Page 103 of The Side Road
At the front door, she slipped on her rain jacket and waterproof boots. Snood took one look at her, turned and walked in the opposite direction, back to the cosy sitting area.
‘You’re not wrong. It’s an angry storm. Unhappy wind,’ Mia said. The weather was atrocious.
With both hands clutching the BMW brakes, Mia made her way carefully down the hill. Crossing the bridge was straightforward, but the rest of the journey was terrifying. Due to the poor visibility – helmets desperately needed wipers – she splashed through the middle of every pothole. The bike veered across the road as the wind gusts pushed it sideways. The rain was like a thousand tiny knives piercing any area of her unprotected skin. Despite the double layer of gloves, her hands froze. But there was no going back. She kept her head down and continued; the trip had ignited her adventurous spirit. The only upside, she had the road to herself.
Blanche met Mia at the front door. ‘Why didn’t you get a taxi?’
Mia peeled off her waterlogged raincoat. ‘It sounded urgent. In weather like this, a taxi takes forever.’
Blanche stepped onto the porch. She took Mia’s raincoat and hung it over a chair. Lowering her voice, she said, ‘I think Flora took the pill.’
‘I heard that.’ A voice from inside. ‘Don’t blame me.’ There was nothing wrong with Flora’s hearing.
‘Flora is here?’ Mia asked, surprised to find Blanche was not alone.
‘Yes, we’re playing cards.’
Inside, Arthur and Flora sat at the kitchen table. The game looked like poker. The pot held loose coins, icy pole sticks, paperclips, fake money, and the odd haberdashery item. Mia spied a handful of gorgeous azure buttons. They might be antique. She picked one up and studied the swirling gold detailing.
‘Art deco,’ Arthur confirmed. ‘An heirloom from my mother. Probably worth a bit.’
Flora was losing; her pile of bric-à-brac was half the size of the other players. After checking her cards, she moved everything she had into the pot, which included a spool of thread and a marking pencil. Arthur, intimidated by Flora’s boldness, folded. Flora was back in the game.
‘I’ll need that button back,’ Arthur said.
Reluctantly, Mia handed it over.
Mia turned to Blanche. ‘You didn’t think to ask the card players to help you look.’ She glanced out the back window at the torrential rain.
‘Between the three of us, we have fifty percent vision. I need a pair of sharp eyes and someone with working knees. If I don’t take my pill before bed, I might as well get in the car and drive straight off a cliff. The pain is unbearable. I won’t make it through the night.’
Seeing the Mazda keys on the kitchen bench, Mia slipped them into her pocket.
‘You take the car. I’ll take the bedroom. It might be loose,’ Blanche confessed.
They were looking for a loose pill.
Mia figured she was already wet, so venturing outside into the howling wind and rain made little difference to her comfort. Fifteen minutes later, she returned empty-handed. After searching the bathroom, Blanche was also at a loss.
‘Do you have another subscription? A spare pack?’ Mia asked.
‘I pick up my repeat every fourteen days. That’s all I’m allowed. I’m going to kill myself if I don’t take a Tramadol tonight.’
What a life, Mia thought.
There was nothing else to do but turn the house upsidedown. Mia searched every drawer, cupboard, shelf, and closet. She checked under the beds. Dark corners were scrutinised. Cushions were overturned. She found a variety of missing items, including odd socks, reading glasses, a puzzle book, and a half-eaten chocolate bar.
Blanche’s repeated insistence that Flora had taken the pill prompted Mia to invite Flora into the bathroom for a quiet chat.
‘Flora,’ she said, ‘I’m not saying you took the pill, but I have to ask, did you take the last Tramadol?’
Flora gave Mia a sideways glance and fiddled with the crocheted fringe on a hand towel. ‘Not this time,’ she said.
‘What do you mean,not this time?’
‘Occasionally, if I have a bit of a headache, I might take one. But I didn’t take it this time.’
Mia rubbed her forehead.
