STONES OF FIRE

By Tessa Harvey

CHAPTER SIX

(Continued)

The near-stranger walked seemingly with purpose about the town, but he tried to miss nothing. He came past the jewellers and glanced at the stones of fire glinting in the sunlight. He had heard of the two foiled attempts to loot the shop. "Bungling amateurs," he muttered. 

Turning around a blind corner, he knocked against a middle-aged lady and her shopping went flying. He bent to help her pick it up, then decided to leave it and move on. The lady stared at him. "Have you no heart?" she demanded angrily. The man glanced back. "Nope" he retorted. "Heart of stone, me."

Jean stared angrily as the stranger disappeared down the street. She felt a niggle of unease as she picked up her groceries assisted by one or two passersby.

The voice and face seemed oddly familiar in some way. She shrugged away the unease and went on to meet Gabe, John, Angel and a few others who now met weekly for a Bible Study.

The scones and buns she carried were placed on a plate. They were mostly undamaged. Gabe and John passed around cups of tea, coffee or glasses of water. The atmosphere was warm and convivial as they nibbled on the goodies and chatted. Jean recounted her story. Leaf seemed interested. "Could it have been Walt, Diane's husband?" she queried. Nobody was sure. He had left years ago.

The Bible Study was inspiring and interesting and the incident forgotten.

But not by Walt. He stewed about it resentfully, as he picked up his own groceries and made his way up the hill where Geoff's former cottage stood empty. He had checked last night.

After a hot meal, he smoked a cigarette, then had some beer. He thought about his son. Robert would be old enough to be worth training, he mused.

In the clink he had come across Mack and Jim. Mack was a close mouthed bloke, but Jim had been eager to talk to his new hero. So Walt had found out about the alarm button and other useful tidbits of information about the town and its inhabitants.

He would have to be careful how he approached Diane. She would not be the naïve young girl he had met and charmed long ago. Still he reckoned she knew the boy needed a good dad.

And he intended to be just that - oh yes, he did. He chuckled, doused the lights and went to bed.