Say Nothing

A sudden clap of thunder compelled Nicky forward. The storm that had raged over Manchester earlier in the day was fast approaching Cartmel. She quickly caught up with Lee by the front door of Mill House, some twenty yards from the road. At present the house was empty but Nicky was in no doubt her mother would soon be filling it with costly furniture and furnishings, which was most definitely one of her talents. But Lee was on the move again. “Let’s go round the back,” he said, leading Nicky towards the side gate and pointing skywards towards some ominous slate-coloured clouds. “We need to get inside before the rain starts.” The back garden, unlike the house, was small and neglected. It merged into sweeping woodland and, immediately behind the house and only yards from it, were huge slabs of natural rock. They lent the house a great deal of privacy but, Nicky guessed, would tend to make the back rooms rather gloomy. “You’d better stand over there while I get the key,” suggested Lee, pointing to a pair of massive oak doors. He then ran to a line of rocks at the edge of a tiny lawn and held up a large key from under the smallest of them. As he made his way back to her, waving the key and grinning, rain began to fall. At first there were only a few drops but they were large and very wet. By the time he got the doors open, they were both getting a soaking. They fell laughing into the space behind the doors, which Lee made sure he re-locked. The room was an L-shaped library, surprisingly complete with shelving and books. “Dad sold it just as it is,” Lee explained. “He’s never been one for reading so I don’t think he ever used the library. He just had the books for show.” Nicky studied some of the leather-bound volumes, noting they were old and covered in dust. She turned her attention to a single door opposite the pair of oak doors. “That leads into the kitchen and the rest of the house,” said Lee. “Its always locked but there’s a key if you should need it.” And he casually pointed out a Yale key hanging on a nearby nail. A serious look suddenly appeared on his face. “What I want to show you, Nicky, is special. I happen to think it’s very special but it’ll be up to you what you do with it.” He took a deep breath and rushed on: “Two years ago, on my eighteenth birthday, the man who sold Mill House to my dad said he had an extraordinary present for me. He was a really frail, old man. He swore he was going to show me something that was a total secret. I don’t know why he wanted to show it to me but he did. Just in time, as it happens, because he died a couple of weeks later. Why am I telling you all this? Well, I think you know I’m off to South Africa with my dad tomorrow. I can’t wait. We’ve already been there for long holidays the last six years or so but this time we’re going for keeps. I have family out there and, ever since my mum died, there’s nothing to keep us here. So I’ve got absolutely no need of my secret any more, which is one of the reasons I’m showing it to you. The other is that I really like you a lot.” He looked at her shyly and grinned. Nicky smiled encouragingly. Still intensely curious and not sensing any danger, she allowed herself to be ushered to the very end of the room. This part of the library was round the corner and out of sight of the doors and window. She was still totally mystified about what was happening here so she watched Lee with great interest. Moving confidently to one of the upper corner shelves, he pushed aside a bulky encyclopaedia. This action revealed a light, cross-grained wooden panel marked by a large, dark knot. He pushed hard on the knot with his index finger. There was a sudden low noise behind her, like air being quickly displaced. Nicky swung round and stared in total amazement. A whole section of the library shelving had slid to one side revealing an open doorway. It looked forbiddingly dark and uninviting and she took an instinctive step backwards. But Lee bounded forward into the black opening, beckoning her to follow. “Come on, Nicky. There’s something I want to show you.”