Page 134 of Inbetweeners
Nix hurried to pay but Emmett and Cat were already outside the shop by the time he emerged. Emmett had taken the bottles of holy water out of the violin case, but not a knife, as far as Nix could see. He slipped a bottle to Nix and kept the other in his hand.
“Me first,” Nix whispered and walked into the shop, Cat on his heels.
His first thought was that it stank in there. Probably only incense, but it was really strong. There was all sort of things on display: candles, books, crystals, jars of herbs, jewellery, wands, pentagram ornaments.
“Can I help you?”
Nix turned to see Sophie staring at him. There was no one else in there. “Tarot cards?” He put on an American accent.
She sneezed. “Excuse me. We have a lot to choose from. They’re over here. How much research have you done? You need to be sure you fit the cards. The Rider-Waite deck is good for beginners. It’s incredibly rich in symbolism and the scenes are easier to interpret than some more modern decks.” She sneezed again.
“Definitely beginner.”
Cat brushed against her and that brought on another fit of sneezing. Nix wondered if she was allergic to cats, but how was a ghost cat affecting her?
Nix heard the door open and also caught Sophie’s faint gasp. Hopefully because she was alarmed by the punk who’d come into her shop and not because she recognised Emmett.
“Excuse me,” she said to Nix and walked over to Emmett. “Can I help you?”
Her concern that Emmett might be trouble was her undoing. Nix pulled the knife from his pocket and walked up behind her. While she still gawped at Emmett, Nix wrapped an arm around her throat and held the knife at her neck. She froze, whimpering, then sneezed.
“Door,” Nix said.
Emmett put down the violin case and the water, slid the bolt, turned the sign toclosedand pulled the blind down over the glass.
“There’s not much money in the till,” she blurted.
Emmett moved behind her and Nix, lifted a cable tie from Nix’s pocket, and grabbing Sophie’s wrists, fastened them together.
“Tighter,” Nix said.
Emmett pulled harder.
“Search her.”
Emmett patted her down, wincing as he felt around her breasts, then under her skirt.
“Pervert,” she muttered.
Emmett bit back his retort ofmurdererand continued the search, even feeling down the side of her boots, but didn’t find any weapons. Nix dragged her over to a chair and fastened her arms and legs with more cable ties. Once he was satisfied she was secured, he exhaled and moved in front of her. He chuckled when Cat jumped onto her lap.
“Hello, Sophie.”
Her eyes widened. “Shhhit,” she hissed through her sneeze. Cat jumped down again.
“Get your knife out and watch her while I go upstairs,” Nix said. “Drop the shutters over the window.”
Nix headed behind the counter and into the room at the rear with his knife in his hand, Cat on his heels. It was full of boxes, some of them half full, and there was a small kitchen area. One bolted door led to the outside and an open one had a flight of stairs behind it. Nix didn’t think he’d find Greyson at the top or Sophie would have called out, either for help or to warn him. Two more doors on the next level and another flight of stairs. The first door led to a storage area. The second was an empty bedroom, but one that was in use judging by the clothes scattered about. The bathroom was empty.
His heart pounding, Nix headed up the next flight of stairs. Even before he opened the door on the right, which would have the window that looked out onto the street, he saw the same white granules, presumably salt, sprinkled on the threshold. The door was locked so he kicked it open and saw Harry and Rashid sitting on the floor.
For a long moment, they just looked at him. Then Cat ran over to Rashid and jumped into his lap.
“Happy to stay here then?” Nix asked.
“Nix!” Harry yelped.
They both got up and ran at him. “Watch the knife!” Though he probably couldn’t cut them.
