by Agatha Frost
Julia stepped to the side as the officers walked down the hallway. The door slammed behind them, sending a chilly silence through the B&B.
“What was that about?” Honey asked.
Russell, who looked like he had just seen a ghost, swallowed hard and leaned against the fish tank desk.
“The company who fitted the lighting rig suspects foul play,” he said, the words almost choking him. “They’re refusing to accept that it’s wear and tear or a fault on their part. They called the police.”
Honey looked as though he was going to say something, but instead, he ran through the diner and into the kitchen. Russell clung to the fish tank as though it was the only thing keeping him upright. Alfie and Jessie headed up to their room, and Julia nodded for Barker to follow. When she was alone with Russell, she rested her hand on his shoulder.
“Let’s get you sat down,” she said softly as she pulled him away from the desk. “C’mon. Into the drag den we go.”
Russell let Julia lead him into his office. She sat him in the chair at his dressing table and looked around for a kettle or a bottle of water. Instead, her eyes landed on an envelope on the counter tucked under a makeup brush. ‘Russell’ was written on the front in curly handwriting.
“That’s Marvin’s writing,” Russell said when he noticed the envelope too.
He pulled it out from under the brush and ripped it open. Julia’s heart fluttered. She wondered if she should be there when he read it, but she was curious to see how he would react to Marvin professing his love. Russell scanned the letter, his brows tensing tighter with each line.
“It’s his notice,” Russell muttered, the words catching in his throat. “Marvin’s quit. He’s retiring Tuna Turner.”
“Retiring?”
“He said he doesn’t want to do drag anymore,” Russell said as he scanned the letter again, the paper rustling as his hands shook. “He’s done. He’s had enough.”
Julia wanted so desperately to tell Russell what she had overheard while baking the cake that morning, but it was not her place. Instead, she fetched the cake from the kitchen and handed Russell a fork.
“That’s it,” Russell said as he stabbed the fork into the cake. “I don’t see how we can continue like this. Sparkles by the Sea is finished.”
12
The tension during the show later that evening was palpable. Lulu Suede’s hosting barely extended beyond introducing the acts, and when it came to welcoming Tuna Turner to the stage, Lulu barely looked up from the laptop where her eyes stayed through the whole performance. It might have mattered more if the bar had contained more than a handful of people.
When Julia’s eyes opened the next morning, she was glad to be awake. She had been haunted by dreams of Tuna, Feather, Honey, and Lulu chasing her around the tangled corridors of the B&B. Each of them had been brandishing a saw and demanding their pound of flesh as punishment for her snooping. Julia feigned a headache and skipped breakfast.
Once alone in the room, she opened the curtains and sat at the table with her notepad. She looked at the sky above the sea. Grey clouds were hovering in the distance, promising more rain. The thick humidity hinted at something worse.
“Any closer to figuring it out?” Barker asked when he returned from breakfast.
Julia flicked through the reams of notes, but she felt no closer to cracking the case. She had settled on one of Honey’s saws likely being used to cut the wire, but it did not make it a closed case.
“It could have been any of them,” Julia said, planting her face in her hands. “They each have some kind of motive, but any of them could have put the stepladder there and cut the wire. I’m no closer to a conclusion than I was when it happened.”
“That’s not true,” Barker said, holding his hand out for the notepad. “You now know for certain it wasn’t an accident. Let me have a look.”
Julia handed over the notepad and watched as Barker skimmed through the notes with more detail than she had expected. She had to remind herself he was a qualified detective inspector, even if she had beat him to the punch on more cases than he would have liked to admit.
“You’re missing something really obvious.” Barker tossed the pad back onto the table. “Alibis.”
“None of the queens were in the bar,” Julia said with a frown as she opened the pad. “That’s obvious. I would have seen them.”
“Yes, but you don’t know where they were,” Barker said with a smug nod. “Or, rather, you don’t know where they want you to think they were. You could quite easily catch one of them out in a lie.”
Barker was right, and she felt foolish for the oversight. She had been trying so hard to glean as much enjoyment from the holiday as possible that she had only kept one eye on the unfolding case. After she showered and dressed, she made her way down to the diner, leaving Barker to do some writing of his own in the room.
Despite Russell being at the reception desk, she decided she wanted to speak to Arthur first. After sneaking through the kitchen, she hurried across the courtyard to his flat.
“Hello, poppet,” Arthur said with a wide smile when he answered the door, still in his pyjamas. “Here for another cup of tea?”
“That would be lovely.”
Arthur let Julia into his flat. She waited on the sofa, Honey’s metal man sculpture watching over her from the corner.
“Honey has quite the talent,” Arthur said when he shuffled in holding two cups. “I’m afraid I used the last liquorice bag on your last visit, so it’s just peppermint today.”
Julia accepted the cup and put it on the table next to Barker’s book. From the bookmark, it looked like Arthur was reaching the conclusion.
“I might have judged it too quickly,” he said when he noticed Julia looking. “It’s rather caught my attention. You know, there’s a woman in the book who reminds me of you. She wears dresses just like yours.”
“Small world,” Julia said, masking her smile.
They sipped their tea and chatted about the humidity. Julia itched to start asking questions, but she liked Arthur and did not want him to think there was an ulterior motive behind her visit. When Arthur turned onto the topic of the police sniffing around the B&B, Julia shuffled forward in her seat.
“They’ve questioned all of us,” Arthur said with a shake of his head. “I told them it was clearly an accident, but they seem to think it was cut with something. I think the company is worried we’re going to sue them, so they’re trying to wriggle out of it. Russell is in bits. We had a heart to heart last night. He’s devastated. Marvin quitting is the cherry on top. It’s his last show tonight. He’s such a silly fool.”
“Russell?”
“Marvin!” Arthur cried. “He’s been in love with Russell since the day they met, but he’s never had the guts to let him know. Seems to think Russell doesn’t think about him in that way, but Russell just assumes nobody could love him because of the drag thing. They might not be kids, but they act like it sometimes. They’re both their own worst enemies. Russell’s too fixated on the idea that he’s going to die old and alone like Hedy Lamarr with a telephone as his only friend. He can’t see the sun because he’s too fixated on the clouds.”
“It would be a shame if Marvin left without telling Russell the truth.”
“That it would!” Arthur cried. “I’ve wanted to tell Russell for years, but it’s not my place, is it, poppet? Experience tells me you don’t meddle in other people’s love lives, but I’m not sure I can stand by and let Russell’s great love slip through his fingers.”
“Have you never had a great love?” Julia asked, her fascination about Arthur’s life making her forget why she had visited him.
“Me?” Arthur laughed with a shake of his head. “No, poppet. My great love was, and still is, the stage! I’m afraid I’m a little expired now, but I won’t die with any regrets.” Arthur paused, his lined forehead scrunching up. “Actually, poppet, I take that back. I’ll regret that I wasn’t able to save this p
lace for future generations. Spaces like this should be preserved, but Russell sounded quite sure that he was going to sell. I always imagined I’d drop dead in the middle of a Judy Garland number the way a drag queen should. It would be quite a fabulous end, wouldn’t it, poppet? Instead, I’m probably going to move to one of those awful villages like in that book and take up chess or knitting and die peacefully in my bed. The thought is making my foot itch!”
“Little villages aren’t so bad,” Julia said. “I live in one. There’s a cottage for sale across the lane from me if you find yourself without a home.”
“I might take you up on that offer.” Arthur chuckled before sipping his tea. “Especially if you bake more of those delicious chocolate cakes. I’m ashamed to admit I had more than my fair share, but if I am going to fade into a sleepy retirement, I might as well balloon up to the size of a house. I can’t imagine there’s much else to do at my age.” Arthur put the tea on the table and leaned back in the chair. “If this really is the end for Sparkles, it’s not just me I feel sorry for. It’s Honey, and all the future queens like her. This place has always been a beacon for the abandoned and tossed aside, and without it, I worry more kids will turn to the streets and fall into those dark holes.”
The mention of Honey reminded Julia of why she was there. She looked at the looming metal figure in the corner, its presence ghostly.
“Honey seems like a good kid,” she started, choosing her words carefully. “I can’t help but notice that he has some issues with anger.”
“I worry about that too,” Arthur said with a nod. “He lashes out a little too much, especially at people who are trying to help him, but I suppose that is the nature of a teenager.”
“Do you think Honey would lash out at Simon if he had the chance?” Julia asked, her voice shaking at being so intrusive.
Arthur sighed. He reached out for his cup and finished his tea before settling back into his seat. Resting his hands on his stomach, he arched a brow at Julia, his expression making her feel like he was disappointed.
“Did Russell send you in here?” he asked, his tone shifting. “He asked me the same thing this morning, so I’ll tell you what I told him and what I told the police. Honey did not tamper with that rig. We were both outside having a cigarette when we heard that thing fall down. If he did it, he has powers of telekinesis because he was right by my side.”
Julia sipped her tea and waited for Arthur to ask her to leave, but it did not come. His expression softened as though he could sense her discomfort.
“I’m sorry, poppet,” he said with a wave of his hand. “It’s just been a hard week. There’s been a lot to come to terms with. The one thing I’ve been worrying about for years seems to be happening quicker than I would like, and there’s not a lot left for me to do, and it’s not for a lack of trying. Maybe time will show that Russell is doing the right thing. You wouldn’t let a horse hobble around with a broken leg, so perhaps the humane thing is to put this old place out of its misery. You’ll have to travel up for our final show whenever it is. I’m sure it will be one for the ages.”
Julia promised that she would. She finished her tea and left Arthur to get ready to host that afternoon’s ice cream brunch for the guests. She left his flat and walked back through the kitchen and into the diner where she was surprised to see Barker in one of the booths.
“It was too hot up there,” he explained as he shut his journal. “I opened the window, but it made no difference. It felt like I was sitting in hot water. Attained any alibis yet?”
“Honey and Arthur were together smoking cigarettes outside,” Julia said as she sat across from him. “How’s the writing coming along? Going to share your idea yet?”
“In time.” Barker closed his journal and slotted his pen over the front cover. “Honey and Marvin were in here earlier. I don’t think they even noticed me come in. They were speaking quite candidly. Did you know Marvin is madly in love with Russell and that he’s leaving the B&B because of it? Honey was trying to convince him to stay, but he said it would be Tuna’s last performance tonight. He’s getting a train down to London first thing in the morning to stay with some old friends while he figures out his next steps. They left about ten minutes ago. Honey didn’t say where he was going, but Marvin said he was going to pack up his drag. I don’t know where that is, but it might be a good time to ask him about his alibi.”
Knowing exactly where he was, Julia left Barker to continue with his novel planning. She snuck past the open door of the drag den where Russell was talking on the phone. Once inside the empty bar, she climbed onto stage and slipped through the velvet curtain.
“Honey, is that you?” Marvin’s head popped around the edge of the clothes railing at the other side of the room. “Oh. It’s staff only back here, love. Are you looking for something?”
Marvin emerged from the changing and storage area with a dress made entirely of black feathers over his arm. He held it up before folding it and putting it in a suitcase.
“I was looking for you,” Julia said. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”
Marvin folded his arms, but he nodded. Julia took that as an invitation to venture further into the grand dressing room. Marvin pulled a pink ostrich feather minidress from the rack and put it in the case.
“You have some beautiful gowns,” Julia said. “I heard tonight was your last show.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do with all of this.” Marvin pulled out another dress and put it in the case. “Maybe I can sell it. There’s no point clinging to Tuna Turner forever. I never really wanted to get into drag in the first place. I fell into it to impress someone. Sounds silly when I say it out loud.”
“Russell?”
“How did you know that?”
“Russell told me how you met,” Julia explained. “You were a competitive dancer, and he convinced you to become a professional drag queen after you injured your knee.”
Marvin assessed Julia sceptically as he pulled out another gown.
“Regardless, it’s time to let go,” he said before closing the case and zipping it up. “I was never going to be one of the Feather Dusters of the world. I’m forty-two, so it feels like a good time to try something else.”
“Change is good,” Julia agreed. “I restarted my life again when I was thirty-five, and it was the best thing I ever did. My ex-husband kicked me out, so I moved back to my home village and bought a café. It all worked out, but I suspect that’s because I was running towards something and not away.”
“Are you suggesting I’m running away from Tuna?” Marvin asked with a shake of his head. “It’s just wigs and dresses, love. I take the art seriously, but it’s just that. It’s not that deep to me.”
“The drag might not be,” Julia said, following Marvin as he walked around the rack, “but what about Russell? How will you feel when you live on the other side of the country?”
The question caught Marvin off-guard. He frowned at Julia before pulling more dresses from a cardboard box.
“I’ll cope,” Marvin said as he marched past her. “We spent years apart before I came here. As I said, it’s time for a change.”
Julia followed him again and watched as he stuffed the dresses into a black bag.
“I find it’s easier to be honest when it comes to matters of the heart,” Julia said calmly and carefully. “Everyone gets less hurt in the long run. I wish my ex had told me he’d fallen out of love with me before he replaced me with his secretary. I think Russell would appreciate you telling him the truth about how you feel about him before you run away.”
Julia’s comments visibly shocked Marvin. He stood completely still and stared blankly at her, his lips parted but silent.
“And how do I feel about Russell?” he asked with a forced laugh. “What do you know?”
“That you’ve been in love with him since you first met,” Julia said calmly. “I overheard you talking to Honey about it this morning. I’m sorry, but I think you n
eed to tell him. Even if he rejects you, at least you’ll know. It’s easier to fix a broken heart than a longing one.”
Marvin looked as though he was trying to speak but the words appeared to jam in his throat. His lids fluttered, tears collecting along his lashes.
“Is that why you came looking for me?” Marvin snapped, his bottom lip wobbling. “To make me feel even worse than I already do?”
“It’s the truth.”
“It’s my truth,” Marvin cried, tearing his eyes away from Julia and marching over to the dressing table. “I don’t see how it’s any of your business.”
Julia knew he was right. Perhaps she had overstepped her mark, but she rooted for love. The thought that Marvin would not give in to his would keep her up at night long after she left the B&B.
“I’m sorry,” Julia said. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I only came to ask you a simple question.”
“What?” Marvin wiped his eyes and stared at Julia in the mirror as he gathered up his makeup.
“Where were you when the rig fell on Simon?” Julia asked. “I was in the audience, and I’m afraid the mystery of not knowing what happened to him is eating away at me.”
“I was at a nightclub,” Marvin replied quickly. “I used to stick around for the whole show, but since Simon got here, I’ve got out of drag and out of Sparkles as quickly as possible. I only found out about what happened when Russell called me in the morning.”
Julia considered asking Marvin what club he had gone to and if he could prove it, but she knew she had already said one too many things. Leaving him to continue packing, she walked through the curtain and back through the bar. She walked through to the hallway where Russell was scooping fish out of the tank and putting them in a mop bucket filled with water.
“The filter jammed up,” he explained when he noticed Julia. “I thought I might as well clean it out while I’m here. It might take my mind off things. Can you imagine being so stressed that cleaning a fish tank is a distraction?”