Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths by Holly Bell (best love novels of all time txt) 📕

At once, the inspector broke into rapid speech.

‘Sir, your help has been invaluable. Please excuse me, I must leave immediately.’

‘Oh. Yes of course … Glad to have …’

Trelawney ran through the Centre into the car park towards the Mondeo.

‘What the …?’

He had parked in haste, and now there was a Royal Mail van blocking him in. He ran back into reception, where Bill was in conversation with the lady on the desk.

‘Bill, where’s the delivery driver?’

‘Ah, Pavel. He must be inside.’

‘I need him to move his van. Find him now!’

‘Yes, sir. Maureen, call the most likely places. Get Pavel out here, on the double.’

Trelawney got on his phone.

‘Baker, where are you?’

‘Coming back across town, sir.’

‘How far away from the village?’

‘Ten minutes, maybe.’

‘Where is Nikolaides?’

‘Madley Towers interviewing Ford and Bail—’

Trelawney interrupted and gave instructions of exactly where to meet him.

‘Shall I get back up?’

‘Yes, but no one goes in. We may have a hostage situation.’

***

Amanda leaned forward to pick up her ramekin from the tray. Tempest, however, chose that moment to hop onto her lap, purring loudly.

‘Oo, there you are, Mr Fluffikins,’ said Amanda fondly, cuddling and stroking him. ‘Come to say hello?’

He directed his citrine glare at the Hillands.

‘How is your work going? The piano making progress?’ asked Dale.

‘Slowly.’

‘Got any in-progress snaps?’

‘Yes, I have as a matter of fact,’ replied Amanda surprised. She took them just for her own records and marketing, and it was rare that anyone else asked to see them. She was rather pleased. Amanda took out her mobile and brought up the photos.

‘Oh my word,’ said Dale. ‘May I?’ he asked, taking the phone and zooming in to get a closer look. ‘It really was badly damaged.’ He got up and strolled to the shop entrance. Still inspecting the images, he turned the sign to “Closed” and locked the door.

There was that feeling again … the green shoots were wriggling upwards through the sand. Valley … Nans …

He looked up and smiled.

‘That’s cosier, isn’t it? Now we shan’t be disturbed.’

‘Oh Dale!’ said his mother, putting a hand to her forehead. ‘I do feel ever so strange. I have such a headache.’

‘Just one of your turns, I expect, Mother,’ he replied calmly. ‘Now let’s all settle down and have our tea. Perhaps you’re hungry, Mother. Did you skip breakfast, again?’ asked her attentive son.

‘I did only have a slice of toast and that nice cup of coffee you made me earlier. We’ve been so busy,’ Gillian explained. ‘Yes, that’s probably all it is. He’s so good to his mother,’ she told Amanda. ‘Dear Dale.’

It clicked, the penny dropped, the plant shot forth through the sand into the light, and the flower opened.

Nans. Not valley; dale. Bre: hill. Ha: And.

Gillian Hilland reached for her pudding, spooned a dainty load and delivered it to her mouth.

***

‘Sorry, Inspector!’ exclaimed Pavel. He came running out of the Centre and jumped up into his van, as Trelawney, his call to Amanda unanswered, sent off an urgent text.

The inspector, in the driver’s seat of the Mondeo, ready to go, signalled his thanks to Pavel. With a trained eye out for pedestrians and other motorists, he drove from the carpark and floored the accelerator.

***

‘Do try it while it’s hot, Amanda. That’s when it’s best,’ Dale invited her cheerily. Concealing her growing unease, she picked up her spoon. Tempest sat up on her lap, raised a dainty paw and scooped off the top of the pudding.

‘Oh, naughty kitty!’ Amanda exclaimed, with every appearance of displeasure. ‘Dale, do you have something I can wipe his paw with? I’m afraid he is rather keen on cream, you see? Tempest and I are very close, but I really don’t think I can eat this now.’

But he made no move to fetch a cloth. Instead, he slowly and deliberately turned his chair towards her, leaned back, crossed his arms across his chest and smiled.

‘You know. Of course … you know. I heard Mother’s little slip over South America. But you’d already started to suspect, hadn’t you?’

Amanda’s phone rang in Dale’s pocket.

‘We don’t need that at the moment,’ he stated smoothly. ‘Do we now?’

Chapter 41

The Truth Will Out

Amanda’s phone buzzed the text alert. Dale took it out of his pocket and looked at the message.

‘From your inspector. It seems he knows too.’ He turned the screen so she could see, but kept the device out of her reach.

Don’t Alice

‘It’s code. I can guess. Yes, he knows too.’ He sighed. ‘Ah well. That means time is up, Amanda.’ He got to his feet. So did she, Tempest springing from her arms onto the table between them.

The inspector must be on his way, she thought. But this is not good.

Grandpa’s words sounded in her head.

‘Be Granny.’

But I’m not, thought Amanda. I’m me. I’m just me … but I’m going to have to be enough ... And maybe I am.

After all, she had a pocket full of wand and head full of a thousand spells. And even more rules. Unfortunately, principle among them was that spells against humans were anathema, and, admittedly, they had got her into serious trouble. Then again … what choice would she have?

Amanda faced it: I can’t defend myself with anything but magic.

She moved away from Hilland as Gillian spoke,

‘Dale … I’m not feeling …’

‘No, Mother … but it’ll pass.’ He smiled. A smile of teeth and ice. He finished, ‘Just. Like You.’

From her drowsiness, she fetched up anger.

‘You’ve been a bad boy, haven’t you, Daley! Mother always knows when you’ve been a bad boy. You said the special thing in the cake was just for her. For her!’

‘Plans change, Mother,’ he replied airily, edging towards Amanda, who now had a hand in her pocket, fingering out her mini-wand.

‘I wouldn’t have said a word, Daley!’ she wailed.

‘I couldn’t risk it, Mother. This is best for me. You always wanted the best for me.’

‘Not when you’re a bad boy.’ She looked up at Amanda. ‘I