“No.” Charlie unpacks his backpack. “Good job I bought plenty of sandwiches for both of us then eh?” He tosses a packet of salt and vinegar crisps in my direction.
“How do you know if I even like salt and vinegar flavour?”
Charlie shrugs. “Doesn’t everyone?”
True enough, I concede, as I open the crisps and attempt to get comfortable on the rock which seems to have far too many pointy bits.
“So,” I venture, feeling the nosy and persistent part of me kick in again. “What does your girlfriend think about you doing all this undercover spy-type stuff for the CCIA? She must worry about you. I know I would if I had a boyfriend who went off on secret missions.”
I will find out if he has a significant other. I can be very determined when I want to be. Maybe a relationship is the reason he prefers his work to be UK-based these days.
“Oh, hang on a minute,” I add. “I did once have a boyfriend who went off on secret missions.”
Charlie looks surprised. “You did?”
I nod, unwrapping the cheese and tomato sandwich Charlie has handed to me. “Yep. He insisted on having plenty of time for his hobbies. Trouble was he never wanted to elaborate on what his hobbies were. Then I discovered by accident that one of his hobbies was having sex with his ex-girlfriend. In public places.”
“Tosser,” Charlie says as he balls up the wrapper from his own sandwich and throws it into his still-open rucksack. “The guy was obviously a grade one idiot.”
“Thanks for the gesture of support.” I smile, aware he still hasn’t answered my question. “I should never have got involved with him anyway. He wasn’t my type.”
“Oh? What’s your type then?”
“That would be telling,” I say attempting to be coy.
He raises an eyebrow. “And why would that be a problem?”
“Maybe it would. Maybe it wouldn’t.” I shrug. “Anyway, you haven’t answered my question. Girlfriend?”
He stares at the floor. “No. I don’t have a woman sitting somewhere pining after me and worrying about me.”
“Is that because you’re not involved with anyone or because you are and she just doesn’t give a damn you’re off on your latest Mission Impossible getting yourself beaten up or shot at?” I ask cheekily, grinning at him.
He shakes his head and a smile flickers on his lips. “Nice. Thanks very much.”
I love making him smile I realise with a jolt of something that I know could make working with him even more tricky over the next however-long-it-takes to solve the Joel mystery.
“What?” I protest. “You never know. Maybe your significant other is an agent too and you’re the one who worries about her?”
“You must realise you’re just a teensy,” he holds up a thumb and forefinger close together, “bit crazy.”
I hit his arm and he dodges out of the way.
“So you’re not involved?”
“Why? Are you interested?” he asks, a sparkle in those blue eyes.
He’s teasing me, flirting with me.
I like it.
“You wish,” I laugh. “Just answer the question will you, Mr Evasive?”
“There is no woman in my life and before you ask, there’s no man either. No significant other.” He falls silent for a few moments before adding, “What about you? Anybody serious in your life, after the one with sex with the ex as a hobby?”
I shrug and try to appear cool and confident. He is interested in me, a little voice inside my head is chanting delightedly. Then the rational part of me chips in with a reminder that he won’t be around for long anyway. Once the Joel case is sorted he’ll be off on his next mission goodness knows where. “No, not really. The odd date here and there. Nothing serious. Decided I’m waiting for my knight in shining armour, my Mr Perfect, nothing less will do these days.”
Charlie pulls a face. “You believe he exists?”
“Absolutely. One day he’ll appear. One day.”
He lowers his voice and stares at the ground again. “Maybe he’s already here.”
My heart beat quickens and I wonder if he means what I think he means by that comment. To change the topic I say, “So, tell me about your family.”
He frowns. “Why?”
“I’m nosy,” I say. “I’d like to know all about them.”
He shrugs. “My mum Annabelle is a university lecturer, subject English. My dad, Frank, is a fraud investigator. Little brother Eddie is two years younger than me and currently in the army. Older sister Lorna is a teacher, married and planning to start a family. That’s it, not much to tell.”
“You don’t get to see much of them then?”
“Not as much as I’d like I suppose. We’re not the closest of families, but unlike some we do actually get on OK and sometimes we even quite like each other.”
He surprises me by asking, “How about you? Do you get on with your folks?”
“Yes.” I nod, instantly feeling guilty at the thought of my mum and having to lie to her about the whole Joel thing, about why Charlie and I are together. “I do. They all live pretty close by, not in Palstone but only a few miles away. My mum Sally is a PA at a local building firm. My dad Dave is a builder at the same company. I have an older sister Maggie, happily married, two children.”
He nods. “Sounds good. So, my turn to ask the questions. What about you and Ennis? You said you were old friends. We’ve established you dated when you were at university together. You told me it ended amicably.” He gives me a sideways glance as he says the words. “What was he like back then before he was famous?”
I take a moment to think about it. “Happier,” I eventually reply.
Charlie quirks an eyebrow. “Oh? You don’t think he’s happy now?”
“In some ways, yes but being famous has come with a heavy price for Ennis.”
Charlie rubs at the stubble on his chin. “The media hassle you mean?”
I nod, huddling a little further into my coat.
“For a guy who claims to crave the quiet life he seems to surround himself with excitement and drama and not in a good way either. He’s hiding from the world’s press, has a volatile brother who’s probably been murdered and a sulky high maintenance girlfriend.”
I sigh. “Sometimes I think Ennis would rather go back to the days before he became a star.”
“What’s the deal with Siobhan anyway?” Charlie asks. “I get the impression she’s not very happy these days either.”
“I think she’s just protective of Ennis and probably a teeny bit insecure too. Dating someone famous and someone voted Sexiest Guy on TV at that, it must be tough. Everyone wants Ennis. Including lots of women. Siobhan isn’t in show business. She’s an air hostess. I should say she was an air hostess. She’s on sabbatical at the moment.”
“You two don’t seem to get along,” he says.
“No, we don’t. I’ve tried but…”
“She’s jealous of you,” he finishes.
I’m not sure what to say to that.
“Come on.” Charlie gets to his feet. “Enough with the leisurely lunch, we’ve work to do.”
“Time’s getting on,” I say much later as Charlie surveys yet another potential vantage point over the quarry.
“Yeah, we’ll have to head back soon.” He lifts the binoculars from around his neck up to his eyes and scans the view with them.
“Any good?” I ask.
“Not much better than any of the others we’ve checked out today.” He lets the binoculars hang around his neck on their strap again and shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“So which one is the winner then, Agent Huxton? Which one of these vantage posts are we coming back to in the pitch black tonight?”
“Couple of options. I’ll have a think about it over the next few hours. Come on.” He slips an arm across my shoulders and it has its usual affect. I feel myself grow warm despite the cool breeze. “Time to be making tracks.”
Chap
ter Twenty One
I put another glass of wine on the bar in front of Debs. Outside the wind howls and the rain hurls itself against the windows. I shudder. In an hour, once I finish my shift, I’m going to be crouched on some bit of rock peering down into a dark quarry.
“So,” Debs says, sipping her drink. “You seem to be spending rather a lot of time with this Charlie guy who’s investigating the trouble up at Ennis’s place. What exactly is going on up there?”
I shrug. “Haven’t a clue.”
“So are you and him, you know, getting serious?”
“Not really, no,” I say, realising a part of me is wishing the opposite was true.
“Another pint please, Amber.”
Liam hauls his six-foot-plus frame onto a bar stool and fixes me with a smile. “Whenever you’re ready, sweetheart,” he adds. “No rush.”
I find it difficult to get the measure of Liam. I know he has a taste for trouble but at the same time I’ve seen him capable of being so pleasant and polite. Maybe it’s just because he likes me and he’s on best behaviour when he’s around me. He did ask me out once but I used the sex-with-the-ex episode as an excuse, saying I wasn’t ready to dip my toe back into the dating pool just yet.
I quickly sort his drink, aware of Liam’s eyes following my every move, making me feel a little nervous.
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
Liam hands me a five pound note, pressing it slowly and deliberately into my palm. “Keep the change.”
Debs shudders as he disappears off to the corner of the pub again to his table for one. She lowers her voice. “That guy seriously gives me the creeps. Liam’s certainly a strange character,” she adds as she fidgets on her bar stool. “I wonder what is going on up at that quarry of his?”
That, I think, is exactly what Charlie and I intend to try and find out tonight.
Then I spot her. Siobhan has just walked into the pub. She never comes in here. Amazingly she seems to be alone too. This could be my chance to find out what she was about to tell me the other day. She takes a seat at the far end of the bar and I notice Liam eyeing her up. I scoot over before she changes her mind and makes a dash for the door.
“Siobhan, lovely to see you!” I enthuse, pasting on my best barmaid smile. “What can I get you?”
She looks around and clutches her bag close to her chest. “Nothing. Is there somewhere we can talk? In private?”
I nod. “One second.”
“Debs, I have to nip out the back for a minute. Can you keep an eye on things for me please and give me a shout if anyone wants serving?”
“Sure,” she answers, looking at Siobhan and me, curiosity evident in her eyes.
I close the door behind us and face Siobhan. “Are you OK? Is Ennis? Is something wrong? What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Joel,” she replies.
I feel a tingle of anticipation run through me. “What about him? Is this the thing you were about to tell me the other day in the kitchen up at Ennis’ place?”
She nods. “Yes. It’s been bugging me. I didn’t tell you to start with because I thought,” she starts to chew on a perfectly manicured finger nail. “I thought it might make me one of your prime suspects or something. So I kept quiet but Ennis is so upset about all this business with Joel, and I was afraid it would somehow come out anyway and then he’d be mad at me for not saying and…”
“What is it?” I ask, wishing she’d get on with it rather than rambling. Any second now somebody could want a drink and Debs will shout me and the opportunity to find out her secret could be lost. “Siobhan? What is it? Tell me what happened with Joel.”
Chapter Twenty Two
“Joel kissed me.”
I take a deep breath. Now that I was not expecting.
“When? Where?” I gasp.
“Up at the house. A day after he arrived. I was alone upstairs and Ennis was in the gym which is in one of the outbuildings. Joel came out of his room and grabbed my hand as I was walking across the landing to the stairs. He pushed me back against the wall and kissed me. I shoved him off and slapped him. Asked him what the bloody hell he thought he was playing at.”
“And?” I prompt, one ear listening for Debs in case she has to shout me back through to the bar. Please don’t let anybody want serving in the next five minutes.
“He made it obvious he wanted more. I told him to get lost, well, words to that effect. He said he’d tell Ennis I came on to him. I said he was crazy if he thought Ennis would believe him before he’d believe me, but I knew Joel was volatile, trouble. Then he said maybe he wouldn’t tell Ennis himself. Said he’d sell a ‘my night with brother’s hot girl’ story to the trashy mags and papers instead. Said he needed more money in his bank account as it was getting a bit too low for his liking. I knew he was capable of doing something like that and I knew it would destroy Ennis and cause a whole load more problems for his career and his reputation. I just walked away and he stood there laughing at me. I thought about telling Ennis what he’d said afterwards but things were already so difficult between them that I didn’t want to add to Ennis’ worries. He was struggling to learn lines for work and get into character for his next role, and all this wasn’t helping him any.”
She transfers her nervous chewing from her finger nail to her bottom lip. “I love Ennis. I don’t want him to know what his brother did. Joel is gone now. He can’t hurt us anymore. We can try to get on with our lives once the case is solved and the funeral has taken place. Please promise me you won’t tell Ennis.”
“I’ll do my best, Siobhan. You know I’d never do anything to hurt him. He’s a good friend. The only problem is, if this is relevant to the case then the truth will have to come out.”
“I didn’t kill him!” she shouts and I frantically shush at her.
I place a reassuring hand on her arm. “I know. Don’t worry. I’ve got to tell Charlie about this, but we swear this goes no further unless it has to for legal reasons. OK?”
She nods, looking deflated. “I suppose that’s the best I can hope for in the circumstances.”
“Siobhan, why did Ennis let Joel come to stay if things were so bad between them?”
“Because he couldn’t say no to his mum when she asked him to. She was worried about Joel being drunk all the while. She asked Ennis, begged him, to let Joel come and stay with us. Wanted them to try and sort these bad feelings out between them. She wanted them to get back to being brothers, like they used to be before Ennis became famous and Joel decided to ditch his job and spend his time milking Ennis for everything. She honestly thought Ennis would be a good influence on Joel. I suppose, as usual, she was just pushing Joel onto someone else so she didn’t have to worry about him or try to sort him out herself. I hate that woman.”
I place a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for telling me all this. I truly appreciate it.”
“I didn’t do it.” She laughs nervously. “I know that sounds stupid and it’s what a person who did do something illegal would probably say anyway, but it is the truth. I swear. I might have hated Joel but I wasn’t alone in that and he was, at the end of the day, still Ennis’ brother. I’m not a murderer and, before you say anything, I didn’t go up to that quarry that night. I didn’t sneak out to follow him and confront him. I certainly didn’t push him off the edge – deliberately or accidentally. I swear. I was at home all night with Ennis. I didn’t go anywhere.”
“Amber!” Debs voice rings through from the bar.
“I have to get back to work but thanks, Siobhan. You did the right thing telling me.”
I head back to the bar, all the time wondering if maybe Siobhan is somehow involved in Joel’s death, despite her protests to the contrary.
Chapter Twenty Three
We’re on a ledge not far from our designated surveillance spot. There’s a narrow section to traverse before we reach the slightly enclosed area where we’ll be spending the next few hours, crouched together in the darkness.
Charlie goes first and then waits for me to cross the narrow ledge. Seeing my hesitation he holds out a hand. I’m not good with heights but I haven’t told Charlie that for fear he’ll try to use it as an excuse to stop me coming here with him tonight. I gratefully take his hand and, holding my breath, gingerly take a step towards the ledge.
“Be decisive,” Charlie instructs. “You’ve got to be confident about where you’re putting your feet.”
Determined not to embarrass myself I try to conjure up positive, decisive thoughts as instructed, step onto the ledge and silently pray I’ll reach the other side of it safely.
The next thing I know I feel my foot start to slip, panic rising inside me. I’m going to fall a hundred foot into a quarry. I stop breathing, arms flailing in the air. This is it. The way my life ends.
“I’ve got you.”
I feel strong arms grab me, pulling me to safety. Daring to open my eyes I see I’ve now got my back up against the edge of the quarry wall and Charlie is standing in front of me, blocking me from the edge and certain death. Relief courses through every inch of me and I meet his gaze. He’s so close.
I’m not sure which of us makes the first move. Maybe we both move at exactly the same time, but I experience a rush of excitement and pleasure as his lips brush softly, teasingly against the corner of my mouth. At that moment a low rumbling noise starts in the distance and grows ever nearer. The earth, quite literally, starts to shake beneath our feet.
The earth is moving as we kiss.
For a second I wonder if it’s one of those magical moments like in books and films – they really do exist! Then, as Charlie ends the kiss and grabs my hand, pulling me away from the ledge and across, back into safer territory, I realise it’s all real.
It wasn’t the kiss which made the earth move. It was something else entirely.
What on earth just happened? An illegal quarry blast? Another earth tremor? An explosion? A warning of danger from the ancient standing stones up above us? It sounded similar to the noise we heard that night at the guest wing but somehow quieter.
And The Earth Moved: Romantic Comedy Cozy Mystery (Amber Reed CCIA Mystery Book 1) Page 14
