Free The Power of Forgetting by A M Russell

was
hard to read as well. He stood in a neutral position, relaxed. But
I noticed that he never let himself be in a position of having his
back to anyone. Good instincts I guessed.
    My parents
joined our waiting group with Davey trailing behind. He was in
thinking mode…. daydreaming again. He seemed oblivious to the
strange tension between me and Morel.
    We followed Leo
and Laura into The Plough Inn. It was just as I remembered it.
Perhaps even as my parents had first seen it, back when they first
knew each other.
    We all gathered
round two oblong tables. Sam and Davey went to the bar. The girls
disappeared into the Ladies. Laura came back with a small tray and
four glasses.
    ‘Leo has the
rest. I must say that Angela is still doing the lunch roast. We can
get a table in the dining area in half an hour, if we want.’ She
passed me a glass.
    ‘What is it?’
asked Morel, as Laura passed him something that was almost black in
colour.
    ‘That’s Rum and
black.’ said Davey, who had just come over with the snacks, ‘You’ve
got them mixed up Mrs Arden.’
    Laura wrinkled
her nose and sniffed in an irritated way; ‘Just One thing to
remember Davey. Under no circumstances ever call me that again. It
is actually wrong anyway.’
    ‘Oh?’ said
Morel who was helping to rearrange the glasses to the right places.
At that moment Karis, Janey, and Marcia all came back and squeezed
themselves in between us. Karis and Janey were arguing in a gentle
way about who should sit next to me.
    ‘Girls!’ said
Laura, ‘Take turns.’
    To my guilty
satisfaction Morel looked slightly put out. But his expression
quickly smoothed out; ‘You are quite the most compelling person I
have ever met in this matter.’ he said, as the noise level rose and
every one was chatting amiably. Leo and Sam brought the rest of the
drinks.
    ‘I can’t hear
you.’ I said vacantly.
    Morel leaned
over; ‘Oh, I think you can. But understand what I am doing. I am
not here just because of my high conviction rate on criminal cases.
And don’t get the idea that I cheat, in order to solve them. I am
only doing this for Karis…and so far I don’t see anything to point
to why she is so determined to let you all see this.’
    ‘What do you
mean?’ I was cold in tone. Davey turned and was listening to our
conversation. Marcia reached across me for her drink again. I stood
and went over to the bar. Davey followed me and so did Morel. Leo
looked up and caught my eye as if he knew everything that was
happening. He put his arm back round Laura and tilted her chin up
towards him. I watched fascinated. I had very rarely seen them be
so openly affectionate with each other. But I sensed something in
the air. Something wasn’t right. Something was here. Laura and Leo…
they were, somehow disconnected. I couldn’t explain it better than
that. The others seemed to be taking no notice, not even Karis.
    ‘You should pay
attention to what is happening around you.’ said Morel, ‘there are
three things that have occurred in the last few minutes which you
seemed to miss completely.’
    I turned to him
waiting for the punch line.
    ‘Yes,’ he
continued, ‘you perhaps didn’t see what happened.’
    Davey looked
annoyed, and opened his mouth to speak; but I held up a hand; ‘It
ok Davey… trust me. It’s fine.’ I turned to Morel, ‘I see what you
did. There were three things. The glass you swapped to the wrong
person. The note into Marcia’s coat pocket, and the mat you put
under Janey’s glass when she picked it up.’
    Morel seemed
surprised. He indicated the barman pass him another blackcurrant
and soda. He turned towards me, ‘Interesting. You are really quite
the charming understated gentleman of mystery that Karis said you
are.’
    ‘Karis is a
good judge of most things.’ I said, ‘you believe her now?’
    ‘Yes…. I do.’
He drained the soft drink down in one, ‘Is there anything I can get
you?’
    ‘Some dry
roasted peanuts.’ I said, and a