Page 72 of Right Place, Right Time
Adam’s plans to open his shop have had to be postponed. He planned to open today, but, after what we found out last night, he decided to delay the opening and concentrate on the latest instalment of our mystery.
‘Saturday is a good day to open anyway,’ I told him. ‘More people around.’ I wasn’t happy. I didn’t want him to delay opening a business he’s already put so much work into. But Adam was insistent.
While we wait for Freddy to arrive, we go through the contents of the letters once more. I thought a bit about it last night before falling asleep. But Adam stayed the night and having someone sleeping next to me in my bed, when I was so used to sleeping alone now, felt very strange indeed.
‘Venus and Mars…’ I say, reading from my grandmother’s letter as I lean up against the wooden cash desk. ‘It rings a bell. Isn’t there a painting called that?’
‘I assumed it meant the planets,’ Adam says, sitting in a Lloyd Loom chair.
‘It could well do … I’ll check online.’ I look around and lift my phone from the counter. ‘Yes, it’s a painting by Botticelli.Venus and Marsis also a studio album by Wings. Could that mean something, do you think, with your music background?’
‘Paul McCartney’s band after the Beatles,’ Adam says, thinking. ‘Hmm … I don’t think so. But I can’t say I’m particularly familiar with it.’
‘We’ll go back to that clue, then. So hopefully we’ll know about the Freddy reference when he arrives. What about:There is someone close who will have many of the answers?’
‘Someone in Clockmaker Court, perhaps?’ Adam glances out of the window.
‘Possibly, but who? Ben, maybe – he knew your grandfather.’
‘Yeah, he’d be a good place to start. How about we try to talk to him later, when we’ve seen this Freddy. Now, what’s next?’ Adam stands up from the chair, walks around the desk and puts his arm around my waist while we read the letter together. Although it feels a little odd to have him this close to me in the shop, I can’t deny his touch feels incredibly comforting.
‘Erm …The Romans knew their numbers.’
‘Roman numerals, perhaps?’
‘Yes, that’s what I thought too. Have you seen any lately?’
‘They’re everywhere, aren’t they? Even the grandfather clock over there has Roman numerals on its face.’
‘True. Perhaps it is another clock reference. It would make sense. Now …Hide-and-seek. I really have no idea what that means at all.’
‘It says Eve, so I really think it’s aimed at you.’
‘True. Hmm …’ I rack my brains trying to think what that could mean. ‘I can’t think of anything right now. And the last two seem like they are guidance of sorts. Let’s hope Freddy can shine some light on it all when he arrives. Otherwise I think we’re going to be stuck once more.’
‘Freddy!’ I call from the doorway as I see him walking towards the shop a while later. ‘Thank you so much for coming at such short notice.’
‘Anything for the Sinclair family,’ Freddy says, kissing the back of my hand in greeting. ‘You know that.’
Freddy is a tall man, with white hair and wire-rimmed spectacles perched on the end of his nose. He carries a black cane with a silver tip, and he wears what I can only describe as dandyish clothing – velvet jackets, ruffled shirts, that type of thing.
Today he is sporting a navy-blue smoking jacket with a white shirt, a brightly coloured cravat perfectly tied around his neck, and emerald-green trousers.
‘And who may this be?’ he asks, looking Adam up and down.
‘This is Adam. He owns the shop next door.’
‘Adam …’ Freddy looks surprised. ‘And you have the shop next door now?’
‘I do,’ Adam says, holding out his hand to Freddy. ‘Pleased to meet you.’
‘The pleasure is all mine, dear boy,’ Freddy says, shaking his hand, then mumbles almost to himself: ‘You were right, then, Sarah. Good on you both.’
‘What are you saying, Freddy?’ I ask.
‘Oh, nothing, my dear. Nothing you need to worry about, anyway. Your grandmother always said she’dmatch you up with an Adam one day, and it would seem she was right.’
‘Oh … Adam and I aren’t …’Actually we kind of are now.‘You see, we …’ I glance at Adam. He just nods.
