by Agatha Frost
“I didn’t until today,” Liz admitted as she rubbed Nancy’s arm. “When the power cut out, we came looking for you to ask you why you thought Daniel was your stalker. We saw a flickering candle, so we followed it. When was the last time you visited the basement?”
“Never,” Misty admitted. “Derrick said it was a horrid place full of damp.”
“It is,” Liz said with a nod. “But there’s also a shrine down there. A shrine dedicated to you. Someone has been collecting pictures of you for a long time, as well as other things.”
“What other things?”
“Jewellery, parts of your costumes,” Liz paused, unsure if she should continue. “Hair.”
“Oh, God.” Misty stumbled back into her chair, her hand firm against her cheek. She looked as though she was about to gag. “You mean Derrick is the person you saw outside my house, and the person I caught watching me sleep?”
“I knew the shrine could have belonged to a number of people, but I remembered seeing Derrick mopping the dance floor, which I had thought was strange for a talent agent. It was all too perfect. The door had a padlock on it, but he seemed to be using the darkness to pay his creation a little visit.”
“Why would he do this?” Misty whispered, looking up at her reflection in the mirror. “He promised me so much. I believed him.”
“That was something I didn’t understand,” Liz said, pulling her phone from her pocket. “Not until I researched it online. I didn’t understand why Derrick would do all of this if he really could give you the stardom he promised.”
“But his brother?” Misty said. “Gary. He’s real. I’ve seen his business card.”
“He was real,” Liz said, handing the phone to Misty. “Gary Crabtree jumped off Westminster Bridge five years ago. His body washed up on the bank of the Thames in July 2012. He did work in the West End, and he was a powerful director, but there was nothing he could have done for your career from beyond the grave.”
“My dreams,” Misty said, her eyes wide as she stared down at her makeup. “I thought I was going places.”
“There were no auditions or scouts. Derrick lied to you, and I suspect he would have kept lying to you until you started to suspect things. I dread to think what he would have done then.”
“I did it -” Derrick croaked, his lids half-closed. “I did it because I love you, and I know you love -”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Misty cried, jumping up again. “You’re crazy, I thought you were going to help me. Do you really think I would have looked twice at you if I didn’t think you were connected? Look at yourself, Derrick. People like you don’t end up with girls like me. You’re a fat, old, cleaner. I’m the star, remember?”
Liz sighed, wondering if Misty had learned anything from the sorry episode. When she heard police sirens in the distance, she helped Nancy up to her feet, relieved that it was all over.
Leaving Misty in the dressing room with Derrick, Liz helped Nancy down the corridor as police officers hurried down the corridor, batons in hand.
“He’s in there,” Liz said. “You might want to charge Daniel with vandalising Christopher Monroe’s office, not that I think Christopher will want to take things any further. Your real murderer is tied up in a green leotard.”
Liz emerged from the corridor and into the bar. She sat Nancy in the nearest chair, waving over the paramedics as they rushed in. The remaining customers in the bar looked at each other, no one seeming to know what was happening.
“Liz?” Misty asked when she joined them in the bar. “Is this all my fault?”
Liz thought for a moment. Although she could blame her for breaking Polly’s heart, the blame had to lie entirely with Derrick. As much as she disliked the woman, she could not live with herself if she let her think she was responsible.
“Derrick is a sick man,” she said, stepping away from Nancy as the paramedics started to check her over. “If you want to be a star, make it happen on your own. You can’t learn to paint a beautiful picture without getting a little paint on your clothes.”
Misty frowned at Liz as though she had no idea what she was suggesting. Not caring either way, Liz sat next to Nancy and clutched her hands.
“Maybe next time, you stay outside?” Liz said with a soft smile.
15
“Three cheers to Liz!” Nancy exclaimed, her head wobbling above her thick neck brace.
“Three cheers,” the rest of the Fish and Anchor chorused, raising their drinks to Liz.
News of Liz’s discovery had spread like wildfire in the days since Derrick’s arrest, causing everyone to gather in the local pub to congratulate her, and no doubt to hear the gossip first hand. As it turned out, most people had never even heard of Derrick, and there were even people who did not know Coastline Cabaret had a singer.
Liz finished the rest of her wine, and was about to ask Shirley, the tough landlady, for a refill, but she felt someone tap her lightly on the shoulder. Liz turned with a smile, wondering who wanted to hear the story of the shrine now; her smile dropped when she saw that it was Natasha.
“Can I have a word?” Natasha asked with a gentle smile. “In private?”
Unsure of what she could possibly want to talk about, Liz reluctantly followed Natasha into a quiet corner of the pub. She looked over at Nancy, who could only offer an awkward shrug with her restrained neck.
“I’m sorry about everything,” Natasha whispered as she picked at her nails awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to barge in on Simon’s life like this. I had no idea he was seeing someone. I would never have come back if I had known, but once I was here, it was easy to slip back into my old place.”
“We were never together,” Liz corrected her. “Not really.”
“Neither were Simon and I,” Natasha said with a sad smile. “Well, not since we were kids. I tried. Believe me, I tried. He’s the nicest guy I’ve ever known.”
Natasha paused to look across the bar at Simon, who was chatting with Jack. She sighed heavily, before finally looking Liz in the eyes.
“I was jilted,” Natasha started. “He was a city lawyer, and I thought I loved him. I thought he loved me too, but he didn’t seem to feel the same, especially when I told him about this the night before the wedding.”
Natasha rested her hand on her stomach, tears welling up along her lashes.
“If it makes you feel any better, Simon isn’t interested in reliving the past,” Natasha said as she rubbed her stomach. “I think I had this delusion that he’d open his arms and we could become a happy family overnight. He knew that, and he told me it wasn’t going to happen on that first night, but he’s such a good guy, he still helped me.”
The sincerity in Natasha’s voice made Liz’s doubts melt away instantly. The space left behind by the doubts was quickly filled with embarrassment. Why had she acted like such a jealous woman without having heard the full story?
“I’m sorry,” Natasha said, her hand on Liz’s shoulder. “You deserve him, Liz. I don’t think you should have put up with me acting the way I have.”
Liz accepted Natasha’s apologies with a soft smile. The woman walked away, her hand resting on her tummy. Simon had been right; she was not so bad after all.
***
After answering the same questions repeatedly as vaguely as she could, the buzz finally calmed down, leaving her able to sit with her friends without interruption.
“I can’t believe that guy has a shrine,” Jack cried with a shake of his head before he sipped some of his favourite Scarlet Cove Brew. “An actual shrine!”
“It was like something out of a horror film,” Nancy replied before Liz could get a word in. “There were pictures of Misty everywhere, he even had some of her hair. Her hair! If I never see that place again as long as I live, I’ll die happy.”
“I bet Simon has one dedicated to Liz,” Jack winked in Simon’s direction. “In fact, I think I might have seen it.”
Simon tossed a scrunched-up napkin at J
ack, his face turning bright red with embarrassment. Jack gave Simon a playful wink before hooking his arm around Nancy’s shoulder, making sure to be careful around her neck.
“Is there any permanent damage?” Natasha asked after sipping her orange juice. “It looks sore.”
“The doctors said it was just bruising,” Nancy said, her hand drifting up to the white brace. “I wasn’t really listening. I was too busy thanking God that I was alive.”
“You must have been so scared,” Natasha added.
“I thought I was done for,” Nancy said uncomfortably. Jack sensed this and rubbed her arm. “If it hadn’t been for Liz, I dread to think what would’ve happened.”
“You wouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place,” Liz reminded her.
“You’re a true hero, Liz,” Jack said. “Don’t forget that.”
Liz blushed, and she suddenly felt Simon’s eyes on her. He smiled, as though he was the proudest person in the world.
“I just did what anybody else would have done,” she said with a shrug. “Detective Jones takes over sometimes.”
“You’re too modest,” Simon said.
Liz smiled at him, their eyes locking for a few moments before she was interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Elizabeth?” Christopher said before clearing his throat. “Can I talk to you, please?”
Liz looked at all of her friends who all nodded their approval, aside from Simon who stayed motionless. Deciding they still had unfinished business, Liz excused herself after a quick sip of wine.
Christopher headed to the front door, looking as uncomfortable as he possibly could in the foreign surroundings. The cold whipped around Liz’s loose hair as soon as she opened the door, sending it across her face. She shivered as she tucked the strands behind her ears. They stood silently in the dark for a moment, both looking ahead at her shop across the square.
“I’m sorry,” Christopher said abruptly as he rubbed the creases on his high forehead. “I was only trying to help.”
“I know,” Liz replied. “And now that I’ve had time to clear my head, I know you weren’t trying to be malicious. Not to me, at least. My shop, it’s just something I need to do on my own. I’m sorry for shouting at you.”
“It’s okay. I should have known really.” Christopher sighed as he glanced up at the almost full moon in the sky. “Daniel and I are going into business together with The Sea Platter. I realised how terrible I’d been, so I made him an offer, and he accepted. We’ve smoothed things over, and we’re both really excited about the future. With his cooking skills and my business brain, we’ll be unstoppable.”
“That’s great,” Liz said, a genuine smile filling her lips. “See how much nicer it feels when you help build people up instead of ‘dividing and conquering’? After everything Daniel has been through, the poor guy deserves some success.”
“He owes that fresh start to you,” Christopher said, proving that the rumour mill even stretched as far as Christopher’s office at the harbour. “I’m glad to see you’re still in one piece. You seem to have quite a knack for solving mysteries.”
“I hope it’s the last mystery I have to dive into,” Liz said firmly. “I’d like to get back to my painting.”
“And you will,” Christopher said, stretching out his hand. “I wasn’t planning on sticking around. Daniel and I have a lot of things to go over.”
“Goodnight, Christopher,” Liz said as she accepted his handshake. “It takes a good man to admit when he’s made a mistake. Apology accepted.”
Liz felt much lighter when Christopher walked away. She looked at her shop again, even more determined to make a success out of her little arts and crafts business. Walking backwards to the edge of the market square, she craned her neck to look up at the castle on the hill. It stood proudly, casting its shadow over Scarlet Cove for another year. Liz did not doubt she would be there next year to indulge in the legend again; she just hoped the beheading would stay in the stories from now on.
“It really is something, isn’t it?” Natasha said softly, startling Liz as she walked out of the pub. “I used to love going up there as a kid. I always wanted to be the princess in the castle.”
“I think I’d end up being the cook,” Liz said with a chuckle. “Which is funny considering I can’t cook.”
“Neither can I,” Natasha admitted. “Have you tried Simon’s cheese pie? It only takes one bite to remind me of home. I’ve lived in so many different places since leaving here, and nowhere has felt like home since. I’m going to miss it.”
“Aren’t you staying?”
“No,” she said with a heavy shake of her head. “My mum has offered for me to stay with her until I’ve figured out my next step. I’m leaving tomorrow. I think I’ve more than overstayed my welcome.”
Side by side, they looked up at the castle in the dark. Even though they were in silence, Liz felt like they had more in common than she would have ever thought. Liz had left the place she had thought was her home to find her true place in the world, and she knew Natasha would do that too.
“You have a good thing with Simon,” Natasha said, breaking the silence. “You seem to make him happy.”
“I do?”
“He talks about you constantly. I think he’s head over heels.”
Liz smiled to herself, glad that the wind broke her hair free to cover her blushing cheeks.
“I’d better get back to the farm,” Natasha said, stepping backwards into the road. “I have a lot of packing to do before my train. Goodbye, Liz.”
“Bye,” Liz said, waving delicately at the woman she had spent the past week subconsciously hating. “Have a good life, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
Natasha vanished into the dark, leaving Liz alone with the castle. As though he knew they had been talking about him, Simon appeared, his face lighting up when he spotted Liz.
“What were you two chatting about?” Simon asked, standing where Natasha had been only moments ago.
“Nothing important,” Liz grinned. “We were just clearing up some misunderstandings.”
Simon did not push it any further. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, and joined Liz in looking up at the castle. His shoulder brushed against hers, making her forget the cold for a moment.
“I love Scarlet Cove in the autumn,” Simon said, casting his finger towards the golden red leaves drifting up the hill. “It’s beautiful.”
She tore her eyes away from the castle and turned to him. She smiled without realising it, a sudden sense of urgency flooding through her chest. They had missed so much time crossing wires, she suddenly did not want to waste another second. She took a brave step forward as he stared longingly down at her; they were so close she could feel the heat radiating off him.
“Kiss me, Simon,” she whispered, her voice silky and low. “Finish what you started.”
Instead of the slight hesitance of their almost-kiss at the castle, Simon hooked his finger under Liz’s chin, a nervous smile on his lips. He closed his eyes, and their lips finally melted into a kiss.
When they finally parted, they smiled at each other, neither of them wanting to speak; their smiles said it all.
“I guess we should get back,” Simon said as he linked his fingers through Liz’s. “Everyone will be wondering what’s taking us so long.”
“Let them wonder,” Liz said, grabbing the collar of Simon’s jacket. “I’ve waited too long for this.”
The bitter wind wrapped around them as they kissed outside the Fish and Anchor. It did not matter what had happened, Liz was more certain than ever that everything was going to be just fine.
Liz and friends will back back for a third Scarlet Cove book soon! Sign up to Agatha and Evelyn’s newsletters below to find out FIRST:
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THANK YOU FOR READING!
We had a great time taking you all back to Scarlet Cove, and we hope you enjoyed reading
it as much as we enjoyed writing it! If you did enjoy the book, please consider writing a review. We appreciate any feedback, no matter how long or short. It’s a great way of letting other cozy mystery fans know what you thought about the book. Being independent authors means this is our livelihood, and every review really does make a huge difference. Reviews are the best way to support us so we can continue doing what we love, which is bringing you, the readers, more fun cozy adventures! Thank you for spending time in Scarlet Cove, and I hope to see you again soon!
Liz and friends will back back for a third Scarlet Cove book soon! Sign up to Agatha and Evelyn’s newsletters below to find out FIRST:
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Also by Agatha Frost and Evelyn Amber
The Scarlet Cove Seaside Series (Agatha and Evelyn)
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