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"Jess--"

"And anyway, I’ether with one that has lost its paper covering altogether and is marked at 10p "Do you knohat this is, Jim?"

"Fruit cocktail, I think" He frowns "But it could be carrots…"

"OK I’ll take it" She plonks some coins on the counter and fishes a cru Thanks"

"Another night, then!" I say desperately "Or lunch…"

"Becky, leave me alone"

She strides out of the shop and I just sit there, h I’ve been slapped Gradually the hush turns into whispers, which grow into full-blown chatter I’ eyes as they come up to the counter to pay, but I’m too defeated to care

"Are you OK, Becky?" Kelly says, touching my shoulder tentatively

"I’ve blown it" I drop esture "You saw her"

"She alas a stubborn little cuss" Jim shakes his head "Even when she was a kid She’s her oorst enemy, that Jess Hard on herself and hard on the rest of the world too" He pauses, cleaning some dirt off his Stanley knife "She could do with a sister like you, Becky"

"Well, too bad," Kelly says robustly "You don’t need her! Just forget she’s your sister Pretend she doesn’t exist!"

"Not as sih, is it?" says Jim "Not with faive a dispirited shrug "Maybe we can Ieach other… "

"And you want to make it another twenty-seven?" Jim looks at me, suddenly stern "Here’s the two of you Neither of you has a sister You could be good friends to one another"

"It’s not in defensively, then tail off as I reht "Well, it’s not all my fault… "

"Didn’t say it was," says Jim He serves another two customers, then turns to ht In fact, I’ll be there too"

"Really?"

"Aye Local environ Everyone’ll be there" His eyes twinkle "Why not co?"

FAX MESSAGE

TO: LUKE BRANDON

APHRODITE TEMPLE HOTEL