‘You’d think so, wouldn’t you, but this house was bought by my parents so I’ve never had to arrange a mortgage. The vet’s surgery and hospital originally belonged to my dad’s good friend and when he retired, my dad bought it off him, lock, stock and barrel, and I paid him back through my savings and wages.’
‘But you have a driver’s licence. Please tell me you are not driving illegally.’
‘Of course I’m not, but I passed my test aged seventeen and again my dad sorted out the paperwork. Which I was quite happy about, because that meant he was going to pay.’
‘I think that’s every teenager,’ replied Cam, parking the car outside Molly’s old house. He cut the engine as she rummaged in her bag for the keys, then followed her up the path.
She placed the key in the lock, opened the door and stepped inside. ‘It seems strange I once lived here; I feel like I’m trespassing,’ she whispered.
‘Why are you whispering?’ asked Cam in a low voice. ‘There’s no one here.’
Molly shouted, ‘Hello,’ at the top of her voice, causing Cam to jump out of his skin. ‘I’m just checking no one is home.’ She grinned.
‘Jeez,’ he said, bringing his hands up to his thumping heart.
‘I’ll just check around—’
‘Have a nosey, you mean,’ interrupted Cam.
Molly rolled her eyes. ‘It’s my house.’
‘You haven’t lived here for nearly five years.’
‘There is that,’ she replied, lightly pushing Cam towards the stairs. ‘The loft is that way. You’ll have to go up as I’m not going to fit through the hole.’ Molly chuckled, patting her heavily pregnant stomach.
‘So that’s the real reason you brought me,’ he replied in jest as he climbed the stairs.
‘I’ll follow you up in a sec.’
Five minutes later, Cam’s voice echoed down from the loft space above, ‘My God, you’re a fireman’s worst nightmare! How could you have accumulated so much stuff in such little time? It’s rammed to the rafters.’
‘It’s not that bad. I’ve only kept important stuff,’ Molly bellowed back up into the hole that gaped above her head.
Cam’s head appeared, amusement written all over his face. ‘You’ve only kept the important stuff, eh? What’s this?’ He disappeared then reappeared with a big black curly wig on his head and dangling a blue sequinned jumpsuit.
Molly giggled. ‘That’s my ABBA fancy-dress outfit from talent night at the Grouse and Haggis maybe eight years ago. I’ll have you know, me, Isla, Drew and Fergus came first.’
With his eyebrows raised he scooted out of sight. ‘At least give me some idea where you think this suitcase is.’ He reappeared in a straw hat with red tinsel draped around his neck.
‘Towards the left, right at the back,’ Molly instructed.
Cam disappeared again, and after a few seconds Molly heard the dragging of the suitcase. ‘I think I’ve got it.’
‘Excellent.’ Molly raised her hands to steady the suitcase as Cam began to lower it down from the loft hatch.
‘Be careful, Molly, it’s quite heavy.’
‘I’ve got it,’ she said, lowering it on to the landing.
The ladder creaked as Cam climbed down and closed up the hatch. He swiped his hands and shook his head. ‘I feel so dusty.’
Molly was staring at the suitcase then peered up at Cam anxiously. ‘Do we open it here, or back at home?’
‘It’s up to you, whatever you think is best.’
Molly thought for a moment. ‘Let’s head home.’
A few minutes later, with the suitcase stored in the back of the van, they set off.
