Page 10 of Strangers in Time

“I thought you were going to ask about a job?”

“I am. But I need to get cleaned up first, put on my best shirt and all.”

“Well, good luck, though most of us aren’t hiring, I’m afraid. Few customers and not much to sell to the ones we do have. But we get by.”

“And don’t tell him ’bout our little talk, Miss. It might be bad luck, forme.”

She watched curiously as Charlie flitted down the alley.

THEBOOKKEEP

IGNATIUSOLIVER WAVED TOthe tea shop owner.

“Hello, Desdemona,” he said.

“Morning, Ignatius,” said Desdemona Macklin. “Where you been off to?”

“Oh, I took a walk over to Bethnal Green. Had an errand to run.”

“Bethnal Green! Well, you were up and out early then. It’s not half eight yet.”

“Yes, it was quite early. How’re the teas and cakes selling?”

“Oh, it’s bloody wonderful,” she said, her voice liberally doused with sarcasm. “Why, if I knew it was so good for business, I’d wish we were at war all the time.”

“Well, we must do our part.”

“That was a bad bit of bombing the other night,” she said. “You look like you made it through all right.”

He rapped his knuckles against the wooden door. “For luck,” he said.

“Saw you had a late-night visitor last night.”

He turned to the woman. “You did?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Sharp eyes, you have,” he said, unsmiling.

“Isn’t that what the government tells us? Lots of dodgy things going on in wartime.”

“Yes, I suppose there are.”

“Funny time for a bloke to be wanting a book, considering it was after midnight. Little stout bloke. Saw you open the door for him before I nipped off to bed.”

She waited for him to respond.

“Yes, well, he’s a collector of sorts who came into town late, from the north. He was leaving very early this morning and last night was the only time he could meet.”

“So he was after a book, then?”

“They’re the only things I sell after all,” he replied.

She sniffed and didn’t look convinced. “Book blokes are funny, aren’t they?”

“I consider myself a ‘book bloke’ and I’m not at all funny. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”

He lifted a set of keys from his pocket, inserted one in the door, and opened it. The bell tinkled and the door closed behind him.

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