by Agatha Frost
“And he thought the same of you,” Julia said with a sigh. “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
“I’m done with him,” Rosemary said after taking another swig of the wine. “It was nice dating a younger man, but they have nothing to talk about. I’m going to focus on my son and me from now on, and if I find another man, he will be somebody who loves me for me. I thought Anthony did once, but I was young and blind. There have been people like Maggie and Timothy since the start of our marriage. I even thought your father was in on the action too, but he loved your mother too much for that. You and your sister are too hard on him, you know that?”
Julia suddenly felt guilty. She thought about the boys on Yelena’s phone, and then about the little boy in Katie’s stomach. She owed it to that baby to unite her family so he didn’t grow up in the same situation she had.
“I know,” she said. “Am I okay to use the bathroom?”
Rosemary nodded and wafted a finger towards the staircase in the hallway. Julia crept up the stairs, but instead of going to the bathroom, she opened and closed all of the doors until she found the one containing Yelena.
“I never even got to sleep here,” she said. “It’s nicer than the room at Oakwood.”
“You know you can’t stay here,” Julia said.
“I know,” Yelena said, looking up at Julia with a soft smile. “Why didn’t you tell them?”
Julia laughed softly as she sat next to Yelena. She picked the woman’s hand up and nodded to the photo frame on the bedside table, the only thing she had unpacked.
“When I figured out the writing on the sugar packets was your nail polish and not blood, I knew Barb hadn’t acted alone. My sister painted her nails red, and it reminded me that I’d seen you painting Barb’s nails the same colour. She might have been cunning, but there was no way she could have darted across the village like the person I saw on the security footage. You broke into my café, and you tried to frame me, but I suspect it was only on Barb’s request.”
“She said she didn’t know how her son died,” Yelena said, looking at the sweet boys in the picture. “She said we were framing you to cover our tracks, just to be safe. I was going to send my part of the money to Ukraine. She said if I didn’t help her, she’d have me fired from the nursing home. I didn’t have any choice coming here with her. She was broke. She wasn’t even paying me to be her personal nurse, I was just scared of what she would do if I didn’t come.”
“I know,” Julia said, reaching into her handbag to pull out the rolled up stack of red notes. “This will be enough for a flight home, and hopefully some for you to start a new life. It’s only five hundred pounds, but it’s all I have.”
“I cannot take this,” Yelena said, holding up her hands and shaking her head.
“Somebody gave it to me to help, and I was ungrateful, so now I’m passing it on to somebody who it can really help,” Julia said, forcing the money into the nurse’s hands and closing her fingers around it. “I’ll be fine. I always am.”
Yelena looked down at the money and smiled as a tear tumbled down her cheek. She didn’t say anything, instead pulling Julia into a tight hug. When the women finally parted, Julia wished her luck and slipped back downstairs, where Rosemary was with Gareth in the sitting room.
“I’m so sorry,” Rosemary said as she hugged her son. “I let money blind me, just like your father. You can stay at catering college and live your life for you. I love you.”
Gareth mumbled something before pulling away and shuffling out of the room and up to his bedroom. Rosemary and Julia smiled at each other, both of them understanding the complexities of teenagers.
“Does that mean you’re staying in Peridale?” Julia asked, leaning in the doorframe.
“I owe it to my son,” she said, looking up at the ceiling. “I always wanted children, but I thought I had left it too late. I went along with Anthony because he didn’t want anything weighing him down. I was forty-eight when I fell pregnant. It was a miracle. Doctors called me a ‘geriatric’ mother! Ha! They said I was a ‘rare’ case, and the chances of me carrying him full term weren’t great. Having Gareth made me believe in something bigger and better. I should have plucked up the courage when he was a baby to leave Anthony, but it was all I ever knew.”
“Some men have a habit of making us think there’s nothing better out there,” Julia said, knowing that feeling all too well. “But trust me, there is, and you deserve it.”
Rosemary smiled her thanks as Julia backed out of the sitting room. She walked towards the front door feeling lighter and freer than she had in weeks. When she walked out into the dark, her heart fluttered when she spotted Barker’s car.
“Can I offer the lady a lift?” he called through the open window with a soft smile from ear to ear.
Without a second thought, Julia climbed into the car and kissed Barker. Her past might have been in the village having his nose plastered up, but her future was right in front of her. She deserved to be happy, but so did Barker, and she was never going to jeopardise that ever again.
Chapter Fifteen
The next morning in the café, things seemed to go back to normal. Happy Bean was closed, and her café was full again with all of the regular faces. It turned out more than a couple of people had their own stories to share about Barb, and even though Julia didn’t care for the gossip, she was glad they were doing it in her café once again.
“This is impossible!” Jessie cried as she attempted to hold a wooden spoon with her arm encased in a cast from elbow to fingers. “I feel like the tin man.”
“But you look like the scarecrow,” Dom exclaimed. “Please will you let me put highlights in your hair?”
“No,” Jessie snapped.
“They’ll bring out your eyes,” Dolly added.
“My eyes are fine where they are,” Jessie said with a roll of her eyes.
Julia shuffled past them and grabbed the fresh chocolate cake she had baked that morning from the fridge. She knew it might only be temporary that her café was busy, but she wasn’t going to miss what could be one of her last chances to feed the villagers her baked creations.
She headed back into the café, pleased to see Barker walking in on his lunch break.
“Is that chocolate cake?” Barker asked with wide eyes. “My favourite!”
“Baked it especially,” Julia said, glancing at the clock, glad that Barker had come in just on time. “One slice or two?”
“Two, please,” he said after leaning across the counter to peck her on the cheek. “I’ve missed your baking.”
Julia sliced two generous chunks out of the cake before placing it in the display case between a plate of éclairs and red velvet cupcakes. She quickly made Barker an Americano and placed them in front of him on the table nearest to the counter.
“Barb is singing like a canary,” Barker mumbled through a mouthful of cake, chocolate cream on his chin. “Full confession. Turns out she got the arsenic from a resident at Oakwood who bragged about having some left over from the Second World War! It was totally expired, which explains why it took so long to kill Anthony, but still lethal.”
“Has she mentioned Yelena?”
“Who?” Barker asked.
“Nobody,” Julia said, containing her smile. “I suppose the old woman had some compassion left in her after all.”
While Barker finished the first slice, Sue and Dot walked into the café, followed quickly by her father and Katie. She was glad they were all on time.
“What’s she doing here?” Sue mumbled out of the corner of her mouth as she glanced at Katie’s large bump. “Is this a stitch-up?”
“No, it’s a truce,” Julia said, waving a small white handkerchief in the air. “A fresh start for the sake of the limes in your stomachs.”
“Actually, mine is the size of a banana!” Katie squeaked proudly.
Sue shook her head and scowled in her direction, which Katie seemed to take offence to as she looked the other way, her
arms folding under her enhanced bosom.
“What Julia is trying to say is, you need to get along for the sake of our family,” Brian said, stepping between the two women as he rested a hand on each of their shoulders. “Because like it or not, we are a family.”
“Does that include me?” Dot mumbled through a mouthful of the second slice of chocolate cake she had swiped from Barker’s plate.
“Yes, it does, Gran,” Julia said. “And Barker, and Jessie. We all need to be there for these babies, so they grow up in the most loving environment possible.”
Sue and Katie both sighed before glancing at each other. Julia nodded to Sue, who reluctantly held a hand out in front of her father. Katie meekly accepted the hand, sending half a smile to Sue.
“Is that it?” Julia asked. “I didn’t believe that.”
“I’m not hugging her!” Sue exclaimed. “I don’t know if what she has is catching.”
“This is why I didn’t want to come, Brian!” Katie cried, stamping her high-heels into the floor. “She is jealous!”
“Oh, for the love of chocolate cake,” Dot cried, spitting crumbs everywhere. “I hate to say it, but Julia is right. It’s not about you, it’s about the babies.”
Sue and Katie looked guiltily at the floor, and then at each other, their eyes lingering a little longer this time.
“Sorry,” Sue mumbled.
“Yeah, me too,” Katie replied.
“Wasn’t too hard, was it?” Brian said, pulling them both into his side for a reluctant hug.
“This is good cake,” Dot said as she licked the chocolate from her fingers. “I thought your baking had dipped over the last couple of weeks, but who could blame you considering the situation. It’s back on top form though!”
“I’m surprised you’re not upset you have nothing to protest,” Julia said as she took the empty plate and put it on the counter. “Mr Shufflebottom is going to miss having you blackmailing him for t-shirts.”
“Well,” Dot said, standing up and unbuttoning her blue cardigan. “I went for one last trip.”
She ripped open the cardigan, and a gasp came from everybody, except for Sue. Julia read the words over and over again until they sank in.
“‘I’m going to be a great-great-grandmother to twins!’” Barker read aloud from the t-shirt.
“I tried to tell you yesterday before Jessie decided to play Grand Theft Auto in the village,” Sue said as reached into her pocket to pull out a tiny black and white scan picture. “It turns out there are two limes.”
Katie let out a horrified squeak before turning on her heels and stomping out of the café. Brian shrugged his apology.
“I should go after her,” he said as he pulled Sue into a hug. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you, my little girl.”
“Thanks,” Sue mumbled, her cheeks burning.
“Oh, I almost forget to mention,” he said as he headed to the door. “I spoke to Jack’s son. He’s agreed to let me take over the antique barn. I’m going back to what I know best. I realised I couldn’t bring a child into this world and not teach him the value of work.”
“That’s great news,” Julia said, happy to know her father would be in the village more often. “See you later.”
“Bye, girls.”
Julia and Sue turned to each other with a smile. It felt like a small victory, but it was like they both knew they had their father back.
“Twins?” Julia said, a smile beaming from ear to ear. “You’re having twins!”
“Surprise!” Sue mumbled, her cheeks blushing.
Julia pulled her into a hug. She could feel her sister’s nerves at the thought of having to give birth to two babies, but Julia couldn’t contain her excitement.
“Babies are like buses,” Dot exclaimed as she looked down at her t-shirt. “One doesn’t come for ages, and then you have two at once.”
After having a cup of tea, Sue and Dot left the café, leaving Julia and Barker alone. She sat across from him, but she instantly jumped up when Jerrad walked into the café, with two black eyes and a plastic support over his nose.
“I come in peace,” he mumbled, his voice nasally and muffled. “She’s not around, is she?”
“Jessie is in the kitchen,” Julia said, resting a hand on Barker’s shoulder. “What do you want?”
Jerrad walked carefully into the café, looking around as though he was about to step on a land mine. He stopped in his tracks a couple of metres away from their table, and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
“I came to apologise,” Jerrad said meekly. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re what?”
“Sorry.”
“I heard that. It’s just I’ve never heard you apologise before.”
“Neither have I, and I think it might be the painkillers they’ve got me on, but for now I mean it.” Jerrad paused and gently patted the structure holding his nose together. “She’s got a mean right hook, I’ll give her that.”
Julia didn’t say anything. Even though Barker had taken the blame for the punch and escaped charge free, Jerrad could have told the police the truth about what had happened, but he hadn’t. Julia had spent the entire night expecting police to come knocking on her door to take Jessie away for assault.
“Well, I appreciate that,” Julia said, still not wanting to be nice to him. “Anything else?”
“There is actually,” he said, reaching into his inside pocket to pull out a folded manila envelope. “I got my lawyer to make another copy. Same terms as before, but I thought we could both sign them together so we know there’s no backing out.”
“Divorce papers?” Julia asked, her mouth drying as he pulled the thick wad of white paper out of the envelope.
“Unless you’ve had second thoughts?” he asked with a playful smirk as he handed the pen to Julia.
Julia snatched the pen out of his hand and scribbled her signature faster than she had ever signed for something before. She watched carefully as Jerrad signed next to her name, making sure that he was using the right hand and it was his real signature. She was surprised when he didn’t pull any tricks.
“I’ll get these to my lawyer,” he said as he tucked them into his pocket. “It’ll take a while for it to be official, but you’ll know when it happens.”
“Thank you,” Julia said, nodding at him. “I really mean it.”
Jerrad smiled and glanced down at the floor. She noticed a pale white line on his finger where the wedding ring had been.
“Now we can both move on,” Jerrad said. “For real, this time.”
“What will you do next?”
“Go back to the city,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at the coffee shop. “Why did I think I could run a coffee shop? I’ve spoken to Rosemary, and she said she’s going to keep it and turn it into something else, so you don’t have to worry.”
It took all of Julia’s power not to breathe a huge sigh of relief. The floor beneath her suddenly felt a lot firmer, and it had never felt so good.
“Well, good luck,” Julia said.
“You too. Who knows, maybe I’ll run into that painting on my way out? Wouldn’t that be a nice stroke of luck?”
“Maybe,” Julia said through a strained smile.
“Look after her, Barker,” Jerrad said, turning on his heels and heading for the door. “She’s a good woman, I just realised it far too late.”
Jerrad left the café, leaving them both in a stunned silence. Barker reached up and squeezed Julia’s hand, letting her know everything really was fine.
“Maybe I should have told him the painting was a fake,” Julia said.
“What?”
“That’s why my father turned up yesterday,” Julia said with a knowing grin. “Timothy Edwards’ grandfather was Martin Edwards, an infamous art forger. The painting was nothing more than an elaborate copy, and anybody with a million pounds to spend on a Murphy Jones painting would have known that. It turns out that Anthony Kennedy really was a terrible an
tique dealer.”
“So, all of this was for nothing?” Barker exclaimed with a stunted laugh. “He died for nothing? Have you told any of them?”
“No,” Julia said. “I think it’s better they all live with the shame of what that painting did to them. Might stop them from doing something stupid again.”
Barker’s eyes twinkled up at her for a moment before he started laughing.
“You’re brilliant,” Barker said as he stood up. “I hope you know that.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, are you?” Julia asked. “There was no stolen gnome, smashed window, or hanging basket, was there? You were investigating Anthony’s murder, even if you weren’t on the case. That’s why you turned up at Rosemary’s cottage, the nursing home, and Timothy’s flat.”
“Nothing gets past you,” Barker said as he fastened up his jacket. “I couldn’t sit back and do nothing while your name was being dragged through the mud. As usual, you were always two steps ahead of me.”
Julia knew that Barker truly was a good man. Even though he had barely been able to speak to her or look at her, he had still gone out of his way to help her. She knew that’s what true love was.
He left the café, so Julia walked into the kitchen, where Dolly and Dom were drawing pictures in flour on the work surface, their tongues poking out of their mouths.
“Where’s Jessie?” Julia asked.
They both nodded to the back door, neither of them looking up from the masterpieces they were creating. Julia walked across the kitchen and pulled on the heavy door that opened onto the tiny yard behind her café.
Standing between the bins and the gate were Jessie and Billy, sharing their first kiss. Biting her lip, Julia retreated back into the kitchen without making a sound. It was a moment she wasn’t going to interrupt.
“What’s she doing?” Dom asked.
“She’s been out there for ages,” Dolly added.
“Nothing,” Julia said, trying her best to conceal her beam. “Wash your hands. Let’s bake something!”
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