Uptown Girl. Olivia Goldsmith

neat – except in his clothes – he looked for a coaster. Before Kate could hand him one, he found a piece of cardboard.

      ‘Take this and drink all the water,’ he told her. Bina did as she was told without question.

      ‘What was that?’ Kate asked.

      ‘Oh, I just felt she needed a visit from cousin Valerie,’ Elliot told her. It was his code word for Valium, and Kate knew a blue one was ten milligrams.

      ‘She’ll sleep for a week,’ Kate said.

      ‘What a good time for that,’ Elliot told her.

      ‘Okay, Bina. Tell us what happened next.’

      ‘I just ran out,’ she said. ‘Well, ran as best I could in my heels. I went straight to your apartment, Katie, and when I couldn’t find you Max helped me. You can’t believe how hysterical I was.’ Kate silently disagreed with her on that. Bina blew her nose and continued. ‘Max was home. And he told me he thought you were out to dinner and where Elliot lived and I went straight there in the pouring rain and … Ohmigod!’

      ‘What! What is it, Bina?’ Kate asked. Had Bina had a bad reaction to the pill? ‘What is it?’

      Bina reached over to the coffee table and picked up the coaster for the water. It was Bunny’s wedding invitation. ‘Bunny? Bunny is getting married?’ she asked.