Lockwood & Co Read Online Free PDF Page B

to be present at an investigation. Exactly how old are you?’
    ‘Old enough and young enough,’ Lockwood said, smiling. ‘The perfect age.’
    ‘Strictly speaking, madam,’ I added, ‘the law states that an adult is only required if the operatives are undergoing training. It’s true that some of the bigger agencies always usesupervisors, but that’s their private policy. We’re fully qualified and independent, and we don’t find it necessary.’
    ‘In our experience,’ Lockwood said sweetly, ‘adults just get in the way. But of course we do have our licences here, if you’d like to see them.’
    The woman ran a hand across the smooth surface of her neat blonde hair. ‘No, no . . . That won’t be necessary. Since Mother clearly wanted you, I’m sure it will be fine . . .’ Her voice was neutral and uncertain. There was a brief silence.
    ‘Thank you, madam.’ I glanced back towards the quiet, waiting door. ‘There’s just one other thing. Is there someone else at home? When we rang the bell, I thought—’
    Her eyes rose rapidly, met mine. ‘No. That’s quite impossible. I have the only key.’
    ‘I see. I must’ve been mistaken.’
    ‘Well, I won’t delay you,’ Mrs Martin said. ‘Mother’s completed the form you sent her.’ She held out the buff folder. ‘She hopes it will be useful.’
    ‘I’m sure it will.’ Lockwood tucked it somewhere inside his coat. ‘Thank you very much. Well, we’d better get started. Tell your mother we’ll be in touch in the morning.’
    The woman handed him a ring of keys. Somewhere along the road a car horn blared, to be answered by another. There was plenty of time till curfew, but night was falling and people were growing antsy. They wanted to get home. Soon there’d be nothing moving in the London streets but trails ofmist and twisting moonbeams. Or nothing, at least, any adult there could clearly see .
    Suzie Martin was conscious of this too. She raised her shoulders, pulled her cardigan tight. ‘Well, I’d better be going. I suppose I should wish you luck . . .’ She looked away. ‘So very young! How terrible that the world should have come to this.’
    ‘Goodnight, Mrs Martin,’ Lockwood said.
    Without reply, she pattered down the steps. In a few seconds she had vanished among the mists and laurels in the direction of the road.
    ‘She’s not happy,’ I said. ‘I think we’ll be off the case tomorrow morning.’
    ‘Better get it solved tonight, then,’ Lockwood said. ‘Ready?’
    I patted the hilt of my rapier. ‘Ready.’
    He grinned at me, stepped up to the door and, with a magician’s flourish, turned the key in the lock.
    When entering a house occupied by a Visitor, it’s always best to get in quick. That’s one of the first rules you learn. Never hesitate, never linger on the threshold. Why? Because, for those few seconds, it’s not too late. You stand there in the doorway with the fresh air on your back and the darkness up ahead, and you’d be an idiot if you didn’t want to turn and run. And as soon as you acknowledge that , your willpowerstarts draining away through your boots, and the terror starts building in your chest, and bang , that’s it – you’re compromised before you begin. Lockwood and I both knew this, so we didn’t hang around. We slipped straight through, put down our bags, and shut the door softly behind us. Then we stood quite still with our backs against it, watching and listening side by side.
    The hall of the house lately occupied by Mr and Mrs Hope was long and relatively narrow, though the high ceiling made it seem quite large. It was floored with black and white marble tiles, set diagonally, and flanked by palely papered walls. Halfway along, a steep staircase rose into shadows. The hall kinked round this to the left and continued into a void of black. Doorways opened on either side: gaping, choked in darkness.
    All of which could have been nicely illuminated if we’d put on the lights, of