To Catch a Cat by Marian Babson Page A

Press Council and threatened to sue the station – and you got the push yourself.’
    â€˜Don’t worry.’ Josh did not even glance at her. ‘I can handle it. This is our ticket out of here.’
    Find Nordling … Gone to ground … Where? …
    â€˜You promise?’
    It probably would be, but which way? Josh thought it would be upwards, towards that media heaven of his own London-based television show – or national radio, at least. Mags knew from bitter experience that he could antagonise everyone in sight and everything could go wrong again. That caravan on the far side of a sea of mud flickered mockingly on the horizon.
    Sometimes she thought the only reason she didn’t leave him was because she wouldn’t give her mother the satisfaction of being able to say, ‘I told you so.’
    Her mother! Sooner or later, she was going to have to break that news to Josh. Later , everything inside her cried, much later . Only she couldn’t wait until Mummy turned up on the doorstep. That would really provoke him into one of their blistering rows – in front of Mummy or not.
    â€˜Josh …’ she cleared her throat and tried again. ‘Josh, I have to talk to you …’
    â€˜Talk away.’ His abstracted tone betrayed that he wasn’t listening and, no matter what she said, he wasn’t going to listen to it.
    â€˜Josh …’
    There was a thump in the hallway, as of someone who could not resist jumping the last two steps to the ground, then Robin appeared in the doorway, clutching an armload of books.
    â€˜Auntie Mags? I’m going to the library. Maybe I’ll be a long time. I have to look up a lot of stuff.’
    â€˜Take all the time you want,’ Josh muttered. ‘In fact – ’
    â€˜Josh!’ Mags cut him off. Robin had shrunk back defensively, only too well able to finish for himself the sentence Josh had started.

    â€˜That’s all right, Robin.’ The smile she sent him tried to make up for Josh’s hostility. ‘You run along.’
    â€˜Do you want me to bring anything back for you?’ Robin offered. ‘I used to do all sorts of errands for Mum. I could do any shopping you wanted. Or bring back a book for you – ’
    â€˜Not right now, thank you.’ He was trying so hard to be helpful. Her heart twisted, he shouldn’t feel the need to justify his presence here. That was another thing she had to talk to Josh about.
    â€˜Anything she wants, I can get for her,’ Josh said. He turned back to his computer, dismissing both of them.
    And that was another thing: he might at least offer Robin the use of the computer once in a while – the money Eva had given them for Robin’s lodging had helped to update it. On the other hand, it was a good idea for Robin to learn to use the library properly – and he probably welcomed the excuse to get out of the house.
    â€˜I’m going out myself shortly,’ she told Robin. ‘Perhaps you can shop for me another day.’
    He nodded and made his escape with obvious relief. Mags decided to do the same. Josh was so deeply immersed in working on his rant that he wouldn’t even notice she had left.

15
    Robin stopped running after he had rounded the corner, his heart still pounding, but not because he had been running. Josh hated him – and he hated Josh. How had a nice woman like Auntie Mags got herself mixed up with a dork like that?
    One of the mysteries of grown-up life .
    That was what Mum had always said to him when he asked a question she couldn’t – or wouldn’t – answer. It was marginally better than Nothing to worry your little head over , but not much. There was nothing but worry these days.

    He clutched his books tighter and turned towards the library. He had to get rid of these books before he faced Kerry and the gang and told them that he’d never had a chance to get near the cat