A Foreign Country

62

Lying flat on the floor of Amelia’s en-suite bathroom, so that their silhouettes would not show in the windows, Kell, Elsa and Harold could pick out only the mumble of Barbara and CUCKOO’s conversation. Taking slow, near-silent breaths, side by side like campers sleeping in a three-man tent, they listened as Barbara closed the kitchen door, then heard what sounded like the footsteps of CUCKOO returning to the lane and walking back past the house, heading in the direction of the meadow. About a minute later, Kell received two low-volume clicks on his radio, then a pause before Vigors confirmed, with three further clicks, that CUCKOO was passing through the gate on his way back towards Amelia.

It was another minute before Kell dared to break the spell of their silence. Standing up, he swore quietly and looked down at Elsa and Harold. Slowly, like survivors from an earthquake, they clambered to their feet.

‘Cazzo,’ she whispered.

‘Squeaky bum time,’ said Harold and Elsa said: ‘Shhhhh!’ as though CUCKOO was still in the next room.

‘It’s all right,’ Kell replied, opening the bathroom door. ‘He’s in the meadow. Gone.’

Barbara appeared at the top of the stairs.

‘Do mind my language,’ she said, ‘but bloody hell, how did that happen?’

‘What did he want?’ Elsa asked.

‘Cigarettes,’ she replied. ‘He wanted bloody cigarettes. Imagine if he’d come upstairs.’

‘I’d have smoked one with him,’ Harold muttered, and everybody went back to work.