Page 58 of Skulk of Foxes
‘She’ll be safer with us than with you.’
‘Hello? Have you got your head buried under your own ego? Have you seen what’s going on outside? The army has issued a declaration. No one is supposed to leave their homes unless otherwise directed or in an absolute emergency.’
‘You don’t think that transforming into a bunyip is an absolute emergency? What does an emergency constitute in your book then? Is it when you run out of hair dye?’
I paused. The sensible choice would have been to head for the nearest window and jump out of it so I didn’t get involved with these two. Unfortunately, I suspected that we would need Monroe and his werewolves in the hours to come. And I couldn’t just leave Charley alone with her hairy housemate.
I sighed and stuffed the sphere into my bra. It meant I had an unsightly bulge, as if I’d suddenly grown a massive boil on my breast overnight but I knew it was safe there. Only Morgan had access to my breasts, thank you very much.
I walked down the remaining stairs. Monroe and Charley were glaring at each other. ‘Hey!’ I chirped cheerfully. ‘I found the toilet!’
Neither of them looked at me. Well, that wasn’t very nice.
‘I had a lovely long pee,’ I informed them. ‘Now I feel much better. How is Lizzy doing?’
Reluctantly Charley turned away from Monroe towards me. ‘See for yourself,’ she said.
I jumped down the last couple of steps and peered into the room. Where there had been a snarling furry creature, there was now a tall blonde woman hugging her knees and looking distraught. Given the expression on Lizzy’s face, I thought things had been better when she was a bunyip.
‘Are you okay?’ I called. I wasn’t venturing inside until I knew there was no chance she’d transform again and try to munch on me. I would be a particularly tasty morsel.
‘Mmm.’
‘Lizzy,’ Monroe said, ‘why don’t you get some clothes and come with me? I’ll keep you safe.’
‘I hate to put a spanner in the works,’ I murmured, ‘but we do have an apocalypse to avert.’
Charley frowned. ‘So this really is the end of the world? From what I heard it was just local to Manchester.’
‘It’s not the end of the world,’ Monroe snapped.
‘But it could be if we don’t get a move on,’ I told him. ‘Lizzy needs to make a decision. If she’s okay here, I think she should stay here.’
He opened his mouth to speak just as the doorbell rang. We all jumped; Lizzy added a whimper for extra effect and drew further into herself.
With a grim look on her face, Charley marched to the door and flung it open. I was right behind her. I could see Morgan hovering behind a parked car. I gave him a tight smile and a nod so that he knew I had the sphere in my sweaty little palms. He relaxed slightly and beckoned me but I couldn’t leave yet, not now that Manchester’s finest were here too.
DC Jones blinked at me. ‘Well, well, well. Ms Hatter. Trouble just seems to follow you around, doesn’t it?’
‘Actually,’ I told her calmly, ‘I follow trouble, not the other way around. Charley here was in a spot of bother so my friend and I came to help her out. Because you guys were off having a doughnut or whatever.’
Next to her, DI Mulroney rumbled in irritation. ‘What are you doing here?’
I stared at him. ‘I just explained. Weren’t you listening?’
‘Thank you for coming,’ Charley said to the pair of them, ignoring the renewed tension in the air. ‘I think things are under control now.’
I smiled and pointed. ‘See? I did that.’
Monroe appeared behind us. ‘Actually, it was all me.’
Mulroney tsked. ‘I don’t care who brought things under control,’ he said. ‘I just want to know what happened and whether it’s likely to happen again. We’re fighting fires across the city and we came here as a favour to you, Charley. If you don’t need us, there are other places we can be.’
Jones didn’t seem to hear her partner’s words. Her eyes were fixed on Monroe and two high spots of colour were rising in her cheeks.
‘Yeah,’ Charley said, ‘he’s good looking but don’t waste your time. He’s an absolute bastard.’
Monroe’s eyebrows snapped together. ‘After what I just did for you, you should be more grateful.’
