Hot Revenge Box Set 2

Chains and padlocks dangle loose from double-doors standing wide. The space inside is dim, beckoning us inside.

We enter, stepping between cones of bird droppings into a single open space, taking up what looks like the whole of the ground floor. Daylight filters through clouded glass and cobwebs from the far side. Pigeons scatter as we enter then resettle, cooing protest at our invasion of their private space. Their calls echo with our footsteps as, without speaking a word, we cross the open floor to the murky windows.

A quick search through my bag produces a tissue, and I swipe over dust to clear a small viewing hole through the grime, just big enough to peer out and over the river.

“We can do better than that,” comes Ryan’s voice from a few feet away.

He’s standing by another set of steel double-doors. Again, a chain dangles free from between the handles and he lifts a locking bar, then swings the doors open. Pale sunlight spills inside, and dust motes sparkle brilliantly in the beams casting to the concrete floor.

He wriggles fingers at me. “Together.”

Hand in hand, we step outside to find ourselves on a stone-flagged walkway, edging the water, perhaps twenty feet wide, stretching to the far end of the building one way and to the wheelhouse the other.

Beyond the edge, the weir stretches over the river, curving across the water in a smooth arc, a good fifty feet across from one bank to the other. Above the weir, the water is a smooth green pool. Then, in a fall of ten feet of so, it froths and rushes, boiling down to the next level before continuing its journey to the sea.

My heart pounds. “This place must be worth a fortune. How could we possibly afford it?”

Ryan heaves in air. “It’s only worth a fortune if someone is willing to put in the work. And…” He swipes a hand through his hair… “I don’t think Richard would have brought us here if he thought it was out of our reach.”

Footsteps clip behind us: James and Richard, talking quietly as they walk around from the side. James aims a long arm upwards towards some feature, I think, measuring a wall by eye.

“How are you doing?” he asks as they join us.

“What do think?” says Ryan. “Could it be rescued?”

James seems quite relaxed. “Oh, yes. The walls are sound. There’s no sign of subsidence I can see.” His eye roams upwards to the squabbling pigeons. “I imagine you’d need new timbers throughout and almost certainly a new roof. And you’d want to have the ground checked over for pollutants. I don’t know off-hand what contamination you might have from the paper industry, but we can find out easily enough. The question is…” He inhales… “How big a project are you willing to take on?”

His eye travels to me… “And if you have to live here while the work’s on-going, are you willing to rough it for a while?”

turns to me too. “Kirstie, what do you think? Really? Would you be willing to live on what was effectively a building site for a while? And it could be a while. Certainly, several months. Probably longer. This would be

whirl on the spot, hands outstretched. “I love it. I love

his voice, blending into apology. “I don’t mean to be rude, but please excuse us for a

lips twitch.

you sure? We’d be almost camping here at first. If we sign up to buy this place, we’ll not be able

tent, living on jam sandwiches and weak tea if it meant we could

whole face. He kisses my forehead.

up. “Let’s go to the top. I want to

*****

loading bay. In a house, this might be called a balcony.

rusty bars. “I

But

treetops, iced silver. One way, the river continues its path to the

sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Let’s go

*****

men wait, quiet,

do they want for it?

“It’s yours, isn’t

an old friend of mine. Emphasis on old. He’s retired and wants to liquidate his assets. I rather think he sees his remaining time being spent on a beach somewhere rather warmer than this. He asked me if I was interested but I don’t have an immediate use for such a place. However…” He blows

please. Find out what

mobile. “Already done. He said he’d get back

*****

serves up coffee and cake in the lounge then piles logs