Page 41 of Be More Octopus

'It must've been awful.'

'Xander's demise? Nancy took it very well, apparently. She knew he was having affairs - she'd turned a blind eye to them for years. That part wasn't surprising, but she expected him to live longer. He didn't look like your typical heart attack victim. Mark was pretty upset, though.'

'I can imagine.' How awful must it have been to hear your father had died and learn that he had a kink at the same time? She imagined how she'd feel if her dad conked out at a swingers' night. No, do not think about that!

'You'll be fine in this room. It is the best one, and it isn't haunted, I promise. I've slept in here a few times,' he said. 'And there are aggressive sheep on the wall in the other one,' he whispered into her ear.

'Are you winding me up? No one has sheep on their wall unless they're three years old.'

'Apparently, they do. It's wallpapered with a rural scene featuring curly-horned rams repeated roughly every 12 inches. See for yourself.' He indicated the door across the corridor.

Em walked across the plush hall carpet and looked inside the final bedroom, expecting to see more plain walls. But he wasn't joking. Three walls were painted dark aubergine, but the wall behind the bed did have expensive-looking monochrome paper featuring realistic drawings of fields, cows, birds and, of course, the dreaded rams with expressions every bit as aggressive as her nemesis on Dartmoor. There were loads of them. The same pattern was on the curtains too. Their eyes seemed to follow her around the room.

Em took a sharp intake of breath.

'I did warn you,' Jack said, walking in and putting his suitcase on the bed.

'It looks like I'll have to take my chances with the ghost.'

'I'll be in here if you need me to help with any strange sensations in the night.' He looked away, appearing to be embarrassed by what he'd just said. 'You know what I mean.'

Jack had been right about the tapas bar. Their lunch was delicious. He insisted on paying and then suggested they head off to the Uni. 'You can take some photos in my office before the lecture.'

His office was only a couple of streets away in an imposing building that looked like it dated from the 1920s, judging by its Art Deco entrance doors.

'I'm on the third floor,' Jack said as they entered the foyer. 'Stairs or lift?'

The rickety metal lift doors looked as if they were as old as the building. They didn't fill Em with confidence. 'The stairs will be fine,' she said, heading up the wide stone staircase.

'A wise decision,' Jack said, following her.

His office was at the end of a long, narrow corridor. The office was long and narrow too. One wall was lined with packed bookshelves. A few oversized volumes were shoved on their side on top of the other neatly vertical books. Jack's desk was clear except for one unruly pile of paperwork. Em looked around the rest of the room. Near the door, there was a small round table with a few mismatched chairs, presumably for his meetings with students.

It had a distinctive smell which wasn't unpleasant: a mix of the mustiness of old books and a reassuringly familiar hint of Jack's aftershave. Not surprising, considering it must have been shut up for several weeks.

But Em's main concern was how gloomy it was, despite the tall window and the bright sunshine outside.

Jack must have thought the same. He pulled the blind up further to let in more light. 'That's better. Let's get some fresh air in as well.'

He opened the window. The sound of traffic was suddenly overwhelming.

'How do you work in here in the summer? It's so noisy!' Em asked. The piercing siren of a passing emergency vehicle emphasised her point.

'Peaceful rural Devon has spoiled us. That's why it seems so loud. Once I've been back a few days, I won't notice it any more.'

Had London been this noisy when she lived here before? 'I guess I'm missing Dashford already.'

'You're turning into a country bumpkin, as my mother would say. Not that that's a bad thing.'

'I thought I'd like to live in a big city again, but now I'm not so sure. I suppose you have to live in a city if you're a professor.'

'Not all universities are in the middle of big cities. I guess I've got into the habit of working here. But I could move if I needed to.'

What did that mean? He tore his eyes away from her and looked at his watch. 'We've only got 15 minutes before I have to head to my lecture.'

'Let's get on with it then.'

Jack had brought his professional camera for Em to use. She quickly got it out of its case, cleaned the lens and changed a few settings. She held her hand up and moved around the office, looking at her palm.