Mary unzipped the cart and tipped it toward the table. One gold eye gleamed from the darkness. Max had lost an eye to infection. Tony, with Alex’s questionable help, had operated on the then very young cat.
‘What were you saying after you arrived?’ Mary asked Elyan. She glanced furtively around, reached inside the wheeled bag and gently removed the very healthy and sleek looking Max who went contentedly into Tony’s arms.
Turning red, Elyan glanced around and across the room. ‘Here comes Hugh with those drinks. They’re on me, Alex.’
Rather than argue, she said, ‘Thank you,’ and let him pay. He needed his masculine pride, and a way to draw attention away from whatever he might have been talking to the sisters about before she and Tony arrived.
‘Elyan?’ Mary prodded, and Alex wanted to groan.
‘We can get to that another time,’ Elyan said. ‘I’ll be over for tea soon. Annie gets back tomorrow. I’ll bring her with me. Will you come, Mother?’
Sonia nodded and Alex felt sorry for her. She didn’t want to be here but neither did she want to be at home. It wasn’t hard to imagine the atmosphere there.
They all gave attention to their drinks.
Harriet regarded him from beneath partly lowered eyelids. ‘Annie knows about Laura, does she? How did she take it?’
‘Alex, it would be nice if you and Tony came back to the house with us this evening,’ Elyan said, as if Harriet hadn’t spoken. He smiled at her. ‘I’ve asked Harriet and Mary to come soon, too. For tea.’
He had tried a diversion, but it wasn’t subtle. Harriet and Mary nodded anyway and Mary said, ‘That will be nice. Thank you.’
‘Triple … I mean, Mrs Meeker is a fantastic cook. You’ll probably think she could use lessons …’ He laughed and dug into the side of a beer mat with a thumbnail, prying loose a layer of soggy paper. ‘I mean, she won’t put on the kind of tea you do. But she grew up in Italy. We get a lot of terrific pasta and everything else she makes tastes good to me but, well, there’s nothing like English cakes, is there?’
‘I don’t know about that,’ Harriet said, unexpectedly prudent, then ruined her effort by saying, ‘but we’ll be complimentary, regardless.’
They all drank in silence, listening to the rise and fall of conversation around them. From the game room came the ping and cascading bells of fruit machines. Alex had no idea what was pounding over the audio, but it sounded like hip hop squeezed through an icing bag. Or was that just because she still had cakes on her mind?
Max purred audibly, his nose tucked inside the collar of Tony’s shirt.
‘How’s Radhika?’ Harriet asked about Tony’s Indian clinic assistant. A great favorite in Folly. ‘When I heard Bill Lamb was back in the village, well, you know …’
‘Yes.’ Alex grinned and leaned closer to Tony. ‘Has the prickly sergeant come calling on Radhika? The only time I ever saw him at a loss for words, or behaving like a human being, was around her. Not that I blame him. She’s a love.’
‘If he has, she’s said nothing about it. But you know how quiet our Radhika is.’
Quiet, beautiful, and able to reduce Bill Lamb to silence. Silence while he watched her like a fine piece of art.
‘Bill’s got better taste than you might think,’ Alex said.
Tony leaned toward Mary. ‘We should stay until you’re ready for a ride home.’ His expression showed discomfort.
‘No,’ Harriet said. ‘Thank you, Tony, but we aren’t ready to go yet. And we need the walk home. We have to get in our steps, y’know.’
Tony frowned.
‘Our cousin Molly in Florida sent us Fitbits,’ Mary said. ‘We clip them on somewhere and they tell us how many steps we take each day. We have goals but of course, they’re secret.’ She dimpled, sending a web of lines across her powdered pink cheeks.
Elyan downed his beer like a seasoned sailor. ‘I’ll be in to see you,’ he told the sisters again. ‘I should get back. I’ll drive you both,’ he said to Alex and Tony and pushed back his chair.
‘You go on.’ Harriet put a hand on Alex’s arm and leaned toward her. ‘We should talk, though,’ she said, too quietly for others to hear. ‘I think Elyan has a lot on his mind.’ She took the cat back from Tony and gave him to her sister.
Nodding, Alex got out beside Sonia. She went to tell Hugh what she was doing before following the others across the room and out of the main door with the dogs in pursuit.
‘We’ll take my wheels,’ Tony said to her. ‘That way Elyan doesn’t have to leave again and I can get you home.’
Elyan didn’t argue.
When they were alone, Alex said, ‘Why are we going to their house? This seems strange.’
He thought so, too, but said, ‘I think Elyan wants other people around to lighten things up at home.’ The windshield was filthy and it took a couple of minutes for the wipers to wash enough space to see into the tunnels of light from the headlamps.
The drive to Green Friday took them past both Lime Tree Lodge where Alex lived, and his own place which was only minutes away. Both houses were looming hulks in the darkness.
‘Thanks for driving me,’ Alex said after a long silence. ‘My Rover’s at home so you’re making it easy for me. I don’t want to be late in the morning.’
Didn’t she feel how much he wanted her with him tonight? Wanted her with him every night? He grimaced in the darkness. If she knew, she managed to hide the fact most of the time. But he’d already asked her to stay at his place when they were through at Green Friday; she had dodged the question.
‘The Mini’s sweet,’ she said, peering ahead at Elyan’s little red and white car. ‘I’m not sure it’s what I would have expected him to drive.’
Tony concentrated on what she was saying. ‘No, I don’t think so. But people surprise you all the time. Have you ever heard him play?’
She shook her head. ‘No. Or I don’t think so.’
‘I have. He’s … well, he’s amazing. I heard him on a recording at Dad’s. When I found out that was him, I was stunned. You don’t expect a teenager to have that sort of talent. He’s very mature – or so Dad tells me. Dad is loving being able to know him a little. I’ve never seen my father showing signs of hero-worship before. It’s nice in a way.’ The Mini turned left into the Green Friday drive and Tony followed. ‘Have you been here before?’
‘No,’ was all Alex responded.
He glanced at her. ‘It’s pretty spiffy.’
‘Mum and I didn’t go to many of the “spiffy” places around here,’ she said. ‘Not when I was growing up.’
Alex rarely mentioned her childhood, or being the child of a single mother who worked hard to keep them both as well as she could.
‘I still don’t know why Hugh decided to buy it,’ he said. ‘He’s never shown any signs of moving out of his digs at the pub.’
‘Have you noticed Hugh’s in a funny mood?’ she asked. ‘Very quiet – distant.’
Tony thought about it. Hugh Rhys could be an odd duck. He didn’t fit the role he’d chosen for himself, not that most of them weren’t fitting into slightly odd-shaped holes as best they could. ‘I suppose. Any idea what’s eating him? Has he said anything?’
She didn’t answer but leaned forward to watch the curving driveway between mature sycamores on either side. Low lights, set wide apart, gave only a minimal skim of a glow over the wide drive. But then they made another turn and the house came into sight – and the two police cars drawn up outside.
‘As always,’ Tony said, ‘the boys in blue are grinding away at the case whether we notice or not. They certainly don’t like to give any hints.’
‘They must wish they weren’t dealing with Harrison and Duggins again. I wouldn’t blame them for being suspicious of us – or pretending they are. Someone pops off in unusual circumstances around here and we show up. Or I do for sure.’
Elyan had pulled in behind one of the cars and leapt from the Mini. He bounded into the house, not even glan
cing back to see where Alex and Tony were. Sonia followed much more slowly.
‘I think we should leave,’ Alex said. ‘It’s awkward, but this obviously isn’t a good time.’
‘Right. Like I said, I can’t figure out why Elyan wanted us here anyway.’
Alex glanced at him. ‘I found Laura. You were there, too. Maybe he wanted us to talk to the rest of the family about it.’
‘Is this who I think it is?’ Tony said, flopping against the back of his seat. Promptly, Katie plunked her front paws on his shoulder and licked his ear. ‘Very nice, girl. But sit. Now. Or it’ll be the last time you ride outside your crate.’
Alex ducked to watch a dark colored saloon approach from the driveway. A Lexus, dark blue perhaps. ‘Oh … crud,’ she finished and crossed her arms heavily.
‘We could just drive out,’ Tony said. ‘They aren’t here to see us.’
O’Reilly’s car stopped beside one of the patrol cars and Lamb erupted from behind the wheel, heading straight for Tony and Alex at a rapid pace.
‘I could always say I hadn’t noticed him,’ Tony muttered.
Alex sniggered. ‘Running down Lamb wouldn’t increase our popularity with the constabulary.’
At a more normal rate, O’Reilly left the Lexus and came in their direction.
‘What are you doing here?’ Bill Lamb snapped at Tony through the half-open window.
‘Casing the joint,’ Tony said.
Alex groaned and whispered, ‘Tony!’
O’Reilly came to Alex’s side and waited for her to roll down her window. ‘Arriving or leaving?’ he said pleasantly.
‘Probably both,’ Alex said. ‘Elyan and his mother invited us up but it looks as if this isn’t a good time, so we should leave.’
‘Might be just as well,’ Dan O’Reilly said. ‘I’ll let them know we didn’t think it a good idea for you to come in tonight.’ He smiled at her. Light and shadow showed up the scar running along his jaw. She’d never asked him about it and probably never would.
‘Good night, then,’ Alex said, starting to close the window again.
A policewoman jogged down the front steps and went straight to O’Reilly. ‘Mr Quillam isn’t having any, guv,’ she said. ‘Not without—’ She frowned toward Alex and fell silent.
‘It’s okay, Frost,’ Bill Lamb called. ‘We figured as much. We brought the search warrant.’
EIGHT
The phone rang before the coffee finished brewing.
Alex turned to him with raised brows. ‘Getting a bit late for calls. Who would that be now?’
‘Doesn’t it say?’ Tony smiled. Alex didn’t really expect him to know answers to her questions but there were a lot she asked anyway.
‘Just a number,’ she said, peering at the readout on her kitchen phone. ‘Don’t recognize it. I’m not answering.’
He was about to tell her she was overly careful when Elyan’s voice came over the speaker. ‘It’s Elyan, Alex. I’d like to—’
She picked up. ‘Hello, Elyan. Is everything all right at yours?’
After a pause while she listened, she said, ‘Tony’s here. Okay if I put you on speaker?’
‘Hello Tony,’ Elyan’s voice came, a trifle scratchy. ‘I got your number from your mother, Alex. Look, I’m brassed off you walked into that.’
‘We didn’t think we should stay,’ Tony said. ‘Are they still there?’
Elyan gave a flat laugh. ‘I think they’ve moved in. They haven’t said what they’re looking for. Dad’s having heart attacks. Or temper tantrums, only don’t ever tell him I said that.’
‘This is another day from hell for all of you,’ said Alex.
‘I don’t know what they’re after,’ Elyan said, sounding suddenly much younger. ‘It’s like they think we’re guilty of something. Why else would they be going through everything?’
‘It’s normal,’ Tony said, leaning forward. ‘They don’t know what they’re looking for, either.’
‘Do you think they decided to do a post-mortem?’
Alex looked at Tony, biting her bottom lip.
‘Yes. It’s routine with an unexpected or unusual death.’ He shook his head slightly. There wasn’t a good way to talk about this.
‘You and Alex know all about this,’ Elyan said, sounding out of breath now. ‘Sebastian said you’ve had experience. What does he mean?’
Tony put a hand over Alex’s on the kitchen table. He frowned, thinking.
‘I don’t know,’ Alex said, but he knew from her tone that the question had shocked her.
‘We’re all going to have to let the police conduct their investigation,’ Tony said firmly. ‘But we’re here for you. Let us know what happens. If it’s convenient we’ll get there tomorrow. We’d like to meet your family.’
Alex turned her hand, threaded their fingers together tightly.
‘Call one of us,’ Tony said, holding on to her. ‘This is always the bad part, the waiting for answers.’
‘See,’ Elyan said, ‘you do know about this sort of thing. Sebastian was right. I’ll call you.’ He hung up.
Alex stood upright, almost knocking her chair back. ‘Have you ever met this Sebastian? Do we know him?’
He shook his head. ‘Weird. Although someone could have talked about … well, you know.’
The light went out on the coffee pot and Alex turned it off. She filled two mugs and pushed one in front of Tony. From a cupboard she produced a bottle of Irish Cream and dumped a large slug into each of their coffees.
‘We won’t know anything else tonight,’ Tony said. He drank some of the very aromatic coffee. ‘This is good. Just what I needed.’
‘Me, too.’
‘Is there something you want to talk to me about?’ The instant the question was in the air, he wished he hadn’t asked.
Alex stood beside his shoulder. With her hands wrapped around the mug, she said, ‘I’m leaning on you—’ she did just that – ‘and sometimes I feel so happy. So right. As if I’ve landed where I belong. I know I’m lucky but the shadows are still there. Tony, why can’t it all be more simple?’
He didn’t have the answer. ‘I know what I want. At least, mostly I know what I want.’
‘You do?’
With her he never knew if she wanted him to tell her the truth, or gloss over the surface. ‘This is my place, here in these hills – with you.’ He felt like a diver going off the high board for the first time … hitting the water took a very long time.
Very long.
‘I’m difficult, aren’t I?’ she said at last. ‘I think I want to be here for good. I know I’d fall apart if you went away and didn’t come back.’ She massaged the back of his neck, pushed her fingers into his hair. ‘That’s it, Tony. I’m not any closer than that and if it’s not enough, I’ll understand – in time.’ She kissed the top of his head. ‘Get your hair cut. If you can’t afford it, I’ll lend you the money.’
He wanted to laugh but couldn’t. ‘Yes, Ms Duggins. I’ll do that. Now I should go.’
‘I can feel bad stuff coming at us again,’ she said quietly. ‘Laura’s death doesn’t leave me for a moment.’
For an instant he’d expected her to say she was convinced they had no future. ‘Something like that doesn’t just go away.’
He stood up and put an arm around her shoulders, pulled her face against his chest. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’
‘Can you promise that?’ she said, peering up at him. No one would be able to look away from her green eyes.
‘Yes.’ He rumpled her black curls. ‘I’m all done running. Tried and ended up back where I started.’
She took his free hand, held it around her shoulders and made for the door. ‘Okay, we’ll see how all this works out.’ They still carried their coffee.
‘I don’t like what Elyan’s saying about us.’
Walking slowly, she went into the passage leading to the front door. ‘We don’t really know what he’s saying? Or what this Sebastian is say
ing. It’s grim when everything hinges on the outcome of a post-mortem.’
‘We’re over-thinking this. The girl was already ill. The death was accidental. I’m surprised O’Reilly and Lamb are hanging around. I don’t know why they came at all. They must have more urgent cases to deal with.’
‘I know. That’s why I’m getting paranoid. It’s as if they think we’ve been too close to other serious crimes and eventually they’ll manage to pin one on us.’
Tony didn’t like to think along those lines. ‘Where are the dogs?’
‘Where do you think? Asleep on one of the beds.’
He opened his mouth to call Katie.
‘Killjoy,’ Alex said. ‘Let them sleep. Come on, keep me company while we finish our coffee.’ She started up the stairs. ‘For a start.’
It would be churlish to refuse her.
NINE
‘Why is he here?’ Sebastian Carstens waved his long, slender hands in the air. A clump of straight, dark hair slid over one side of his black-rimmed glasses, obscuring an eye as efficiently as a patch. ‘Percy, you must have called Giglio last night for him to get here at the crack of dawn. Did you think we needed more histrionics, especially now? Wells upset everyone yesterday and that was before … well, before. When he went back I thought we were shot of him for a while. He’ll hang around for hours, if not days, or I’ll eat my hat.’
Elyan cast his eyes to the ceiling where a plaster rosette of cherubs danced, holding hands, around an elegant brass and crystal chandelier. Tiredness weighed so heavily that he only partly heard Sebastian, and even more vaguely thought that Sebastian could compete with any Italian histrionics of the kind he constantly accused Elyan’s agent, Wells Giglio.
He curled on a purple and brown striped slipper chair in the living room, alternately squeezing his eyes shut, and opening them wide in an attempt to feel more awake. The gray of dawn still shaded the windows. There had been no sleep for him last night but he’d rather be alone in his room now regardless. He had ignored the pastries Meeker had rushed in on a large plate, and the coffee hadn’t done a thing for him.
‘Histrionics?’ he said, yawning at the same time. ‘Is that supposed to be some sort of Italian thing? I don’t even know if Giglio is really Italian. He could just have taken drama classes like you, Sebastian.’
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