The Mystery of Montague House by Emma Davies

Author:Emma Davies [Davies, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781838347505
Published: 2021-01-13T22:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

Clodagh wanted to scream; the walls of the passage were closing in on her. She was suffocating, boiling hot. Her lungs worked furiously, trying to drag in air, but still she needed more. Her eyes were closed, her hand stretched out to steady herself, and she could feel her blood pounding in her ears.

She pushed down the wave of nausea that had risen at the sight of what she had discovered, what she had kicked at with her toe. Say it, Clodagh, say it… There was a dead body, she finally admitted to herself. Here. Right in front of her. This wasn’t something that happened in her life. She didn’t find dead bodies. That was—

Her eyes flew open. Andie was on her knees beside her, still and silent, one arm outstretched towards…

Clodagh forced herself to look, angling the torch back towards the pile of bricks. The hand was still there. Presumably still attached to the rest of the… body.

‘I’m so sorry,’ murmured Andie, her fingers, unbelievably, touching those in front of her.

She shuddered. How could Andie touch it? Clodagh could hardly bear to look at it.

She must have made a sound because Andie looked up, her face full of concern and… sadness, Clodagh realised.

‘Are you okay?’ asked Andie.

Clodagh nodded. ‘I think so.’ Her voice was barely there.

‘There’s nothing to fear,’ added Andie. ‘You don’t need to be afraid, I promise you.’

Clodagh stared at her. How could she possibly say that?

‘The bones are no more than the bricks, the stone. Just earthly remains.’

‘Yes, but… Christ, Andie, this is serious.’

‘I know.’ Andie turned her attention back towards the body. ‘And I’m going to find whoever did this.’ Her voice had sunk dangerously low. ‘We mustn’t move anything. The police will want to see everything in situ, in due course, and then this poor soul can be properly laid to rest. I promise,’ she added, looking back at the body. ‘We’ll take good care of you.’

Andie curled her fingers around the bones for a few moments more before getting slowly to her feet. Her face was full of compassion but, even in the low light, Clodagh could see her eyes burned with anger, and something else… Determination?

‘I’m sorry, Clodagh,’ she said. ‘Really, are you okay?’ Her focus was back on Clodagh now. She rubbed at her arm.

Clodagh smiled hesitantly. ‘I think so. Sorry, it was just… I’ve never seen anything like that before.’

‘I know. It’s hard, and nothing really prepares you for it. But you did a good thing. And you may not realise it, but you’ve already made a difference.’ She looked up, holding Clodagh’s gaze for a moment. ‘Come on, let’s get you out of here. There’s nothing more we can do right now, and I don’t know about you, but I have a sudden need for sky and the sun, birds singing… and a big slobbery kiss from Hamish.’

Andie gently took the torch from Clodagh’s hand and led her, not back the way they had come, but onwards, and it

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