Page 12 of Right Place, Right Time
‘George wouldn’t have wanted you to keep that big old house, I’m sure,’ Ben says. ‘He wasn’t the biggest fan of it.’
‘You knew my grandfather?’ Adam asks, looking surprised.
‘Oh, yes, George used to come to Clockmaker Court quite a lot when the old bookstore was there. He loved to read. We had many chats over the years attempting to put the world to rights.’
‘Did he go in Rainy Day Antiques too?’ I ask, wondering if this is the answer to our mystery.
‘Yes, I believe so. George had a great fondness for both shops. He used to spend a lot of his time in Clockmaker Court when he was a child.’
‘Why when he was a child?’
‘The bookshop sold comic books before comic books were as popular as they are today. George loved to come and browse through them.’
‘So you knew George when he was young?’ I ask, surprised to hear this.
‘I did. We were friends a long time.’
‘You were at his funeral, weren’t you?’ Adam asks Ben.
‘I thought I recognised you.’
‘I was.’
‘I’m sorry I didn’t remember you before.’
‘There were a lot of people there that day,’ Ben says, picking up his drink again. ‘George was well known and well respected in the area.’
Adam smiles. ‘That’s good to know. It’s funny you mentioned comics, because we found a whole cabinet full of comic-book stuff in the house, didn’t we, Eve?’
I nod. ‘Yes, we did. That explains why now; it seemed a bit at odds to everything else he had in the house. It also might explain why your grandfather wanted me to do his house clearance if he knew this court well.’
‘Yes, I suppose that could be it,’ Adam says thoughtfully. ‘You know, Eve, I’m more than happy for you to clear the house, if you want to take the job?’
‘Yes, I’d like that. I’d like it very much.’
‘Great, when can you start?’
‘Next week, perhaps? It would be better for me if I could come for a few evenings and sort through everything first, then I don’t have to close the shop.’
‘I don’t suppose you could possibly do it this weekend?’ Adam says, looking apologetic. ‘I know it’s short notice, but I have to head back to London by Monday evening at the latest. If you could manage to do it over this weekend, then I could help you.’
‘I do have extra help in the shop over the weekends. But it’s our busiest time – it wouldn’t be fair to leave him on his own both days.’
‘Barney is perfectly capable,’ Orla says. ‘We can all keep an eye out for him and help him if he gets too busy, can’t we?’ She looks to the others for support.
‘Yes, of course we can,’ Luca says encouragingly. ‘If it means you get help in what sounds like a quite big job from what you’ve told me. Two pairs of hands are always going to be better than one. And Adam looks like he could bring the muscle…’ He winks at Adam.
Adam takes it all in his stride, and just flexes one of his biceps at Luca.
‘Barney is like your Saturday staff, is he?’ Adam asks me.
‘He’s a bit more than that. He also helps me out when I’m busy or if I can’t be in the shop myself. He works part-time as an assistant in the Cavendish Laboratory – that’s a science laboratory at the university – and part-time with me.’ I look at the others. ‘If you’re all sure? I mean, I don’t want to put you out.’
‘Eve, you’d do the same for us, wouldn’t you?’ Rocky asks.
‘Of course.’
‘Then it’s all sorted,’ Harriet says briskly. ‘You will clear the house with Adam helping you both Saturday and Sunday, and we’ll assist Barney, should he need our help.’
