A Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering by Murray Andrew Hunter

Author:Murray, Andrew Hunter [Murray, Andrew Hunter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Humor(Dark)
ISBN: 9781804940860
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Published: 2024-04-24T14:00:00+00:00

21

I don’t know much about CCTV, but I expect every station has it. Or every carriage? Either way, I feel distinctly observed. I get off at the next stop, then spend an hour or so walking the quietest streets I can find. I cross a few parks, which are great for shaking cameras, and head into a couple of department stores I know, which will a) sell me clothes to change into, and which b) have more than one exit, also handy. (If your local department store is closing down, fight to keep it open. Think of the fugitives.)

I can’t help noticing I’m running short on cash, though. The wedge I took out a few days ago is crumbling. At least I didn’t pay at the restaurant.

After two and a half hours of walking, I’m back at Balfour Villas. It’s an unhappy Al who trudges through the decaying front garden and up the steps.

Elle answers at my knock, and looks worried sick.

‘Oh, at last. How did it go?’

‘Poorly.’ I walk past her into the hall, and she shuts the door behind me.

‘Wait. Where’s Em?’

I turn. ‘She’s not back yet?’

Elle shakes her head.

You see, this is why you shouldn’t get involved with people. The sheer terror when they don’t show up is more trouble than it’s worth.

We’ve made about twelve cups of tea since I got back, and watched them cool, and then Elle has thrown away the old teas and asked if anyone would like a new one, and Jonny’s forcibly sat her down and gone and made new ones for us all to sit and watch cool. Nobody’s eaten anything.

It’s close to 8 p.m. now. Elle and Jonny had already waited three hours when I got back – initially in the café, then they realised something must have gone awry and came home to Balfour Villas. Elle’s spent the rest of the day obsessively sorting the house out as a displacement activity, and Jonny has been re-categorising and listing every house in Davy’s ledger. The weather has turned grim. I hope Em’s not out in it.

As for me, I’m wondering how we could have been so stupid as just to turn up somewhere again. It worked for days in a row – just turning up at Davy’s office, at Guggy’s boutique, to see Lulu – but our luck was bound to run out eventually.

And then … there’s a knock at the door.

Elle’s up first. ‘Thank God.’

‘Wait.’ I run to the bay window that overlooks the front door. It’s her. ‘OK, open up.’

She’s wearing a grubby jumper and jeans instead of the dress I saw her in last, her hair’s a mess, and she’s got a bruise on one cheek. She’s trembling with cold.

‘Where the hell have you been?’

‘Getting away. Took a while.’

‘Are you OK?’

She looks down at her shaking hand, then up. ‘Is anyone going to make me a cup of tea?’

Half an hour later, things are a bit clearer.

Em kept Kate talking until there was a disturbance in the restaurant – that was me leaving.

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