Julia said, “What sort of items? Did you get a look at them?”
Gemma pulled her phone out. “Even better, I got a photo of them. It’s amazingly easy to take photos in public without anyone noticing what you’re doing. So many people are on their phones nowadays, and we don’t really know what they’re up to. I recognise these items, do you?”
Julia looked at the photo. “Those are the little chocolates that were placed at the side of my treatment table. And that looks like a tub of the chocolate body scrub. I wouldn’t have thought it was worth stealing those.”
“You’d be surprised. I heard Teresa say how much the spa sells these items for. She said she’s got plenty more in her car, along with some towels and other supplies. It seems like she’s been busy today.”
“How has she managed to sneak them all out of the spa without being seen?”
“Today has been a different kind of day. The police have been coming and going all afternoon. There’s been a lot of confusion. Teresa could have sneaked out at any time and people would have been too busy to notice. I got the impression she used to do this sort of thing years ago, perhaps at one of the other spas she used to work at. Didn’t you find out that she worked with Erin at the same spa at one point?”
“She did. I wonder if Erin and her had a scam going back then? Perhaps Erin convinced Teresa to leave their stealing ways behind. But then Teresa wanted to make more money and got rid of Erin. She hasn’t wasted any time in getting back to her old ways.”
“You might be right. The man she was with asked why she was starting up her old business. She told him she’d had a hard day, and that she doesn’t want to work at the spa any longer. She was thinking of handing in her notice. She added that she might not even return to the spa.”
Julia said, “We need to find out more about her past. Before it’s too late.”
“I agree. There’s nothing more we can do today. Let’s have a think about our next move. I’ve got an Indian head massage booked for the morning. Then I’m going for a swim. What about you?”
“I’m having a manicure.” Julia looked down at her knees. “Erin arranged it for me. I’m not sure I feel like going anymore.”
Gemma said kindly, “You must. You deserve to be pampered. Shall we meet in the swimming pool later?”
“Yes. I’ll try Cain again when we get back to the spa. I want to know who Teresa was visiting in prison.”
Gemma put the radio on and they drove the short distance back to the spa. Gemma graciously allowed Toby to park her car.
Julia and Gemma said goodnight to each other and went to their rooms.
Julia changed into her pyjamas and put the kettle on. The kettle hadn’t even boiled before Mum came rushing into the room.
“Julia! Indigo’s been attacked! I think someone tried to kill her.”
Chapter 20
Mum was shaking so Julia sat her down on one of the sofas near the patio doors and quickly made her a cup of tea. She put the warm drink in Mum’s hands and sat next to her.
“Tell me everything,” Julia said. “Are you okay? Shall I call for some medical help?”
Mum took a sip of the tea and gave Julia a shaky smile. “I’ll be fine in a minute. It’s just the shock of it all.”
“Where’s Indigo now?”
“Harry Lewis is with her in the main reception area. He was calling for a first aider when I left them. I wanted to stay with Indigo but she said she’d be okay.” Mum took another sip of her tea and closed her eyes. “What a spa trip this is turning out to be. Every time I relax for a moment, something terrible happens.” She opened her eyes and looked at Julia. “How was your evening? Did you manage to spy on Lori?”
“Yes,” Julia moved closer to Mum. “I’ll tell you about it later. I want to know what happened to Indigo. Right, start at the beginning. The last time I saw you, you were going to meet Indigo for the twilight meditation walk. Did that go ahead as planned?”
Mum nodded and pulled her cup closer. “We all met by the main doors. It’s the same group of women who’ve been to Harry’s classes, and the sessions with Indigo. They’re a good bunch, we’ve had some interesting talks together.
“Anyway, Indigo turned up and she looked as if she’d been crying again. One of the women told her we could cancel the walk and perhaps go to the bar instead.” Mum gave Julia a small smile. “I liked that idea but Indigo insisted she was fine. She said the walk was just what she needed. And she said she’d arranged for someone else to come with us.”
“Harry Lewis?”
Mum’s eyes widened. “How did you know that?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“You should have seen the change that came over my new friends as Harry Lewis walked towards us. Hair was patted down, tummies were sucked in and chests were thrust out. Not me, of course. I still have my reservations about that young man. Although, he didn’t seem as annoying as the night wore on. He’d brought bottles of water for us all, and kept making sure we were okay.”
Julia’s eyes narrowed. “That was nice of him. Did he charge you for the water?”
“No. And he even brought some energy snacks to keep us going. I’m glad he was there as Indigo didn’t seem her usual bubbly self. She tried her best as she led us through the woods, but there was a sadness in her eyes. Harry kept up a cheerful commentary as we walked, and he often put his arm around Indigo and gave her shoulders a squeeze. He was quite the gentleman.”
Julia wasn’t convinced. She remembered how he’d spoken to her earlier. “You went into the woods? Where was this?”
“It’s all inside the spa gardens. You go through the formal gardens and past the tennis courts, and it’s behind there. It’s a lovely area and the path was lit with lights so it wasn’t dangerous. You could hear the birds singing and animals shuffling in the hedges. We stopped chatting as we walked further along. It was quite magical.
“We came to a clearing which had logs set out in a circle around a fire. Harry admitted he’d lit the fire earlier in case Indigo wasn’t feeling up to it. There were fairy lights strewn through the trees and you could see the night sky clearly. It was very peaceful. We all took a seat and looked into the flames. Harry played some low background music and Indigo began a meditation talk.”
“What kind of meditation talk? I’ve never done any meditating. I’ve always wondered how you did it.”
“It’s a matter of being in the moment and letting your thoughts fade into the distance. It takes practise to feel the full benefit, but it’s worth it. Perhaps you should practise it at work.”
Julia smiled. “I can just see me and Cain resting on our mops as we have a moment of silence. Do you want another cup of tea?”
“No, thank you. Let me tell you what happened next. There we were, sitting on our logs with our eyes closed. Indigo had stopped talking and the music was playing softly. All of a sudden, we heard a scream. Of course, we all jumped to our feet and began looking around. It didn’t take us long to realise who was missing.”
“Who?”
“Indigo and Harry. I called out for them and I heard Harry shout back to us. He told us to stay where we were, and that everything was okay. Then he came through the trees carrying Indigo. There was blood on her forehead and she was crying and trying to talk at the same time. She wasn’t making much sense and Harry explained what had happened. Apparently, Indigo had heard some footsteps behind her in the trees. She didn’t want our session to be interrupted so she went to find whoever it was. She thought she’d only be a moment and didn’t want to disturb anyone. She went into the trees and within seconds, she was attacked. Someone hit her with a rock and pushed her to the ground. Harry went running into the trees because he’d noticed Indigo was missing. He heard footsteps running away but he didn’t go after them as his main concern was for Indigo.”
Julia said, “So, no one else saw, or heard, this attacker? You took Harry’s word for it?”
Mum frowned. “Of course w
e did. Do you think it was Harry who attacked Indigo? You’ve got a suspicious mind. Why would he do that?”
Julia shrugged. She hadn’t thought of a reason yet, but she would do.
Mum said, “We all came back to the spa. Indigo insisted on walking and kept saying she was fine. But Harry insisted on carrying her. When we got to the reception area, he called for first aid and told us he’d deal with everything. So, there you have it.”
“Why do you think she was attacked? Do you think it has something to do with Erin’s murder? Do you think Indigo knows who did it?”
Mum yawned. “I’m not going to talk about this any more today. Let’s have a good night’s sleep and we’ll see what tomorrow brings.” She stood up and kissed Julia on the top of her head. “I’m not sure I will be able to sleep, but I’ll try. Goodnight, love.”
Julia waited on the sofa until she heard Mum get into bed. When she heard a light snore coming from Mum’s room, she decided it was safe to get into her own bed.
Julia had only been asleep for a few hours when a noise in her room woke her. She slowly opened her eyes. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw a shadowy figure moving at the other side of her room.
Chapter 21
On the way down to breakfast the next morning, Mum said, “I really am sorry about giving you a scare last night.”
Julia said, “It’s okay. My heart rate has just about returned to normal. I thought you were the murderer, sneaking in to silence me.”
“Throwing your pillow and shouting, ‘Oi!’ wouldn’t have stopped a potential killer.”
“It’s all I had to hand,” Julia said. “Did you enjoy the DVD after all that?”
“I did. That DVD of Harry’s has a stretching section. I remembered seeing it on the menu on the back of the case. I went to sleep okay, but then I woke up and couldn’t drift off again. I thought a bit of stretching would help me relax, and it did. Sorry again, I didn’t mean to wake you up when I came looking for it.”
Julia said, “That’s okay. I don’t know what Dad will say about you watching a nubile young man stretching in the middle of the night.”
“Your dad doesn’t have to know. Look, there’s Gemma over there.”
Gemma came out of the dining hall as they were going in.
“Morning, you two,” she said. “I’ve heard all about your twilight walk, Kathleen. Are you okay? That must have been quite a shock for you.”
“I’m fine,” Mum answered. “It’s Indigo who got the shock. I wonder how she is this morning?”
Gemma said, “She must be okay because I saw her taking a morning yoga session outside the dining hall. For a moment, I was tempted to join in. But I waited, and the moment passed.” Gemma frowned as she looked at Julia. “Are you okay? Your face has gone all twisty. Is it all this fibre-rich food? Have you got toilet trouble this morning?”
Mum laughed. “That’s Julia’s I’ve-got-something-to-tell-you-face. It’s to do with all this murder business.”
“Really?” Gemma’s eyebrows rose. “You’ll have to tell me about it later. I’m off for my Indian head massage now. I’ll meet you in the swimming pool later.” She gave them a wave and walked away.
Julia and Mum took a table at the far end of the room which overlooked the gardens.
Mum said, “Julia, has it crossed your mind that Gemma could be the one who murdered Erin?”
“Not for a second. Why? Do you think that? I thought you liked her.”
“I do. I don’t think she did it either. I was wondering what you thought. You’ve told me before that you suspect everyone when something like this happens.”
“Not this time. I don’t suspect Gemma, and I don’t suspect you.” Julia gave her a bright smile.
“That’s reassuring to know,” Mum said. She picked up a menu and had a quick read. “I think I’ll go for the cinnamon granola. And I’ll have some apple juice. What are you having?”
Julia picked a menu up. “I haven’t got much of an appetite this morning. I’ll just have the poached eggs on granary bread. With a bit of fruit salad. And perhaps a rasher or two of bacon. I’ll get some orange juice and fill up on my vitamins now, then I don’t have to bother for the rest of the day.” She put the menu down. “You said yesterday that Indigo had something to tell you. Did she tell you anything?”
“No. We never got the chance to have a private chat. She might tell me something this morning. I’m not going to push it, though. She’ll tell me if she wants to. And it’s no good looking at me like that, young lady, I’m not going to start interrogating the poor woman. Not after what she’s been through.”
“Fair enough. I never did tell you what me and Gemma found out about Lori last night. Do you want to hear? Or would you rather talk about something else?”
Mum placed the menu on the table. Julia didn’t miss the glint in her eyes. Mum said, “You may as well tell me. Who turned up at her door last night?”
Julia told Mum about the events from the previous night as they ate their breakfast.
Mum pursed her lips at the mention of Harry’s name. “He’s too good for the likes of her. From what I’ve heard anyway.”
“What have you heard? And from whom? Mum, have you been keeping juicy gossip from me?”
Mum moved her head closer and lowered her voice. “It’s just what some of my new friends were telling me last night. Some of them are regulars here, and they take bets on who Lori is going to be having an affair with. Apparently, she’s working her way through the male members of staff. She thinks of each one as a challenge. She doesn’t get turned down often. Well, you’ve seen what she looks like.”
“Looks aren’t everything.”
“They are to some men. I don’t like the idea of Harry Lewis being involved with her. Neither do my friends. They don’t believe the rumours that are going around about Harry and Lori being a couple.” Mum leaned back and folded her arms tightly. “And neither do I.”
Julia couldn’t help but smile. “Sounds like you’re becoming part of Harry’s fan club. Has Dad got anything to worry about?”
“Of course not. He’s my soul mate. Don’t ever tell him that, it’ll only go to his head. Talking of your dad, I managed to get through to him this morning. They won the pub quiz last night. There was a tie-breaking question which Cain got right. It was something to do with Britain in the Roman times. Your dad did tell me the question but I’ve already forgotten what he said. I told him you were trying to contact Cain. He said they’re going fishing this morning and will have to switch their phones off.”
Julia tutted. “Can’t they put them on silent, or vibrate?”
“I asked him that. He said, no, the fish will sense they’re not giving their full attention to the act of fishing. He said the fish won’t come anywhere near their lines if they thought Cain and your dad’s minds were elsewhere.”
Julia shook her head. “I can’t believe the things Dad says sometimes. When can I contact Cain?”
“He said Cain might switch his phone on when he goes out for a sandwich run at lunchtime.”
“And when will that be?” Julia said.
Mum shrugged. “Who knows? Your dad’s eating habits are a mystery to me. I’ve seen him eat three full breakfasts within two hours before. Your investigations will have to wait.” She got to her feet. “I shall love you and leave you. I’m having a Reiki session with Indigo.”
Julia gave her a hopeful look.
Mum held a hand up. “Okay, I’ll casually mention that we didn’t have our conversation last night. That’s all I can promise. Okay?”
“Okay. Thanks Mum. I’ll see you later.”
Mum walked away and Julia finished her tea. She was almost tempted to have another breakfast herself. The food here was bountiful and delicious. She quickly got to her feet and left the room before she succumbed to temptation.
She made her way to the room where she was booked for a manicure. It was a long, airy room with tables placed at the sides. Members of sta
ff were sitting behind the tables with guests in front of them. Julia was expecting a strong smell of nail polish but all she got was a delightful aroma of lavender that wafted in from the open patio doors.
The woman at the small reception desk smiled and said, “Good morning, Ms Blake. Your manicurist is waiting for you at table number four. His name is Karl. Have you been with Karl before?”
“No. In fact, this is my very first manicure.”
The woman nodded. “You’ll be in good hands with Karl. If you find you don’t like him, call me over and I’ll put you with someone else.”
“Why wouldn’t I like him?”
“He’s a bit of a gossip and some guests don’t like that. They like their manicurists to be silent.”
Julia smiled at the woman. “Karl sounds perfect for me.”
Chapter 22
The woman took her over to a table where a slim young man was sitting. He rose as Julia approached him and extended a hand.
“Hi there, I’m Karl.” He looked down at her hand. “You’ve got lovely soft skin. I can see you take care of your hands.”
“It’s the rubber gloves that I wear,” Julia told him.
Karl’s eyes twinkled. “I don’t need to know what you get up to in your private life - not yet anyway. Please, take a seat.”
Julia did so as the woman gave her details to Karl.
Karl looked over her notes. “Ah, you run your own cleaning business. That would explain the rubber gloves. I must admit, Julia, I’m a bit disappointed that you use them for such ordinary purposes.” He gave her a warm smile and Julia instantly felt at ease with him.
Karl explained how the manicure would work. Julia got lost after a while as he talked about cuticles, base coats, French tips and other things. She had no idea that the manicure business was so complicated.
Karl waved his hand in the direction of a pyramid of small bottles at the side of the table. “And after all that preparation, I’ll apply the colour of your choice. What colour would you like?”
Death At The Spa (Julia Blake Cozy Murder Mystery Book 10) Page 8
