Page 131 of Inbetweeners
“They were items in storage that he didn’t think would be missed, but Malcolm noticed. Stuff connected to a 16th century mystic who advised Elizabeth the first on magical matters. His name was Dr John Dee and he was known for trying to contact angels and demons. Malcolm was incensed about the thefts because they never got anything back. He couldn’t prove Greyson had taken them and the police didn’t have enough evidence to charge him.”
“Did you tell the police about Malcolm sacking Greyson?” Nix asked.
“Well, no. I didn’t imagine there was a connection. Greyson just disappeared. He never contacted Malcolm. Who’s Sophie Russell?”
“Greyson’s sister-in-law. She’s involved too.” Phoenix showed her Sophie on his phone.
Tricia gasped. “I’ve seen her. I saw her the day before Malcolm died. She knocked on the door asking for him, but he was out. You need to tell the police. Show them this picture.”
“We will,” Phoenix said. “You tell them too, but please wait until tomorrow morning.”
Emmett wondered if she’d understand what they were telling her.
“Why do you want me to wait?”
“To give us a chance to deal with the pair of them.”
“But…”
“Remember what we said when we came here before?” Emmett whispered.
“Yes. But what are you?”
“We were once like you,” Emmett said. “We’ve been brought back to do a job, which is to stop Greyson and Sophie. Give us a chance to do that before the police are involved.”
She swallowed hard. “Is Malcolm all right?”
“Yes,” Emmett said. “Sad, but all right.”
“Thank you.” She choked back a sob and closed the door.
He and Phoenix climbed back in the car. Cat lay asleep on the back seat.
“Sad but all right? Are you learning to lie?”
“I don’t think it is a lie.”
“You think she’ll wait to call the police?”
“Yes. Don’t you?”
“I don’t know.” Phoenix set off again. “Well, we know now that killing Malcolm was personal after Greyson stole artefacts to do with demons and witchcraft. I don’t know how either Greyson or Sophie talked their way into the house and up to the bedroom to stab Malcolm, but they did. We should have asked Malcolm more. We were too caught up in what was happening with his wife and kids.”
When they got out of the car close to the fancy-dress shop, Cat jumped out after them, climbed up Phoenix’s leg and back, then lay on his shoulder with his tail curled around Phoenix’s neck. Emmett laughed, tried to lift him down and was scratched.
“Ouch! Say hello to your parrot disguised as a cat.”
Phoenix chuckled. “He’s fine.” He reached up and tickled Cat under the chin.
“Depends if the shop owner minds.”
“She won’t be able to see him.”
Emmett groaned. “I forgot.”
The bell tinkled as they went in. A pretty woman in her thirties in a bright flowery dress, Rachel, according to her name badge, came out from a room at the rear and smiled at them. “Can I help you?”
“We need to look so different that even our boss won’t recognise us,” Phoenix said. “I think Emmett might look good as a punk. Blue hair, piercings. Tight jeans. Really tight. Lots of chains. Make-up. That sort of thing. And we need it to happen now.”
