The Language Of Spells Part 40

Gwen walked downstairs in time to see Harry holding up his hands. 'Just doing my job.'

'Yeah, well-'

'And you know I f.u.c.king hated it,' Harry said. He caught sight of Gwen and nodded. 'Morning. Sorry to wake you.'

'I'm happy to be woken up for news like that.'

Cam put his arm around Gwen's shoulders and pulled her close. 'What's the bad news?'

'After an illuminating chat with your mother, we had an official word in Lily Thomas's ear. However, that's about as far as I can go.' Harry nodded to Gwen. 'I know you told me before that you'd had unwanted attention, but the law isn't much good if someone is careful and determined.'

'Restraining order?' Cam said.

Harry shrugged. 'Can't hurt. And I'll keep an eye out. Unofficially.'

'Thank you,' Cam said. He looked at Gwen. 'I didn't believe you when you told me Lily was after you. Before, I mean. I thought you were being paranoid. I'm sorry.'

Gwen blinked. Cam was really taking this honesty thing to heart.

Harry rubbed his hand over his face. He hadn't shaved and his eyes were bloodshot. 'I'm sorry I can't do more. I've tried saying "it doesn't feel right" to my boss, but it's not an angle I can push.'

'Modern policemen aren't allowed hunches?' Cam said.

'Something like that.' Harry shrugged.

Cam let out a long breath. 'It's not what Morse led me to believe.'

'I'm sorry.' Harry said seriously.

The next day was the opening of the Bath Christmas market and Gwen was still booked in to run her stall. She showered and got her stock ready, working on autopilot and hoping that keeping busy would help. It didn't.

She went to the hospital on her way to the market. Katie was the same and Ruby looked worse. 'Shall I take over here for a while? Let you get some rest.'

Ruby shook her head wordlessly.

Gwen hated feeling so helpless. She held her hand against Katie's forehead and it was cool to the touch.

'She's not got a temperature,' Ruby said. 'They can't tell us anything new. They say we just have to wait.'

Gwen nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The last thing Ruby needed was for her to dissolve. 'I'm going to open my stall at the market for a couple of hours but I've got my mobile on me. Call if you need anything or if anything happens.'

'I will,' Ruby said.

Gwen kissed Katie, whispering into her hair, 'Wake up.'

The Bath Christmas market was held in the paved square in front of the Abbey. When Gwen had first seen the little wooden houses arranged around the edge, she'd thought she'd come to the wrong place and stumbled into a large garden centre by mistake. However, looking around now at the inviting displays and twinkling fairy lights, she had to admit it looked very, well, Christma.s.sy. 'And very cla.s.sy, darling,' Mary-Anne said. 'Nothing tacky in lovely Bath; the committee simply wouldn't allow it. They're even worse than Pendleford's lot.'

'Pendleford has a committee?' Gwen said, and then remembered. 'Oh. Patrick Allen's crew.'

'The very same.' Mary-Anne was dealing out soaps in rainbow colours with the speed of a croupier. 'Watch out for that one.' She winked at Gwen. 'He's got an eye for the ladies.'

'Right. Thanks.' Gwen didn't think Patrick Allen would ever be interested in her type. Thank G.o.d.

The display table was smaller than her usual one and it took longer than she expected to get her stock arranged. She nailed small pieces of wood to the back wall of the shed and rested a shadow box on each. By the time she'd finished, there were a good number of shoppers wandering past and the smell of roast chestnuts wafting through the air. A bra.s.s band began playing carols and Gwen felt her eyes p.r.i.c.king with tears. Again. What if Katie wasn't out of hospital in time for Christmas? She blinked and held up a mirror for a lady who was looking at a pair of earrings. Get your mind on the job. Katie is going to wake up and want some presents on the 25th. It's not going to be very festive at End House if you don't make some b.l.o.o.d.y money.

After an hour, the temperature had dropped further. The sky was clear a no cloud cover a but at least it was dry. Lots of the punters were carrying cardboard cups of mulled wine or hot chocolate and Gwen began to crave some. She rubbed her hands together and wished she were wearing big ski mittens rather than fingerless gloves. It would be harder to make change, but at least she wouldn't be worried about losing her fingertips to frostbite.

'h.e.l.lo, Gwen.'

Gwen almost did a double-take. It was Elaine Laing, in the expensively coated flesh. 'h.e.l.lo,' Gwen managed.

Elaine studied her stall and Gwen felt herself tense. If she says something disparaging, I'm going to let her have it.

'The market looks nice this year,' Elaine said. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, making her look more human than usual. 'A good variety of stalls.'

'Yes. The organisers did a good job,' Gwen said.

Elaine reached out a finger, clad in camel-coloured leather, and lightly touched a Liberty-print scarf. 'Is this genuine?'

'Of course,' Gwen said.

'I apologise,' Elaine said and Gwen almost fell over.

'What are those?' Elaine pointed at the shadow boxes.

'They're expensive,' Gwen warned automatically, as she always did. And then she felt stupid. She always felt diffident about the asking price, but they took so long to make, she really couldn't afford to price them lower. However, she knew that Elaine Laing probably considered seventy pounds pocket change.

She chose her favourite box and lifted it carefully down.

Elaine put her hands behind her back as if to stop herself from touching, and leaned forward to look.

Gwen steeled herself for the disparaging comments or stupid questions. It was the hardest thing about running the stall: the feeling of exposure.

'Why are you selling these here?' Elaine looked genuinely confused.

Gwen gritted her teeth and counted to ten, very fast. Then she said, 'I like them. I like making them and this is my stall. I decide what to sell.'

Elaine smiled thinly. 'I meant, why aren't you selling them through a gallery?'

'Sorry?'

'They're art pieces, correct?'

'Well. Craft or art. It's all a matter of opinion.'

Elaine straightened up. 'Is each piece one of a kind or created in strictly limited edition?'

'I never do the same piece twice. I couldn't; the components are all unique-'

'Are they all t.i.tled? Do they carry some kind of message or theme or mood?' Elaine was ticking points off on her fingers. 'Are they expressions of self?'

'Sorry?'

'I was just thinking that they should be in a gallery. Or a high-end gift shop at the very least. This-' she waved at the wooden huts, the fairy lights, the crowd of Christmas shoppers, 'is very pleasant, but I'm not sure you're reaching your audience.'

'My audience?'

'All art is performance,' Elaine said crisply. 'Surely you know that? I'll take this one.' She reached into her handbag and extracted a purse. 'Do you take credit cards?'

Gwen wrapped the shadow box carefully in tissue and put it into a cardboard box and then a bag. As she processed Elaine's card, she wondered whether either of them were going to mention their last conversation. Gwen decided just to be grateful for whatever had brought about the change from a spitting and furious Elaine to this terrifyingly efficient, art-spouting, shadow-box buying creature.

Abruptly, Elaine said, 'I was very sorry to hear about your niece.'

'Thank you,' Gwen said, concentrating very hard on the credit card machine.

'I know the head of paediatrics at Bath Royal and I've spoken to him about Katie's care.'

Gwen looked up, surprised that Elaine knew Katie's name.

'And I hear I'll be seeing you on Christmas Eve.'

'What?' Gwen said.

'I trust you'll wear something suitable? I'm sure you won't want to embarra.s.s Cameron.'

'Thank you for your purchase,' Gwen said, as she always did.

Elaine gave her a patronising smile. 'I wouldn't want you to feel out of place.'

'Clearly,' Gwen said, keeping her expression neutral.

Elaine leaned in slightly. 'You wanted in, Gwen. You're going to have to live up to the Laing standards. That, as you would no doubt put it, is the deal.' She gave a final wintery smile and walked away. Gwen watched her march straight to the exit as if her mission had been accomplished. Oh boy.

Gwen was exhausted when she got back to End House. She trailed up her garden path and unlocked the front door. She hung up her coat and turned, almost tripping over Cat. 'Silly thing.' She bent down to stroke him, but he wouldn't stay still. He was winding round and round her ankles in a figure of eight. His mouth opened, showing pink gums and sharp teeth and gusting fish-breath into Gwen's face, but no sound came out. It was as if something had stolen his screech. Gwen's body tensed: something was very wrong.

She tried to pick Cat up, but he sprang away. Gwen moved to the kitchen doorway and that was when she saw Lily. She was standing at the kitchen sink, gazing out of the window into the garden. The light from the hallway illuminated the dark kitchen so that Lily's blonde hair seemed to glow. Her hands, gripping the edge of the counter, were strangely black. Gwen flipped the light switch and the blackness resolved into dirt. Lily's perfect pale pink fingernails were broken and encrusted with brown earth, as if she'd been digging with her bare hands.

'h.e.l.lo, Lily,' Gwen said. Her throat clicked when she tried to swallow.

'Gwen!' Lily turned and smiled radiantly. 'I've been waiting for ever.'

'I was in Bath.'

Lily waved her hand. 'I brought you some carrots. From my garden.'

Gwen glanced at the pile of vegetables on the draining board. They were whiteish yellow, sickly-looking.

'How did you get in?'

'I told you.' Lily gave her strange tinkling laugh. It lifted the hairs on the back of Gwen's neck. 'Neighbours all look out for each other around here.'

Gwen edged backwards, thinking that if she could grab the phone in the hallway, she would call for help. Lily did not look at all well.

'I'd rather you stayed here. Rude to leave so quickly.' Lily's eyes were shining feverishly. 'We've got such a lot to talk about.'

Gwen looked at the pile of vegetation again. 'That's Wolfsbane.'

'Aconite, yes,' Lily said. 'I was wondering what to do with it. I've got such a lot.'

'It's poisonous,' Gwen said. 'You need to be careful.'

'Don't pretend to be concerned,' Lily snapped. 'You don't care about me. You've heard what everyone says. I'm evil.'

Gwen swallowed. 'n.o.body's saying that.'

'Liar.' Lily spoke mildly, but her eyes hadn't lost their crazed glaze.

Gwen felt the counter behind her and realised that she'd been backing away.

Lily took a step forward. 'You're as bad as Iris, you know. I tried to be a friend, I welcomed you, but you've been keeping secrets. You're keeping what's mine. Just like Iris.'

'I don't know what you're talking about,' Gwen said. 'I don't have anything that belongs to you.'

'Stop playing games.' Lily's voice went up at least an octave. 'You know what I want. Iris must've written about it. She scribbled everything down in those little books. I know.'

'I know she was scared of you,' Gwen said. Her own fear was there now, unmistakable and pressing onto her chest.

Lily shook her head, smiling eerily. 'I can't live like this. The worry is too much. It's exhausting.' She smoothed a hand across her brow, as if erasing the lines there. 'All you have to do is give me the evidence and I'll leave you alone. I'll even let you stay here.'

'What evidence?'

'Iris called it her insurance. Evidence that put me in the house when my poor father had his accident. She said if anything happened to her, it would be found. Now I've gone over and over that day and I'm sure there isn't anything, but I can't help worrying.' Her mask had slipped. Lily was breathing heavily, her silk blouse stained with crescent moons of sweat under each arm. 'I'm not going to jail. He never wanted to be an invalid. He was in pain. I gave him peace, so it's only fair I got his house.'

'Did he want that kind of peace?' Gwen couldn't help thinking about an old man standing at the top of a staircase, feeling a shove in the small of his back and the sensation of falling, the lurching panic.

'What other kind is there?' Lily said. 'Besides, he knew I wasn't cut out to be a nursemaid. He knew that.'

Lily was between her and the doorway to the hall. The route to the back door was clear, but it was much further and Lily only had to take a couple of steps, lunge a bit, and she had it covered. 'I know what you can do. I know how you found your niece. And that dead boy. All you have to do is find Iris's evidence. It's not such a big ask. You've been doing favours for people all over town.'

'I can try,' Gwen said. 'But I can only find what actually exists.'

Lily's mouth twisted. 'How convenient.'

'It's the truth,' Gwen said. 'And I promise you that Iris didn't tell me about any evidence. I really don't think it's real. I think she made it up.'

Lily's smile fled. The expression that replaced it was so much worse. 'You're not leaving me much choice, Gwen. I've got to be certain no one knows. It's nothing personal, you understand?'

Gwen slid her hand behind her back and felt around on the counter for a weapon. 'Can't we talk about this?' Gwen said. 'Work something out?'