29
Adam Leonard pulled on a cigarette, then dropped it to the floor. He squashed it and looked at the others who were sat waiting. Jane and Melissa were sat on the steps that lead into ‘Medical Imaging’, while Stuart leaned, with his hands in his pockets, against his Rover 416S. They were waiting for Curio. Jane was examining the camcorder.
“I think that button there, switches it to night-vision,” she said to Melissa.
“What?” said Stuart, turning around to look at them. “Night-vision? You must be joking. What do we need that for? There’s no way I’m spending the night there, you can forget it”.
“No, no-one’s sleeping over. It’s just good to have if we need it for any reason”.
“Where is he, anyway?” said Adam.
“It doesn’t matter how late he is,” said Stuart. “Just as long as he gets here, and helps us get good marks. That’s all I’m bothered about”.
“Well can you ring one of them up and tell him to wait?” said Malcolm, on his mobile phone to Anthony. Anthony had rang him to let him know that the students were expecting Curio.
“I can be there in ten minutes,” he added.
“I’m sure they’re expecting him now, this minute. I’ll ring Adam then and tell him to ask him if he’ll wait when he arrives. They’re outside Medical Imaging”.
“Alright, I appreciate it. I’ll be as fast as I can”. Malcolm ended the call. He had been in a queue for a cash machine when he’d received the call. He pocketed the phone and quickly hurried in the direction of the students.
It was good to see the old place again, Curio thought as he walked across campus. Nothing had changed since his days before he’d tried and failed to become a doctor. He was glad he left, but still, there was an old flame that burned for the place, that burned for the enthusiasm he once had. Something about school and university days had crept beneath his skin, as he was sure it did to other students, where once the place is left, then it was looked back on with fondness.
The work may have been hard and boring, but still, there was something about it that made students reflect on it in appreciation. As Curio walked through, it was like a trip along memory lane. There was the guild of students. There was the student and examinations division. There was veterinary pathology. For this learning experience, for the potential knowledge, Curio had decided to give his services for free.
He turned the corner of a sports centre. The students were across the road, Melissa and Jane now leaning against the fence outside the building. He waited for a Mazda to drive past, then crossed the road. Stuart walked across to him. They shook hands, the other students introducing themselves and smiling as though they were meeting an icon. Malcolm had reached them a few minutes earlier and explained to them that he needed to speak with Curio before they left. He was the last to introduce himself. He shook his hand, nodding an acknowledgement.
“Curio,” he said. “I’m not part of this project. I just needed to ask if you could give me a reading”.
“I’ll have to book you in. I can’t do it today”.
“Well…you were the one that found my mother. Bridget. You discovered her whereabouts”. Curio thought for a few moments.
“Oh, right”.
“I need you to get in contact with my mum or dad, because there’s no way on earth that my Dad would have murdered my mother. Something had to have caused him to do what he did. And when I spoke to him afterwards, it was like talking to a different person who just looked like my Dad. I need answers Curio. I can’t concentrate on my studies. I can barely do anything with this weight bearing down on me. I’ll admit, I’m not a believer in this kind of thing, but I’m willing to accept that I might be wrong. I want to believe that I can still get answers from my parents. Can you help me? Contact them, and ask them to give me answers. I can’t be satisfied until I understand why”.
Curio nodded.
“A reading is a reading, and it will still cost the same. I cannot give you favouritism”.
“Yes, alright. When can you do it?”
“Excuse me,” said Melissa. “You’re giving him a reading,” she said to Curio as a statement. Malcolm and Curio simply looked at her for a few seconds.
“It’s just that it may help our project if you allow us to film it. Would that be possible?” Curio and Malcolm looked at each other, suddenly feeling pressurised into saying yes. “Well…I suppose I don’t mind,” said Malcolm. Curio contemplated it. Filming it, he thought. Maybe that would be beneficial. Who knows who might see it? It would be more publicity and make my name known further, especially if the reading is a complete success. This could prove to be rather positive. He nodded.
“Yes, alright. How about tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yes, that’d be great,” said Melissa. “I can get our tutor to open one of the classrooms that won’t be being used. We can do it there”.
“Good, I’ll need you to bring along a personal item of your father’s, something he was close to,” Curio said to Malcolm.
“Okay, that’s fine. See you tomorrow,” said Malcolm. He shook Curio’s hand again, then turned and walked away.
Three of the students squashed themselves into the backseat, while Curio sat in the front.
Stuart drove, pulling away from the kerb.
“You mentioned on the phone that you were going to tell me about this farmer,” said Curio.