Second Night by Gabriel J Klein Read Free Book Online Page B

cold underfoot in an already too cold house?’ suggested Alan.
    ‘Nothing that a couple of good mats and a bit of polish won’t sort out,’ said John.
    ‘Not to mention a couple of new radiators,’ said Jasper, kicking at the ancient relic barely attached by a frayed, purple-coloured flex to the old brown socket beside the fireplace. ‘Has he said anything about what colours he wants?’
    ‘He’s seen a picture in some fancy magazine your mother brought in for him,’ said John. ‘It’s got to be a pale gold colour and white, with a bit of grey so it blends in all right with the rest of the house. He wants it done by the end of the month before Charles gets down here with the accounts. So if you think you’re up to it, boy, you’d better get cracking.’
    Jasper scratched his head again. ‘It depends how long it’s going to take. What do you reckon, Al?’
    Alan picked at the flaking paint around the fireplace. ‘These walls are going to need sealing after you’ve filled in the cracks, unless he wants a couple of centuries of grease and grime seeping straight back through his fancy paintwork. If you’re going to do it properly, you’re better looking at three weekends and a few hours here and there in the evenings during the week.’
    Jasper pulled a face. ‘But can you manage without me for that long?’
    Alan smiled. ‘I’ll be all right. You’ll be back out timber-hauling by the end of the month.’
    ‘Well, it’s going to cost him. Specialist indoor rates have got to be worth at least double the usual pay cheque, and I’m going to need all new stuff, especially if he wants it done quick. I’m not dabbing away with hundred-year-old twigs for paintbrushes, just so he can say he’s saved himself a couple of quid.’
    ‘You only have to tell old Dark-eyes what you want,’ said John. ‘She’ll get you sorted.’
    Alan lifted the doors off the tall cupboard beside the window in the corner of the room. ‘Give us a hand with this, Jas.’
    They dragged the heavy piece of furniture into the middle of the floor. The green paint on the exposed wall was several shades brighter than the rest of the room. The black paint still shone on the door that the cupboard had effectively hidden for more than half a century.
    ‘What’s in there?’ asked Jasper immediately.
    ‘That was where the butler kept the special wines, if I remember right,’ said John.
    Jasper’s eyes brightened. He tried the door. It was locked. ‘Special wines, eh? Have you got the key?’
    ‘I expect it’s somewhere about. I’ll have a look for it later. Don’t kid yourself, boy, any special wines would have been long cleared out before this door was closed up.’
    Jasper wagged a finger under John’s nose. ‘You never know what’s been hidden away in this old place, John. You’ve said so yourself, plenty of times.’
    ‘You’ll find nothing in there but dust. The last butler was Daisy’s old dad and he was no more inclined to waste anything than she is, particularly special wine.’
    ‘Time’s getting on,’ Alan reminded them. ‘I’m not finished up the woods yet and we’ve still got to get this old stuff cleared away.’ He opened the window and looked out. The flower border at this dark corner of the north-facing wall of the house was narrow and the path beside it had been gravelled. ‘We ought to be able to get most of it out through here if we break it up a bit first.’
    ‘And then I can get started bright and early tomorrow morning,’ said Jasper. ‘The sooner the cash is out of the boss’s cold old pocket and hot in mine, the better it will be for both of us.’
    While the bonfire blazed merrily in the garden and John was satisfied that Jasper would be occupied outside with an axe for at least another hour, he went back to the kitchen.
    ‘Where did your old dad keep his special keys?’ he asked his wife. ‘I thought I’d have a go at getting that old door open while it’s quiet-like.’
    ‘Try the