‘Nah, it’s fine. We’ll get to it tomorrow. Get some rest,’ she instructed before ending the call.
Leanne was cradling her mug and regarding her with a half-smile.
‘What?’ Kim asked.
‘Why not just ring and tell her you’re checking on her? I mean, that is what you were doing, isn’t it? Devon would just love me…’ Leanne mimicked. ‘You just wanted to make sure Devon was there. Is it really so hard to show your team you care?’
‘Fuck off.’
‘I’ll take that as a yes.’
Kim was happy for her to take it however she liked. She didn’t need to admit that she was concerned about the safety of them all, but probably Stacey more than the others. Stacey had been taken before and she’d managed to get her back. She wasn’t going to let the same thing happen again.
‘So, Leanne King, what do you do for fun when you’re not protecting undesirables?’ Kim asked, pouring her own coffee.
‘They’re not always awful, but for me to fully relax, I need your help.’
Kim passed her coffee and raised an eyebrow.
‘Got any kitchen appliances you don’t use?’ Leanne asked.
‘Take your pick,’ Kim said, waving towards the double oven.
‘Not quite what I had in mind – like a spare toaster or a blender.’
‘I don’t know what a blender is, and who has a spare toaster?’
‘Never mind.’
The toaster was the only thing she did really use but she was too intrigued to stop now.
She unplugged it. ‘What now?’
‘Cover your dining table in newspaper or something and grab a couple of screwdrivers.’
‘Are you taking the piss?’ Kim asked.
‘You brought it up.’
Yes, she had and she was still interested enough to see how this woman unwound.
She unlocked the door to the garage and retrieved an old sheet and two screwdrivers: a Phillips head and a flat head.
She laid the sheet over the table and placed the toaster and screwdrivers on top. ‘Okay, ready.’
‘Oh no, that’s not all the help I need,’ she said, turning her back.
‘What now?’
‘Take it apart.’
‘Why the hell would I do that?’
‘So I can put it back together, but it’s no challenge if I watch you dismantle it.’
Kim looked at Leanne’s back and then at the toaster.
Oh, what the hell. It was eleven thirty, she had no dog to walk and sleep was nowhere in her future.