The Elephant Girl(28)

Scarily independent, that one, he’d thought, and broken eye contact.

He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about her, though, and swore under his breath. How could he help her, if he didn’t know who or what she was hiding from? And if there was one thing he hated, it was not having the answers. He needed to know.

As her landlord he had the right to press her for certain details, like her prison information, and ask for references, but what if she got spooked and simply took off …?

Turning to Neil, who was threading display curtains on a pole in his own stall, he asked, ‘Do you think you could look after the vinyls for me for a couple of hours?’ The stall-holders had a thriving community and would help each other out when needed.

‘Should be able to. Not very busy today, by the looks of it.’ Neil glanced up at the sky. ‘Probably because it’s going to rain.’

Jason thanked him and set off in search of answers.

As Neil had predicted, the heavens opened as soon as he arrived at his aunt Lucy’s home in Fulham. A streak of lightning flashed across the sky in the distance, and for a moment he felt his father’s shadow on him. He had to pull himself together not to turn around and check if he was being followed.

He wasn’t, of course. Derek Moody had better things to do with his time, and anyway what could be more innocent than visiting his aunt?

Lucy was the youngest of his father’s three sisters and only about fifteen years older than him, so it was more like a friendship than an auntie/nephew relationship.

That didn’t stop her fussing over him like he was the golden child, but he put up with it because he knew she enjoyed doing it.

‘Jason!’ she squeaked. ‘Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in months.’ She planted a couple of loud mwahs on his cheeks, and Jason grinned.

Lucy was a slim brunette with a figure that spoke of hours at the gym. She wore skin-tight white jeans, a skimpy emerald-green blouse, which showed off her impressive cleavage to its advantage, and caramel-coloured peep-toe ankle boots giving her at least five extra inches. Gold rings on eight of her ten fingers glinted as she waved him inside, and a heavy gold pendant with Queen Nefertiti dangled to below her bosom, drawing the eye to where she no doubt wanted it.

Jason gulped. Lucy was, as always, just a little overwhelming.

Attracted by the commotion, Lucy’s Rottweiler came up behind her, growling. His aunt was another dog lover, and although Rottweilers weren’t Jason’s favourite breed, he preferred them to his mother’s dogs. You got more dog for your money.

‘Don’t growl at Jason, you silly girl!’ Lucy dragged the enormous dog away by the collar so she could close the door.

‘It’s okay.’ Jason dropped to his haunches. ‘Come, Jessie. Come, girl.’

Tentatively, the dog stopped growling and stepped forward to sniff Jason’s hand which he held out palm facing upwards to show he wasn’t a threat. After a moment or two, Jessie began licking his hand then rolled onto the floor to have her tummy rubbed.

Crossing her arms, Lucy shook her head. ‘I don’t know who’s the craziest of the two of you. She’s supposed to be a guard dog and you’ve got more balls than sense sitting down in front of a Rottweiler like that. She could rip your throat out.’

‘But you’re not going to do that, Jessie, are you? No, no, we’re not going to do that at all.’ He continued talking baby-talk to the dog while it groaned with pleasure, then he rose with a grin.

‘Dogs like me,’ he smirked. ‘Besides, you know how I like to live dangerously.’

‘Lunatic,’ she said. ‘I was just getting the roast out of the oven. Come and have some dinner. Trevor is carving once the footie’s finished.’

‘I didn’t stop by for you to feed me.’

‘That is a barefaced lie, but I’m prepared to let it go. Anyway, who says I can’t invite my favourite nephew for dinner now and again?’

‘Your only nephew.’

‘Who’s counting? You’re still my favourite.’

Jason followed her to the back of the house and commented on her tan.

‘We’re just back from Dubai.’

Lucy went on to talk about their holiday to a destination which had never held much fascination for Jason, then handed him a G & T and told him to get out from under her feet. He joined Lucy’s husband, Trevor, who was slurping gin and shouting at their massive flat-screen TV in the den just off the kitchen.

Trevor turned away from the screen. ‘Well, if it isn’t Master Moody! What brings you here?’

‘Very funny. Like I haven’t heard that one before.’ Jason perched on the armrest. ‘Thought I might watch the game with you. How’s it going by the way?’