Part 33 (2/2)
”Touch wood.” He reached out and squeezed the back of the kitchen chair as hard as he could.
4.
An observer watching from a place of safety might have described it as the calm before the storm. That Thursday evening they ordered pizza in order to escape the heat of the kitchen. Paul ate his in the sanctuary of his bedroom. John, Val and Elizabeth ate outside in the shade of the house. At seven in the evening the sun was still pretty brutal.
He and Val eased the pizza on its way with iced beers. Elizabeth sucked on a carton of blackcurrant juice. Sam sat under the table. His tongue dripped saliva onto the stone slabs. But the heat did nothing to dissuade him from munching any crust that came his way.
”John, if we're going to be in for a heatwave we should have some decent air-conditioning.”
”And a swimming pool,” Elizabeth added. ”With a diving board.”
John smiled. ”Whoa. I haven't even signed the contracts yet.”
”In the meantime we'll have melted into sticky puddles on the ground.”
His smile widened. ”OK, I'll make some inquiries about air-conditioning. Right, I'll s.h.i.+ft these. Otherwise we'll have ants all over us.” He collected the pizza cartons with their cargo of dead crusts, then went to dump them in the trash. After that, he took another shot at unlocking the briefcase. Still no joy. He squirted more oil through the lock.
”John. Where did you get that monstrosity?”
He squinted back where Val stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the setting sun. ”Somebody from the village gave it to me this morning.”
”What is it, an old Gladstone bag?”
”Something like that. It's a bit too boxy for a briefcase. Little beauty, isn't she?”
”If beauty's in the eye of the beholder.”
”It is old.”
”You're not thinking of using it, are you?”
”No. The lock's rusted to b.u.g.g.e.ry.” He gave the keyhole another squirt. ”I'm hoping it might contain some information for the next book.”
”Ah, the disappeared of Skelbrooke.”
He nodded at the briefcase. ”It belonged to Herbert Kelly, who lived here when it all happened.”
”Do you think you've another Blast His Eyes on your hands?”
”That's what I'm hoping, hon.”
”Do you suspect our Mr. Kelly of murdering the people who vanished?”
”No. He wasn't the type.”
”Is there a murderous type? Remember, it's always supposed to be the person you least suspect.”
Grinning, he wiped his hands on a cloth, ”Ah, you astound me, Holmes.”
”Sarcastic swine.” She grinned back. ”I've a good mind to chuck you in the pond.”
”You'll have to catch me first!”
That was the last carefree evening.
5.
Even the sunset didn't bring relief from the heat. As John splashed cold water on his face in the bathroom he heard Val scolding Elizabeth in his daughter's bedroom. The voices echoed across the landing.
”Lizzie, how many times have I told you to put your videos away on the shelf when you've finished with them?”
”I did. Paul must have-”
”Paul's not touched them. Now where's The King & I tape?”
”I don't know.”
”But the box is empty.”
”Uh, it's here under the pillow.”
”It'll wind up broken. Put it away properly.”
”Mum-”
”And I had to tidy up after you on the patio this morning. I nearly broke my neck tripping over the things you'd left out there.”
”But I didn't-”
”Now come on, time for bed.”
”I'm sleeping on top of the bed.” This time Elizabeth sounded sulky.
”All right. Now lay still; try and keep cool.”
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