Chapter Twelve

‘All right, I said I’d go,’ Jonathan said reluctantly, as I appeared in the kitchen. It was the day after my school adventure and he had arrived back from his work trip.

‘Take the plant I bought them before it dies,’ Claire snapped. She had bought it about a week after Snowball’s family moved into number 48, and as all attempts she’d made to deliver it had been in vain, she’d been watering it herself.

I bristled, she clearly wasn’t in the best of moods.

‘Of course, darling. Hey, are you all right?’ His voice was tender so I knew he was as concerned as I was.

‘Yes, sorry I snapped. I just think those poor neighbours need warning about the horrors opposite them. I saw Vic today and he’s really got it in for them.’

‘OK, I’ll give it a go, wish me luck.’ He kissed his wife. ‘Alfie, come with me, you haven’t met the new neighbours yet either have you?’

How little he knew. However, unable to resist another glimpse of Snowball, I trotted off.

I wondered if Vic and Heather were watching as Jonathan stood on the doorstep and rang the bell. I was sure I could see a curtain twitch. Jonathan was quite insistent with the bell, and after what seemed like ages we heard footsteps coming towards us. It was the man who opened the door. Although he only opened it a fraction.

‘Hello?’ he said, suspiciously. What was it with these people?

‘Hi, I’m Jonathan, your next door neighbour. We wanted to welcome you to Edgar Road.’ The man opened the door a bit more.

‘Hi, I’m Tim. Sorry we haven’t introduced ourselves but it’s been pretty hectic.’ Tim sounded normal, not the way he had when I had heard him speaking to Snowball where his voice had been sad. Suddenly she appeared at his feet as the men shook hands.

‘Nice to meet you, Tim. Oh and this is my cat, Alfie.’

‘Snowball,’ he said, gesturing to her. Both men laughed awkwardly. Snowball looked at me through narrowed eyes; she clearly wasn’t over the moon to see me.

‘My wife, Claire, got a plant for you.’ Jonathan handed it over, looking a bit sheepish. It wasn’t very manly after all. ‘She’s been over but you must have been out.’

‘To be honest, we’re not home much. My wife, Karen, works shifts at the hospital and poor thing is doing killer hours at the moment. The kids have just started a new school, which, well, you know how it is.’

‘We don’t have children, yet.’ I marvelled at the fact Jonathan disclosed this information, he looked a bit bashful so I guessed he was surprised by his openness too.

‘Well take it from me, teenagers starting a new school is no fun,’ he laughed although it was edged with bitterness.

‘Sorry to hear that. Anyway, listen, we should grab a beer? Or maybe you and your wife would like to come over for dinner one night?’

‘We’d love to but to be honest at the moment things aren’t easy. Karen’s working all hours and with the kids …’

‘Well, when you have time the invitation’s there. Anyway, I wanted to warn you that there’s this couple over the road, Vic and Heather Goodwin. They’re Neighbourhood Watch Nazis, and they’ve got a bit of a bee in their bonnet.’ Jonathan scratched his head, awkwardly. Snowball stared at me, with beautiful but frosty eyes. I had to make myself concentrate on the conversation, she was so distracting.

‘Really?’

‘They are sort of, well, curtain-twitchers my mate Matt calls them. They think that as they haven’t met you and you didn’t come to the meeting the other night, you’re, well, you know … dodgy.’ Jonathan looked a bit red, and Snowball scowled at me. Tim bristled.

‘Dodgy, because we didn’t go to a meeting? Christ what kind of place is this?’

‘Oh, no don’t get the wrong idea! It’s just them, and I’m warning you because, well, they kind of have their binoculars trained on your house.’ He laughed again.

‘My God, you are kidding me.’ Tim looked across the street. I turned and could swear the curtains did in fact twitch again. ‘This is crazy. Look, we just like to keep ourselves to ourselves, so thanks for the plant but, really, I have to go.’

‘Please, I didn’t mean to offend you, it was just a friendly visit.’ Poor Jonathan looked confused.

‘Bye, Jonathan.’ Before he could say anything else, Tim closed the door.

‘Damn Alfie, I think I messed up.’ Jonathan looked flummoxed. ‘Claire’s going to kill me,’ he mumbled as he walked away. I stayed put, trying to figure out what went wrong.

All of a sudden I heard raised voices, but Jonathan was already out of earshot.

‘I hate school, this house and this stupid place, why can’t we just go home,’ a female voice shouted — the teenage girl I thought.

‘Because, Daisy, you know full well what happened. We have no choice.’ It was Tim and he sounded desperate.

‘Yeah well that doesn’t make it any better does it,’ a surly boy’s voice chipped in.

‘For the love of God, I can’t do anything right and now we’ve got the neighbours on our backs,’ Tim shouted.

‘Can we all calm down,’ a voice obviously belonging to Karen said. ‘It’s not your dad’s fault and if we continue like this our family is going to fall apart.’ Her voice was desperate. Then I heard noisy tears, which I thought was the girl again. My head was so close to the door, I was almost in it.

‘Alfie!’ Snowball’s voice came from behind the door, I pricked up my ears.

‘Yes?’ I hoped my voice conveyed helpfulness.

‘Go away and leave us in peace. None of us, especially not me, need you here.’ Her voice was even more vehement than usual.

‘I was only trying to help,’ I said.

‘You can help by leaving us alone, all of you. Oh and by the way, if it was you that left me the bird the other day, you shouldn’t have bothered.’ I heard her padding away, as the other voices faded and I had no alternative but to turn around and head home.

Whatever was going on with them, it wasn’t good, although I knew, instinctively, that they weren’t bad people or doing anything dodgy like the Goodwins thought. But I could tell they also needed help, although, boy, they weren’t making it easy, that was for sure.

I made my way back and saw Jonathan standing, still looking confused, key in hand. I was about to run after him to follow him in when a shadow blocked my path. It was Salmon.

‘Oh, not you,’ I hissed.

‘Alfie, you really are a silly cat. Those people are bad and that white ball of fluff is no better. She’s an evil cat.’

‘How on earth would you know?’

‘My owners know, and if you know what’s good for you you’ll steer clear. They are going to be very fleeting visitors on Edgar Road, my family will see to that.’

‘What do you mean?’ I suddenly felt very fearful.

‘They rent that house and the landlord won’t put up with illegal activity.’

‘What illegal activity?’ My eyes widened.

‘We don’t know yet but rest assured we will get to the bottom of it.’

‘So it’s just what you guys think?’ I almost laughed.

‘Don’t take us seriously if you don’t want to, but mark my words, we will see this street returned to the way it should be.’

‘Salmon, you’re mad. You have no idea what you’re talking about.’ Salmon went to swipe me with his paw but I was too quick as I dodged out of his way. ‘I’m not going to fight you. I just think you’ve got it wrong.’

‘Do you now? Well just wait, and then we’ll see who is the mad cat around here.’ Salmon gave me another glare as he flicked his tail and moved aside to let me pass.

Загрузка...