28:00

kettles." Carolyn says.

28:03

Kendall looks blank. "'People

28:05

in glass houses.' I

28:08

offer, but the sarcasm is lost on

28:10

her. Surprisingly, it's

28:12

Bronnie who takes charge. I

28:16

think what they're trying to point out, Kendall,

28:18

is that you've been more than a little

28:20

economical with the truth yourself. It's

28:23

Bronnie's turn to feel awkward, from

28:25

one liar to another, and

28:27

I shoot her a look of

28:29

solidarity. Who'd have thought it, Bronnie

28:32

Richardson and me, with something in

28:34

common? I didn't know

28:36

it was possible for a person to go so red.

28:38

A deep crimson flush floods

28:40

from inside the collar of Kendall's shirt

28:42

and makes its way to her hairline

28:45

like high tide. She

28:47

opens her mouth, closes it again, then

28:49

repeats the motion. A fish

28:52

out of water. "'Right.

28:55

Enough pissing about.' Carolyn

28:57

slaps the theatre programme against her thigh,

29:00

letting Kendall off the hook and snapping

29:02

us all back into action. "'Imogen

29:05

Kerwood, or Lisa Dasely, or whatever the fuck

29:07

her name is, has been playing us all

29:09

for fools for the best part of a

29:12

term, and now it's time to

29:14

turn the tables.' She gives

29:16

a slow smile. And

29:18

I know just how to do it. "'How?'

29:22

But Carolyn ignores Bronnie, instead pulling

29:24

out her phone and tapping furiously

29:26

at the screen, cursing whenever her

29:29

fingers find the wrong key. I

29:32

see the familiar screen of a search

29:34

engine, but as I lean across to

29:36

see more, Carolyn angles the phone away

29:38

from me. She winks.

29:41

All in good time. There

29:44

she goes again, hogging the

29:46

limelight. Bronnie puts

29:48

the kettle back on, and Kendall fills

29:50

up the milk jug, and while Carolyn

29:52

taps at her phone, the three of

29:54

us sit around Bronnie's pine table and

29:56

drink tea and eat scones. We

29:59

gloss over the down

32:00

her phone, drops her head to

32:02

her chest, and holds out both

32:04

arms like a leading lady anticipating

32:06

her curtain-call flowers. Boom!

32:09

She looks up, as I believe

32:12

the kids say. You

32:14

didn't. Bronnie is in

32:16

awe. Caroline's eyes sparkle.

32:19

I bloody did. Where are

32:21

the Mew Studios? Kendall

32:24

asks. The Flush has

32:26

disappeared, and she's leaning forward, anxious

32:28

to be involved, to be included.

32:31

It crosses my mind that if it weren't

32:33

for Ruby being in hospital, we might not

32:36

have glossed over her actions as easily. She

32:39

has, after all, lied to us

32:41

for an entire academic year, as

32:44

has her daughter. But

32:46

right now, dealing with Imogen Kerwood

32:48

is more important than anyone else's

32:50

dramas. Lucky for

32:52

Kendall, I think, and for Bronnie,

32:55

and I guess for me, I wonder

32:58

idly what Caroline's secrets

33:01

are. It's

33:03

a rehearsal space in Camden. A friend of mine

33:05

owns it. It won't be a problem to borrow

33:07

it for an hour or so. She

33:09

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34:43

to Sagas of Sundry Goblin Mode.

34:45

It's a brand new fantasy series

34:47

that uses tabletop role playing games

34:49

to tell an ever evolving story.

34:52

Goblin Mode follows a group of

34:55

underdogs, okay, more like underlings, who

34:57

suddenly find themselves the masters of

34:59

their own destiny. The adventure

35:02

begins September 9th. Join Geek

35:04

and Sundry in Realm for Sagas of

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Sundry Goblin Mode. Listen on Apple Podcasts,

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Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

35:17

The Muse Studios are housed in

35:19

an unprepossessing building in the heart

35:21

of Camden, which could easily be

35:23

mistaken for a home for accountants

35:25

rather than performers were it not

35:27

for the inspirational stickers adorning the

35:29

otherwise plain front door. If

35:32

you never jump, reads one, how do

35:35

you know if you can fly? Carolyn

35:38

enters a series of numbers into a

35:40

keypad and the door clicks open. Unlike

35:44

the Orla Flynn Academy, where

35:46

leg-warmed boys leap down the

35:48

hallways and pockets of girls

35:51

in low-slung yoga pants harmonize

35:53

in stairwells with irritating frequency,

35:55

the corridor that greets

35:57

us is stark and cold. or

38:00

left, it doesn't matter, and a big sign

38:02

on those double doors that says no entry.

38:06

Kendall scurries off and Carolyn looks at

38:08

me. I lift

38:10

my chin for action. Go

38:12

on then, I think. Try bossing

38:14

me around like that. See how that

38:17

goes down for you. As

38:20

though she can read my mind, a hint

38:22

of a smile plays across her lips and

38:25

her shoulders relax a little. I

38:28

think we need a dress

38:30

rehearsal, she says. How

38:32

do you fancy playing Imogen Kerwood? She

38:35

gestures to the stage. I'd

38:38

be delighted. How

38:40

about me? Bronnie says,

38:43

like a kid left out at

38:45

playtime. What do you want me

38:47

to do? Should I help Kendall with

38:49

the signs? I used to do a

38:51

lot of arts and crafts with the kids. I

38:54

could. There's something much more

38:56

important I need you for, Carolyn

38:58

says, cutting in, and I swear

39:00

Bronnie grows an inch right there.

39:04

Carolyn gives a sly smile. Lisa

39:07

Dazely's an actress, and

39:10

actresses deserve an audience.

39:13

You want me to round up some people? Bronnie's

39:16

confidence wavers. I have

39:19

a sudden image of her standing on

39:21

Camden High Street wearing a sandwich board

39:23

and carrying a giant foam arrow, this

39:26

way to the free theatre show. I stifle

39:29

a laugh and make my way

39:31

to the front of the auditorium for

39:33

my dress rehearsal. Not

39:36

people, Carolyn

39:38

says, enigmatically. A person.

39:43

She puts an arm around Bronnie and

39:45

leads her out of the theatre, briefing

39:47

her in a low voice that disappears

39:49

completely as the double doors swing shut

39:51

behind them. I

39:53

roll my eyes, even though there's no one

39:55

here to see it. Carolyn

39:57

is in her element orchestrating.