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Maggie wanted to talk to Delia. Maybe Harvey had confided in her about the celebration he was planning. Maggie tried phoning Delia, but there was no answer. She hoped Delia was okay. Perhaps she should call round to her house to make sure. But she didn’t have Delia’s address.
An idea came to Maggie. She took her phone out and checked the app which she used to book taxis. She went into her orders and saw the most recent one, the one she’d booked for Delia after her mugging. She smiled. There was Delia’s address. She didn’t live that far away.
Maggie headed to her car. She was tempted to phone Sam to see how he was doing, but she didn’t want to disturb him. She wished she could talk to him and ask for his advice about what she’d recently found out. But no, she had to deal with this on her own.
The drive to Delia’s house took less than fifteen minutes. The tree-lined street was quiet. She pulled up outside Delia’s house and switched the engine off. Delia’s house looked neat and tidy, and her garden was small but perfect. The colourful flowers in the borders stood to attention, and the lawn edges were neatly trimmed.
When Maggie got out of the car, she noticed the net curtain twitching at the neighbour’s window. She was being watched.
As soon as Maggie opened the garden gate, the neighbour’s front door opened. An elderly woman resting on a walking cane stood there. She called out, “Can I help you?”
Maggie gave her a pleasant smile. “I’m a friend of Delia’s.” She headed down the path.
“She’s not in,” the woman told her loudly. “She’s gone out. I don’t know where because she didn’t tell me.”
“Oh. Right.” Maggie turned to face the neighbour. “When did she go out?”
“About an hour ago. I don’t think she’s gone shopping because she didn’t have her bags for life with her.” The woman looked skyward. “I think it’s going to rain. Do you?”
Maggie looked up at the clear sky. A couple of fluffy clouds floated by. “It looks fine to me.” She looked back at the woman.
The woman made a clicking noise with her tongue. “I definitely think it’s going to rain. I can feel it in my hip. My right hip, not my left one. My left one is made of plastic. I had it replaced three years ago.”
“Okay.” Maggie took a step back along the path. She didn’t want to get into a conversation about hip replacements.
“My right hip lets me know about rain, and my toes always know when it’s going to snow. They never let me down. Never. And my fingers...” She frowned. “I can’t remember what happens when my fingers tingle. But my right hip is definitely telling me something now. Rain is on its way.”
A song about hips not lying suddenly came to Maggie, but she pushed that thought away. “If Delia comes back will you tell her I called, please? My name is Maggie Kelburn. I’ll phone her to let her know too.”
“But what about the rain? What are you going to do about it?”
“Erm. Nothing.” Maggie shrugged. “I’ve got my umbrella in my bag if it does rain.”
“It will rain.” She placed a hand on her right hip, nodded, and said, “In about thirty minutes. Maybe thirty-five.”
“Thanks for letting me know. I’d better be off.” Maggie took two more backward steps down the path.
“But the rain? Delia’s washing is on the line. It’ll get soaked. It’s going to be a downpour, not a light drizzle. I’d bring it in myself, but my hip is playing up. My left one, not the right one. I don’t know what kind of plastic the surgeon put in, but it’s not agreeing with me.”
Maggie glanced towards the back garden. “Would you like me to bring the washing in?”
The woman smiled. “Would you? It’s very kind of you to offer. Come here, and I’ll give you a key to Delia’s house. There’ll be a washing basket in her kitchen. When you’ve finished, pop the key back through my letterbox. I think I’m going to have a nap. It’s been one thing after another today with my health. Don’t even get me started with my bladder problems!”
“I won’t.” Maggie went over to the woman and took the offered key. “I hope you’ll feel better after your nap.”
“Thank you. Whilst you’re here, could you get my washing too? Delia kindly put some of my delicates on her line on account of me not being well enough to hang my own washing out. My delicates will be at the front of the line.”
Maggie tried not to grimace. “Shall I put your delicates in Delia’s house too?”
“No, I’ll stand at the back door and wait for you. You don’t mind, do you?”
Maggie did mind a bit, but didn’t say anything.
The woman gave her a big smile before closing the front door.
Maggie sighed. Her good manners often led her into doing things she didn’t want to.
She went back to Delia’s house and walked into the back garden. She got quite a shock when she saw what was on the washing line.