Chapter 118

Fortunately, Pablo had turned up back at Yolanda and Alan’s place – with his tail between his legs – not long after Ana got there. Danny probably passed him in the street as he made his way across the square and on towards the internet café but, of course, had never met him before in his life, and didn’t know that the two sisters had been fretting about his absence.

Ana had disappeared shortly afterwards, leaving Yolanda to try to calm down and wonder when to expect Alan and Harry. Well, she knew to expect Danny back around 4pm – Ana had told him his plan to meet up with Harry about then. She supposed she’d better organize some food or other, just in case. It wasn’t her forte, and as she opened the door to the large refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen, she saw only a jumble of produce. She sometimes thought she had culinary dyslexia, and marveled at how some women seemed to be able to rustle up a meal from what seemed like the most random of ingredients. Her sister had that knack. But then, she obviously had other skills, too – including an uncanny ability to see through facades … and reveal hidden truths.

Harry McFry was on her mind again. She felt she’d done more than enough to facilitate his meetings with Ana, but wondered, now, to what purpose. Ana had given little away, at first – had been more concerned to tell her about the meeting at the Ministry, didn’t even seem overly worried that Pablo had gone missing while her sister was on watch duty. “He does it all the time. Don’t worry. He’ll be back. He knows a good thing when he sees it!” To Yolanda, it had sounded as if Ana was describing a dog.

“How was Harry this morning, anyway?” she’d asked.

“The usual. Why? What makes you ask?”

Yolanda had chosen her words carefully. “Well, he took me for breakfast this morning, before he met up with you. I’m sure he must have mentioned it…”

“No,” Ana had replied, before the question was even properly phrased. “It didn’t crop up in our conversation. And?” Her question was quite matter-of-fact.

“He’s not interested, Ana. It’s all in the past, for him. You’ve done the right thing, moving on. You’ve got to think of Pablo, now.”

Ana had felt a surge of heat building up inside of her, and caught her breath coming more quickly. Why couldn’t people keep their nose out of her affairs? And Harry’s, for that matter? Sometimes, her sister was just too protective. Maybe she should look at her own situation, first, before barging in and analyzing everyone else’s, she’d thought.

“Yolanda. I know you mean well. But don’t you think you have your own problems to sort out first, before meddling in mine?”

A flush of embarrassment had spread across her sister’s face, and she had seemed to struggle to form a response but, even before she could, the doorbell had buzzed down the corridor.

Ana had seen her excuse to leave. “That will be Pablo now”, she’d said, grabbing her handbag and disappearing up the corridor, without another word.

No wonder Yolanda wasn’t in the frame of mind to cook – whether for Alan, Harry, or poor Danny.