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Chapter Nine
Opening her eyes, Heather lay still, looking into the darkness. Had she heard something? Yes, there it was again, it was barely audible but still there, a clunking noise coming from downstairs.
What could it be? Should she get up, go downstairs and take a look or was it just the building settling or something? Nope, there it was again. Pushing herself to sitting, Heather tilted her head. She should go and see what it was.
Slipping out of bed, she wrapped her dressing gown around her and stepped out onto the landing.
‘Did you hear that love?’
Looking behind her, Heather nodded as Elsie joined her on the landing. ‘Yes. What do you think it is?’
‘I don’t know.’ Switching the light on, Elsie walked in front of her. ‘Right, let’s go and have a look. You stay behind.’
Following Elsie, they crept down the staircase, the parrots on the wallpaper peeking out from behind their palm leaves as if trying ot work out what the commotion was about. Heather gripped her mobile in her hand, ready to ring for help if they needed to.
At the bottom of the staircase, Elsie picked up an umbrella, brandishing it in front of her before turning back to Heather and pressing her finger against her lips.
Nodding, Heather picked up an umbrella too, it’s brilliant yellow fabric luminous in the dim light.
Elsie paused, her hand on the door handle. Rolling her shoulders back, she opened it an inch and peered into the darkness of the bakery.
Stepping through the doorway, Heather stood still, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. The noise was louder down here, the clunking accompanied by a gentle swoosh.
Pointing towards the kitchen, Elsie inched her way towards the door, signalling to Heather to wait. Raising her umbrella, Elsie pushed open the door.
Standing next to her, Heather squinted into the dark kitchen, the noise was even louder now, the source definitely closer. She blinked as Elsie flicked the light switch, flooding the kitchen in a brilliant white gleam.
‘Oh dear.’ Lowering her umbrella, Elsie slumped her shoulders.
‘What is it?’ As soon as she’d spoken, Heather spotted the water across the tiles, the foamy liquid spilling from the dishwasher.
Making her way towards the dishwasher, Elsie waded through the inch deep water and turned it off, the clunking of plates and bowls cut short, the water slowing to a dribble before finally stopping. ‘I’d say that’s broken then.’
‘Yes.’ Grimacing, Heather looked around, there was so much water. ‘I’ll get the mop.’
‘Oh no, love, you go back to bed. There’s no point us both being tired in the morning. I’ll sort this lot out.’
‘No, it’s okay. I don’t mind. With both of us cleaning it up, it should take less time anyway.’ Heather picked her way through the sheen of water covering the floor and made her way towards the storage cupboard at the back of the kitchen.
‘Only if you’re sure?’ Standing back, Elsie gingerly pulled open the dishwasher door, a fountain of water sloshing to the floor.
‘I am.’ Taking the mop from the cupboard, Heather began the task of drying the floor, swishing the mop back and forth before squeezing it out, the bucket quickly filling up.
‘Thank you.’ Elsie began unloading the dishwasher, the plates and bowls clinking against each other as she piled them into the sink.
As she mopped the floor, Heather could feel the water sipping through the soles of her fluffy slippers, the water, thankfully, warm against her skin.
‘HERE YOU GO, LOVE.Get that down yourself.’ Elsie placed a mug of steaming coffee onto the steel tabletop in front of Heather before slipping onto a stool next to her. ‘Thank you for helping me tidy it all up. It would have taken me hours on my own.’
‘That’s okay. Happy to help.’
‘I’ve learned one thing, at least.’ Elsie took a sip of her coffee.
‘What’s that?’ Wrapping her hands around the warm ceramic, Heather looked out of the kitchen window, the dim light of the moon illuminating the small courtyard area.
‘Not to put the dishwasher on a timer again.’ Elsie shifted on her stool. ‘I normally delay it a few hours, give us a chance to get to sleep before the whirring of the machine begins.’ She chuckled. ‘I probably can’t even hear it from upstairs usually, it’s just a psychological thing, isn’t it? Thinking I’ d be able to hear it.’
Heather shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. We could hear the crockery clinking together tonight.’
