فصل 16 - بخش 08

16

Holly’s luggage consisted of the shoulder-bag that held her laptop, a hold-all small enough to fit in an airplane’s overhead compartment, and a plastic Walmart bag. She let Ralph take the hold-all, but insisted on keeping custody of the shoulder-bag and whatever she’d purchased at Wally World.

‘You’re very good to have me,’ she said to Jeannie.

‘It’s our pleasure. Can I call you Holly?’

‘Yes, please. That would be good.’

‘Our spare room is at the end of the upstairs hall. The sheets are fresh, and it has its own bathroom. Just don’t stumble over my sewing machine table if you have to use the facility in the middle of the night.’

An unmistakable expression of relief crossed Holly’s face at this, and she smiled. ‘I’ll try not to.’

‘Would you like cocoa? I could make some. Or maybe something stronger?’

‘Just bed, I think. I don’t mean to be impolite, but I’ve had a very long day.’

‘Of course you have. I’ll show you the way.’

But Holly lingered for a moment, looking through the archway and into the Andersons’ living room. ‘Your intruder was sitting just there when you came downstairs?’

‘Yes. In one of our kitchen chairs.’ She pointed, then crossed her arms and cupped her elbows. ‘At first I could only see him from the knees down. Then the word on his fingers. MUST. Then he leaned forward and I could see his face.’

‘Bolton’s face.’

‘Yes.’

Holly considered this, then broke into a radiant smile that surprised both Ralph and his wife. It made her look years younger. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to dreamland.’

Jeannie led her upstairs, chatting away. Setting her at ease in a way I never could, Ralph thought. It’s a talent, and it will probably work even on this extremely peculiar woman.

Peculiar she might be, but she was strangely likeable, in spite of her mad ideas about Terry Maitland and Heath Holmes.

Mad ideas that just happen to fit the facts.

But it was impossible.

That fit them like a glove.

‘Still impossible,’ he murmured.

Upstairs, the two women laughed. Hearing that made Ralph smile. He waited where he was until he heard Jeannie’s steps heading back to their room, then he went up himself. The door to the guest room at the end of the hall was firmly closed. The sheaf of papers – the fruits of Jeannie’s hurried research – was lying on his pillow. He undressed, lay down, and began to read about Ms Holly Gibney, co-owner of a skip-tracing firm called Finders Keepers.