Chapter 14
Jack shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing his bleary eyes and yawning. Thank God it was Saturday. He honestly didn’t think he could face going into work today. He’d had one of the worst night’s sleeps ever, and was feeling absolutely exhausted.
To make matters worse, Molly was already up and dressed, and was as chirpy as the birds he could hear singing through the open window.
‘Sleep well?’ she asked, and without waiting for an answer she continued, ‘I slept like a baby. That mattress is so comfortable. Thank you ever so much for lending it to me.’
‘I’ve had better nights,’ Jack admitted, dropping heavily into a chair.
‘I’ve boiled the kettle. Would you like coffee or tea?’
‘I think it had better be coffee,’ Jack said, knowing he would need all the caffeine he could get to keep himself awake today.
‘You can’t blame your poor night’s sleep on your bed,’ Molly pointed out, as she popped a spoonful of instant granules into a mug.
Jack had brought an ancient coffee machine with him, but he couldn’t remember whether he had any pods for it. He’d have to buy some later. ‘It wasn’t that. It was all the screaming. I thought somebody was being murdered.’
‘What screaming?’ Molly looked puzzled. ‘I didn’t hear anything and neither did Jet. I’m sure he would have let me know if something was going on outside.’
‘I’m not sure what it was. It didn’t sound human.’ Jack ran a hand through his hair, guessing it was probably standing up in spikes. ‘I was about to call the police at one point.’
Molly looked worried. ‘Are you sure you heard screaming? Do you think we’d better take a look?’
‘Can I have some coffee first? Please?’ he begged.
‘Milk, sugar?’
‘Just milk, please.’
He gratefully took the mug she handed to him, before adding, ‘I don’t expect you to treat me as a guest, you know.’
‘I’m not going to,’ Molly retorted. ‘If you were standing right next to the kettle and making yourself a cup of tea, I would expect you to make me one, too.’
‘Fair enough.’ He took a gulp of the hot liquid, wincing as he burned his mouth, but it didn’t take long for the caffeine to hit his system and perk him up, and he soon started to feel more awake.
‘Back to the screaming you thought you heard.’ Molly was tapping a finger against her chin. ‘Did it sound a bit like this?’
Jack almost jumped out of his skin as Molly let out a weird shriek. ‘Good grief, are you alright?’ he cried.
‘I’m fine.’ Molly was smirking. ‘Well, did it?’
‘A little, yes. But not quite as shrill.’
‘Are you saying I’m shrill?’
‘You’re not normally, but that noise was awful.’
‘I think what you heard was our resident fox,’ she explained. ‘Remember I told you when we were out on our walk last night that there are foxes? That’s the sort of noise they make.’
‘It sounded as though they were killing each other.’
‘I think it was a mating call,’ Molly said. ‘I looked it up. It scared me half to death when I first heard it.’
‘Will it do that every night?’
‘Probably not, but anyway you soon get used to it. I didn’t hear a thing.’
‘Bully for you,’ Jack muttered under his breath, but he didn’t mean it. Reassured that there was nothing sinister going on, he drank the rest of his coffee and in a louder voice said, ‘What’s on the agenda for today?’
‘I need to give a broadband company a call, and then I have to go to work for a couple of hours. Viewings,’ she added, by way of an explanation. ‘When I come home, I was planning on trying to finish the fence. I would like to be able to let Jet out in the garden without worrying he’ll wander off. First, though, I need to take him for a walk.’
‘Would you like some company?’
‘Didn’t you have enough of the park last night?’
‘I want to see if I can catch a glimpse of this fox.’
‘You just want to check that there isn’t a body out there,’ Molly teased. ‘This isn’t Midsomer Murders, you know. You’re not going to find a corpse sprawled across the bandstand.’
‘I wouldn’t want to,’ he said. ‘I’ve got enough drama going on in my life as it is.’
‘Oh?’
Molly was gazing at him curiously, but Jack didn’t feel like explaining. He certainly didn’t want to talk about work, guessing that might lead to the thorny subject of council funds being diverted to Sweet Meadow Park, and he certainly didn’t want to talk about Chantelle. Neither did he want to mention his housing issue in case she took it the wrong way and thought he wanted to move out. He was perfectly happy living in the park keeper’s cottage for the time being, even though he knew it wasn’t a long-term solution.
***
‘Hang on a second, Mum,’ Molly said as she walked towards her car. Jack was using an electric screwdriver to attach the fence panels to the post and it didn’t half make a noise. She mouthed ‘See you later,’ to him as she got in and started the engine.
‘What was that noise?’ her mum asked.
‘Jack is putting up the fence.’
‘I hope you’re not doing too much.’
‘I’m not doing anything – I’ve got to go to work today.’
‘Do you trust him in the cottage on his own?’
‘Of course I do! He lives here.’ Molly rolled her eyes, waving to Jack as he hurried to open the main gates for her. She wound the window down and called, ‘Thank you.’
‘Who are you talking to?’
‘Jack. He opened the gates for me. He’s proving to be quite handy.’
‘I bet he is,’ her mother said dryly.
‘That’s not what I meant. He is only a lodger. Nothing more.’
‘Don’t you think it’s odd that a grown man with his own house wants to move in with you?’
‘Thanks!’
‘I mean,’ her mum carried on, ‘the cottage is hardly habitable.’
‘It is now. For your information, it’s looking rather cosy.’
‘How can it be cosy when you haven’t even got a sofa?’
‘That’s where you’re wrong. Jack has brought all his furniture with him so I don’t have to buy any for the time being.’ She didn’t add that she was also sleeping in his spare bed.
‘I still think there’s something fishy going on.’
‘Anyone can fall on hard times, Mum,’ Molly argued.
‘Are you sure he’s not a con man?’
‘I told you, he works for the council.’
‘It could be a front.’
Crumbs, between Jack thinking he was in an episode of Midsomer Murders and her mum hinting that Jack was part of the cast of Hustle, Molly wondered who was the most deluded.
‘It’s not a front.’ Molly tried not to sigh.
‘I want to meet him.’
‘You will. He lives in my house – you’re bound to bump into him at some point.’
‘I want to meet him today.’
‘I don’t know what time I’ll be home, and I don’t know what Jack’s plans are for the rest of the day.’ Not only that, the last thing Molly wanted was for her mum to arrive all guns blazing, and act like she was in the FBI and Jack was a suspect to be questioned.
‘I don’t have to stay long,’ her mum persisted.
This time Molly did sigh. Her mum wasn’t going to be thwarted, was she? ‘How about if you call round tomorrow?’ she suggested. At least it would give her time to prepare Jack for what was about to go down.
‘I’ve got your granny coming for lunch tomorrow, so I can’t. She was hoping to see you,’ her mum added pointedly.
Molly knew that tone. Her mother was guilt tripping her. ‘Are you saying you want me to come for lunch?’
‘I think you should,’ her mum said. ‘Come to think of it, why don’t you bring this Jack of yours? At least I’ll get to meet him.’
‘He’s not my Jack,’ Molly argued, then briefly wondered what it would be like if he was hers, but she quickly shoved the thought away. ‘I’ll ask him,’ she said. ‘He might have something on.’ She hoped for his sake he did! ‘I’ll let you know in the morning. I’ve got to go, or I’ll be late for work. Love you, Mum.’
‘Love you, too – and don’t forget to ask.’
Molly shook her head. It was lovely that her mum was so protective, but it could also be a little stifling. She had no doubt her mother had her best interests at heart and was only looking out for her, but Molly was as certain as she could be that Jack was just a guy who worked for the council and wanted a place to stay for a while. And it wasn’t as though he’d asked if he could move in with her – she had offered.
She still wondered what his reasons were for selling, but she wasn’t about to ask. Not yet. She would have to get to know him better first.
***
‘What’s it like, living with a guy, but notliving with him? It must be like being in student accommodation.’ Astrid waggled her eyebrows.
‘I wouldn’t know,’ Molly said. She’d sat her A-levels and had got what she had assumed was a temporary job in Watkins and Wright, Estate Agents. But the temporary job had become a permanent one and any thoughts about going to university had been swept away by the joy of earning her own money and the thought of not having a massive student debt hanging over her head.
‘Me, neither,’ Astrid said. ‘I can guess, though. Is it awkward?’
‘Give it a chance – he only moved in yesterday. Of course it’s going to be awkward.’
‘I mean, is it awkward because you fancy him?’
‘I do not fancy him.’
‘Go tell it to the pixies at the bottom of the garden. Maybe they’ll believe you.’
‘Shut up.’ Molly sniffed and stared at her computer screen.
‘Ooh, I think I hit a nerve!’
‘I’m ignoring you.’
‘Have you walked in on him having a shower yet?’
‘No.’
‘Are you going to?’
‘No! Will you stop it?’
‘I’m a single mother with two kids and no love life. How else am I supposed to get some excitement?’
‘There’s no excitement to be had,’ Molly said.
‘I bet there could be, if you tried. Does he snore? I’m not keen on a man who snores. My ex could snore for Britain. He’d win a gold if they were giving out medals.’
Molly laughed. ‘I have no idea whether Jack snores or not, and I’ve no intention of finding out.’
‘I bet you will,’ Astrid said.
‘Haven’t you got any work to do?’
‘Loads, but winding you up is much more fun.’
Molly didn’t mind being teased. Astrid was a good friend and they often shared banter. But what she did mind was the sneaking suspicion that she hoped Astrid was right, and that she would get to find out whether Jack snored!