by Adele Abbott
“No, the other one.”
“Hosey?”
“Who else?”
“What do you reckon he was doing?”
“Who knows? Maybe he collects spiders. Nothing would surprise me.”
“I wonder how things turned out at the anniversary party last night after you’d left. Are you going to call your parents to check?”
“No chance. I’m staying out of it. I’ll no doubt hear in due course.”
We were both ready to set off for work, but Jack was through the door first.
Thirty seconds later, he was back.
“What did you forget?”
“I didn’t forget anything, but now I know what Hosey was doing last night.”
“What?”
“You remember that world record attempt he mentioned?”
“The model train thingy?”
“Yeah, well, it seems it’s happening right now.”
“And you thought I’d be so excited that you rushed back to tell me?”
“I came to tell you we’re stuck.”
“I can’t handle your cryptic clues at this time of the morning. What are you talking about? Stuck how? Stuck where?”
“You remember last night when we noticed that everyone had parked on the road?”
“Yeah?”
“The reason they did that was because Hosey had warned them he’d be laying the rail tracks along the pavements on this and the adjoining roads. I’ve just spoken to him, and he assured me that he checked with you if it would be okay, and you said yes. Did you?”
“He did say something about it, but I wasn’t paying much attention.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We’ll just drive over his stupid rail track.”
“We can’t do that now because the record attempt has already begun. The officials are out there, and there’s a small crowd of rail enthusiasts. They’ll lynch us if we wreck his chances.”
“Never mind, I can magic myself to the office.”
“What about me?”
“I believe the bus to the railway station runs every thirty minutes.”
“That’ll take forever. Couldn’t you just—err—you know?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. You could magic me to West Chipping.”
“What about our no-magic pact?”
“These are exceptional circumstances, and besides, I’d love to see how it feels.”
“Are you sure you want me to do this? To break my oath never to use magic unnecessarily.”
“Definitely.”
“Okay. Hold tight. Are you ready?”
“Will it hurt?”
“Not much.”
“Not much?”
“Just kidding. You won’t feel a thing. Close your eyes, count to ten and then open them again.”
“Okay.” As soon as his eyes were closed, I cast the ‘invisible’ spell on myself. A few seconds later, Jack opened his eyes. “Jill? Where are you? It doesn’t seem to have worked. I’m still at the house. Jill?”
A few minutes later, he’d obviously concluded the spell had failed, so he set off for the bus stop, grumbling under his breath.
What? No, I didn’t do it just for a laugh or to be vindictive. I was very conscious that we were operating on thin ice. Daze already knew that Jack knew, but she didn’t know that Jack knew she knew.
You’ve been waiting for that one, haven’t you?
Anyway, she may have turned a blind eye so far, but if she knew I was using magic not only in front of him, but to assist him in something as trivial as travel, she might be forced to put aside her loyalty towards me.
Mind you, Jack’s face was a picture.
Snigger.
***
“Dearie, dearie, dearie.” Mrs V was grumbling to herself.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m furious at the way they’ve treated Armi. It’s so shabby.”
“The way who has treated him? What’s happened?”
“Those cuckoo people.”
“You’re going to have to give me a little more than that.”
“You remember I told you that he’d been invited to judge this year’s Cuckoo Clock Of The Year Award by the Cuckoo Clock Appreciation Society?”
“I do indeed. Quite the honour, I understand.”
“He delivered his verdict at the weekend, and it didn’t go down well. At all.”
“But surely, that kind of thing will always be subjective?”
“Yes, but his choice of winner was considered to be so radical, that he’s been removed from his position as chairman.”
“What on earth did he do to deserve that?”
“He awarded the prize to someone with a cat clock.”
That rang a very disturbing bell.
“In the Cuckoo Clock Appreciation Society’s competition? Surely, he must have realised that decision would be controversial?”
“He did, but he felt it was an innovation that should be rewarded.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’m really sorry for Armi. I know how much the cuckoos mean to him.”
And yes, I really did manage to say that with a straight face.
“Big news!” Winky was bouncing up and down with excitement. “Who has big news? I have big news.”
“I’m very pleased for you.”
“Aren’t you going to ask what it is?”
“Firstly, I’m not the least bit interested, and secondly, I already know what it is.”
“How can you? This is still hot off the press.”
“Does it involve one of your clocks winning an award?”
“Yes, but how did—?”
“They don’t call me Washbridge’s premiere private investigator for nothing.”
“The only person who has ever called you that is you. Come on, how did you know?”
“Because Mrs V’s husband, Armi, was the judge.”
“Was he?”
“Don’t come the innocent. As if you didn’t know.”
“I had no idea. If I’d realised, I would have tried to bribe him. This is massive for me. Sales will quadruple.”
“Armi has been sacked from his position of chairman over this.”
“That’s really very sad. But, more importantly, think of all the money I’m going to make.”
That cat of mine was so self-centred; I had no idea who he got it from.
“What are you doing under there?” Winky shouted to me, as I crawled under my desk.
“Looking for something.”
“If it’s a clue you’re looking for, you’re in the wrong place.”
I ignored him, and continued my search.
“Eureka!” I pulled the small device from the underside of my desk.
“What’s that?” Winky came over to see what I was up to.
I stood up, dropped the device on the floor, and crushed it under my foot. “It was a listening device.”
“Who’d want to listen in on your conversations? I’d pay good money not to have to hear them.”
As soon as Mad had told me that her replacement in Washbridge was a woman, I’d realised that Chester Baldwin, or whatever his real name was, had come to my office under false pretences. He must have deliberately dropped his wallet in the outer office, so that he could plant that device while I went to look for it.
But who was he really? And why was he spying on me?
***
Andy Moreland, the manager of Cranes Drains, seemed a decent kind of a guy. He was friendly, very down-to-earth, and appeared to be genuinely concerned about the business he managed on behalf of the two Crane brothers.
“How is Theo?” he asked, as he gave me a whistle-stop tour of the business premises.
“He seems remarkably well, considering the ordeal he’s been through.”
“Is he still in hospital?”
“No, he’s back home.”
“Really? Back at his own p
lace?”
“Yeah, why?”
“It’s just that he lives there alone. I thought maybe he’d stay with family or friends for a few days.”
“When I went around there to see him, Nancy was making him a meal. She works here too, I understand?”
“Yes, but she hasn’t come into the office since Theo was kidnapped.”
“That must have made things difficult for you.”
“Katy seems to have managed okay.”
“Katy?”
“She more or less runs the office. I don’t know what we’d do if she ever decided to leave.”
“Do you think I could speak to her after you and I have finished?”
“Of course.”
“Do you socialise with Jude or Theo away from the office?”
“Not now, but there was a time when the six of us used to have regular nights out together. Me and my wife, Harriet, Jude and Nancy, and Theo and Ruby.”
“Was Ruby Theo’s wife?”
“Yeah, they split up a couple of years ago now—pretty much out of the blue. After that, the socialising seemed to stop.”
“Do you still see Ruby?”
“No. I haven’t seen her since the day Theo told me they’d split up. I assumed she must have moved away.”
“Any idea where?”
“No. She came from Durham originally. I suppose she might have gone back there.”
“I assume you know they’ve arrested Jude, and charged him with his brother’s kidnapping?”
“I heard about that, but I still can’t get my head around the idea that Jude could be responsible. He’s a genuinely nice guy.”
“Are the two brothers similar in nature?”
“In some ways they are. They certainly share a similar sense of humour.”
“But in other ways?”
“Jude is all about work. He lives for the business, and he’s genuinely one of the hardest working people I’ve ever known. Theo is much more hands-off. He spends most of the time on long business lunches and on the golf course. Don’t get me wrong, he cares about the business too; he just doesn’t like to get his hands dirty.”
“Did their different attitudes to work ever cause any conflict?”
“Not really. In a strange kind of way, it seems to work. The only time I’ve ever seen them at each other’s throats was when Reed wanted to buy the business. From what I can make out, and obviously they didn’t share all the details with me, Theo was keen to cash in, but Jude didn’t want to sell.”
“Did they manage to patch things up?”
“Yeah. As soon as the decision not to sell was made, they both seemed to move on, and everything went back to how it was before.”
“What do you know about Reed?”
“I don’t really know Brian Reed, only to say hello to. I do know a lot of the guys who work at his place, though. Some of them used to work here, and likewise, we’ve got some guys here who came from Reed’s. It’s only a mile down the road, you know.”
“Reed Plumbing?”
“Yeah. They’re on this same industrial estate. Turn left out of the gates, and keep on going. You can’t miss it.”
“Right. Jude also mentioned a Billy Hawksworth?”
“Billy was trouble.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He had a bad attitude. Worse than anyone else who I’ve had working under me. He didn’t like taking orders.”
“Did he cause any problems before the incident that landed him the sack?”
“Nothing specific, but he was a disruptive influence. He fancied himself as a bit of a hard man, and he was always winding up the other guys. No one was sorry to see him go.”
“I understand Jude tried to persuade Theo to keep him on?”
“Jude is too nice for his own good. I sided with Theo on this one. Billy knew what he was doing when he poached work off Cranes’ customers. Yes, I felt sorry for his wife and new baby, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad to see the back of him.”
“Thanks for your time. Do you think I might grab a quick word with Katy before I go?”
“Of course.”
Katy Jackson, who was in her late-thirties, was seated at one of two desks in a small office at the rear of the building.
“I’m sorry to disturb you. I can see you’re busy.”
“That’s okay. Would you like a drink? There’s only tea, I’m afraid.”
“No, thanks. I assume the other desk belongs to Nancy?”
“That’s right. She hasn’t been in since Theo disappeared.”
“That must have caused you a few headaches.”
“Not really.” She grinned.
“How so?”
“I shouldn’t really say this, but I’ve barely noticed she isn’t here.”
“I take it you do most of the work, then?”
“Nancy likes to think she does, but to be honest, she spends most of the time on her phone or painting her nails.”
“That must be difficult, seeing as she’s married to one of the bosses.”
“Not really. I just get on with my work. She’s only here four and a half days a week anyway. She has Pilates every Friday. At least, that’s where she says she goes.”
“You don’t believe her?”
“I used to do Pilates, but I had to give it up when I had my daughter—not enough hours in the day. I’ve asked Nancy a few times about how the Pilates was going, and mentioned some of my favourite exercises. I might as well have been talking Chinese because it was obvious she had no idea what I was talking about. I reckon she actually meets some of her friends to go shopping or for cocktails. Not that I care. I prefer it when she’s not here. These last few weeks have been heaven.” Katy flushed. “I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean—it must have been terrible for poor Theo. You won’t tell anyone I said that, will you?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t say anything.”
As I was close by, I decided to pay a visit to Reed Plumbing, in the hope that I might catch a word with Brian Reed. It was only a mile up the road, so I was going to leave the car where it was and get a little healthy exercise.
What? Of course I’m joking. I got straight back in the car, and was about to set off when my phone rang; it was Amber.
“Jill. We thought you’d want to hear our exciting news.”
“What’s that?”
“We’ve set someone on to work in the creche, so it’s all systems go now.”
“That’s great news. When do you expect it to open for business?”
“Hopefully, by the end of next week. That’s when Belladonna starts.”
“Belladonna?”
“That’s the woman who’ll be working in the creche. She’s really nice. I think you’ll like her.”
“It all sounds very exciting. I look forward to meeting her.”
“How’s your recruitment drive going? Have you found yourself an office manager yet?”
I could hear someone laughing in the background.
“Is that Pearl I can hear? Is she with you?”
“Yeah. We’re both dying to see who you set on.”
“I’ve had a few applications, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the chance to study them yet.”
“If you’re so busy, you know what you should do, don’t you?”
“What?”
“Hire an office manager.” At that, both of them exploded into laughter.
“Very amusing. Ha, ha, ha. Anyway, I have to get going. Some of us have work to do.”
They were too busy laughing to respond.
***
The young woman behind reception at Reed Plumbing was on a call. While I waited for her to finish, I tried to figure out how she managed to keep her head level because she had a thousand metal studs in one ear, but none in the other.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said. “How can I help you?”
Before I could answer, a loud banging started up outside.
&nb
sp; “Sorry about the noise,” she shouted. “The building is being extended on the back. I’ll be glad when they’ve finished.”
Fortunately, the noise stopped again.
“Business must be good if you’re expanding?”
“I guess so, but I can’t say I’ve noticed it. I do the books as well as working out here on reception. Still, Brian must know what he’s doing.”
“He’s the owner, right?”
“Yeah. Brian Reed.”
“Is there any chance I could have a quick word with him?”
“You are?”
“Jill Maxwell. I’m a private investigator. I’m working on the recent kidnapping of Theo Crane.”
“I heard about that. Horrible business. He’s back home now, isn’t he?”
“Yes. He’s safe and well.”
“I’ll see if Brian is available.”
He was, and he agreed to see me, so a few minutes later, I was sitting in his office, which overlooked the building work.
“I see you’re expanding?”
“That’s right. You can never stand still in this game. If you do, you’re finished.”
“Business must be good, then?”
“Excellent. Never better. How can I help?”
“It’s just a quickie, really. I understand from the Cranes that you made them an offer to take over their business?”
“That’s right. They’re our biggest competitor, so it was an obvious move.”
“But you were rebuffed?”
“I’m afraid so. Still, it was worth a try.”
“How did you feel when they rejected your offer?”
He grinned. “Not angry enough to kidnap one of them if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“You must have been disappointed, though?”
“Of course, but life goes on.”
“So there’s no animosity?”
“No. Not on my side, at least.”
As I left Reed’s I thought about what the receptionist had said. According to her, the orders on the books didn’t justify the expansion plans that Brian Reed was pushing ahead with. Surely, he wouldn’t have been doing that unless he was confident of a substantial uptick in business.
Chapter 22
Amber’s phone call had served as a reminder that I needed to go through the applications I’d received for the post of office manager, so that I could draw up a shortlist and arrange interviews. The only problem would be where to hold them. I couldn’t very well do it in my office because Winky would expect to be interviewed as well. If I could present the appointment as a fait accompli, he would no doubt give me some grief, but I was used to that.