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Solomon clapped James’s shoulder. “That sounds like a plan, my man.”
“I’d be your getaway driver, only I don’t drive,” Gabriella said.
“It’s all right.” George poked his head out of Solomon’s car. “I can be the getaway driver.”
“And me?” Gabriella wondered.
“You can stay here and look after my uncle,” Solomon said.
Gabriella rolled her eyes. “When is this friendly visit going to happen?”
“Tomorrow?” James said. “When does the club open?”
“It opens at eight in the evening. Maybe we can get there around ten or eleven, when it’s busy?” Solomon suggested.
“Let’s meet here at ten, then,” James said. “We can discuss our options before we go.”
“See you then.” Solomon shook James’s hand and slid into his car.
“I hope this doesn’t come back to bite both of you in the butt,” Gabriella said.
“I don’t think it’s us you have to worry about,” James said. “Sutcliffe needs a lesson, and I’m happy to give him one.”
chapter
twenty-five
Sunday was her day off.
Gabriella allowed herself to stay in bed until the winter sun rose and slid under her curtains.
The rain had stopped in the night, although for some reason, her ceiling was still dripping every now and then.
She got up, feeling much less stiff than she’d been the day before, put some coffee on the stove to boil, and studied the leak.
This room, and Jerome’s, were in the actual eaves, where perhaps an attic had once been, so the roof was directly above her, and she recalled that there was a metal ladder bolted into the wall next to the bathroom window.
She got dressed in old clothes before she ate some toast and drank her coffee, and then went out and knocked on Jerome’s door.
She could hear music coming from his room, and he looked a little rough when he opened up and squinted at her.
“I’ve got an extra cup of coffee,” she said, and handed him a mug. “I just want you to know I’m going to see if I can get up on the roof and find out what’s causing the leak into my room, because it is driving me up the wall.”
“How are you going to get up onto the roof?” Jerome asked.
“There’s a ladder outside the bathroom window. I saw it once when I was cleaning the outside of that window.” At least the window opened inward.
Jerome raised his brows at that, and took a sip of coffee. “You want me to go with you?”
“No, but I want someone to know I’m up there in case I get stuck.” She went to the bathroom, opened the window, and stuck her head out. There was the ladder. A bit rusted, but it looked sturdy enough.
She got herself up on the sill, twisted in place and grabbed the ladder, then swung herself up. There were only six or so rungs up to the top.
She climbed carefully, because the rungs were cold and slightly slick, and found there was a relatively flat piece of roof at the top.
“What do you see?” Jerome stuck his head out of the window.
“Nothing yet. There’s a place I can get up on the roof and stand easily, so I’m going to do that, and see what I can see.” She felt the slate tiles first, before she put her weight on them, but they were sturdy enough.
