by D. S. Butler
“I’ve got room in my car if you need a lift to the house,” Toby offered.
“Thanks, but I’ve brought my own car.”
“Okay. I’ll see you there.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket and then gave me one last smile before walking off.
I looked around the churchyard. The gathering had thinned, and Sienna should have been easy to spot but she was nowhere to be seen. She wasn’t talking to Jason anymore. He was standing to my right, chatting to a woman I didn’t recognise.
Perhaps Janet and Marilyn had already taken Sienna back to Yew Tree House.
There was still no sign of Mrs Partridge so I started to walk back towards the church, stepping over the tufts of dry, tough grass and noticing the wilted flowers left at the graves.
A robin perched on the gravestone in front of me, and I paused to watch it for a moment. When I was a girl, my grandmother told me robins and white feathers were signs from departed loved ones. But I’d recently read an article which said historically robins were considered harbingers of death. I shivered. The small, red-breasted bird cocked its head and appeared to look directly at me.
“Hello there,” a voice said from my left. It was Jason Owens.
I turned and shaded my eyes from the sun. “Hello, are you going back to Yew Tree House?”
He ran a hand through his thick hair. “Yes, although I didn’t drive to the church. What a mistake! It’s sweltering.”
“I can give you a lift to the house, if you’d like?”
Jason delivered a charming smile. “That would be very kind, thank you. I shouldn’t have walked. I knew it was going to be a hot day, but there’s something about walking that helps clear your thoughts sometimes, don’t you think?”
“I suppose.” I wasn’t really invested in the conversation. I was too busy trying to work out how to broach the subject of his conversation with Sienna earlier. It seemed rude to just come out and ask him what they were talking about. After all, he was probably only telling her how sorry he was.
“I’m giving Mrs Partridge a lift as well,” I said, finally spotting the stout lady, standing in the middle of the lane waving at me.
I waved back and so did Jason.
Even though we were standing amongst the gravestones, I could still smell the funeral flowers. The scent of lilies was strongest of all.
My new black court shoes were pinching the backs of my heels as I walked, and I wished I’d had the foresight to put some plasters in my clutch bag.
“I saw you talking to Sienna earlier,” I said, as we walked side-by-side. “It’s such a difficult time for her at the moment.”
Jason nodded sombrely. “Yes, it’s very sad.” But he didn’t offer any further information.
I was about to try again when I realised this was how paranoia took hold. Jason hadn’t done anything to earn my suspicion. I gave him a sideways glance, taking in his handsome face. He had fine lines around his eyes, which became more pronounced as he squinted at the sun.
Jason Owens seemed like a nice guy. He was just one of many people who cared about Sienna. There wasn’t anything menacing or threatening about him, I told myself. There was nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.
Chapter Twenty-One
I’d never seen Nicole and Steve’s huge driveway so crowded. Cars were jammed into every available space. I only managed to park by blocking in a black Lexus. Jason assured me he knew the owner of the car and it wouldn’t be a problem.
As soon as we entered Yew Tree House, two women greeted Jason enthusiastically, and after nodding hello, I left his side and went in search of Sienna.
Once I’d made sure she was okay, I would be free to leave. My cool reception from Marilyn and Janet at the funeral made me think they wouldn’t appreciate my commiserations today. But I owed it to Nicole to find out how Sienna was doing.
People gathered in small groups in every room downstairs, and I was surprised to realise just how few of Nicole’s friends I knew. There was a time when we moved in the same circles. But I saw no one from our time at university here. I wondered if everyone had been told?
I’d offered to reach out to our mutual friends, but Janet and Marilyn had made it quite clear they were in charge of funeral arrangements and didn’t need my help.
I walked slowly through the downstairs rooms. The large dining room table had been moved into the living room and was filled with glasses of wine and fruit juice on the right side and home-made fruit cake on the left. The platters of sandwiches had been demolished. Only two small triangles of ham on white remained.
I caught sight of Angie Macgregor scurrying into the room, carrying another tray of sandwiches. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was so intent on winding her way through the groups of people in her way that she didn’t notice me.
I looked through the window into the back garden. There were a few people outside chatting, but Sienna wasn’t among them.
There was no sign of Sienna downstairs. She couldn’t have simply disappeared. I wondered if she’d gone up to her room. Should I ask permission before going upstairs to look for her? Steve was busy accepting condolences from a long line of people, and I didn’t want to ask Janet or Marilyn.
I couldn’t leave without checking on Sienna. It would only take a minute. Apologising, I ducked around a large group of people who had gathered in the centre of the room then headed for the stairs.
At the top, there was a large gallery landing, which gave me a good view of the whole of the hallway and most of the sitting room. No one had noticed me coming upstairs so I continued towards Sienna’s bedroom.
I knocked softly on the second door along the hallway and paused. There was no answer and I couldn’t hear anyone inside. I knocked again and then pushed the door open.
The bed was made, the dressing table was scattered with various make-up products and there was a black dress hanging on the wardrobe door, but Sienna wasn’t there.
I closed the door behind me, preparing to go back downstairs. But as I did so, I turned and saw Sienna standing in a doorway a little further along the hall, holding a black cardigan.
She stood still, her hair fell in messy waves past her shoulders. As I got closer, I saw her eyes were red.
“I came to see if you are okay,” I said, walking towards her. “I thought maybe you could do with some company.”
Sienna shrugged. She lifted the black cardigan in her hands and brought it close to her face before pressing it to her cheek. “I wanted to borrow Mum’s cardigan,” she said. “I thought it would smell of her, but it doesn’t. It smells of fabric conditioner.”
She handed it to me, but I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Did she expect me to smell it and confirm? I hung it over my arm and put a hand on her shoulder. “Probably a bit too hot this afternoon to wear a cardigan anyway.”
She pointed at Nicole and Steve’s bedroom. “Do you want to come in? There’s a photo of you, me and Mum on the dresser. I thought you might want it.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’d better not. Steve might not want me in his room.”
Sienna frowned. “It’s not his room, it’s Mum’s.”
“They had separate bedrooms?”
She shrugged and walked into the bedroom. “Yes. Steve works late a lot, so it made sense for him to have another bedroom.”
I followed her into the room, my eyes drinking in everything that reminded me of my friend. Beside the dressing table was the new Dyson hairdryer she’d been raving about just a couple of weeks ago. The top of the dressing table was littered with things as though she’d be coming back to them at any moment.
Her Guerlain bronzer with the huge brush. She’d used that brand of bronzer for years. A Rimmel lipstick lay beside it with the lid removed, as though she’d had to rush away before she’d finished with it.
My hand trembled as I reached out to pick up the small, thick bottle of Lady Dior perfume. Nicole’s favourite. I sprayed a little on the cardigan and held it out to
Sienna.
She took it and lifted it to her face, breathing in deeply. “It smells like Mum.”
The scent triggered so many memories. Nights out in Southampton, a boozy night at Jesters, the day Nicole told me she was having Sienna, our graduation day…
Sienna looped her arm through mine, bringing me back to the present. “Did Mum ever tell you anything about my father?”
The question came out of the blue and I wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. Of course, getting flustered and hesitating wasn’t the best idea because Sienna immediately assumed I was hiding something from her.
She tilted her head and looked at me through narrowed eyes. “You do know something, don’t you?”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I only know what your mum told me… She said she’d had a fling and fell pregnant while she was in the last year of our University course.”
I could tell by the look in her eyes that she didn’t believe me. Maybe she was right. Why hadn’t I pushed Nicole on it at the time? We were friends. She could trust me with everything else. But I’d believed her when she said it was a one-night stand.
Sienna turned away and began to walk back towards the galleried landing. She was angry with me, but I couldn’t tell her any more about her father. I didn’t know anything.
I followed but instead of walking downstairs, she leaned on the light wood banisters, looking down at the marble floor in the hallway below.
“Do you think if someone fell from here they’d die?”
I frowned. “Probably, or be seriously hurt. It’s a long way down.”
“It wouldn’t be so bad if it was over quickly.” She must have seen the look of confusion mingled with horror on my face because she quickly added, “I’m not about to jump.”
Before I could think up a response, I spotted Janet in the hall. She was staring up at us with a strange expression on her face. She marched towards the stairs, and I braced myself for a confrontation.
“What are you two talking about?” she asked before she’d even reached the top step.
The familiar scent of Chanel No.5 and cigarette smoke engulfed me as Janet walked briskly towards us.
“I just came upstairs to see if Sienna was okay,” I said.
I really did feel sorry for Janet after losing her sister and didn’t want to upset her. Janet pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest.
I turned to Sienna. “You’ve got my phone number. If you need anything, anything at all, you can ring me.”
Sienna tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “How long are you staying in the UK?”
“A little while longer. I contacted head office and told them I’d need more time here before I return to India.”
The expression on Sienna’s face didn’t change and I was left wondering whether I’d said the wrong thing. Did she want me to say I wasn’t going back? Did she need me here? Or did she just not care? It was hard to tell.
Janet linked her arm through Sienna’s and then patted the girl’s hand. “Let’s go back downstairs.”
I followed them slowly, wondering how Janet felt about Sienna moving back here with Steve. I didn’t think he could have hurt Nicole, not really, but even so, Sienna living at Yew Tree House with Steve after the police had taken him in for questioning was disconcerting. No matter how strong his alibi was, there was always a niggling doubt in the back of my mind asking what if…?
I was about to leave and head back to the hotel when Jason Owens spotted me. He smiled warmly.
“Abbie, come with me. There are some people I think you’d like to meet.”
I gave a tight smile and followed his lead into the sitting room. My shoes were still pinching and it felt like the blasted things were rubbing my ankles raw. I was very tempted to take them off. If it had just been me and Nicole here, I would have. We’d have kicked off our shoes, lounged on the massive sofa and downed a bottle of wine or two.
I sighed. Why hadn’t I visited more often?
I smiled politely as Jason introduced me to three school governors. It wasn’t easy to pay attention because after commenting on the tragedy of Nicole’s death they began a heated debate about parents taking children out of school for holidays during term time.
Behind our group, Toby Walsh stood by the refreshment table. He caught me watching him and pulled a funny face. He looked like a cheeky schoolboy, which was completely at odds with his expensive tailored suit, and perfectly cut hair. It was so unexpected and out of place for a sombre gathering, I giggled.
That earned me some surprised stares from the school governors, and Jason Owens leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“Are you all right, Abbie? Do you need some fresh air?” He smelled of sandalwood and soap, and his voice was gentle and concerned.
“I’m fine. Sorry. Ignore me.”
He squeezed my hand. “Just tell me when you want to leave. I could walk back to get my car and give you a lift, if you’d like a drink?”
He kept hold of my hand, and to my surprise, I didn’t have an urge to pull away. “Thanks, but I’m fine to drive. Alcohol can make me sad at the best of times. I don’t need any more sadness today.”
When I was sure I wouldn’t laugh again, I risked a glance back over to Toby. He was now talking earnestly to Steve about something. Now, he looked perfectly respectable.
The conversation between Jason and the governors had moved on to the special needs provisions in the county and I was asked a question. After giving a noncommittal reply, I looked for Toby and Steve but the two business partners had disappeared.
I pressed my fingertips to my temple and rubbed. I was getting a headache and the talk about school boards wasn’t helping.
I put a hand on Jason’s arm and excused myself. “I’m just going to see how Angie is coping in the kitchen.”
As I walked away, I could feel Jason’s eyes on me. I’d probably freaked him out with my inappropriate giggling. He’d be watching me closely for signs of hysteria from now on.
As expected, I found Angie in the kitchen. She was making a pot of tea, and her cheeks were still flushed.
She turned to me. “Can you believe people are actually asking for tea in this heat?”
I gave her a sympathetic smile. We didn’t have hot days often in the UK, and we Brits do love our tea. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
I’d assumed Steve would use a catering company. There were a lot of people here and it created a lot of work for one woman.
Angie shot me a glance before pouring boiling water into the teapot. “Yes, Steve originally planned to bring someone in from outside, but I wanted to do it. It probably sounds silly to you, but it’s my way of showing how much Nicole meant to me.”
“It doesn’t sound silly, at all. But I can see you need some help, so just tell me what you want me to do.”
Angie hesitated and then smiled. “Aye, well, if you don’t mind, you could make up some more sandwiches. There’s plenty of bread left.” She pointed to the loaves of white and brown bread stacked around the bread bin. “I’ve run out of ham, but there’s chicken and tuna mayo in the fridge.”
Glad to feel useful, I washed my hands and then got to work as Angie left the kitchen with the tea. From where I stood making the sandwiches at the kitchen counter I could see into the utility room. Even though the door was open, Charlie lay forlornly on the floor. Poor thing. He had to be so confused. And with his thick fur he must be suffering from the heat. The cool tiled floor of the utility room was probably the coolest place for him.
The butter had been left out of the fridge and was very soft and easy to spread. By the time Angie came back into the kitchen, I’d already made a few rounds, and she grabbed a serving platter and began to load the sandwiches on it.
“I’ve never known people to eat so much. It’s like a horde of locusts has descended out there.”
After Angie’s comment, we worked side-by-side in a comfortable silence. It felt good to be doing something use
ful. I didn’t know how to make Sienna feel better, but even I knew how to prepare a sandwich. I was nearly at the end of the white loaf when Jason entered the kitchen.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said smiling at Angie. “Brian has offered me a lift home. I didn’t want to leave without making sure you were okay.”
Somehow I’d managed to cover my fingers with tuna mayo. “I’m fine.”
He continued to watch me, a frown on his handsome face.
“Really. You don’t have to worry. I was just laughing. I’m not hysterical, I promise.”
He smiled. “All right. Before I go, I wanted to ask if you fancy meeting for a drink later this week.”
My mind went blank. “Oh, um.” Why was he asking me out for a drink? Was it some kind of date? Did he want to talk to me about Sienna? He stood there waiting for an answer. Finally, I said, “Yes, that would be nice.”
His smile widened. “Great, I’ve got your number so I’ll give you a call and we’ll set something up.”
“Okay, lovely,” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
After he turned and left, I wondered why I took so long to agree. I was going to be in the UK for at least another week, and now that Marilyn and Janet had frozen me out, I wouldn’t be seeing much of them. I’d only be sitting in the hotel bar on my own evening after evening. It would be nice to have some company.
I noticed Angie had let the sandwiches pileup on the breadboard, and when I turned, I saw her watching me quizzically.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, wondering if I’d managed to get tuna mayo on my cheek.
Her forehead crinkled in a frown and she said, “Watch out for that one.”
“Why?”
Angie gave a little shrug, and at first, I thought she wasn’t going to respond. Then she announced, “His eyes are too close together.”
“His eyes?” A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. I imagined Nicole giggling at that, but Angie looked completely serious so I didn’t laugh.
