by Agatha Frost
“I’m sorry,” Barker murmured. “I’m a little tired.”
“Some things never change.” Casper patted Barker on the cheek. “You always did come over cranky when you were tired, but considering everything else you’ve been through today, I won’t hold it against you.”
Heather gathered two plates of food before departing the room with Casper in tow. When they were alone, Julia and Barker hugged again. His exhaustion radiated against her. It gave her an odd comfort; he was the only person who was going through the same thing she was.
“DI Christie called when you were in the shower,” Barker said as he rested his head on hers. “He’s treating Gloria’s death as suspicious.”
“Murder?”
“He seems to think so.” Barker pulled away, his jaw clenching. “People don’t really just drop dead like that, do they?”
“Sometimes.” Julia sighed. “But I’d be lying if I thought that’s what happened.” She paused and cast an eye over the food, but eating was the last thing on her mind. “It happened so quickly. One second she was fine, and then she was choking on her own breath.”
Sue crept into the room with an empty plate. She smiled sympathetically at them as she piled up more food.
“This doesn’t mean you aren’t getting married.” Sue broke the silence as she grabbed a handful of cocktail sausages. “You could go to the register office tomorrow and do it. You wouldn’t even have to tell anyone.”
Julia had been so focussed on the ruined wedding that she hadn’t given a second attempt at a wedding a moment of her time. She considered it, but a niggling feeling in the back of her mind confirmed her feelings towards the idea.
“It wouldn’t feel right,” Julia said, clutching Barker’s hand. “At least, not until we know for sure what happened to Gloria.”
“I agree.” Barker squeezed her hand. “I want you to be my wife more than anything, but not like this. We need to start our marriage on the right foot.”
Sue rested her hand on her heart as she munched through a sausage and said, “You two are the cutest that ever were. Do I still get to be a bridesmaid at the next one?”
“I’ll think about it.”
Sue winked and left the room with her food. They weren’t alone for more than a couple of seconds before Dot shuffled in, with someone new accompanying her. Julia examined the tiny woman glued to Dot’s side. She was the choir member Julia had thought of as being impish, and the only one who had seemed concerned by Gloria’s coughing. She had sobbed by Gloria’s side until the ambulance arrived.
She appeared to be in her seventies and was as short as a child. Her wiry hair hung limply around her face, crying out for a good cut. She was swaddled in a large coat that drowned her petite frame, and an equally oversized, colourful scarf was wrapped around her neck right up to her chin. An overwhelming number of badges and pins cluttered the front of her coat, their enamel coatings catching the light.
“Julia, this is Flora,” Dot explained. “Flora Hill. She’s a member of the choir.”
“Been a member for thirty years,” Flora added as she dabbed at her tears with a lace handkerchief that contrasted against her black, fingerless gloves. “I hope you don’t mind me turning up like this.”
“Not at all.” Julia smiled at the woman, but Flora didn’t look up. Julia turned to Dot, who merely shrugged before leaving the room. “Barker, why don’t you make Mrs Hill a cup of tea?”
“Miss Hill,” she corrected after blowing her nose. “A cup of tea would be so kind. Plenty of milk and five sugars.”
“Five?” Barker echoed. Julia gave him a stern look and jerked her head to the door. “Okay, I’m going!”
Julia pulled two chairs from underneath the food-covered table and motioned for Flora to sit. Flora hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting around the room, and then at all the food.
“Do you mind?” Flora asked as she plucked out a sandwich. “I haven’t eaten today.”
“Help yourself.”
“Thank you.” Flora devoured the sandwich in a couple of mouthfuls before helping herself to a second. It reminded Julia of how Mowgli devoured turkey slices on Christmas Day. “I’m desperately sorry about what happened today. I never married. Never even got close. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now. You must be devastated.”
“That’s one word for it.”
Flora reached for another sandwich, and then another. She gobbled each down as fast as the last. Barker snuck in and placed the sugary tea next to her, which she gulped back without pausing for breath. Barker looked at Julia for an explanation, but all she could do was lift her shoulders in a half-shrug.
“What must you think of me!” Flora wafted her hanky around before dabbing at her eyes one final time. She jammed the handkerchief deep into her coat pocket. “I’m not myself right now. I’m in shock. Yes, that’s what it is. Shock. It must be.”
“It’s completely normal,” Julia said, resting her hand on Flora’s knee, which caused her to jerk back. Julia pulled her hand away, but Flora remained tense. “Were you close to Gloria?”
“She is my friend,” Flora said, her eyes widening as she stared at the patterns on the carpet. “Was my friend. My only friend. My best friend.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“How do I go on?” Flora’s eyes snapped onto Julia’s. “I can’t imagine life without her. I have no one. Gloria was my only companion in life. Well, there was William, but he died last month.”
“William?”
“My cat.” Flora’s tears flowed again. “William Shakespaw. He was a stray. I took him in as a kitten. Poor little ginger thing sat on my doorstep for days on end. I kept throwing him scraps. He kept coming back, and he never left. Vets said it was an achievement to get to eighteen, but no amount of time is enough.”
Julia’s lips parted but she didn’t know what to say to comfort the woman. She felt for Flora. Julia had taken Mowgli in as a stray and loved him like a child. Julia picked up another tray of sandwiches and offered them to the weeping woman. Flora plucked out two and gobbled them down in a flash.
“Thank you,” Flora said after letting out a small burp. “You’re too kind. You shouldn’t have to listen to me prattle on, but I had to see you. People said you were the only woman in Peridale capable of finding out the truth.”
“Oh, I don’t know about—”
“You’ve solved so many mysteries.” Flora dove forward and grabbed both of Julia’s hands in her scratchy gloves. “You must have a lead!”
“I haven’t really given it much thought yet.”
“Right.” Flora pulled her hands away and nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry. I’m being presumptuous. Gloria always said that was my downfall. I’m too quick to lean on people. She said it was because my parents abandoned me as a child.” Flora retrieved her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. “I should go. I shouldn’t have intruded.”
Flora stood up and headed for the door. A small part of Julia wanted to let the woman leave, but a bigger part knew she couldn’t.
“Flora, wait.” Julia ushered the tiny woman back to her seat. “You’re not intruding. Tell me about Gloria. You must be the person who knew her the best.”
“I was.” Flora nodded before blowing her nose again. “Nobody knew the real Gloria, except for me. She put up a front to the world. She was meticulous and exact, and that rubbed people the wrong way. People feel threatened when a woman knows what she wants. They called her bossy, but if she were a man, nobody would have batted an eyelid. They would have called her strong. Instead, they called her every name under the sun, but never to her face. Oh, never to her face! Always whispering behind her back. She knew, but she didn’t care. Great leaders don’t. She directed that choir for decades, and yet not a single one was ever grateful. It would have fallen to pieces dozens of times if she hadn’t been there. She was the glue that held them together. I bet they’re all partying as we speak, happy their leader is dead.”
; “Do you think any of them had any reason to want Gloria dead?”
“Absolutely!” Flora tucked her hanky away, suddenly sitting up straight. “All of them had their run-ins with Gloria at least once, but none more than that dreadful woman, Rita Bishop!” She paused for breath, her lips curling. “Rita joined the choir five years ago, but she’s been gunning for Gloria’s position since the second she walked in. She thinks because she has a degree she’s qualified to lead. She’s a stuck-up snob if ever I’ve met one! She would argue that the sky was green until the cows came home! Gloria couldn’t make a single decision without Rita sticking her nose in. I often wondered why Rita stuck around when she obviously wasn’t wanted, but now I know. She’s been waiting for this day so she could muscle her way in. She was already talking about finding a new leader as they were carrying poor Gloria out of the church!” Flora paused for breath and grabbed Julia’s hands again. “You have to help me! Promise you’ll help.”
Julia didn’t feel comfortable promising such a thing to a woman so clearly distressed, but how could she refuse? If Gloria had dropped dead in the middle of anyone else’s wedding, Julia might have been able to step back and let the police figure it out, but it hadn’t been anyone else’s wedding; it had been hers.
“I can’t promise,” Julia said, her voice wobbling, “but I will try.”
“You will?” Flora cried. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, Julia! I know you can do this. I have faith in you. I really will get out of your hair now. You’ve lifted my spirits.” Flora looked back at the table. “Do you mind if I take a sandwich for the road?”
“Let me grab you a box,” Julia replied with a smile. “We’ll never eat all this between us.”
Julia retrieved one of her cardboard cake boxes from the kitchen and watched Flora fill it to the brim with handfuls of everything she could reach.
“I know you can do this,” Flora said as she scurried into the night with half the buffet in her hands. “Thank you, Julia!”
Julia closed the front door and leaned against it, listening to her family chatter in the sitting room. She closed her eyes, waiting to wake up any moment. When she opened them, she was still firmly in her hallway.
“What did she want?” Dot asked when Julia walked into the sitting room. “She’s always been a freaky little woman.”
“She wants me to look into Gloria’s death.”
“Of course, she does!” Dot waved her hands dramatically. “Flora has always been stuck to Gloria’s side! She followed her around like a little lapdog.”
“And are you going to do it?” Sue asked, arching a brow. “Don’t you think you’ve got enough on your plate?”
“I said I would.” Julia shrugged and ran her fingers through her damp ponytail. “The café is closed for the next week. I wanted us to enjoy our first week of being married at home. If I open, I’m going to have to deal with all the pity looks and questions, so I might as well put my week off to good use.”
“And those answers could come tomorrow,” Sue said, exhaling. “Let the police do their jobs.”
“And if they do, nothing has been lost,” Julia replied. “But until then, it won’t hurt to gather some information. I don’t think I’ll be able to settle until we have some answers.”
“Julia’s right.” Barker stood beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist. “This happened at our wedding. We have a responsibility to at least try to figure out what happened.”
“Then count me in!” Dot slapped her knee and stood up. “What do you say, Alfie? We can snoop around the choir. I’d bet my pension one of them did it!”
“I suppose so,” Alfie said, wiping his mouth after taking a bite of a sausage roll. “I’m up for helping.”
“Then it’s settled.” Barker pulled Julia in closer. “Now, we appreciate you all showing your support, but I think my almost-wife and I need some space.”
“Say no more.” Brian stood up and lifted Vinnie off Katie’s knee. “It’s this one’s bedtime anyway. We’ll get out of your hair. Call us if you need anything.”
Julia valued Barker for being the one to prompt them to leave. She would never have been able to say anything, and even though she relished spending time with her family, tonight was not the night to sit around until the early hours waiting for Dot to finish the last drops of champagne.
They left one by one, each taking a tray of food at Julia’s request. Jessie lingered by the door, still in her bridesmaid’s dress.
“I can spend the night at Billy’s.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder to the door. “You probably want to be alone.”
“Don’t be silly.” Julia pulled her into the sitting room. “You’re not going anywhere tonight. I need your snarky quips to cheer me up.”
Without being prompted, Barker built a roaring fire and put on one of Julia’s favourite DVDs, Breakfast at Tiffany's. The three of them cuddled up under a giant fluffy blanket, Mowgli sprawled in front of the fire, and for the rest of the evening, Julia left her world and lost herself in Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard’s on-screen chemistry.
5
Julia spent the entirety of the next day in her pyjamas. She barely moved from the couch, choosing instead to watch Sunday television from under the warm safety of a blanket. She watched a marathon of people going to other people’s homes for dinner and rating them, and a slew of property buying and selling programs.
Jessie brought her regular cups of peppermint and liquorice tea, and Barker intercepted every knock at the door. They had fish and chips delivered for dinner, and by the end of the night, they were all on the couch again, this time watching Barker’s favourite film, Die Hard.
The telephone remained unplugged, and all mobile phones were switched off. The events of the previous day were never mentioned, and even though Julia couldn’t ignore the heavy feeling in her chest, it was easier than she had expected to pretend nothing had happened. When she finally crawled into her warm bed at half past ten, after a bubble bath, she wondered why she hadn’t spent more days of her life so cut-off and relaxed.
On Monday morning, which was also Bonfire Night, Julia’s eyes sprung open at eight, just like they would have if she were opening the café. She got as far as making herself toast before she remembered what had happened, and that was only because she opened the broken fridge to grab the butter.
She stared at her first wedding cake. The cake that never was for the wedding that didn’t happen. It taunted her, urging her to spend another day on the couch. It had been years since she had watched weekday morning television. Were the same faces still lingering around, or had they been replaced with fresher, younger ones?
“If I do,” she said to herself as she closed the fridge, “I might never move again.”
Instead, she quietly dressed and left the cottage, leaving Barker and Jessie asleep. The chilly morning air filled her lungs, refreshing her after a full day of stuffy radiator heat. Though she had her car keys in hand, she decided to walk and stretch her legs, instead. When she reached the centre of the village, her heart was pumping, and her mind was revitalised.
With a renewed sense of self, Julia hurried down the alley between her beloved café and the post office. She rarely used the back entrance, but just this once, she didn’t want people to know she was there.
After turning on the kitchen lights—keeping the front ones switched off—she got to work. She had no idea what she wanted to bake, but a need deep within compelled her to create something. If not to level her mind, then to stop the rushed wedding cake being the last thing she had made.
Her fingers worked automatically, with her mind taking a backseat. Baking was the best free therapy she had access to, and, an hour later, she had twenty neat gingerbread biscuits decorated like fireworks to show for her efforts. She hadn’t planned on celebrating Bonfire Night, so the colourful biscuits brought a smile to her face.
With no intention of opening the café, Julia boxed her work, ready to walk back home to the safe
ty of her cottage. That changed when she received a text message from Dot, via Alfie’s phone, that an emergency Peridale Harmonics Choir meeting was happening at the church in ‘five minutes!!!!!!!!!’.
Julia stared at the message, unsure of what to do. Could she step foot back into the church where her wedding had been ruined by a woman’s death? Her curiosity tingled, but so did the call home. She glanced at the box in her hand; she would enjoy her creation more if she could share it with a group of people.
Leaving the café behind, she walked across the village green to St. Peter’s Church. Aside from the police car stationed outside, there were no other signs of what had happened. The choir, including Alfie and Dot, were already milling around in the vestibule when Julia walked in. Dot immediately spotted her and dragged her into a quiet corner.
“Rita called the meeting at the crack of dawn!” Dot whispered, looking around at the other members. “She telephoned us all to let us know the police had finally released the church and that she wanted to meet to discuss our future. I’d ask who died and put her in charge, but we all know the answer to that one. She’s going to steamroll everyone and promote herself to leader.”
“Can she do that?”
“Who’s going to stop her?” Dot cast an eye at the other members. Her eyes lingered on Flora, who was standing on tiptoes to read the signs on the noticeboard. “They’re a bunch of wet lemons. I’d put myself forward, but I’ve only been here a month. I only really joined to sing at your wedding. If I weren’t undercover trying to suss out which of these old codgers bumped Gloria off, I’d have thrown in my sheet music already!”
“You’re probably the oldest here, Gran.”
“In age, yes.” Dot pushed up her tight grey curls. “But in spirit? The old ticker still has many hours left on the clock. Don’t count me out just yet, dear. I’m going to crack this case before you do! You’ll see.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Julia chuckled, casting her eye over the members. She recognised Alfie and Flora, as well as Shilpa Patil from the post office and Evelyn Wood from the B&B. Amy Clark, the regular church organist, was also a member, along with Dot’s unexpected love interest, Percy Cropper.