Page 39 of Electric Kiss

“Free your mind, brother. You don’t have to be in step with the rest of the world.”

Jason turned his head slowly and looked at her.

“That’s a bit deep for this time of day.”

She let out a short laugh, looked at her brother, and gave him a fond smile.

“Why are you so happy?” Jason asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m always happy.”

“Happier, then.”

Daisy shrugged and looked ahead as theside door from the outside opened, and Luke hefted in a stack of ledgers. Archer was at the end of the row with Heidi, Freya and Erica in between them.

“You look like sparrows on a wire,” Luke muttered as he came closer and dumped the ledgers on the workbench across from them. Luke stood behind it like he was a college lecturer about to start his lesson.

“Is it exciting news?” Daisy asked, leaning forward to see what the ledgers were.

“Only you’d be excited about ledgers,” Archer said at the end.

“You better hope I get excited about ledgers. Otherwise, you’ve hired the wrong accountant.”

“True,” Archer said, and the row nodded at the sentiment.

“What news do you have for us? I’m delighted Stan is nowhere to be seen,” Jason said.

It was at that moment the door flew open and banged against the outside wall.

They all waited to see who was coming through, but no one did.

“No surfing today, Daisy, with that wind,” Jason said to her left.

“Shame. I should have gone yesterday when it was calmer.”

“People,” Luke said, striding over to the door and pulling it closed, then clicking the safety feature on the push bar so it still worked, but the door was firmly closed.

“Well, get on with it,” Daisy said.

“Mr Philbott died,” Luke said.

“Oh no,” Freya replied. “I really liked him.”

“Who is Mr Philbott?” Archer asked.

“He was our pottery teacher,” Freya said.

“He also was the island’s stonemason,” Jason added slowly. “What’s in the ledgers?”

Luke grinned. “Every gravestone he made. Every gravestone his father made and back as far as the records were kept. He was old school and refused to use a computer.”

“Okay, so why the dramatic family meeting?” Heidi asked.

“Ohh, shit, all the gravestones he made?” Daisy said.

“Yeah, including the two unmarked gravestones. The thing is, against every gravestone they built and put in place, either at Turner Hall or at the church’s graveyard, it says who is buried in the plot.”

“Shit,” Archer said.

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