Down the Rabbit Hole

by Evelyn Amber

  “I love you all,” Alice said. “And I’m sorry, Minnie.”

  “Sorry for what?” Justin and Lucas chorused.

  “This,” Alice said.

  She moved forward before Minnie had chance to move the blade back up, and with all her weight and strength she pushed backwards causing the chair to flip. Minnie stumbled to the ground and lost the knife as it clattered to the floor.

  Lucas sprung to action and sped towards them as Minnie tried to grab the blade, but she wasn’t fast enough, and Lucas grabbed it first. He threw it far out of reach as he pulled Minnie to her feet.

  Justin untied Alice before helping her out of the chair. The world felt like water under her and her knees buckled as she slid out of Justin’s grip, tumbling to the floor.

  “Keep her on the floor,” Lucas ordered as he pulled Minnie’s hands behind her back. “And pass me that rope.”

  Justin threw the rope as Alice led on the floor, the room spinning.

  “How did you know I was here?” Alice cried as she pulled Justin in to a tight hug.

  “Kyle,” Justin said, hugging Alice back. “He knew I was meant to have dinner with you. When I messaged him saying you hadn’t turned up, he told me he saw you running to Minnie’s. We saw the books on the floor when we got here, and I figured it out. We heard you scream.”

  The police sirens followed not long after Lucas had managed to tie Minnie’s hands behind her back. Lucas rushed to Alice’s side and hugged her so tightly; she couldn’t help but cry as Justin helped Faith.

  “I’m so sorry, Mum,” he said as his voice wobbled. “For everything. I’ve been acting like such a kid. They fired me, Mum. I got fired from the army. I was so ashamed.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” Alice said, looking up at him. “You saved my life. Both of you.”

  When the police arrived, Minnie said nothing. She looked back at Alice one last time and lowered her head as the police escorted her up the stairs. Alice didn’t know what was in store for Minnie, but she let out a deep sigh, happy she finally had answers.

  16

  “Mum!” Holly cried, sprinting down the path towards Alice, nearly knocking her over.

  “Careful,” Alice grimaced, stroking her daughter’s hair. “I’m still tender.”

  “Sorry,” she said, loosening her grip.

  Holly looked up at her through her thick eyelashes, smiling widely.

  “I’ll be tender a little longer.” Alice enveloped her daughter in the tightest hug she could muster.

  “You’re the one hurting me now.” Holly giggled, trying to wriggle away.

  It was just past six in the afternoon when Holly arrived. She’d driven down as soon as she could get away from university.

  Alice relented her grip and let go. Holly lingered before heading into the kitchen. Alice followed her and paused at the mirror. It had been a week since she had been trapped in Minnie’s basement. She reached up and touched her bandaged head. It still stung under the pressure, but she was grateful that the throbbing had finally stopped, and she was able to stand up for longer than a few minutes.

  A little colour had returned to her cheeks, but she was still garishly pale compared to normal. Although the reflection displayed something she wasn’t accustomed to, she was happy that she was still here.

  Holly and Lucas’ laughter trailed in from the kitchen; it was one of the nicest things she had ever heard.

  “I can’t believe you got Dad to cook,” Holly joked when Alice joined everyone in the kitchen.

  Gordon stood at the stove, switching between stirring pots with ease. Between Alice and him, he was certainly the better cook.

  “It’s a one-time thing,” Gordon said, turning to wink at her. “Don’t get used to it.”

  Justin would usually have had some smart comeback, but he appeared to hold his tongue.

  “It won’t be long,” Gordon said, lifting a pot from the stove. “Go and sit outside. It’s too nice to stay cooped up.”

  “Or, is it because you want to be able to smoke?” Alice asked, raising her brow.

  “I’m trying to give up again,” he said with a pout. “Not that it’s any of your business, Alice.”

  “Come on,” Alice said, making a shooing motion to everyone. “Let’s enjoy the sun while we can. Out.”

  “You’re so bossy,” Holly replied.

  “Must be where you get it from,” Alice replied. “Scoot.”

  They all made their way out to the back yard. It was the nicest day Ashbrook had seen all year and Alice wanted to make the most of it.

  The four of them sat around a glass table on the patio, anticipating what would certainly be a delicious meal. Alice smiled and relaxed in the wooden chair and looked around her garden. It was spacious, with neatly trimmed grass stretching out to meet a little wooden shed at the bottom. It had every gardening tool Alice could need, and she looked forward to using them if the weather held.

  Holly took a sip of cloudy lemonade from one of the glasses Justin had brought in from the kitchen, humming in appreciation and settling back in the chair.

  “It’s so nice to relax,” Holly said.

  “I second that,” Alice replied. “I never appreciated how little happens here until the last two weeks. It’s enough excitement to last me a life time.”

  “Tell me everything,” Holly said, leaning eagerly over the table.

  “You’re just like the gossips in the shop,” Justin said.

  “Minnie,” Lucas said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Out of all people.”

  “What’s going to happen to her?” Justin asked.

  “I don’t know.” Alice shrugged. “But wherever she’s going, she’s going to be there for a long time.”

  “They should send her to the loony bin,” Holly said.

  “Holly!” Alice chastised.

  “What?” she moaned. “She did try and kill you.”

  “I don’t think they call them ‘loony bins’ anymore.”

  “Oh.”

  She was about to jump to Minnie’s defence, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Who she had thought was her best friend had killed two people, and she’d almost made that three if her sons hadn’t jumped in. A small part of her was still in denial that Minnie was at the root of it all, but she wasn’t going to think about that today. Nothing was going to ruin what little time she had to spend with all her children.

  “What about Faith?” Justin asked. “What’s she going to do now?”

  “She’s gone home,” Alice said. “I don’t blame her.”

  They all nodded in agreement.

  “Dinner is served,” Gordon announced, carrying a pot between his hands.

  “What is it?” Holly asked as he approached the table. “It smells so good.”

  “Salmon with roasted asparagus,” he replied, placing it on the centre of the table. “I wanted something simple.”

  Alice raised her eyebrows. It did smell delicious, and to her, it looked like the most complicated recipe. She had tried more than once to make salmon and she had burnt it to a crisp every time.

  Once all the plates and a few bowls of salad were served, everyone dug in.

  “I miss proper meals,” Holly said, shovelling the fish down. “I’ve only been there for three weeks.”

  “Beans on toast?” Lucas laughed.

  “Most of the time,” Holly replied. “We add cheese if we’re feeling fancy.”

  “Cry me a river,” Justin replied with an impish grin.

  “I even miss Mum’s cooking,” Holly jibed.

  “Oi!” Alice said. “You’re not too old for me to ground you.”

  Alice didn’t take it as an insult. She wasn’t deluded in her skills when it came to cooking.

  “How’s uni?” Gordon asked through a mouthful of food. “The last time you called you were busy. Having fun?”

  “It’s great. I’ve made friends, but there’s a lot of work. I don’t know how people drink every night and
still manage to pass. I have five assignments. Five!”

  “No parties for you then?” Gordon asked with relief.

  “Well.” She paused. “I’ve been to a few, but I’m trying to keep up as much as I can. My roommate is already behind. I can hear her cracking open energy drinks in the early hours of the morning.”

  Justin and Gordon were hanging on to her every word as she described the uni halls, her friends, and the parties she insisted weren’t a regular thing for her, but Lucas was staring down at his dish playing with his food.

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Alice asked, tilting her head at him.

  “Everyone else is doing great,” he shrugged. “I don’t even have a job.”

  Alice slid her hand along the table and placed it on his.

  “We’ll figure something out,” Gordon assured him, slapping him on the back.

  “What happened?” Holly asked.

  “There were a group of lads ganging up on one of the smaller guys,” Lucas said. “I got in a pretty big fight and punched someone. He was fine, but he insisted I broke his nose.”

  “That’s not fair,” Gordon boomed. “You were sticking up for someone. You just give me a number to call and I’ll put them straight.”

  “It’s fine, Dad,” he insisted. “I hated it there anyway. I only joined because my mates did.”

  “Can he work with you at the garage?” Alice asked Gordon. “Just for a while until he lands on his feet? You’ll need the extra hands when it gets busier.”

  “Yeah,” Gordon said after taking a huge gulp of lemonade. “I would have offered sooner if I knew. The money isn’t great, and it’s hard work, but it should be easier than working in the army. It’ll be like old times, right buddy?”

  “I guess I could for a while,” Lucas smiled. “If you want?”

  “I need someone strong.” He nodded. “You’ll be doing me a favour. The new lad is a laugh, but he’s useless. Doesn’t know his arm from his elbow. It’ll only be short term though.”

  “That’s sorted then.” Alice clapped her hands. “Thanks, Gordon.”

  He smiled in response before scooping the remaining contents of his bowl into his mouth.

  After they had finished dinner and Alice had filled Holly in on everything that had happened since she’d been away, they sat in the garden, looking up at the setting sun.

  “Come on, son,” Gordon said to Lucas. “I want to put you to work straightaway, so you’ll need an early night.”

  He stood and stretched before walking over to Holly to hold his arms out.

  “Give your old man a hug.”

  Holly hugged him with a promise she would visit the garage before she drove back to university the following day. He patted Justin softly on the back before he left. After the last family gathering, Alice was overjoyed that this one had ended in peace, and she was especially pleased of how Gordon had acted. She hoped it signalled the start of a new chapter for him, but she doubted it would last forever.

  Later that evening after Justin had left, Alice and Holly spent some much needed quality mother and daughter time together. They curled up on the couch and watched Titanic with a box of cholates between them. Alice hadn’t even realised they’d both dozed off until she heard a soft knock at the door. She moved slowly from under Holly’s head, trying not to disturb her. From the mountain of work she’d described, she needed the rest.

  She opened the door to Detective Livesey. Unlike the last time she’d met him, he looked less threatening, but it didn’t stop her heartbeat increasing. He must have seen the fear in her eyes and offered her a friendly smile.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour,” he said, “but I have something for you, which I hope is good news.”

  “Oh?” Alice responded, wondering what it could be. “Would you like to come in?”

  “No, thank you,” he replied. “This won’t take long.”

  “Is it about Minnie?” Alice asked. “What’s going to happen to her?”

  “We can’t disclose that at this moment in time,” he said. “But she made a request after we had questioned her. It won’t do me any harm in telling you because she admitted to everything.”

  “What is it?”

  “She wanted you to have something,” he said.

  “Me?”

  “She was very insistent,” he said. “She said that Alice in Wonderland and the café is yours, if you want it.”

  “What?” Alice asked, not sure that she heard him right.

  “She said she had no one else to give it to,” he said. “I shouldn’t really be telling you this so soon after her arrest, so it’s between you and me.”

  Alice heard Holly rouse in the front room, so she stepped outside and shut the door behind her.

  “She wants me to have the café and the book?”

  “I’m just the messenger, but her lawyer should be in touch soon with the official paperwork.”

  Alice screwed her face up in confusion. After everything Minnie had put her through, she’d never expected to hear from her again, let alone a gesture so big. It would never bring anyone back, and she was in two minds whether she should even accept. She already had her shop, so if she did say yes, what would she do with another business? It wasn’t like she could even cook.

  “She requested one thing,” he said, interrupting her conflicting thoughts. “She said to do whatever you want with it.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” she choked up.

  “She wanted you to have this too,” he said, producing a folded piece of paper from his back pocket.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, accepting it.

  “Well,” he said, tipping his hat. “My shift is done. Have a good evening.”

  When Alice was back inside, she leant against the door, the piece of paper shaking in her hands. There was a part of her that wanted to throw it in the bin, but a bigger part wanted to put everything to bed, and this might do that. She opened it quickly before she changed her mind and started to read.

  ‘Alice,

  This is the last time you’ll hear from me, but if you’re reading this, which I hope you are doing, I want you to know how sorry I am. I’m so sorry. I know these are just words, and if you don’t believe me, I understand. Nothing I can ever say will make this right and I’ll take that to the grave with me. I never meant to hurt you and that will be my biggest regret. I’m taking my pills again, and I can see how much I strayed without them. I got so caught up in everything that I wasn’t thinking straight. I can’t change what’s happened but the little amount of good I can do is give you the café and the book.

  Do what you want with them.

  Your friend,

  Minnie.’

  Alice read it over and over until the words stopped making sense. She could never forgive Minnie for what she’d done, but the letter was proof that the friend she had was still in there somewhere. The book was one thing, but the café was another. It was something that would take a lot of thinking about.

  “What is it, Mum?” Holly asked groggily from the front room.

  “Nothing,” Alice replied, putting the paper in the pocket of her jeans.

  She walked into the front room as Holly yawned, stretching across the couch.

  “I think you need to go to bed.”

  “Can I stay down here?” Holly asked, her eyelids already starting to close. “I’m comfortable.”

  “Of course,” she replied, kissing Holly softly on the head.

  She turned everything off in the front room and when she looked at the time, she was surprised to see it was only half past nine. Alice retrieved a blanket from a pile of clean washing and covered Holly.

  “Night, sweetheart.”

  She was tired herself and was about to go to bed, but she realised there was one last thing to do if today was going to be a true fresh start.

  She paced the floor of the kitchen as her phone rang out. It rang for so long, she figured Thomas didn’t want to talk to her
. She moved the phone from her ear to end the call when she heard his voice.

  “Alice?”

  “I wasn’t sure if you were going to pick up.”

  “I wasn’t going to.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she replied. “I really am. I was stupid. I’m clearly an awful judge of character, and I was wrong.”

  “Well,” he said with a dry chuckle, “at least we can agree on that.”

  “I messed up,” she admitted.

  “Yes,” he said after a long pause. “But it didn’t look good for me. Your friend really went to great lengths to frame me, so I can almost understand. However, you believed I did it before then.”

  “I was wrong,” she said. “I just wanted to get to the bottom of everything.”

  “You had a good plan,” he admitted, his tone softening. “I’ll give you that.”

  “If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you,” she said, “I’ll do it.”

  “Well,” he said. “There is one thing.”

  “Yes?”

  “I never actually had a chance to try the food at The Beach Way,” he said. “It looked like a nice place. We could start there.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “As long as you show up this time.”

  Alice laughed. How could she have misjudged him so much? Most people wouldn’t forgive so easily.

  “It’s a date.”

  Alice will return in the 2nd Ashbrook Bookshop Cozy Mystery book early 2019! Sign up to my newsletter to be notified of its release!

  DON’T FORGET TO REVIEW!

  If you did enjoyed the book, please consider writing a review. Reviews are so important for indie author like me! It’s a great way of letting other cozy mystery fans know what you thought about the book.

  Thank you for spending time in Ashbrook, and I hope to see you again soon!