Heart Of A Spider - Season 1 - Episode 9

4 years ago

Heart Of A Spider - Season 1 - Episode 9

Kendal’s words faded into audible mumbles when his brain registered Claire appeared to be
extra serious.

“Nothing, you forget I knew you both at school.”

Kendal conjured up old memories. The fact is she’d been trying to hit on him for years. He
chuckled at her playful mood. A mood he knew was about to change. Her pendulum mood swings
weren’t a surprise. He pushed Claire to arms length.

“Sugar, why are we on this side of the house?”
“Leopold wants your phone number.”
“I hope you didn’t drag me away from Gladys just to tell me? Say you didn’t?”
“I told him to forget the idea. He actually handed me his mobile number in case I could
persuade you,” taunted Kendal.
“Leopold isn’t my style.”
“You should think about his offer. He might be the bloke of your dreams, the one you’ve been
searching for?”
Claire raised her fist.

“Take it easy. I’ll bury his number.”
“Good.”

Kendal looked up and down the exterior wall, examining every nook and cranny of the twostorey
brick wall. Stepping under a window he nodded slowly.

“Claire, what are you like at teaching?”
“Teaching?” she echoed.
“Yes, teaching.”
“What sort of question is that?”
“I thought it happened to be a good one?”
Scrunching her nose Claire folded her arms, looking down her nose at her partner.
“You look cute when you pull that particular face.”

“How do you know I’m frowning? You’re not looking at me.”

Kendal faced the woman. “I don’t have to. I know you.”

“Sugar, you’re not making much sense.”
Kendal beckoned Claire closer to the house wall. “Burglars are extremely predictable. It’s
beyond me why they must use a window above a rose bush.”

“They must know you hate rose gardens.” Claire giggled. “I can’t imagine why. Margaret has
a beauty out the back of your place.”
“You’re on her side,” m0aned Kendal.
“Someone has to be.”
“If you train your eyes up the wall you’ll notice a small hole about the size of your hand in
the bathroom window. It’s how the burglar entered the house.”

“You’re joking?” questioned Claire, sounding skeptical.
“Not in the least. I’m also not joking about finding out what your ideas are on the subject of
teaching either?”

“Don’t go there,” she warned. “I’m a cop, not a teacher.”
“I’ll change the subject. How are you at climbing walls?”
“Give me a ladder and I’ll show you Mr. Pot Belly.”

“I have not,” Kendal grumbled.
“Want to change your answer?” warned Claire, poking a finger into his stomach.
Kendal’s face took on a sudden crimson appearance. He waved a flippant hand gesture at the
house.

“I need you to climb the wall without the use of a ladder, Sweet lips.”
“Do it yourself.”

Kendal faked a grin, walked over to the wall and started to climb. He reached the third row of
bricks before slipping. Turning to face Claire, he whispered.
“Please.”

“You only needed to ask nicely.”
Grinning, Claire walked over and started up the wall. Kendal watched the climb, deep in
thought.

“Get your eyes off my arse,” she puffed moments before falling into the rose garden.
Clenching her fist she shoved it under Kendal’s nose. “Lucky for you I didn’t rip my black leather
pants. If I did I’d be extremely irritable by now.”

“To put things into perspective I didn’t notice your arse. I was waiting to see how many
courses of bricks you climbed before you fell, Miss. Greyhound shaped model of a woman. Claire,
I have to confess I’m impressed by the altitude you reached.”

She stood barefoot in the soft dirt, scraping the mud from her leathers. She looked at her
partner, shaking her head.

“My one question needs a simple explanation.”
Kendal was too intent on his study of the house to know Claire flashed him an angry glare.
“Wouldn’t it have been easier to use the ladder which is half hidden by the bush at the corner
of the house? Or did you deliberately not see it?”

“I saw it and discounted its relevance.”
“You’re a strange man.”

“If the burglar used the fairly new aluminum ladder there’d be a scraping of dirt on most of
the steps. The ridges built into each step allows for a good firm footing while the climber
ascends.”

“So?” she growled.

“There’s no dirt on any of the steps. I believe the ladder might have been placed at the other
end of the house so it could be found. The burglar wants us to think the ladder was used to aid in
breaking into the house.”

“In other words, a red herring,” quipped Claire.
Kendal nodded. “The ladder idea was a perfectly conceived fake trail. The burglar seems to know exactly what he or she is doing.”