THE WINDMILL CAFE_PART ONE_Summer Breeze

by Poppy Blake

  Rosie watched Matt stride off towards his office to catch up with Nadia. Would she have spiked Heidi’s drink if she had been presented with the opportunity? Of course not, it was Harry she held responsible for the termination of their relationship, not Heidi. Matt was way off course. She had seen the genuine affection in Nadia’s eyes when she spoke of her best friend and her flourishing music career and she knew Nadia was another suspect they could strike from the list. They were running out of options and if they didn’t find out the truth soon, Rosie suspected the finger of accusation may very well swing back in her direction when Felix discovered her background in floristry.

  However, before she could dwell on that scenario, her mobile sprang into life and she knew she had much more pressing matters to deal with. The environmental health inspectors had arrived at the Windmill Café.

  Chapter 17

  ‘Thanks for coming with me, Matt. I owe you.’

  Anxiety gnawed at her abdomen as they headed back to the café. She had known the inspectors would be arriving at some point that day but it didn’t make the fact any easier to accept. When they pulled into the car park at the Windmill Café, her heart lurched as she saw not only Dr Bairstow’s Range Rover, but a shiny black 4X4 with blacked-out windows in one of the other spaces. Rosie knew she was being ridiculous, but she had never seen a more ominous vehicle.

  ‘Graham should have made the effort to be back in the UK by now. He could have caught a flight as soon as you called him. It’s really not fair to leave you to deal with this on your own! It would be a tragedy if Willerby lost its landmark café and anyone who has ever enjoyed a meal from its kitchen will have been left in no doubt how pristine the place is. You have nothing to worry about, Rosie. We know the cause of Suki’s illness was someone spiking her throat spray which was probably carried out before your guests even arrived in Norfolk. All you have to do is meet the inspectors, answer every question they ask, and they’ll move on to the next business more deserving of their time and expertise.’

  ‘Thanks, Matt.’

  A surge of confidence washed over Rosie. With Matt at her side she felt like she could conquer anything – look how she’d handled her very first attempt at field archery under his careful instruction – although there was a lot more at stake this time. She jumped down from the passenger seat of his SUV and strode across to the café with purpose, keys in her hand.

  The day was well into its third act, the sky strewn with bruised clouds threatening a repeat of the earlier rain that had left a slick coating of moisture on the lawns and puddles dotted across the terrace. Rosie pushed back the French doors to let as much light and air into the kitchen as possible.

  She took comfort in the fact that whilst she wasn’t responsible for the cleaning of the lodges – Graham employed a local business to do that – she had personally checked each lodge before Suki’s party had arrived and they were all spotless. Matt was right, she should have more self-belief.

  ‘Okay, I’ve just been over to Suki and Felix’s lodge. Dr Bairstow is there with the two environmental health inspectors,’ said Matt, arriving in the café’s kitchen and snatching up a slice of cherry flapjack. ‘I’ve told them we’ll be waiting for them in the café. I hope they’ve brought their gas masks because this place stinks of bleach!’

  Apprehension swirled around Rosie’s body whipping her breath from her lungs. She needed something to do with her hands but there was nothing left for her to clean. She gave Matt a weak smile, grateful for his support and not wanting to give him the impression that she was anything less than confident in the outcome of the investigation. Sadly, she would never be worthy of an Oscar in the Best Actress category and she knew her fake bravado hadn’t fooled him.

  ‘Rosie, I know how stressful this is for you, but you have a lot of friends here who…’

  ‘Are you open? I could murder a cup of tea!’

  Dr Bairstow’s ruggedly handsome face appeared at the French doors, the bump in his nose testament to his enduring hobby. His shoulders were so broad and muscular, Rosie was surprised his presence didn’t block out all the natural light. Her spirits edged up a notch when she saw he was smiling as he rubbed his palm over his bristly beard.

  ‘No problem, take a seat. Dr Bairstow…’

  ‘Philip, please. Suki’s still giving her statement to the environmental health guys but it seems she has no idea how the substance could have got into her spray. She makes it herself from a recipe she got off the internet which of course does not include aconitine! We’ve tested each of the ingredients separately and there’s no trace of poison in any of them, including the honey you gave Suki from the kitchen, Rosie. By process of deduction, we now know that the poison was in the bottle itself before she filled it.’

  ‘Does that mean the Windmill Café is in the clear?’ asked Rosie, so overwhelmed with relief that she struggled to prevent tears from forming along her lashes.

  ‘Yes, but the inspectors will still want to take a look around before they leave, just as a formality, then I’ve advised Suki to call the police. Understandably, she is struggling to come to terms with the confirmation that someone intended to cause her harm, someone who knew about and had access to her throat spray.’

  ‘Thanks for coming to tell us,’ said Matt, holding out his palm as Rosie put down a pot of Earl Grey and a slice of flapjack in front of Dr Bairstow.

  ‘Ah, Rosie, you’re a lifesaver. Would you believe that this is the first food to pass my lips since yesterday lunchtime? My partner is on holiday with his family in Provence and I’ve been on call for the last week without a break. Mmm, this flapjack is delicious, could I take a couple of pieces with me?’

  ‘Of course, and they’re on the house.’

  ‘Do you think you’ll reopen the café this afternoon?’

  ‘No,’ said Matt before Rosie could even decide what she intended to do. ‘I think Rosie and Mia deserve a day off to recharge their batteries. And a trip to the beach is calling our names.’

  ‘Well, have fun, and thanks again for the flapjack, Rosie.’

  ‘It’s me who should be thanking you, Doctor… erm, Philip.’

  ‘No thanks necessary. All in a day’s work. Catch you later.’

  Matt and Rosie waved the doctor off just as Felix arrived on the terrace.

  ‘Ah, Rosie, I was wondering if you could rustle me up a round of your delicious cheese and cucumber sandwiches?’ he asked, flashing his incongruously white teeth, his perfectly shaped eyebrows raised in question.

  ‘Actually, the café is closed,’ snapped Matt, in case Rosie was thinking of wavering. ‘And I would have thought the first thing you should be saying to Rosie, and Mia when you see her, is how sorry you are for throwing around unsubstantiated accusations that could have forced the Windmill Café to close for good, not to mention the fact that Rosie would have lost her home.’

  ‘Of course, I’m filled with remorse,’ Felix replied, not looking at all contrite despite supposedly being an accomplished actor.

  Rosie took a couple of moments to consider the man lounging against the countertop in her kitchen. Felix Dawson was handsome, there was no denying it; over six feet tall with well-honed muscles, light blond hair that had been enhanced by well-placed highlights, and of course that toothpaste-ad smile. Yes, he was attractive in a plastic kind of a way, but boy did he know it. His pale lilac shirt had been immaculately pressed, not a crease dared to invade its crispness, and his tan was clearly genuine having spent most of the summer at Suki’s villa in Ibiza. He gave the impression of someone totally relaxed in his own skin, arrogant even.

  She met his eyes and was shocked to experience a frisson of desire curl through her veins. His irises were such a perfect shade of turquoise, they reminded her of the Mediterranean Sea when the midday sun sparkled on the surface of the waves. Clean-shaven, his well-chiselled jawline could have been sculpted by a maestro of design. He exuded a faint hint of woody cologne which invaded her nostrils and added to the pu
ll of attraction, and he had even managed to erase his native Mancunian accent to speak in the rounded tones of a BBC news reporter. But it was his smile that brought Rosie back down to earth. She wouldn’t want to be standing next to him in ultraviolet light. She would need to wear her sunglasses or run the risk being blinded.

  ‘Sorry, Felix. Matt and I were just on our way out…’

  ‘But I suppose if it’s just a sandwich you’re after then we can delay for an hour or so.’

  Rosie did a double-take. What was Matt talking about? Hadn’t he just informed Felix in no uncertain terms that there would be no food cooked at the Windmill Café that day. She opened her mouth to protest, but saw Matt give her an almost imperceptible wink and took the hint. Clearly he hadn’t given up on earning his detective badge just yet.

  ‘One cheese and cucumber sandwich coming up. Do you want a coffee?’

  ‘Please and a slice of that flapjack, if you don’t mind.’

  As Rosie made her way to the kitchen to put on her apron, she strained her ears to listen in to the conversation as Matt made the perfect opening gambit.

  ‘So, Felix, I hear you’re an actor?’

  ‘I am. Actually, I’ve just finished filming a role as a playboy aristocrat in the next series of a costume drama, Fountain’s Abbey. Have you seen it?’

  ‘No, I’m afraid not.’

  ‘It’s set in the Scottish Highlands. I play…’

  ‘And how long have you and Suki been together?’

  ‘Oh, yes, well, let me see. I met Suki, William and Nadia at Sheffield University about five years ago, but Suki and I didn’t get together as a couple until January this year. We bumped into each other at a New Year’s Eve wrap party for a TV detective series I’d been in and we’ve been together ever since.’

  ‘Do you live together?’

  Rosie put the sandwich down in front of Felix, turning her head slightly so she could raise her eyebrows at Matt without Felix noticing. She was surprised, and a little concerned, that Felix didn’t seem in the slightest bit reticent about answering Matt’s somewhat intrusive questions. But then, he was clearly one of those people who relished every opportunity to talk about themselves and their careers.

  ‘I moved into Suki’s flat in Kensington in March. She went out to Majorca at the beginning of May to stay with William’s parents and to sort out a villa to rent in Ibiza for the summer. I followed a couple of weeks later – with Jess in tow. You’ve seen what she’s like, probably would have ended up in a harem in Bahrain if I hadn’t been with her. William and Nadia also rented a place in San Antonio, but it wasn’t a patch on Suki’s – much to Nadia’s disgust. She was always round at our place, lazing by the pool, eating our food, drinking our booze. Should have seen her face when William announced he’d got Suki a recording contract. I was expecting a catfight.’

  ‘How did you feel when Suki was offered the recording deal?’ asked Rosie, getting drawn into the story as more details of Suki’s life emerged.

  ‘Well, we had a fabulous celebration at Suki’s favourite restaurant in Santa Eulalia. We drank so much champagne that night I don’t remember much about it to be honest. Of course, I was ecstatic that she’d finally achieved her dream. So ecstatic, in fact, I proposed.’

  ‘You proposed!’ gasped Rosie, sloshing the coffee she had been in the process of pouring into Matt’s cup onto the table, and then rushing back to the kitchen for a cloth.

  ‘Yes. I loved her. She loved me. Why not?’

  ‘But?’

  Rosie cast a swift glance in Matt’s direction, but his face remained a mask of concentration as he stared straight back at Felix. For the first time, she saw Felix’s polished exterior slip. His forehead wrinkled, his eyes narrowed and his incongruous movie-star teeth were subjected to an onslaught of grinding.

  ‘She turned me down. It was that moron, William Morgan! He advised her not to jeopardize her one shot at fame and fortune by getting engaged on the spur of the moment. He told her to take her time to think it through, to maybe postpone any engagement until the new album was in the bag. But then there would be the promotion, the live tours…’ Felix’s upper lip curled and his stare held an intensity bordering on hatred.

  ‘How did you manage your acting career while you and Suki were in Ibiza?’ asked Rosie.

  ‘Well, the summer months are often a quiet time in my profession. I’ve had a couple of supporting actor roles, but it’s a difficult business to make a decent living out of, especially when you don’t have a trust fund or Mummy and Daddy’s tennis academy to fall back on. Some of us have to work our butts off just to stay afloat.’

  ‘So, you were envious of Suki’s success when your own career hit a lull, and of her friendship with William,’ concluded Matt.

  ‘I wasn’t envious! I was delighted for her. I asked her to marry me, for God’s sake!’

  ‘Could that be because you didn’t want to lose her once she got sucked into the maelstrom of a singing career? Or were you afraid she would gallop off into the sunset leaving you behind in her slipstream?’

  ‘Of course not. What are you suggesting? Hey, what is this? Some sort of an interrogation?’ The scorch of Felix’s glare could ignite paper as he scraped back his chair, intending to storm out of the café.

  However, Matt wasn’t going to give up. ‘Look, Felix, Dr Bairstow has told us that the police are getting involved. This is serious – for all we know someone could have been trying to kill Suki! Rosie and I simply want to try to find out whatever we can to help solve the mystery before that happens. It’s in everyone’s interests, don’t you think? You’re Suki’s boyfriend – you’ll be on their list of suspects, probably at the top!’

  Felix was gobsmacked at what Matt had just said. Clearly that possibility had not even occurred to him. Rosie saw alarm reflected in his gaze and it was obvious that Matt had pierced his carefully-crafted armour of arrogance. She grabbed the tray of flapjacks, slid it onto the table in front of Felix and plonked herself down at the table, hoping to calm the situation with an injection of sugar.

  ‘Was it your idea to book the lodges here in Willerby?’ Rosie asked after a few moments.

  ‘Yes. What’s that got to do with anything?’ Felix’s face had taken on a sullen, almost petulant look and the tremble of his hands belied a nicotine addict denied his regular fix. ‘Actually, if you want to know, I thought coming here would be the perfect opportunity to change Suki’s mind about the engagement – away from all the excitement of the music scene and the distractions of San Antonio.’

  ‘But you spent most of the weekend on a pub crawl with your friends in Colchester, didn’t you? That’s not the behaviour of a man who wants to romance his girlfriend into accepting a marriage proposal.’

  ‘Can’t a guy have a night off? Look, I know where you’re going with this, and I don’t blame you. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions about the food at the garden party. I’m sorry, okay? And if you think I had anything to do with spiking Suki’s spray, then you’re way off base. I adore Suki, and so does my family, especially my sister. Josie’s hoping to become the sister-in-law of a famous pop star – you know, free concert tickets, backstage passes, autographs, boasting rights.’

  ‘So what’s your theory on the throat spray?’

  ‘It must have been some sort of accident. Using the spray is like an obsession for Suki. It was like, if she didn’t have her throat spray with her, plus a couple of back-ups in her bag, she just couldn’t go on stage. Ridiculous, but it usually worked to calm her nerves. I have no idea how that weird poison got into the bottle. She sterilizes them religiously.’

  ‘Did Suki ever use anything else before a performance?’ asked Rosie.

  ‘Never. And to be honest she wasn’t much of a drinker either. When I heard about her downing a couple of bottles of champagne and taking a bottle of Moët off to the lodge with that guy, I couldn’t believe it, but now I’ve had a chance to think things through I understand why Suki did that.’r />
  ‘Really?’

  ‘I promised to come up to Norfolk for the garden party as soon as I was sober enough to drive. I was late. I missed the party. She was angry. She wanted to teach me a lesson so she made a show of copping off with some random stranger. Nothing happened and she ditched him as soon as they were out of sight of that gossipmonger, Nadia. Suki and I are destined to be together. If only that idiot William hadn’t stuck his size nines in, we’d be engaged now. I wouldn’t have had to persuade her to come to this boring backwater and we’d still be relaxing on our sun-loungers soaking up the Spanish rays.’

  ‘So if someone told you that Suki was having an affair you wouldn’t believe them?’

  Felix’s eyes widened and locked onto Matt’s gaze. Two red spots appeared on his cheeks and his mouth gaped as he held his coffee mug at his lips.

  ‘Absolutely not!’

  This time Felix couldn’t engage his acting skills to disguise his emotions. His face drained of all colour leaving a hard, leathery expression that Rosie found discomforting. Beads of perspiration collected on his upper lip and at his temples. As he raised his fingertips to wipe away the moisture, his hand shook and barely restrained anger exuded from every pore of his body.

  To Rosie’s intense relief, Matt accepted that he had gone too far with his questions. If he had been a character in was one of her father’s favourite American detective novels, this was the part where the investigator got beaten up for his troubles and she certainly didn’t want to be the one to have to separate the two of them.

  ‘Great, thanks Felix. It’s been good chatting to you. We’ll let you get back to your friends now.’

  Felix glared at Matt, his fists curled into balls, but he stood up from the table, tossed down a twenty-pound note, and strode from the café without another word.

  ‘I thought he was going to hit you. Why did you have to ask him that?’

  ‘Like Nadia, Felix knows William and Suki are having an affair. I’d put money on it, which gives him a motive for putting something in her spray, don’t you think?’