The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively

Author:Penelope Lively [Penelope Lively]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780140377941
Publisher: Puffin
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

7

'Bert Ellison ?' said Mrs Harrison. 'I've never heard of him.'

'He's really a very well-known builder,' said James earnestly. 'Quite famous, actually. I'm surprised you don't know about him. I'm sure he'd do the shelves much better than anyone else.'

Mr Harrison, who had listened without saying anything, got up and began to put his coat on.

'At this point,' he said, 'one's bound to ask oneself certain questions. One: why, all of a sudden, does James want something urgently done in the way of mending a window and putting up some shelves that he's shown little or no interest in hitherto? And two: given all this, why does he go still further and produce a particular builder that he wants to do the job? One is tempted even to suspect some sort of conspiracy between the two of them . . .'

'Dad!' said James, in the most shocked and offended voice he could manage.

'. . .if it weren't quite beyond belief that a perfectly sane, adult chap such as Bert Ellison should associate himself in any way with some lunatic scheme of James's.'

'Why? Do you know him?' said Mrs Harrison.

'Slightly. Or at least I know of him. He's been doing some work in the church. He seems quite all right. I should think we might entrust the shelves to him. James's sudden involvement will no doubt be one of those things that we shall never get to the bottom of. Like many others. Eh, James?'

'It's no good looking as though you don't know what he means,' said Helen. 'What about my dressing-gown cord being found tied to the big apple tree? And the empty ink-bottles in the vegetable patch . . . ?'

James sighed: there is nothing more boring than trying to explain things to people who aren't going to appreciate what it is you are up to. You've got to use something to haul provisions up a rock-face with, haven't you? And if you do scientific experiments you're bound to leave a few bits and pieces around, aren't you? (No point in telling Helen lettuces do not grow blue if watered with diluted ink: she wouldn't even care.)

'So can I say it's all right if he comes tonight?' he said, ignoring Helen.

'I suppose so.'

Bert Ellison arrived on a bicycle shortly after tea, whistling. He looked so ordinary, so, in fact, like a builder on his way to put up some shelves that for a moment James's faith was shaken. Only ten minutes before he had enjoyed saying to Simon, 'Well, I'm afraid I'll have to go now because I've got this exorcist coming in to see to the poltergeist.' Simon had been satisfactorily astonished. But now here was Bert, in white overalls, with a cigarette tucked behind his ear, and a black bag of tools, not looking in the least like an exorcist.

'Oh,' said Mrs Harrison. 'Yes, of course, the window, and the shelves... I'd better take you up.'

James, lurking behind her in the hall, fidgeted anxiously, and saw Bert's gaze come up over her shoulder and fall on him.

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