The Magpie Key by Sarah Painter

Author:Sarah Painter [Painter, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781913676148
Publisher: Siskin Press Ltd

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Jason was sitting cross-legged on the sofa with his laptop open. He looked up when Lydia walked into the flat, feeling bone-weary and in need of food. For once she would have welcomed a cooking spree from her ghostly flatmate, but he was immersed in whatever was on his screen.

There were cans of cola in the fridge and she popped the tab, drinking while she looked through the cupboards. Crisps. Bread. Cheese and a bag of apples, courtesy of Fleet, in the fridge. She stared at the fruit for a few moments, willing herself to cry. She felt wound up. The release of a few tears would surely help.

It was still early and part of Lydia wanted to head through to the dark cave of her bedroom, pull the duvet over her head and go back to sleep. But she knew that wouldn’t work. She didn’t need Fleet’s gift to see herself lying wide awake before giving up and getting up again.

Grabbing a packet of crisps and an apple, she went to her desk instead. Work. Perhaps she would take a new case. Maybe Aiden or the accountant would have sent her an annoying email with something boring and administrative to manage.

‘Please tell me that’s not your breakfast.’

Lydia looked at her cola and crisps. ‘I’m having fruit. That’s very healthy.’

Jason sighed and put his laptop onto the seat. ‘I’ll make you something proper. Eggs.’

‘We don’t have any.’

‘There’s a café downstairs,’ Jason pointed out, not unreasonably.

‘Angel won’t be happy if she sees eggs levitating out of her kitchen.’

‘So I won’t let her see. You need to eat.’

Lydia opened the crisps and popped one into her mouth.

Jason shook his head. Then he went still. ‘It’s early. Did you come from the heath?’

‘Mmm-m,’ Lydia nodded, crunching away. She took a swig from the can. Salt. Sugar. Caffeine. All would be well.

‘Has Fleet gone then?’

Lydia nodded again, not trusting herself to speak.

‘And this woman, she’s going to show him how to control his visions? How long is that going to take?’

She put the can down and looked Jason squarely in the eye. ‘Two weeks.’

‘Is that long enough?’

It would have to be. Fleet wouldn’t agree to stay away any longer. ‘I hope so.’

‘And you think she can help him?’

‘Yes.’ Lydia leaned back in her chair. ‘But even if she can’t, it gets him out of the city for a couple of weeks. Gives me time to deal with his father.’

Jason frowned. ‘And how are you going to do that?’

Bee, the fortune teller, had told her that the sure way to get rid of The Collector was to give him what he wanted. Well, she wasn’t going to give him Fleet. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Is there anything I can do?’

‘Maybe. I don’t know.’ There they were. The tears prickling her eyes. She concentrated on her crisps and didn’t look at Jason.

A cold draught let her know that Jason had approached her side of the desk. A moment later, she felt his hand on her shoulder.

‘We’ll figure it out.

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