Sand Glass (40 page)

‘I see you know
what this is.’ She regarded me with quiet sincerity, and not a
trace of condescension.

‘Yes.’ I
answered thickly. I was in turmoil. How had she come by the
knife?

She picked it
up and held it out to me. Handle first. I slowly reached out and
took it. It was strange but then I felt the presence of the tribe
as if they stood near. I met her gaze.

‘How did you
acquire it?’ I said

‘Ah! A little
matter of barter and exchange. Trinkets like this are useless in
the wrong hands. They have a use…. many uses, in fact. This I know.
But you are looking at it as if you know what it feels like to
wield such an object?’

‘Yes.’ I found
myself begin to prickle down the neck.

I handed it
back to her. She put it carefully back in the box, closed, locked
it and replaced it in the drawer, all in one series of
movements.

I let out a
breath, and realising I had been holding it; I rubbed my chest
again.

Miss Kennet
meanwhile, took out of a cabinet two glasses and a bottle of
whiskey and a soda syphon. She poured two generous measures, and
added some water.

‘Please
drink….’

I took the
glass and gulped twice. I carried on holding the glass. She drank
some herself.

‘I will help
you any way I can.’ She said; ‘I have cuckoos in my nest and I wish
to remove their influence from the lives of people around them. You
are of course wondering why I would tell you this, and whether or
not I am lying. But know one thing. And this is important…. I am
related to your dear brother in this matter. I wish to help. And I
know other thing that I cannot tell you, that is part of an even
larger picture.’

‘Why can’t you
tell me?’

‘You were
almost not ready to see the knife. And you want me to reveal other
matters to you?’

‘No….no of
course, not now.’

‘One day. In
time. But for now I want to simply be available to you as a point
of usefulness.’

‘It was Jared
you were talking about wasn’t it?’

‘Yes,
indeed.’

‘How are you
connected?’

‘I am his great
aunt. It is odd… his sister Karis is my adoptive niece. I won’t
even try to explain such a thing. Better he does some other time. I
see that you know something about this already.’

‘You said you
arranged to meet me today?’

‘The party was
my idea. Yes.’

‘All of this so
we could meet?’

‘Yes.’ She
smiled brightly, ‘I am very rich, and I love parties! You are a
bonus to a marvellous evening Mr Milnes. I am very glad you are
better. You are not convinced. I can see that. Bu there is one way
I can show you. Come in!’

I tried to jump
up but somehow didn’t manage it. I put the glass down on the edge
of the desk. I turned.

She was
extraordinary I could see that. Yet clothed in the ordinary. A
pretty lady in a dark blue dress; with little gems round the
neckline. Angela….

She regarded me
with solemn grace. Still by the door as if that very moment she had
been popped into the scene by a giant hand.

‘Enter my dear!
Come see the young man. And then when he has quite recovered, take
him back to the party.’

‘Just one
thing?’ I said, ‘do you want to stop Rimmington?’

‘He is an
affront to my existence. As I live and breathe…. Yes I do.’ Miss
Kennet stood up.

‘David Jonathan
Milnes?’ Angela’s voice was like a wave that lifted me clear of the
rocks.

‘Angela,’ I
said, ‘how is it you are here?’

She frowned
puzzled; ‘I am here… what do you mean?’

‘Never mind;
are you a friend of Miss Kennet’s?’

‘She is on my
list of ones to watch over. I must maintain the watch.’ She then
addressed Miss Kennet, ‘I have all in position… we are best to
avoid any usual trouble tonight.’

Miss Kennet
nodded in response. Then Angela left through the door which stood
ajar.

‘Leave me now.’
She said, ‘re-join to your friends. I will remind Jared of my
birthday or some such thing if I need to talk to you again. If you
wish to talk to me; then I’m sure my nephew can think of
something.’

I stood then
rather stiffly and looking at her carefully drained the scotch from
the glass. I bowed to her somewhat clumsily as most modern men do,
lacking the art, and left the room.

Angela was
waiting for me along the corridor. She turned and led me back into
the crowd and the music. She took my hand and pulled me into the
dancing. We circled a few times. I found myself back with Jules and
Violette who were sharing a piled up plate of buffet food and
giggling intermittently.

‘Thanks…..’ I
turned, but she was gone. Melted into the crowd like a fairy
creature.

‘Where have you
been?’ Jules laughed at offered me a cream bun.

‘Is there any
more wine?’ I asked. Without waiting for an answer I headed to the
nearest drinks station in the first room.

Aiden tapped me
on the shoulder.

‘I haven’t seen
you for a while. Are you alright?’

‘I think so.’ I
stuffed some snacks in my face, feeling quite hungry all of a
sudden.

Ellen looked up
at me; ‘You have seen Mr Hanson I take it?’ she said.

‘No. where is
he?’

‘He went in
that direction.’ Said Aiden, pointing back the way I had just
come.

‘Have you seen
Jared?’ I suddenly had an uncomfortable feeling, ‘Or Marcia.’

‘Not recently,’
Aiden searched my face, ‘do you think there might be trouble?’

‘Anything is
possible….’

‘Look,’ said
Aiden, ‘there is going to be a firework display at half past ten.
We’ll see you in the conservatory area then. Let’s find Jared. I
think that there could be some err….difficulty.’

‘What do you
know?’ I asked.

‘He’s trying to
help Jared.’ Said Ellen, ‘but we mustn’t let on we know anything.
Meet us just before the fireworks are about to start. Get anyone
you know who is here.’

‘Why?’

‘Rimmington has
arrived. And I think he might speak. We need to keep away from
him.’

‘But he can’t
do anything.’ I said.

‘Yes, he can.’
said Aiden, ‘we are not sure what the key word is; the trigger. It
could be embedded in a speech and no one would be any the wiser
when someone gets hurt.’

I put the plate
down, ‘The spike?’

‘Is someone who
is unaware that they have been programmed to carry out a set of
instructions?’ Aiden touched my left arm lightly, ‘I don’t believe
that you are the one. That mark may be the sign that is cannot
work. But it could be anybody.’

‘Curly or me…
that’s what I was told.’

‘Anyone.’ said
Aiden. Ellen took his hand, and started to pull him away. I didn’t
realise why until I saw Hanson to my right.

He passed close
by me without any sign of recognition. Perhaps he really didn’t
remember. Following at a discrete distance was a woman poured into
an orange dress, and a small weasel like man who I could not place.
The woman caught up with Hanson. He took her hand and led her
rather forcefully towards the other room where the people where
moving round the floor with the music.

Sensing trouble
I followed. I didn’t try to make it sneaky just got back as fast as
I could to the table.

Violette and
Jules were still eating, and greeted me warmly as I approached.
Marcia was there, and Adam. And Jared! I was relieved. I sat down
next to him. He looked at me in an odd way.

‘Davey.’ that
same tone of intimate friendship. He has looking at me as if he’d
seen a ghost, until I realised he was looking past me. He reached
in his pocket and took out a small packet of those black cigarillos
and a small metal lighter.

‘Are you
coming?’ he said to me as he stood.

‘Err yeah… sure
thing.’ I looked to the others.

‘He’s pissed
out of his brain.’ said Jules, ‘some fresh air might be a good
idea.’

We were just on
the edge of the dark grass beyond the pool of illumination. It was
quiet here. Just behind us was a covered area with quite a few bits
of large attractive greenery. It served to obscure the view from
the party inside. It was quite chilly. But actually that was a
relief.

Jared lit the
black mini cigar, and blew a stream of smoke out into the night
air. He looked at me from under his lashes.

‘I am really
not too happy about that bitch being brought here.’

‘The red head
in the orange dress?’ I ventured a guess.

From Jared’s
grimace I’d guessed rightly. He blew a stream of smoke out, and
turned towards me, ‘do you know the hardest thing to take? It’s the
fact that in all the time I’ve ever know Hanson he has only ever
taken what he can get from me.’

The penny began
to drop. The red head….. Oh shit!

‘Yes….’ said
Jared reflectively, ‘I am about as drunk as I could be without
actually not being able to remember anything the next day. I
precisely calculate the level you see… to within certain
tolerances……’ he turned to me again, ‘Marcia is in the Ladies, I
sent Janey to find her and warn her, that the evil Lorraine is with
Hanson…. More to the point that Hanson is here….. I wonder if he’d
going to pretend that he doesn’t know Marcia?’

‘I don’t know.’
I said as Jared stumbled into me.

‘Oh Shit! I am
really….’ He sat down abruptly on the low wall.

I noticed a
waiter hovering nearby.

‘Would you be
able to get some coffee for me and my friend here please?’

‘Certainly Mr
Milnes right away.’

Within two
minutes a small folding table and a tray with four cups and cream
and sugar appeared. The waiter poured the coffee and added sugar he
handed it to Jared.

Jared waved his
hand.

‘I’ll leave it
on the tray Mr Arden, to give it time to cool a little.’ He
left.

‘What… was all
that about?’ Jared squinted at me.

‘Courtesy of
your Aunty it seems.’

‘My what?’ he
stubbed out the end tab on the side of the wall, ‘Golf clubs! Where
are all the ashtrays?’

‘There’s one on
the tray.’ I said, and bent down to retrieve the stub.

‘Davey. You are
the only one who knows what it all feels like…. I want to go back
to work again…but I’m really not…. Err, in the right frame of mind.
It is all a bit dark. And that is just too tonally wrong. Do you
see?’

‘I…. err don’t
know.’

‘I went to the
shops today. There were some really nice brushes….’ Jared feel
silent then, as the girls came over to us. They looked like me –
relieved.

‘Aiden’s here
with Ellen.’ I said, as Janey and Marcia Joined us. The waiters
moved some light chairs over from near the conservatory veranda.
Marcia pulled her hair clips out one by one. ‘I’ve had enough of
looking like a cake decoration.’ She said, ‘I think I want to go
home.’

Jared turned
and focused on her in an indeterminate way.

‘Are you
prepared to forgive what I am about to do?’ he asked her; ‘and then
go home with me?’

‘Jared…’ Marcia
moved her chair round to him, ‘I’ll fetch the stars down from the
sky for you.’

‘There’s no
need.’ He said leaning towards her, ‘You’re already here.’

Janey took my
hand; ‘Where were you?’ she said, ‘I missed you.’

‘You did?’ I
stared at the coffee cup.

‘Yes….’ She
leaned close to my ear, ‘I wish I could get you to stop by me….
Please.’

In spite of the
refreshing chill of the air, I felt my colour rise. It was a good
job that the dim light out here made it less obvious.

‘I thought you
wanted to dance with Jared?’

‘I wanted to
dance with you too.’

I glanced at
Marcia and Jared, ‘what is this Lorraine business about?’

‘Oh! That….’
She sighed, ‘ancient history really.’

‘Tell me.’

‘Later.’ She
said, and then brightly ‘Hello there!’ as Violette and Jules came
out into the outside flagged area. I could see Aiden and Ellen
heading this way too.

‘Is there any
way of getting back to reception without going through those rooms
again?’ I asked the group.

‘No. not in the
dark….and through the bushes.’ Jared took the coffee cup.

Aiden came up
to us. Ellen took the girls aside.

‘It’s time we
all made ourselves scarce.’ said Aiden. He put a hand on Jared’s
shoulder, ‘You are getting a lift home with us.’

‘Home?’ Jared
was frowning, ‘where’s that?’

‘You can stay
at our place tonight. We’ll take you there tomorrow.’ Aiden had an
expression of pity, ‘I know what you are thinking of doing. And
believe me my friend, it would be very bad.’

‘Marcia will be
going home to my place.’ announced Violette, ‘we must leave before
the person in question makes his speech. We are all possible victim
of suggestible programming.

‘Surely not
you?’ I asked her.

‘It is
unlikely. But there is always the possibility of me being someone
else’s target.’

‘Yes… I
see.’

As a group, we
all moved towards the inside rooms of the Golf club again. But a
surge of people slowed us up. Eventually after a few more minutes
we found ourselves in the now almost empty large entrance room.
Most of the buffet hand been cleared away.

‘Has anyone
seen Alex?’ I said

‘I’ll find
him.’ said Aiden.

‘I really need
the bathroom.’ said Jared suddenly, and started to stumble in that
direction. I followed him. Jules and the girls stayed together. The
Club staff went to get everyone’s coats.

‘Jared?’

‘What?’

‘Are you going
to come out now?’ I stood near the row of sinks. This place was
certainly very well appointed. This had as many cubible as the
gilrs… not htat I’d been in.