Read Online Mr. Dixon disappears: a mobile library mystery by Ian Sansom - Free Book Online Page B

feet tall. She was red-eyed and was clutching a paper tissue in one hand, a paper cup in the other. She looked as though she'd been crying.
    'Linda,' said Israel. 'Are you all right?'
    'Mr Armstrong,' sniffed Linda. 'Yes, thank you.'
    'Er. Good. Well…' Israel couldn't think of the next logical supplementary question. He gestured at her paper cup. 'Cappuccino?'
    'I wish,' said Linda, dabbing at her eyes. 'I'm on the herbals.'
    'Right.'
    Linda went into her office, Israel following.
    'Peppermint,' she said. 'Did you ever try Atkins?'
    'The diet?' said Israel.
    'Aye, the diet,' said Linda.
    'No,' said Israel.
    'Tried it last year,' said Linda mournfully. 'It worked for me. But the wind, honestly.' She gave a little burp, as if in demonstration. 'I lost nearly two stone.'
    'Right. Good.'
    'Put it all back on again. Missed the scones. Trying this GI thing now.'
    'OK.'
    'Did you…?' said Linda. 'Sshh.'
    Linda raised a finger for Israel to be silent and she gazed around the room suspiciously. Israel followed her gaze. The office was much messier than he remembered–papers and reports everywhere. The plants on the windowsill didn't seem to be thriving.
    'Sshh. Did you…Can you…Can you hear anything?' said Linda.
    'Like what?' said Israel nervously.
    'Just, a wee noise?'
    'No. I don't think so. Are you sure you're all right, Linda?'
    'Yes. Thank you. The noise though. No noise? Definitely not?'
    'No. I don't think so. What sort of noise?'
    'A wee sort of squeaking?'
    'No. Definitely no squeaking.'
    'Hmm. Only, I think I've got a mouse in here.'
    'A mouse?'
    'Aye. The caretaker says it's because of all the crumbs, see. Haven't been able to catch him so far, the wee blighter. Haven't seen him even. He leaves his droppings, like, but otherwise you'd never know he was there. I can't decide if I can hear him or not.'
    'Right.'
    'Sending me demented so it is.'
    She took a long indraw of breath and slowly got down on her knees and stared at the skirting board.
    'Mr Mouse!' she called quietly. 'Mr Mousey! I know you're there!'
    'Erm, Linda, shall I…'
    'Ah,' sighed the crouching Linda. 'It's the mouse, you see, and the diet, and the…Honest to God. All these little things, they add up to—'
    'Small changes in some variables can cause disproportionate results,' said Israel.
    'What?'
    'Chaos theory, isn't it? I read a book about it once.'
    'Right, I'm sure,' said Linda, distracted.
    'Butterfly wings and tornadoes.'
    Linda stood up. 'He's a wee hole here somewhere, but I'm damned if I can find it.'
    'Uh-huh. Should I perhaps go and come back later, Linda?'
    'No! Not at all.' Linda threw back her shoulders and plumped down into her imitation leather swivel seat and took a sip of her herbal tea. 'Anyways,' she said. 'How can I help you?'
    'You asked me to come and see you. Ted brought me.'
    'Ah, yes. Course. Couple of things. First…' She rifled through a teetering pile of papers on her desk, and plucked out a plastic folder. 'Aha! Yes, there's the plan to relaunch all mobile learning centres as Ideas Centres and—'
    'What?'
    'The Department of Entertainment, Leisure and Community Services have a plan to relaunch all mobile learning centres—'
    'Mobile libraries,' said Israel.
    'Yes, if you must.' Linda peered over her glasses. 'As Ideas Centres. So they're going to be much more ideas-focused.'
    'Ideas-focused?'
    'Yes.'
    'OK. So when were you going to tell me about this?'
    'I'm telling you now, Mr Armstrong.'
    'Right. You're just going to repaint the sign on the vans, or…what?'
    'No, no, no. You'll have to read the report,' said Linda, who seemed to be losing enthusiasm for what she was saying even as she was speaking. 'It's all still blue skies at the moment–we're just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.'
    'Throwing things at the wall?'
    'That's right. To see what sticks. But I wanted you to have a glance at the report, see what you think, get your feedback.'
    'I think I know what I think about an Ideas Centre,