THE WINDMILL CAFE_PART ONE_Summer Breeze

by Poppy Blake

  She prised open her eyelids and raised her head, surprised to find her pillow was unusually hard and warm. When she lifted her palm to pat it into shape, the recollection hit her square in the face – she had persuaded Matt to come up to her flat for a brandy and she must have fallen asleep on his chest. Cautiously she glanced downwards, relief surging through her body when she saw that she was still wearing her very crumpled T-shirt from the day before. She needed time to explore her feelings about her blossoming friendship with Matt before taking their relationship any further. However, from the way her heart fluttered with interest when she raised her eyes to his face, surfer-dude handsome in repose, she knew her deliberations wouldn’t take very long at all.

  The buzzing sound stopped and she belatedly realized it had been her phone ringing. She checked the screen to see who was calling her so early in the morning, but the caller ID had been blocked. Oh, well, if it was important they would ring back.

  She decided to leave Matt to sleep and jumped into the shower. Under the cascade of hot water, she took the opportunity to continue to chase every implausible theory of what might have happened through the labyrinths of her mind. It was Thursday. Suki and her friends were due to check out that morning, but Suki was still insisting on staying in Norfolk until the police had caught the person responsible. Who knew how long that would be? Why couldn’t they have solved the mystery so Suki and her party could be on their way, vacating their lodges for the next set of guests arriving the following day.

  And there was another thing piling on the pressure – how was Graham going to react when he flew in, at last, from Barbados later that day? Would the Windmill Café really be able to overcome the scandal without a definitive explanation of what had happened? And if not, would Graham feel he had no alternative but to terminate her employment so the café could make a fresh start without her at the helm? This time tomorrow, would she not only be looking for a new job, but a new place to live?

  Also, she was deeply grateful to Matt for giving up so much of his time to delve into the mystery but if he didn’t get back to running his own business, that might suffer too and she couldn’t allow that. She had only met him a few months ago but she felt as though she had known him forever. In fact, she would even go as far as to say that whenever she was in Matt’s company she felt more alive than she had ever felt with Harry, that the world around her existed in glorious technicolour rather than tinted sepia.

  She dressed quickly, dried her hair, and forced a smile onto her lips as she filled the kettle for her first coffee of the day. As she waited for the water to boil, she stared out of the window, watching the dawn roll over the horizon spreading cerulean and ivory light over the wide expanse of sea. The sunrise seemed to be even more beautiful that day – probably because she knew it might be her last chance to enjoy it – and she wondered why she hadn’t made more of an effort to witness the spectacle every morning.

  ‘Mmm, that coffee smells good.’

  Rosie handed Matt a mug of the fragrant brew and leaned back against the countertop, hugging her own between her palms, her heart racing as she took a moment to appreciate the man in front of her, his untidy hair and unshaved jawline doing nothing to detract from his gorgeousness. She felt heat surge into her cheeks when he saw the effect his proximity was having on her and to cover her embarrassment she glanced again at her phone to see there was a text from the unknown caller.

  Her curiosity piqued, she scanned the missive quickly.

  ‘It’s a text from my Uncle Martyn. He says he’s sent me an email.’

  This time her pounding heart had nothing to do with Matt breathing over her shoulder as she opened the email her uncle had sent her a few moments ago from his solicitors’ practice in Bath. She scanned the contents and then clicked to open the first of two attachments labelled financial search. One of the names on the document leapt out at her.

  ‘It looks like you were right all along, Matt! Suki was targeted for her money – which means the perpetrator didn’t just want to prevent Suki from singing, they wanted to… wanted to kill her! Oh my God!’

  A spasm of shock blasted through Rosie’s chest, so strong it squashed the air from her lungs. She gasped for breath and had to grip the back of a chair until she was able to crumple into its seat at her kitchen table. Her fingers trembled on the handle of her mug and a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her. A tumble of ‘what ifs’ crashed through her mind as she fought to bring the thump of her heartbeat under control.

  ‘Hang on, Rosie. Just because a person is unfortunate enough to have been made bankrupt doesn’t mean they would plot to kill someone for their money.’

  ‘True, but now take a look at this.’ She showed Matt the second attachment. ‘Look at the second line on the certificate – see the qualification?’

  Had Rosie not been so overwhelmed by what she saw she would have smiled at the thoroughness of her uncle’s attempt to obtain every piece of information available on her chosen subject – especially as it looked like he’d been working on his factual excavations into the early hours. No wonder he had been so popular with the criminal fraternity of Somerset for the last thirty-five years.

  ‘I see it… oh, do you think… that’s why they chose that particular poison?’

  ‘Of course, and they would have known that the effects would be instantaneous. I can’t believe it, I really can’t.’

  ‘Rosie, what your uncle had discovered is very convincing, but you do know it’s pure speculation, don’t you? It’s not hard evidence that links anyone to a crime.’

  Rosie’s bubble of excitement burst and her elation at what she had uncovered vanished. Matt had the decency to look contrite; after all, the new information they had gleaned meant they could continue to pursue their suspicions in the knowledge they were on the right track.

  ‘Look, I’ve got a friend who runs a rock climbing school in Ibiza. Why don’t I ask him to make a few subtle enquiries? See if he stumbles on anything interesting? In the meantime, I think we should go straight to the police with what we know and they can decide what to do about it.’

  ‘But what about the café? We’re supposed to be reopening at eleven o’clock.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll go to the police and you stay at the café and carry on as normal. Mia will be here soon, but maybe it’ll be best if you don’t say anything to her. Whatever happens, don’t let anyone in Suki’s party leave. I know Suki and Jess intend to stay on, but that doesn’t mean the rest of them will. Do whatever’s necessary – offer them brunch on the house, or suggest another of those impromptu baking sessions, just make sure they don’t go until I get back. Okay?’

  ‘Yes, no problem.’

  Rosie suddenly had a vision of her grappling with the culprit as they tried to escape from her clutches and make their getaway, forcing her to chase after them, whisk in one hand, spatula in the other, until she wrestled them to the ground in the car park, tying their hands with a length of bunting and accepting the appreciative applause of Mia and Freddie. But then reality invaded her crime-thriller drama and her stomach began to churn with fear.

  ‘You will come straight back, won’t you?’

  But Matt was already half way to the car park, his ear fixed firmly to his phone as he called his friend in Ibiza. Rosie watched him go, enjoying the whiff of his aftershave that still lingered in the air and had accompanied her to sleep the previous night.

  Would the information her uncle had uncovered be enough for the police to hotfoot it down to the Windmill Café to arrest the person who had poisoned Suki? She hoped so because if everything could be neatly tied up before Graham arrived from the airport, she might just be able to keep her job – and her home.

  And now that Matt Wilson was in her life, there was nothing she wanted more.

  Chapter 22

  It was 9.30, and the birds were well into the second rendition of their daily overture, celebrating the warmth of the late summer morning. The breeze had chased the earlier clo
uds away and the clear blue sky promised that the next few hours would be filled with sunshine. To keep herself from descending into a torrent of panic, Rosie had decided to do what she did best and bake. By the time Mia arrived for her shift, she had already made a batch of coffee and walnut cupcakes, two dozen chocolate and crushed pecan cookies and a huge jug of homemade lemonade.

  ‘Is there something wrong, Rosie?’

  ‘What makes you say that?’

  ‘You’ve just sprinkled pepper instead of nutmeg on top of those cupcakes.’

  ‘Oh, sorry.’

  ‘And I’ve just seen Matt talking to Suki in the car park and she was crying.’

  Rosie swallowed down her anxiety and fixed a cheerful smile on her face, but she knew she wasn’t fooling Mia. She had never been top of the class when it came to acting skills and anyway, Mia was nothing if not astute when reading people’s emotions. Today her friend had turned up for work in a pair of white dungarees, cut off at the knee, and a peppermint T-shirt to match the windmill café’s signature colours. Her apron, however, spoilt the whole outfit because it was festooned with kittens in pink bows cavorting amongst yellow sunflowers.

  ‘I wasn’t going to say anything until we…’

  ‘Hi Rosie, hi Mia,’ mumbled Jess, appearing on the threshold, her usual joie de vivre missing-in-action. ‘Matt’s told us to come down to the café at 10.00.’

  ‘Ordered us, you mean! I don’t know who he thinks he is, but…’

  ‘Leave it, Felix,’ snapped Suki.

  Rosie realized that Matt must have shared what he had found out with Suki, and yet she was still shocked at her appearance. Gone was the polished, glossy exterior she had presented when she arrived, to be replaced by swollen eyes and skin so pale that it held a bluish tinge. She looked like a hunted animal, exhausted from the chase, her demeanour shrunken as she and Jess huddled together on one of the café’s white leather sofas. In a reversal of roles, Suki had her arm linked through Jess’s as though, this time, she needed every ounce of strength her sister could offer her.

  A stab of intense sympathy shot through Rosie as her memory zoomed back to the day she had been told her beloved father had died whilst tending his plants. For days, no, weeks afterwards every single action she was required to perform was a huge chore, so that just walking to school was like wading through treacle, every thought clouded in a mist of confusion. She knew this was how Suki was feeling and that she was only holding herself together by the force of her will.

  ‘How long is this going to take?’ asked Lucas, dropping down into one of the hard-backed chairs, his ankle resting on his knee, hands behind his head as though he didn’t have a care in the world, sending a confident wink across to Jess who returned it with a nervous smile. ‘Mmm, these cookies are delicious. Want one, Nad?’

  Nadia ignored him and choose a seat on the sofa opposite Suki and Jess, watching as William sat down next to her, the space between them a chasm of bitterness and resentment. Devoid of the heavy makeup she preferred, Nadia’s face was pinched and gaunt, exhibiting none of the confidence of previous days, and for the first time she had concealed her cleavage beneath one of William’s cashmere sweaters. William leaned forward in his seat, his forearms resting on his thighs, his gaze fixed on Suki. Only Felix remained standing, leaning against the wall next to the French doors, his hands thrust into the pockets of his jeans, a guarded look in his eyes as he studiously avoided making eye contact with anyone.

  Rosie could feel the electricity crackle through the room and the hairs at the back of her neck began to prickle. Mia’s eyes had widened as she sought to understand what was going on, and when she realized, she led Rosie to the remaining sofa.

  Where was Matt? Why wasn’t he here?

  Rosie took a sip of her lemonade, just so she had something to do with her hands. A flicker of movement outside the window caught her eye and she squinted into the bleaching sunlight to see what it was. She couldn’t see anything but heard a faint crunch of tyres on the gravel car park and realized it must have been the glint of reflected sunlight from a car windscreen. Someone had arrived in the Windmill Café’s car park. It was too early to be Graham and she hoped it wasn’t a customer who had missed, or ignored, the signs announcing that they would be closed until the next day. However, no one appeared and it slipped from her mind when Matt appeared at the doorway with Freddie.

  ‘Thank you all for staying,’ said Matt, glancing around the Windmill Café. ‘I asked you all to come over to the café because I thought you would want to know who spiked Suki’s throat spray and why. I’ve already spoken to Suki and she’s happy for me to tell you what I’ve uncovered, but I couldn’t have done any of it without the assistance of Rosie. Before I go any further though, because of what our investigation has revealed, there’s someone else that needs to be here while I speak to you.’

  Matt stepped out of the café onto the terrace and signalled to the person who was clearly waiting to be invited in. Rosie had no idea who she expected to appear but was relieved when a uniformed police officer took up position at the French doors and his superior moved into view on the terrace.

  ‘Suki? Why are the police here?’ whimpered Jess, tears trickling down her cheeks.

  ‘It’s okay, darling. There’s nothing to worry about. It’s just… well…’

  ‘I’m Detective Sergeant Kirkham from Norfolk Constabulary. Please, if you could sit down, Mr Morgan, and listen to what Mr Wilson has to say,’ ordered the police detective, pointing at William who had shot up from his seat, his tone inviting no argument. The man’s bulk blocked the sunlight from streaming in through the French windows and cast a wide shadow over the room. ‘Go ahead, Mr Wilson, if you please.’

  Rosie saw Matt flash her a quick look. She gave him a smile of encouragement, her heart softening. She knew how much this opportunity to explain their enquiries meant to him, knew that had circumstances been different, then perhaps he could have been the detective sergeant waiting to arrest the perpetrator. She watched him inhale a deep breath to steady his nerves and she felt a surge of relief that soon all the trauma would be over.

  ‘After the Windmill Café’s summer garden party, Suki suffered from what we all assumed to be a severe bout of food poisoning – but all was not as it seemed. Earlier on in the afternoon, Suki had offered to perform a couple of songs for everyone on the terrace before going out for dinner. To make sure she wasn’t disturbed in her lodge whilst she got ready, she grabbed Freddie and made a show of taking him back with her along with a bottle of champagne. A little afternoon delight, I think, was how Jess described it, or perhaps it was a ploy to make Felix jealous. But that wasn’t the case because after only five minutes, Freddie was swiftly dispatched as Suki was expecting someone else.’

  Rosie watched Freddie redden from his throat to the roots of his spiky ginger hair – she knew it would be a while, no matter how persuasive Mia was, before he got back on the dating horse. She switched her scrutiny to William who had lowered his head into his hands, bracing himself for the imminent exposure of his affair with Suki.

  ‘The person Suki was expecting was William, who knew exactly why Suki had made such a fuss of the way she left the garden party. It was a signal for him to wait five minutes before making his own excuses and slipping away to her lodge. I think everyone knows now that Suki and William are having an affair – have been for months – and were planning on confessing their infidelity at the end of their holiday in Norfolk to allow their respective partners the opportunity to go home to their families; Felix to Colchester, Nadia to Cambridge. They shared the bottle of champagne and then William left to allow Suki to get ready for her performance.’

  Nadia stood up from her place on the settee, turned toward William and swung her palm across his cheek. Rosie saw Sergeant Kirkham take a step forward so she sprang from the sofa, slid her arm around the sobbing girl’s shoulders and guided her into the seat next to Mia who grabbed her hand and squeezed.

  ‘So
, did William substitute the throat spray and wait for the inevitable?’ asked Matt, clearly settling into his role of narrator.

  Willian stared at Matt for a few seconds, then turned to look directly at Suki, his expression serious. ‘I love Suki. She’s my soulmate, and I hope I’m hers. We wanted to spend those few precious moments before Felix arrived finalizing what we were going to say to him and Nadia to let them down as gently and calmly as possible. We also talked about our future together in Majorca. We even spent a couple of minutes looking at villas on the internet near to my parents’ tennis academy! For God’s sake, how can you even think I had anything to do with what happened to Suki? I absolutely adore her!’

  The room held its breath, everyone concentrating on Matt as they awaited his pronouncement on William’s fate.

  ‘I know, and I’m sorry your plans were spoiled.’

  An audible sigh of relief rippled through the café. Rosie thought it could be the rising temperature, but she had the disconcerting sensation that she had been transported to the drawing room of a 1920s murder mystery where the astute private detective held his audience in thrall as he revealed each possible theory and then discarded them one by one. She was just thinking how relieved she was that the character she had been allocated was café manager and cookie baker when she noticed Matt was looking at her, indicating Nadia with a nod of his head. She gulped, ready to refuse, but an image of her father floated across her mind and she took up the revelation baton.

  ‘So, Nadia watches William leave the party, ostensibly to go to the bathroom; but let’s assume for a moment she knows exactly where he’s heading. She’s known about the affair for a while and hoped that it would fizzle out when Suki’s career took off. Surely a successful singer would ditch her inexperienced manager as soon as the accolades and the serious money started to roll in? Was that what you were hoping for, Nadia?’