Part 2 (1/2)

”No,” he replied.

”Heard of her, worked for her, any mention by anyone you've ever met?”

”No, I swear, sir,” he said.

”And how about Vince?”

”Ah, now there I can help you.There are two, no, three gentlemen by that name working here.One of them lives down the street from me.I get the bus in with him when we're on the same s.h.i.+fts.”

”They work here?”

”Yes.”

I shook my head.”Lava Corp?”

Jacob shook his head.

I tried to look thoughtful by scratching my chin then turned around to survey the rest of the office.It was a cramped affair, the other walls I hadn't been able to see housing newspaper clippings mostly of football teams I didn't recognise and a small square board with hooks, the majority of which had keys hanging from them.There was a single, shared telephone, two desks and that was it.We weren't going to make any more progress here.

”Right, Jacob,” I said, finally shaking his hand as the pins and needles subsided.”I need an a.s.sistant this evening.Do you think you are up to the task?”

”Yes, sir!” he said, practically saluting as he did so.

”What do you know of taxidermy, Jacob?”

”Not much, sir, but I think you'll be wanting to speak to Miss Erin on that subject.”

”Do you now?” I said.

”Yes sir, if I was you I would ask her about Lucky.Her cat.”

”Would you now?” I said.At last, I was making some progress.”Well, then lead the way.”

”Right you are sir.”

And off we went.

Chapter 4.

It's strange, I suppose, walking through the unfamiliar insides of a building as everyday as this one.The stark concrete floors painted the same dull grey as the walls, the once large areas now part.i.tioned into room after storeroom, cupboard after cupboard and office after office.

We walked in silence except for when Jacob would occasionally let out a warbling birdsong whistle.The place was a maze and we turned corner after corner until we reached a corridor which was shrouded in darkness.

Jacob held up his hand and put his index finger over his lips.

I stared into the darkness but at night and with no windows the corridor gave nothing away.And then the noise started.

A knock that echoed out, surrounding us then a soft, dragged hiss.

Knock.Hiss.

Knock-hiss.

Knock-hissssssss.

”Jesus, Ray, is that you?” barked Jacob into the murk.

”Course it's b.l.o.o.d.y me,” a voice came back out of the darkness shortly followed by a face and then a whole body.”Who the h.e.l.l else would it be at this time of night?”

Ray looked like an alcoholic Santa in the off-season.His skin was pale from the lack of sun, he'd shaved his beard, but a course, white stubble hung from his chin.The big tummy was there but it seemed a lot less jolly than the Santa we all knew and loved.

”Well, there's just been, you know,” said Jacob.”What the h.e.l.l was that noise?”

Ray pointed down towards the ground and it became immediately apparent.The hiss had been his left foot, the tartan slipper he wore on it dragged along the ground whilst his right leg, a wooden pirate-prosthesis tapped its peggy way alongside.

Jacob looked confused.

Ray kept walking, raising his eyebrows in acknowledgement of me then walking on past.

”I smashed the foot on my proper leg this morning so I'm stuck with the peg 'til it's fixed.”

”How did it, you know,” I said, pointing to his prosthesis.”How did you lose it originally?”

”Lion chewed it off on safari,” he stared at me, frowning.

”Really?” I said, completely unable to hide the awe in my voice.

”Course not you b.l.o.o.d.y idiot, it was an industrial accident.”

And with a knock knock and a and a hiss hiss Ray sc.r.a.ped off on his way. Ray sc.r.a.ped off on his way.

”You had to ask?” Jacob whispered to me then waved us on to a pair of double doors which we opened together and led us onto the real shop floor.

”Need to talk to you if you don't mind, Miss Erin.”

Erin was a formidable woman, somehow seeming to tower over Jacob in spite of the fact she couldn't have been more than five foot three.She was the epitome of a makeup counter girl with her orange face, lashes like Amazonian spiders and what appeared to be perfectly manicured two-inch talons on the ends of her fingers.

”Talk?” Erin spat the words at Jacob, accompanying them with some actual spit for good measure.

”This is Mr Barnum, he's a Private Investigator.”

”Please,” I said.”Call me Clint.”

”I will not speak to this, this... ” she turned the corners of her mouth down causing her garish red lipstick to crack.”... this d.i.c.k.I will not speak to him under any circ.u.mstance.”