A Witch Like No Other (39 page)

“
Lovely food,
Miss Jessica!”

“
Thank you,”
she said, her smile plastic as she looked at the man who had called
an apology to Dreamer. So he was at the stadium? “Would you like a
drink to go with that, sir?”

“
Your finest
champagne, if you please.”

I
should spike it with poison,
Denise thought as she nodded.

“
Coming right
up. Did you get that?” she added to the waitress, who nodded as she
scribbled the order down.

“
Yes Miss
Jessica.”

“
And bring meal
thirty two to my office, with a glass of fruit juice.”

“
Yes Miss
Jessica.” The waitress paused, then she whispered “Is it for Miss
Black?” Denise nodded. “What about the baby boy?”

“
Oh, snap! I
forgot,” Denise said, picking up a menu and looking at the
children’
s section. Baby
Julian was too small for burgers and chips and things like that...
“Um… he
’
s just a baby, really. I don
’
t know what-”

“
Maybe Miss
Black can um…” The waitress looked round, scared someone would hear
what she was about to say.
“Conjure
something.”

“
Exactly,”
Denise said, relieved. “Thanks, Bella.”

“
Anytime, Miss
Jessica.”

“
Ted!”

“
Hi Denise.
It’
s been a while,
hasn
’
t
it?”

“
It sure has,”
Denise said weakly, then she smiled and pulled Marlon into a hug,
Pandora as well. “You look so well, you two!”

“
You do too,”
Marlon offered, and she smiled at him as she gave Ted an air kiss
on either cheek.

“
Come,
I’
ll get you a
parlour.”

“
Ted, what…
what are you doing here?”

Ted frowned at her, saying “Checking out a
friend
’
s restaurant?”

“
I know, but-
come on, that cant be the only reason.”

“
It is,” he
said truthfully. “I’
ve seen
your adverts on screen, you know.”

“
Well,
that’
s why
he
’
s
here,”
Pandora said, Marlon nodding. “Me and Marlon want to know if you
know about some woman trying to take Mum away from us.”

“
What?”

Ted told the story as quickly as he could. By the time he
finished Marlon and Pandora was bored to death, Pandora flatly
asking “So do you know anything about that, then? I mean, I know
Mum
’
s
seen you since she came back to life.”

“
She
didn’
t tell me about this,”
Denise said truthfully. “Now, um… I really have to get back to my
office.”

“
You’
re going?” Marlon
said disappointedly, and Pandora kicked him.

“
I’
ve got a lot of
paperwork to do,” Denise lied, Ted nodding.

“
Ok. Try and
come back later?”

“
I’
ll try.”

“
Oh, and
Denise-”

“
You
don’
t know whereabouts Dreamer
is, do you?”

She
’
s in my office with the baby you don
’
t know anything
about.

“
No,” Denise
said, shaking her head. “You know nobody knows where Paul lives,
Ted. They’
ve got people
searching so they can torch the place down, but you know
they
’
ll never find him.”

“
Ok.
Thanks.”

“
Bella! Watch
where you’
re going! You could
have dropped the food!”

“
I’
m sorry Miss Jessica,”
Bella said humbly, though she knew she wasn
’
t the one who should be
apologising. “I
’
ve got Miss Black
’
s food-”

“
Give it to me,
give it to me- and don’
t say
her name!” she hissed, Bella noticing Ted, Pandora and Marlon
watching them curiously. She recognised them right away.

“
Oh-
I’
m sorry,” she said quickly,
and meaning it this time. “I-”

“
Take their
orders,” said Denise through gritted teeth, taking the plate and
balancing it on her lower arm while she held the glass and packet
of rich butter cookies in the other. “What are the cookies for,
Bella?”

“
For the baby,”
Bella said, blushing. “I thought he might like them.”

“
Baby?” Marlon
whispered, Ted and Pandora shrugging.

“
I
didn’
t think of that,” Denise
said grudgingly. “Thanks, Bella.”

“
You’
re
welcome.”

“
Did you say
Miss Black?” Ted asked curiously, and they looked at him. Bella
looked at Denise for help, but Denise didn’
t know what to say. Ted took that as a yes.

“
Is Dreamer
here, Denise?”

“
No,” she
gushed. “Miss Black- she’
s an
old lady- my mother
’
s friend.”

“
What’
s her first name?”
Pandora said flatly, not even looking at her.

“
Callie,” said
Denise quickly, and Callie the waitress frowned at her from across
the room. “Um… Callie Blacksmith. Black for short.”

“
Really,” said
Ted, staring at her. Denise swallowed, nodding.

“
She’
s here with her baby
grandson, and this is her food so I really have to get going. I
hope you enjoy your time here at Jessica
’
s!”

Pandora, Marlon and Ted looked at each other, Pandora
saying “Maybe it
’
s just me. But Denise hasn
’
t ever been that shifty
before.”

“
No,” said Ted
thoughtfully, Marlon saying “Mum’
s in her office.”

“
Why do you say
that?” Bella asked quickly, and they stared at her as if she was
mad. Why would they tell the waitress their business?

“
Can we make
our orders please?” Pandora said as she looked at her coldly, and
Bella blushed again.

“
Of course.
I’
m sorry.”

“
It’
s time for me to go
anyway,” Dreamer said, looking at the clock. “As long as Ted
doesn
’
t come barging in here, he doesn
’
t have to know I was
here. Keep your mouth closed, Denise.”

“
Trust me, I
did. It was Bella the waitress who said your surname!”

“
And Ted
guessed I was here, didn’
t
he?”

“
Exactly! I
swear he’
s psychic,
Dreamer.”

Ted listened at the door with Pandora and Marlon, eyes
wide. She
was
here! Denise lied to them, the
little…

“
Ted’
s not psychic.
He
’
s
just an excellent guesser.”

“
Is the baby
still hungry?” Denise asked concernedly, but Dreamer said “He just
ate a whole packet of cookies, Denise. Don’
t give him anything else. And he
’
s got sandwiches and
fruit in his backpack.”

“
What the hell
is this thing about a baby?”

“
They know
we’
re listening,” Marlon
whispered, Pandora nodding as she said “They
’
re
play-acting.”

“
He’
s so cute!” said
Denise happily. “You have to bring him again.”

“
I
didn’
t hear jack!” spat
Marlon, making everyone freeze.

“
Call me when
you get home,” Denise whispered back, and Dreamer nodded. Denise
waited until she vanished with the baby before pulling open the
door. “What the hell do you think you’
re doing, Ted?!”

“
Restraining
myself from slapping your lying little face!” snapped Ted, pushing
past her and walking into the office. It was empty, as he knew it
would be, but there was still an empty glass and plate on
Denise’
s desk, with an empty
packet of cookies.

“
So she was
here,” Pandora said, folding her arms. “Why did you
lie?”

“
Look, if you
want some answers I’
m not the
one you
’
ll get them from.” Denise closed the door behind Marlon,
saying “I suggest you call Dreamer, ok? And if you cant get hold of
her, call Agnes.”

“
Denise,
don’
t do this.” Ted was
pleading with her now. “Everything was so right before Brown came
barging in my house- and you know where Dreamer is. I have to get
her back.”

“
We
have to get her back,” Marlon
corrected, glaring at him. “We.”

“
Ted, things
have changed.”

“
What do you
mean?” said Pandora, suddenly nervous. “Changed?”

“
Yes.” Denise
took a deep breath, then she shook her head.
“It’
s not my place to say. You
need to hear it from a relative.”

That skipped over Ted
’
s head. “Just tell me
where she is!”

“
I
don’
t know where
she
’
s
going,” Denise said apologetically. “She
was
here,
I
’
ll
give you that. From what I made out, she
’
s got her own place now.
She- she
’
s not coming back to yours.”

“
What!”

“
Why not?” said
Marlon desperately, then he scowled. “And of all the acts you
could’
ve pulled with your
stupid little waitress and our Mum, you had to do some baby act!
What
’
s
your problem? You could
’
ve just made out she
’
s got a new guy or
something!”

“
That’
s beside the point,
Marlon. Your mother isn
’
t coming home.”

“
I should kill
you, you-”

“
Marlon!” said
Ted, grabbing his arm as he made to go to Denise.
“Don’
t be so immature- do you
want her to call the police on you?”

“
Dad, this is
getting to me! First James, now her- who’
s next?”

“
Dreamer!”
called Barbara, and Dreamer turned. “Over here.”

“
Just a
minute,” Dreamer said, the baby clinging to her fearfully. He
didn’
t like the roar of the
bus engines. “I need to buy a ticket.”

“
I’
ve already bought it
for you- come on, this way.”

“
Dreamer
Black!” he gasped, taking his hat off. “Please, refund that ticket.
You’
re a guest on my
coach.”

“
I’
d rather not refund
it,” Dreamer said politely. “But thanks even so.”