Christmas Trees

by Poppy Blake

  Rosie watched as Matt continued to flick through the images, taking his time to scrutinise each one in turn. Most of the photographs were of wide stretches of sandy Norfolk beaches, or a troop of tiny yachts skittering on the water, or of the North Sea glistening like a majestic piece of crumpled tin foil under the weak winter sunshine. There were two further snaps of Grace and Alfie, and then a couple of Alfie enjoying a session of canine camaraderie with Corinne’s dog, Coco, the two dogs galloping around the village green with abandon. Both the dogs’ long coats flew high in mid-leap as though they’d been given an electric shock.

  Penny slid her phone back into her pocket and levelled her gaze at Matt.

  “What happened in the woods had nothing to do with me. Yes, we had an argument over a few photographs and he did hurt me. But I was going to end our relationship - if you can even call it that – not attack him!”

  “What did you do after Theo left for the cycle ride?”

  Penny glanced at Rosie.

  “Well, I heard him leave the lodge at about sixish. I couldn’t get back to sleep so I made some coffee and decided to go through the photographs I’d taken the previous day. I wanted to create a sort of montage for Grace and Josh and choose a couple that I could turn into a sketch. Then I joined the others to go over to Ultimate Adventures to wait for the guys to arrive.”

  “Does that mean you were alone in your lodge from the time Theo left until you met everyone in the car park at around ten?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “So you could have left straight after Theo, sprinted to the woodland, set the trap and got back here without anyone noticing your absence?”

  “No, I—”

  “Thanks for your time, Penny. Everything you’ve told us has been really helpful. Are you going over to the hospital today?”

  “No, I’m not. Theo made it clear he didn’t want me there. Actually, I was thinking of packing my stuff and leaving before he gets back, except the police have told me have to stay.”

  A splash of sympathy rushed through Rosie’s chest. When she had found out about Harry’s infidelity with Heidi, all she had wanted to do was escape. To get as far away from him and their flower shop as possible so she could lick her wounds and decide what to do next. She was sure Penny felt exactly the same, yet she was being prevented from voting with her feet.

  “Why don’t you make a start on your Christmas tree? A day filled with mince pies, mulled wine and creativity might help to take your mind off everything. And what better way to pay Theo back than by winning the inaugural Windmill Café Christmas Carousel trophy?”

  “Thanks, Rosie. I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

  Penny got up a little unsteadily from her seat, collected her black leather jacket and then paused as she showed them out of her lodge, clearly undergoing an internal struggle as to whether to utter her next sentence.

  “You know, it’s not just me who argued with Theo on Tuesday night.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When the men came back from their practice run, Theo and Sam lingered outside Sam and Zara’s lodge chatting. They didn’t see me watching them from the veranda. I couldn’t see Theo’s face because he had his back to me, but Sam’s expression was one of horror – his jaw was clamped tight and his fists were screwed into balls at his sides. Theo was actually prodding Sam’s chest with his finger and Sam was shaking his head saying ‘no, no, no’ repeatedly. Then Theo stormed off back down to the car park, whilst Sam stayed outside for a good five minutes, smoking a cigarette, his eyes trained on the horizon. He definitely wasn’t happy. In fact, I’m sure I saw him brush away a few tears.”

  “He was crying?” asked Rosie, shocked at Penny’s revelation.

  “I know it sounds ridiculous but I’m just telling you what I saw.”

  Penny closed the door behind her and pocketed the key.

  “See you later.”

  Rosie waited until Penny was out of earshot and then turned to Matt.

  “From what Zara and Penny have told us, it looks like Theo has no qualms about trampling on people’s dreams to get what he wants. That’s three people on our list of suspects – Zara, Penny and now Sam.”

  “And that’s before we speak to Abbi and Dylan. I think I’ll do a bit of digging into Theo’s vintage car business, see what that throws up. Do you think your Uncle Martyn would mind helping us out again with that side of things?”

  “Of course not. It’s all he talks about when I call him. You know, he was really supportive when I told him I was thinking about returning to the field of study, although he told me I should skip A’ level law and got straight to university – until I reminded him that I didn’t have the grades. Would you believe he’s even offered me a training contract at his firm if I’m serious about qualifying as a solicitor.”

  Rosie realised that by talking about her future, she was encroaching on difficult territory. She knew she had a choice to make, and soon, but there were more pressing issues to be dealt with first. She couldn’t let Grace and Josh down so all her time and energy had to be focussed on them at the moment.

  “Shall we see if Abbi’s around for a chat? I’ve just seen her wheel a huge suitcase into the marquee.”

  “I think we need to talk to Sam or Dylan next, to see whether they can throw any light on Theo’s background so that when you speak to your uncle you can provide him with as much detail as possible. Actually, Sam’s already confided in me that whenever Theo was put in charge of a training exercise at their cycle club his techniques to get the most out of the younger or slower recruits teetered on the bullying end of the scale.”

  “And from what Penny has told us, he’s transferred that behaviour into his personal life.”

  “Come on, let’s have a break from all this sleuthing. Freddie and Mia will be wondering where we’ve got to! What did you say your theme was for your tree? Mia refused to tell me when I gave her a lift over here earlier.”

  “Well, in that case I think I’d better keep that little nugget of information to myself,” giggled Rosie. “Don’t want anyone stealing our secrets, do we?”

  She slotted her arm through Matt’s as they stomped over the field behind the café and made their way towards the marquee. Any awkwardness at their recent separation had evaporated and a warm, fuzzy feeling seeped into her bones. She had the strangest sensation that she was where she was supposed to be, right there at Matt’s side, asking questions, following leads, solving mysteries, baking cupcakes and organising Christmas tree competitions.

  She wondered if that meant she had already made her decision about her future. She couldn’t envisage being any happier than she was at the Windmill Café surrounded by friends who loved her and accepted her for what and who she was, foibles and all. Surely no gold-plated business opportunity could come close to delivering that.

  Chapter 8

  The sky presented a strange hue of diaphanous ivory light that highlighted the pointed roof of the marquee with a glowing halo. Yet Rosie only had to glance at the dark woodland backdrop to be reminded that the scene was tinged with a soupcon of malevolence. Perhaps the person responsible was inside laughing and joking as they decorated their tree. With effort, she managed to quash the image of Theo’s prostrate body lying amongst the decaying leaves and stepped inside the tent.

  “Wow, doesn’t the place look amazing!”

  Rosie paused at the door to inhale a long, steady breath. The fragrance of crushed pine needles was one of her favourite aromas, and in her opinion as integral to the meaning of Christmas as cinnamon sticks, cloves and the smell of warm mulled wine that also infiltrated the tent and added to the festive ambience. The burble of conversation wove its magic around the room, interspersed with the occasional burst of laughter and exclamation of joy, all to the backing track of Jingle Bells coming from an ancient CD player in the corner.

  A cascade of intense happiness flooded Rosie’s soul and a broad smile stretched her lips as she glanced at Matt,
standing beside her, his face reflecting her own feelings precisely. Matt too had wanted to follow a different course in life; his dream had been to join the police force after completing his degree. Sadly, his father’s death in a climbing accident had forced a rethink and he’d stepped into his shoes at Ultimate Adventures without a word of complaint. By his own admission he’d made the right choice and loved every day of the outdoors life with Freddie as his second-in-command. Only occasionally did he contemplate what could have been had life’s sliding doors opened in a different direction.

  “Come on, let’s mingle,” murmured Matt.

  The canvas room hummed with activity and every tree had a supporting cast helping to hang the baubles, twist the tinsel, and perch on step ladders to access the higher branches. The gathering for the very first Windmill Café Christmas Carousel competition presented a perfect snapshot of the local community; everyone beavering away at their own creations, but not averse to offering suggestions and encouragement to their fellow competitors; children circling the trees like May poles with ribbons of Christmas paperchains flying in their wake as they snatched a forbidden third or fourth gingerbread cookie from the groaning silver platters.

  Only one tree remained devoid of enhancement; it was the last one in the line-up and had been cordoned off by a stretch of red-and-white Christmas tape. Rosie knew without looking at the holly-bedecked entry card pinned to its tip that this was Theo’s tree. So far, the most eye-catching of the trees had to be Abbi and Dylan’s entry, festooned with the most adorable miniature handbags, purses and even tiny ballet shoes in a kaleidoscope of colours that wouldn’t have looked out of place at the Royal Ballet.

  Rosie spotted Freddie and Mia working on the Ultimate Adventures entry. She adored Freddie. Not only was he handsome, with a thick shock of hair the colour of a fox’s tail and a generous splash of freckles across his ski-slope nose, but he was cheerful, down-to-earth, and loyal to those lucky enough to call him a friend. He was a qualified instructor in rock-climbing and zip wiring, but his true passion lay in his love of water sports which he practised whenever he could.

  “Hey, Mia! What are you doing helping the competition?” Rosie laughed.

  Mia balanced on the top rung of a step ladder, trying to attach a tangle of fairy lights to the upper branches, the ends of her scarlet handknitted scarf catching on the needles. Freddie stretched up to help her unravel the wire and received a sprinkle of imitation snow from on high for his trouble. He swished it away, reached down into the tub at his feet and sent a handful of the white stuff skyward. Mia squealed and the ladder rocked precariously, causing her to miss her footing and tumble down into Freddie’s waiting arms.

  For a moment they both stared at each other with surprise, uncertain what to do next, their mutual attraction thrumming through the air.

  “Look!” shouted Grace, pointing to a sprig of mistletoe dangling from the adjacent tree.

  It was the first time Rosie had seen Mia hesitate before doing something she felt was right. Usually her friend threw herself at every opportunity with abandon, but she was clearly reluctant to do anything to jeopardise her close friendship with Freddie. Of course, she knew Mia had more than friendship in her heart, but ever since Freddie’s run-in with Suki Richards at the Summer Breeze party, he’d shied away from the minefield of dating. Rosie agreed that the experience had been enough to scare anyone off, but this was Mia he was holding in his arms – the girl who had loved him from a distance for months, if not longer.

  To Rosie’s delight, and in front of an appreciative audience, Freddie lowered his lips to kiss Mia, tentative at first until Mia took charge. When he eventually managed to pull away, his cheeks burned, but there was a wide beaming smile on his face as he took a bow to a smattering of applause. Mia positively zinged with happiness as she hooked her arm through Freddie’s and guided him towards where Rosie and Matt watched on, exchanging a jubilant Cheshire Cat smile with Rosie.

  “Hey, you two! How’s the investigation going? Abbi said you were interrogating Penny. Oh, if you need any help with a night-time stake-out, then Freddie and I will be happy to oblige, won’t we?”

  “Sure!” chuckled Freddie, his eyes bright as he grinned his agreement at Mia.

  “Actually Freddie, there is something you can help us with,” said Matt.

  “Really?”

  Freddie’s previously joyous expression was replaced by a streak of panic as he nervously scratched the back of his neck. Fortunately, he now had a staunch defender of his reputation fighting his corner and the look of indignation on Mia’s face bordered on the theatrical. She drew herself up to full-height, her hands resting on her hips, her chin raised in challenge.

  “I hope you’re not including Freddie on your list of suspects this time, Matt.”

  “No, not this time, Mia,” Matt smirked, rolling his eyes at her outrage.

  “Phew!” breathed Freddie, relief flooding his voice. “Don’t think I could stand the stress of playing the starring role in another Willerby version of Midsomer Murders. Did I tell you about my mother’s threat to rally the WI ladies? Would you believe they’re planning to set up a new sub-committee called Cosy Country Sleuths after coming to the conclusion that the village clearly has a pressing need of their services?”

  “So, what do you want Freddie’s help with?” pressed Mia.

  “Fred, you were the first person to arrive at Ultimate Adventures on Wednesday morning, can you remember what time everyone else turned up?”

  “Okay, well,” Freddie began, drawing his eyebrows together in concentration. “Josh and Archie came down first thing to help me get everything ready at around six. Then Sam and Theo arrived together at around six forty-five, and I think Dylan turned up in his own car just a few minutes before you at seven.”

  “So anyone could have made a detour into the woods before they arrived!” decided Mia, keen to join in the deliberations.

  “It certainly looks that way,” said Matt. “We were all pretty much in plain sight of each other during the race, right up until the moment we entered the woods in fact. If I remember correctly, Theo was way out in front so I didn’t see him branch off on his own. Did you, Freddie?”

  “No, but there are only two accessible pathways through the woodland; the main driveway up to the reception lodge that we all took, and the shortcut that Theo took. I don’t know how he knew about it to be honest.”

  “He must have done a recce the day before. It’s the only explanation. You know how important winning is to him. Which means whoever did this must have seen him, realised what he was doing, and decided to teach him a lesson.”

  “A bit harsh, don’t you think?”

  “Absolutely. What I don’t know is whether they intended to just knock him from his cycle so he couldn’t claim the trophy, or whether it was something much more sinister. Did any of you girls see anyone hanging around the woods?”

  “No. Sorry.” Rosie and Mia both shook their heads.

  “So, who is on your list of suspects?” asked Freddie.

  “Everyone who’s staying in the lodges!” groaned Matt. “We’ve only had chance to speak to Zara and Penny so far. Both of them could have left their lodge after the men set off for the cycle race and returned without anyone noticing their absence.”

  “And they both have motives, too,” added Rosie.

  “Well, if you don’t solve the mystery soon you’ll have another potential murder on your hands,” laughed Freddie, attaching a bright purple bauble in the shape of a rugby ball to the Ultimate Adventures’ tree.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Before I came down here I bumped into Grace and Carole outside the Post Office in Willerby. They’re finalising the flower arrangements for the church pews and for the tables in the village hall for the reception. The stress levels have ratchetted up from low-key anxiety to full-on frenzied panic and Grace is threatening to strangle the person who did this to Theo herself for throwing all her best-laid plans into
turmoil. So, all I’m saying is, you’d better find the culprit before she does or Josh will be having a prison wedding. No pressure, Matt, mate!”

  Freddie slapped his friend on the back and then turned to Mia, uncertain how to act after their earlier intimacy. But he needn’t have worried because Mia grabbed him and planted her lips on his, giggling when she eventually let him go and he stumbled slightly to retain his balance.

  “Okay, I can’t hang around here decorating trees all day. I promised to drive a client over to the water sports centre in Hunstanton. Catch you later!”

  Mia’s eyes followed his retreating figure as he jogged to where he’d left his SUV, before heaving a long, satisfied sigh which ended in a slow twirl of blissful rapture. Matt rolled his eyes at Rosie, shook his head, and sauntered off towards the coffee, clearly keen to escape the imminent gushing.

  Rosie smiled at Mia, pulling her into a tight embrace, her heart ballooning at her friend’s evident excitement.

  “I’m so happy for you, Mia!”

  “Well, my Christmas present this year has certainly been delivered early! I don’t care what’s under the tree when I wake up on Monday morning, nothing can match the feeling that’s tumbling through me at this moment! I have to admit, I was starting to despair that after what happened when Suki was poisoned Freddie had been frightened off from relationships for ever!”

  “I don’t think he would have been able to resist your charms for long.”

  “True!” giggled Mia, performing another pirouette of pleasure. “Come on, Rosie, why don’t we make a start on the Windmill Café tree?”

  Mia almost skipped over to their tree, bent down to select a miniature silver whisk and cheese grater from a pile on the floor and started to hang them on the branches.

  “Actually, if it’s okay with you, Mia, I think I might pop over to the vicarage to see if I can offer my services to Grace and Carole. Wedding floristry is my area of expertise, after all, and it’s the least I can do after what’s happened.”