An Aura of Mystery by Joy Ellis

Author:Joy Ellis [ELLIS, JOY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Although sleep had not been his ally during those last few hours before dawn, Michael rose early, pulled on his shoes and his dressing gown, and went out to the summer house. He doubted that, in their troubled state, he had remembered to lock the door, and if Ellie made her way out there before either of them, she may fear the intruder had returned.

There were still crisp white patches of frost on the grass and the air was fresh enough to make the little hairs in his nostrils tingle. The door, as he thought, was closed but not locked. He wearily made his way inside, fully expecting to have to tidy up after their nocturnal episode. He stood for a moment, rubbing gritty sleep from his eyes with a chubby fist, and tried to fathom what he was seeing.

The blanket he had used to cover Carole, which he’d left on the floor by the table, was neatly folded on the seat of the rattan chair. The chairs were carefully placed under the table. The cloth was straight and the cushions were all puffed up and tidy. The CD player was switched off at the mains, something he never did, not even at home, and the plastic water bottle was missing altogether.

Michael sat down heavily and ran his tired eyes once again around the orderly garden room. He was certain Carole could not have been fit enough to get back out here after he’d left her last night. She was exhausted and practically comatose by the time he had left her room. He had dozed only fitfully for the rest of the night and would have heard her if she had got up. She was not exactly light footed on the stairs.

He absent-mindedly picked up a piece of quartz crystal and turned it over and over, passing it from one hand to the other. Surely Ellie hadn’t been out here already? It was not yet seven o’clock and Ellie, on her hostess’s orders, rarely rose until breakfast time. He stared out across the lawn, feeling drained of all energy. He could hardly find the strength to ponder over the puzzle. Whatever, there was nothing he could do out here. No doubt, as they say, all would be revealed. He had better lock up and get indoors. He must discuss with Carole what she had in mind to tell Ellie. One thing was for sure, it would not be the truth.

Carole was washing a glass in the sink as he came in the back door. She looked up and gave him a listless smile. ‘I saw you go out there, I realised what you were doing. Thank you, I expect we left it in quite a mess, didn’t we?’

Michael was silent as he dropped into a chair. He looked at her steadily and said, ‘Yes, we did, but somehow it had all been sorted out by the time I got out there.’

‘That’s impossible!’ Carole’s back snapped into ramrod position, and she rounded on her friend with almost aggression.

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