Fruit Cake and Fear

by Agatha Frost

  Julia chuckled as she linked arms with her sister before they crossed the road. She thought about everything Aiden had told her, her stomach turning uneasily. She glanced back at the rowdy pub as the band started up again, the heavy guitars and drums spilling out into the streets.

  “I still think Aiden did it,” Sue whispered as they climbed back into the car. “I can tell you don’t believe that, but sometimes rumours start somewhere.”

  “I’m not so sure anymore,” Julia replied, not believing the rumours, but believing the unsure look she had seen flicker in Aiden’s pained stare. “And I don’t think he’s sure either.”

  11

  After a slow drive back to Peridale, Sue pulled up outside Julia’s cottage at the same moment it started to rain again.

  “I’ve got that ice cream you asked about in my freezer if you want to come in for a scoop,” Julia said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “It’s chocolate and cherry, your favourite.”

  “As tempting as that sounds, Neil will be finishing work within the hour, and I want to wash the smell of other men and the pub off me.”

  “Good idea,” Julia said, kissing her sister on the cheek. “I’m here if you need me for anything.”

  “I know,” Sue said with a soft smile. “If you are investigating Astrid’s death, just be careful.”

  “I’m always careful.”

  “No, Julia, I’m being serious,” Sue said, her tone deepening. “Whoever is involved in this has been keeping the secret for twenty years, and I don’t think they’re going to give themselves up quietly.”

  Julia jumped out of the car and stood in the rain for a moment as she watched her sister drive away, her warning echoing around her mind. Was Julia really putting herself in danger? Deciding it was necessary if she was going to get anywhere near the truth, she unclipped her gate and hurried down the garden path.

  “You idiot!” Barker’s cry echoed through the cottage, greeting Julia as she pulled off her damp coat. “You’ve ruined the best chapter!”

  “I was trying to be nice!” Jessie called back. “I didn’t have to make you a coffee!”

  “I didn’t ask you to!”

  “That’s where the ‘trying to be nice’ part comes in!” Jessie cried, her voice growing. “It wasn’t even my fault. Mowgli tripped me up.”

  Julia kicked off her wet shoes and walked into the dining room. Barker was sitting behind his typewriter, with his papers spread across the table, most of which were now covered in black coffee.

  “Can’t I leave you two alone for five minutes?” Julia sighed as she rubbed her temples.

  “It was an accident!” Jessie cried.

  “Look at what she’s done!” Barker cried even louder.

  Julia picked up one of the soaked sheets and held it up to the light. Unlike the paper in Barker’s destroyed cottage, the ink was still intact.

  “Barker, this will dry,” Julia said firmly. “Jessie, you know you need to look out for Mowgli.”

  “So, you’re saying this is my fault?” Jessie asked as she looked down her nose at Julia. “I knew you’d take his side.”

  “I’m not taking anyone’s –”

  Jessie did not let Julia finish her sentence. She turned on her heels and hurried into the hallway. Barker dropped his head into his hands and let out a deep sigh.

  “Jessie,” Julia called into the hallway. “Let’s just talk this through.”

  When Jessie didn’t reply, Julia walked back into the hallway, where Jessie was furiously tying the laces on her black Doc Martens.

  “I’m going to Billy’s.”

  “But it’s raining.”

  “I don’t care.”

  Jessie pulled the hood over her head, grabbed her keys from the side table and left the cottage, slamming the door behind her. The letterbox rattled, bringing with it another rumble of thunder. Julia ran to the door and pulled it open, but when she looked out into the dark rain, she couldn’t see her young lodger.

  “Jessie?” she called out, her voice drowned out by another rumble of thunder.

  “She’ll come back when she’s ready,” Barker said, appearing behind her to slip his hands around her waist. “You know what teenagers are like.”

  “No, Barker,” Julia said, wriggling away from him as she closed the door. “I know what you’re like. You’re just as bad, if not worse. You’re the adult in the situation. You should know better.”

  Barker frowned at her for a moment, and Julia almost expected him to launch into a rant to prove her point, but he exhaled and nodded his agreement.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, doubling back and walking into the sitting room. “It’s been a stressful day.”

  “That’s no excuse.”

  “I know.”

  Barker knelt on the hearthrug and began stacking logs in the fireplace, the wind whistling down the chimney. Julia watched him for a moment before joining in.

  “What’s happened?” Julia asked quietly, knowing the hard approach was going to get her nowhere.

  “I got the quote back from the builder for my cottage. It’s going to cost more than I have.”

  “How much more?”

  “About thirty thousand more than I currently have in my savings,” he said, a meek smile shaping his lips. “I knew it would be expensive, but I never expected it to be this expensive.”

  “Can’t you take out a loan?”

  “The bank isn’t going to throw good money after bad. I took out a huge personal loan for the house. I had most of it saved up, but I wanted to buy it outright without any mortgages. I put almost every penny I’d saved up over my career into buying that place for my fresh start in the country, but I didn’t expect it to literally crumble around me.”

  “You weren’t to know this would happen.”

  “What idiot doesn’t have home insurance?” he cried, rocking back onto his heels. “A stupid idiot who doesn’t expect the worst, that’s who.”

  “A loveable idiot.” Julia rested her hand on the back of his neck. “What are you going to do?”

  “Maybe rent somewhere until I can afford to fix it, or until some fool buys it off me to at least pay off my loan?” He chewed the inside of his lip, his eyes glazing over as he stared at the stacked logs. “Emily’s place across the lane is still empty. I know she’s trying to sell, but maybe she’ll give me a six-month tenancy if I grovel enough?”

  “You know you can stay here until you figure it out.”

  “Can I?” Barker said, letting out a strained laugh. “From where I’m standing, Julia, this isn’t working out like we hoped. I knew it would take some time to adapt, but a day hasn’t passed where I haven’t argued with Jessie over something.”

  “So, stop arguing with her,” Julia suggested, kissing him on the cheek. “She’s a kid walking around in adult’s shoes. She’s been through a lot in her short life. She’s more fragile than she lets people see. This is the first stable home she’s had in her whole life, and now it’s suddenly changed, and if I were to guess, I’d say she feels threatened.”

  “I never thought about it like that.”

  “That’s why you have me to explain it,” Julia said with a wink. “She just responds better to a soft approach. You know, she used to leave her underwear on the floor next to the washing basket too, but I asked her politely not to, and she never did it again.”

  “She’s not the only one who needs to adjust,” he said as he looked around the cottage. “I’ve lived like a bachelor for too long. I never realised how much work went into keeping a home tidy.”

  Julia stood up and ruffled Barker’s hair. He got to work starting up the fire as the lightning flashed behind the curtains and thunder rumbled above. Julia pulled her phone from her pocket, scrolled to Jessie’s name, and sent her two simple words: ‘Come home’.

  12

  Julia opened her eyes and looked into Mowgli’s as he kneaded the creases out of the blanket. Blinking through her tiredness, she tickled the top of his h
ead. He purred gratefully as he nudged her chin with his wet nose.

  “How did we end up in here, boy?” she croaked, sitting up and nudging Mowgli down to her lap.

  She looked around her sitting room. The remains of the fire smoked in the grate. There was an empty bottle of wine and the DVD case for Pretty Woman on the hearthrug.

  Julia tossed off the blanket and shuffled into the kitchen, still in the clothes from the day before. She quickly made herself a cup of peppermint and liquorice tea before feeding Mowgli. Hugging the hot cup, she stared out of the window at the milky sky above her garden.

  “I dare say it’s going to rain again,” she said to Mowgli.

  “You know talking to yourself is one of the signs of madness,” Barker announced with a grin as he stumbled out of the bedroom in his underwear, scratching under his arm like an ape. “Is there any coffee?”

  “I guess I am mad,” she replied, pulling the jar from Mowgli’s food cupboard. “I hid it from you again because I think you were overdosing on the stuff.”

  “Not possible.”

  “Seventy cups of the stuff will kill you.”

  “I’ll try and not drink seventy cups.” Barker kissed her on the head before taking the jar. “How did you sleep?”

  “Fine,” Julia said as she rubbed her neck. “Although I think I might need a massage to work out these knots. That, or I buy a new couch that you can’t feel the springs in.”

  “You looked too peaceful to wake.”

  “I don’t even remember falling asleep.”

  “You were gone by the time Richard Gere snapped the jewellery box on Julia Roberts’ fingers,” he said as he scooped two generous heaps of coffee into a cup. “I was waiting for you to tell me that Richard Gere snapping the box was improvised, and her laugh was genuine. You tell me every time, so when I didn’t hear it, I looked over and saw you had fallen asleep. I pried the wine glass from your fingers and put your favourite fluffy blanket over you.”

  “You could have woken me.”

  “I know, but you looked comfy.” Barker filled the cup with boiling water. “Besides, it was nice to be able to starfish in the bed. I miss my super king.”

  “I’m sorry my peasant double bed is too small for you, my lord,” she joked. “I’m going to jump in the shower.”

  Julia took her tea into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She pulled the curtain across, turned on the shower, and sipped her tea sitting on the toilet lid while she waited for the water to heat up. When steam billowed over the top of the curtain, she undressed and jumped in the shower.

  The hot water woke her, reminding her of what had happened the night before. She wondered if Jessie had snuck back in during the night, or if she had slept over at Billy’s.

  After shampooing her curly hair and washing her body, Julia jumped onto the bathmat. She tucked a towel under her arms, shivering in the chilly bathroom. Another sip of tea warmed her through before she brushed her teeth.

  “Can you see if Jessie is in her room,” Julia called through the bathroom door, her toothbrush in her mouth. “Her alarm should have gone off by now.”

  Julia listened as Barker walked across the hallway and knocked on Jessie’s door. There was no answer, and Julia did not hear movement in the room next door.

  “She’s not here,” Barker called back. “Her bed hasn’t been slept in.”

  Sighing, Julia spat out the toothpaste and wrapped her wet hair up in another towel. She rinsed her mouth and the brush, grabbed the empty cup, and walked back through to the kitchen.

  “I don’t know how I feel about her sleeping over at a boy’s house,” Julia said as she grabbed her phone off the kitchen counter. “Is seventeen too young?”

  “I thought Billy and his dad were on holiday?” Barker mumbled as he walked out of the bedroom in his work suit. “Have I put too much wax in my hair?”

  Julia shrugged as she pressed the phone against her ear. Her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach when it went straight to voicemail.

  “She’s either blocked my number, or Billy doesn’t have a charger for her phone,” Julia said as she lifted up a takeaway menu on the cork noticeboard. “Good job I went through her phone and wrote down her contacts.”

  “Isn’t that an invasion of privacy?”

  “No,” Julia said quickly. “It’s for emergencies.”

  “She’s a teenage girl,” Barker chuckled as he adjusted his hair, which Julia did think was too waxed, in the reflection of a knife. “Nobody forced her to storm out last night.”

  “Hmm,” Julia said through pursed lips as she typed Billy’s number into her phone. “I see a good night’s sleep has made you believe you had no part in that.”

  “She did ruin the best chapter in my book,” he muttered as he walked away. “I should set off. Chief wants us in for an early morning meeting. Unless it’s to fill us in on the Astrid Wood case, I don’t want to hear it.”

  Barker grabbed his briefcase, kissed Julia on the cheek, and headed for the door. Julia pushed the phone against her ear, relieved when she heard the dial tone.

  “W-what?” Billy grumbled from the other end of the phone. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Julia,” she said quickly. “Sorry if I woke you. I just wanted to check that Jessie was up for work. Her phone isn’t turned on.”

  “Huh?”

  “Can you just put Jessie on the phone?”

  “Jessie’s not here,” he said, his voice clearing up.

  “Has she already set off for work?”

  “I’m still in Cornwall with my dad. Has something happened?”

  Julia opened her mouth to reply, but all the moisture evaporated from her tongue.

  “I’ll call you back.” Julia ended the call and hurried into the hallway, where Barker was tying his laces. “Barker, she’s not at Billy’s.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, straightening out and rubbing his lower back. “Is there any reason your mattress is so hard?”

  “I mean, she never went to Billy’s last night,” Julia said, her voice shaking as the towel on her head unravelled, letting down her damp hair. “She went out into that storm knowing Billy was still on holiday.”

  Julia thrust her hands up into her hair as the hallway walls closed in around her. Barker dropped his briefcase and planted his hands on her shoulder.

  “Breathe,” he said firmly. “Who else is on your list of numbers?”

  Julia hurried back into the kitchen, clutching the towel around her chest as it began to slip. With shaky fingers, she ripped the list off the board and traced her finger down the handful of numbers.

  “This is all she had.”

  “Okay, you start at the top, and I’ll start at the bottom,” Barker said, pulling his phone from his pocket. “She most likely left and then remembered Billy was on holiday.”

  Julia nodded, hoping he was right. She forced herself to focus on the first number, which was for her friend, Dolly.

  “She’s not here, Miss S,” Dolly mumbled, still half asleep. “We haven’t seen her since college on Wednesday.”

  Julia moved onto the next number, which was for Tommy, an elderly friend of Jessie’s who had been a father figure to her on the streets. As she listened to the dial tone, a small part of her hoped Jessie was not with him because he now lived one hundred and seventy miles away in Manchester.

  “I haven’t seen her in months, Julia,” Tommy said, the panic loud and clear in her voice. “Has something happened?”

  Julia promised to call him back and quickly hung up.

  “Nothing,” Barker said, tossing his phone onto the counter. “Nobody has seen her.”

  “What have I done?” Julia mumbled, her eyes wide and her mind numb. “What if something has happened to her?”

  “This is on me,” Barker said, grabbing his keys from the counter. “What’s the name of that place she used to hang around at when she was on the streets?”

  “Fenton Industrial Park, but the last I hea
rd they were turning it into luxury flats.”

  “It’s worth a shot,” he called over his shoulder as he headed to the front door. “It’s somewhere familiar. Go and check the café. You never know, she might have just started work early.”

  The front door slammed, the letterbox rattling. Julia stared blankly at the list of names and numbers for what felt like a lifetime before running into her bedroom. She jumped into the first clothes she could find, pulled her damp hair back into a bobble, and grabbed her keys. After locking the front door, she pulled out her car key, only to instantly remember it was still being fixed at the garage. Sighing, she ran around her cottage and grabbed her bike.

  By the time Julia reached the village, her calves were starting to give way, and her face was wind burned, but she did not care. She fumbled with her keys until she landed on the one for her café. Just from looking through the window, she could see that Jessie was not there.

  “Julia, love,” she heard her gran cry. “I thought I saw you whizzing by on your bike. Oh dear, Julia, you know you haven’t dried your hair, don’t you?”

  “Jessie is missing,” Julia said, bursting into her café as Dot hurried across the village green. “She walked out last night, and I can’t find her.”

  “Missing?” Dot cried, her hand drifting up to her mouth as she followed Julia inside. “Are you sure?”

  “I – I don’t know,” Julia turned to face her gran and rested her hand against her forehead as she stared out of the window. “I don’t know where she is.”

  “I’m sure she’ll turn up,” Dot said with a strained laugh. “Maybe she’s at Billy’s.”

  “Billy is on holiday,” Julia snapped, pulling her phone from her pocket. “I’m calling the police.”

  “Okay, love,” Dot said, pushing Julia into one of the seats. “You do that, and I’ll make some tea.”