by Sonia Parin
“I’m Mira’s niece. Eve Lloyd.”
The girl’s smile relaxed and turned sincere. “Oh. I should have recognized you from the photos. I’ve dusted them often enough.” She turned to the mess on the floor. “Any idea how this happened?”
“I think I just surprised an intruder.”
“A break-in? On the island?” Jill chuckled. “Not likely.”
“And why not?”
Jill gave a small lift of her shoulder. “Everyone knows everyone.”
“Well, I’m here and not everyone knows me. You didn’t.”
“Did you just put yourself under suspicion?” Jill asked.
Eve watched as she bent down to pick up the books. “I don’t think you should disturb the evidence.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Your fingerprints will be all over the books now,” Eve reasoned although, if she thought about it, fingerprints probably didn’t stick to book covers. Or did they? “Are you trying to cover your tracks?”
“Seriously? Surely you’re kidding. Mira never said you had a sense of humor.”
“I don’t, generally. This is serious. I just came home and walked in on an intruder who fled out the back door.”
“And you chased after them with a rolling pin?”
Eve set the rolling pin down and started picking up books. “I’m not stupid enough to go out there empty-handed.”
They stacked the books into neat piles, setting them aside to reorganize later.
“I’ll put them back myself.” In reality, Eve wanted to have a look through them. Whoever had broken in, had been after something and they’d thought to look through the fantasy section. Specifically or had they intended working their way through all the books? Eve gave the girl a cursory glance.
“What?”
“Strange that as I chased someone who fled out the back you should then appear through the front.”
“Back to that, are we?”
Eve blew out a huff and straightened. “I’m making some coffee. Would you like some?”
“Sure.” Jill reached into her back pocket. “I brought the mail in.”
Eve looked down at the envelopes. “Is that what you came for?”
“No. I just thought I’d use it as an alibi. In case someone asked.”
Eve stared at her unblinking eyes. Finally, Jill laughed.
“You should see the look on your face. Honestly, if I wanted to steal something, I think I’d chose my moment better.”
“I get the feeling they weren’t here to steal something. Those picture frames are made of silver. They’d be worth a lot more than these paperback books.” What would someone hide in a book? Her aunt treated them as tools of the trade, but she still looked after them taking care not to dog-ear the pages or crease the spines. Eve flicked through one. Mira would never dream of writing on the margins. Besides, what could she write that would be valuable to a thief?
The plot to her next bestseller?
Eve laughed under her breath and got busy making the coffee.
Her aunt did well out of her writing. Otherwise how could she afford to take so many trips? Those were her one and only real luxury. She owned a car, but it was over ten years old. She’d inherited the beach house from a spinster great aunt. Her basic needs were all met but in all honesty, Eve didn’t think she was swimming in money.
She handed Jill a mug of coffee and went in search of some cookies.
“Mira never mentioned you coming to stay,” Jill said.
Eve turned to face her. “Surprised by my presence, are you?” She stopped, a sudden flash of inspiration catching her attention. “Come to think of it, how come you didn’t know Mira was away?”
“I’ve been visiting my granny in hospital. Only got back this morning. She broke her hip, poor dear. My folks are on a road trip, otherwise they would have spent time with her.”
“So you came back to the island and straight here, without stopping anywhere else?” Eve asked.
“If I’d stopped somewhere, I would have found out about you. Someone would have mentioned it.” Jill chuckled. “Are you interrogating me?”
“Just answer the questions. Or are you trying to hide something?”
“Why would I? Mira employs me.”
“Greed is a great motivator.”
They stood there a moment, measuring each other with belated wariness.
“Don’t you think we should call the police?” Jill finally asked. “Or are you trying to hide your tracks?”
“Why haven’t you called the police?”
“I’m still in shock.”
“So am I.” Eve drew in a deep breath. “I think we both need to back off now.”
“You started it.”
Eve nibbled the edge of her lip and wondered if this was a police matter. “I’ll call them and report the incident in the morning. I’ve had enough. Honestly, I came here for some peace and quiet and look at me, I’m all wound up.” When Jill didn’t say anything, Eve threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t see what difference it could possibly make if I call them now or wait until tomorrow. The police might not even come. They have more serious business to take care of. This might just be the work of kids with nothing better to do.”
Jill finished her coffee and washed the mug. “It’s your call. I have to get back to my own place. I’ve got two dogs to walk and they don’t like to be kept waiting. Nice meeting you.”
Half an hour later, Eve was relaxing in her bath when a thought occurred. If Jill hadn’t known about Mira being away, why had she come by to collect the mail?
Chapter Five
The next morning, Eve finished stacking the books back on the shelves, taking care to put them in the right alphabetical order. The thought of her aunt returning home and finding the place turned upside down put her on edge. While she was staying in the house, she felt responsible for its upkeep. More importantly, she didn’t want her aunt worrying. About anything.
Despite promising to call the police to report the break-in, she decided against it. As far as she could tell, nothing had been taken or broken, so she saw no reason to pursue the matter. She put it down to her toughened city exterior. In the city, this would be considered such a minor incident it wouldn’t be worth anyone’s trouble... Not that she had any experience with break-ins...
With the last book in place, she sunk down on the couch.
“Now to relax. And this time, I mean it.”
She tried to ignore the events of the last couple of days, but her mind had other ideas. One after the other, bits and pieces whirled and chased each other around, filling her head with too many thoughts.
The footsteps in the middle of the night.
The door slamming shut.
Your timing is unfortunate.
Who’d said that? At the time, she hadn’t thought much about it, but now... it all took on a different meaning.
Had it been Henry Parkmore?
What have you done with my Mira?
Eve sprung upright. That had come from Henry Parkmore and what had he meant by ‘my Mira’?
As far as she knew, there’d never been anything between her aunt and Henry. In fact, Mira thought he was too obdurate and disapproving.
Easing back down, she pulled a quilt over her and drew in a deep breath and another and another until she felt her body relaxing. She had to stop winding herself up. With that thought in mind, she eventually drifted off to sleep.
She had no idea how long she slept for. In the end, the incessant ringing of her cell phone woke her up. When she answered the call there was no response.
“Probably a wrong number.” She stretched and yawned and feeling much better, decided to focus on thinking about nothing. “Nothing but food.” She hadn’t had lunch but she didn’t feel like putting too much effort into anything so she settled for eggs and some toast.
Jumping to her feet she headed to the kitchen and, after a brief search around, she gathered the ingredients together.<
br />
She cracked a couple of eggs and popped a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster. Tidying up as she went, she felt her body relaxing. She’d given up cooking for a living, but it remained a part of her and would always bring her pleasure.
The thought faded. She looked up.
Pushing a sigh filled with resignation, she went back to the sitting room, her steps uncertain, hesitant.
She really should have called the police.
Even if they didn’t do anything about it, they’d probably want to know, just to keep track... tally up the numbers. Use the information for some useful statistical purpose such as increasing police presence in the area.
She couldn’t remember there being a law enforcement office on the island so the call would go through to the mainland, maybe to an understaffed precinct.
She stood there looking at the phone.
Snatching it off its cradle, she pressed it against her ear, only to put it down again.
The phone had an inbuilt answering machine and the day she’d arrived, she’d left a message. A message she hadn’t erased because she’d been too busy running around trying to get things done so she could finally sit quietly for some much needed thinking and therapeutic relaxation.
The message light should have been flashing.
But it wasn’t...
She dug her cell phone out of her back pocket and dialed Mira’s number. Immediately, the house phone rang. She waited for the machine to pick up. When it did, she said, “It’s me. Testing. Testing,” and hung up. Sure enough, the message light came on, flashing a bright, alarming red.
Drawing in a hard breath, Eve hit the play message button to make sure everything was working properly and then she pressed the delete button.
Someone had deleted her message.
The same someone who’d broken in and scattered all the books on the floor looking for who knew what?
As she took a step back, her cell phone rang.
“Yes,” she answered without checking the caller ID. The way she felt right then, she’d happily talk to a telemarketer. There was no response. “Hello.” Again. Nothing. Nothing but the silence of someone listening to her, she couldn’t help thinking.
So much for emptying her mind.
The smell of burning eggs had her rushing back to the kitchen. Snatching the frying pan, she dumped it in the sink. She’d never been so careless in the kitchen. She was a trained chef and could juggle a hundred and one tasks and still keep an eye on her kitchen crew.
Eve brushed her hands across her face. “This is ridiculous.” As if to make it more so, the phone rang again. Except this time, it was the house phone. With a loud groan, she snatched it and barked out a greeting.
“Hello, who’s this?” a smooth voice asked.
“Eve. Eve Lloyd. Who are you?”
“Helena Flanders. Mira’s travel agent. I’d like to speak with her, please.”
“My aunt is not home.”
“Could you give her a message. I’m just calling to say there’ll be no problems booking her into her Mediterranean cruise next month.”
Alarm bells set off. “Hang on. Why are you calling now? You know she’s not home.”
“Why would I know that?” Helena Flanders asked.
“Because you’re her travel agent and Mira is away on a trip. Presumably organized by you. That is, if you really are her travel agent.”
“Of course I am. Who else would I be?”
“Where are you?” Eve demanded and heard the woman’s hesitation. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap, I’m... I’m just a bit confused about my aunt’s whereabouts.” Saying it out loud made it all too real. Mira always let her know before going away, but this time, she hadn’t. Why hadn’t that raised alarm bells with her?
“I’m at my office. In town. You can’t miss it. We’re next to the bakery.”
“I’m coming right over.” Eve hung up, snatched her jacket and car keys, and rushed out the door. Something was definitely not right. She’d drive into town, speak with the travel agent, by then she’d have more information and could feel more confident about paying a personal call to the local Sheriff’s office. Possibly to report something more significant than a break-in.
Shortly after, she parked her car outside Tinkerbelle’s Bookshop and scanned the length of the main street for the travel agent’s office. Glad to be wearing her comfortable loafers, she trotted down the street not caring what anyone thought. Right next to the bakery she could see a sign waving happily in the light breeze. An airplane.
Peering through the window, she saw several desks arranged in the rear with a few comfortable chairs out the front. A young woman rose to her feet, collected her handbag and stepped out of the building. Eve decided she was too young to be Helena Flanders who’d had the sort of raspy voice that came from years of smoking.
Eve strode in and was about to call out when a stylish woman appeared from the back. Dressed in a beige suit, a silk scarf in subtle shades of blue and green floating after her, she approached her, her lips stretched into an easy smile.
“Hello. You must be Eve.”
Eve frowned at the easy recognition.
Helena laughed softly. “I’m not expecting anyone else today and I can’t say that I’ve seen you around, so I’m going to assume you’re the person I spoke with on the phone a short while ago.”
“Yes,” she managed.
Helena offered her a chair. “You sounded concerned.”
“It’s about my aunt. I’d assumed she’d gone on a trip organized by her travel agent, but you don’t seem to know anything about it.” Eve heard herself talk and cringed at how odd she sounded.
“If it’s any help, I last spoke with Mira five days ago. She mentioned being on deadline and having to wrap things up but she didn’t mention anything about going on a trip.”
“But she’s going on a cruise.”
“Yes, next month. She wanted to finish a book and start working on a couple of outlines for a new series she’d been thinking about for a while. I can’t wait. I love her novels. All those swoon worthy heroes...” Helena was about to sit down when she hesitated. “Would you like some coffee?”
Eve shook her head. “I’m already on edge. Any more caffeine and I’ll be climbing walls.”
“If she’s not answering her phone, maybe she’s out of range or in... what do they call it?” Helena snapped her fingers, “Her writing cave.”
Her phone? It hadn’t occurred to try her aunt’s cell phone. Eve sunk back in her chair and laughed. “You’ll never believe this.”
“You haven’t called her?”
“No. I’m so embarrassed. Fact is, I only became concerned about my aunt when you called earlier.” She pulled out her cell phone and tried Mira’s number. The call went straight to voice mail. She left a message for Mira to call her. “Well. That’s that. Now to wait.”
Helena checked her watch. “How about an early dinner? I’m finishing up for the day and can’t be bothered cooking for myself. Would you like to join me?”
“I doubt I’ll be good company.”
“Nonsense. It’ll take your mind off.”
To her surprise, and despite everything that had gone on the last couple of days, Eve relented.
The island’s small population didn’t really justify having five restaurants. However, during summer the place packed up with people from the city trekking out for the weekend or the entire season. A couple of the restaurants actually closed up as early as fall, but three remained open all year round merely switching the menus to winter fare.
To Eve’s surprise, Helena had come to live on the island after her own divorce. Before that, she’d run an exclusive travel agency catering to executives wanting to squeeze in leisure time with business trips.
She was well traveled and more than happy to be rid of her cheating husband, and ecstatic to do some mixing of business and pleasure herself, the island catering to her need to set a more leisurely pace, not that s
he ever considered retiring even though she was pushing fifty.
“You know there aren’t many prospects on the island.”
Eve had no trouble following her meaning. “I’m not likely to be on the market for quite some time, if ever. Mira never married and she’s happy.”
“She’s the exception. Besides, she lives for her books.”
“And her traveling.”
Helena raised her glass. “She’s one of my best clients.”
Half way through their main course, they heard sirens blaring in the distance.
“Police?” Eve asked.
“Sounds like it. It’s a record for them. That’s the second time today I heard them. I’ve lived on the island for two years, and I’ve never heard them before today.”
A wave of murmurs rose and fell in the restaurant. A few glances were exchanged and cell phones pulled out.
“Any idea what that was about?” Helena asked a passing waiter.
“It could be another intruder,” he said. “Word is Richard Parkmore called them earlier today saying someone had broken into his place while he and his uncle were out on a walk.” He shrugged and moved on.
Eve clasped her hands together and belatedly thought she should have reported her own break-in...
“I was thinking of skipping dessert but now I’m going to have to wait this out and see if news reaches us,” Helena said, “It’s likely to, you know. I’m still considered a newcomer, but even I know news always spreads like wildfire on the island.
Chapter Six
Eve realized she had to rethink her entire strategy. So far, she’d been going about it all wrong. If she wanted to relax, she really had to stop trying.
Over the last couple of days, she’d made some headway only when she’d taken the time to socialize. First with Patrick McKenzie. Then with Abby Larkin. And tonight with Helena Flanders.
News hadn’t reached them after all. In fact, by the time they got to dessert they’d almost forgotten about hearing the police sirens.
An hour later, they parted ways promising to keep in touch.
She hadn’t heard back from Mira. Eve supposed her aunt would return her call when she emerged from her thinking tank.
