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Authors: Hannah Dennison
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age.’
‘Excuse me, must get on.’ I sidled past her, wrenched open the door, and disappeared into the hallway, promptly knocking Barbara’s wretched pink bicycle over. It fell to the ground with a resounding crash.
Blast!
Why did the old biddy insist on keeping it indoors? One day, someone would really get hurt.
‘Vicky, is that you?’ shouted Annabel from the upstairs landing. ‘What are you doing?’ There was a note of panic in her voice. ‘You
must
wait in reception! Brian will be here any moment.’
To my horror, she started towards me, down the stairs.
Wildly, I looked around for somewhere to hide the envelope. I wasn’t going to steal it. I was merely borrowing it. ‘You told me to make the tea!’
Swiftly, I shoved it down the back of the iron radiator. A searing pain shot through my hand. The metal was blisteringly hot.
Seconds later, Annabel paused at the door to reception. ‘Bring my tea in here. I’ll wait for Brian. By the way, I put those photographs back on your desk. You
do
realize that any new ideas have to go through me now, don’t you?’
I didn’t. It was another blow to my self-esteem. Clearly Annabel’s rise in the newspaper hierarchy was far more meteoric than I realized. The thought of Annabel officially my superior was too much to bear. Yet, I was marginally comforted that she had no idea of the significance of those photographs and couldn’t resist making a comment.
‘I did try to tell you it was the wrong envelope,’ I said.
‘You should learn to speak up.’ With a toss of her head, she pushed past me and opened the door into reception.
Alone again, I turned my efforts back to the radiator. Somehow, I had to get the report out. I tried to slide my fingers down the back of it but only succeeded in burning my hand.
I needed something long and thin. I clattered down the basement steps and picked up a stick used for unblocking the drain. I put the kettle on to boil, then tore back upstairs.
I tried to pry the envelope out of its hiding place, but all I succeeded in doing was pushing it farther down. Exasperated, I got on my knees and attempted to reach the envelope from the bottom up. It was hopeless, as the skirting board was flush with the radiator base. The most awful thought struck me. It could become a fire hazard. The whole place could go up in flames. I could even be imprisoned for arson!
Stifling a cry of frustration, I stomped back down to the basement to make the tea. Tea was always a good salve in situations such as these.
As I waited for the kettle to boil, I actually had an inspirational flash. Wasn’t the central heating turned off at night? I’d just have to come back later on. If I could put the report on Pete’s desk by morning, surely no one would care how it got there?
A few minutes later I returned to reception bearing two mugs of tea. Annabel was sitting in the brown leatherette chair, leafing through a magazine on tractors.
‘Still no sign of Brian?’ I said, handing her a mug with a sympathetic smile. ‘What a bore!’
She shook her head. ‘Barbara’s locking up at five. I suppose something must have happened to him.’
‘Goes with the territory, doesn’t it?’ I said. ‘Perhaps he thought he was being followed?’
‘Pete’s going to be furious.’ Annabel looked worried. ‘He specifically told me to get it today.’
‘Have you tried to phone him?’
Annabel shook her head. ‘We only have his mobile.’
‘The hazards of living in a valley,’ I said, glad of Gipping’s non-existent mobile phone reception. ‘Never mind. Once Devon Satellite Bell finds a new site for that transmitter, our lives will be much easier.’
‘Which is hardly relevant now, is it?’ Annabel sneered.
‘Surely it can’t be
that
important.’
‘Actually, Vicky, it really is.’ Annabel swallowed hard and inspected her fingernails. Clearly that was as forthcoming as she was prepared to be.
‘Anyone would think it was a matter of life and
‘Excuse me, must get on.’ I sidled past her, wrenched open the door, and disappeared into the hallway, promptly knocking Barbara’s wretched pink bicycle over. It fell to the ground with a resounding crash.
Blast!
Why did the old biddy insist on keeping it indoors? One day, someone would really get hurt.
‘Vicky, is that you?’ shouted Annabel from the upstairs landing. ‘What are you doing?’ There was a note of panic in her voice. ‘You
must
wait in reception! Brian will be here any moment.’
To my horror, she started towards me, down the stairs.
Wildly, I looked around for somewhere to hide the envelope. I wasn’t going to steal it. I was merely borrowing it. ‘You told me to make the tea!’
Swiftly, I shoved it down the back of the iron radiator. A searing pain shot through my hand. The metal was blisteringly hot.
Seconds later, Annabel paused at the door to reception. ‘Bring my tea in here. I’ll wait for Brian. By the way, I put those photographs back on your desk. You
do
realize that any new ideas have to go through me now, don’t you?’
I didn’t. It was another blow to my self-esteem. Clearly Annabel’s rise in the newspaper hierarchy was far more meteoric than I realized. The thought of Annabel officially my superior was too much to bear. Yet, I was marginally comforted that she had no idea of the significance of those photographs and couldn’t resist making a comment.
‘I did try to tell you it was the wrong envelope,’ I said.
‘You should learn to speak up.’ With a toss of her head, she pushed past me and opened the door into reception.
Alone again, I turned my efforts back to the radiator. Somehow, I had to get the report out. I tried to slide my fingers down the back of it but only succeeded in burning my hand.
I needed something long and thin. I clattered down the basement steps and picked up a stick used for unblocking the drain. I put the kettle on to boil, then tore back upstairs.
I tried to pry the envelope out of its hiding place, but all I succeeded in doing was pushing it farther down. Exasperated, I got on my knees and attempted to reach the envelope from the bottom up. It was hopeless, as the skirting board was flush with the radiator base. The most awful thought struck me. It could become a fire hazard. The whole place could go up in flames. I could even be imprisoned for arson!
Stifling a cry of frustration, I stomped back down to the basement to make the tea. Tea was always a good salve in situations such as these.
As I waited for the kettle to boil, I actually had an inspirational flash. Wasn’t the central heating turned off at night? I’d just have to come back later on. If I could put the report on Pete’s desk by morning, surely no one would care how it got there?
A few minutes later I returned to reception bearing two mugs of tea. Annabel was sitting in the brown leatherette chair, leafing through a magazine on tractors.
‘Still no sign of Brian?’ I said, handing her a mug with a sympathetic smile. ‘What a bore!’
She shook her head. ‘Barbara’s locking up at five. I suppose something must have happened to him.’
‘Goes with the territory, doesn’t it?’ I said. ‘Perhaps he thought he was being followed?’
‘Pete’s going to be furious.’ Annabel looked worried. ‘He specifically told me to get it today.’
‘Have you tried to phone him?’
Annabel shook her head. ‘We only have his mobile.’
‘The hazards of living in a valley,’ I said, glad of Gipping’s non-existent mobile phone reception. ‘Never mind. Once Devon Satellite Bell finds a new site for that transmitter, our lives will be much easier.’
‘Which is hardly relevant now, is it?’ Annabel sneered.
‘Surely it can’t be
that
important.’
‘Actually, Vicky, it really is.’ Annabel swallowed hard and inspected her fingernails. Clearly that was as forthcoming as she was prepared to be.
‘Anyone would think it was a matter of life and
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