closed her eyes again. “It
was all so hazy. I can only add that it was the mention of ‘the
concrete boots’ that spurred me into escaping.”
Matt raised an eyebrow at his friend.
“Ruthless.” Walking over to
switch off the recorder, C.S. Paul Tanner added, “No need to go
over yesterday’s escape any more.” He dug his hands deep
in his pockets, as if they might contain inspiration. “Your Ju
Jitsu certainly saved your life.” He took a deep breath. “It’s
late. I’ll have a full statement written up, Miss Radcliffe and
send someone around tomorrow for you to sign it, if you would,
please.”
“I’ll be relieved to
confirm their violence and I hope you capture them quickly.”
“Until we do, you must not leave
this house. We are posting armed officers back and front who will
augment Matt’s own experienced staff who …”
“You’re welcome to stay for
as long as necessary, Xandra; you too, of course, Laura,” Matt
hurriedly confirmed. Why had Matt interrupted? Occasionally Laura had
the feeling he was concealing something.
“I think it is imperative you
stay with Xandra,” the detective looked Laura straight in the
eye.
Matt squeezed Laura’s shoulder
gently and her qualms subsided.
Hide in Time ~ Anna Faversham
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Unfortunately, I must leave you
two alone today,” Matt said as he helped himself to some eggs
and bacon and joined them at the table. “Is there anything you
need me to do for you, Laura? I know you’ll think you should be
at work; would you like your calls redirected? You could set up an
office in the library.”
Laura wasn’t sure she could face
fetching all the paperwork or having post and calls forwarded but
he’d opened up an opportunity and she wasn’t going to
miss it. “Any chance I could be driven over and pick up some
files and other necessities and, oh yes, bring back my own car?”
Laura thought she could see how the
smile lines had developed around his mouth; he had a way of holding a
smile longer than most. Then he took a bite of toast. Still no
answer. “I suppose,” he said finally, “that Rolf
could drive you in the Land Rover. Could you disguise yourself, paper
bag on your head, that sort of thing?”
“I will, don’t worry Matt.
I can see what a nasty bunch they are.”
“Nasty? Laura, people who deal in
concrete boots are evil!”
Laura looked mystified.
Understanding crossed Matt’s
face. “When they said it was ‘boots for Xandra’
they meant they’d set her feet in concrete and throw her in
deep water to drown.”
Oh! Much worse than anything Laura had
imagined. Still a lot to learn.
Matt turned to Xandra. “We’re
here to see that doesn’t happen, Xandra, so relax and tuck in
to some breakfast. I’m sorry to have mentioned it again but
Laura needs to fully understand the reasons for our precautions.”
He leapt up and tugged a bell rope above the sideboard.
“Ah Jeeves, never far away. Ask
Rolf to put the Land Rover and his driving services at the disposal
of Laura for today, will you please?”
“Right away, sir.”
You’d think it was still 1814 in
this house, thought Laura.
Xandra looked at Matt quizzically.
“Jeeves? Is that really his name?”
“He asked to be called Jeeves.”
“Asked?”
Laura watched Xandra’s bemused
expression. It was probably much the same as hers on first hearing
about Jeeves.
“Yes, he asked. He said if he
were to be called Jeeves, it would give him something to live up to.
He then added a little sniffily that I wasn’t treating him like
a proper butler with defined duties but more like a personal
manservant, like Jeeves.”
“What’s his real name?”
“Xandra, it is ‘Wilberforce
Sidebottome’,” Matt said raising his eyebrows. “My
parents called him Billy but when they died,” Matt stalled, “I
found myself having to do much more and earlier than I’d
expected. He was an enormous help and so I was happy to comply. His
family has worked for ours
was all so hazy. I can only add that it was the mention of ‘the
concrete boots’ that spurred me into escaping.”
Matt raised an eyebrow at his friend.
“Ruthless.” Walking over to
switch off the recorder, C.S. Paul Tanner added, “No need to go
over yesterday’s escape any more.” He dug his hands deep
in his pockets, as if they might contain inspiration. “Your Ju
Jitsu certainly saved your life.” He took a deep breath. “It’s
late. I’ll have a full statement written up, Miss Radcliffe and
send someone around tomorrow for you to sign it, if you would,
please.”
“I’ll be relieved to
confirm their violence and I hope you capture them quickly.”
“Until we do, you must not leave
this house. We are posting armed officers back and front who will
augment Matt’s own experienced staff who …”
“You’re welcome to stay for
as long as necessary, Xandra; you too, of course, Laura,” Matt
hurriedly confirmed. Why had Matt interrupted? Occasionally Laura had
the feeling he was concealing something.
“I think it is imperative you
stay with Xandra,” the detective looked Laura straight in the
eye.
Matt squeezed Laura’s shoulder
gently and her qualms subsided.
Hide in Time ~ Anna Faversham
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Unfortunately, I must leave you
two alone today,” Matt said as he helped himself to some eggs
and bacon and joined them at the table. “Is there anything you
need me to do for you, Laura? I know you’ll think you should be
at work; would you like your calls redirected? You could set up an
office in the library.”
Laura wasn’t sure she could face
fetching all the paperwork or having post and calls forwarded but
he’d opened up an opportunity and she wasn’t going to
miss it. “Any chance I could be driven over and pick up some
files and other necessities and, oh yes, bring back my own car?”
Laura thought she could see how the
smile lines had developed around his mouth; he had a way of holding a
smile longer than most. Then he took a bite of toast. Still no
answer. “I suppose,” he said finally, “that Rolf
could drive you in the Land Rover. Could you disguise yourself, paper
bag on your head, that sort of thing?”
“I will, don’t worry Matt.
I can see what a nasty bunch they are.”
“Nasty? Laura, people who deal in
concrete boots are evil!”
Laura looked mystified.
Understanding crossed Matt’s
face. “When they said it was ‘boots for Xandra’
they meant they’d set her feet in concrete and throw her in
deep water to drown.”
Oh! Much worse than anything Laura had
imagined. Still a lot to learn.
Matt turned to Xandra. “We’re
here to see that doesn’t happen, Xandra, so relax and tuck in
to some breakfast. I’m sorry to have mentioned it again but
Laura needs to fully understand the reasons for our precautions.”
He leapt up and tugged a bell rope above the sideboard.
“Ah Jeeves, never far away. Ask
Rolf to put the Land Rover and his driving services at the disposal
of Laura for today, will you please?”
“Right away, sir.”
You’d think it was still 1814 in
this house, thought Laura.
Xandra looked at Matt quizzically.
“Jeeves? Is that really his name?”
“He asked to be called Jeeves.”
“Asked?”
Laura watched Xandra’s bemused
expression. It was probably much the same as hers on first hearing
about Jeeves.
“Yes, he asked. He said if he
were to be called Jeeves, it would give him something to live up to.
He then added a little sniffily that I wasn’t treating him like
a proper butler with defined duties but more like a personal
manservant, like Jeeves.”
“What’s his real name?”
“Xandra, it is ‘Wilberforce
Sidebottome’,” Matt said raising his eyebrows. “My
parents called him Billy but when they died,” Matt stalled, “I
found myself having to do much more and earlier than I’d
expected. He was an enormous help and so I was happy to comply. His
family has worked for ours
Similar Books
