Page 51 of Dead Serious Case 4 Professor Prometheus Plume
“No,” I reply. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow, though.”
“You can call anytime you’re feeling a bit worried, Tristan, you know that,” she says in the same soothing tone she uses for the residents. It’s so much second nature to her that I don’t even think she realises she’s doing it.
“Okay, then. I’ll talk to you later,” I reply and when she says goodbye, I end the call.
“Is everything alright with Martin?” Danny asks in concern and I can’t help my smile. I know he loves my dad.
“He’s a little better.” I reach for his hand again, but Ellis arrives at our table wearing oven mitts and holding two plates.
“Careful, it’s hot.” He slides one in front of Danny and the other in front of me.
I thank him, but judging by the way he hovers, almost dancing on the spot, I think he’s waiting for our feedback on the food. Shooting Danny an amused look, I pick up my knife and fork. I cut a small piece of beef and use it on the end of my fork to scoop up a little mashed potato, then slide the bite into my mouth.
The moment it hits my tastebuds, I make an absolutely incomprehensible sound and my eyes practically roll back in my head.
Danny seems to be in a similar state of euphoria. “Oh my god,” Danny groans. “That’s magic.”
“So good,” I mumble, shoving another forkful in my mouth.
“Yay!” Ellis claps his oven mitts together and does a little jiggle. “I knew you’d like it.” He looks over and sees another guest signalling his attention. He waves both padded hands. “I’ll be right there with your Raspberry Pavlova, Mr Pennington!” he tells the man and turns back to us. “You enjoy your meal. I’ll be back in a while with your pudding.”
He scurries toward the kitchen before either of us can answer, not that I’m planning to. This food is seriously too good. The beef is cooked to perfection, the mash is so creamy it melts on my tongue, the green beans have the perfect amount of crunch to them, and the gravy—holy mother of all that is good and pure, I would literally drink the gravy if you put it in a mug for me.
I’m not sure what Danny was going to say before we got interrupted, but as both of us fall on our meals like we haven’t been fed in weeks, a comfortable silence settles between us. By the time we’re finished, I settle back against my chair and pat my little food baby.
“Oh god, that was good,” I groan. “I’m not sure I can manage the pudding too, but I’m always up for a challenge.”
“That was incredible,” he agrees, sipping his water. “If the rest of the meals are like this, I think it’s worth putting up with a few eccentricities.”
I sigh. “You may have to carry me up the stairs. I’m not used to hearty northern portions.”
Danny snorts and winks at me. Okay, so I may be used to Danny’s hearty northern portions, and I’m not talking about food.
With perfect timing, Ellis reappears to take our empty plates. “Did you enjoy your meal?”
“If I wasn’t in public, I’d have licked the plate,” I tell him.
He smiles. “Are you ready for your pudding?”
I try to straighten myself in my seat. “I’m no quitter.”
“Why don’t you give us ten minutes?” Danny says to Ellis.
“Sure.” He begins to stack the plates up.
Raised voices at a table not far from us draw our attention, and I see several people sitting around one of the larger round tables. A middle-aged man with a receding hairline and a bit of a double chin stares belligerently at an older woman with almost white hair coiled on her head in an elegant chignon as she sips her wine. A rather average-looking man with a neat beard seems to be ignoring them all in favour of scrolling through his phone but interestingly, the man and woman we’d interrupted having a clandestine snog in the billiards room are also at the table although on completely opposite sides. I get the impression they’re not a couple, or at least not supposed to be.
“Who are they?” Danny asks, unable to help himself.
“Those are the murder mystery actors, they’re a very dramatic bunch,” Ellis says in delight. “I can’t wait for Saturday night. This is going to be so much fun. You’re both taking part, right?”
“Uh,” I grimace. “Well, we weren’t planning to.”
“Oh.” His face falls and I instantly feel guilty for bursting his happy bubble.
“It’s just Danny probably won’t want to,” I say, totally throwing him under the bus. “I mean, it’s what he does for a living, so I’m sure he wants a break.”
“Really?” Ellis perks up in interest.