Read Online Running Stupid: (Mystery Series) by James Kipling - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Kipling
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muttered an incoherent and obscene gurgle.
“There you go,” Mary said, removing her hands from his shoulder. “As good as new.”
Matthew looked across at the smiling woman, the pain in his arm decreasing to a numb throb. “As quick as that?”
“It’s just a dislocated shoulder, darling.”
“I know … but couldn’t you have warned me first?”
“Believe me, if you know the pain is coming, it’s a lot harder to handle,” she said warmly.
Matthew nodded. “I guess so.”
“How did you get into this mess, then?”
Matthew studied the woman’s features for a moment. If she or her husband knew who he was, they would have said something by now.
“I fell.”
“What were you doing out in those fields?”
Matthew paused, pondered, and then spoke, “Collecting apples.”
“Apples?”
“From the trees. Then I fell.”
The woman smiled and stood. “Whatever you were doing is none of my business, my darling,” she said warmly. “You seem like a nice man. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thanks,” Matthew said bleakly.
“Let’s get you some food then,” Mary exclaimed happily. “I have some freshly baked bread, some lovely stew, and a cherry pie for afterwards.”
“That sounds delicious,” Matthew said with a gleeful nod.
Mary stood and started out of the room. Matthew’s eyes crossed to the television set. “I hope you don’t mind me asking,” he said, catching her attention. “But do you …” he paused, struggling to find an innocent question to receive a serious answer. “Do you watch the television much?”
“No, dear,” Mary said instantly. “The twins, my nieces, they watch it when they come over to visit. My nephew, Carl, too, he likes television, but other than that, no. Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering,” Matthew said distantly. “This seems like such a beautiful place, and it’s a nice distance away from the big cities. How do you keep up with current events, news, sports and what not?”
“What goes on behind those walls doesn’t interest me,” Mary said placidly. “James, on the other hand …” she allowed her sentence to trail off.
“James?” Matthew snapped, worry in his tone. “What does he watch? He watches the television, does he? Reads newspapers?” He realised he sounded desperate and strange, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to know if they were likely to know who he was and what he had -- supposedly -- done.
“Nothing like that. He watches the odd England game, that’s all. He can’t stand sports, but he’s a very patriotic man. Whenever England is playing, be it cricket, football, or field hockey, he’ll be there watching it.”
Matthew nodded, content.
“Follow me, love,” Mary ushered. “Dinner will be ready soon. In the meantime, you and James can pass the time.” She paused in the doorway. “Do you know how to play chess?”
“No.”
“Backgammon?”
“No.”
“Drafts?”
“No.”
“Hmm,” Mary pondered. “What about cards?”
“Poker,” Matthew said. “I know poker.”
“That’ll do,” Mary said with a smile. “James likes to play a few games and have a couple of drinks before dinner.” She paused and pondered. “James likes his games,” she finished with a smile.
Matthew nodded and followed Mary into another room.
10
Matthew spread his hand of cards in front of his face: nine of hearts, seven of diamonds, two kings – club and spade – and the ace of hearts.
“Two for me,” he said, laying the nine and the seven flat on the table and receiving another two cards from the dealer.
“I’ll take just the one,” James said.
They both studied their hands and then they started making their bets. A mound of one and two pence pieces sat in the middle of the table. James had supplied the money, purely for practical purposes. As
“There you go,” Mary said, removing her hands from his shoulder. “As good as new.”
Matthew looked across at the smiling woman, the pain in his arm decreasing to a numb throb. “As quick as that?”
“It’s just a dislocated shoulder, darling.”
“I know … but couldn’t you have warned me first?”
“Believe me, if you know the pain is coming, it’s a lot harder to handle,” she said warmly.
Matthew nodded. “I guess so.”
“How did you get into this mess, then?”
Matthew studied the woman’s features for a moment. If she or her husband knew who he was, they would have said something by now.
“I fell.”
“What were you doing out in those fields?”
Matthew paused, pondered, and then spoke, “Collecting apples.”
“Apples?”
“From the trees. Then I fell.”
The woman smiled and stood. “Whatever you were doing is none of my business, my darling,” she said warmly. “You seem like a nice man. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thanks,” Matthew said bleakly.
“Let’s get you some food then,” Mary exclaimed happily. “I have some freshly baked bread, some lovely stew, and a cherry pie for afterwards.”
“That sounds delicious,” Matthew said with a gleeful nod.
Mary stood and started out of the room. Matthew’s eyes crossed to the television set. “I hope you don’t mind me asking,” he said, catching her attention. “But do you …” he paused, struggling to find an innocent question to receive a serious answer. “Do you watch the television much?”
“No, dear,” Mary said instantly. “The twins, my nieces, they watch it when they come over to visit. My nephew, Carl, too, he likes television, but other than that, no. Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering,” Matthew said distantly. “This seems like such a beautiful place, and it’s a nice distance away from the big cities. How do you keep up with current events, news, sports and what not?”
“What goes on behind those walls doesn’t interest me,” Mary said placidly. “James, on the other hand …” she allowed her sentence to trail off.
“James?” Matthew snapped, worry in his tone. “What does he watch? He watches the television, does he? Reads newspapers?” He realised he sounded desperate and strange, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to know if they were likely to know who he was and what he had -- supposedly -- done.
“Nothing like that. He watches the odd England game, that’s all. He can’t stand sports, but he’s a very patriotic man. Whenever England is playing, be it cricket, football, or field hockey, he’ll be there watching it.”
Matthew nodded, content.
“Follow me, love,” Mary ushered. “Dinner will be ready soon. In the meantime, you and James can pass the time.” She paused in the doorway. “Do you know how to play chess?”
“No.”
“Backgammon?”
“No.”
“Drafts?”
“No.”
“Hmm,” Mary pondered. “What about cards?”
“Poker,” Matthew said. “I know poker.”
“That’ll do,” Mary said with a smile. “James likes to play a few games and have a couple of drinks before dinner.” She paused and pondered. “James likes his games,” she finished with a smile.
Matthew nodded and followed Mary into another room.
10
Matthew spread his hand of cards in front of his face: nine of hearts, seven of diamonds, two kings – club and spade – and the ace of hearts.
“Two for me,” he said, laying the nine and the seven flat on the table and receiving another two cards from the dealer.
“I’ll take just the one,” James said.
They both studied their hands and then they started making their bets. A mound of one and two pence pieces sat in the middle of the table. James had supplied the money, purely for practical purposes. As
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