Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Box Set

by Sherri Bryan

  Will held up his hands in submission. “Okay, okay, whatever you say. Just sayin’ that you look really good. What can I get you to drink?”

  “Can I have one of those raspberry beers, please?” Jess smoothed the dress of her skirt over her legs and glanced at Charlotte. “And I don’t need any smart comments from you, thank you very much,” she said with a grin.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Charlotte grinned back. “Although I have to tell you that if that dress was for the benefit of a certain someone, I’m sure he’d be very impressed.” She winked and took a sip of her beer.

  “You know, it’s a shame we all have to work tomorrow morning,” said Nathan as Will passed Jess her bottle. “Otherwise, we could have really made a night of it and gone on to a club for a boogie.”

  Considering that Nathan was a somewhat reluctant dancer, his suggestion came as a complete surprise to Charlotte and Jess, who gawped at each other in astonishment.

  “Am I hearing things?” said Charlotte. “Did he just suggest going to a club?”

  “D’you know, I believe he did,” said Jess. “But what’s even more shocking is that he also said ‘boogie’”. She turned to Nathan. “Nathan, this is not the 1970’s. No one says ‘boogie’ anymore.”

  “Haha! You’re so funny,” he said, with a sarcastic smile and turned to talk to Will.

  “I don’t believe it! Is that my two favourite girls, or are my eyes deceiving me?”

  A booming voice rang out behind them and Charlotte and Jess turned to see to whom it belonged.

  A man with a pair of mirrored sunglasses stuck into his tousled, white blond hair, and the darkest brown eyes stood before them. All evidence of his childhood chubbiness had gone and he’d grown by at least a foot. Drew Ferguson was back in St. Eves.

  Behind him, an equally tall, fragile-looking woman with a curtain of gleaming, mahogany hair hung back, seemingly happy for Drew to take the lead. The milk-bottle bottom glasses and the squint were distant memories. She stood tall now with no sign of a stoop and her pale green eyes shyly scanned the group of friends.

  “Drew! Kate!” Charlotte and Jess welcomed them in and a noisy exchange of greetings and kisses took place.

  “Oh, it’s so good to see you,” said Charlotte. “I guess I should introduce you to Nathan; your new landlord, amongst other things!”

  “Good to finally meet you properly.” Nathan stepped forward and shook hands with the couple.

  “Likewise,” replied Drew. “I used to see you around before we left St. Eves but I don’t recall you from school. Mind you, you were a few years ahead of us, weren’t you?”

  “I was, but just for tonight, can we forget about how much older I am than all of you? It’s very depressing!” Nathan grinned widely and picked up his beer. “Should we move to a table?”

  “Could we sit outside?” Kate changed the subject. “It’s been such a long time since we were here and I’ve missed the marina so much.”

  “You know, you have a doppelganger,” said Charlotte to Drew as they filed out. “I could have sworn I saw you earlier today, but it turned out to be someone else.”

  “Really?” said Drew. “Well, they say that everyone has one - who’d have thought mine would be in St. Eves!”

  They chose a table on the edge of the terrace. The sun had long dipped behind the horizon, but the air was still warm. Garlands of white lights were strung between the lampposts and across the frontages of the bars and restaurants, casting their silver glow over the marina front and onto the inky-blackness of the water. Boats bobbed gently in their berths and the wind chimes that hung from so many of them tinkled like a lullaby.

  “Oh, it’s so good to be back,” said Kate, leaning back and sighing in contentment.

  “Yes, it’s so relaxing on the marina, isn’t it? I always think that being here is like being on holiday - I love the atmosphere. You know, I ... oh, I think Ben’s here,” said Charlotte and tried not to laugh as Jess placed her hair just-so, sat up straight and crossed her legs daintily at the ankles.

  “Hi, everyone,” said Ben. “Sorry I’m late.” He shook hands with Drew and Kate before looking around the table, his eyes coming to rest on Jess for just that little bit longer than on anyone else.

  “Drew, Kate, this is Ben Dillon. You’ll probably be seeing quite a lot of him as he’s moving to St. Eves to rent my house,” said Charlotte, “and he’s also one of St. Eves’ finest!” Noticing their blank expressions, she added, “He’s a Detective Sergeant.”

  “Ah, right. Good to know that there’s a strong police presence in the town,” said Drew, nodding as he picked up his bottle of beer.

  “Not that a strong police presence is needed in St. Eves, of course,” said Charlotte, swiftly, ignoring the looks of disbelief being thrown her way by three of her companions. She had no intention of telling Drew and Kate about the two murders that had been committed in St. Eves in recent months. Why worry them?

  “Apart from when those murders were committed, you mean?” asked Drew with a grin, before taking a swig from his bottle.

  Charlotte felt the colour rising in her cheeks. “Oh. Well, um, yes ... apart from then.”

  Seeing how mortified Charlotte was, Kate came to her rescue. “Don’t take any notice of Drew, he’s only teasing,” she said. “His mum already told us about the murders but they haven’t put us off wanting to move back here. I’m sure that St. Eves is still a wonderful place to live.”

  “Oh yes! It is,” said Charlotte, eagerly. “It’s a fantastic place to live. Thanks to these guys,” she gestured towards Nathan and Ben, “and the rest of the force, the killers were behind bars really quickly. Despite the murders, the crime rate here is still very low.”

  “That’s true,” said Nathan. “St. Eves has the lowest crime rate in the county, and the third lowest crime rate in the whole country.”

  Drew nodded. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” he said to Charlotte. “I really was only teasing.”

  Not that he needed to apologise, but he was sincere and Charlotte appreciated it. “Oh, forget about it,” she said, waving her hand, dismissively.

  Drew smiled and downed the last of his beer. “Right, who’s for another drink?”

  ººººººº

  It had been a great evening.

  Drew was still the life and soul of the party and had kept them in stitches for most of the night. Even Kate, with her dry sense of humour and ironic quips, had had them laughing until the tears ran down their cheeks.

  To top it all, Ryan had insisted on being their personal waiter, bringing their drinks and delivering their food, along with the odd one-liner. He was revelling in his new job as bar manager and it had made Charlotte’s heart swell to see him so happy.

  Nathan looked at his watch. “Well, as much as I’d love to stay, I’ve got to make a move I’m afraid. I’ve got an early start tomorrow.” He shook hands again with Drew and Kate. “It’s been really good to meet you both, and I’ll see you at the house on Wednesday at nine-thirty with the keys. If you need to speak to me about anything before then, you’ve got my number, okay? Right, Charlotte. You coming with me or are you going to stay on here and go home later with Jess?”

  Charlotte looked over at Jess, who was sitting close to Ben, totally engrossed in what he was saying and completely oblivious to everyone else. “Looks like I’m coming with you.” She laughed. “In any case, I need to take Pippin out.” She touched her friend on the shoulder. “Bye Jess, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “What? Oh, yes. See you tomorrow. Are you going already? What time is it?”

  “It’s only ten, but I need to walk Pip and Nathan’s got to be in early tomorrow.” She turned to Drew and Kate. “It’s been lovely to see you both again and so interesting to catch up on all your news. I’m glad you decided to move back.” She hugged them both, promising to see them again soon. “And Ben, I’ll see you on Wednesday, whenever you want to come in to collect the keys. I’ll be at the café a
ll day, so pop in whenever suits you.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you then. See you tomorrow, Chief.”

  “Goodnight all. See you soon.” Nathan took Charlotte’s hand and they walked off up the marina front.

  “Ben and Jess were getting very friendly, weren’t they?” said Nathan when they were well out of earshot of the others.

  “I know. It’s great, isn’t it? She really likes him and he seemed quite keen on her, too, don’t you think?

  Nathan raised his eyebrows. “Well, if drooling is any indication, then yes, I’d say he’s quite keen.” He held the car door open for Charlotte and she laughed as she got in.

  “And it was so good to see Drew and Kate again. I didn’t think I’d enjoy myself so much, but they’re great company.”

  “Yeah, they seem like good people,” said Nathan as he pulled out of the car park, “which is good to know, bearing in mind that they’re going to be renting my house. They’ve certainly had some adventures while they’ve been away, that’s for sure.”

  “Wow, haven’t they just? Thailand sounded absolutely idyllic. I’m surprised they ever wanted to leave after living there for the best part of ten years.”

  “Well, things change don’t they? Life changes. I suppose for some people, the lure of home is too much and they decide that’s where they need to be.” Nathan pulled up outside the cottage.

  “I suppose so,” said Charlotte. “Mind you, I can’t ever see myself ever wanting to leave St. Eves. Not for good, anyway.”

  “Well, I’m pleased to hear it, seeing as we haven’t even spent a night together in our new home yet. I should be able to help you unpack some more crates tomorrow after work. You want me to come round?”

  Charlotte nodded. “Y’know, you don’t have to keep going back to your place. You can stay here if you want to. It’s a bit of a mess, but the bed’s accessible.”

  “You sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure!”

  Nathan rubbed his hands together. “Done!” he said, jumping out of the car and running round to Charlotte’s side to let her out.

  “Now, don’t go getting all worked up,” she said. “I’ve got to take Pippin out first.”

  He rolled his eyes and pulled her to him, his hands spanning her waist. “Is that dog always going to get preferential treatment?” he asked, leaning down to kiss her.

  “You’d better get used to it!” she replied, beaming from ear to ear.

  Chapter 3

  “Well you and Ben certainly seemed to hit it off. D’you think you’ll see him again?” Charlotte asked casually as she and Jess set out the tables and chairs on the terrace of the café the following morning.

  “Actually, I am seeing him again.” Jess’s cheeks flushed as she shook out a tablecloth.

  Charlotte immediately stopped putting cushions on chairs. “What? That’s fantastic! What happened? I want details ... tell me everything!”

  Jess giggled at her enthusiasm. “Well, there’s really not much to tell. After you and Nathan left the bar last night, we all stayed on and had another drink and Ben and I chatted some more, and then he asked if I wanted to go out some time.

  “Of course, I played it really cool ... I thought about it carefully for at least ten seconds before I said yes!” She laughed at the recollection and Charlotte laughed with her, genuinely happy for her friend.

  “Anyway, don’t get too excited - we can’t go anywhere until Saturday because Ben’s working every day until then, apart from Wednesday when he’s moving into your place. In any case, it’s not really a proper date because Drew and Kate are coming too.” Jess smoothed the surface of the tablecloth, pulling it this way and that to make sure it was perfectly centred on the table.

  “We’re all going for lunch at The President. Y’know, I’ve lived here forever and I’ve only ever eaten in the lounge bar, but we’re going to the rooftop restaurant - it’s meant to be amazing. It would have been nice to go for dinner, but we couldn’t get in.”

  “The President, eh? Very nice,” said Charlotte

  The President was the only five star hotel in St. Eves, renowned for its opulence and first-class service. Its restaurant - headed up by local woman and now world-class chef, Olivia Floyd-Martin - was booked for dinner months in advance, such was the reputation of said chef and the exquisite food prepared under her ever-watchful, uncompromising gaze.

  “I know. It feels terribly extravagant for a Saturday afternoon, but what the hell! You only live once, so I’m throwing caution to the wind!” She grinned widely.

  Charlotte squeezed her friend’s hand. “I’m thrilled for you. Really, I am. Ben seems like such a lovely guy ... I have a feeling this could be the start of something special between you two.”

  Jess rolled her eyes. “Oh my gosh, here we go! You’ll be stocking up on confetti if I don’t rein you in.”

  “Ha ha, very funny!” said Charlotte, as she set a menu on each table. “You may scoff now, but give it a couple of months and you see if I’m not right. Oh, and don’t forget to take pictures of all the food for me!” She checked the time. “Yikes! It’s almost nine. I’d better start on the lunch prep.”

  “Morning, ladies!” Cheery voices called out and Charlotte and Jess turned to see St. Eves residents, Leo Reeves and Harry Jenkins, walking down the marina front in Hawaiian shirts, shorts, straw hats and sunglasses, each with a deckchair under his arm.

  “We’re off to the beach for a spot of sunbathing,” said Leo. “Don’t want to leave it too late or the sun’ll be too hot to sit in. This weather’s unbelievable considering it’s almost October, isn’t it?”

  “You’ll save us a table for lunch, won’t you?” asked Harry. “We’ll be in at noon, as usual.”

  “Course we will,” said Jess, waving as they disappeared off down the footpath at the side of the café.

  The day began with the usual flurry of breakfast orders, followed by a steady stream of diners wanting Charlotte’s Sunday lunch of tender roast beef with all the trimmings. At around one-thirty, the steady stream became a deluge and it was almost five the next time Charlotte checked the time.

  “Oh my goodness, that was a busy one,” she said as she came out of the kitchen for a bottle of sparkling water.

  “You can say that again,” said Jess. “Y’know, sometimes I wonder if we’re the only place in St. Eves that’s open for Sunday lunch.”

  “Don’t knock it!” Charlotte smiled and fanned herself with a menu. “Are the ladies still outside?”

  Jess nodded. “They’re just finishing their desserts.”

  Charlotte went out onto the terrace, stopping to make a fuss of Pippin, who was sitting in his basket chewing on a bone. She had a quick chat with all the customers, ending up at the table occupied by Ava, Harriett and Betty, three of her favourites.

  Born and bred in St. Eves, the ladies had been close friends of Charlotte’s parents, and since their tragic death and Charlotte’s subsequent return to St. Eves, they’d been very good to her. Although in their seventies, Charlotte always thought of them as much younger. They had a predilection for mischief and were huge fun to be with. They were the most dreadful gossips, but they each had a heart of gold.

  “Afternoon, ladies. Mind if I join you for a while?” Without waiting for an answer, Charlotte pulled up a chair.

  “Hello, dear. The lunch was excellent, as usual,” said Ava, her steel-grey hair framing her face in a short bob.

  “Thank you, Ava and I love your hair like that! It takes years off you,” said Charlotte. “You look amazing!”

  “Thank you, dear. I got so fed up with having to put my hair in a chignon every day, I decided to have it all chopped off yesterday. It’s so much cooler, I can’t tell you. And you’ll never guess who I saw while I was in the hairdressers?” She paused for a second and then answered her own question before anyone could get a word in. “Kate Denton! She was having a trim in the chair next to me. We had a nice, long chat. Lovely girl.”

 
“Yes, isn’t she?” Charlotte agreed. “We all went out together last night.”

  “Did that chap of hers go along, too?” asked Harriett.

  “You mean Drew? Yes, he came too. You know, he’s an absolute scream - I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much.” Charlotte giggled as she recalled the hilarity of the previous evening.

  “I wish I’d seen her. I always liked Kate, and her family,” said Betty, scraping the last remains of cream from her dessert bowl.

  “Didn’t that bowl have a pattern on the bottom when you started eating?” asked Ava, drily.

  “Oh, shush.” Betty stopped scraping and put her spoon in the empty bowl. Dabbing her mouth with a serviette she said, “Anyway, as I was saying, I hope to bump into Kate some time, I’d love to see her again.”

  “Well, you’re in luck,” said Ava, “because I’ve invited her to meet us here for lunch next Friday”

  “Oh, Ava, that’s so good of you!” said Charlotte. “She’s feeling a little like a fish out of water at the moment, so I’m sure she was thrilled with the invitation. I think she just wants to get out and start socialising again.”

  “Did you invite that chap of hers, too?” asked Harriett.

  “I wish you’d stop calling him ‘that chap’,” said Ava. “His name’s Drew. And no, I didn’t invite him.”

  “That’s good,” said Harriett. “You can’t have a proper chat when there are men around.”

  “What’s she like these days?” Betty asked. “Has she come out of her shell at all? I remember, she used to be so shy, she wouldn’t say boo to a goose.”

  “Well, she’s still a little shy, wouldn’t you say, Ava?” said Charlotte. “But she’s definitely more confident than she used to be. Mind you, Drew’s such an entertainer, she’s lucky if she can get a word in edgeways most of the time.”

  “Hhmm, that doesn’t surprise me,” said Harriett. “I never really took to that boy and I never understood why everyone else was so fond of him. He was always far too full of himself, for my liking.”