Read Online Before the Storm by Sean McMullen - Free Book Online Page A

Barry.
    â€˜I just want to know what Fox is up to,’ said Emily. ‘I mean, I know he saved me, but we can’t let a criminal visit our house.’
    â€˜Ya have me over,’ Barry pointed out.
    â€˜Daniel has you over, not me. Besides, Fox may be a bigger criminal than you.’
    â€˜Just about everyone’s bigger than me. Well, okay. Wot ya want done?’
    â€˜Can you pick locks quickly?’
    â€˜Yeah, can I ever!’
    â€˜Good. Pick the lock to Fox’s room, and we shall go in and look around. If we find nothing suspicious, we shall just leave as if we never went near the place.’
    They sat together in embarrassed silence until the train arrived, then boarded and found seats away from the other passengers.
    â€˜This is daft, and probably dangerous too,’ muttered Daniel as the steam train rattled and chugged its way to the city.
    â€˜It is nothing of the sort!’ insisted Emily. ‘We shall just go to the building and find out things.’
    â€˜What things?’
    â€˜Important things.’
    â€˜What if there’s nothing to find out? What if Fox returns while we are there?’
    â€˜Well then, we shall leap out and demand that he explain everything.’
    â€˜But what if he has a gun?’
    â€˜He will not shoot us.’
    â€˜How do you know?’
    â€˜He saved our lives, silly. Someone who saves your life will be too noble to shoot you.’
    â€˜He didn’t save my life!’ exclaimed Barry nervously.
    â€˜Well, you can stay hiding while I step out and surprise him,’ declared Emily.
    â€˜If there’s somewhere to hide,’ said Daniel.
    â€˜It’s easy to hide,’ said Emily.
    â€˜How would a girl know that?’ demanded Daniel. ‘Have you ever tried to hide?’
    â€˜Of course. I have hidden under the table in the parlour and listened to Mother and Father talk about all sorts of things.’
    â€˜Such as what?’ asked Daniel.
    â€˜Well … I heard them say that Henry the groom reduced Martha the maid.’
    â€˜Reduced her?’ responded Daniel. ‘You mean made her smaller?’
    â€˜How am I to know? Anyway, Father was all for sending her away for being a loose woman.’
    â€˜You mean she did naked poses, like in Barry’s postcards?’
    â€˜We two gotta have a serious talk ’bout some embarrassin’ stuff if we live through the next couple of hours, Danny Boy,’ muttered Barry, wiping his forehead with a grubby handkerchief.
    â€˜Martha would never do a thing like that,’ insisted Emily, ignoring Barry. ‘Anyway, Mother said good maids are too hard to find, so Father agreed to give her another chance.’
    â€˜Reduced. Do you know what that means, Barry?’
    â€˜I think he said seduced,’ said Barry unhappily.
    â€˜What does it mean?’
    â€˜Somethin’ rude.’
    â€˜If it is anything to do with those French postcards, you would be sure to know!’ snorted Emily. ‘I don’t want to hear any more on the subject.’
    Barry literally sagged with relief. Judging from his reaction, Emily decided that either she or her brother had just managed to make complete fools of themselves. She resolved to look up the word ’seduced’ next time she was within reach of a dictionary.
    At Flinders Street Station they left the train, and Daniel led the way to a four-storey building in Flinders Lane that was all peeling paint and rotting woodwork. The outer door was closed, but it yielded to Barry’s picklock.
    They ascended the stairs to the top floor, exploring as they went. All the rooms on the first three floors were empty and open, and Emily began to suspect that her brother had made a mistake. They communicated by gestures, even though the floorboards creaked louder than a whisper with every step they took. There was a pile of crates on the landing of the top floor, and nearby was a door that was