by Agatha Frost
Julia spotted the face wipes under her handbag on the corner of her dressing table, which was now cluttered with Sue’s makeup. Julia couldn’t believe all of those products were now smeared on her face. She had always wondered what she would look like under heavy makeup, and now that she knew, it wasn’t something she would be doing again.
Julia reached out for the makeup wipes, but so did Sue. The sisters wrestled like girls a quarter of their age while Jessie snickered in the doorway.
“Let go!” Julia groaned, tugging hard on the makeup wipes.
Sue did let go of the wipes, but the force of it sent Julia falling back. She reached out for the dressing table to catch her, but her fingers closed around the soft leather of her tiny handbag. The bag followed her, and its contents fell to the ground, surrounding her. Jessie stopped laughing and helped Julia up off the ground, but Julia was already pulling out a wipe to clear her face.
“What’s this?” Sue mumbled as she gathered up Julia’s things.
Julia looked out of one of her eyes as she wiped the other. Sue was staring down at the page of suspects in Julia’s small notepad.
“Dad? Katie?” Sue read aloud, turning around before Julia could snatch the notepad out of her hands. “Sally, Richard, Joanne and Terry? What is this, Julia?”
“Murder suspects,” Jessie said, rolling her eyes. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Julia?”
“Like Jessie said,” Julia mumbled quietly as she pulled a second wipe from the packet, the first looking like it had just been ran through the dirt. “Suspects for Charles Wellington’s murder.”
“You’ve been investigating, haven’t you?” Sue sighed, her eyes soaking in every detail of Julia’s notes on the next page. “Why can’t you just leave this to the professionals?”
“Julia’s the smartest woman I know,” Jessie spat out, looking angrily down her nose at Sue. “She’s better than any copper.”
Julia smiled gratefully through the mirror at Jessie, who took a sheepish step back as though surprised by her own words.
“I don’t think Dad did it,” Julia said. “I just haven’t crossed his name out yet. He told me he was out in the grounds when Charles was pushed, but Katie told me they were together in Dad’s study. Dad found Katie in his study drinking whiskey, but I suspect that was after Charles was pushed. Katie’s feet match the size of the boot prints found at the scene of the crime.”
“Boots?” Sue cried, shaking her head and tossing the notepad on the cluttered dressing table. “How do you know all of this?”
“I ask the right questions.”
“And the other names?” Sue appeared in the mirror behind Julia as she wiped off the last of the eyeliner surrounding her lashes. “Why do you suspect them?”
Sue sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her. Julia could tell Sue was trying to appear angry, even a little concerned, but the curiosity was also there. If Julia didn’t tell her, she knew Sue would rack her brains all night to piece things together. Julia almost didn’t want to say a word. She wanted Sue to know what it felt like to have pieces of a puzzle swirling around in her brain.
“Sally and Richard were both at the garden party when Charles was pushed out of the window, but they weren’t with the rest of us,” Julia started as she examined her fresh face, glad to see herself again. “We all saw Richard fight with Charles, but we didn’t see him actually strike Charles. When I saw Richard yesterday, his knuckles were cut, but the cuts weren’t fresh. Sally told me when she arrived at Peridale Manor, she saw Richard in a state and he wanted to get out of there in a hurry. I don’t know for sure, but I think we can all assume that Sally and Charles were having an affair, and that’s why Richard attacked Charles.”
“So you’re saying Richard found Charles after the fight, hit him, and then tossed him out of the window?” Sue asked, edging closer to the end of Julia’s bed.
“Not necessarily,” Julia said as she applied a generous amount of her favourite moisturiser. “That’s the obvious theory, but I have a feeling Sally is lying to me about something. She seems scared of Richard.”
“Do you think she saw him push Charles?”
“Or he saw her and he’s covering for her?” Jessie offered, sitting next to Sue. “You’re right, she did look scared of him, but wouldn’t you if somebody knew you had committed murder?”
“Exactly,” Julia said, the smile in the mirror telling her that they were on the same page.
“And the others?” Sue asked. “Joanne and Terry? I thought Terry was just the builder?”
“Do you remember what Gran said about seeing Terry in the manor around the time Charles was pushed?” Julia said, turning in her chair to face them both. “I spoke to Joanne. She told me they were both in the garden waiting for Katie to bring everybody to see the pool being dug.”
“Do you think she’s lying?” Sue asked, her eyes widening in shock.
“She could be,” Julia said, nodding in agreement. “Or she just remembered wrong. They weren’t suspects until earlier today. I went to Peridale Manor to talk to Dad and I saw them both in the builder’s work cabin, so I went to speak to them to ask some questions, but I overheard them arguing before I had a chance.”
“About the murder?” Jessie asked, her brows furrowing. “That’s a bit of a stupid thing to do.”
“Not quite,” Julia said, shrugging softly. “It’s open to interpretation. Joanne told Terry it was a good thing that Charles was dead and that they were in a bad place financially. She accused Terry of getting them into a mess, and that he had to sort it out.”
“Terry has a gambling problem,” Sue said, snapping her fingers together. “Neil told me he had to throw Terry out of the library for using the computers to gamble. He said he was in there every single day placing huge bets and then getting really angry when he lost money. Neil didn’t feel right about it, so he approached him and told him not to come in if he was going to use the library computers for that. He didn’t exactly ban him, but he as good as did.”
“That explains the money troubles,” Jessie said, looking from Sue to Julia. “And why Joanne would say she is glad that man is dead. If they are really broke, getting that spa job would be a pretty big deal, wouldn’t it?”
“But what does that have to do with Charles?” Sue asked.
“Aren’t you listening?” Jessie asked with a roll of her eyes. “Charles wanted to stop the house turning into a stupid spa. If he succeeded, that broke builder and his missus would lose their contract and most of the money with it. With the Wellington dude out of the way, Terry gets to finish his work and make the money.”
“It wasn’t that obvious,” Sue mumbled, looking from Jessie to Julia, hoping in vain that Julia hadn’t already figured it out too. “It does make sense though.”
“I’ll know more when I speak to them both,” Julia said, turning back to the mirror to apply a light coat of mascara.
“Or you could just leave it to Detective Inspector Brown and his team,” Sue said. “They’ve probably already gotten this far.”
“Perhaps,” Julia said, knowing they hadn’t. “But where’s the fun in that?”
Jessie smirked at her in the mirror. Julia felt like she was getting closer and closer to figuring out the truth, but for now, she pushed it out of her mind so she could focus on her date with Barker. After applying a subtle berry lipstick, she climbed into one of her nicer dresses and some kitten heels.
“How do I look?” Julia asked, standing in front of Jessie and Sue.
“Like you always do,” Sue said, the disappointment loud and clear.
“Good,” Julia said, turning to the mirror to run her fingers through her naturally messy curls. “That’s exactly what I was going for.”
Peridale’s only restaurant, The Comfy Corner, was Julia’s favourite place to eat when she wasn’t at her café, so when they pulled into the small backstreet it was nestled on, her face lit up.
“I hope you don’t mind keeping it
local,” Barker said as he pulled up outside of the small restaurant. “I don’t know the area too well yet and this place came highly recommend from the boys at the station.”
“It’s perfect,” Julia said, looking up at its twinkling sign. “They have the best carbonara this side of Italy.”
Barker got out and walked around the car. Julia took the opportunity to look in the visor mirror. She wasn’t a vain woman, but she also didn’t want to have lipstick on her teeth. Before she could open the door, Barker pulled it open and offered his hand.
“Thank you,” Julia said, getting out of the car without using his offer of assistance.
“Have I mentioned how beautiful you look yet?” Barker asked as he shut the car door behind her. “Because you do.”
“Twice.”
“Oh,” Barker said, nodding his head. “Sorry. Can you tell I’m nervous?”
“A little,” Julia admitted. “You don’t need to be nervous of me, Detective.”
“Are you sure?”
Julia chuckled softly and walked towards the restaurant’s door. She found it endearing that Barker was nervous about their date. It meant he cared, and she liked that. She couldn’t ever imagine her soon-to-be ex-husband, Jerrad, being nervous around her. He had always been collected and lacking in emotion to the point of being robotic.
“Evening, Julia,” Mary Potter, the owner of the small restaurant said. “Are you here for your big date with Barker?”
“Word does travel fast,” Julia mumbled under her breath, wondering how many people her gran had called that afternoon. “Table for two, please.”
“The candles are already burning,” she said with a soft wink. “Follow me.”
Barker’s hand settled into the small of Julia’s back as they walked across the restaurant. It took her so much by surprise, her entire body turned rigid. It had been so long since a man had touched her, she had almost forgotten how nice it could feel.
“Perfect table for a date,” Mary said when she stopped at a table tucked away in an alcove, and out of view from the rest of the restaurant. “We call it lover’s corner. Can I get you any drinks?”
“Dry white wine,” Julia said as she sat in the chair Barker had just pulled out for her.
“Water for me,” Barker said, patting his car keys. “Better safe than sorry.”
Mary nodded and shuffled over to the bar. She was a gentle woman in her sixties, but she was also notoriously nosey. Most people in Peridale were, but Mary was nosier than most. Nothing got past the woman. She seemed to know things about people that were so secretive, villagers had accused her on more than one occasion of hiding secret recording devices around the restaurant. Julia didn’t believe the rumour, but it was the reason her gran boycotted the place.
“It’s quite charming in here,” Barker said, looking around the comforting stone and oak interior. “You don’t get places like this in the city.”
“It used to be a pub. Dates back centuries,” Mary said as she shuffled back with their drinks. “These walls could tell you some stories. Each brick tells a tale.”
Mary set their drinks on the table, along with the menus she had nestled under her arm. She recommended the Peridale Pie, as she always did, and shuffled back to the bar.
“What’s a Peridale Pie?” Barker whispered over the top of his menu.
“It’s basically a cheese and onion pie with curry spices thrown in for good measure,” Julia whispered back. “Mary’s husband, Todd, is the chef and he’s rather eccentric.”
“Certainly sounds interesting,” Barker mumbled as he looked through the leather bound menu. “As does everything on here. I never thought I’d see a Tennessee burger next to a beef wellington.”
“It’s rather eclectic, but everything is delicious.”
They looked over the menu in silence for a couple of minutes and Julia settled on chicken liver pâté on toast for her starter, and the spaghetti carbonara for her main. Sue had warned her against eating messy food on the date, but Julia knew if a little carbonara sauce on her chin scared away a man, he wasn’t worth keeping.
“Speaking of Wellington,” Barker said. “I hear you were at Peridale Manor again yesterday.”
Julia had assumed mentioning the case was off limits for their date, but now that Barker had brought it up, she wasn’t going to dance away from the subject.
“I wanted to establish my father’s alibi,” Julia said. “Which I suppose you already know doesn’t marry up with his wife’s?”
“I do,” Barker said with a quick nod as he snapped the menu shut. “What the heck, I’ll try the Peridale Pie! Oxtail soup for starters too.”
Julia closed her menu and glanced around the edge of the alcove. Mary was talking to her husband. She didn’t doubt for a moment that they were discussing their date.
“I’m surprised you’re not telling me to stay out of things,” Julia said after a sip of wine.
“I’ve come to realise that no matter what I say you’ll do what you want. I like that about you. You’re a strong woman.”
“Most men don’t like a strong woman.”
“I’m not most men.”
“I’ve realised that, Detective,” Julia said, holding back her smile. “You are certainly different than the usual Peridale men.”
“Do you know that for a fact?” Barker asked, his eyes twinkling darkly in the soft candlelight. “Any skeletons in the closet that I should know about?”
Julia became flustered, but she was saved having to mention her divorce when Mary came to take their order. She fumbled with her hair, tucking it behind her ear. The last thing she wanted to talk about was her divorce.
Mary took their orders, complimenting them on their choices, and also recommending a dessert if they still had room at the end. When she hobbled away, Julia was glad Barker didn’t immediately pick up where they had left off.
“Do you think your step-mother is capable of murder?” Barker asked, leaning across the table, his lips obscured by the flickering flame of the tall candle. “Off the record.”
“Is she your prime suspect?”
“Isn’t she yours?” Barker asked, his brows creasing as though there was no other option. “I’m assuming you’ve figured out her foot size matches, and we all saw her put on the boots.”
“It certainly seems to make sense.”
“But?” Barker sat back, a grin forming.
“There is no but,” Julia said, shrugging softly. “I just like to keep all options open. When a cake isn’t working, I don’t throw in the first ingredient I can think of. I take my time, assess the flavours and really make sure I’m adding the right thing. Sometimes that first thought is right, but more often than not, it’s wrong. You can always add, but you can’t take away.”
“So you don’t think she did it?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Well, obviously there’s Richard,” Barker offered, leaning back into the flame of the candle, appearing to revel in talking the case over with Julia. “I’ve interviewed him twice now, but aside from attacking Charles, there’s nothing else. Sally says she was with him at the time of the murder.”
“She did?” Julia said, a brow unintentionally arching. “She told me something different.”
“You’ve interviewed her?”
“I’m making her wedding cake,” Julia said innocently. “Which she cancelled, and then re-ordered. They’re back together now, but when they were broken up, she told me she went to Peridale Manor to talk to him, saw him, then he left.”
“She told me they both left and went home,” Barker said, his eyes narrowing to dark slits. “Why would she lie?”
Before Julia could offer her theory, Mary appeared with Julia’s chicken liver pâté on toast, and Barker’s oxtail soup. They thanked her and she vanished again. They both started to eat, but Julia could feel Barker itching to discuss further.
“I sensed she was lying to me,” Julia offered after cutting her toast slice in two. “
Either story could be true, or both lies.”
“She’s hiding something. I just don’t know what,” Barker said before blowing a spoonful of his hot soup. “Do you think either of them did it?”
“Possibly,” Julia said with a nod. “Have you considered Joanne and Terry Lewis?”
“Who?”
Julia contained her smirk. She took her time popping a piece of the pâté-covered toast into her mouth. She chewed slowly, enjoying Barker watching her intently as he messily slurped his soup.
“Terry Lewis is the contractor working on the spa conversion,” Julia said when she felt she had left him to sweat it out long enough. “Joanne is his wife.”
“Why do you suspect them?”
“They’re having money troubles, and Joanne lied about Terry’s alibi. She told me her and her husband were in the garden at the time of the murder but my gran saw and spoke to him in the manor.”
“Have you ever considered your gran did it?” Barker teased. “Normally I wouldn’t imagine a lady in her eighties throwing a fully grown man out of a window, but she’s something else. She scares me. Did you know she was running an illegal poker club?”
“It’s now a book club,” Julia said with a small chuckle. “They’re reading Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Barker choked on his soup, his cheeks burning red. He dabbed at his lips with a cotton napkin and stared at Julia as if expecting her to say she was joking.
“This village is certainly colourful,” Barker said as he resumed his soup. “Who do you think did it?”
“It’s too soon to say,” Julia said honestly. “It’s not even been a week yet. There are still things to be discovered.”
“Such as?”
Before Julia could answer, Mary reappeared to ask them both how their food was at the very moment they were mid-chew. They nodded and mumbled their satisfaction, turning down Mary’s offer of drink refills. She knowingly smiled at Julia and mouthed something that looked like ‘he’s so handsome’ before leaving them once again.
“We still don’t know what was taken from that display plinth next to the window,” Julia said. “I feel like it holds the key to finding out the truth.”