‘Right.’ She beamed the cheeriest smile at him, and then came and budged him out of the way with her hip. ‘Okay then, let’s have a look.’ The intimacy of her movement surprised him, but he had to admit he kind of liked it. Cornwall was so good for this. People were relaxed here. You bumped someone back home, and it was considered an aggressive action to be received with a snarl.
She was confident moving around the engine and, as he watched her somewhat in awe, she made an ‘oh’ noise, as if whatever she’d seen in there was the most obvious thing in the world.
‘Easy. Okay, give me a second.’ She leaned in and started wiggling a wire. ‘Jump back in and try and see if it turns over now.’
‘Okay.’ Kam jumped into the front seat, leaving the door open as he turned the key.
The engine roared into life, and he left it idling as he got out and came around the front again.
‘How did you do that?’
‘It was easy: your wire to the starter motor is loose. If it doesn’t start again, just try giving it a wiggle.’
‘A wiggle? Is that a mechanical term?’
‘It is actually. But you will need it looked at sooner rather than later to stop it going all together.’
‘I’ve just moved to the area. I’m staying with my friend in Newquay for the time being. I’ll see who he uses.’
‘Good plan, or I could give you my dad’s number. He’s the mechanic in the village and can be totally trusted. If you drive out from here, just by the church is a sharp right hand turn down a lane. Go down there and it’ll look like you shouldn’t be driving any further but do. Have faith and keep going. You’ll find him right at the bottom. Penmenna’s best kept secret. He’ll see you okay. He’s not one of those “kick your tyres and shake his head” kinda guys who then whack you with a quote the equivalent of a small mortgage.’
‘Oh, I know the look. You mean this one.’ Kam pursed his lips up and shook his head slightly, hoping he was managing to convey a look of abject alarm and not just like he was sucking lemons. The one he knew he had seen on her face but minutes earlier.
She laughed. He had made rabbit girl laugh. People didn’t often laugh at his jokes. They tended to look at him pityingly instead.
‘Yes, that exact one.’
‘Ah, I thought so, the one you were doing as you first looked at my car.’
‘I did not!’
‘Well, where else would I have learnt it? You so did.’
‘Okay well, then it’s genetic. Like my chin. Blame my father.’ Kam looked at her, She had a rather nice chin he thought, rounded and at the end of her face, where it should be.
‘Is your dad likely to look at it today? Newquay is a bit of a trek so it would be sensible to get it looked at as soon as possible, I guess.’
‘My dad is always busy, but I expect if you tell him I sent you and if I ask him to pop you to the front of the queue then he probably will. I’ll send him a text now. It’s not a large job if it’s just this loose wire. If it’s the starter motor itself that’s a few hours work but he’ll be best placed to tell you.
‘Okay, thank you. Should I just say I’m a friend of your daughter, sir, the one who dresses as a rabbit?’
‘Ha. No, that could be either of us. Best say you’re a friend of Pippa’s or a colleague, you know, in case you get the job I’m guessing you’re here for. Actually, if you say that, he and my brother will interrogate you…’
‘Oh, I’m used to family interrogations.’
‘Maybe, but not this one. You’ll know you’re in trouble when they haul my mum in. Best just say Pippa sent you and keep it vague. He’ll still bump you up the queue but won’t invite you over for dinner or ask what your father does. I hope.’ She started to pull up her costume again, struggling to get her hands into her paws and then fumbling over the zip. ‘Right, I best get back to school.’
‘Are you alright there?’ Kam wanted to offer to help, but felt zipping her up may well breach the rules on touching in social situations. He didn’t really know what to do with his hands; they suddenly felt awkward and unnecessary. They couldn’t fix cars, and he was unsure about the appropriateness of them zipping up rabbits. He also quite liked the idea of being invited to dinner by the mechanic. He was interested to see what Pippa was like in a family situation. And whether all the family were larger than life as she was.
‘Paws are the worst. I am so glad I’m not actually an animal. Having paws is even harder than long nails. I shall never take my hands for granted again.’
‘Probably a good plan. Here let me help you back to school with the chocolate.’
‘Oh, you’re fine. I can do it. You don’t want to leave the car like that. Penmenna may not be a criminal hotspot but there is such a thing as taking the mickey and you leaving this car with the engine running would be it. Here, if you just help load me up that would be grand.’
‘Hmm, that doesn’t seem very gentlemanly…’
‘No, but it does sound very sensible. Now, are you going to let me go in or stand here arguing with me?’
