by Adele Abbott
“If it’s okay with you, I’ll just play for another hour or so, and then I’ll get out of your way. Darlene will just have to put up with it.”
“Sure, that’s fine.”
He began to play again—it wasn’t really my kind of music, but there was no denying he had a certain talent. I stood behind him to watch more closely.
“Jill?” I hadn’t heard Kathy walk in behind me.
Oh bum!
How was I meant to explain this? I had to think on my feet, and quick.
I whispered to Alberto, “Keep playing.”
I started to move my hands across the keys—hopefully from where Kathy was standing it would look as though it was me playing.
“How long have you been able to play the piano?”
“Some time now. I took lessons last year.”
I still had my back to her, and was trying to follow Alberto’s hand movements with my own.
“You never mentioned it. Aren’t you meant to sit down when you play?”
“I find I play better when I stand.”
“Well, I have to say, you’re very good. You should teach Lizzie and Mikey.”
I whispered to Alberto. “On three, stop playing. One, two, three.”
He stopped, and I turned around to face Kathy.
“I’m not really qualified.”
“But you’re so good. And, they could use your piano.”
“I have to get rid of it. The landlord said it’s against my tenancy agreement.”
“Pity. But hey, I’ve just had a great idea. You could enter the next talent competition with Lizzie.”
“Yeah. I don’t think so.”
Fortunately, it was only a flying visit, and Kathy couldn’t stay for long.
“Sorry about that, Jill,” Alberto said, after she’d left. “I rather dropped you in it.”
“That’s okay, but the piano has to go.”
“I understand, and I’m sorry. It will be gone within the hour. I just need to organise transport.”
“No problem, but do me a favour. Please tell Mum I’d like a word with her, would you?”
***
Shortly after Alberto had taken his piano away, Mad popped into the office.
“I’ve done some checking, Jill. You’re right about that thug, Battery. He’s definitely plotting to get revenge on you. Unfortunately, I can’t do anything about it unless I catch him in the act. You should be safe for now because he only recently entered the ghost world, and it takes a while for new ghosts to get their full range of powers. He’s quite capable of visiting the human world for just a few seconds, as he did to deliver that parcel, but there’s no way he would have enough strength to kill you at the moment. The problem is, once he does, he could strike at any time.”
“What do you suggest I do? I can’t just wait around until he decides to bump me off.”
“If I were you, I would try to draw him out now while he’s still relatively weak.”
“I thought you said he wouldn’t be able to come into the human world for more than a few seconds. That doesn’t give me time to do much of anything.”
“He’ll be strongest at the place where he lived just before his death.”
“That was prison.”
“Before that. Where did he live before he got sent down? Do you know?”
“Yes. With his girlfriend, Hilary Vicars.”
“Then you need to somehow get into her house and draw him out. If you can do that, and if I can catch him in the act of attacking you, then I can have him sent back to Ghost Town, and you’ll be safe.”
“That sounds dangerous, but I suppose it’s better than simply hanging around, waiting for him to get the jump on me. I’ll see what I can arrange, and keep you posted. Thanks for your help, Mad.”
***
I was sorting my rubber bands by size and colour when my phone rang. It was Kathy.
“Hey, Jill. Are you busy?”
“Quite busy, yeah.”
“That’s a pity.”
“Why? What’s up?”
“I’m bored to tears. I wondered if you fancied coming down to Ever for a chat.”
“You’re usually run off your feet. How come you’re bored?”
“Come down here and you’ll see for yourself.”
“Like I said, I’m pretty snowed under, but I suppose I could spare half an hour. I’ll be there in a minute or two.”
The rubber bands would just have to wait.
“I’m just popping down to Ever, Mrs V. Do you need anything while I’m there?”
“No thank you, dear. I’m stocked up on yarn at the moment.”
“I shouldn’t be long.”
When I got there, the place was almost empty. There was one person in the shop itself, and only another two in the tea room. I’d never seen it so empty; it was usually a struggle to get through the door.
“What’s going on, Kathy?”
“Look over there.” She pointed across the road to the new shop, Best Wool, which was now open. It was crammed full of customers.
“What does Grandma have to say about that?”
“She hasn’t been in yet today, thank goodness. She’ll blow a fuse when she sees the shop is empty. And I dread to think what she’ll have to say about that crowd across the road.”
“Why don’t I go over there for a few minutes to see what I can find out about the competition?”
“Go for it.” Kathy nodded.
The sales assistant on the door of Best Wool was handing out goody bags, which contained Wonder Needles.
“What are these exactly?” I acted dumb. What do you mean, that shouldn’t have been difficult?
The sales assistant gave me the spiel.
As I’d suspected, they worked just like Grandma’s One-Size Knitting Needles. Oh dear, this wasn’t looking good.
Best Wool was packed. There were free drinks and cakes on offer, so to stay under the radar, I helped myself to a couple of cupcakes. As I munched away on the first one, an assistant approached me, and asked if I’d be interested in Never-ending Wool.
“What is that exactly?”
“The way it works is that you pay a subscription, and then the wool lasts forever. The price of the subscription depends on how many different colours you want to use. It’s the cheapest wool subscription available in Washbridge.”
“I see. Okay, well I’ll have to think about it, thanks.”
So, not only were they selling their equivalent to One-Size Knitting Needles, but they were also running their own wool subscription service in direct competition with Everlasting Wool. And, they were offering both at a cheaper price. Grandma really was in big trouble. She’d invested a lot of money in Ever A Wool Moment; this new competitor could put her out of business.
Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice. It came from a man standing in the middle of a predominantly female crowd. It was Miles Best, and standing at his side was his girlfriend and business partner, Mindy Lowe. Now it all made sense. The owners, M and M, were none other than Miles and Mindy.
When Grandma found out, all hell would break loose.
Back at Ever, I told Kathy what I’d seen. Obviously I couldn’t tell her I knew the owners—that would have led to some awkward questions.
“I’d better get back to the office.”
“Why don’t you come over tonight. I’ll let you know how your grandmother takes it when she finds the shop half empty.”
“I can already guess her reaction. She’s going to be on the warpath.”
“Come over anyway. Unless you’re seeing Jacky boy.”
“I haven’t heard from him, and I don’t like to phone. I’m not sure he’ll be in the mood for a night out until this suspension thing gets sorted out.”
“So you’ll come over?”
“Why not?”
Back in the office, I stared at the pile of rubber bands. Is this what it had come to? I had zero paying clients at the moment, and the rent would be due soon. I had t
o do something, so I made a call.
“Jill?” Daze sounded surprised to hear my voice.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said.”
“About becoming a Rogue Retriever? That’s great. I’ll put your name forward.”
“Hold on. Don’t let’s get ahead of ourselves. You said I could spend a day with you first to see what I thought of it.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll sort something out and get back to you.”
Oh boy! What had I just let myself in for?
***
I’d rung the bell twice, and knocked as loud as I could, but no one had answered the door. I knew Kathy and Peter were in because I could hear the TV.
“Kathy? Peter?” I used my key to let myself in.
“We’re in the lounge,” Kathy shouted.
“Didn’t you hear me at the door?”
“Shush! Have you seen this?” She pointed to the TV. “Someone’s been murdered in Coffee Triangle.”
‘Earlier this evening, a man, who has yet to be identified, was shot and killed in Coffee Triangle. No one appears to have seen or heard the shooting even though the shop was crowded with customers at the time.’
The reporter then turned to a young man at his side.
‘I believe that you were in Coffee Triangle at the time of the murder?’
‘That’s right. I was playing a drum, when someone screamed, but no one seemed to know why. Then someone else screamed, and then slowly everyone stopped drumming, and someone shouted, “He’s dead!” The next thing I knew we were being ushered out of the shop. Then the police arrived.’
‘Did you actually see the victim?’
‘No, I was sitting at the other side of the shop, but I heard someone say that a young woman had asked him to move up, and when she touched him on the shoulder, he fell face first onto the table.’
‘But you didn’t hear a shot?’
‘No, but there was so much noise in there with all the drumming that it’s unlikely anyone would have heard it.’
‘Right, thank you very much. And now, back to the studio.’
“You should investigate that.” Kathy muted the TV.
“I’m not the police. I don’t just go around investigating random crimes. I take on cases for paying customers.”
“I thought it would keep your hand in.”
“I don’t think so. But it doesn’t look good for Coffee Triangle. I don’t imagine many people will be queuing up to get in there after this.”
Chapter 11
The next morning, Jasper James was behind the counter at the newsagent. As always, he was wearing his trademark fedora—today’s was green.
“Good morning, Jill! What can I do for you this beautiful morning?”
“I’m after a copy of The Bugle. I want to see what they have to say about the shooting in Coffee Triangle. Did you hear about it?”
“I did indeed. Terrible affair. Quite a few people have bought The Bugle this morning for that very reason. Would you like to make it a regular order? I can have it delivered to your flat if you like.”
“No, thanks. I’m not a big fan of this paper.”
“What about a magazine. I know just the thing for you.”
“I doubt it.”
“How about Witch Magazine?”
Wow! This man was good.
“You must have heard of it. It’s the leading consumer magazine—they review all kinds of stuff: broadband, mobile phones, pogo sticks. You name it, they cover it.”
“Ah, you mean ‘Which’?”
“That’s right. Would you like me to sign you up for a subscription?”
“No, I’m okay, thanks.”
The Bugle didn’t disappoint. It had the usual ridiculous headline: ‘Bang the Drum’. There wasn’t a great deal of substance to the article, but they had managed to interview the woman who’d been sitting opposite the victim. According to her, the man had fallen face first onto the table. It seems that everyone thought he was drunk, but then someone noticed the blood, and realised that he’d been shot. No one heard the gunshot or saw a gun. Tom Hawk, the detective in charge of the case, had appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
***
In a moment of madness, I’d agreed to spend the day with Daze. I still couldn’t see myself as a Rogue Retriever, but the P.I. business was slow, and according to Daze, Rogue Retrievers were well paid, and it was steady work. I owed it to myself to at least give it a shot.
We’d arranged to meet in the market square in Candlefield, by a cake shop called ‘Temptation’. It was aptly named because the window was full of delicious looking muffins and cupcakes. I hoped Daze would hurry up because I didn’t think I could resist them for much longer.
“Jill! Sorry I’m late.” Daze appeared behind me.
“Hi, Daze. Oh? Hi, Blaze. I hadn’t realised you’d be joining us today. So, what’s the plan?” I said, with one eye still on the cake shop.
“Not eating blueberry muffins, for a start.” Daze had seen me staring at them.
“Sorry, yeah. What will we be doing, then?”
“First off, we need to call at a shop a couple of streets from here. Follow me.”
The sign above the shop read ‘Cat’s Suits’.
“Shouldn’t that be catsuits?” I said.
“No.” Daze laughed. “The owner’s name is Catherine. Everyone calls her Cat, and she sells suits—hence: Cat’s Suits. But she also has a range of catsuits as well.”
What a weird world I lived in.
Cat was a fine figure of a woman, and could easily have been a Rogue Retriever herself. She greeted Daze and Blaze like long lost friends.
“Hey, Blaze. Are you still interested in those luminous catsuits you asked me about?”
Daze shot Blaze a disapproving look.
“Luminous catsuits?” Blaze shook his head, and did his best to look as though he had no idea what Cat was talking about.
“You asked me about them last week.”
“Me? No, that wasn’t me. You must be confusing me with someone else.”
Cat looked puzzled. She obviously wasn’t aware that Daze didn’t appreciate Blaze’s taste in the more outlandish catsuits.
“Cat, can I introduce you to Jill Gooder?” Daze said. “She splits her time between here and Washbridge where she’s a private investigator.”
“That must be interesting work.”
“Yes. It can be.”
“Jill is spending a day with us to see if she’d like to become a Rogue Retriever.”
“That’s something of an honour, Jill,” Cat said. “I expect you’ll find it very exciting. A bit dangerous though, but I suppose in your line of business you’re used to that.”
“Yes, I’m quite excited.” Terrified more like.
“Well, first things first,” Daze said. “You need to pick out a catsuit.”
“For me?”
“Of course! You can’t possibly enjoy the full Rogue Retriever experience unless you’re dressed properly.”
Cat led me towards the back of the shop where there was a vast selection of catsuits in every colour known to man.
“I quite like the green one. The dark green one that is—not the luminous one, obviously.”
Daze gave me a nod of approval.
I went through to the changing room, slipped out of my clothes and into the catsuit. It was a tight fit, and pinched a little, but it looked okay.
“What do you think?” I stepped out of the changing room.
Daze gave me a thumbs up.
“Green is definitely your colour,” Blaze said.
To complete the outfit, Daze gave me a mesh net which was similar to the one that I’d seen her use numerous times to capture rogue sups.
“Give it a try!” she said.
“Really? On what?”
“On Blaze.”
“Hold on a minute!” he objected.
I quite liked the idea, so I threw it over him and sure enough he disa
ppeared.
“Don’t worry about him.” Daze laughed. “He’ll be back in a minute or two.”
***
I was just beginning to think how good I looked in the green catsuit when Daze told me that I had to get changed.
“Why what’s wrong with this?”
“Nothing, but we have to go undercover. We’re on the trail of a rogue wizard. Blaze and I have been after him for ages. I’ve just had a tip off that he’s due to do his weekly shop in the Seven Days supermarket in Washbridge.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“You and Blaze will be stacking shelves. I’ll be working on the checkout.”
“Typical,” Blaze said under his breath.
“Pardon?” Daze glared at him.
“Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”
We magicked ourselves over to Washbridge, and as we made our way to the supermarket, Blaze whispered to me, “She always gives herself the best jobs.”
“Don’t let her hear you.”
“Maybe I should have taken that job with Taze.” He sighed.
“My ears are burning.” Daze looked over her shoulder. “Is he moaning about getting all the bad jobs again?”
“No. He was just saying what a good boss you are.”
“Now, I know you’re lying.”
The manager at the supermarket seemed to be expecting us. Somehow, with practically no notice, Daze had managed to get us onto the payroll.
Daze was on the checkout nearest to the door, so she could watch people coming and going. Blaze and I were given trollies, full of goods that we had to put on the shelves. I’d never realised just how hard stacking shelves could be. I’d always thought it looked like a cushy job. Trust me, it wasn’t.
By late afternoon, I was exhausted. My back and legs were aching, and I desperately needed to sit down. But then, suddenly, Daze came flying around the corner, in pursuit of a man. It was obviously the rogue wizard, and he was headed my way. I waited until he was just a few feet away, then pulled out the net, and threw it over him. He disappeared in a puff of smoke.
“Well done, Jill,” Daze said. “Great catch.”
