Page 69 of Tattered Huntress
‘These are the sort of problems that Humphrey will do well to stay out of,’ I said. I had no doubt that he’d keep his distance from Greenwood once he learned the truth.
Eleanor looked me up and down, her expression still fearful. ‘Did you get the key part?’ she whispered.
I shook my head. ‘No. It’s Humphrey’s.’ I smiled ruefully. ‘I’m out of the competition.’
Eleanor breathed out and turned away so I couldn’t see her face. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Oh. That’s good.’ She swallowed and turned back to me. ‘Not for you, of course. I’m sorry for you. It’s just that Humphrey needs this more than he’s letting on.’ Her gaze dropped as if she felt ashamed for telling me, but then her expression changed from concern to downright horror. ‘What the hell happened to your hand?’
I looked down. I shouldn’t have been surprised by her reaction; my fingers were swollen and twisted and there were suppurating sores all over my hand. It looked like it had been shoved through a mangle.
‘Uh …’ Occupational hazard? Wounds gained in the line of duty? I didn’t have an appropriate answer so I avoided the question. ‘I’m on my way to the hospital to get it checked out. It looks worse than it is.’ That was probably a lie but there was enough spider’s silk coursing through my body for it to feel like the truth.
I shifted from foot to foot. There was nothing else to say so I shrugged awkwardly. ‘I ought to go.’ I nodded at the gates. ‘Humphrey might take a while. The police will probably want to speak to him, but he won’t be in any trouble. I expect they’ll interview him and then let him go.’
‘What happened in there, Daisy?’
‘Honestly, Eleanor,’ I said, ‘you don’t want to know.’
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Iexpected to wait several hours in casualty, but as soon as the receptionist saw my hand she bumped me to the top of the list ahead of a crying teenager, a man repeatedly throwing up into a bucket and a pensioner whose creaky bones could be heard from the other side of the waiting room.
‘I’m not in any rush,’ I told her. ‘I don’t mind hanging around for a while until a doctor is free.’
Hester was having none of it. She put her hands on her hips and started yelling. It was astonishing how loud her voice could be, given her mouth was barely the size of a pinhead. ‘She’s in great pain! She needs to be seen now before infection sets in!’
‘It’s not that bad.’ I sent the receptionist an apologetic look.
‘It isquitebad,’ Otis argued.
‘If you head to cubicle three a doctor will see you very soon,’ the receptionist said, doing a reasonably good job of neither staring nor squealing at the brownies,
I did as I was told; there were some people it was never sensible to argue with – and medical receptionists were near the top of the list. I plonked myself down on a plastic chair inthe cubicle, pulled out my phone and passed it to Hester and Otis so they could watch cat videos to their heart’s content.
I reached into my bag again, found the satellite phone and turned it on. As soon as it sprang to life, it buzzed with a message. I read it aloud.The final key part has been located in Dundee by Humphrey Bridger. Only two teams will proceed to Loch Arkaig. My commiserations to the other teams but my congratulations on a good hunt. My best wishes to you all. Nigel.
Hester was already jabbing at my phone, but Otis gave me a sorrowful look. ‘I’m sorry, Daisy. It’s all my fault.’
‘Don’t be daft. It’s not your fault – it’s not anyone’s fault.’ I smiled at him. ‘Winning was always a long shot. We tried our best and we should be proud of what we achieved.’
Hester didn’t look up. ‘I am not proud. I hate losing. In fact, I think blaming Otis for this is an excellent idea.’ She sniffed loudly, then sprang back half a foot and tumbled through the air with a startled expression as the phone started to ring.
I gazed at the unknown number on the screen. Eventually curiosity got the better of me and I picked it up to answer it, half-expecting to hear an automated voice telling me I’d won a scammy competition – but it wasn’t.
‘I’m assuming,’ Hugo drawled, without bothering to say hello, ‘that the reason you’re not here in Wales is because you’re in Dundee.’
‘How did you get this number?’ I asked irritably.
He ignored my question. ‘And that means that you worked out where the key part was and still let Humphrey get the better of you.Humphrey!’
So said the man who was in the wrong country. ‘Is there a reason why you’re calling?’
‘I wanted to pass on my heartfelt commiserations. It was Sir Nigel who gave me your number – I didn’t get hold of it through nefarious means.’
I snorted. ‘Given that I didn’t give Sir Nigel permission to pass my number to you, then itwasnefarious. We both know that you’re only calling to gloat. Heartfelt commiserations? As if. You’re probably throwing a party as we speak.’
‘I thought we had a truce. We’re supposed to be friends now, Daisy.’
