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that little implement might just serve to winkle out the remains.
Loyd scratched around in the lock, and after a minute or so the end of the broken key fell to the
floor.  You see, Ben, you should never underestimate the value of the paranormal, he said, smiling.
 You came to ask my advice on this book about Rick Schwagger. Obviously you are going to want some
help. I need to give it a little thought. My publisher keeps what he refers to as  the Loyd Larcher
brand under tight control, so my involvement would have to be unofficial, but I ll do what I can.
When I told Dale of my visit to Loyd, he was not at all surprised to hear Alicia s real name. He
already knew it, having seen it on an envelope in the shop one day.  I didn t need to be  gifted to find
that out, he said wryly.
Loyd had given me my first usable material for Rick s  auto biography, but I left out the part about him
having sabotaged a rival team s cricket pads, thinking he would not want it included. Given my lack of
progress during two visits to The Rocking Boulders villa, the pages of notes were a real achievement.
Until then my folder contained only peripheral papers  the print-outs of the e-mails that preceded my
first meeting with The Handyman and Teef  and the suggestions from the brainstorming session in
the bookshop. To this, surely, could be added what Alicia knew of Rick s involvement with the Oracles
of Aten. I resolved also to read the sect s book and note anything of use.
Most important, I was able to report my progress to The Handyman and Teef. For my third trip to
the villa, I was collected from home as before, and ushered up to the first-floor sitting room, where
The Handyman left me alone with Teef. He was preoccupied with counting some white oval tablets,
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presumably part of his prescribed medication, which he had laid out in an evenly spaced row on the
table. At first he did not respond to my news about Loyd having taught Rick at school, but said,  Ah
yeah, Quick s book. Great to see you, Bendy. You brought me any gear?
He grimaced at my excuses.  We ve got to think of something, Bendy. Me being stuck here with
nothing but the pills the doctor gives me and the odd shot of Jack Daniel s, and that s if I m lucky, for
someone who s been used all his life to taking everything he could swallow, shove up his nose, or shoot
into his veins, it is real purgatory. You could get hold of a couple of lines of coke or a few pills for me,
course you could, no trouble, especially you being a bender. The gay clubs are swamped with stuff,
more than even I could dream of. Remember the maracas I showed you last time? It would be too risky
to let you take Quick s away with you, but a friend of mine has managed to smuggle in another pair for
me.
He went to check the landing outside in case anyone might be listening, then pulled a leather holdall
containing the maracas from under an armchair. The highly polished surfaces were flawless, but with a
wink he unscrewed the handles, which were hollow inside. Then pressing and twisting the tops with the
palm of his hand, he unscrewed the upper section, revealing two more hidden compartments.  See
Bendy, you can hide enough stuff in them to keep me happy for a whole week. I don t want to cause
you hassle. Just get what you can for me, hide it in the maracas and bring them back next time. What
we ll do is this. We ll practise a few numbers together, and when The Handyman comes back we ll tell
him you re learning to play them; then when you leave, you just pick them up; all natural like, act easy
and, er, nonchalant, don t overdo it mind, and take them home with you. Before you come to see me
again, take yourself down to a club and get whatever you can, especially a few grams of coke. I can t
give you cash now, they make it difficult for me to get my hands on ready money, but I ll definitely be
able to pay you next time you come.
I tried to divert him by asking, since he had been to the same school as Rick, if he remembered
Loyd.
 Oh yes, you were saying earlier. You ve actually made contact with some geezer who taught Quick
and me? How did you find out about him? He might have taught us, but with my memory&  He shook
his head,  Not that I doubt what you say. Shows you must be psychic after all. Waiting for so long
without hearing of any progress, Quick and me were beginning to think you was a lot of whistle but no
tune. He ll be really chuffed when I tell him.
 Coincidence, that s all it was& 
 Yeah, yeah, if you say so, Bendy. The genuine ones have to play it down, don t they, too worried
about people taking advantage. You can trust me, I won t spread it around. Obviously you have to be
careful who knows about the old sixth sense. You don t want to be plagued with punters trying to get
you to tell them which horse is going to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Anyway, better get started with
the music. Remember? We want The Handyman to find us playing when he comes in.
Even though my role was merely to shake the maracas as instructed by vigorous nods of Teef  s head
while he played guitar, and even though he had only suggested it as part of a scheme to get some  gear ,
I happily did as he asked. How strange that Teef, with his enormous fortune from records and concert
tours, with millions of devoted fans, was so much in The Handyman s control. After almost fifteen
minutes we reached a rhythmic climax. Then the dinner gong sounded downstairs, and as on my earlier
visits The Handyman appeared at the door.  Ho, ho, ho, he said,  what have we here?
 Nothing, Teef said.  We were just making music together. He took the maracas from me, put them
in the holdall, and dropped it in my lap.
The Handyman s expression softened and he said jokingly,  Was that what it was? I ll give you a tip.
Next time you re thinking of playing together, try taking your clothes off first. We gave his attempt at
humour a stony response. He shrugged and said,  All serious tonight, are we? All right, but a bit of fun
wouldn t do you no harm, Teef. He s a nice-looking boy& anyway, suit yourself& time to go, Bendy.
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I took the holdall with me, only realizing on the way to the car this would encourage Teef to think
the maracas would be packed with  gear the next time he saw them.
Rather than having me sit in the back of the car, The Handyman opened the front passenger door
and gestured for me to get in. He slowed down and glanced across at me quizzically as the car passed a
very dark area under trees by the gate, but I kept my eyes ahead. He edged us forward and turned onto
the main road.  Your visits have gone all right so far, Bendy. We don t want anything to happen that
might spoil it all, do we?
 Why should anything? I said, turning towards him. He returned my stare.  No phone message from
Quick this time though, I added, trying not to sound guilty.
 You keep in your mind that I m watching out for signs of any goings-on that Quick wouldn t
approve of. His tone was flat, matter-of-fact.  Actually, it is possible you might get to meet him. He is in
London. Got his eye on a woman he met at some posh party. Lady-in-waiting at the Palace, he says.
Got to be extra careful whenever he s about, we don t want him turning nasty. And don t go expecting [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]