Page 26 of The Silence of Hell

“I don’t do… cretins. And they can’t come anywhere near me, or I’ll freak the fuck out. But I can do eggs, train sets, toy cars, and other stuff,” he volunteered. Chatter wondered why he was putting himself so close to the evil cretins. He’d take a sledgehammer to them all if he had his way!

“Are you sure?” Lavender asked.

Chatter’s chest expanded as he saw the trust and hope in her eyes. Lavender needed someone to depend on, and Chatter planned to be that person!

“Yes. Just ensure… cretins… don’t come anywhere near me.” Chatter relaxed. He’d not realised how much the D word stressed him out. Thinking of them as items made everything easier for him.

“No, I’ve learnt that lesson,” Lavender replied, laughing. “But if you’ve some spare time, I’d love the help.”

“Then you have it,” Chatter said warmly, with an odd sensation in his stomach. Maybe he’d eaten something dodgy.

Lavender

It was easy to be around Chatter. He didn’t push an agenda, and what you saw was what you got. He was so effortless to talk to, it was a pleasure. Chatter just offered an ear and didn’t judge. Many would have considered Aunt Aggie crazy, but Chatter didn’t suggest anything. I’d left him talking to the others after we went back to the house. I entered and headed for the bedroom upstairs we were clearing.

It was the Peacock Room Emory had picked, and we were using another room, which somehow hadn’t been filled, as a workspace. The team were carefully removing the dolls one by one. They were then assigned a number and registered on the tracking system. Each doll was wrapped and placed into a crate with packing peanuts to protect it from jostling. The box received a label detailing its contents, origin, packer, and logger. Any bill of sale or registration certificate was included in the crate.

Then they were put on a cart and wheeled to the elevator, which I’d had checked and was deemed safe. Following this, they were moved to a temperature-controlled cellar room. The system updated with the doll’s location upon their return.

Emory was staring at a doll in puzzlement as I entered. “What’s up?” I asked.

“I’m sure this is a Harthill China doll, but I don’t see the identification mark,” she answered.

Carefully, I took it from her. “Ah. This is becauseit isa Harthill, but Harthill Senior, not Junior. Senior always hid his marks here,” I explained and, lifted the doll’s arm and moved her sleeve down. Emory peered down the sleeve with an expression of surprise.

“He put it under her arm?”

“Yes. In Harthill’s Sr’s early ones. In his later designs, he placed it at the back of the neck under their hairline.”

“Didn’t know that,” Emory muttered. “So, this is an early doll?”

“Yup. She’s worth about ten thousand. And a splendid example of his beginning work. Whoever had this doll loved her very much.”

“She came with authentication papers and a bill of sale,” Emory confirmed.

That was great. Most of the dolls had them. Only about ten per cent didn’t. That made us identifying and valuing them easier. It would also let me tell their story if I opened a museum. That idea was gaining traction.

“Lavender!” my name was bellowed from down below.

That was Chatter.

I looked over my shoulder and saw the guard watching intently as items were packed away. The guard was operating under the guise of being a gopher, fetching and carrying for the team. I reckoned they’d guessed his real purpose, but nobody questioned me.

“Be back soon,” I said.

“Okay,” Harriet replied with an idle wave.

I headed downstairs to find Chatter in the entrance hall with a tall, well-built man.

“Miss Bloodsworth? Tatum Carpenter, the coin expert you called. I arrived a day early and thought I might pop along,” he responded with a warm smile.

“Hi, yes, I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow. I guess you’d like to see the collection?”

“I hate idling about, and I wouldn’t mind getting a jump start on it,” Tatum replied.

Chatter nodded as I looked at him, insinuating he’d stay with Tatum. “Okay, we’ll take you upstairs. Chatter will remain with you. Please excuse the dusty conditions. I’ve only recently moved back in, and I’ve not been able to get cleaners in yet,” I said, embarrassed.

Chatter whipped his phone out and texted someone as we walked down the cobwebbed hallways.

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