1
CHAPTER ONE
Sadie Jackson walked along Donegall Place glad to be free of the day's
work. The long day behind the shop counter bored her. It was time
she was looking for another job. Her mother would blow her head
off if she came home saying that. She was always changing jobs.
Three in the last year, and each one more ~~tiresome~~ boring than the last.
But she forgot about them now for it was a fine ~~spring~~ summer evening.
She crossed with the crowd over the busy street to the City hall.
As she moved along the wide pavement stepped on to the kerb she heard someone call her name.
"Sadie! Sadie Jackson!"
She looked round. For a moment she could not see who it was
that was calling her. The pavement was busythick with people heading
homewards. Then she saw him coming through the midst of the throng. Tall, dark, broader than she had
remembered, but with the same bright spark in his eyes. She waited
for him to reach her.
"Kevin," she said. "Kevin McCoy." XXX XXXX
"It's me all right." He was grinning. ”I saw you coming a mile
away.”
"Haven't seen you for ages. XXX XXXX. It must be nearly three
years.”
“DaresaySuppose it is. Funny seeing you again after all this time so long.”
They only lived a few streets away from one another but it might
as well have been a few thousand miles. They stood and looked at one another
and let the hurrying people push t round them.
"Fancy a cup of coffee?" asked Kevin. "Have you time?"
"Don't see why not," said Sadie. There were many good reasons
why not, her mother would say, but Sadie was not one to be put off
