by Agatha Frost
Dot almost looked disappointed that her romance hadn’t been as secret as she clearly thought. Percy blushed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Dot slid down into the armchair and Percy took the position leaning against the chair’s arm. They made such an unlikely couple, and yet their contrasts oddly suited each other. Whereas Dot was tall and slender with her neat and put-together style, Percy was short, with mismatching clothes. He wore black and white chequered trousers held up by red braces, a corduroy waistcoat over a blue shirt, and a pink and yellow bow-tie. His bifocal glasses, which made his pupils twice their natural size, were perfect circles with red frames. He closely resembled a circus clown’s clumsy sidekick.
“I just wanted a little fun, dear.” Dot shrugged. “You don’t get many opportunities at this age to experience these things. Romance is a young person’s game. After your grandfather died, I swore I’d never court another man again, but where did that get me? I’m eighty-four! As much as I’d like to pretend that I’m going to live forever, I know I’m not. I could die in my sleep tonight, and where would—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me,” Julia jumped in, holding up her hands. “I’m happy that you’re doing something that makes you happy. You didn’t need to hide it from me.”
“And what about the rest of them?” Dot cast her hand to the window. “The gossips! What would they say? They’d call us foolish! Courting at our age? We should be crawling towards our graves, not reliving our youth.”
“But it has been fun, Dorothy!” Percy grabbed her hand and kissed it. “You’ve made me feel more alive than I have since my Joyce passed. You’re a vivacious woman with more life in her than any girl of twenty-two!”
Dot smiled so sweetly at Percy that it melted Julia’s heart. Julia hadn’t imagined her gran wanting love, and she felt silly for never considering that Dot might like one last great love affair in her twilight years.
“How did you meet?” Julia picked up her tea and sipped from it.
“At the choir. It was my first meeting. Percy came up to me and pulled a bunch of flowers out of his pocket. I thought he was utterly ridiculous, but I liked that. It made me laugh. I invited him over for tea and we realised we had a lot in common.”
“Like?”
“Well, singing for one,” Dot said, looking up at Percy with adoring eyes. “And he appreciates the old movies and music that I love. There are so few people left from my era who value the old ways. There’s nothing wrong with a sprinkle of theatrical spirit every now and then!”
“And we both take a keen interest in the community,” Percy added. “We like to know what’s going on. Keeping our fingers on the pulse is very important.”
“You mean gossiping?”
“I am not a gossip!” Dot cried. “I believe in the free flow of information. It’s important to know who you’re living around! Unsavoury characters are hiding in plain sight, ready to jump out and ruin your life at any moment. Your pursuit of all these mysteries has taught us that Peridale is crawling with insalubrious folk! It’s better we keep the news flowing, so everyone has a fair shot.”
“Nicely put, Dorothy.” Percy patted her hand. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
It was clear to see they were somehow made for each other. It almost made Julia want to forget that she had added Percy to her list of suspects. For the sake of her gran, however, she couldn’t discount the information.
“Have you found anything more about Gloria’s murder during your active interest in the community?” Julia asked tactfully.
“Tell her, Percy!” Dot exclaimed, slapping him on the knee. “I’ve meant to call you all morning, but we got swept up in our conversation.”
Percy straightened up and wiggled his bowtie with a pleased smile. Much like Dot, he seemed to feed off ‘the free flow of information’.
“After our splendid date at The Comfy Corner—did you try the pigs in blankets pie, Julia?” He waited for her to nod. “Quite delightful, wouldn’t you say? Mary and Todd really are geniuses in that kitchen!”
“Stay on track, dear,” Dot prompted.
“Right you are!” He nodded. “This is why we work so well. My mind tends to wander, but Dorothy here is as sharp as a knife! Now, where was I?” Percy tapped on his chin before snapping his fingers. “Ah, yes! After our marvellous dinner last night, we retired to The Plough for a late-night tipple. You know how Dot is fond of her sherry, and I don’t mind a finger of whiskey of an evening. Truth be told, I was having such a fun time I didn’t want to leave this one’s side so early.”
“Bless you, dear.”
“You’re most welcome.” Percy kissed Dot’s hands. “After our beverages, I walked Dot home, and we bid our goodnights. I was going to walk home to my flat on Mulberry Lane when I realised I didn’t have my keys with me. I knew I had probably left them at the pub or the restaurant, but it was also a possibility that I had dropped them at the church. I hadn’t needed them all day, so I didn’t quite remember when I had last had them. With the church being the closest, I started my search there. Letting myself in, I walked up to Father David’s vestry. I was about to knock when I realised he was on the phone. Now, it’s not in my nature to eavesdrop, but if I happen to hear something I’m not supposed to, that’s out of my hands.”
Percy paused as he gathered his thoughts. He wiggled his bowtie before hooking his thumbs through his braces.
“Now, I can’t be sure of the exact context of what I heard, but I know the words I heard.” Percy inhaled deeply. “Father David was giving his bank details to someone over the phone. There’s nothing out of the ordinary about that, is there? I might be a dinosaur, but even I know it’s easier to pay for things over the phone these days.”
“Get to the point, dear.”
“Right you are.” Percy wagged his finger. “Now, after he had finished giving his card details, he said something that made my ears prick up.”
“And that was?” Julia prompted.
“His exact words were, ‘And are you sure that’s it? The £2000 debt is entirely paid off?’, and then he said his goodbyes and hung up.” Percy clapped his hands together. “That’s it! Father David appeared to be paying off a debt over the phone.”
“Suspicious, don’t you think?” Dot shuffled to the edge of her seat. “A man of God racking up a debt that large? How could he possibly owe that much money to someone?”
“It’s not against the law to owe money,” Julia said, unsure how to absorb the information. “It could have an innocent explanation.”
“It could, but does it?” Dot lowered her voice and looked around. “How well do we really know the man? Yes, he’s served this village for decades, but what do we know of him outside the church?”
“Being private doesn’t mean he’s up to no good.”
“And I’d usually agree.” Percy shook his head. “But, considering everything that has happened with Gloria’s death, it seems like odd timing, don’t you think?”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Well, I think that Father David somehow profited from Gloria’s death.” Dot’s eyes lit up as she spoke. “He took something of value from her and murdered her to cover his tracks!”
“Father David?” Julia forced a laugh. “This is all very far-fetched!”
“Stranger things have happened,” Percy said. “Don’t let the robes fool you!”
Julia pursed her lips. Normally, it was bad enough having to contend with Dot’s outrageous ideas, but having Percy there only added fuel to the fire. Like the bonfire, they had let their thoughts burn wildly out of control.
Julia was about to turn the conversation back to Gloria, and Flora’s claim that Percy and Gloria had once dated, but the front door opened.
“That’ll be Alfie,” Dot said as he glanced at the clock. “He said he was nipping out to grab some lunch an hour ago.”
Julia heard Alfie’s deep chuckle, which was quickly followed by a girlish giggle. Sh
e wondered if it belonged to Jessie, but she wasn’t the type of girl who giggled. Julia looked to Dot for an explanation, but her gran only shrugged. Leaving her tea on the table, Julia stood and crept to the door. Popping her head around the door frame, Julia was surprised to see Alfie and Skye kissing in the hallway, both completely soaked from the rain. Julia cleared her throat.
“Julia!” Alfie cried, wiping his mouth after pulling away from Skye. “You got caught in the rain too?”
Skye tucked her wet hair behind her ears as she smiled awkwardly at Julia. Even with running makeup and her hair plastered to her head, she was beautiful. In the light of Dot’s hallway lamp, Julia thought she bore a striking resemblance to Keira Knightley.
“I’ll make you that cup of coffee I promised,” Alfie said, resting his hand on Skye’s arm. “Go and wait in the sitting room.”
“I’ll make the coffee,” Julia offered, sensing her moment to finally get the beauty alone. “Skye, do you mind helping?”
Skye looked at Alfie as though waiting for him to protest Julia’s offer, but when he didn’t say anything, she turned to Julia and flashed her pretty smile. Julia peeled Skye away from Alfie’s side and into the kitchen. She closed the door behind them.
“Terrible weather we’re having,” Julia remarked, glancing out the kitchen window into Dot’s overgrown garden. “Won’t be too long before that rain turns to snow.”
“I was on my way to Rita’s,” Skye explained as she mopped her hair with one of Dot’s tea towels. “I didn’t get very far. I bumped into Alfie on Mulberry Lane, and he invited me back here for coffee.”
“You two seem quite smitten with each other.”
“I’m not stepping on anyone’s toes, am I?” Skye asked. “Because if I am, I—”
“Not at all!” Julia insisted, giving the young beauty a smile she hoped would relax her. “Alfie is like family to me. I care about his happiness. You seem like a nice girl.” She put the kettle on its base and flicked the switch. “You said you were on your way to Rita’s? I get the feeling she didn’t invite you around. I sat in on the choir meeting the other day. You two didn’t exactly seem friendly.”
“I wanted to make sure she meant what she said about training my voice to reach its full potential.” Skye leaned against the counter and watched as Julia retrieved cups from the cupboard. “If you were at the meeting, you saw what she did to Flora. I needed to know I hadn’t let my aunt walk out for nothing.”
“Flora’s your aunt?”
“Technically.” Skye bobbed her head. “My dad is her younger brother, but we’ve never really been a big happy family. Those two haven’t spoken in years. She was rarely there when I was growing up. She was too busy being glued to Gloria’s side. I almost walked out when I saw her there on my first day, but she asked me to stay. It’s brought us a little closer together, but she’s always kept me at arm’s length. She has her strange ways about her, don’t you think?”
Julia nodded her agreement. She cast her mind back to talking to Flora at the bonfire. When she had asked if Flora had any family, she had only mentioned her estranged brother.
“I think she needs some family right now,” Julia said as she scooped coffee into two mugs. “She seems to be going through a tough time coming to terms with Gloria’s death.”
“I can try, but I don’t think I can help her. Now that she’s not in the choir, we don’t have that space to spend time together. I work every hour I can to pay off my student debts, and when I’m not working, I’m at the choir.”
“Were you working the morning of my wedding?” Julia asked. “I didn’t see you at the church.”
“I was stuck in traffic,” Skye said without missing a beat. “A riverbank burst and flooded the roads. I didn’t get anywhere near Peridale until way into the night.”
Julia poured the boiled water into the mugs. Skye’s story slotted right in, but her promptness to establish an alibi felt somewhat forced. Had Alfie mentioned that she was trying to piece together the events surrounding Gloria’s death? She considered pushing it further, but she didn’t want the young woman to turn on her; she remembered what Dot had said about her being feisty and argumentative.
“Do you have Rita’s address?” Julia asked, changing direction. “I want to talk to her about some things.”
“Sure.” Skye looked around and spotted Dot’s shopping list notepad on the wall. She scribbled down an address and passed it to Julia. “It’s the giant house at the end of the Longmore Lane. Willow Cottage. You can’t miss it.”
“Thank you.”
“I only know where she lives because she organised a secret meeting a few months ago to put together a rebellion to overthrow Gloria. I was all for it, but the others didn’t want to rock the boat, so it didn’t go anywhere.”
Julia nodded, not wanting to say another word. She passed Skye the two mugs of coffee, wondering if she realised she had not only strengthened Rita’s potential motive for murder but her own as well.
Leaving the two freshly-formed couples in the sitting room, Julia slipped out and ran through the rain back to her car. She pulled out the address, but it wasn’t a street name she recognised. She punched the address into the GPS on her phone, which revealed Rita lived in Riverswick, Peridale’s closet neighbouring village.
She travelled along the narrow, winding lanes out of Peridale, driving carefully in the heavy rain. When she reached the small stone bridge, which had a ‘Welcome to Riverswick’ sign just ahead of it, she finally saw the extent of the damage caused by the recent rain. The river gushed under the bridge, higher than she had ever seen it. She drove slowly over the bridge, and, in the distance, she spotted a team of workers in high visibility coats trying to fix the burst bank.
“Turn left,” the robotic female voice instructed as Julia came off the bridge. “Then continue straight for two hundred yards. Your destination is on the left.”
She took the first left turn onto Longmore Lane on the outskirts of the village. As promised, grand homes built of traditional golden Cotswold stone filled the street. Though they were technically cottages, each was triple the size of Julia’s modest home. Every home had its own lavish garden, and, even in the rain, Julia could tell they were meticulously looked after.
She reached the end of the lane, where Willow Cottage stood. It was by far the grandest home of them all, suiting Rita’s larger-than-life arrogance, but two things set it apart. The first was the unkempt nature of the garden and surrounding hedges, and the second was the ‘FOR SALE’ sign that jutted out in front of the property.
Already sensing that she had gone on a wild goose chase, Julia left her car and ventured down the weed-covered lawn to the front door. She cupped her hands against the front window, but the cottage didn’t have a scrap of furniture inside. She lingered in the rain, wondering where Rita could have gone.
“Can I help you?” a booming voice called from behind her. “You’re on private property.”
Julia whipped around to see an elderly man in a black raincoat with a beagle at his heels in a matching coat. Knowing she had to come up with something quick, Julia’s eyes wandered to the ‘FOR SALE’ sign.
“I’m supposed to be viewing the property,” she called as she ran down the lane. “I think my estate agent hasn’t managed to get through the flooded roads.”
“We tell the council every year, but do they listen?” The man shook his head. “You’d be better waiting in your car. You look frozen to the bone, you poor thing.”
“I just really love this property,” Julia lied. “Do you know anything about the people selling it? I can’t imagine anyone ever wanting to give this place up.”
“It wasn’t by choice.” The man glanced up and down the road to make sure they were alone. “I live two doors down, and I saw the whole thing. The heavies came from the county court to repossess the place for the bank two months ago. Turfed her out in her pyjamas and only gave her ten minutes to pack her essentials and go. None of us had any id
ea Rita had fallen so far behind with her mortgage! The way she splashed her cash around, we thought she had a bottomless pit of money, but you don’t stay rich by spending it, and that messy divorce didn’t help.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Don’t feel sorry for her!” the man cried. “She was an awful woman. Strutted around like she owned the whole street. Between you and me, we were all glad when she left.”
“Where did she go?”
“I heard she moved in with her son.” The man looked down at the dog, who was staring at the ground as the rain pounded around them. “I better get this one home. I’m Rodger, by the way. I live with my wife, Mavis, at Apple Cottage two down. We might be neighbours soon! What did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t.” Julia scrambled for a pseudonym. “I’m Rain. Rain Road.”
“Unusual name.” Rodger squinted at Julia. “Do drop by if you end up buying.”
With that, Rodger left his new potential neighbour ‘Rain Road’ alone and took his dog back home. Feeling like the village idiot, Julia hurried back to her car and set off toward Peridale. Instead of going to her cottage, she drove straight to the Fern Moore Estate, where she knew Rita’s son, Alec Bishop, lived.
Peridale villagers denied any claim to the troubled housing estate that sheltered hundreds of low-income families, and most avoided the place thanks to its less than favourable reputation. Alec had been the first wedding photographer she had met with, and she had almost thought twice when he gave her his Fern Moore address, but she had adored his work, and his prices were far more reasonable than the competition’s.
She pulled up in the courtyard, which was unusually empty thanks to the rain. Without wanting to waste another second getting soaked, she ran around the old playground in the middle of the square and straight for the stairwell that would take her to Alec’s flat. She reached the second floor and walked down to Flat 43, retracing her footsteps from memory.
A rumble of thunder echoed behind her as she knocked on the door. To her surprise, the force of her knock sent the door swinging inwards. She stepped back as the door opened fully. Had Alec left the lock on the latch and not realised? She was about to call out, not wanting to intrude, but a pair of black high heels on the floor caught her eye. They jutted out of one of the rooms and pointed straight up. It took Julia a moment to realise they were attached to a pair of feet.