The Door That Led to Where by Sally Gardner Page A

that. Another pot of tea, please,’ he called to the man behind the counter.
    â€˜Coming up, professor.’
    â€˜Now, tell me slowly and precisely what has happened and where you have been.’
    AJ told him about meeting Ingleby and Stone, and being taken to Samuel Dalton’s house, and about his recent interview with Mr Baldwin.
    â€˜I tell you, some weird shit is going on. Now I don’t know who to trust or even how many people know about the door. This is far more complicated than anything Beanstalk Jack ever had to deal with.’
    At that moment AJ’s phone rang. It was Slim.
    â€˜Hi, bro. Phone ran out of juice.’
    â€˜Later,’ said AJ.
    â€˜No,’ said Slim. ‘This is important. You need to come back.’
    â€˜Why? I’m busy.’
    There was a pause and for a moment AJ thought Slim’s phone was dropping out again. He could hardly hear him for the whizz-bangs. One lone spectacular wheel illuminated the sky with falling diamonds.
    â€˜Because,’ said Slim, ‘Leon’s mum is dead.’

Chapter Fourteen
    AJ had never been on a plane, never been to a foreign land; only London muck had ever stuck to the soles of his shoes. He had no idea what jet lag felt like but he wondered if he could be suffering from time lag.
    Whatever it was, everything was unreal. Leon, Leon’s mum, Slim – all seemed to float about him. He felt sick with tiredness, so much so that he had fallen asleep again on the bus and missed his stop at Stoke Newington Town Hall and had to catch another bus back from Stamford Hill.
    Slim was waiting outside the Rose and Crown, uncomfortably puffing on a fag.
    â€˜You don’t smoke,’ said AJ.
    â€˜Leon’s gone missing,’ said Slim, stubbing out the cigarette. He stopped and looked at AJ. ‘You all right? You’re grey.’
    â€˜Had a hard day,’ said AJ, wishing he had been with Leon instead of chasing a mystery he didn’t have a hope of ever understanding. ‘What do you mean, gone missing?’
    Slim sighed. ‘It’s messed up. Auntie Elsie went to the hospital with him and that was when they turned off his mum’s life support. The social services were there too. Leon told them he needed a piss and that was the last anyone saw of him. Now the police are round at his flat.’
    â€˜Shit,’ said AJ.
    â€˜Yeah, life is shitty, it sure ain’t pretty. The vultures have descended. Margot from Ranger Housing Association is up there too. The rent was months overdue. Seems like Leon has lost his mum and his home, all with the click of a switch. His mum was more use as a living vegetable than a bleeding corpse.’
    â€˜Ever thought of being a poet?’ said AJ. ‘Come on, we’d better try to find Leon.’
    â€˜I’ve been looking all day. Down at Blues, on the South Bank – nothing. And I can’t search any more, man,’ Slim said sheepishly. ‘Sorry, bro, I’m taking my girl out.’
    â€˜What are you on?’ said AJ. ‘Leon’s mum has died and you are determined to add to the sum total of misery by going out with the girlfriend of the nastiest piece of manhood that was ever assembled in the factory of life. Moses is a basket case.’
    â€˜She’s finished with him for good.’
    â€˜I doubt that, bro. I imagine Sicknote is making sure she has one of her Gucci stilettos in each camp. Why do you want to be involved with the bitch?’
    â€˜Don’t call her that. I love her. Don’t laugh.’
    â€˜I’m not laughing.’
    â€˜You see, I’ve had this crush on her since –’
    â€˜Since you lost the will to live?’ said AJ. ‘Oh, give me strength. There’s no cupid’s bow waiting for you, mate, just Moses’s flick knife and you know it. It’s pathetic.’
    â€˜Shut it,’ said Slim. ‘Just shut it.’ He took out another fag and lit it