Dangerous Encounters

Chapter 16 The horrors of dismantling the past

I was in the bath, when the cordless phone whined. 

"Graham, Liz here. I tried your car phone at about six yesterday but couldn't get an answer." 

"Hallo, Liz. No I was in the Calder Valley about that time. It's always a drop out zone. What news from the smoke?" 

"I've tried the subtle approach from low level - secretaries and such. Got nowhere. Either everyone's keeping mum, or there isn't any influence from Railton House. Now, I don't have time to pussyfoot. I'm going to confront Sir William with what I know on Monday, and hope to flush everything out. If you don't hear anything different I'll see you Tuesday morning, so you may need to modify the booking you've made. How's things with you?" 

"Oh, alright." 

"And Wolfenden's OK?" 

"Yes, they're fine. No worries."  

"OK. Must dash. See you." 

"Bye." 

Clean, shaved, and in clean clothes I waited for the house clearance people who were due, in fact now somewhat overdue, that afternoon. 

The phone rang. 

A flat female voice with a Birmingham accent said, "This is C and W house clearances, Mr Wisheart. I'm afraid we have run into problems. Could we possibly move our appointment to five o'clock tomorrow?" 

"Well, yes I suppose so, if you must. See you then." 

"Thank you so much, Mr Wisheart, Goodbye." 

I decided to get new batteries for the cars. Three years standing would have discharged the old ones by the clocks alone, and I didn't think they'd be up to the task of restarting an engine left standing that time. I also needed some supplies. 

I returned about seven from shopping, and by nine I had both car engines running, the garage was full of smoke from the oil I'd put into each cylinder three years ago. They ran a little lumpily but I guessed that would improve as the engines warmed up. I left the engines running. 

Our - my,  next door neighbour, Helen, walked into the smoky light from the garage. We shouted our conversation over the din of the two engines. "It was you last night then, Graham," she said, "I was afraid this morning and rang the police. We've only just returned from mother's, we had to go early, otherwise I'd have popped in. How are you, we've hardly seen you at all since - since Claire died." 

"I'm OK Helen. I'm selling up now. I don't want a place this size" 

"Where will you go? 

"I don't know. I've reached a point in my life where I can't decide what to do, but I don't want the burden of all this confusing my thoughts," I waved my arm to indicate the four bedroomed house, double garage, garden and all that they meant. 

"Let me switch these off, they're warmed up now, and come and have a glass of wine to help empty my cellar." 

In the kitchen Helen sat down at the table. She was small and delicate with red hair fading to white and blue-green eyes. 

We drank. "How's Ken?" I asked. 

"Much the same. MS doesn't let him live much of a life. Or me for that matter. Jesus we're a couple aren't we, you lose one and I lose one, as near as makes no difference. We're next door but we've been no help at all to each other. The concept of neighbours hasn't survived middle-aged late twentieth century suburban living." 

"That's because of my job, Helen. It allows me to live out of a suitcase to escape from the memories that I find waiting to ambush me in every corner here."