Atmosphere Read online

  They bid Jacqueline goodbye and then laughed together as they watched her totter across the road to her own cottage, wobbling slightly on her high heels.

  “You never know,” Harrison said thoughtfully, “I might get the chance to learn how to do all these tricks this magician knows and then I’ll be the one people come to when they need to know how something weird has been done. Not afraid of a bit of competition, are you?”

  Blake scoffed. “Trust me, you’re welcome to that. I’d be intrigued to know who this extra help she’s roped in is though.”

  He stared across at Jacqueline’s cottage pointedly.

  Harrison sighed. “You mean Tom?”

  “Who else?”

  Jacqueline’s son, Tom, had moved to the village fairly recently but in the short time they had known him, he had certainly made his presence known. Harrison and Tom had first met when Harrison had pulled him out of the way of an out of control car, saving his life. At first, their friendship had appeared innocent, but Tom had quickly made it clear that he believed that Blake was wrong for Harrison and had done his utmost to break them up. Since then, Blake had been highly suspicious of Tom, and was sure that he had been watching him, though he was yet to voice these concerns to Harrison.

  “Look, it’ll be fine,” Harrison reassured him. “I’ll go in, put a bit of scenery up, a few props in the right places, and earn a bit of cash. I doubt I’ll even see Tom, even if he is helping too.”

  Harrison returned to his washing up as Blake gazed out of the living room window at Tom and Jacqueline’s cottage.

  “Yeah,” he muttered. “Surely, he won’t be able to cause that much trouble…”

  2

  By the time Harrison had finished work the next day, he was already regretting agreeing to help at the village hall, having already had a long day that had seemed to go slower and slower as time went on. When he arrived at the village hall, he was surprised to see it looking very different to the last time he had seen inside it.

  The normally drab looking main room had been transformed. What had once been an old, dusty room filled with ancient wooden tables and chairs used by the doddery parish council now resembled something closer to a theatre. The stage at the back of the hall now had a large black backdrop, hiding the crumbling walls that Harrison knew were behind it. But his attention was caught more by a large mirror that was being placed above the stage, reflecting everything that was happening beneath it.

  “Harrison, darling,” Jaqueline said, appearing behind him. “So glad you could make it!” She kissed him flamboyantly on each cheek and stared out at the stage. “What do you think?”

  Harrison wiped the lipstick he knew she would have left off his face and nodded. “It looks different, I’ll give you that. What’s the mirror for?”

  Jacqueline leant forward and whispered, despite the fact everyone else in the room was on the stage.

  “It’s all part of the magic. Mr Klein was very specific about the mirror. It’s for his final trick, The Suspended Cabinet. Apparently, he makes his assistant vanish from inside a cabinet that is being hung above the stage by wires. The idea is that the audience can see the box from all angles and they still don’t know how the trick is done, then it’s even more mysterious!”

  “That’s an unusual tactic, isn’t it?” he asked. “Surely, the whole point of magic is that some of it is supposed to remain hidden?”

  “That’s Sebastian Klein,” sighed Jacqueline wistfully. “Always one step ahead of his audience. Now, what can we get you doing? I think, if you go backstage, there’s some scenery and props that will need painting, including the cabinet that is going to be used for that final trick!”

  Harrison nodded, immediately wishing he had brought a change of clothes with him and walked up to the stage and behind the large black backdrop.

  Immediately, Harrison was impressed by just how much help Jacqueline had managed to accumulate, including two police officers from Blake’s station.

  PC Billy Mattison was busy sanding down a large, tall cabinet that looked big enough for somebody to climb into and Harmschapel’s newest officer, PC Lisa Fox, was holding it steady for him.

  “Hi, Billy,” Harrison said. “Very manly. I’m impressed.”

  Mattison looked up as he wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. “Oh, hi, Harrison,” he said cheerfully. “Yeah, well, I rather got the impression from Jacqueline that it was hard work or no tea and biscuits.”

  “He’s been working his socks off,” Fox said fondly, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulders. “I think there’s a career in carpentry waiting for this one if the police force doesn’t work out.”

  Mattison gave Fox a shy smile and then looked at Harrison awkwardly. “Lisa, would you mind going to ask Jacqueline if she wants all of these corners sanded the same way? I can’t remember what she said.”

  “Sure, no worries,” Fox replied. She leaned over the cabinet and smiled warmly at him. “I’ll see if I can’t grab you a sneaky biscuit on the way back.”

  Mattison gave her a small smile. “Thanks.”

  Harrison watched as Fox disappeared around the drape and then turned to Mattison.

  “Well,” he said, leaning on the cabinet. “Somebody’s got an admirer.”

  Mattison went extremely red rather quickly. “Yeah, erm, look. Harrison. If it’s all the same to you, if you see Mini, do me a favour and maybe don’t tell her that Lisa was here too? She’s been a bit jealous since Lisa arrived at the station and I don’t want her to think that I’ve been doing anything behind her back.”

  “What, like sexually charged cabinet sanding?” Harrison asked lightly. “Did you know she was going to be here helping out?”

  Mattison shrugged. “I dunno, I mean, she might have mentioned it in passing at work, I can’t remember.”

  Harrison narrowed his eyes. He was trying to work out whether his suspicions that Mattison fancied Fox as much as she did him were justified but before he could question him any further, Fox returned with Jacqueline close behind.

  “Billy, darling,” Jacqueline said, brandishing her clipboard wildly. She examined the cabinet intently and then nodded. “Yes, yes, this should be fine. It just needs painting now. This is the cabinet I was talking about, Harrison. It gets taken up above the stage and the assistant somehow completely vanishes from inside it. Now, how are your painting skills?”

  She removed a sheet of paper from her clipboard and passed it to him. It was a picture of what Harrison presumed the completed cabinet was supposed to look like. It did not look especially complicated, though Harrison was slightly perturbed at the design of stars that he was expected to replicate on the front.

  “How come he hasn’t got all this sorted himself?” Harrison asked. “If he’s on tour, wouldn’t he have all his own cabinets and props?”

  “All the props were supposed to arrive yesterday,” Jacqueline explained. “But the van delivering it broke down. Everything else we managed to find alright in the local shops, and fortunately there’s another cabinet that arrived this morning that was supposed to be used for another trick, but it was decided that it would be better used for the finale instead. His stage hand, Benjamin, is here though, he was the one putting the mirror up when you arrived. He’s given us all the information we need, and you know what they say – the show must go on! Now, there should be all the paint you need underneath the stage, so why don’t you go grab that and get to work and I’ll put the kettle on. I think we’ve all earnt it.”

  As the workers around him let out a cheery acknowledgment, Harrison nodded and made his way around the tables and props to the back of the stage where a set of steps led him underneath to the dark and murky basement area below.

  As Harrison’s eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he glanced around for some sort of light switch. His mind briefly wandered to the details of Blake’s dream, where he had been in a similar situation, unaware that he had been sharing a room with a dead body until he had managed to t
urn the light on.

  Harrison knew what it was like to harbour old anxieties and fears. When Blake and he had first met, Harrison had been a shadow of his current self, jumping at his own shadows and extremely low self-esteem. Thanks to Blake, Harrison had come out of his shell and felt confidence that he had not had for so many years. Now the tables felt like they had turned, and suddenly it was Blake who coming back from counselling sessions feeling out of sorts.

  Suddenly, a light filled the room and Harrison turned to see Tom, Jacqueline’s son, standing in the doorway. Harrison’s eyes could not help but wander down Tom’s chest. He was wearing a tight t-shirt that seemed to allow every ab he possessed to make itself known. He was good looking, there was no doubt about it, but Harrison suspected that he knew it too.

  “You won’t see much in the dark,” Tom said as he stepped into the room.

  “I was just looking for the light switch,” Harrison replied.

  “Mum said you’d be down here.”

  “I was just looking for these,” Harrison said, his eyes landing on the paint tins in the corner that were partly hidden underneath a large sheet of tarpaulin. He looked down at the instructions Jacqueline had given him and studied the paint pots, fully aware that Tom was coming up behind him.

  “Harrison, look. I can tell you don’t really want to talk to me.”

  “Does that look like violet to you? Or is it just purple?” Harrison asked, holding up one of the pots, searching for a description. “I know they’re basically the same, but maybe the shade of the colour is the whole key to one of his tricks.”

  “Harrison,” Tom said firmly. He took the paint out of his hands and placed it down on a table. “Listen to me.”

  Harrison raised his eyebrows expectantly. “What?”

  Tom folded his arms and looked down at the ground. “I know you and Blake have a problem with me, and I don’t want us to have any issues. I can deal with Blake not liking me, but me and you were pretty good friends when I first arrived here. You did save my life after all.”

  Harrison shrugged. “I did. And then in return you tried your best to split me and Blake up. You tried to kiss me when you knew I was in a relationship.”

  “You’re overthinking that,” Tom replied, waving his hand dismissively. “I am sorry I did it, don’t get me wrong, but if you remember, we were halfway through our second bottle of wine. I was a bit drunk. I just overstepped the mark and I sincerely apologise.”

  Harrison narrowed his eyes. “Okay, well, it’s not really me you should be apologising to. Blake’s the one you really upset.”

  “Then I’ll apologise to Blake,” Tom said, with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “I’m pretty sure we can all move on from this. Come on, Blake’s a mature adult, I’m sure he’s done stupid stuff when he’s been drunk. I know you have.”

  Before Harrison could reply, Jacqueline appeared in the doorway.

  “Harrison, did you find the paint?” She stopped in her tracks and stared at them both, clearly trying to suppress a delighted smile. “Oh, it’s so good to see the pair of you talking!”

  Harrison immediately realised that this was probably Jacqueline’s plan in the first place. He glanced across at Tom and then picked up the paint tin.

  “Yeah, I did. I think this is the right colour.”

  “Excellent, darling. Well, off you go. I’ve just had a call to say that Mr Klein will be here within the next couple of hours, so let’s all have one big push and try and get as much done as we can before he arrives. You never know, we might even get everything finished!”

  As she herded them both up the stairs, Harrison tried to push the thought of Tom attempting to apologise to Blake out of his mind. As much as he wanted to believe that Tom was contrite and wished for them all to move on from what had happened, Harrison could not help but wonder if there was more to Tom’s motives than met the eye, but he had no idea why.

  A couple of hours later, the stage had been transformed. Harrison could scarcely believe that what he was now looking at had once been the village hall.

  The dusty old wooden floors now looked shiny and varnished, as if they had only just been placed. A lighting rig had been placed on the side of the stage with a dark blue light bathing the stage in an eerie midnight hue, illuminating the cabinet that Harrison had now finished painting according to the designs that Jacqueline had given him, which was standing in the centre of the stage.

  “Well done, everybody,” Jacqueline exclaimed, staring at the dimly lit stage as though it was the proudest she had ever been. “It’s so good to see that the people of Harmschapel all pull together when needed.”

  “Indeed, it is,” said a deep voice behind them. “Very impressive indeed.”

  They all turned to see the man on all the posters standing in the doorway. Sebastian Klein smiled at them, but Harrison did not sense any genuine joy behind the smile. His eyes were cold, his jaw tight. If Harrison had not known who Sebastian was, he would have assumed that the man before them was on his way to a fancy-dress party. He was wearing an outfit that was not far from his ensemble in the poster. A long black coat sat over his shoulders with a similarly dark coloured silk waistcoat underneath. His goatee was in the shape of a sharp triangle and Harrison could not help wondering how long it had taken Sebastian to grow it in such a fashion. He stood in the doorway to the hall, looking around at the gathered villagers, a smile curling at the side of his lips.

  Jacqueline rushed forwards and gripped the new arrival firmly by the hand.

  “Oh, Mr Klein,” she said excitedly. “I’m so pleased you’ve finally made it. Welcome to Harmschapel!”

  “Thank you,” Sebastian replied. “I must say it’s a charming little village. Just the right location for a show like mine. Do I take it that I stand before all the helpers that have made the stage look so spectacular?”

  “Only following your designs, Mr Klein,” Jacqueline chattered. “But yes, they were all ready, willing and eager to lend a hand. I do hope you like what we’ve managed to achieve with the place. Of course, it was all down to your lovely stage hand too.”

  “Ah yes,” Sebastian said, stroking his goatee. “Benjamin. Come forward, Benjamin. Everybody, allow me to introduce you to our little family.”

  Benjamin, a tall boy who looked no older than about eighteen stepped forwards from the gathered villagers. He was skinny and gangly looking with wide brown eyes and a very long, thin nose. As the residents of Harmschapel politely applauded him, he smiled awkwardly at them and briefly waved.

  “This is Benjamin, the glue that holds our little performances together every night,” Sebastian went on, slapping the teenager on the back. “When our delivery van broke down, I thought we’d have to cancel all performances, but Benjamin here sorted it all out. He’s done me proud, almost as proud as I am with all of you kind people that I’ve never even met. It warms my heart to see you all here, honestly.”

  He smiled broadly at them all, though Harrison did not feel like there was any particular warmth behind it.

  “And then, allow me to introduce my daughter, Amelia.”

  From behind Sebastian stepped a small, timid looking girl with luscious brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful girls Harrison had ever seen. Her skin looked naturally tanned, her eyes were crystal blue and her figure reminded Harrison of the celebrities he saw every day on the front of the magazines he sold in the shop.

  Amelia smiled shyly. “Hello, everyone.”

  Sebastian clasped a hand around her shoulder, his long, bony fingers gripping onto her, in Harrison’s opinion, like claws.

  “Amelia’s my assistant as well,” he said smoothly to the crowd. “Magic has been in my family for generations, and when the buck, or wand if you will, was passed to me, I thought I could go out and look for some sort of generic glamorous assistant that’s trained to make me look as good as I can be, or I could keep it in the family. Amelia has grown up watching my act
and knows all the tricks like the back of her hand. And the back of the hand is always a very important place in the world of theatrical misdirection.”

  He stepped forwards and, with a flourish of his right wrist, was suddenly holding a small bunch of flowers that had seemed to appear from nowhere. He bowed his head respectfully to Jacqueline and passed them to her, then swiftly kissed her hand.

  This was enough to send Jacqueline weak at the knees. Giggling coquettishly, she turned to the rest of the villagers and clapped enthusiastically in an attempt to rouse them all into applauding. The result was a smattering of claps around the room. Harrison was glad to see from the expressions around him that the majority of Harmschapel appeared to agree with him about Sebastian.

  Appearing oblivious to the lack of enthusiasm around the hall, Sebastian held up his hands as if he was being presented with rapturous applause.

  “Thank you, thank you,” he said. “I must say, the stage looks wonderful and I see the cabinet has been made up perfectly. You wouldn’t know that we had any problems with the van whatsoever. Well, as lovely as it has been meeting you all, myself and Amelia have had a very long day and we’re both very tired. Is there a bed and breakfast anywhere around?”

  “Yes indeed,” Jacqueline replied, giving the bunch of flowers a sniff. Harrison narrowed his eyes, fairly sure that they were plastic. “We have a lovely B&B just in the centre of Harmschapel, excellent reviews, wonderful breakfast. I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of booking you and your guests a room for the night.”

  “You are a delight,” Sebastian replied. “Isn’t she a delight, Amelia?”

  Amelia nodded. “Lovely, thank you so much.”

  Harrison stared at the beautiful girl. She appeared shy, despite her almost perfect exterior. He did not sense that she was a show-woman of any sort, in fact Harrison rather got the impression that she was somebody that would prefer not to be in the spotlight at all. Though why else would she agree to tour with Sebastian if it was not something she enjoyed doing?