They continued to explore, finding a kitchenette, a toilet with a sink and a flight of stairs leading to the first floor. Harry stared up into the darkness, then glanced around. ‘There must be a light switch around here somewhere.’ He found a small bank of them on the wall and they figured out the right one by a process of trial and error. They were near the top when a familiar voice called Harry’s name and a weight lifted off his shoulders.He came.
‘We’re up here,’ he called down.
Ed’s grinning face appeared around the corner. ‘Sorry, mate!’ he apologised as he jogged up the stairs towards them. ‘I slept through my alarm.’
‘Well, you’re here now.’ Harry pulled him close for a quick, hard hug.
Ed returned his embrace with equal relish and something inside Harry settled down. He hated being at odds with his twin; it was like his whole world was slightly off-kilter. They released each other and Ed stepped back, still smiling as though he too was relieved that things were right between them once more. ‘So, what are we looking at?’
Harry shrugged as the three of them filed out on to the landing. ‘Dunno, just seeing what there is.’ What there was turned out to be a collection of dusty-looking rooms. Not dirty – someone had pushed a hoover around recently, from the track marks in the thick-piled carpets – but there was a general air of neglect. Shadows marked the walls, the paint different shades as though boxes had been stacked in piles lower down, leaving only the upper areas exposed to the sunlight coming in through the bare windows. The carpets showed the same kind of faded patches.
‘Bit of a dump, isn’t it?’ Ed observed as he wandered into the next room. ‘Oh, hello, there’s a kitchen back here.’
Harry followed him into a fully fitted kitchen. The cupboards were dated and there was a gap between two of them where a cooker had stood at some point. There was a gas connector, capped and tagged with a safety label. The sink and draining board had some telltale white streaks that showed someone had given it a scrub down and not quite washed away all the evidence.
‘It’s like something out of a time warp,’ Ed said, scuffing at the garish orange and brown lino flooring.
‘There’s a proper bathroom down the hall,’ Liam said, pointing back behind him to indicate the room he’d been exploring. ‘God knows how old the suite is, though; it looks older than I am.’
‘Avocado green?’ Harry guessed with grin, remembering what his flat had looked like when he’d moved in.
‘Honestly, I’d describe it more as somewhere between burnt orange and shit brown.’
‘Oh, this I’ve got to see!’ Ed crowed as he dashed down the hallway. His hysterical laughter a few seconds later told Harry it must be as bad as Liam had described.
‘It won’t take that much to fix it up,’ Liam said, clearly trying to reassure him. ‘Did you know it was here?’
Harry shook his head. ‘I just assumed it was storage. No one’s lived here as long as I’ve been next door.’
‘No one’s lived here for years, I reckon,’ Ed said as he emerged from the bathroom. ‘But Liam’s right. Rip up these carpets, a lick of paint and some new fixtures and fittings and you’ve got a lovely little place here.’
‘You’d rent it in a flash,’ Liam agreed. ‘A space like this would be a premium so close to the sea; you could Airbnb it.’
Harry shook his head. ‘No, I don’t fancy the hassle of running a holiday let.’
Liam nodded. ‘You’re probably right. You’d be faffing around with cleaners, people complaining about the Wi-Fi not working and all that.’
Ed stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. ‘If I wasn’t already sorted at Matt’s, I’d bite your hand off.’
‘It’d be an extra revenue stream,’ Liam added. ‘Get Trevor to price it up for you as a self-contained rental, and you can include it in your business plan.’
Business plan. That was the same term Russ had used when they’d talked last week. Harry scratched his head. ‘Yeah, about that…’
Liam clapped him on the shoulder. ‘No need to look so panicked, mate. I’ll make you a template based on the one I put together for the hotel. You’ll just need to punch in a few numbers, write an intro and a vision statement.’
‘Vision statement?’What the hell was that when it was at home?
Liam grinned. ‘It’ll be fine, I promise.’ He glanced between Harry and Ed, and Harry didn’t miss the slight twitch in his brow. ‘I’m going to see how they’re getting on downstairs.’
It was only when he left that Harry realised Liam hadn’t acknowledged Ed directly since his arrival. He hadn’t ignored him, but he’d kept his responses aimed at Harry at all times. From the expression on his twin’s face as he watched Liam leave, he hadn’t missed it either.
‘I’m still on his shit list, I see,’ Ed said. His tone was light, but Harry knew he was putting a brave face on it.
‘What about me? Am I still on yours?’
Ed stared at him for a long moment. ‘I’m here, aren’t I?’
It was going to be up to Harry to extend the olive branch further it seemed. ‘I’m glad you came.’
