by Adele Abbott
Okay. I suppose it would do me good to stretch my legs.”
“Have you been in Washbridge long?”
“Only a few days. I’ve lived in London for the last five years.”
“You’ll notice a difference, then. The pace of life up here is much slower.”
“I know. I was actually born here.”
“Really? When did you leave?”
“When I went to uni. After I’d got my degree, I found a job in London, and I’ve lived there ever since.”
“Do you still have family up here?”
“Yes. All my family are still in Washbridge.”
“They’ll be pleased to have you back.”
Susan nodded. She wasn’t about to tell Stella that none of her family knew she was back.
“I thought we’d try the coffee shop just down the road. It’s a bit unusual, but as you’ve been living in London, it’ll probably seem quite tame to you. It’s called Coffee Triangle.”
“Strange name.”
“You’ll see why when we get inside.”
There weren’t any triangles to be seen, but there were plenty of tambourines. Almost everybody in the shop was holding one.
“What’s this all about?” Susan asked Stella when they’d taken their seats.
“It’s a percussion themed shop.”
“Well, London or not, this is a first for me.”
“Every day of the week, they feature a different percussion instrument. There’s drum day, gong day and triangle day. Everyone is given one of the featured instruments to play while they drink their coffee.”
“It must get awfully noisy in here on drum day and gong day.”
“It’s terrible. I always avoid those days. I’ve got us a couple of tambourines if you’d like to have a go.”
“No, I’m okay. You go ahead.”
“Stella gave her tambourine a quick shake. “What on earth made you decide to come back to this dead end place?”
“I needed a job. I’ve worked at a couple of newspapers in London. The last one folded three months after I joined.”
“That was bad luck.”
“I heard about this position through a friend, and thought I’d give it a shot. Besides which, I was ready for a new challenge.”
“Well, you’ll certainly get that here. I assume you’ve heard of The Bugle’s reputation?”
“Yeah, but Fred Flynn seems determined to change it.”
“He’s going to have his work cut out with that bunch of no-hopers in the newsroom. Present company excepted, of course. I’d been looking for another job for quite some time, but then when The Bugle was sold, I thought maybe things would change for the better, so I decided to hang around a little longer.” She took a sip of coffee. “Where are you living, Susan?”
“I’m staying in a motel on the outskirts of Washbridge. It’s called The Luxury, which is an absolute joke because it’s a flea pit. The shower is next to useless. I can’t wait to get out of there.”
“Can’t you stay with family?”
“I’d rather not. Anyway, fingers crossed, I might have found somewhere. I talked to Carly in classified ads, and she’s put me onto an ad that’s going to be in tomorrow morning’s paper. It’s a four-way flat-share in a loft-style apartment a few miles out of the town centre.”
“That sounds promising.”
“I’m going to see it later today, so fingers crossed.”
***
“Flynn, do you have a moment?” Susan popped her head around his door.
“Sure, come on in.”
“Look, I realise this is my first day, but is there any chance I can take some time off this afternoon? I’m living in a motel at the moment, but I have the chance of a flat-share. The only time I can see—”
“Stop!” He put up his hand. “I don’t expect you to clock in and out. The only thing I expect from you is results. I need big stories. Stories that are going to turn this newspaper around.”
“Okay. That’s great. Thanks very much.”
Susan was just about to climb into her car when her phone rang. Caller ID told her it was Caroline Day, or Dreams as Susan still knew her. They’d known each other since they were kids—Caroline had always been hair brained—away with the fairies. That’s how she’d got the nickname Daydreams, which had been shortened to Dreams.
“Hey, Dreams. How’s it going?”
“Okay. Are you in Washbridge, yet?”
“Yeah, I started the new job today. I’m just on my way to look at an apartment.”
“Where have you been staying?”
“In a seedy little motel called Luxury, if you can believe it.”
“Oh, goodness. I know that place. It’s a real dump! Why are you staying there?”
“It was all I could get at short notice. Besides, I didn’t want to blow a fortune staying in the town centre.”
“What about your mum? Does she know you’re back?”
“Not yet, I’ll tell her once I’ve got somewhere to live.”
“How is she?”
“Mum’s fine.”
“Are you and your dad still not speaking?”
“No. It’s been nearly two years now.”
“Have you told your mum about the new job?”
“No. You’re the only person who knows.”
“Where’s this apartment you’re going to look at?”
“On Colbourn Drive.”
“I know the ones. From all accounts, they’re very nice, but they must be expensive. Can you afford it?”
“It’s a four-way share. It’s the only thing I’ve even had a sniff of so far. Anyway, I’d better go because I’ve got to be there at two. The landlord sounds a nasty piece of work. I reckon if I’m even a minute late, he’ll have left. Catch you later, Dreams.”
Susan was struggling to find a parking space, but then someone pulled out as she was doing her second circuit of the road. It wasn’t the best bit of parking she’d ever done, but it would have to do. Susan checked her watch; it was five to two. She’d have to run.
The apartment was on the middle floor of five. A giant of a man was waiting for her.
“Are you Susan Hall?” he growled.
“Yeah.” She was still trying to catch her breath.
“You only just made it. I thought you’d changed your mind.”
“No. I’m still interested.”
“Okay, but I’ve only got about thirty minutes, so you’ll have to look sharp.”
“No problem. Thanks.”
He took out a set of keys from his pocket, and unlocked the door.
“Aren’t any of the other tenants in?”
“No. Like I said before, it’s only me you have to worry about. If I’m happy with you, and you want the place, then that’s all that matters. The others can like it or lump it.”
Susan didn’t like the sound of that.
“You can see for yourself that it’s a big apartment. There’s a nice view over the river. This place cost me a fortune, and look at the state of it. Those three wasters don’t know the meaning of the word ‘tidy’.”
Susan couldn’t argue with that. The apartment was tastefully decorated, and the furniture looked expensive. But there was stuff everywhere, and the sink was full of dishes. These were not the sort of people Susan would normally have chosen to live with. But what choice did she have?
“That would be your room, over there.” He pointed. “Take a look.”
The bedroom was way tidier than the rest of the apartment. It was also much colder. And very spacious—it was easily three times the size of the bedroom she’d had in London, but then renting in the capital came at a premium. She couldn’t fault the apartment. It was big, it was modern, and it was close enough to where she worked. The only nagging doubts in her mind were the temperature in the bedroom, and the other flatmates. If they’d been there, she could have made a judgment as to whether she’d be able to live with them or not. But she was going to have to make that
decision blind.
“What do you think?” He checked his watch. “Do you want it or not?”
“It’s very cold in this room.”
“That’s because no one’s lived in it for a while. It will soon warm up.”
“Do you need to know right now?”
“That’s up to you. But it’s first come, first served.”
“Okay, yeah. I’ll take it.”
“I’ll need one month’s rent in advance, plus five hundred pounds as security.”
“Is a cheque okay?”
“Yes, but if it bounces, I’ll be forced to rip your throat out.” He laughed.
Chapter 4
“Charlie, can you help me, please?”
He turned around. It was Ali, a pretty young witch, who came to the gym most days. She was on one of the treadmills, gesturing for him to come over.
“Hi, Ali. You’re becoming a regular visitor.”
“Gotta keep fit, Charlie. Look, I know I’m a bit ditzy, but I can’t remember how to change the settings. Do you think you could show me?”
“Did you swipe your membership card?”
“Yeah, I’ve done that already.”
“In that case, all you need to do is press the Start button, and it will remember the settings from the last time you used it.”
“Is that all? Silly me. Thanks, Charlie.” She pressed the button, and began to jog slowly on the machine.
He walked back across the room to join Mason, one of the other instructors. Like Charlie, he was a werewolf.
“You do realise that Ali has the hots for you, don’t you?” Mason said while taking a sip from his power drink.
“Don’t be stupid. She just needed help with the treadmill.”
“Of course she didn’t. How many times has she asked you to help her with that same treadmill?”
“Most days. I guess she’s not very technically minded.”
“Really? Charlie, you’re a total chump. How technically minded does she need to be to press the Start button? It’s any excuse to get you to go over and talk to her. Don’t you realise that you and me are the reason a lot of these women come in here?”
“You’re just vain, Mason.” Charlie shook his head. “They come here to keep fit.”
“Some of them do, sure, but how do you think I pull so many women? I just give them a smile, and ask for their number.”
“I’m not like you.”
“You could be. You’ve got everything going for you. You’re a fit young guy, and not totally unattractive.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“All you have to do is flash them a smile, and give them the chat. That’s it. Why don’t you go over there, and ask Ali if she’d like to go out for a drink tonight?”
“The chat?”
“Yeah. Just turn on the charm. They love that.”
“I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“I’ll show you, if you like. Why don’t I ask Ali if she’d like to go for a drink with you?”
“Don’t you dare! I’ll kill you if you say anything. Anyway, there’s someone else I’ve got my eye on.”
“Who’s that?”
“A witch who lives in the same apartment block as me. I see her sometimes in the mornings. She’s gorgeous.”
“Have you spoken to her?”
“Not exactly. Although she did think I’d called her pretty.”
“Think? Were you mumbling again?”
“No. I was calling the cat. Her name is Pretty.”
“You have a cat?”
“It’s not mine. I don’t know whose it is. It comes to our apartment to be fed.”
“You’re a real soft touch, aren’t you, Charlie. So what happened with you and the gorgeous witch?”
“Nothing, really. Like I said, I was calling the cat when the witch walked by. She said, ‘Oh, thank you, kind sir’.”
“That was your opportunity. What did you say? Did you ask her out?”
“No, I just said, ‘Sorry, I was talking to the cat’.”
“You’re hopeless! Why don’t I come over to your place? I could put a word in for you.”
“No. I know what you’re like. You’d only embarrass me, and make things ten times worse.”
“I’d quite like to come over sometime, anyway. I’ve still got a thing for Dorothy.”
“You’re wasting your time there. She’s sworn off men.”
“That’s what they all say, but then they meet me.”
“You’re so full of yourself, Mason.”
“That’s the whole point. You’ve got to have self-confidence. That’s what attracts the ladies. Anyway, what did you get up to on the FM?”
“Just the usual. I went to the Range in Candlefield, and let loose in there. It was busier than usual—really packed. What about you?”
“I didn’t go back to Candlefield, that’s for sure. Where’s the fun in that? What’s the point of being a werewolf if every full moon you hide away in Candlefield? It’s much more exciting to stay here and scare a few humans.”
“I hope you didn’t hurt anyone.”
“Of course not. I’m not stupid. I don’t want the Rogue Retrievers on my back. I just howled a little, bared my teeth, and generally scared a few humans. Nothing I could get arrested for.”
Just then, Ali came walking across the room. “Charlie, do you think you could give me a hand with the cross-trainer?”
Mason winked at him.
***
It was Charlie’s early finish. On the way back home, he stopped off at the local supermarket to pick up some tins of cat food. He couldn’t bring himself to give Pretty the budget brand, so instead bought the top of the range. When he got back to the apartment, Pretty was waiting outside the door.
“You’re going to get me in trouble,” he said quietly, in case anyone overheard. “The others don’t want you here.”
The cat just meowed and circled his legs.
“Come on then, quickly.” Charlie went into the kitchen, found the can opener, and opened the deluxe salmon mix. As soon as he’d put the bowl down on the floor, the cat was straight on it.
Charlie put the empty tin at the bottom of the bin, then hid the other three at the back of the cupboard that contained all the cleaning materials. He didn’t want Dorothy to see them because she hated the cat with a passion. He knew he shouldn’t encourage Pretty, but he couldn’t bring himself to ignore her. She was such a sweet little thing.
He left the cat eating her food, and went through to his bedroom.
“Hey, Charlie!” A tiny voice came from the other side of the room. “Come over here.”
He peered through the large magnifying glass which was on the cupboard. “Hey there, you two. How are you?”
Charlie had been touched when he’d heard about the plight of the starlight fairies. A number of them were homeless, but even more of them wanted to move to the human world. Being so tiny, they were unable to do so by themselves. They could only make the move if they could find a sponsor. Being the big-hearted guy he was, he had put his name forward. Most sponsors took only one starlight fairy through to the human world, but he had agreed to take two.
The two fairies: one named Greta, the other Bunty, had been friends since childhood, and didn’t want to be split up. Transporting them to Washbridge had been a delicate operation. Starlight fairies were the size of a pinhead, and made their homes inside specially designed thimbles. One wrong move and the houses could have been destroyed, and the starlight fairies killed. But he’d made it, and the two fairies now lived on top of the cupboard in his bedroom. The initial plan had been that they would stay with him on a temporary basis, perhaps a few months. They’d been there for two years now, and seemed in no hurry to move out. Their reluctance to move might have had something to do with the fact that Charlie didn’t have the heart to charge them rent.
As the fairies were so small, the only way that he could see them properly was to look through the large magnifying glass th
at he’d set up in front of the thimbles. In order to hear what they said, he’d also placed a small microphone next to the thimble houses.
He had a very good relationship with both of the fairies, even though they were very different in character. Greta was similar in nature to Charlie. She was easy-going, caring, and good-natured. Bunty was an entirely different proposition. She could be brash, and quite cruel with her words sometimes. He felt sorry for Greta when Bunty turned on her. Fortunately, most of the time they got on well together.
He always left the window of his bedroom slightly ajar so the two fairies could come and go as they pleased. They spent a lot of their time outdoors. He would also occasionally leave the door to his bedroom open. That way the fairies could have the run of the apartment. Neil and Dorothy knew that the fairies were in Charlie’s room. They’d seen the thimbles, the magnifying glass and the microphone. What they didn’t know was that the fairies spent a lot of time flying around the rest of the apartment. Although it had never been Charlie’s intention, the two fairies had become his eyes and ears.
“I like your new girlfriend, Charlie,” Greta said. Bunty was by her side.
“What new girlfriend?” He looked puzzled.
“The brunette witch from the floor above.”
Charlie blushed. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Are you sure? She seems to be very fond of you.”
“I’ve barely spoken to her.”
“You said she was pretty.”
“You heard that?” He blushed even deeper. “That was just a mistake. I was calling the cat.”
“Don’t you think it’s rather a coincidence the way she keeps bumping into you?” Greta said.
“We’re just neighbours.”
“And you’re never likely to be more than that unless you make a move,” Bunty said. “What’s the matter with you, man? Why don’t you give her a kiss?”
“Don’t be stupid. I barely know her.”
“Didn’t you see the look on her face? And hear the way she spoke to you? She’s fallen for you, Charlie, but you’re just too blind to see it.”
“I’m sure you’re mistaken.”
“You’re always the same, Charlie.” Bunty shook her head. “You’re absolutely hopeless when it comes to women. You can’t read them at all, can you?”
