, not production.”

Marta was sitting at the table now, and stuffing the slices of pizza into her mouth.

“No, I have decided that you will help me. You are the social worker and it is your job to look after people. You must look after me and make sure that I am happy. I am liking this pizza. What do you have to drink?”

Sarah got Marta a glass of water and placed it on the table. She looked at it with disdain. “You have no wine, or at least a fizzy drink? That is not very hospitable, is it? I have come to you for help. You must help me because it is the law.”

Taking in a deep breath, Sarah pulled out another chair and sat down at the table.

“That may be your perception of the law Marta, it may even be the law in your country but although I am a social worker I am not employed by the state, just the production company that makes the show. My job is to provide aftercare and counselling to people, and in your case, it was to see that you were safely on your way home. There is nothing I can do to help I’m afraid and you have to go.”

Marta sat back, her face smeared with tomato sauce, her piggy little eyes made even narrower by the rising anger. She slammed her fist on the table, leaving pizza and tomato on it. “YOU WILL HELP ME! I demand it!” she shouted, and stamped her feet on the floor like a very large and petulant toddler.

“That will do Marta! Look at the mess you’ve made on the table!”

Marta sat back, stopped in her tracks by Sarah’s best authoritative voice.

“I sorry to make mess. I make clean?”

“Make yourself clean first please. The bathroom is second door on the left. I’ll get some things for you to clean up here while I’m waiting.”

“Sorry Sarah, I am sorry. I will go and get cleaned, then I sort mess and we call for more pizza? Yes?”

“Go on then, I’ll get the menu.” said Sarah as she got up from the table and walked towards the breakfast bar. As soon as Marta had gone into the bathroom, Sarah grabbed her keys and phone and was out of the front door.  Mercifully the lift was on her floor and she prayed frantically that Marta hadn’t heard the door shut. As she ran out of the building toward her car she looked up at the flat and saw Marta, outraged standing at the window. “Sorry Buster.” she whispered as she got into the car and locked all the doors. She phoned Al, who mercifully picked up the phone on the second ring. He told her to drive to the local burger outlet, which was brightly lit and populated at this time of night. He said he would meet her there and would also call the police. “Just get out of there Sarah. We don’t know what she might do.”

“But what about Buster?” Sarah wailed.

“From what I know about Buster he’ll hide away from her, and if she does find him, he’ll give as good as he gets.  Get a move on now please!”

It didn’t take long for Sarah to get to the burger outlet. Al was right, it was very busy. She went inside and ordered some food and a large hot chocolate. It was only when she sat down that she realised that she was still wearing the large pair of fluffy purple slippers she had put on when she got back from shopping. Mercifully she was still wearing the jeans and plaid shirt she had gone out in, and had her credit card in her pocket. Al must have driven like a madman to get there as quickly as he did, and she didn’t think that she had ever been so glad to see anyone as she was him at that moment.

“Are you alright? She didn’t hurt you, did she?”

“Well, she ate my pizza.”

“I’ll buy you another.”

“It’s okay. I’ve had a burger now. What are we going to do?”

“I’ve arranged for us to meet the police back at the flat. Leave your car here for now, we can collect it later.”

By the time Al and Sarah got back to the car park, two patrol cars with flashing blue lights were parked outside the entrance. Sarah handed over her keys and sat in one of the cars whilst Al and the police went upstairs to the flat. Her phone rang a few moments later. It was Al.

“She’s not here. Buster is though, and he doesn’t like policemen much. I’ll come down for you, we need to know if she took anything and what she said to you exactly.”

Al came down to collect Sarah and whilst a couple of the policemen checked out the rest of the building in case Marta was hiding elsewhere, Sarah went through the details of Marta’s visit. The only thing that was missing from the flat was Sarah’s beloved laptop. She felt like crying when she realised it was gone.

“My whole life is on that laptop. She has access to everything about me, my friends, my job, my family.”

“Is it password protected?” asked Al.

“Yes, the chap from the shop was adamant about that. Oh! I just remembered something else! It has a tracker. The thing is in the laptop bag, she didn’t take that too, did she?”

“She just took the laptop from what I can see, the power lead and the mouse are still here. Where do you keep the bag?”

“Under the table. Oh, thank goodness, it’s still here and here’s the tracker thing. do you know how it works?”

“No, but these guys do.” Al handed the fob to one of the policemen.

“Do you think she’ll come back? She doesn’t really know anyone else here.”

“It’s highly possible. Is there anywhere else you can go or someone who could stay with you?” asked the policeman.

“I can’t leave Buster. “

“I can stay.” said Al, blushing slightly. “If you want me to. I could sleep on the sofa?”

“You can have Tom’s room. I changed the sheets this morning. Thank you, Al. I’d feel so much safer.”

“Deal.”

He really does look a bit like Christopher Plummer, thought Sarah, and smiled.