When Yesterday Comes Calling by D M Macdonald

Author:D M Macdonald [Macdonald, D M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: D M Macdonald
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

23

Eventually we came to a number that was higher than the one we were looking for. It seemed Mr Kelling didn't bother with a street number. I left Anna to back track because I had a sudden idea. If at any time the Mladenovics came looking for Tom Kelling, it might make it harder for them if no one had numbers. I removed the numbers of all the houses in the next stretch of the lane, then went back and took the others off as well. I was sure the postman knew who was who.

The gate to Kelling's place was high but in bad shape. It scraped across the cracked concrete on a path leading through a weed ridden yard to a small porch with cracked concrete steps and missing palings. The house was substantial but had clearly seen better days.

`I'll donate some of the money for some repairs if this is the right place,' muttered Anna as she stepped around a missing floorboard on the porch.

I pressed the bell more out of convention than hope but was rewarded by a distant ring from deep inside. While we waited we checked out the view. It was spectacular. Right across the harbour to the Opera House and the bridge beyond. The house might be run down but the land it sat on was worth a fortune.

We were so lost in the view that we jumped when the door creaked open and an old voice said, `Stunning isn't it?'

It was odd to me that the house wasn't built to take advantage of it but I didn't know about its insides then. It wasn't run down at all. It was beautiful. Polished timber floors with expensive Persian rugs led up steps to a wide modern open plan sitting room. A glossy kitchen, sleek modern furniture and spectacular artworks epitomised the wealth and good taste that costs a fortune. Wide windows took in the view that was at least one hundred and eighty degrees of one of the most magnificent harbours on the planet.

The old man chuckled. `A bit misleading outside, eh? Keep it that way on purpose. Not as attractive to the criminal element, if you know what I mean.'

He was fat, very old, and looked far too seedy for Eleanor to have even talked to much less hired. His white hair was long and fly-away sparse and he was wearing an ancient track suit and tartan slippers. He gestured towards a long dark brown leather sofa, nodding apologetically.

`All this modern stuff. M'daughter's taste not mine. She did all this modern renovation too. Not as comfy looking as it used to be but I daresay the cleaners prefer it to the fancy old furniture her mother and I used to have.'

He sat down on a chair facing us and waved at a pile of papers on an enormous coffee table.

`Now, dear, let's have a look at all your stuff though I can see as plain as day you're your mother's daughter.'

I could feel Anna stiffen even from a metre away and turned towards her.

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.