Glossary
jumpy = jumper
cardy = cardigan
drinkies = alcohol
pandy = hand
I-
spuddy duddies = potatoes
roon = rabbit
booon = bunny
pickling = raining
Dusk is already blending with fading sunlight when some inexplicable force prompts me to break the firmest of unspoken rules by seeking absolute clarification of a past event.
‘If you don’t mind my saying, you seem a little ill at ease… Drinking in public, that is.’
Mercifully, Morton-
‘Well then, my smooth tasting friend, what do you think the inquisitive Ms Kurakawa actually wants to ask?’
Of course, he is being kind in pandering to my fragile condition. I know this and should back away… But the demons do spur me on so.
‘What really made me choose a hostess bar for refuge after—’ Morton-
I cough nervously then deplorably play Devil’s advocate with Naomi’s discovery.
‘It worked – the peace and quiet, I mean – so that’s why you returned.’
Morton-
‘Not at all! I hated it. Ironically, though, by the end of my first visit I’d discovered a Karato connection. Hostesses can be remarkably indiscreet in the company of a grieving foreigner, especially one with money to spend. Result: a way to feel a touch more human. So there you have it: solace through investigation… Helped along, of course, by the magical touch of serendipity.’
So, there is nothing more to discover after all. Time to go, then, before I shame myself any further.
As promised, our route back to the taxi rank is engineered to include the Mitsukoshi department store. Primarily my interest is in some magazines to read while alone, thus my wish to visit its bookshop, but I find myself shunted instead into the cosmetics section and temporarily abandoned without explanation. As the minutes tick by I can feel my restlessness growing, and I am on the point of initiating a search when Morton-
Sweet, very sweet… And acutely embarrassing with so many shop assistants looking on. An odd fellow, then, my Mr Barraclough. But of one thing I now feel certain. He does care for me, even if only a little.
Tale Time -
An excerpt from the novel, A Christmas Cake in Spring..