Christmas Trees

by Poppy Blake

  Rosie didn’t want to explain to Abbi that the reason for her difficulties had nothing to do with a poor memory and everything to do with losing her father, and her mother falling to pieces to such an extent that they lost their home and had to move to a different part of the country and a different school.

  “Me too. I was totally useless,” laughed Abbi. “If it wasn’t for my sister I’d never have got into drama school.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, just that Alicia was blessed with a photographic memory. It’s so unfair because we’re twins! What’s even more galling is that she doesn’t even use her God-given talent. She’s a sculptor and spends all her time throwing blobs of clay at wooden boards and then painting them.”

  Matt leaned forward and cleared his throat, reminding the women that he was still in the room.

  “So,” said Rosie, hurriedly. “I hope you don’t mind, Abbi, but we’ve asked everyone this question. What did you and Dylan do on Tuesday night after having dinner at Zara and Sam’s lodge?”

  “We went back to our little shepherd’s hut. Dylan wanted to get a good night’s sleep because he had to be up for the cycle ride at six.”

  “And after he left? What did you do?”

  “I went for a run, then I showered and joined the others to watch the end of the race.”

  “Did you see anyone when you were out running?”

  Abbi paused, crinkling her forehead as she scoured the crevices of her memory for any recollections of that fateful morning. “No, I don’t think so. I wasn’t really taking much notice to be honest.”

  “So, there’s no one who can vouch for your whereabouts from the time Dylan left the hut until you arrived at Ultimate Adventures?”

  “Erm, no, I don’t suppose—Hey, I hope you’re not suggesting I had anything to do with Theo’s accident! He’s a complete pain in the backside, always sticking his nose in other people’s business, but I would never do anything like that! Why would I jeopardise my best friend’s wedding?”

  Again, Rosie noticed a flash of indecision behind Abbi’s eyes.

  “Is there something you’re not telling us, Abbi? Matt and I are only trying to help Grace and Josh so that they can have the wedding they always dreamed of. If there is something, you should tell us.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing much really. A misunderstanding, that’s all.”

  Abbi selected a thick strand of hair and began to coil it around her index finger, struggling whether to divulge what was obviously on her mind.

  “Abbi?”

  “Oh, Theo was threatening to spoil everything,” she blurted out, averting her eyes to study her fuchsia-pink manicure.

  “Spoil everything? What do you mean?”

  Abbi inhaled a fortifying breath, clenched her jaw and looked Rosie in the eye with the confidence and poise of an Oscar-winning leading lady.

  “Theo Morris is such a moron. Somehow – I don’t know how – he found out that I’d been caught driving under the influence. No one was hurt or anything and I’m mortified about what I did – I don’t know what came over me. I lost my licence of course, which is one of the reasons I decided to go travelling with Grace. I’ve learnt my lesson and I never drink a drop when I’m driving now. But David Bairstow, the director of this new film I’m in, is a teetotaller and one of the stipulations in our contracts is that everyone must abstain from alcohol, and any other substance, whilst the shoot is taking place. I’m not sure what would have happened if Theo had informed him about my conviction. I might have lost my part, I might not, but I didn’t want to take the risk. I couldn’t bear it!”

  “But how did Theo know?”

  “I have no idea. I don’t scream about it from the rooftops, but I suspect it was probably from Sam. Dylan was all for confronting him, but I didn’t want any unpleasantness so I told him to forget it. Anyway, Theo would probably have loved an excuse to report any incident to the police - and that would definitely have put a stop to Dylan’s business before the banks even have chance to squeeze his last penny from him.”

  “What kind of business is Dylan in?” asked Rosie, noticing the anxiety in Abbi’s voice.

  “Football, would you believe!”

  “Football?”

  “Junior football to be precise. Coaching talented youngsters in the art of dribbling and that sort of thing. He loves it and it’s really given him a new lease of life after, well, after what happened.”

  Rosie saw that Abbi’s habitual brightness had diminished since she had joined them in the café and her heart gave a nip of sympathy. She was about to press Abbi on the details of Dylan’s accident when Matt swiftly curtailed their conversation.

  “Thanks for your honesty, Abbi.”

  Abbi pushed herself up from the sofa and made her way to the door. “Just find out who did this so we can get on with enjoying Grace and Josh’s wedding, will you?”

  Matt waited until the clickity-clack of Abbi’s footsteps receded before turning to Rosie. “Another person on our list with a motive and no alibi.”

  “Maybe they all did it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Perhaps all five of the Windmill Café’s guests were involved in setting Theo up for a fall. It’s possible.”

  Matt stared at her for a beat. “From what we know about our victim so far it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if his friends had formed an orderly queue to throttle the guy. This inquiry is turning into an absolute nightmare!”

  Chapter 12

  “Theo?”

  “Oh, it’s you Rosie. Make sure you pull the screen back into place, will you? We don’t want to encourage prying eyes, do we? Actually, I’m glad you’ve decided to put in an appearance at last. I wanted to ask you what the competition rules are for engaging an assistant when one of the competitors has a disability?”

  Theo waved his arm, encased in a sling, around in the air, grimacing slightly at the sudden movement. Despite his sojourn in the hospital, he seemed in surprisingly good spirits, his dark blue eyes filled with passion for the project he was working on. For the first time, Rosie noticed how muscular he was, taking in his broad shoulders and the firmness of his biceps and how he towered over her as he waited for her reply. Without realising it, she took a couple of steps backwards.

  “I’m sure if you can find a willing helper that would be fine, but should you really be doing this after what you’ve been through? Maybe you should sit this one out? Haven’t the doctors at the hospital told you to rest?”

  “Ah, but that’s what everyone wants me to do, isn’t it? Eliminate the competition!”

  “It’s just a bit of fun, Theo.”

  “Who says I’m not having fun? I’d rather be here creating a masterpiece of festive fabulousness than wallowing in a hospital bed being pawed by all and sundry. Look, Rosie, don’t take this the wrong way, but why don’t you go off and distract some of the other competitors? I’ve already lost a whole day and every minute counts when you’re aiming for perfection.”

  Rosie opened her mouth to object to his curt dismissal but before she could formulate the right words, Theo had paused in his task of attaching a tiny metal car to one of the lower branches.

  “Oh, but perhaps you can help me with something before you disappear? Do you happen to know what the Rev’s hobbies are? I did google him before I came down here but there’s surprisingly little about him online, just the usual ecclesiastical stuff, nothing personal, no Facebook page or Instagram account.”

  “Sorry, Theo, I have no idea what the Rev does in his spare time.”

  A wriggle of disquiet wove its way through Rosie when she recalled something Abbi had said earlier about how Theo knew so much about everyone. Clearly he was a man who did his homework, however small and insignificant his encounters or contests were going to be. Why would he bother to go to such lengths as to investigate the judge’s likes and dislikes for a Christmas tree decorating competition when the prize was a tiny silver trophy fashioned
in the shape of a Windmill?

  “Never mind. I think I’ve got this in the bag, anyway. Prepare to be stunned, Rosie! An unfortunate accident isn’t going to stop me from pulling out all the stops to produce the most amazing spectacle Willerby has ever seen in the arena of Christmas Tree Decorating!

  “Accident? You think what happened to you was an accident?”

  “Well, of course I’m going to wait until the police have conducted their enquiries, but as I told them when they came to take my statement at the hospital, that wire has to have been a trap set up by a rather incompetent poacher to catch deer or foxes.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Of course, poaching is still a crime and I expect the police to throw the book at whoever did this to me when they arrest them. I’m also contemplating making a claim for damages for my injuries; that should be interesting.”

  “So, correct me if I’m wrong, Theo,” said Matt who had appeared inside the enclave that Theo had built around his precious tree, his expression reflecting his dislike for the man in front of him brandishing a miniature E-Type Jaguar dangling from a thin silver chain. “Are you really expecting us to believe that you didn’t do a recce of the woods before the race on Wednesday morning?”

  “A recce?”

  “Yes, because how else would you have known about the path from the road to the finishing line unless you had explored every inch of the woodland looking for a shortcut that would knock a few minutes of your time?”

  “I—well—”

  To Theo’s credit, Rosie saw his cheeks colour and guilt take up residence in his eyes.

  “It’s called preparation, Matt. Any self-respecting competitor makes sure they’re familiar with the course layout before a race. I’m sure you would agree with me, after all, it’s what your father was famous for, isn’t it? His close attention to detail, making sure every single eventuality was catered for?”

  Rosie inhaled a sharp breath and for a moment she thought Matt was going to lunge at Theo. She wouldn’t have blamed him in the slightest, but she stepped between the two men and asked the question that was burning in her brain.

  “Theo, if you did do a recce of the woodland and found the shortcut, I take it you didn’t come across the wire that you are adamant is merely an old poaching trap that someone has forgotten to move?”

  “No, of course I—oh—”

  Theo flashed his eyes to Matt and then back to Rosie, a sliver of fear now appearing in their sapphire depths

  “Do you have any idea who would want to force you off your bike? I think even you have to accept that if the wire had been even a few inches higher, your injuries could have been fatal.”

  “Why would anyone want to target me? Everyone loves me! But I do take your point. I think I’ll just give the police a call to see if they’ve made any progress. Excuse me, would you?”

  Rosie watched Theo dash from the marquee then turned to Matt.

  “I think I’ve just realised how Theo operates.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Remember when Abbi said Theo knew about her driving ban? And Zara saying she was surprised he knew about her grandfather’s Rolls? And what about Theo turning up in Dubai and just happening to find Sam in a compromising position?”

  “Yes?”

  “Well, I think Theo could have stumbled on some information that someone didn’t want him to reveal and decided to make sure he didn’t. If that’s true, I think we’re looking at something much more malicious than incapacitating Theo so that he ends up being presented with the wooden spoon at the judging on Saturday.”

  “If you’re right, then we need to take a leaf out of Theo’s book ourselves. I’ll do some digging into his background – see if anything comes up. It has to be something pretty serious to go to such lengths. I’ll give your uncle a call to see if he has any suggestions about where we could start looking, then I might try to speak to DS Kirkham.”

  “Okay, tell Uncle Martyn I said hi.”

  Rosie smiled as Matt followed in Theo’s footsteps out of the tent before turning her attention on the circle of magnificent fir trees in various stages of completion. The whole room zinged with jolly conversation, festive music and the enticing aroma of crushed pine needles with a top note of the cinnamon sticks that floated in the mulled wine. She was about to head for the refreshment table manned by Mia when her quest was interrupted by someone calling her name.

  “Hey, Rosie? Come over here and tell me what you think!”

  Rosie made her way to where Abbi was putting the final touches to her Christmas tree.

  “Wow! Abbie, it’s stunning – a real explosion of colour!”

  Rosie feasted her eyes on what Abbi had created. Her tree was adorned with a kaleidoscope of brightly coloured leather goods; not only handbags, purses and key rings, but luggage labels, lipstick holders, mirror cases, everything a girl could want in the accessory arena fashioned from pinks, oranges, yellows, reds and whites. Garlands of silver and gold tassels completed the look which wouldn’t have looked out of place in Selfridge’s luggage department.

  “Thanks, Rosie. Would you mind helping me to take a few photographs?”

  “I don’t mind at all, but I think Penny might be the best person to ask – it’s her area of expertise, isn’t it? Hang on, I’ll go and ask her.”

  Rosie spotted Penny crouching next to the tree furthest away from Theo’s and made her way over.

  “Oh my God! Penny, that’s amazing! I love it, it’s just so original!”

  “I wanted to showcase the wildlife that make their home in trees such as the fir and the spruce,” explained Penny, pride radiating from her whole body, along with a blast of her signature patchouli oil. It was the first time Rosie had seen her in a colour other than black, taking in the jaunty Christmas themed scarf she had used to tie her hair away from her face.

  “You must have spent hours making all these decorations!”

  Rosie took a tour around Penny’s tree, marvelling at her creativity. Every branch held a tiny animal – red squirrel, hedgehog, dormouse, fox, badger, deer – all of which had been moulded from clay and painted with exquisite accuracy.

  “What’s this animal?”

  “It’s a pine marten, a bit like a weasel.”

  “Oh, I love this robin! And is this a chaffinch?”

  “No, actually, it’s a chiffchaff! I love that name, don’t you? And that’s a woodpecker!”

  “You are very talented, Penny. Speaking of which, would you mind taking a break to perform the role of star photographer? Abbi wants to use her tree in an advertising campaign for her new business.”

  “I’d love to! I haven’t had chance to check everyone’s trees out yet, so that’ll give me a great excuse to see what the competitions like. Apart from Theo’s entry, of course. I see he’s screened his off. You know, he’s hardly said two words to me since he got back from the hospital. Anyone would think it was me who set up that tripwire!”

  “I’m sorry, Penny.”

  “Not your fault, Rosie.”

  Penny collected her duffle bag and trotted off towards Abbi’s tree, pausing occasionally to check out the other entries in the competition on the way.

  “Hi Rosie. Will you tell Grace that she might have gone just a little bit over the top with the decorations, please?” said Josh, rolling his eyes in amusement as Grace attached yet another silver horseshoe to the upper branches of her Christmas tree.

  “Hey, a bride can never have too many baubles! Aren’t these adorable, Rosie?”

  Grace held out a pair of mini silver bells dangling from a pale ivory ribbon.

  “They’re gorgeous! And I love these engraved hearts!”

  “When the judging is over, we’re going to give them to our wedding guests as wedding favours. I adore everything on our tree but the pièce de résistance has to be the wedding angel, don’t you think? Mum and I spent hours getting the outfit right.” Grace leaned forward to whisper in Rosie’s ear. “
It’s a perfect replica of my wedding dress and veil.”

  Rosie heart ballooned with affection for Grace as she continued to unwrap a plethora of additional decorations, from fluffy white strands of glittering tinsel to pom-poms made from tulle, sixpences encased in silver photo frames, entwined wedding rings and gem-encrusted tiaras.

  “Erm, Grace, what are these?”

  Rosie fingered what looked like a paintbrush whose ends had been given an electric shock.

  “Oh, I love those! They’re what chimney sweeps use – they’re supposed to be lucky. I’m not sure why,” she laughed as she climbed up to the top of the step ladder to add a spectacular wedding wreath made from white and silver baubles, ribbons and what looked to Rosie like holly leaves and berries that had been sprayed white.

  “I really don’t know where you and Carole found the time to do all this.”

  “Everything is being reused on Sunday! This wreath will hang on the door of the church, these silver sixpences are being given to the children when Josh and I come through the kissing gate as husband and wife, those pom-poms have been infused with lavender and are destined for Josh’s gran and great aunt, and these.” Grace handed Rosie a miniature bottle of champagne with a white label and silver foil neck. “Will go down well, I’m sure.”

  Rosie smiled at the bride-to-be whose eyes sparkled with anticipation for her special day and she experienced a blast of renewed determination to solve the mystery surrounding Theo’s crash in the woodland. The last thing Grace and Josh deserved was for their wedding to be forever linked to a nasty accident involving one of their guests. If the culprit wasn’t identified, the whole day would be overshadowed by rampant speculation when the rest of the guests arrived, and she would do anything to prevent that, including inviting everyone to lunch in the Windmill Café so she could encourage them to relax and maybe reveal something of interest.

  Chapter 13

  Despite Rosie asking everyone staying in the lodges to join her at the café, Sam, Theo, and Dylan had declined so they could continue working on their trees. As Matt has disappeared to make his calls and catch up on a mountain of paperwork at Ultimate Adventures, that left the women to enjoy a gossip.