The Handyman's Assistant
This short story first appeared at the back of Becoming, the second Erica and Jess book in the Murray and Tidswell Paranormal Investigations series, when I realised that Marshall and Ruby had been missed from the spotlight.
Here’s what they were up to…
Marshall stood out from the rest of the parents near the school gate, by head and shoulders. Not only was he taller than any of the fathers there, he was wider and stockier. He leaned back against his white van that he’d managed to park right outside the school by finishing a job early, his biceps bulging as he crossed his arms against his chest. A few of the mothers looked at him. He didn’t acknowledge them, although he appreciated the looks.
He kept his eyes on the school doors as they opened and the small children began running out, searching for whichever adult had come to collect them.
Marshall smiled, dropping his arms and lifting from the side of the van as he caught sight of the child he was waiting for. Her brown hair had escaped the neat ponytail her mother had tied that morning and one of her socks had slipped down, but Ruby actually looked surprisingly neat. For her.
She ran at him, already talking excitedly in bursts as she held out her arms.
‘Hey, kid.’ Marshall scooped her up easily and gave her a bear hug which made her laugh. ‘Got everything?’
Ruby nodded and went to climb into the van. Marshall opened the door for her and helped her up the steps before lifting her into the child’s seat. As he strapped her in, Ruby dropped her bag in the footwell.
‘Are we going home? Did you bring sweets?’
Marshall blinked.
‘No and maybe. I’ve got one last job to do and you’re going to come help me. Okay?’
Ruby loved the smell of Marshall’s van. It was thick and tangy and there were often sweets in the glove compartment. She wasn’t sure about this job though. It meant going to a strange house when what Ruby wanted was to go home, have beans on toast and play with Bubbles.
Marshall helped Ruby out of the van and held her hand as they walked to the front door. The little house belonged to an old woman who didn’t smell anywhere near as nice as Marshall’s van. Ruby screwed up her nose and huddled closer to Marshall’s legs.
She followed him into the kitchen, not hearing their conversation, just aware that she didn’t want to let Marshall out of her sight.
‘Rubes?’
Ruby looked up at Marshall who was turning the kitchen sink tap on and off. ‘Inside my bag, there’s a towel and some big tools. Can you lay the towel out and put the tools on top of it, please?’
Ruby, hands trembling a little, opened Marshall’s bag to reveal the glint of silver and a dirty towel. She laid the towel on the floor and carefully and slowly placed each heavy, cold tool onto it.
The smell of the strange kitchen and voice of the old woman vanished as Marshall explained each tool to her and she watched over his shoulder as he used them on the pipes under the sink.
‘All done.’ Marshall stood and asked Ruby to put the tools away for him.
‘My, that was quick. How much do I owe you?’ asked his customer.
Marshall hated charging for jobs like these. It had taken nothing. But then, if he didn’t charge, he wouldn’t have a business, and if he didn’t bring in the money, he’d never be able to afford the engagement ring he had his eye on.
‘Just a tenner today, Mrs Walker.’
With a smile, Mrs Walker reached into her purse and pushed the note into his hand. He quickly wrote out a receipt and they made their way back to his van.
‘That’s it?’ Ruby asked as he placed her back in the child’s seat.
‘Bet you think my job is easy now, huh?’
‘That was very easy.’
‘It was only easy because you were there,’ he lied, ruffling her hair. He plonked into the driver’s seat and smiled at Ruby, reaching across and opening the glove compartment. ‘Thank you for being my plumber’s mate today. Here’s your share of the payment.’
Ruby’s eyes lit up as a bag of chocolate buttons appeared.
He poured some buttons into Ruby’s open palms.
‘Maybe don’t tell your mum about this bit,’ Marshall whispered.
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