Before the Storm by Sean McMullen Read Free Book Online

opinion?’
    â€˜That’s why I’m here, Barry!’ muttered Daniel impatiently.
    â€˜I reckon ya got a visitor wot’s a dodgy leaf, and who’s doin’ laundry, an’ I reckon it’s that cove wot bought the tikky last night.’
    Daniel thought about this for some moments.
    â€˜As much as I hate to admit it, Barry, I fear you are right.’

    Daniel returned home to find Mrs Lang playing the piano while Mr Lang sang some song about being a modern major general. Fox, Emily and Martha were their audience. Daniel was very uneasy about the situation. On the one hand, he owed Fox his life, yet what did one do if one owed one’s life to a thief? Emily seemed to think that she always had an answer for everything. Daniel hated to admit it, but she did seem to have been right about Fox. Fox had to be followed, but there was a problem with that. Daniel had no money for the train. Emily had money, however. She never did anything wrong, so her allowance was never stopped. Far from hiding the thefts from her, Daniel decided that he would confront her with them. Daniel beckoned to Emily from the parlour doorway. She seemed quite anxious to leave the room, which was understandable, given their father’s singing voice.
    â€˜It was so humiliating. I beat Fox at chess!’ she exclaimed softly as they reached the kitchen. ‘I could see that he was trying, too. What will he think of me? Mother will never let me hear the end of it.’
    â€˜Listen!’ hissed Daniel. ‘Please, just listen. Things have been stolen.’
    â€˜What things?’ demanded Emily at once. ‘If that Barry has …’
    â€˜Shush! Keep your voice down.’
    â€˜Well, what things?’
    â€˜Small, odd things. Empty jars, Condy’s crystals, bleach, lemons.’
    â€˜It must have been that horrid Barry the Bag from the railway station.’
    â€˜He said he didn’t.’
    â€˜And you believed him? That dirty little ruffian who sells those, those, er, horrid French pictures of women doing shameful things.’
    â€˜They’re art pictures, and besides, he says he only delivers them for Mr Aitkinson.’
    â€˜They’re pictures of orgies!’ insisted Emily.
    â€˜You don’t even know what orgies are!’
    â€˜Yes I do!’
    â€˜Well, what are they?’
    â€˜They’re dinner parties that respectable people don’t go to.’
    â€˜How would you know?’ Daniel demanded. ‘Have you ever seen one?’
    â€˜I don’t have to. From all the filthy giggles and whispers that I have overheard from you and your ruffian friends, I know what they must be like, and –’
    â€˜All right, all right, Emmy, look, what about Fox? Martha noticed things missing last night.’
    â€˜Martha? Why didn’t she tell me?’
    â€˜I asked her not to, I wanted to check with Barry first.’
    â€˜Barry would never admit to stealing anything.’
    â€˜Would Barry steal bleach and lemons?’
    â€˜Perhaps not,’ Emily conceded.
    â€˜Barry says that Fox bought a ticket for Flinders Street, and that while he was waiting for the train he took jars and lemons from his pockets and looked at them. He told me this before I said that anything had been stolen.’
    â€˜Well then, Fox was quite probably building something scientific, something to do with electricity. He’s very clever.’
    She’s changed! thought Daniel. The moment I change sides, she changes the other way. She must do it to annoy me, and for no other reason. Daniel was surprised that he had never noticed this before.
    â€˜Well that’s all right, then,’ concluded Daniel, who then turned and began to walk away.
    â€˜Wait!’ called Emily. ‘You have to tell someone.’
    â€˜Why? You approve of what he did.’
    â€˜I never said that –’ began Emily.
    â€˜Then tell Father.’
    For some moments, Emily