Page 61 of The Village of Lost and Found

Lucy knew what he was getting at. It was the writer’s block that he had told her about. ‘It’s only a couple of sentences,’ she told him. ‘You can do that. You know you can.’

‘What if they’re rubbish?’ he asked.

‘Then they’ll fit right in with some of the stuff out there on social media,’ said Lucy, with a grin. ‘Trust me. You should have seen some of the spelling on the posts that I got tagged in a couple of weeks ago.’

She had expected him to laugh, but instead Tom frowned. ‘You know, we really should clear your name. It’s not fair.’

Lucy shook her head. ‘Yesterday’s fish and chip shop paper, remember? Everyone’s already moved on to the next scandal. It doesn’t matter.’

Tom sighed and looked across, where Molly was working hard on her computer setting up all the social media accounts for the newspaper. ‘You really think this’ll work?’ he asked, looking back at Lucy.

‘We’ve got to try something,’ she told him, standing up. ‘So crack on, Mr Editor. We’ve got work to do.’

‘For someone who claims to not have any skills, I’d say one of them is bossing other people about,’ he replied.

‘You know Katy Perry’s “Roar”?’ she said. ‘I sing it to myself every morning when I’m getting dressed.’

‘You’re also very weird,’ he added, with a soft laugh.

‘You’d better believe it,’ she told him with a wink. ‘Right, I’ll get the coffees in. We’re going to need all the caffeine we can get today. Get going on those posts.’

And she shot out of the front door before he had time to reply.

33

As Lucy headed out of the newspaper office and into the bright sunshine, she relished the warmth, before looking up at the sound of voices.

As usual, she found her Uncle Frank and Stanley sitting on one of the benches on the veranda, chatting over their coffees. Today they were joined by Grandma Tilly who was sitting on the other bench.

‘Good morning,’ said Uncle Frank, with a smile. ‘Beautiful day again, isn’t it?’

‘It’s lovely,’ said Lucy. ‘But I’m afraid I’ve no time to enjoy it. I’ve got more sorting to do.’

‘That’s not good for your vitamin D levels,’ said Stanley.

‘Or your love life,’ added Grandma Tilly, with a wink.

‘Yes, well, not much chance of that either around here,’ said Lucy, shuffling from foot to foot with embarrassment. Although the thought of the date with Henry later that week was a small chink of light in her otherwise empty social calendar.

‘All work and no play makes Lucy a dull girl,’ said Frank.

‘I yearn for dull,’ said Lucy with a grin. ‘Anyway, I don’t know how you expect me to get a life when there’s so much to do onyournewspaper.’

He broke into a smile. ‘Anything I can do to help?’ he asked.

Lucy was just about to shake her head when she remembered the conversation with Uncle Frank a few days earlier about how quiet his life was these days.

‘Actually there is,’ she said.

Uncle Frank looked surprised as he stared back at his niece.

‘Have either of you gentlemen got any appointments coming up in the next hour or two?’ asked Lucy.

The pensioners looked at each other a little bemused and then shook their heads.

‘Great,’ said Lucy. ‘I’ll just get a round of coffees and then we’ll head next door.’

‘Does that include me?’ asked Grandma Tilly.