by Agatha Frost
The café door opened, and Julia’s sister, Sue, walked in, still in her blue nurse’s uniform. Julia had almost forgotten about inviting Sue to spend her lunch break away from the hospital so she could tell her the news and ask for some advice. She hadn’t planned on Katie turning up with her nail kit.
“Have you seen what they’re doing out there?” Sue cried, pointing at Dot and Percy. “It looks like they’re trying to summon rain.”
“I thought it was interpretive dance,” Katie added.
“Gran’s into meditation now,” Julia said with a small laugh. “Seems she’s dragging Percy towards enlightenment whether he likes it or not.”
They turned and watched as Dot lifted her left leg high in the air with her hands on the ground. Percy attempted the move, but he tumbled over into a heap. Dot peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, but she didn’t break her zen trance to help him up.
“She’s going to kill that poor man,” Sue said as she took a seat at the table next to Katie. “She’ll be taking up knife throwing and fire breathing next week. Where’s Jessie?”
“I gave her the day off.” Julia walked behind the counter to make Sue her usual latte. “No point us both being here with nothing to do today.”
“So, what’s the big emergency?” Sue checked her watch. “I can’t be away for too long. We’re really understaffed today, and we’re all stretched so thin.”
“Did you see my dad?” Katie asked, hopefully.
“I did,” Sue replied softly. “I popped my head in before I left. There’s no change, but he doesn’t seem like he’s in any pain.”
Julia could tell Sue was being as diplomatic as possible to protect Katie’s feelings. At one time, Sue wouldn’t have minded upsetting their stepmother. It had taken Sue longer than anyone else to accept Katie into the family. Katie and Sue were more alike than they were different, and Julia was glad they had all reached a peaceful place.
After setting the latte in front of Sue, Julia retook her seat across from Katie. She had invited Sue to the café to tell her the news about her pregnancy in person, not wanting to throw it away over the phone or via a text message. She hadn’t intended on telling Katie yet, but since she was here, she could kill two birds with one stone.
“I have something to tell you both,” Julia said, making sure to look them in the eyes. “And before I tell you, I need you to promise me you won’t tell anyone else.”
“Are you ill?” Sue cried, her hand clutching her mouth. “Is it cancer? It’s cancer, isn’t it? This like Mum all over—”
“It’s not cancer,” Julia cut in, surprised at where Sue’s mind had gone. “It’s good news, but I haven’t told Jessie or Barker yet, so I need you to keep it between us. I’ve only told Gran so far.”
Julia inhaled to speak, but the enormous words jammed in her throat. Sue and Katie looked at each other, and then at Julia, and she could see they had both figured it out, but neither seemed to want to say it.
“I’m pregnant.”
A stunned silence followed for a few seconds before Sue and Katie let out identical shrieks, pushing their chairs out and jumping up at the same time. They ran around the table and grabbed Julia, sandwiching her in the middle of the tightest hug she had experienced. When they finally let go and backed away, they were both crying.
“You’ve wanted this for so long,” Sue managed to say through her blubbering.
“Finally, some good news,” Katie added, her voice so high the words were barely distinguishable.
“When did you find out?” Sue asked.
“Saturday morning.”
“Saturday?” Sue slapped Julia on the arm. “And you’ve left it until Monday to tell me?”
“Things have been going on.” Julia jerked her head at Katie. “I found out in the middle of everything, and I didn’t want to throw it into the mix. Everyone has a lot going on right now. I didn’t want to steal the focus.”
“Steal the focus?” Sue grabbed Julia’s arms. “You’re pregnant! You’re going to have a baby! I think this is focus worth stealing.”
“How far along are you?” Katie asked, glancing down at Julia’s flat torso.
“It’s really early days.” Julia looked down, unsure why she expected to see any change yet. “That’s why I wanted to tell you now. I have no idea what I’m doing. I had a moment in my kitchen yesterday that resulted in my throwing away all the cleaning products like they were going to kill me. I don’t feel equipped to deal with this.”
Sue and Katie shared a knowing look before staring back at Julia. They each grabbed one of her hands.
“Julia,” Sue started, exhaling and smiling widely, “nobody knows what they’re doing.”
“You make it up as you go along,” Katie added. “You try your best, but that’s all you can do.”
“You don’t smoke, you don’t drink, and you eat well,” Sue continued. “You’re already three steps ahead. Have you seen a doctor yet?”
“I have an appointment tomorrow,” Julia revealed. “I booked it this morning. They had a last-minute cancellation.”
“Then you’re on the right track.” Sue gave her hand a squeeze. “You’ll probably get some pamphlets telling you the usual stuff. You’ll want to stay away from certain fish, undercooked and raw meat, and caffeine.”
Julia had seen similar advice while conducting internet research the previous night, but with so much to take in, her search had swiftly overwhelmed her.
“So, you were both clueless?” Julia asked, arching a brow.
“I was terrified!” Sue replied. “I was even more terrified when I found out I was having twins. I don’t think a single day of my pregnancy passed without feeling like I was messing something up.”
“Me too,” Katie added. “I spent nine months sure I’d done everything wrong, but it was all worth it when Vinnie was born. You’ll be fine, Julia.”
“You’ve got us.” Sue squeezed again. “Pearl and Dottie are finally going to have a cousin!”
“And Vinnie is about to get another niece or nephew.” Katie beamed. “When are you going to tell Barker?”
The bell above the café door jingled, and Amy Clark walked in, followed closely by Father David. Julia gave Katie and Sue a look she hoped read ‘change the subject’, and they seemed to understand.
“I should get to the station,” Katie said as she started packing away her nail equipment. “Hopefully they have some more good news to add to the pile. You know where I am if you need me, Julia.”
“I should get back to the hospital.” Sue took a large gulp of her latte before standing. “Let me know how things go tomorrow with your appointment.”
Katie loaded her nail boxes into the pram and left the café with Sue following closely behind.
“Do you have any of your new raspberry cheesecake?” Father David asked when Julia was back behind the counter. “Amy has been singing its praises all morning, and I’ve been able to think of little else.”
“It’s your lucky day,” Julia said, slipping easily back into her role as café owner. “I made a new batch last night.”
Julia spent the rest of the working day testing out her new ‘natural’ cleaning products, only having to pause every so often to serve the sporadic regulars. By the time the clock struck four, her café was as shiny and gleaming as could be. Since she hadn’t had a customer since before two, she decided to save on bills and close early.
Instead of going straight home, she drove to her father’s antiques barn at the bottom of Mulberry Lane. He had run the shop with a business partner all through Julia’s childhood, leaving it behind when he married into the Wellington family. Now that the Wellington money had vanished, Julia knew her father was counting his lucky stars that he had taken over the business again after the death of his old partner.
With a box containing a generous slice of raspberry cheesecake in hand, Julia ventured into the large, furniture-filled barn. She spotted her father talking to a middle-aged couple
next to a grand dining set on the other side of the barn. She hung back and wandered around the items. She didn’t want to distract him while he closed the obviously important sale; he needed every penny he could get right now.
“Hello.” An unfamiliar male voice appeared from seemingly nowhere. “It’s a beautiful writing desk, don’t you think?”
Julia turned and saw an attractive, suited, dark-haired man in his early to mid-thirties approaching her. He looked comfortable and relaxed, perfectly at home amongst the antiques. Julia glanced down at the desk. It was absolutely beautiful, and it would have looked perfect in her dining room. If things hadn’t been so tumultuous with Barker’s career, she might have considered buying it for him so she could reclaim her dining room table.
“It is,” Julia said, smiling politely at him as she looked to her father. “Looking for anything in particular here today?”
“That’s supposed to be my next line,” he said in a low, husky voice as he winked at her.
“You work here?”
“You could call it that.”
The couple Julia’s father had been talking to left the barn abruptly, and from the tired look on her father’s face, it was obvious they hadn’t bought a thing.
“No sale, boss?” the man asked. “I was sure they were going to go for it.”
“Maybe you should have gone in there after all.” Brian slapped him on the back. “I think I’ve lost my patter.”
“Nonsense,” he replied, returning Brian’s gesture. “You’re the best there is. It’s just a slow day.”
“Slow day, slow week, slow month.” Brian huffed before offering Julia a smile. “Hello, love. I see you’ve met Leon. He’s been working here part-time for a few months.”
Julia held her hand out to Leon. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Leon took Julia’s hand, but instead of simply shaking it, he lifted it to his mouth and planted a soft kiss on the back. Julia felt blood rush to her cheeks as she yanked it away.
“You never told me you had such a beautiful daughter, Brian.” Leon winked at Julia again, and she noticed the flecks of gold in his hazel eyes. “The pleasure is all mine.”
“She’s a married woman, kiddo,” Brian said before nodding to a well-dressed man just entering the barn. “I’ll let you deal with this one.”
Leon flashed Julia another smile before he left to approach the new customer. His every move oozed confidence in a way Julia wasn’t used to in such a small village.
“Brought you some cheesecake,” Julia said, handing over the box as she watched Leon charm the new customer. “New staff?”
“He’s working purely on commission,” Brian said quickly as though he needed to defend how he spent his money. “It’s been so hard to keep this place running while trying to source antiques. He’s bringing in more money than I’m paying him. He’s a natural-born salesman. He reminds me of myself at that age.”
“He’s certainly a flirt,” Julia commented.
Brian chuckled. “It helps him get the sales. He means no harm. He’s a good kid. Without him holding things together this week, I don’t know what I would have done.” He looked down at the cheesecake box and then up at Julia. “Something tells me you didn’t come here to bring me cheesecake or to browse the furniture. Have you spoken to any of the people on that list I gave you?”
“I found Louise Henshaw,” Julia began. “She’s working in a new shop on the Fern Moore Estate. I could only speak to her briefly, but she seems to have a solid alibi.” She paused and remembered what Louise had said about Samantha. “Do you know where I would be able to find the last housekeeper you had? Or, maybe just her surname?”
“I can’t even remember her first name.” Brian sucked the air through his teeth. “I didn’t really talk to her. I didn’t even bother interviewing her because she was the only applicant. Hilary insisted I find someone quickly. That was her first and last day. Is it important?”
“I don’t know,” Julia admitted, “but I’d like to know she got home safely. She ran out into the storm before I could stop her, and the not knowing is playing on my mind.”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Brian said quickly, his eyes drifting to the door as the couple who had recently left returned. “So, you think Louise is ruled out?”
Julia nodded. “She didn’t seem involved. She did tell me why she quit, though.”
“I fired her,” Brian cut in, eyes still on the customers. “She stopped turning up.”
“Maybe because you hadn’t paid her?” Julia suggested. “It probably demotivated her.”
“I was going to pay her,” he said with a quick shrug. “She just wasn’t a priority at that moment. You’ve done a good job speaking to her though. The electrician I mentioned on that list has a shop further up the street if you want to talk to him. I need to get to these customers. I’ll speak to you later.”
Julia’s father kissed her on the cheek before rushing back to the grand dining set the couple had returned to see. Julia had considered telling her father her big news now that Katie knew too, but she wasn’t about to drag him away from potentially making money now of all times, and she doubted Katie would be sharing anything with him anytime soon.
Deciding to take her father’s advice, Julia drove halfway back up Mulberry Lane and pulled up outside the small, dingy electronics shop. Julia had passed the shop many times, but she had never ventured inside. She wasn’t the most up to date when it came to the latest technology, but even she could tell the clunky laptops and bulky televisions on offer in the suffocating window display weren’t likely to sell, regardless of their low prices.
Peeling and faded stickers filled the front door’s window, promoting the different brands stocked inside while also giving the impression that the shop was permanently shut. If it weren’t for the faint hint of light deep inside, Julia might have returned to her car.
She pushed the door open and let it close behind her. The electronic beep it let out caused a bespectacled man behind the counter to look up from the wiry circuit board he was working on with a soldering iron. He squinted at Julia as though surprised to see anyone in his shop. She couldn’t be surprised – it looked like the place where electronics came to die.
“Yes?” he called out in a gruff voice with a distinct Irish twang. “Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for a Conor O’Flannigan,” Julia said after consulting her notepad. “I heard he’s an electrician?”
The man pulled off his glasses and beckoned Julia closer. “You’ve found him. How can I help you?”
Conor O’Flannigan was a short man, with buzzed grey hair and matching prickly stubble. Though Julia had seen him around the village, she couldn’t remember ever talking to him. She guessed he was somewhere in his fifties, although he looked like he was closer to leaving than entering them. The muscles in his forehead pulled down heavily over his eyes, but his wispy grey brows poked up in sharp angles, lending his face an almost cartoonlike meanness.
Despite the uneasy feeling he gave her, she was sure he wasn’t the man who had pointed a gun at her. She couldn’t definitively comment on the accomplice she had barely been able to look at, however.
“My name is Julia,” she started, no idea where to take the conversation. “I think you know my father, Brian.”
“Antiques-guy Brian?”
“That’s him. He mentioned you recently worked on the electrical wiring at Peridale Manor?”
Any hint of vague friendliness left Conor’s face. “Have you come to give me my money, then?”
“What money?”
“The money your father owes me.” Conor folded his arms tightly and cocked his head back to look down at Julia. “He owes me £1200 for the work I did at the manor. He must take me for a fool!”
“I’m sure he doesn’t think that.”
“Then why is he avoiding me?” Conor roared. “He runs like a scared little boy into his office every time I go near his antiques place. He keeps promising
to pay me, but the money never comes. I spent weeks rewiring that place. I even gave him a discount because we’re business neighbours.” His expression darkened into a full scowl. “Do you have my money, or not?”
“That’s not why I’m here.” Julia swallowed, suddenly nervous. “I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions about the burglary at the manor. Did you hear about it?”
“I don’t live under a rock!” Conor boomed. “This village is the size of a shoe! Has your father sent you in here to accuse me of being behind that?”
Julia’s mouth opened and closed. She had no idea how to respond because that was exactly what her father had done.
“Unless you’ve got money for me, get out of my shop!” Conor pointed at the door. “If anyone should be accused of robbery, it’s your father! I can’t believe the cheek of that man. First, he goes around telling people up and down this street I did a hatchet job on the electrics at the manor, and now this!”
“I’m sorry, I—”
“No!” Conor walked around the counter and turned Julia around to face the door. “I’m not accepting any apologies without my money. Get out and tell your father to watch his back.”
Julia pulled herself away from the electrician. She hurried out of the shop, letting the door slam behind her. She shielded her eyes from the bright sun and looked to the antiques barn at the bottom of the street.
Her father and Leon were loading the grand dining set into the back of a van while the new owners stood by the side and watched.
Julia sighed as she climbed into her car. Conor was as unlikely a suspect as Louise. However, with each conversation she had with a person on her father’s list, she grew more and more concerned more was going on than met the eye.
8
“Your blood pressure is perfect,” remarked Doctor Maryam Hussain as she released the pressure on the tight band around Julia’s arm. “I’d say you’re ready to start antenatal care with your midwife.”
“I don’t have a midwife,” Julia replied.
The doctor smiled as she took her seat behind the desk, where she began typing on the computer. “That’s why you’re here today, Julia.”