Page 64 of Artful Deceit

“Kit!” Seren hissed from her seat on the train. “She said she doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“Sorry,” he muttered, drawing away.

Seren slipped out of her seat to stand beside Lily. “I’ve heard rumours about your recent investigations.”

She supposed that shouldn’t be a surprise. Not much went unnoticed on St Mary’s. “Unsuccessful investigations,” Lily clarified. “I can’t figure it out. I guess whoever was stealing stuff is going to get away with it.”

“You’ve been keeping Len Marrack entertained anyway,” Seren said. “He was in the pub last night, full of stories about how he’s been helping you investigate.”

Lily grimaced. “What was he saying?”

“Just that he’d been brainstorming with you about who it could be.”

A low groan escaped Kit as he rolled his eyes.

“Be quiet!” Seren admonished.

“I didn’t say anything!” he shot back, leaning casually against the train.

“No, but I could hear your thoughts loud and clear.”

“And I’m not allowed freedom of thoughts any more?” He spluttered a laugh. “Sometimes I wonder about this wholebeing in a relationshipthing.”

“What are you two talking about?” Lily asked.

“Nothing,” Seren said. “Ignore him.”

“Since most people can’t actually read my mind, she doesn’t know what she’s ignoring.”

“Lucky her,” Seren said, wrinkling her nose and exchanging a teasing look with Kit.

“You’re being weird,” Lily said, pushing her hair behind her ear.

“I don’t like Len,” Kit said out of the side of his mouth. “But apparently that’s an unacceptable opinion, so I’m supposed to keep quiet.”

“It’s ridiculous,” Seren said. “Everyone likes Len. He’s like an older version of you.”

“Great. I’m gonna grow up to be a pervert, am I?”

“Shut up!” Seren laughed. “He’s not a pervert. He wasn’t even looking at me.”

Kit’s twinkling eyes darted to Lily. “I came home one day to find Len staring in our kitchen window…”

“He was washing the windows,” Seren said. “Because he’s a window cleaner. That’s his job.”

“But he wasn’t,” Kit insisted. “He was just standing with his squeegee in his hand, peering in at you. I watched him for ages, and he just stared through the window like a creep.”

“He was probably lost in a trance or something,” Seren said. “There’s no way he was perving on me.” Her eyes flicked to Lily. “Kit told Len he thought window cleaning was a job he’d like to do for himself in the future. So if you ever wonder why our windows are filthy,now you know.”

“Hey! I clean them.” Kit grinned. “It’s just a very tedious job.”

“That’s why most people pay someone to do it.”

“Maybe I just don’t like window cleaners in general,” Kit said. “It’s weird having someone looking into your house. And I don’t like the way he just shows up whenever he feels like it. He should tell us when he’s coming so I’m not wandering the house naked or something.”

“I’ll bet he sees all sorts,” Seren said. “He’s discreet, though. I suppose you have to be. If he went around telling stories, no one would employ him.”

Lily’s heart rate had steadily increased, and she had a heavy feeling in her stomach.