Thank you guys for your wonderful reviews :) Now, it's time for John to pitch his idea to Clara. But how will she react?

Chapter 36

Clara was curious what John wanted to talk to her about, but when he stopped by the house to pick her up, she was distracted by a very happy dog. Odin was sweet in general, but he was getting used to her by now and that meant he demanded her full attention for at least a minute, with Clara rubbing his ears and petting his head. Maybe one day she would own a pet herself, a furry friend to keep her company, but for now, Clara was fully content just spoiling Odin with cuddles.

"He likes you," John remarked when Clara had finally finished the usual fussing over his dog and started heading towards out into the field.

Clara grinned at him. "The feeling is mutual. Odin's a very good boy," she replied sincerely. She considered that having a dog around would probably make her feel a little safer until Clara remembered that there was a more effective way to do that. "So, um, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

Even though John didn't look at her and kept his eyes on the path ahead of them, Clara knew that it had something to do with Bonnie. He had said so on the phone even though he had refused to give her the details. She was surprised when he suddenly turned his head and grinned at her. "Do you have any plans for the weekend?"

In response, Clara raised her eyebrows at him. "Don't change the subject, John," she reminded him. "You said it was about Bonnie."

John exhaled sharply as the smile faded from his lips and suddenly, he looked a lot more serious. "Kate found one of Bonnie's friends in London. Saibra Preston. She's agreed to take care of the funeral."

"Oh," Clara uttered in surprise. That wasn't something she had expected to hear. In fact, she had somehow assumed it would be up to her or her father to take care of her sister's burial. The fact that Bonnie had friends took her a little by surprise. "Alright."

"I'm going to fly to London this weekend to hand over her body," he went on to explain. "I'm also going to talk to her friend to see if she knows anything that could have led to… well, you know."

Even though Clara tried very hard not to show it, the news wasn't exactly what she had expected to hear. She swallowed hard and tried her best to smile. "Well, that's good, isn't it?" she asked carefully. "I mean, if this Saibra person can help?"

John scoffed softly. "Honestly, I'm not sure," he admitted. "I mean, she's an old flatmate from before Bonnie moved back to Belfast. I don't even know if they kept in touch."

"Well, it's worth a try, I suppose," she replied.

As they walked, Clara became increasingly aware that John was watching her intently. She glanced in his direction but swiftly looked away again when she realised that he was keeping an eye on her. Normally, the way he looked at her made her feel safe, but right now, it seemed to have the opposite effect, so she focused her eyes on the only building in sight – the old, dilapidated Campbell Estate on the other end of the field.

"You don't seem very thrilled," John remarked. "I thought you'd be curious to find out more about your sister."

"I am," Clara protested instantly. "I am curious. But you just said it yourself. They're old flatmates. How much insight can this woman have? I had flatmates back at uni, but all we shared was a living space. Certainly not secrets."

For some reason, the smile came back and John beamed at her again. "I suppose we'll find out."

"We?" she asked, frowning.

"I asked Kate if it would be okay for you to join me and she said she doesn't mind," John explained. Then, the expression on his face changed and he looked as if he had just suggested something awful. "Only if you want to, of course. I mean, if you don't want to come, that's perfectly fine. I just thought you'd like to-"

To ease his mind, Clara smiled at him and interrupted him before he could finish his babbling. "That's very considerate of you," she said earnestly. "I appreciate the offer."

John waited for a moment before he raised his eyebrows expectantly. "So?" he asked, his voice careful.

"So what?"

"So, um, would you like to join me?" John wanted to know. "I mean, I don't want to pressure you, but it is this weekend and we'll have to book the flight and hotel rooms… or room, singular, if you don't wanna come."

Clara considered it for a moment. She hadn't been back to London for over six months and she wasn't sure how it would feel to step back into the life she had left behind. But then there was Saibra Preston and the answers she might or might not have about Bonnie and of course, it would be nice to accompany her sister on her last journey.

"My job is mainly to hand over Bonnie's body to the undertaker in London," John went on. "And to talk to Saibra Preston. We still have questions concerning Bonnie and basically, we're grasping at straws. The least she can tell us is what Bonnie was like. Wouldn't you like to know?"

Clara nodded slowly. She supposed that it would be nice to get to know her sister a little better and to say goodbye. And if she was perfectly honest, John was probably the only person with whom she would dare to go back to London at this stage.

"Alright," she agreed eventually. "I'll come with you."

Her hesitation wasn't lost on John because he raised his eyebrows at her in response. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I mean, I didn't talk you into it, did I? If you don't want to come, you shouldn't. It's not an obligation, just an offer."

"I want to come," Clara said more determinedly now. It was the right thing to do even if she had doubts. It was going to be okay because John would be with her. She could do it. "I mean it. I want to join you. I want to learn more about my sister and I want to make sure she's in good hands."

Finally, John's face lit up again and Clara could tell that the prospect of not having to go alone appealed to him a lot. "Good," he concluded. "I'll tell Kate to book two tickets. You can start packing your bags."

"I will," Clara promised, grinning back at him until she remembered an important detail. "Wait, what will you do about Odin?"

John chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "One more thing to inform Kate of, I suppose."