Obsidian Pebble (21 page)

Ellie and Oz replied at the same time. Unfortunately, Oz said, “No,” while Ellie said, “Yes.”

Ruff made eyes to the ceiling and said, “Sort of.”

“I see,” said the shopkeeper, amused. He seemed well-used to muddled shoppers. “Well, there's more than enough choice here. I'm sure you will find something suitable. We have six trays of dress clips in this case.” He beamed up at them. “My name is George Eldred, by the way, and I am familiar with where most things are in the shop. Just ask if you need any help.”

“We do,” Oz said, deciding to take the bull by the horns. “We saw something advertised online—”

“On the interweb?” asked Mr. Eldred. “My nephew has been helping me, you know. Amazing what you can do these days.”

“We saw a black scarab brooch.”

“We have quite a few of those,” said Mr. Eldred knowingly.

“But this one had a missing clip.”

“Ah.” The shopkeeper held up a finger. “That would be in the imperfect tray.” He leaned over very slowly and pulled out a tray from the very bottom of the glass cabinet, while alarming popping sounds emanated from his knees and back. He straightened gingerly, his face a grinning mask of effort, and laid the tray on top of the cabinet. It was completely full of black, scarab-like shapes.

“Do you mind if we look?”

“Help yourselves,” said Mr. Eldred.

It took them ten minutes to find it, mainly because everything was covered in dust. But when Ellie held it up and gave it a quick polish, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that it was the exact same item pictured on Oz's laptop. Oz peered at the tiny label attached to it.

“How much?” Ruff asked in a whisper.

“Five pounds,” said Oz, pleasantly surprised.

“You can have it for four,” said Mr. Eldred magnanimously from the workbench, where he'd gone back to sit.

Ruff, who had seemed a little on edge even before coming into Garret and Eldred's, said, “Right, I saw a secondhand game shop on Gavel Lane. There were some real bargains in the window. I'll meet you outside in about ten, okay?”

“Him and his bloomin' Xbox,” Ellie said huffily as Ruff hurried away.

“Mr. Eldred,” Oz said as he watched the shopkeeper carefully wrap the dor in some tissue paper, “have you any idea where this came from?”

“I know exactly where it came from. I know where everything in this shop came from. But I need to know who I'm talking to before I divulge that sort of information. Can't be too careful, you know,” he said sternly, but his eyes twinkled as he spoke.

“Oz Chambers,” Oz said, holding out his hand, “and this is Ellie Messenger.”

“Delighted to meet you, Oz and Ellie,” said Mr. Eldred. “The curse of working here for sixty years is that I remember every purchase and sale.” He held up the scarab brooch. “This came to us from a spinster who had recently inherited a property in Seabourne. The previous owner had been a collector and had not catalogued things very well. I remember going up to the house to evaluate.” He looked off into the distance. “Such a lovely property. Her name was Miss Millichamp, and the address was…now, what was it? I can see it now, used to be an orphanage at one time…”

“Penwurt, Number 2 Magnus Street,” Oz said in a flat voice. “And the lady was Bessie Millichamp.”

“Exactly right,” said Mr. Eldred, smiling with delight. “Do you know it, by any chance? Not long ago, I sold a clock to a very nice man who lived there; it was also part of Miss Millichamp's clear-out. I always felt the clock belonged there, myself. Now, what was the man's name?”

“Chambers,” said Oz, feeling a knot of excitement tighten in his stomach.

“Chambers, that's it. Nice chap. Very knowledgeable. Is he an acquaintance of yours?”

“Sort of,” Oz said truthfully.

“May I ask why it is that you want this particular brooch? Professional interest, you understand. I mean, it is of an unusual design, I'll admit. But we have far nicer ones for the money. And they might even have a clip attached.”

“It's exactly the right—”

“Colour,” said Ellie quickly. “It'll match her shoes exactly.”

“Ah, an accessory. I see,” Mr. Eldred's smile was indulgent.

“Did Great Aunt Bessy sell you anything else?” Asked Oz, trying to sound as casual as he could.

“Oh, let me see,” Mr. Eldred massaged his chin in concentration. “Of course, we were not the only valuers she contacted, but I think there were a couple of bracelets and four pairs of earrings, some of them really quite nice. One of them pink pearl if I recollect. Then there were a handful of brooches, not valuable, but of some interest to collectors of the unusual, like you two clearly are.” His eyes twinkled.

“But you don't remember her selling you a pendant?” Oz persisted.

“A pendant? No, I don't recall anything of that nature, why do you ask?”

The little bell above the door tinkled. Oz looked around to see a man in an overcoat enter the shop. He turned towards the collection of stuffed animals immediately so that Oz didn't see his face.

“My, my, turning into quite the busy afternoon,” Mr. Eldred chuckled, his eyes crinkling. “If it's pendants you're after, of course, we have a splendid collection.”

“No, it's okay,” Oz said quickly. “I was just curious.” He was suddenly very conscious of the fact that the person who had come into the shop, who still had his back to them, would be able to hear, quite clearly, everything that was being said.

“Ah, yes, understandably so. Well, there you are.” Mr. Eldred handed over the tiny parcel and gave Oz his change.

Outside, Ellie and Oz headed back the way they'd come.

“So this definitely comes from Penwurt. Do you think Morsman found it somewhere?” Ellie asked.

“He must have. Maybe Great Aunt Bessie didn't know what it was. If Morsman died suddenly, perhaps he hadn't had time to sort things out, or leave a will or something. Shame someone came into the shop. I could have asked more questions.”

“Let's have a look at it in daylight,” Ellie said, pointing at the parcel.

Oz stopped and was about to undo Mr. Eldred's wrapping, when they looked up and were surprised to see Ruff coming back to meet them, walking quickly.

“Shut, was it?” Ellie asked.

Ruff shook his head, making large eyes at them. “You should see that place,” he said, with loud and exaggerated delight. “It's brilliant.” And then, without moving his mouth, he added in a low voice. “Do not open that parcel. Just shut up and follow me, no questions asked.”

He turned and began describing just how brilliant the game shop was again as he hurried up the street. “It's got a copy of
Wolf Ripper 1
. I loved that game.”

Three minutes later, they stood in the sparsely stocked shop. It looked run-down and almost about to close.

“Are you completely mad?” said Ellie, looking about her with obvious distaste. “This place is rubbish.”

“Just hang on,” Ruff said as he positioned himself so that he was half-hidden behind a rack of tacky birthday cards near the window. He picked one up and moved his head so that he could look out into the street through the gap the card left in the stack. When he was happy, he pulled Oz and Ellie around behind him. “Look,” he said, pointing out to the almost empty street.

“Lovely,” Oz said. “Does that fish and chip shop do curry sauce?”

“Next door to it, you buzzard,” hissed Ruff. “The charity shop. Red and black coat.”

Oz and Ellie peered through the space in the card rack and as they did, the door to the charity shop opened and a familiar figure emerged and looked up and down before staring directly across to where Oz, Ellie and Ruff were hidden.

Oz gasped. “Lucy Bishop?”

“Almost bumped into her when I left Garret and thingy's,” Ruff explained quickly. “She pretended not to see me and veered off. But I've been watching her. She's just hanging about, waiting.”

“For us?” Ellie said.

“I'd put a cheese and ham nine-inch baguette on it,” Ruff said, ducking back down as Lucy Bishop sent a glance across towards the shop.

“You think she knows we went to Garret and Eldred's?” Oz asked, perturbed.

“Must have seen us go in.” Ruff nodded.

“Bet she goes in and asks him what we bought,” Ellie said.

“I told you she'd been acting funny around me,” Oz said, his mind now racing. “But why is she following us?”

“Obvious, I'd have thought,” Ellie said. “She's probably after the artefacts, too.”

Oz wanted to scoff at this suggestion, but there didn't seem to be any other fit explanation. “I'll have to hide the trinket box and the dor,” he said suddenly. “Soon as we get back to Penwurt.”

“Why don't we split up and meet later? Try and throw her off the scent,” Ellie suggested.

They stood in the run-down shop discussing their options. It was Oz who finally came up with the plan. He realised that it was likely to be him, more than anyone else, Lucy Bishop would follow. He quickly gave the dor to Ellie and, in hushed tones, explained what he had in mind.

Oz left first. He headed back towards High Street, meandering deliberately around the smaller lanes as he did so. He was sure he saw someone who looked like Lucy Bishop loitering in a chemist shop doorway as he stopped and knelt to tie a shoelace, To make sure he wasn't followed, he decided to kill some time wandering around Waterstone's. There, he went straight to the reference section and looked up Penwurt in
Hidden Haunted Houses of Great Britain
.

At 4.30 he headed for the men's toilet. There'd been no sign of Lucy Bishop in the book shop itself, but it was very big with lots of nooks and crannies to hide in. So Oz waited in the loo for a long ten minutes and then left by the back entrance. He emerged directly into the shopping centre, scooted through two department stores and doubled back along Scott Street to the bus station which, as usual, was heaving with Saturday afternoon shoppers. He made it to the number 6 with five minutes to spare. Panting from the effort, he clambered on and grinned at the sight of Ellie and Ruff sitting right at the back.

“Well, did she follow you?” Ellie wanted to know.

“Definitely,” Oz said, wiping the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “But I think I lost her in Waterstone's.”

“What do you think she wanted?” Ruff asked.

“Spying, I expect. At least this way we'll get back to Penwurt first and I'll find somewhere safe to hide the dor and the trinket box,” Oz declared. “I can think of one or two—”

He got no further as Ellie's elbow met painfully with his ribs and he felt himself being pulled down in his seat.

“Oy,” he protested. Ruff, sitting next to him and nearest the window, was also struggling as Ellie yanked at his collar.

“Shut up,” Ellie hissed from above them.

Oz felt the pressure ease on his head and looked up at Ellie. She had swivelled in her seat and had her coat hood up to hide her face.

“Ellie, what are you doing?” Oz demanded.

Ellie's eyes flashed warningly. “Shhh,” she said, and whispered, “Look who's just got on the bus.” The pressure eased a little more so that both he and Ruff could lift their heads a few inches. The bus was almost full and there was now a queue of late passengers on the steps. And there, just about to show the driver her pass, was Lucy Bishop.

Luckily, two very large women had chosen to sit in front of Oz and Ruff, but Ellie was sitting right in the middle on the back seat, in clear view of anyone getting on. But Lucy Bishop, holding a large plastic bag and looking preoccupied and nervous, barely glanced up at the other passengers as she found a seat near the front.

“S'okay,” Ruff whispered, “I don't think she saw us.”

The bus trundled out towards Seabourne United's football ground; Ellie kept her hood up and half-turned, while Oz and Ruff crouched low in their seats. After a while, Oz realised that Ellie was grinning, her face glowing.

“What's up with you?” he asked.

“Just this. It's exciting. Don't you think?”

“Yeah,” Ruff said with his usual deadpan delivery.

“Oh, shut up,” Ellie snapped. “If it isn't on a computer screen, nothing ever excites you. This stuff we're doing, it's so mysterious and strange. Can't you feel it? Like it's somehow part of some much bigger adventure.”

“Right,” Ruff said. “Just like one of my Xbox RPGs. And what usually happens there is that the heroes tootle along thinking everything's okay and stumble blindly into something really buzzard, which ends up trying to disembowel them.”

“Really?” Oz said.

“Well, that's what happens in
Zombie Slaughter Sleep Wrecker
,
Ghostripper 2
and
Ghoul Bounty Hunter
.”

Ellie shook her head. “That's only three out of hundreds.”

“Oh, and in
Dark Wood Menace 1
and
2
.”

“You've forgotten
Murdering Marauders of Mexico
,” Ellie said with a deadpan expression.

“I must have missed that one,” Ruff said, but gradually his eyes narrowed and he nodded to himself before adding, “If you are going to crack a joke, could you give us a bit of a warning so it'll give me time to get the flags out?”

Ellie grinned at him.

“Maybe Ruff's right,” Oz said thoughtfully. “I mean, I think we need to be really careful. But I think you're onto something, too, Ellie. This thing could be much bigger than we think.”

Lucy Bishop stood up abruptly as the bus approached Hockley Row. This was on the other side of People's Park, where Oz, Ellie and Ruff had their Sunday morning kickabout. It meant a long walk around to get to Magnus Street, but they were too curious to worry about that. They hurried off the bus and turned away while Lucy Bishop pulled her coat about her and set off at a brisk walk without a backward glance. It was fully dark by now, and night had brought with it a dank November fog, turning the yellow street lamps into fuzzy orbs. Visibility was dreadful and Oz struggled to see across the street, while on their left the empty space of People's Park stretched away into a grey nothingness.