The Island Affair by Helena Halme

Author:Helena Halme
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-9957495-2-8
Publisher: Helena Halme

Thirty-Two

Hilda is in the back room, unpacking two boxes of summer wear that have just arrived from her supplier in Italy. When the door chime sounds, she shouts, 'Just one moment, I'll be with you shortly.'

When she enters the shop, she's surprised to see a man. Men very rarely—if ever—visit her shop unless it's to buy something from her small line of jewellery and handbags as a present for their wife or girlfriend. She can count with the fingers of one hand the number of male customers she's had during the five years she's owned the shop. The man looks foreign, Russian, and immediately she takes a couple steps back. He's wearing a light beige bomber jacket with a pair of cotton trousers and an expensive pair of loafers without socks. There's a single gold stud in one ear and a small, black tattoo on his hand, between his thumb and forefinger. He also wears two rings on his fingers, both heavy, shiny gold. He's a large man, and he fills Hilda's little shop with his bulk.

The man crosses the room and comes to stand close to Hilda. He is so tall, and his chest so broad, that he obscures her view of the street. The man bends down and puts his lips close to Hilda's ear. 'We have a mutual friend,' he says.

Cold shivers run down her spine. She reaches out her hand to support herself on one of the rails of special offer tops in the middle of the shop.

The man is now looking around him. 'Where are your most expensive dresses?'

'Why?' Hilda whispers.

'Our mutual friend needs a small gift for his lady friend.' He continues, his cold eyes on Hilda, 'Because you have been a naughty girl, haven't you?' The man gives a brief grin, but soon this becomes a mock sad face.

'I am going to have a very good month, so I can catch up ...' Hilda stammers.

The man looks around the shop, 'You busy?'

There was no one there. No customers, not even tire-kicking Swedes, who pull the clothes off the rails to hold them up against themselves, glancing briefly in one of the long mirrors on either side of the shop. They never buy, or put the garments back in the right place again.

'It's a slow day today. The week after Midsummer always is, because people are out in the archipelago with their families. But they'll soon get bored of each other and come into town. People argue when they are on holiday and then they need to buy something to make themselves feel better,' Hilda realizes she is talking uncontrollably, but she can't stop herself. 'Tomorrow will be very busy and ...'

He places one fat finger across his lips, interrupting her. 'Shh.' The man bends down so that his face is very close to Hilda's again. He smells of alcohol and cigarettes and very strong aftershave. 'No talking, just doing. We need money next week.'

Hilda nods. 'You will have it, I promise.'

'I said no talking,' the man whispers, and he straightens up.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.