by Jennie Jones
‘Yes to the horse. No to me playing the part of the simpleton.’
Well at least she had a horse. She walked up the stairs to join him. ‘Would you accompany the horse each night so that it’s looked after?’
‘Yes. But don’t think for one moment you’ll get me to set foot on that stage. How about Gary?’
‘I’d prefer not to. He’s a little too keen on me.’
‘Ted?’
She swallowed. ‘I have to let him play the detective—but don’t tell him yet. I want to speak to him myself.’
A big black ute pulled up in front of the walkway and a man got out.
‘Josh Rutherford?’
‘That’s me. You wouldn’t be Simon, would you?’
‘That’s the one.’
It was his jolly laugh that got Edie’s attention first, before she even wondered who he might be.
‘My farrier,’ Josh said to Edie by way of introduction as he shook Simon’s hand. ‘This is Edie. Edie Granger, the actress.’
‘Lovely to meet you,’ Simon said to Edie, holding his hand out. ‘Actress, eh? That’s pretty exciting.’
It was a bear-sized hand, as was Simon the farrier, along with his smile.
‘It’s good to get here at last,’ Simon said. ‘Beautiful drive down from Canberra.’
‘It’s damn good to have you here,’ Josh said, then turned to Edie. ‘Simon’s going to be staying for the next month. Our farrier’s gone to Europe for ten weeks.’
‘Happy to be of service.’ Simon smiled. ‘Actually, Josh, I’ll likely be here for a bit longer if I can rent out the hut at your stables. I was thinking of staying an extra month. If you think there’ll be enough work around.’
‘That’s even better. I won’t take any rent off you. The hut’s there, and there’ll be more than enough work for you here and in the surrounding towns and properties.’
‘So are you in the movies?’ Simon asked Edie.
‘I’m a theatre actor,’ she told him quietly while studying him intensely. Although he wouldn’t know she was doing that because of the innocent expression she’d carefully pulled.
‘She’s producing a play here for us all,’ Josh said. ‘Who Shot the Producer.’
‘It’s a comedy whodunnit,’ Edie said. ‘I wrote it.’
‘Used to do a bit of theatricals myself some years ago. Amateur,’ Simon added for Edie’s benefit.
‘Don’t tell her that,’ Josh said. ‘She’ll rope you in for something.’
Simon’s laugh jollied the air and made Edie smile. She already had him in mind for something. He was good with horses, he’d trodden the boards in one way or another, and his laugh, his big smile and the sheer size of him made him just right for an unsuspected murderer.
‘If you’re staying long enough,’ she said, ‘I’ll give you a part in my play.’
Josh laughed in an exasperated way. ‘Edie, the man’s just stepped out of his car!’
Edie’s smile warmed. She was feeling very pleased with herself. An excited tingle was shooting through her system.
‘Well.’ Simon looked taken aback as his confused gaze shot between Edie and Josh. ‘I do like a bit of murder on the side. What sort of part is it?’
‘A stable groom,’ Edie said, still smiling sweetly as she put her hand on Josh’s arm to indicate he say nothing. ‘It’s a small role, but a hugely important part.’ She leaned in and lowered her voice. ‘He’s the killer,’ she said in a whisper, her smile now a little more enticing as she dared him to take her up on the offer. She’d mention ‘simpleton’ later.
Simon stared, his smile frozen in place. Then he broke away from her, his laugh sounding so flabbergasted, Edie knew she’d got him. ‘I was just thinking as I drove in,’ he said, ‘wouldn’t it be nice if I got to kill someone while I was in town.’
Edie liked him a lot. What a genial personality. He’d be fabulous on stage. ‘Look no further,’ she told him, giggling. That was another brilliant thing about casting Simon as the simpleton groom—he was so jolly he could even play Santa. Nobody would suspect him as the unbalanced, dissatisfied groom to the producer. She almost jumped for joy.
‘I’m sorting out rehearsal times,’ she told him. ‘Evenings suit you?’ Ted had his ice-cream rounds in the day, Magdalena was available whenever, Tony would be down in a few days—and she’d just finalised her cast list!
‘Fine by me,’ Simon said, then shot a look at Josh. ‘If it’s fine by you. You’re the boss.’
Josh shook his head. ‘Mate, if you want to play the simple—’
Edie shoved him with her elbow. ‘There’s nothing simple about this character,’ she said, eyes still engaging Simon. ‘Everybody thinks he’s a bit of a fool, but …’ She paused for effect and lowered her voice. ‘Let’s not forget—he’s the killer.’
‘You’ve persuaded me,’ Simon said, in an equally theatrically lowered voice while giving Edie a look of mock seriousness. It was enough to let Edie know that not only could he handle horses, he could act too. He looked at Josh, his eyes bright. ‘It’s going well so far.’
Josh laughed. ‘It is that. Come on,’ he slapped Simon’s shoulder. ‘I’ll take you out to the stables now. You can follow me. It’s only a ten-minute drive. I’ve set you up in one of the two-roomed huts we use for visitors …’
‘Who’s that?’ Ryan asked, coming to stand at Edie’s side as Josh and Simon walked to their cars.
Edie turned to him, feeling rather up-herself, in a really pleasant way. ‘Simple Simon—my groom!’
Ryan was still studying the newcomer. ‘What does he do?’
‘He’s Josh’s farrier. He’s staying for a couple of months.’ Edie waved at Simon as he drove off, following Josh’s four-wheel drive. ‘Wave,’ she told Ryan. ‘Make him feel welcome.’
Ryan lifted a hand, like a short, mid-air salute, which wasn’t in any way welcoming.
Edie sighed, her excitement deflated.
‘So you’re gay?’
Edie slapped her notebook down on the toy-shop counter. Gemma didn’t have anything accusatory in her tone, not even wry humour, but Edie pulled a face anyway. ‘Ryan told Gary that. I don’t know why. Probably to irritate me.’
Gem smothered a grin. ‘As I suspected.’
‘What?’
‘Now you want to pay my brother back for spreading this rumour.’
‘I couldn’t care less about the rumour. I just want Ted’s chairs—and Ryan told him to be offhand with me.’ She glanced over her shoulder and out the shop window. Ted should be back from his first round of the afternoon any time and she didn’t want to miss him. What good was a Little Theatre if there were no chairs for the audience to sit on?
She turned back to Gemma. While she was here, she might as well fish for a bit of info on the back-stabbing, ego-deflating ex-commando. ‘Does Ryan know a lot of people in Canberra—like, petite women or old army buddies?’
‘What petite woman? Are you worried Ryan met a woman in Canberra a few nights back?’
‘No. And anyway, I couldn’t care less. Forget I asked.’
Gem was quiet and Edie couldn’t think of single topic of conversation to bridge the embarrassment gap.
‘That kiss between you and Ryan three years ago,’ Gem said.
Edie winced. ‘Let’s not bring that up.’
‘Have you tried to rekindle the spark?’
‘Of course I haven’t. There wasn’t a spark.’ It was more like a thunderclap.
‘He’ll go for it,’ Gem persisted. ‘Mark my words.’
‘There’s no way. Not after I nearly knocked him out.’
‘Did he ever apologise for walking off?’
‘Of course he did. We laugh about it often.’ She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant.
‘Mmm,’ Gem said in a thoughtful way. ‘Here.’ She rummaged in the pocket of her multi-striped, ankle-length cardigan. ‘From now on you’re wearing this.’ She grabbed Edie’s hand and tied a pale lilac, soft leather
circlet around her wrist. It looked like a friendship bracelet. ‘Purple is for emotional healing.’
‘I thought I needed orange and green.’
‘I’ve read the tarot again. Things have changed.’ Gem leaned both arms on the counter. ‘You both need purple. You can’t take it off,’ she added.
‘I’ll have to take it off. I can’t wear it for the run. Anyway, I don’t have emotional problems.’
‘I’m afraid you do.’ She fished in her pocket again and produced another leather circlet. ‘I’m going to give Ryan this.’ It was nut brown and had a small mauve stone set in a knot.
‘How come mine’s more purple than his?’
‘Because you need more emotional karma than he does.’
Wasn’t that just Edie’s luck?
‘Problem is,’ Ryan told Nick quietly as they stood in the back room of the hardware store, ‘I can’t do anything here until something happens, and I can’t go to Sydney and leave Edie alone.’
‘So no idea who this Hanger might be?’
‘Can’t find anything on him,’ Ryan said. ‘One of the guys from 2 Commando is now working as a private investigator. On the surface it’s divorce stuff, but let’s just say for the majority of jobs he takes, you won’t find his name in the phone book. I trust him. I’ve hired him to find out more about Buchanan and nose around his business and his personal life. He might turn up something.’
‘Hanger,’ Nick said with a frown. ‘Ex services?’
‘Could be. It’s obviously a nickname.’ But had he earned it in the armed services? Or from a gang? ‘This guy worries me, Nick. They spoke of him in a revered manner. As though he was someone even they might not be too happy to meet in a dark alley. One of the suits asked if there was any need “to go this far”.’
Nick drew a breath. ‘Like you say, not a lot we can do until something happens, or someone turns up. Who was the big guy in the black ute just now?’
‘A farrier. He’s working for Josh.’
‘And?’
Ryan shrugged. ‘What can I tell you? He looks like a farrier.’
Nick nodded. ‘I’ll take him for a beer one night. Welcome him to town. See where he’s from and what he’s doing down this way.’
‘Thanks.’ He shook Nick’s hand. ‘Best nip in and see Gem. She keeps texting me asking why I haven’t gone to the shop with Edie to say hi.’
‘You mean she’s showing a sisterly interest in how you live your life,’ Nick said with a grin.
‘Tell me about it.’
Ryan left the hardware store thinking about Simon the farrier. If Buchanan did persuade his suits to hire Hanger, would it have happened this quickly? In a few days? They’d have to find him first, and they’d have to have discovered where Edie was. Maybe the farrier was legit. He didn’t look like a thug, although he was big enough.
He stopped outside the grocer’s when a tantalising smell hit him in the face. He fancied a chocolate donut or two and they were cooked fresh and possibly the best in the whole of Australia. He’d get one with pink icing for Edie. He liked watching her pick it apart with her fingers and plop little bits of warm dough into her mouth—and he really had to stop with where these images were taking him.
His plans for the away-from-it-all retreat kept forming, even though he knew he couldn’t live here in Swallow’s Fall. Not with Edie on the periphery of his life. He’d have to find some other place. But until he’d sorted out the trouble with Buchanan, and made sure Edie was okay, he’d do what he could to mend things between them or he’d never forgive himself. The rest of his life would simply have to wait in the wings.
He bought a chocolate donut for Gemma too.
The toy shop was empty, but it always had a feeling of abundance. Not only from the gifts and toys on offer, but from something in the air. Gem always described her shop as ‘a quaint, warm and inviting emporium filled with games, puzzles, books, gifts and happiness’. She was spot on.
He let the door swing to a close behind him and walked up to the counter where Gem was stacking boxes of dollhouse furniture into a pyramid.
‘Here.’ He pulled her donut out of the paper bag and handed it to her. ‘Peace offering.’
‘Oh, yum. Thanks.’
He ate one of his donuts too, grateful Gem wasn’t pestering him about—anything. She was good at finding stuff to pester him about.
‘Did Edie show you the healing bracelet I gave her and tell you about the one I’ve got for you?’ Gem asked when they’d finished devouring the donuts.
‘I was with Nick. Haven’t seen Edie since we got to town half an hour ago. You can forget mine. I don’t do jewellery.’
‘It’s not sparkly, it’s protective. You’ve got many emotional issues, Ryan. I’m trying to sort you out.’
And he’d thought the donut would suffice … ‘Why don’t you back off and sort someone else out instead? Like someone in Queensland—a decent two-and-a-half thousand kilometres away.’
She shrugged off his slight. ‘I am helping someone else. Edie. But she doesn’t have as many emotional problems to deal with as you do.’
‘I don’t have any.’
‘See? You refuse to recognise your issues.’
‘Gem, you are currently the only issue I have.’
She leaned on the counter, chin in hand, her elbow next to a wicker basket full of miniature teddy bears on key chains. ‘I was thinking about that kiss you and Edie shared. You know, the one where you fell over.’
Ryan gave her the look he reserved for insurgents.
‘Have you thought about trying again?’
Only every hour. ‘No.’
‘You should. I think you’d be surprised.’
Before he had time to figure out what that meant, Gemma grabbed his arm and pinned it to the counter with her forearm. The next thing he knew, she’d tied a leather bracelet on his wrist.
‘I’m taking it off as soon as I get out of sight.’
‘Don’t! You need it. Just as much as Edie needs hers. Now go across the street and help her. She’s out there all alone, talking to Ted. Someone told him to be bossy with her. Can you imagine? Who would want to be so mean to our lovely Edie?’ She peered over his shoulder. ‘Oh look. There’s Gary too, hanging around in the background, waiting to pounce.’ She grinned winningly. ‘He really fancies Edie, doesn’t he? Shame she’s gay. Wonder how Gary discovered that.’
Ryan squinted at her. ‘Have you talked to her about that very private and personal thing between us three years ago?’
‘Edie brought it up.’
That was like a punch in the chest. ‘Why would she bring it up?’
Gem shrugged.
‘Were you both laughing when you talked about it?’ he asked.
‘I was the one laughing,’ Gem said, pointing at herself. ‘Edie told me to stop. She said it was a personal and private thing between you—just like you said it was—and that she didn’t want you hurt or feeling upset. She said she didn’t blame you for stomping off the way you did. Said it was all her fault anyway.’ She took a breath. ‘So what did happen?’
Ryan growled. He didn’t believe what Gem was saying, but something was going on. He still had to find a way to apologise to Edie for walking out on her simply because he hadn’t been man enough to deal with a fall in front of the woman he’d wanted to coax into his arms, and possibly into his bed.
Plus, the whole damned town had witnessed it.
But maybe he was creating all this nervous tension in Edie. She might be worried he’d try to kiss her again. Did that mean she wouldn’t want him to? Or that she was nervous because she wanted him to, but didn’t think he would want to?
He turned from the counter. Christ, he was thinking like a female.
He caught sight of Edie talking to Ted. Perhaps he ought to tell her he was leaving after the play finished. But before that he had to right his wrongs. Edie must know he’d told Gary she was gay and that he’d told Ted to be officious. At least he could
fix the Ted situation. Gary he’d have to leave until the time was right.
He swung around to Gemma. ‘I’m moving on after the play.’
‘That’s not what the tarot told me.’
‘Well, Gem, you better shuffle your cards again. Because that’s what’s happening.’
‘I told you,’ Ted said. ‘I haven’t made a decision yet.’
‘But, Ted,’ Edie said, using the delightful tone she’d used when playing Star to Be in Annie, way back when she’d been in the chorus. ‘I only want fifty chairs. You have at least a hundred with no weddings or anniversary parties until closer to Christmas.’
‘I’ve got one hundred and twenty-seven, plus fifteen folding chairs in reserve for larger events, and three with broken spindles. I’m not sure if I want to let fifty go. I often have unexpected venue hire enquiries.’
Ted was being pugnacious. ‘Please.’
He gave Edie a bug-eyed glare. ‘I understand you’ve given Flirty-pants a part in your play.’
Edie deliberated. If she offered Ted the part of the detective now, she’d be pandering to him. She should let him wait. Let him stew. Until he gave her the chairs. ‘Yes,’ she said, forcing a smile. ‘She’s thrilled. So about the chairs …’
Ted sniffed. ‘It’s not easy, you know, running a venue the likes of which I run. I have to report to the Protecting National Historical Sites program regarding all necessaries.’
‘All right,’ Edie said, straightening. He wasn’t going to give and she wasn’t going to bring herself down to his childish level. ‘You can play the detective.’
Ted didn’t move. He didn’t even blink.
‘The part’s yours, Ted. You’re going to play the dead body in Act I and the detective in Act II.’
‘Not sure if I want to.’
How difficult was this going to be?
‘How’s it going?’
Edie jumped back when Ryan appeared at her side.
He lifted a brown paper bag, one of the recycled ones from the boutique grocer’s. ‘Got us some donuts. So,’ he said to Ted, ‘are we all sorted with the chairs?’
‘You can have fifty,’ Ted said. ‘I’ll deliver them in the ice-cream van.’
