CHAPTER 37
They were not allowed past the barricades; more police had arrived by this time, so they would have to walk home the long way round. They decided to leave the car where it was, parked on a small patch of grass inside the church gates.
Taking their travel bag out of the crammed boot, Franz said, ‘What about Sarita’s luggage?’
‘I left the second car key with Sharma. They're all staying with Phil and Jan, not that they'll get much peace till the crowds go. He said he’ll come by later and drop it through our letterbox.’
‘He doesn’t have to do that. I can pick it up from him tomorrow.’
‘He’s going that way anyway. He’s still doing his prowling the streets trying to track down those lost boys.
‘Tonight? With his family just back?’
‘Yes. Phil said he’s been out every night. Phil’s been going with him, some of the time.’
‘That’s good of him.’
‘Do you still dislike Phil?’ Ella asked.
He was surprised. ‘I didn’t actually dislike him, did I?’
Ella laughed. ‘I guess that answers my question! Did you really feel relieved, when you heard the news of the bomb?’
‘For one second, yes.’
‘That tells us something.’
‘I suppose it must. It's the last thing I expected to feel. I’ve put so much into building this place up!’
‘I know. So maybe it's time for some kind of change. Don’t quote some cliché at me!’ she warned, seeing him about to speak.
‘I won’t: I can’t think of one! There must be some kind of affirmation or buzzword to cover this eventuality.’
‘I don’t want to hear it, if there is.’
‘Nor me.’
They walked down the street hand in hand till they arrived at the flat. Franz put the travel bag down to get the key out of his pocket.
Ella caught hold of his hand again as they went up the stairs. ‘Things are going to get better,’ she said.
‘Generally, or for you and me?’
‘For everyone. But we might as well start with you and me.’
He unlocked the door of the flat and they went in. Closing the door behind them, he said, ‘Let’s start with you and me.’
He dropped the bag on the floor and put his arms round her, kissing her on the mouth.
‘Mm,’ she said, shifting slightly.
‘Mm?’ he queried.
She leaned back against the wall. ‘Mm, carry on,’ she said.
‘Oh,’ he said, ‘I see.’
Moments later, moving his fingers over the buttons of her dress, he said, ‘Mm?’ in a different tone of voice.
‘Mm,’ she responded, unbuttoning his shirt.
He kissed her neck and her throat, while she gathered up her long skirt and wound it around him. He laughed as she unbuckled his belt.
‘We could do this in more comfort,’ he suggested.
‘No,’ she said. ‘Now.’
‘Oh. If you're sure.’
‘Shut up.’
She lost her balance for a moment and he caught her arm and steadied her but she pulled him towards her, leaning back against the wall. He let out his breath in a groan. ‘Ella.’
‘Yes. No – don’t stop!’ She drew a shuddering breath and pressed her head into his shoulder, gasping and laughing at the same time.
‘Franz,’ she said finally, as he released her and leaned away.
‘Huh?’
‘Can we have bomb scares more often?’
They slept for two hours, till the phone call came. It was a hoax, the police sergeant said, but a thoroughly planned and malicious one. Heat-emitting devices, a sophisticated version of smoke bombs, had been placed in different parts of the building, including inside the air conditioning system. The ticking coming from the package in the basement was nothing but a clock mechanism. The building was now safe to resume normal use, though the police advised extra security and vigilance.
‘You haven’t thought of anybody, in the meantime, who might have a grudge against you?’
‘No, apart from the builder I mentioned but I think he got his revenge; I can’t imagine him going to these lengths,’ Franz told him.
'And you've no political affiliations that would arouse hostility from any particular group?'
'No.'
‘Well, let us know if you think of anything, or if you notice anything unfamiliar in the next few days. Don’t be afraid of bothering us for nothing; somebody’s gone to a lot of trouble to do this to scare you, and they may do something for real. Be aware of that. Goodnight now.’
‘Thanks for all you’ve done,’ Franz said. ‘Goodnight.’
‘You don’t think it was anything to do with Marisa’s dad, then?’ Ella said.
‘I doubt it. The policeman who interviewed me thought whoever it was could have gained access through the air conditioning vents that come out in the side alley.’
‘They’re tiny!’
‘Not that small. They’re the old ducts from the boiler in the original building, recommissioned for air conditioning. A child could crawl in. He said burglars gain access to properties that way sometimes – send their own kids in to crawl along the ducts and open a door for them. Can you imagine that?’
‘I’d rather not.’
‘I’m not sure how to prevent that happening in future. I wanted originally to have a gate fixed across the entrance to the alleyway to block off the area, only the fire exit from the basement opens into it so it has to stay accessible. I might get someone to see about putting bars across the vents themselves.’
Ella hesitated. ‘Shall I take the hire car back tomorrow, Franz?’
‘We were going to have a day out,’ he remembered.
‘You’ll have to go into work now, won’t you? Calm everyone down, sort things out?’
‘Yes.’
‘It can’t be helped. I’ll make us a nice meal in the evening. We’ll have some time to ourselves then.’
‘I invited Pat Quinn,’ Franz said guiltily. ‘I could call him and make it another night?’
‘No, don’t do that. I’d like to meet him. He is the guy who rushed into the building after you, isn’t he? How about him turning up like that? We owe him a meal, at least. What shall I cook? He didn’t look like a veggie, to me.’
‘He used to say when he made his first million he’d have steak and chips every night!’ Franz said, remembering.
‘I’ll buy steak for him but you might have to cook it, if I’m feeling sick,’ Ella said.
‘Even if I cook it, the smell of it could make you sick, couldn’t it?’
‘Risk it. I might invite Alison as well,’ Ella said thoughtfully.
‘We owe her a favour too,’ Franz agreed. ‘She handled the crisis brilliantly. But it’d be better to make it another evening, wouldn’t it?’
‘No,’ Ella said.
He looked at her with suspicion. ‘Why not?’
‘No reason,’ she said innocently.
‘I don’t believe you. Come clean.’
‘Well, I had a brief chat with her. She came out while I was still waiting by the car. I said I believed she had met Pat Quinn. She said yes.’
‘And?’
‘Just that.’
‘Yes, she has met him, and on the strength of that you decide to ask her around here the same evening?’
‘It was the way she said it,’ Ella said.
‘You women have too much imagination,’ Franz said.
‘Okay. Test it. Phone Pat and ask him if he met Alison.’
‘I know he did. She showed him the crack in the ceiling and he plastered it.’
‘Ah-hah!’
‘It’s not a declaration of romance,’ said Franz. ‘He did it as a favour to me.’
‘Mm-hmm. Well, why don’t you ask him anyway what he thought of her?’
‘Because I’m not nosy, interfering, over-imaginative or a matchmaking woman,’ he said severely.
&nb
sp; ‘Fine. Phone him anyway.’
‘I won’t. What would I say?’
‘Tell him that unknown to you Ella’s invited Alison tomorrow evening but is willing to change it so you and he can have a quiet chat by yourselves.’
‘I know what he’ll say. We haven’t seen each other for years. You and Alison wouldn’t get a word in edgeways, anyway; he might have a slow pace of speaking but once he starts talking he goes on non-stop.’
Ella handed him the phone. ‘Prove me wrong, then.’
He made an exasperated face at her but dialled Pat Quinn’s mobile.
‘I’m going for a shower,’ Ella said. ‘Tell me afterwards.’
She had a long, leisurely shower, washing her long hair, shaving her legs, using pumice stone on her feet and rubbing in lotion. She felt refreshed and unanxious now she knew the bomb threat had been a hoax.
She emerged from the bathroom to find Franz talking on the phone.
‘See you then, Pat. ‘Night.’
‘You weren’t on the phone to Pat Quinn all that time, were you?’ Ella said incredulously.
‘I told you he’d talk the hind leg off a donkey. He was always like that.’
‘What was he talking about?’
He started laughing.
‘What?’ she said.
‘All right, you win. He wouldn’t stop talking about Alison. I couldn’t get him off the subject of what a fantastic woman she was and how he wouldn’t stand a chance that she would look at some ordinary bloke like him!’
‘A good night’s work,’ said Ella smugly.
‘Are you tired?’ Franz asked.
‘No. I feel wide awake now.’
‘I think I should walk down to Phil’s to see if the crowds have gone now and if they need help clearing up.’
‘We’ll both go,’ Ella decided.