Avenging Heart by A.J. Llewellyn

Author:A.J. Llewellyn [Llewellyn, AJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
Published: 2012-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

* * * *

Saturday, April 26, 1947

The following morning, we arrived an hour early at the house on Kuhio Avenue. We all set about tidying it up and airing it out. We’d only been there for a few minutes when the Hamptons arrived.

“That’s so weird,” Jason said. He and Dad went to the door.

Linda and I had baked a coffee cake in Turtle Bay and we set out plates and forks for it. We put the coffee percolator on the stove as the Hamptons got out of the black car, courtesy of the Moana Hotel. They made fast progress up the walkway, even though he was still hobbling with his cane.

“I really need crutches,” he said, easing himself into a chair. “I was just afraid they wouldn’t let me on the airplane if they thought I was totally incapacitated.”

“Would you like some cake and coffee?” I asked.

“Yes, please,” Mrs Hampton said. She was dressed rather formally again in yet another hopelessly warm outfit for the climate.

“Isn’t that a woollen dress?” Linda asked her, looking shocked.

“Yes.” Mrs Hampton nodded. “I had no idea it was so…tropical here. I have no other clothes.”

“Have some coffee and cake, then I’m taking you home with us,” Linda said.

“Home?” Mrs Hampton looked appalled. “You mean, you don’t live here?”

“Jason and I come here during the week,” I said. She was already burning up, I could tell.

“Why not take off your hat and gloves?” I suggested. “You can leave your handbag with them on the sideboard. They’re perfectly safe.”

“Well, I don’t know.” She glanced over there as if expecting to see dangerous, wild monsters ready to bite.

“Take them off, Molly.” Her husband sounded tired. Linda watched him for a moment.

“Are you in pain?”

“The worst.” He shook his head. “I got no sleep last night.”

“I have something to help you,” I said.

Jason followed me into the bathroom. “What are you getting him?” he asked as I reached into the topmost shelf. “Oh, Tin…not the drops.”

“Why not?” We stared at the small bottle of opium drops. Jason had been prescribed them for a kidney stone and said they had made him feel so wonderful he’d wished for another stone.

“Just a drop,” I said, “or two.”

Jason thought for a moment. “Give him two. He’ll be as high as a kite and happy as a pig in wet sand.”

We hurried back into the living room. Linda stared at the bottle. She knew what it was.

“Is that opium?” Mr Hampton looked so happy I had a terrible feeling he might kiss me.

“Yes.”

He snatched the bottle from my fingers. “God bless you.” He opened the bottle, squeezing off a large helping into the eye dropper. He tilted his head back and swallowed enough liquid opium to tranquilise a herd of elephants.

I held out my hand for the bottle but he popped it into his jacket pocket.

“Coffee’s ready,” Dad announced.

For the next half hour Mr Hampton gradually became more pleasant and sociable. Mrs Hampton even laughed once when my father told a joke. They were friendly and nice, and then the conversation turned to Christopher.

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