Halton Cray (Shadows of the World Book 1) Read Free Page B

She
wanted something.
    ‘It turns out the position’s become full time because
the other girl who I was going to job share with has walked out! But–’
    ‘ Wait – walked out?’
    ‘Yeah, like yesterday.’
    ‘Is her name Tess?’
    ‘No. Rebecca.’ She frowned impatiently at me. ‘But
anyway, I can’t work the other hours because of my teacher training and drama
classes. So I was saying to the shop manager, Mrs Evans her name is, that you do
shift work and might job share with me. Think about it for a second, Alex! It
will only be two weekday afternoons and a Saturday. I’ll be working the
Saturday as well, just as I would have done with the other girl if she hadn’t
gone and ruined everything! So we can be here together! It’ll be great, and you
can earn a bit extra. Plus you said how nice it would be to work here–’
    ‘Alright, Stace, calm down. Let me think for a
minute. It’d be great to work here, but I don’t think it’ll be possible to
arrange the hours.’
    ‘Oh please, please, please?’ she whispered,
arching her body into the begging pose of a dog. ‘She knows you’re here, just
go and speak to her about hours. It can’t hurt!’ She grinned, nodding her head,
convinced she was able to hypnotise me in to compliance.
    She was right; it couldn’t hurt to talk to the woman.
Besides, Stacey hadn’t mentioned anything about the missing Tess McQueeney. And
who was Rebecca?
    Before I knew it, I was making my way towards the
stairs, deciding to ask this Mrs Evans about the girls myself. Stacey ran ahead
to lead the way and excitedly hopped and bounced down them like a mountain
goat.
     

 
    Three
     

QUESTIONS
     
     
    ‘There is no marvel in a woman learning to speak,
but there would be in teaching her to hold her tongue.’
     
    – Elizabeth I of England
     
     
    ‘Mrs Evans?’ I approached
the counter in the gift shop, sticking out my hand to the middle-aged woman
behind it. She chewed heavily on a piece of gum, had the figure of a Russian
doll, and a face that needed a good iron. ‘I’m Alex Turner.’ – She stopped
chewing at once and stared at me blankly for half a minute. – ‘I believe my
friend, Stacey Lloyd, mentioned me to you about a job-share position?’
    Recollection kicked in and changed her expression.
    ‘Of course.’ She pointed to her head to indicate
forgetfulness.
    Immediately she asked if I’d worked on a cash
register before, which I had and so found myself instinctively nodding, and
‘Who is your current employer?’
    ‘EDIN International,’ I replied. ‘It’s an IT
recruitment agency in New Cromley.’
    ‘Would your employer allow you to work here, too?’
    ‘It would depend on the hours.’
    ‘The situation is,’ Mrs Evans explained, ‘I need
someone to cover the front desk in the afternoons, and occasionally work in the
shop. I cover the desk in the morning, but later I’m too busy. Stacey would
have shared this task with a girl who’s just left, and so last minute I’m now
stuck to fill the position quickly. I could make the job fulltime now,’ she
said a little assertively, as if I’d made things difficult, ‘and get
just a Saturday helper. But your friend says you would consider it, and she
gave you a generous character reference.’
    She walked around the counter as she spoke and I
didn’t have a chance to interrupt. As she moved, I detected the faint smell of
stale cigarettes wafting from her. It made me hold my breath.
    ‘The front desk doesn’t need attending all the
time, but I like to have someone there for general enquiries. The shop will
mainly need minding when Susan or I take our breaks.’
    She gestured a hand to a woman dusting shelves,
indicating this as Susan.
    ‘Saturdays will mainly be rotating between the
front desk and shop with Stacey. What hours do you currently work?’
    ‘My shift pattern rotates monthly,’ I said, now
having to follow her as she moved to and fro the counter. ‘My early shift
finishes at 2