by Holly Bell
‘It certainly works wonders in your case,’ agreed Thomas.
‘Well, how about you, young Tom? Two out of three ain’t bad, as they say. Or am I missin’ some news?’
‘Floss means ‘ow’s your Miss Cadabra?’ clarified his grandfather.
‘Not “my Miss Cadabra” and still the chief witness in the case I am currently investigating,’ Thomas replied patiently, rescuing an errant pea that has suddenly found itself propelled to the very rim of his plate. He caught a glimpse of Clemo and Flossie exchanging a meaningful smile.
‘Actually,’ he continued. ‘It’s in connection with that, that I’m hoping you may be able to help. Perhaps we could have a chat after dinner?’
‘No time like the present, little lad,’ replied Granddad, with a wave of his fork.
‘Well, I was wondering if you could help me to make a list of all the people over say, forty, who were living or working in Parhayle around the time the van containing the Cardiubarn family went over the cliff.’
‘Possible suspects?’ asked Clemo with interest.
‘There were certain people we think may have been involved in the incident. I’m looking for anyone who might have noticed certain cars that day.’
‘Which cars?’ asked Flossie.
‘Lady Flamgoyne’s, for one.’
‘Your great-grandmother then,’ commented Granddad.
‘I prefer to think of her as a suspect.’
‘Like most people in these parts,’ remarked Gran, ‘we prefer not thinkin’ of her at all!’
‘Quite. Also, the car belonging to her son, Hedrok Flamgoyne. It’s possible that he could have played a crucial role. Who might remember seeing a Rolls or a Bentley that day? Shopkeepers, shoppers? Can you think of anyone?’
Clemo shook his head.
‘The shopkeepers would be busy. Fair few emmets that time ‘o year.’
‘Tourists wouldn’t be easy to trace, o’course,’ Gran observed.
‘Even if someone did see a Flamgoyne car, it wouldn’t be that out of the ordinary that anyone would remember after all this time. But, I'lltellywot, we’ll ask about,’ Clemo added helpfully.
***
Trelawney’s staff had put photographs of the Rolls Royce and the Bentley on social media and asked local residents. Three days later, the inspector received an anonymous letter.
If you want information concerning a certain vehicle, come alone to the Cosy Coast Cafe on Friday at 1 pm. Tell no one.
A well-wisher
The postmark was … local.
***
‘Walnut Whips?’ Claire Ruggieri, Amanda’s best friend of many years standing, looked at The Corner Shop proprietor with a beseeching smile.
‘None to be had in Thailand, then?’ asked Joan sympathetically.
Claire shook her chocolate brown bob sorrowfully. ‘Alas, not that I could find. Mrs Sharma, you do have them, don’t you?’
‘Of course. I ordered some as soon as I knew you were coming home. I got them out as soon as you got back,’ Nalini Sharma replied serenely.
‘I didn’t get in until late last night,’ marvelled Claire.
‘Filming all done, is it, dearie?’ asked Sylvia.
‘Good grief, I hope so,’ replied Claire fervently.
‘Do you think it will do as well as Blockbuster I?’ asked Dennis.
‘I don’t know. The director has tried to slip in a whole load of words with more than one syllable!’ she remarked, deep blue eyes a-sparkle with mischief.
Sylvia clapped her hands and laughed. ‘Oh, Claire, you are a caution. Don’t knock yer work. That film’s all right. Lots of people get a good laugh out of it.’
‘Yes, mainly at the bits that aren’t meant to be funny.’
‘It appeals to simple tastes,’ Dennis put in hastily, ‘and I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with that.’
‘Thank you, all. The main thing is that it made an obscene amount of money, and if Blockbuster II does as well, it’ll pay off most of my mortgage, and I can, at last, be a producer on projects I can feel proud of.’
‘Are you here long enough for the party?’ asked Joan.
Claire’s brightened.
‘Party?’
‘For the launch of the biography of that nice John Bailey.’
‘I’ll definitely pop in. He’s rather a dish. Still dangling after Amanda?’
‘Speaking of which, Claire, dear,’ interjected Mrs Sharma, ‘could you please let her know that her Feline Feast order of tinned dressed lobster has arrived?’
‘Will do. Are we ready, then? For the festivities? Need any help?’
‘Mrs Sharma has had a crate of juices delivered to the library,’ said Sylvia.
‘The Big Tease is doing vegetarian quiche, hors d‘oeuvres and jam tarts,’ chipped in Joan, ‘and my Jim is baking a cake.’
‘The Snout and Trough is sending over some Cava,’ added Dennis.
‘The Sinner’s Rue is providing sausage rolls, pork pies and Scotch eggs.’ Nalini listed. ‘Jonathan said trestle tables and bunting are coming up from the stacks,’ she added, referring to the library basement.
‘Highly efficient,’ Claire complimented them, paying for her chocolates. ‘I’ll go and give Amanda your message, Mrs Sharma. See you there, then.’
‘Bye, Claire!’
***
‘They all sounded very excited. And no wonder. The village celebrity, no less. Or one of them,’ Claire reported. She was being ushered down the hall and into Amanda’s sitting-room, after an enthusiastic welcome home from her best friend.
‘Yes, we’re all a-buzz,’ agreed her host.
‘Here!’ Claire suddenly produced an elegantly wrapped package from behind her back and presented it to Amanda.
‘What’s this?’ she asked curiously.
‘A coming-home present,’ replied Claire jauntily.
Amanda laughed. ‘Isn’t that something I should get for you?’
‘Seeing you is my present, darling.’
‘As mine is seeing you,’ Amanda answered warmly ‘I do hope it’s not some outrageously expensive designer item that you’re going to pretend you bought for yourself and have decided you don’t like.’
‘No, I had this made especially for you. Made-to-measure is very reasonable out there in Thailand. Now go on, open it.’
From within the folds of tissue paper, Amanda drew out a fit-and-very-flared dress composed of broad strips of elasticated fabric, with a scoop neck and long sleeves.
‘Oh, it’s orange!’
‘What else but your favourite colour.’
‘Bandage dress? Plenty of material in the skirt, oh it’s lovely!
‘I had pockets added. I know how wild you are about them.’
‘It’s perfect. Thank you!’ Amanda hugged her friend.
‘This is for the library do. You can wear it with your favourite earrings and your Mary Jane heels.’
‘It’s just a village party. I don’t want to look overdressed,’ Amanda mentioned cautiously.
‘You are honouring the occasion,’ Claire pointed out with mock gravity. ‘For our little Sunken Madley, I’m sure it’s going to be quite the event!’
Chapter 13
High Adventure, and a Play
The library party was the hot topic throughout the village, including The Big Tease. This much-patronised establishment, run by Julian and Alexander, supplied its customers with a range of homemade staples and delicacies throughout the day.
The subject of the approaching event having been exhausted by Amanda and her companion, seated at one of the tables, they had moved onto other things.
‘What was the name of the company?’ she asked, of the man across the table from her.
‘There was more than one. Extreme Expedition Holidays. Fatal Attraction Activities, Dive Hard. Mor—’
‘Here you, luvvies!’ Alex appeared at Amanda’s elbow. ‘Hot choco
late with coconut milk for our Miss and a split shot for Mr Dale. Fondant fancies on the way! Be right back.’
They thanked him. A small family entered and occupied a table on the opposite side of the café. It was led by a concerned-looking woman with tousled, shades-of-blonde hair, dressed in a long brown homespun dress and chunky hand-knitted coat of many colours. She was accompanied by her offspring, a girl of about ten and her brother about two years younger, both of whom wore the martyred expression of the habitually tried.
However, Amanda registered only that additional humans were occupying a nearby space, being far more absorbed in the conversation she was enjoying.
‘What makes them distinctive exactly?’ she enquired of Dale Hilland. ‘I don’t really know much about this. What’s the difference between extreme and adventure holidays?’
‘Well, you can be escorted up Mount Everest or Kilimanjaro. That’s adventure. But few guides would undertake a tourist climb up Kangchenjunga or The Dhaihir Peak. That’s extreme.’
‘Where are they?’ asked Amanda, feeling geographically challenged.
‘Nepal and Mahedupustan.’
‘I’ve never heard of the latter.’
‘Dhaihir Peak? Few people have. It’s in a disputed zone, and the access to it was a carefully guarded Mahedupustani tribal secret until recently. But that’s just one example. Plenty of scuba companies will teach and take people to coral reefs and wrecks, but no one wants to do an escorted dive to the HMS Incandescent.’
‘Er …?’ Amanda asked.
‘It was carrying explosives when it sank,’ Dale explained. ‘They’re still down there.’
‘Gulp.’
‘Samantha! Dahling!’ The faded woman had suddenly come to life at a sight that was more welcome to her than to Amanda. The bored teenager stomped into her friend’s arms. ‘Boudicca, Cuthred! Come and say hello to your cousin.’
It was impossible to ignore the interruption. Amanda and Dale bore witness to the children’s eye-rolling as they left the temporary distraction of admiring Tempest to return to the table for duty.
‘Hiya, you two,’ Samantha returned their greeting unenthusiastically.
‘How’s uni?’ asked their mother.
‘Honestly, Verity, if you can call it that. I’m at Chalkstable College for a whole term.’
‘That mouldering ruin? Why aren’t you at Hertford, or one of the London colleges?’
‘Oh … it’s complicated,’ Samantha prevaricated, twisting a strand of her long, luxuriant dark hair around her finger.
‘Darlings,’ Verity instructed her offspring, ‘go and do something educational.’ She waited until Boudicca and Cuthred had obligingly taken themselves off. They returned to admiring, from a respectful distance, Amanda’s familiar. He was holding court in the cat-and-dog section of the café, where he had been served with choice cuts of salmon.
Verity returned her attention to her teenage relative. ‘You failed your entrance exams?’ she asked knowingly.
‘I had a lot going on,’ was the muttered reply.
‘Yes, well, I did say he was a mistake.’
Samantha spread her hands, and half wailed,
‘I didn’t think Daddy would find out.’
‘Hm.’
‘It wasn’t worth it. Now my hideous parents have joined forces against me and made me cut up my credit cards. I’m practically skint. Reduced to shopping in chain stores in the mall!’
‘There is are department stores there,’ moderated Verity.
‘Fenwick’s and John Lewis? They don’t even have Alaia!’
‘Yes, well. I do feel for you. We all absolutely adore the Free Trade Emporium, but it is pricey, and so is HandmadeByCandlelight. Though I don’t feel I can complain. When I think about what’s happening to those poor angora antelopes on the borders of Uzbekistan!’
This was clearly not a matter that preoccupied Samantha, although Amanda did experience a fleeting moment of interest in what might be befalling these hitherto unheard-of creatures. She looked at Dale for enlightenment. He raised his shoulders in comical bemusement.
‘Still,’ Verity was saying, ‘if you concentrate on your studies and behave yourself, I’m sure it’ll blow over. Re-invent yourself like … Madonna.’
‘‘Scuse me?’ was the horrified response. ‘Yeah, well, anyway I have an idea.’
‘This is one of …?’ Verity suddenly became aware that she and Samantha had created an audience and dropped her voice.
Amanda and Dale looked at one another in amusement. Sandy leaned over as he passed their table to whisper,
‘Better than a play!’ and breezed on, calling out, ‘Crushed avocado on soda bread for the young lady and gentleman!’
With a grin, Amanda prompted, ‘You were relating, Dale, the hard-to-find exploits of the thrill-seeker.’
‘Yes, I was going to mention there’s flying in a wingsuit down Tiger Leaping Gorge in China.’
‘Is that extra risky?’
‘It’s the world’s narrowest canyon.’
‘Ah.’
Dale said it all matter-of-factly as though just listing the services of his former employees. But of course, he had actually done all of these things. She found his modesty charming.
‘But Amanda, adventures come in all shapes and sizes. I’m sure you must have had your share.’
How was she to answer that? Truth to tell, her life had been in danger almost since birth. But then, for most of her childhood, she had had no notion of that, so skilfully and lovingly was she protected and educated by her grandparents. It was really only a year ago that …. But of course, one did not share such things with Normals. Assuming he was a Normal … and for now, Amanda had to assume that he was. She responded,
‘I have travelled a little with my grandparents. They took me on tours and cruises. But all quite safe. Tell me, Dale, what sort of people voluntarily do the things you’ve described?’
‘Oh well, there are people who want to expand their horizons, stretch themselves, adrenaline junkies, the bored, the been-there-done–everything-bought-the-tee-shirters, the list-tickers. The rich mostly. When you have unlimited funds, you can quickly do all of the usual things that people need time to save up for. Especially if you’ve been around money since childhood.’
Amanda wondered if Dale himself had come from a wealthy background. It was hard to tell from his mother’s current status. Yet she was too polite to ask. Instead, she enquired,
‘How did you get into your line of work?’
‘Oh, natural aptitude. No fear of heights, loved being outdoors, took to diving, and so on. Then did a bit of stint as an instructor and found I liked it. From there, I worked out that I could see the world, do things, have experiences that I couldn’t otherwise afford, by working for travel organisers of a certain kind.’
‘My word, it makes me think how little I’ve travelled by comparison. Is there anywhere you haven’t been!’
Dale laughed. ‘Oh Amanda, plenty of places, whole continents even. Different operators cover different things in different areas. I started out in Europe and then moved onto Asia mostly and a bit in the Gulf and Africa. That’s all. There are many parts of the world I have yet to visit.’
‘The Americas, for example?’
‘Only been to New York for a week back in my student days. But I loved working where I did and the companies that employed me,’ Dale explained warmly. ‘What about you, Amanda? Was a career in furniture restoration a foregone conclusion? That you would follow in your grandfather’s footsteps?’
‘Yes and no. I was curious and wanting to be involved since I can remember. I took to it I suppose, but Grandpa was forever asking me if I wouldn’t like to do something else, and I did do my degree partly in other things but no ... I always knew it was for me. And it suits me as … the excitement of your career suits … well suited you, yes?’
‘Excitement? It certainly is a component, but I�
��m not a daredevil,’ Dale assured her. ‘Really. You can’t conduct people through risky endeavours if you are. You have to be prepared, aware, as health and safety conscious as possible. And yes, it did suit me. There’s something about, ... well, let me give you an example.’
‘Fancies! Fresh off the cooling tray, straight onto the plate for you, my lovelies,’ declared Sandy, serving them a platter of mini sponge cakes, topped with jam and marzipan and covered in buttercream icing.
‘Thank you, Sandy,’ Amanda smiled up at him. ‘They look irresistible.’
‘Don’t you hold back, then! Enjoy.’ He bustled off back to the kitchen.
‘You were about to tell me, Dale …?’
‘Oh yes. There was a woman in her 60s. She’d been ill with something since childhood. A new treatment was developed for her condition and … it cured her. She’d always loved the snow. We were going to do a skydive. I remember seeing her face as she looked out over the expanse of the Arctic from the plane. It was the most moving moment of both our lives.’
‘What a wonderful experience, Dale. How could you give it up?’
He shrugged. ‘For my clients, it was a once-in-a-lifetime or occasional activity, but for me …. Well, I started to wonder if it was really a way to live.’
How true, she thought. Over the past year, Amanda had had her share of close shaves, faced danger, and had the care of souls in her hands. And it was no way to live, not every day. Anyway, it was rather different. She was born to be the village witch, trained since she was six or seven. It was what you did. Not for the thrill or the accolades. No one knew what she did. Amanda switched her attention back to what Dale was saying.
‘I knew there were other ways to live, ways that would be an exploration of a different kind for me. And that was when Mother began considering starting a business.’
Amanda couldn’t help thinking that here was quite a different person from flower shop Dale. This man had something of a … a swashbuckling air about him. Like Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, Antonio Banderas in The Mark of Zorro or someone from Pirates of the Caribbean. He seemed heroic, dashing, entertaining, confident. Yet he told it all with diffident simplicity and the light of passion in his eyes. He was speaking again.
