Candleland Read Online Free PDF Page B

needed this tonight. Because tomorrow was going to be a different matter.
    â€œSo,” Faye continued, “once I got settled here Andy started to come and visit. School holidays and such.” She laughed. “I tried to do the motherly bit, make up for lost time, teach him things about art and culture, but he wasn’t interested. All he wanted to do was talk in that ridiculous assumed accent and pretend he was streetwise.”
    Andy reddened.
    â€œStill does,” said Larkin. The harder they laughed, the redder Andy became.
    â€œSo where’s your husband tonight, then?” asked Larkin. Andy shot him a look that was picked up by the others, causing the laughter to thin.
    Faye made eye contact only with her wine glass. “Jeavon, my husband, died suddenly. Car crash.” Silence. She looked up, eyes glinting from the candlelight. “I got a job teaching art and ceramics at South London Uni. I was going to sell this place at first, get rid of all the stuff, but then I decided not to. I liked being surrounded by Jeavon’s things, it made me feel … close to him somehow.” She looked into her wine, playing with the stem of the glass.
    Faye looked up, smiled. “But let’s not dwell on that. This is a house that should have people in it, that’s what I decided. I usually rent to students, but I’m inbetween lodgers at the moment so you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. Treat this place as your home. I mean that.”
    Larkin and Moir thanked her.
    â€œSo,” said Faye, “what are your plans?”
    Moir spoke in a shaky voice. “We’re goin’ lookin’ tomorrow …”
    Larkin glanced at him, saw that was all they would be getting. He took over. “Yeah,” he said, “we’ll start with the agency Henry employed to trace his daughter and take it from there. After that, who knows? Go round the charities, hostels, drop-in centres, that sort of thing. Ask around, show some photos. Keep our eyes peeled, perhaps even flypost some pictures of her …” Larkin shrugged. “I doubt anyone will want to talk to us. We’ll have to do what we can to win people’s trust. Anything to find her.”
    â€œGood luck. I hope you do. It’s a big place.”
    â€œWe’ll give it our best,” said Andy.
    â€œEr …”
    All heads turned. Moir was about to speak. “I, er think I’ll turn in. Tired. busy day.” He stood up, gripping the table with trembling hands, and looked to Faye. “Could you …?”
    She smiled and led him through the door, going upstairs to show him to his room.
    â€œBit of a fuckin’ state, isn’t he?” said Andy when Moir was safely out of earshot.
    â€œYeah,” agreed Larkin, “I think we’d better leave him here tomorrow. He’s more of a liability than anything else.”
    Andy nodded.
    â€œHey,” said Larkin smiling, “you kept quiet about your mother.”
    Andy shrugged. “What was I supposed to say? Yeah, she gave birth to me, an’ that, but I don’t think of her as me mother. More like an aunt, or somethin’, a sister. She’s just Faye.”
    â€œShe’s lovely.” Larkin smiled.
    â€œYeah,” Andy said, his face stern. “I know. An’ don’t you go gettin’ ideas.”
    Larkin smiled, knowing it would annoy Andy. “But you don’t think of her as your mother. More as your sister.”
    â€œYeah, an’ I wouldn’t want me sister gettin’ involved with you neither,” he said grumpily.
    Faye chose that moment to reappear. “I put him in one of the attic rooms, poor man,” she said, resuming her place at the table. “Early for him to be be going to bed.”
    â€œI think he’s got something in his bag to help him sleep,” said Larkin.
    â€œAh,” replied Faye, understanding dawning on her. “So,” she