One of the four seemed grateful, but the other three were aloof. It was just, ho, hum, thanks. See you later.

He seemed very grateful,

Leaving a perfectly good trail to take a short cut was one of the things that made no sense to us.

Oh. A bigger studio. It dawns on me, stupid me, that Henry could win the lottery at any time at all; that he has never bothered to do so because it's not normal; that he has decided to set aside his fanatical dedication to living like a normal person so I can have a studio big enough to roller-skate across; that I am being an ingrate.

"Clare? Earth to Clare..."
"Thank you," I say, too abruptly.

David's one of three or four targets I've had on my list since I came here,

Thanks. It's been a great one.