by Holly Bell
‘Sorry I’ve been so busy,’ he said as he took the dishes out to the kitchen.
Thomas waited for him to come back, before saying, ‘Actually … I had a feeling that it wasn’t just that you were busy.’
His father looked at him with a gentle question in his eyes.
‘You know,’ Thomas continued carefully, ‘how sometimes there are things we don’t appreciate about ourselves but that others see in us?’
‘I suppose so,’ agreed his father amiably, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder as he passed his chair.
‘Well, lately, I’ve come to appreciate something about myself that I just thought everyone had in spades.’
‘What’s that?’ Kyt asked sitting down at the table once more.
‘Intuition,’ replied Thomas. ‘My former boss, Chief Inspector Hogarth, said he trusted mine even above his own. I thought that was quite something.’
Kyt smiled. ‘I’m proud to hear that, Thomas.’
‘Dad, I’ve got something to tell you. And I need you to hear me out. Will you do that? I’ve been asking questions for years that you didn’t …. weren’t ready to answer… and that’s OK,’ he added quickly. ‘But things are different now. There are things I’ve remembered … things I’ve found out … things I understand.’
His father sighed, as though something he had been dreading for a long time had finally come to pass. He leaned his head back against his high backed chair for a moment and closed his eyes, as though in relief. Thomas waited. Presently his father opened his eyes and nodded.
‘All right, son. Tell me.’
‘These are the pieces of the puzzle that I have: I had the Flamgoyne talent, didn’t I?’
Kyt nodded again.
‘Then, I think, you took me to a Cardiubarn who suppressed it and the memory of ever having had it. But the spells have been wearing off over the years. You knew they would, didn’t you? You knew that this moment, this conversation would come.’
‘There’s no point now in denying it.’
‘You did it to protect me; I know that. From the Flamgoynes.’
‘They would have taken you, Thomas,’ said his father quietly.
‘I know,’ said his son kindly. ‘But they don’t know about me now, do they?’
‘No, they lost interest in the pair of us long ago,’ agreed Kyt on a brighter note.
‘So you can tell me. Who was the Cardiubarn who helped us? It was a Cardiubarn, wasn’t it?’
His father sat in silent reflection for a few moments before saying, ‘You know, I think it would be better for you, if it came to you, that information,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘I think, son, if you were in the right place at the right time, you would remember.’ He got up, fetched his laptop and brought it to the table. ‘It might be a bit tricky to arrange … ‘ He tapped and scrolled.
Thomas leaned over to look at the screen, and saw it was the booking schedule for his father’s holiday cottages.
‘One of them?’
‘Yes, Marram. But the changeover from guest to guest is usually on a Saturday when you’re up in London. So we need a long weekend booking, and then we can go there midweek … and … nothing until the new year. But maybe there’ll be a cancellation. Just be ready, all right? As soon as possible, we’ll go there and see if it comes back to you.’
‘All right. Dad. You don’t have to persuade me. I’ll be waiting.’
Chapter 37
Blocked
‘No,’ said Senara with finality.
‘What do you mean “no”?’ replied her granddaughter in indignant accents.
‘I mean, no, not yet. You must stay away from the church. Keep a low profile.’
‘Well, when then?’ Amanda asked, frustrated.
‘I’ll tell you when,’ said her grandmother calmly.
‘Fine. I’ll go with the rector to interview Mr Woodberry,’ stated Amanda, putting her hands on her hips.
‘No. It’ll get back to the police. You have to keep a low profile,’ insisted Granny.
Her granddaughter pursed her lips in an effort to contain her irritation. Finally, it burst forth in:
‘Hrrrm!’
***
‘I feel so … blocked!’ Amanda told Trelawney, back at the cottage after the class that Saturday. ‘It's so frustrating. I can’t get anywhere.’
‘I do understand,’ he replied sympathetically, stirring his tea. ‘When I started out as a detective constable, I felt just like you a great deal of the time. Like a whippet trapped in the starting gate.’
That image of Trelawney made Amanda laugh.
‘That’s better,’ he said. ‘But over time I learned patience. Softly, softly. It’s like at twilight, waiting for the stars to appear in the sky. That’s how the ancient wayfinders knew where they were and the path ahead. At the moment we have to drift a little.’
‘OK. I’ve calmed down. Thank you for that.’
‘How’s the banister?’ Trelawney asked.
‘Well, that, at least, is making progress,’ Amanda replied cheerily.
‘Only three weeks to go, and then Worsfold will no longer be in charge. It’s not an eternity.’
‘No, it just feels like it,’ she countered with a grin. ‘How about you? Are you edging forward on any front?’
‘Yes, I’m learning things.’
‘From your father?’ asked Amanda excitedly.
‘Indeed. But he doesn’t want to overwhelm me with too much information at once, I can see that.’
‘Did he tell you who did the spells on you?’
‘No, he said it’s better if I remember. He says he needs to take me to Marram, one of our cottages.’
‘Cottages? I had no idea the Trelawneys were property magnates,’ said Amanda in surprise.
‘They’re not; they’re fishermen. I mean, holiday cottages. My father’s business. But usually, they’re only empty on Saturdays when I’m up here. Nevertheless, we do get guests who come for long weekends and leave on Monday or Tuesday. The next chance to go there will be in the new year, unless there’s a cancellation.’
‘So you’re blocked too,’ Amanda remarked.
‘Well, yes. I just don’t feel it quite as intensely as you do,’ he said with a touch of playfulness.
She acknowledged a hit with a quick wrinkling of her nose, then asked, ‘Did he tell you anything else?’
‘I’ll see him again this Tuesday. My father said that was enough to start with. And it was. Just to have him open up as he never has before. Finally, I feel like we’re playing on the same team, even though it’s far from being a sport I would have chosen,’ Trelawney added wryly.
‘What is your chosen sport?’ Amanda asked curiously.
‘Well, I have to train for work, and I like to run along the beach but, swimming. I like to swim.’
‘In the sea?’
‘For preference, but, of course, that’s not always practical. So I make do with the pool. Oh, and I like to sketch, not that it’s a sport.’
‘Not a team player then,’ observed Amanda with mock disapproval.
He smiled. ‘I can if I have to.’
‘Well,’ said Amanda, ‘dates tomorrow.’
‘See what you can get out of Ryan,’ replied Trelawney.
She nodded. ‘See what you can get out of Vanessa.’
***
‘Negasi is from Ethiopia and trained in Paris and Geneva,’ said Sandra enthusiastically, personally attending Amanda and Ryan’s table. ‘He’s just working here to gain experience. We are very lucky to have him for as long as we have him.’
‘Sounds like he’s the man to put The Snout and Trough on the map,’ replied Amanda.
‘I think so. Anyway, I’ll leave you with the new menus and get your drinks brought over.’
‘Thank you, Sandra.’
They scanned the traditional Sunday lunch options, looked with more interest at the roasts with a twist and then became absorbed in the strange and wonderful dishes from the
chef’s place of birth. Amanda finally looked up and closed her menu.
‘You know what? I’m just going to go with whatever the chef recommends,’ she announced boldly.
‘Same here,’ agreed Ryan.
‘So,’ Amanda opened, ‘what do you do offseason?’
‘Training, media stuff, popping down to see the folks, but, look, people are always asking about me and the sport and the celebrity lifestyle. I'd rather talk about you, if you don’t mind?’ Ryan asked modestly.
‘Of course,’ she replied, thinking that that was rather sweet, but also just what a spy would say. ‘What would you like to know?’
‘Furniture restorer. Not the obvious choice for …’
‘A girl?’ finished Amanda provocatively.
‘Well … am I allowed to say, yes?’ he asked tentatively, ‘without sounding abominably sexist? But not just that. For an asthmatic.’
Amanda nodded. ‘That’s what masks and ventilation are for. But, fair enough, there do tend to be more men than women who do what I do.’
‘Do you do upholstery?’
‘No. That really is dusty.’
‘You know, I’d love to see your workshop, if ever you have time and wouldn’t mind admitting a layperson. I grew up not even knowing how to change a fuse. I’d be fascinated.’
He asked so winningly that Amanda did not want to refuse. It must have been dreadful growing up to be so …. useless, she thought. ‘OK. Well, sure, one morning before work. How about that?’
‘I’d love that,’ he replied thankfully. ‘Any time that suits you.’
‘Tuesday morning, 8 o’clock?’ It was early, but she could then get him out of the way before magical training time at 8.30.
‘Wonderful.’
Amanda remembered that Gordon French, the retired headmaster of Sunken Madley School, had told her that Ryan came from Portsmouth, and she said sympathetically, ‘I expect you had more interesting things to do than learn DIY, growing up on the south coast.’
‘True.’
‘Do you miss the sea?’
‘Yes and no. Beach cricket’s fun but it gets windy, and the bounce isn’t the same as on a grass pitch,’ Ryan explained.
‘The game was more important than the water?’
‘Yes, in a word. But then my father’s work brought us to Sunken Madley. And I had two happy years here.’
‘Why the move away from here?’ asked Amanda.
‘To get me into a good cricket school that my parents could afford and where they could get jobs to help pay for it all. I was fortunate. I wouldn’t be where I am today without all that they did for me,’ said Ryan sincerely.
‘And now you’re back,’ Amanda remarked.
‘Well, I made a penny or two and could choose wherever I wanted to live, so why not come back to the village where I was so happy and see if I could give something back.’
Amanda was touched. ‘That’s nice,’ she said.
‘Ammeee!’ shrieked a little voice from knee height, hurrying inexpertly across the carpet as fast as his two-year-old legs would carry him. Little Amir Patel, entering with his grandparents, the doctors Patel, and his parents, had broken away from his family at the sight of his chum. Seeing the object of his delight, the Patels waved, seated themselves and enjoyed some moments of relative peace, confident that their treasure was in secure and familiar hands.
‘Hello, Amir,' Amanda responded fondly, smiling at him.
‘Up,’ he instructed, and she took him onto her lap.
‘Hello, there,’ said Ryan, but was ignored.
Amir pointed to Amanda’s pocket and explained, ‘Dat.’
‘Oh, shall we see what’s in there?’ said Amanda. She took out her phone, but Amir shook his head. Next came a packet of tissues, but these were of no attraction either. A pound coin followed, but would not serve. Finally, Amanda took out the one thing she preferred to keep hidden but never left the house without: her Pocket-wand. To all the world it appeared to be a perfectly ordinary IKEA pencil, but was of special interest to Amir. Amanda controlled her breathing and asked calmly,
‘Do you want to draw?’ Amir nodded. ‘Do I have any paper?’ She searched her pockets in vain. ‘Shall we ask Aunty Sandra for some? Can you see her?’ Amanda looked around, and Amir followed suit. In the process of which, what Amanda hoped would happen came to pass. He spotted the waiter’s stand, a-glint with cutlery and other exciting items.
‘Dow’,’ he uttered. Amanda put him back on his feet and he staggered off. With every show of nonchalance, she returned her possessions to the safety of her pocket.
‘He seems very fond of you,’ Ryan remarked. ‘You made a charmingly domestic picture, the two of you.’
‘Yes, well, I have babysat a village toddler or two in my time, and I confess that Amir is a particular favourite. But that’s as charmingly domestic as I get,’ Amanda replied crisply.
‘Wouldn’t you like children of your own?’
‘I already have a troublesome two-year-old and a stroppy teenager,’ she assured him. He raised his eyebrows in astonishment.
‘I had no idea.’
‘Yes, both in one. You must have seen him; a weather system on legs with eyes that some say stare into their very soul.’
‘Oh!’ Ryan laughed. ‘I see. Your cat.’
‘Yes, those two words don’t begin to cover it. He is more than enough for me,’ Amanda declared. So, she thought, if you’re seeking someone with whom to breed a little cricket team of Fords, you can look elsewhere. But this suggestion of serious interest is just your MO, I'll bet, and exactly what a spy would do to get close to a target. Out loud, Amanda asked, ‘You saw what Tempest did in the church at the Feast?’
‘Ah. Yes. Yes, I do get your point. He does seem to be a bit of a handful. I take it you have minimal control over him?’
‘I have none at all,’ Amanda replied airily. ‘But then, he’s a cat.’
Chapter 38
Grist to the Mill
On Monday, Amanda decided to try her luck, and sent a text.
Hi Leo, got time for elevenses? Amanda
Hi Amanda, yes got a gap at 11.30 if that’s not too late? L
Great. Big Tease, 11.30. A
Cool
Amanda spooned extra coconut cream into her hot chocolate and asked, ‘How’s Donna? She must have been pretty upset by what happened at the hall?’
‘Yes, she looked really shaken up,’ replied Leo, looking concerned. ‘It could so easily have been you or her or me. And she feels responsible in some silly way, saying if only she hadn’t sent the crystal and plate. But I told her that makes no sense. It was an accident waiting to happen to anyone who crossed that floor. It could have been any member of the class.’
‘She must have felt better after giving a statement to the police. I expect they asked, did they?’ asked Amanda, gently fishing.
‘Yes, and the constable was very understanding.’
‘Nikolaides?’
‘Yes.’
‘She’s very kind,’ said Amanda, ‘I suppose the constable reassured her?’
‘Yes. It was lucky in a way that, although she had the key, I was with her, or a client was, the whole time from when the rector gave it to her until she gave it to you.’
‘That’s good,’ responded Amanda. ‘So at least Donna has an alibi for the day that it happened. That must help put her mind at rest a little, on some score.’
‘You’re right, but I don’t think that’s the point for her. It’s the fact that it happened at all. Poor thing. She went as white as a sheet. Donna’s really a much more sensitive little soul than people realise.’
‘She’s lucky to have a lovely big brother to look out for her,’ observed Amanda with a kind smile.
‘Actually, she’s the elder of the two us by a few years. I just look more weathered. The effect of life in the City!’
‘She just looks youthful,’ countered Amanda generously. ‘But I meant “big” in the sense of s
ize and presence.’
‘Ah, I see. Well, I hope I help. But you, Amanda, you don’t seem to be in need of support of any kind. Independent, your own business, and a demanding trade, at that.’
‘I enjoy it. It is no hardship for me,’ she said pleasantly.
‘You know, I’d love to see your workshop. Having been quite involved in the furniture business for some years, I miss the smell of wood. May I?’
Amanda’s impish side got the better of her.
‘Yes,’ she said ‘The ideal time would be …’
***
Amanda brought in the tea tray as Trelawney finished making up the fire.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘Thought I’d make myself useful,’ he replied and sat down. Picking up his mug he asked, ‘So, how did the subtle interview go at the Snout and Trough.’
‘OKish. From Ryan, I just got a bit more backstory, and then over tea, Leo told me how upset his sister was … blah blah blah. But the one valuable bit of info he did give is that his sister had no chance to use the hall key from the time she got it from the rector until the time she gave it to me. So she has an alibi, at least for that day.’
‘Good data.’
‘Oh, and both of them wanted a tour of the workshop, so I booked them in on Tuesday morning at the crack of dawn. You should have seen their faces when they saw that they were not the only one!’
Trelawney allowed his amusement to peep through. ‘You shock me, Miss Cadabra. This is a side of you I have not yet seen.’
