by Agatha Frost
“Go on,” Julia prompted.
“‘Not really, though.’” Helen’s mouth thinned into a tight line as her eyes widened and clouded with tears. “Not really, though. The man with whom I shared half my DNA, the man I’d desperately been trying to have a relationship with for twenty years … he didn’t consider me his daughter. On some level, I already knew it, but hearing the words spoken so casually broke me. I didn’t speak to him for the next two weeks, and he didn’t even notice. He was probably relieved I’d given up.” She sniffed back her tears. “That was until he needed help at the wedding. He needed to hide from the Mercy Boys, so I said I’d help him if he told me he loved me.”
Helen’s head dropped, and the tears came; this time, Julia could tell they were real.
“He couldn’t bring himself to say it,” Helen cried, fighting back her tears. “My father couldn’t bring himself to lie to me, not even to save himself, so I killed him. It wasn’t planned, but … the vat of liquid nitrogen was right there.” She winced and shot a glare down at her ankle. “I was almost disappointed by how little a fight he put up. He was always a weak old fool, but I expected a little something at the end. Nothing. He just died. I did the world a favour, don’t you think?”
“And the money?” Christie called, joining them by the ring. “The money Ian stole from the Mercy Boys. Where is that now?”
“Swimming down the river with Rex,” Julia answered for her. “He jumped off the roof into the water, and he’s headed out of the country. We overheard him saying he’d be sailing home by morning.”
“Not if I can help it,” Christie muttered, pulling his phone from his pocket. “Time’s up, Julia. Get her to the station. I need all this in writing.”
The officers dragged Helen away, but Julia wasn’t finished. She ran around the edge of the ring.
“The money,” Julia said, meeting Helen’s eyes. “How did Thomas get it?”
“Our father asked him to hide it here,” Helen replied, aggravated. “When I told Thomas what I’d done, he freaked out and said we’d have to leave the country when things blew over. Together. We promised we’d start a new life under the sun and forget Ian Cropper ever existed. I should have known Tommy would betray me, too. Tommy told me where the money was hidden today, over the phone, and only because I threatened to hand myself in. I knew he wouldn’t let me do that, even if he’d changed his mind about starting that new life.”
“Right, c’mon,” the officer holding Helen said, clutching her head and forcing her through the ropes. “Enough chatting. You heard DI Christie. You’re going to the station.”
Helen struggled for most of her journey to the door, even on an ankle that seemed broken. When Helen was gone, Julia rested her head against Barker’s chest, more grateful for him than ever. They stayed like that for several minutes before turning to Christie. He was squatting in the mess of bags and clothes in front of the lockers. As they headed towards him, Julia realised he was laughing.
“What’s so funny, Christie?” Barker asked, still clutching his wrist.
Christie didn’t say a word. He moved to the side and dragged one of the duffle bags towards them. Julia didn’t know what $1,000,000 looked like in $10,000 stacks, but the duffel was emptier than she had have assumed.
“He picked up the wrong bag.” Barker laughed. “Rex picked up the wrong bag! Wait, if the money is here, what did Rex take with him as he jumped off the building?”
“I’d guess a bag full of sweaty, dirty gym clothes.” Christie slow-clapped as he stood. “Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I called in a search at all ports, but I might cancel it and let him go back to the Mercy Boys with a bag of clothes. They might just sort him out for us.”
Julia stared at the money and felt nothing. The thought of such wealth neither excited her nor helped her understand why people killed for it. The piles of green bills were dull and shabby; perhaps a bag crammed with colourful British pounds would have excited her more. But never enough to murder. Though, even without the complication of the money, perhaps the lifelong rejection of the men in Helen’s life was motive enough.
“Right, you.” Christie grabbed Barker’s shoulders, causing him to wince. “There are paramedics downstairs and more on the way. C’mon. I’ll quit if I have to deal with another death this week.”
Christie dragged Barker towards the door, leaving Julia staring into the bag of money. Though the remaining officers were crawling around the place, many chatting idly, none were looking in her direction. An adrenaline rush washed over her, and before she realised what she was doing, she plucked out a single $10,000 stack and stuffed it down her bra.
“Does anyone know where the bathroom is?” Julia called out. “I’m bursting.”
16
The day after Helen’s confession, and precisely one week after their first attempt at a family meal, the Souths, Wellingtons, and remaining Croppers gathered at the Comfy Corner. This time, Mary hid them in the snug, away from prying eyes. Still, every time she came in to serve or take something away, she lingered just long enough to catch juicy snippets of their conversation.
“I never trusted her,” Dot remarked for the fifth time after sipping her wine. “Not one bit. Shifty eyes. I said so.”
“When did you say so?” Jessie laughed. “I never heard you say that.”
“You’re not around all the time, dear.” Dot pursed her lips and slapped Percy on the arm. “Tell her. I did say it, didn’t I?”
“Oh, yes, my Dorothy.” Percy patted her hand. “I’m sure you did. I can’t help but feel that if we’d all tried harder with Helen, this might not have happened.”
“We can’t blame ourselves,” Eugene called across the table before draining his wine glass. “By Julia’s account, our poor niece seemed quite unwell.”
Marley nodded. “With a father like Ian Cropper, you can hardly be surprised.”
“What about her brother?” Jessie gulped her pint. “Will he survive?”
Barker nodded. “It seems like it. Christie said he’s stable. Seems the roof of the car he landed on was enough to break his fall.” Barker lifted his wrist and turned the plaster cast around under the light. “He’ll have more than a broken wrist to deal with when he wakes up. If he survives long enough to go to trial, there’s every chance he’ll be going down for assisting Helen after she murdered Ian. Christie seems to think Helen’s attempt at murdering him might soften a jury though.”
“There goes my kickboxing instructor,” Jessie muttered.
“A family broken.” Eugene dabbed at his forehead with his hankie. “I know we rarely saw them, but they are still my flesh and blood. Then again, I suppose we’ve just gained a lot of new family members, and I daresay we’ll get along much better when we’re not accusing each other of murder.”
Eugene sent a playful wink in Julia’s direction. She smiled; she still loved him.
“To family.” Percy lifted his wine glass in the air. “Nothing matters more, does it?”
“To family,” they echoed.
“And to my Dorothy.” Percy turned his glass to Dot. “You never doubted me, dear. I couldn’t have asked for a better wife.”
“And it won’t be long until we have another member.” Dot lifted her glass in Julia’s direction. “Do you know your due date yet, dear?”
Julia grabbed Barker’s hand, and they shared the same excited smile. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a small, white envelope. Everyone at the table gasped when she took out the black and white scan.
“They wanted to check me over while they were casting Barker’s wrist,” Julia explained. “I had an ultrasound, and since I was due my official dating and picture scan next week, they did it while I was there. Everything looked perfect.”
“So?” Dot cried. “When are you due?”
“December 22nd.”
“Another Christmas baby!” Sue exclaimed.
Jessie picked up the picture and tilted her head. “It looks like an alien.”
“I thought more a shrimp,” Barker added, taking the picture.
“Or our baby.” Julia snatched the scan from his hands. “Little baby South-Brown.”
“Try not to go into labour on Christmas Day like your sister did,” Dot cautioned, fluffing up her curls at the back, glancing at Sue. “We have quite enough birthdays and wedding anniversaries on Christmas without another thrown in the mix.”
“I’ll try not to, Gran.”
“She’ll be here before we know it,” Dot said.
“She?” Julia and Barker replied.
“I have a feeling.” Dot tapped her nose. “I’ve correctly predicted every baby in this family, and I don’t intend to be wrong this time.”
“When did you predict the twins would be girls?” Sue laughed.
“Same time she said Helen had shifty eyes.” Jessie lifted her pint at Dot. “Conveniently, when no one is around.”
Dot scowled, but Julia could see the smile behind it. For the first time since the wedding, she could truly relax. A lot had changed. Life would continue to shift and evolve around them, but for now, things felt as normal as they could, and thankfully, she hadn’t experienced any mood swings for a few days.
Barker cleared his throat. “I also have a little announcement.”
“Are you pregnant too, old man?” Jessie asked. “I thought you were looking a little round in the middle.”
Barker looked down at his almost flat stomach through his shirt, his brows furrowing.
“Made you look.”
“Hilarious, Jessie.” Barker inhaled deeply, his hand combining with Julia’s under the table. “Some of you already know this, some of you don’t. Since you’re all here, I might as well let you know what I’ve decided to do next.”
“You’re going to be a stuntman?” Jessie elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to wince. “Oops, sorry. Actually, it’s probably better you don’t. Stuntmen don’t break wrists and ribs when they fall through glass ceilings.”
“Hmmm.” Barker glared at Jessie. “No, I’m going to become a private investigator.”
“Still?” Dot cried, rolling her eyes as she pushed herself back into her chair. “Oh, Barker, you made a right pig’s ear out of this investigation. Are you sure you’re cut out for it?”
“He did solve the whole thing, dear,” Percy reminded his wife.
“Julia’s the brains of the operation,” Jessie added. “But you’re serious, aren’t you? Do I get a commission since it was my idea in the first place?”
“I’ll give you a quid for every client I get.”
“Make it two, or you’ll be hearing from my lawyers.”
“Where are you going to work?” Brian asked, leaning forward with his hands clasped together. “I’ve got an empty office at the shop if you want to rent that out. I’ll give you a fair price.”
“Thanks, but Julia already made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“That’s how you got pregnant,” Jessie cut in. “Wait, are you turning the basement under the café into an office? Is that why you’ve been sniffing around under there?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake.” Jessie huffed. “I told you I wanted to turn it into a nightclub, Mum.”
“And I told you that would never happen.”
“You’re all so boring.”
“That might be,” Barker replied, ruffling Jessie’s hair, “but we’ve already agreed on the terms, and I’ll be moving in ASAP. Looks like we’ll be working close to each other, kid.”
Jessie ducked away from his hand and said flatly, “I can’t wait.”
“Well, I think it’s a wonderful idea!” Eugene cried, clapping his hands together. “Why not, eh? This week, we’ve all learned that life is fragile. Might as well do what you want – and if that doesn’t work, find something else.”
“I think I’ve found it,” Barker replied with a soft smile. “I felt so alive tracking Rex last night.”
“Ironic,” Jessie snorted, “considering you almost died.”
“You and Julia are made for each other.” Dot lifted her wine glass. “Neither of you can help sticking your noses in.”
“I learned from the best, Gran.”
Dot fiddled with her brooch. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Anyway, this office? That will take a lot of work, won’t it? It’s a damp concrete shell.”
“Ah!” Barker sipped his water because the painkillers he was taking for his wrist had denied him the beer he wanted. “That’s where Brian comes in.”
“Me?”
“I’ll need furniture.” Barker wiped the water from his lips with a napkin. “The place doesn’t say flatpack to me, so I think antiques are a better choice. I’m envisioning lots of heavy, dark furniture. A desk, a sofa, cupboards, lamps, rugs, the full works.”
“Well, I have all that!” Brian chuckled. “And I’ll even throw in a family discount.”
“No discount.” Barker shook his head. “In fact, I’m feeling flush. I want the best stuff you have.”
“Oh, are you sure, I can—”
“I want the best stuff,” Barker repeated, slower this time. “I need to spend my book royalties on something, and it’ll count as a business expense. Plus, it might give you the boost you need for a rent deposit.”
The penny seemed to drop for Brian and Katie at the same moment.
“Barker, it’s—” Brian started.
“The least I can do.” Barker raised his glass to Brian. “If a son-in-law can’t help, what’s the point?”
“You’ve already done so much for us,” Katie said, her eyes welling up. “Babe, does this mean we’ll be able to afford our own house?”
“I’ll have to crunch some numbers, but I think so.” Brian raised his pint in the air. “Looks like we’ll be out from under your feet in no time, Julia!”
“I’ll toast to that.” Barker reached across the table, clinking his glass with Brian’s a little too quickly before adding, “No rush, of course. Take your time.”
They continued chatting late into the night, and by the time the bill was settled, Julia felt like her side of the family was on the same page as the Croppers for the first time since the wedding. The strange week had helped them bond, and welcoming Eugene and Marley into her family because of it all was a pleasure.
“I just need to nip to the loo,” Julia said as they made their way to the door. “Won’t be a second.”
She caught Marley’s eye and nodded for him to follow her deeper into the restaurant. Against his protests, she pulled him into the thankfully empty ladies’ bathroom. She opened her handbag and pulled out a small plastic box of brownies and a stuffed envelope.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d come tonight, but I brought them just in case,” Julia explained. “First, you’ll find my apology baked into the brownies, which I made from the recipe we created. Fully vegan, and fully delicious. It’s going on the menu first thing Monday morning.”
“You don’t owe me an apology, Julia.” Marley smiled down at the brownies. “I owe you one. At my age, I should have known better than to talk to you like I did. I lost my temper, and I promise it won’t happen again.”
“It’s already forgotten.” Julia waved her hand. “While we’re talking about things owed to people, you might want to have a look in the envelope.”
Marley’s forehead wrinkled. After placing the plastic box on the bathroom counter, he peeled back the seal of the envelope. The colour drained from his face, and his eyes bulged.
“Are you insane?” he whispered, pushing the envelope back into Julia’s hands. “Where did you get all that?”
“From Ian,” Julia whispered back, glancing over her shoulder to make sure nobody was about to interrupt them. “I think Ian took your money to America, lost it all in a casino, and then stole $1,000,000 from the gang that runs the casino. So, technically, this could be your money. You’ll need to change it back from dollars, so it’s not quite the full £10,000 he
owed you, but it’s enough to get you on that cruise.”
Marley accepted the envelope back, blinking slowly as he stared at the stack of money, thick as a paperback book.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say a thing.” Julia rested her hand on the envelope. “It’s what you’re owed.”
“Thank you.” Marley hugged Julia quickly before stuffing the cash into the pocket of his linen trousers. “I don’t know how you managed it, but you’ve saved my having a challenging conversation with Eugene.”
“A pleasure.” Julia winked and nodded her head from side to side. “Although you might want to tell him what happened. I think he figured it out for himself.”
“Oh.” He blushed. “I never could get anything past that man. I’ll tell him tonight. It’s better if we leave with no secrets, and we’re on the train home tomorrow.” He picked up the brownie box. “Thanks for these, by the way. If I weren’t so stuffed, I’d try one right now.”
“Save them for the train.” Julia opened the bathroom door. “In fact, I’d love for you to come back to Peridale one day and sample one in the café.”
“I’m still welcome?”
“Always.” Julia smiled. “We’re family now, remember?”
By the time they left the restaurant, Katie, Brian, and Sue were already gone. After a round of hugs, Eugene and Marley headed back to the B&B, leaving Dot, Percy, Jessie, and Barker lingering on the pavement in the dark. They stood in silence for a moment, all looking in different directions. Julia’s eyes landed on a bright yellow kaftan moving quickly in their direction.
“I heard about everything!” Evelyn cried as she ran across the road, narrowly missing a passing car. “Oh, I foresaw it all in the tea leaves, but I didn’t understand what it meant. I thought the universe was telling me I needed to break through a glass ceiling! I thought it was a metaphor, but now that I think about it, I work for myself, so that interpretation makes no sense.”
“Yeah,” Jessie muttered. “The interpretation.”
