Parcels of Doom (Chapel End Mysteries, #1)

by Lown, Anne

  “You also need to find out more about Tracy and why Dave hit her. If it’s to do with Paul, then he might be more involved than we think or even just responsible for Paul’s death. Considering he died in their pub granny annex, it’s a possibility he might’ve done it.” Sarah was just speculating, but it seemed in her view, no stone should go unturned.

  “It could also be Paul might’ve died defending Tracy. Do you think Dave hitting her is more than a one-off?”

  All four nodded. It was a possibility. The couple seemed to have a strange marriage, and happiness wasn’t part of it. Jenny couldn’t work out if Tracy was involved with Paul or looking for a way to escape from Dave. If her husband had his hobby, maybe he wasn’t showing her the level of attention he should. It couldn’t be good if Martin was threatening to sort Dave out.

  A clock on the mantel struck the hour and reminded Jenny they needed to catch Jason if Scott was going to work, not that she expected he would. They both stood at the same time, thanking Sarah and Giles for their hospitality. The evening had been fruitful. Graham had seen more than she’d expected, and they now had questions that needed answers.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  A journey of a few streets passed in a blink of an eye. The village was quiet now the rain had started, lights flicking on in windows, and Jenny thought anyone still outside would feel excluded and lonely. The first thing Jenny noticed when the car glided to a halt a few parking spaces away from Jason’s house was that all the lights were off.

  It doesn’t look like he’s home, but then he might just like sitting in the dark.

  The more she got to know him, the less she felt she did. It was something she’d never come across before, and it puzzled her. Maybe that was the attraction, her not knowing where she stood with him. It kept her on her toes.

  Scott volunteered to get out of the car. He was still being Mr Charming, and she had to admit she liked it. He ran to the door as the rain became heavier, but from the length of time he knocked it was obvious Jason wasn’t in.

  Jenny tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. Talking to Jason would have to wait, the same with the conversation with Ben. She felt like she was getting nowhere fast.

  Scott got back in the car. Water glistened in his hair when the interior light came on. “How about something to eat before work?”

  She nodded. It’d be a long eight-hour shift if he went in hungry. “You sure you’re going in?”

  Scott shrugged. “Unless something better happens.”

  Jenny drove back to the high street and pulled in at the pub car park. The place appeared deserted, but that was no indication. Many of the locals walked so they didn’t have to worry about driving home. She parked near to the front door, crunching over the loose gravel from the broken-up tarmac. Puddles grew from the hammering rain, their feet splashing in their attempt to navigate the unstable terrain.

  Inside, the pub was almost empty. Jenny’s gaze swept the room, lighting only upon Dave behind the bar and Martin leaning on it. By the look of his dry clothing he’d been there some time, and certainly before the change in the weather. They’d been quiet when they entered. The closer she observed, the stranger things seemed. Martin was staring at Dave, a clear challenge in the contortion of his features. The hateful sneer curled the right side of his face, his teeth bared and his eyes boring a hole through the man’s head. Jenny nudged Scott in the hope he’d see it, too.

  She flicked her gaze to Scott. He had seen it, his mouth falling open in response. When she glanced back, Martin had spotted their presence and adjusted his demeanour. He was now a changed man. His mild-mannered smile matched the twinkle in his eye. He called out and waved them over.

  Does he know what we saw?

  “Hiya, Martin,” Scott called in return.

  They both walked to the bar and took up the positions they’d kept the evening before. Jenny fell in with saying hello while Scott grabbed Dave’s attention and asked if they were serving food. When the affirmative answer came, but only baked potatoes and possibly chips, he ordered for the two of them.

  “What’re you doing here?” Martin asked. “I thought you worked in the week?”

  “On my way over after we’ve had something to eat.”

  “Stay the night then, did you?” Martin winked at Scott but also caught Jenny with his knowing smile.

  She playfully lashed out and gave him a gentle slap on the arm. “Oi, you.”

  The exchange encouraged a friendly laugh, and the conversation became jovial. Dave brought the food a few minutes later but didn’t hang about to join in the banter. Martin gave him a hardened smile. It wasn’t lost on Jenny, but she pretended not to notice.

  Scott popped a chip into his mouth. “Where’s Tracy tonight? Does she not work on a Friday?”

  The unexpected question caught Martin by surprise. His attention on his pint was distracted, and the glass slipped in his grip. He made a fast recovery, but not before his eyes twitched in their sockets to check if they’d noticed. “I don’t know, she usually does.”

  “Did you see that bruise on her arm? I bet that hurt when she got it. Her old man knocking her about or something?”

  “Well, you can hardly blame him. She was going to run off with that Paul. He was an old boyfriend, and they couldn’t keep their hands off each other from when he arrived.”

  “You’re joking,” Scott said. “The dirty bird.” He laughed to show he didn’t mean it in a nasty way, and Martin followed his lead. “Anyway, I thought you were sweet on her with the way you’ve been staring at her all the time.”

  The last few words from Scott knocked Martin again. Jenny didn’t think he’d expected to be noticed by anyone, and certainly not people new to the pub. They hadn’t; it was Graham who’d watched and understood what was going on.

  “Nah, we’re just friends, known each other a long time, that’s all.”

  Jenny had been tucking into her baked potato while the two men chatted. “You’d best hurry up if you want to get to work on time.”

  She’d been trying to behave as if they were in a normal situation, but listening to Martin had the hairs on her skin standing up. There was something going on between Martin and Dave, like a fight was about to erupt, and Tracy was in the middle of it. If they were going to lash out at each other, Jenny didn’t want to be around to see the blood fly. Scott would enjoy egging them on, but she’d had her fill of fights for one lifetime.

  When the meal was finished, they said their goodbyes and ventured out into the rain. She didn’t speak on the way to the car to stop anyone from listening. Jenny started the engine and pulled out of the car park. She jumped at Scott’s sudden laughter.

  “What’s wrong with you?” she asked.

  “Don’t you know what’s going on there?” Scott asked. “Tracy and Martin are having an affair.”

  “Never. What, with Martin? I thought she was going to run off with Paul.”

  “Maybe she was, cos Martin’s hardly going to take her away from all that. He’s not man enough to do it.”

  “But Dave didn’t seem bothered about Martin staring at him, although he didn’t stick around.”

  Jenny shook her head. Things were getting complicated. She tried to think logically through it all. “So, what do we know. Martin threatens to beat Dave up for hurting Tracy, but that could be male bravado for her benefit. He mightn’t have any real intention of doing it.”

  “Yep, it’s one thing to stand at the bar glaring at someone who needs your trade and quite another getting physically violent.”

  “In truth, it’s none of Martin’s business. She could leave Dave if she wanted. Being married doesn’t stop her from running off with someone. Maybe she’s a flirt or serial cheat, who knows what she gets up to.”

  Jenny drove through the lanes and into Bishop, heading straight for the Mail Centre. It was almost time for Scott’s nightshift, so he didn’t have a chance to go home and change. She agreed to pick h
im up the next day after deliveries were done. She needed him when she got to speaking to Jason and Ben, but until then she’d lock her door and talk to no one. Jenny just hoped she felt safe enough to sleep tonight, but with that, only time would tell.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  The drive home shredded Jenny’s nerves. At every turn she expected something to jump out from the fields or the woods. Oncoming cars were now a problem; her confidence had taken a dive. She passed other traffic on the lanes with her fingers gripping the steering wheel and leaning away in her seat. Her heart pounded, and she blew out breaths after every encounter. Jenny shook her head. She didn’t know what had got into her.

  The streets of Chapel End looked deserted. She could’ve sworn it was after midnight if she didn’t know better because the streetlights were off in her road. Jenny shuddered, then pried her aching bones from the wheel. She’d had to park a few spaces down, ruining any chance of a quick escape to the safety behind her front door. Standing with one foot still inside the car, she held the door tight and listened intently to what might be about. A cat’s hiss from a neighbouring garden raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

  This is stupid, there’s nothing there.

  Admonishing herself didn’t help. There was nothing for it, she’d have to be brave. Jenny shut and locked the car door. She dashed along the path, darting her gaze this way and that, ready for anything that flew at her. The banging in her chest echoed in her ears, her breath catching in short, sharp hitches. Panic rose in her throat, and she had an urgency to run the last few metres to the gate and storm the door with her key at the ready. No light on the wall outside made it hard to locate the keyhole. She’d only lived there a couple of weeks at best. She jabbed at it, but it eluded her. Footsteps sounded on the road towards her garden, and the banging in her chest exploded. She gave another jab, this time finding the slot, turned the key, pushed open the door, then slammed it behind her.

  Jenny leant against the door. She couldn’t believe how scared she’d become. She’d thought herself a reasonable person, logical rather than emotional, and capable of keeping things in the realms of reality. Tonight showed her otherwise, but then she’d been broken into, and the safety of four walls had been ruined forever.

  She flicked the hallway light on. Straight away, everything appeared less threatening. She ignored the writing on the living room wall and headed for the fridge. A bottle of Pinot Grigio lay unopened on its side. She’d been saving it for tomorrow, but her needs now trumped the chilled-out experience she’d anticipated as her dry mouth begged for alcohol. She cracked the lid open and gulped from the bottle. The cool, refreshing liquid created warmth upon entering her stomach, and the alcohol got to work.

  A third of the bottle disappeared in seconds. She reached for a glass to empty some more and gulped again. The alcohol infused her body, and each muscle in turn relaxed. She tilted her head from side to side, stretching the tension from her neck and rubbing it for good measure. Laughter burst from her lips, the strain making its escape. Jenny leant against the worktop and looked out into the back garden. The light from the hallway made it difficult to see, but an ease came over her the longer she stood there looking.

  Shaking her head at her own foolishness, she went upstairs to shower and change for bed. She savoured the hot water, spending longer in there than usual, reluctant to step back into the cooling air. Dressed in her nightclothes, she passed the top of the stairs. Her eyes bulged when a sound caught her attention. Someone was at the back door.

  At the foot of the stairs now, Jenny stood and held her breath. She leant over with care and switched off the hallway light. The ones upstairs were still on, including in her bedroom. She hoped it suggested she was going to bed, and soon after she turned off the landing light from the same switch plate. The scraping sounds stopped. Whoever it was waited to make sure she’d not heard them. She stood there, frozen still in the dark, hardly daring to breathe.

  Seconds later, the scraping recommenced. Someone was trying to pick her lock. If Scott were here he’d charge at the intruder and fight them to the ground, hold them until the police arrived, and declare a citizen’s arrest. But Scott wasn’t here, he was at work. Jenny thought of ringing him. She tried her jacket pocket, but the mobile wasn’t there. She’d put it in the door pocket in her car instead.

  She slid along the hallway towards the kitchen where the house phone resided and grabbed the receiver. There wasn’t a dial tone.

  Damn it. Why didn’t I connect it?

  It was a stupid thing to forget. Now she had no help and no way of getting any.

  A click rang in her ears—the door was open. Jenny ran into the living room, swinging her arms wildly in the dark. Footsteps sounded in the kitchen. Her hand caught a part-emptied box, and it crashed to the floor. She crumpled to the carpet.

  Please, no. I don’t want to die.

  Images flashed through her mind, memories of her childhood and her love for Scott. How could she have been so stupid rejecting his proposal?

  Forgive me, I love you.

  Jenny squeezed her eyes shut. She curled into a ball and prayed for the end to be quick. The thought of suffering was more than she could bear. Her whole body shook from fear.

  A presence loomed over her. She gritted her teeth, her face aching in response. Something brushed her hair, a hand grabbing at the strands, stretching the roots in her scalp. She braced herself for what would come next.

  Then nothing. The hand released her hair. Jenny couldn’t believe it. A high-pitched ringing invaded the blood whooshing in her ears.

  The doorbell?

  The intruder retreated. Feet slapped the kitchen floor, and the back door banged against the wall. Pounding replaced the ringing. Someone’s fists raised merry hell and shouted her name. Daring to squint, she peered out into the darkened room. No one was there. She jumped to her feet, rushed to the front door, and flung it open. Jason caught her in his arms.

  She sobbed. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  Jason swept a hand under her knees and carried her to the sofa. He lay her on the cushions then ran to the kitchen. She trembled, her teeth chattering and nipping her tongue. He returned, flicking on light switches on the way back. He’d searched the perimeter but found nothing.

  Jenny moved over for him to slide onto the sofa. She was enveloped by his body, his warmth calming the shaking, his soothing voice caressing her mind. Gently, he kissed her head, his fingers stroking her face and hair. Jenny snuggled into him. He was her knight in shining armour once again.

  HER EYES SPRANG OPEN, the alarm clock upstairs telling her it was time to get up. Jenny relaxed. It was Saturday morning, another work day, and she had to get ready. Jason’s head was nestled in the crook of her neck. She eased it away and released her dead arm. The action stirred him.

  “You’re awake,” he said.

  Jenny shifted on the cushions and gazed into his warm blue eyes. Her mind returned to the words she’d thought when she’d been sure her life was over. Did it mean she wasn’t really into him and just flattered by his attention? Reality hit hard. What attention? She’d done all the chasing. Every action had multiple meanings, and she’d read romance into all of them. She sighed. It was doubtful it had been there in the first place. An emotional weight lifted, and she felt free. Of the men in her life and to be herself.

  “I’ve got to go to work.”

  Jason stretched where he lay. He was still clothed in his biker boots and leather jacket. She hadn’t noticed how hard it felt against her body until now. Jenny climbed over his long limbs and entered the kitchen. The glass of wine she’d poured the night before stood where she’d left it. It had been abandoned in all the mayhem. She sighed as she poured the wasted alcohol down the sink.

  He followed her into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her from behind. It was comforting until a thought struck her.

  Why was he banging on the door?

  He hadn’t once asked why she�
��d reacted the way she had. She had no idea why he’d turned up or why he’d run out into the garden to search the perimeter. It was late to be visiting, and she hadn’t told him about the intruder. She hadn’t even known it was him at the time. Her body stiffened.

  How did he know there was a problem?

  “I’d better get ready, I can’t afford to be late.”

  She peeled his arms from her body and left him in the kitchen. In her bedroom, she sat on the bed and stared at nothing. The night had been surreal, and all she wanted now was to be home with Scott. She grabbed her uniform and put it on. Downstairs, Jason was making coffee—the smell of it wafted up the stairs. She couldn’t bear to be alone with him one second more than she had to.

  “I’ve got to go,” she said. “But don’t rush. Have your coffee and lock up for me.”

  He didn’t get to speak before she strode from the house. Jenny touched her burning cheek, her trembling fingers grazing the skin with her nails. She needed to talk to Scott and she’d wake him up if she had to.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Work was a welcome relief from the night Jenny had just had. Even though she’d slept, she felt a cross between wired and tired. Adam had been impatient when she’d loaded the mailbags in to the van and nothing she did was right. The high street couldn’t appear soon enough, and Jenny was surprised to see the charity shop open.

  The bell announced her arrival, but there was no one there. It was a few moments before Carmie emerged from the office doorway at the back of the shop. Her face was downcast, prompting a cause for concern.

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  “They want me to keep the shop open. They think I’ve been running it on my own.”

  “What do you mean ‘on your own’?”

  “They found out Emma wasn’t always in and I’ve been here alone. They want me to keep doing it.”