by Sherri Bryan
“They look busy but we can wait for a table inside. Come on.” Nathan held the door open and they entered a small entrance lobby which opened up into a deceptively large space, furnished with chrome fixtures, red leather-look seats, and red and white checked cloths covering the Formica-topped tables.
In contrast to the formal waiting staff of the hotel, the servers were dressed in white t-shirts, cut off Levi’s, and roller skates.
As they waited to be seated a cheerful server sped towards them.
“Hi, my name’s Aiden, I’ll be your server…” His smile quickly faded as he realised he might not be able to stop in time to avoid a collision.
Anticipating the possible outcome, Nathan stood in front of Charlotte, his arms outstretched and the server grabbed onto his hands.
“Oh, blimey, I’m so sorry.” The young boy’s face turned pink. “I only started a few days ago and I haven’t quite got the hang of these skates yet. It’s okay, though,” he assured, quickly. “I’m not allowed to carry any food yet. I’m on ‘greet and seat’ duty for a couple of weeks till I’ve finished my training.”
He looked over his shoulder before whispering, “You won’t tell my granddad, will you? He gave me this job after I finished my exams, you know just to give me some extra cash, but if he finds out I lied to him, he’ll be really upset.”
Charlotte grinned. “Let me guess, you told him you could roller skate. Am I right?”
The boy scratched the back of his neck and nodded, sheepishly. “I didn’t think it would be so hard to learn—but I am getting better.”
“Hmm, it’s not the skating you seem to have a problem with.” Nathan observed. “It’s the stopping. “But don’t worry,” he tapped his nose, “we won’t say a word.”
Looking a little happier, the young boy grabbed two menus from a stand. “Would you like a table? I’m afraid it’ll be about twenty minutes, but you can have a drink at the bar and decide what you’d like to eat while you wait.”
“Yes, please, we’ll do that. After seeing those burgers, I’m not leaving until I’ve had one!” Charlotte hungrily eyed a platter holding ten mini-burgers, a bucket of shoestring fries, and a bubbling dish of macaroni cheese as it zoomed past her on its way to a table of appreciative recipients.
“Well, I’ll get you seated as soon as I can. Till then, you can sit at the bar and talk to my granddad—or should I say, he can talk to you.” Aiden grinned, mischievously.
Charlotte and Nathan followed him to a gleaming stainless steel-topped bar occupied by other waiting customers, behind which stood a man they presumed was Big Al.
Pale-faced, sandy-haired, and blue-eyed, Big Al wore a red and white checked shirt, a dazzling white apron, a white chef’s cap set at a jaunty angle and a smile that stretched from ear to ear. Despite being deep in conversation with a customer at the bar, his eyes darted around the diner. Charlotte doubted that much went on that Big Al missed…apart from the fact that his grandson couldn’t roller skate to save his life.
“Hey! New friends! Come, come and sit down and take the weight off your feet—oh, hold on, lady with a baby comin’ through!” He put down the glass he was polishing and rushed around to the other side of the bar. Holding out his hand, he helped Charlotte onto a stool. “There, you settled? You comfortable? Good. Now, what can I get you? First drink to all new friends is on the house. Courtesy of Big Al.” He pointed to himself with his thumbs. “That’s me, in case you hadn’t guessed.” He chuckled all the way back to behind the bar, where he leaned over and stared intently at Nathan and Charlotte.
“Now, don’t tell me. I’m good at this.” He rubbed his chin. “Now you.” He sized Nathan up through narrowed eyes. “I reckon you’re a light beer man. Am I right or am I right?”
Nathan nodded. “Very impressive. I am.”
Big Al looked pleased with himself. “And the lady, I reckon she’d like a cocktail—non-alcoholic of course. Somethin’ a little fruity with a splash of coconut perhaps?”
“Sounds delicious.” Charlotte smiled. “You’ve got me well figured out.”
Big Al half-filled a small fish bowl glass with peach pulp, cubed pineapple, and raspberries, and topped it up with coconut water, ginger ale, a splash of strawberry syrup, and a drizzle of grenadine. The obligatory paper umbrellas and coloured straws were accompanied by a giant sparkler.
“So, you here on holiday? I know you don’t live ‘round here ‘cos if you did, you’d have been in before.”
“It’s our first time in London…we’re on our honeymoon,” said Charlotte. Suddenly aware that she was rubbing her baby bump, she quickly followed with, “We got married in December. We’ve only just got round to getting away.”
Big Al put his hands up. “Hey, I’m not judging…love is a wonderful thing, whenever it happens and whatever order it happens in. So, where you staying?
“The Milestone…ooh, this cocktail is gorgeous!” Charlotte speared a pineapple cube with the end of her cocktail stirrer.
“Nice. I worked in their kitchen years ago. First-class in every respect but I’m not sure they were ready for a youngster like me and his off-the-wall ideas when it came to creatin’ new dishes for the menu. You know what I mean?” Al winked and began to dry another glass. “So, you been seein’ the sights since you’ve been here?”
Charlotte nodded. “Yep, and we’ve got a lot more to see. We’re tourists while we’re here so going to cram in as much as we can before we go home.”
“Well, if you wanna know anything about anything, you come and ask me ‘cos there ain’t much that goes on around here that I don’t know about. Same goes for the people—I pretty much know ‘em all.”
“Thanks, that’s good of you,” said Nathan, “but we’re not going to be here for long enough to get to know anyone, so I don’t think we’re going to be needing any character references—but thanks all the same.”
Al tipped his cap. “Don’t mention it; always happy to point people in the right direction if I can.”
A broad-shouldered delivery man pushing a barrow loaded with boxes of chuck steak distracted Al on his way through to the kitchen.
“Hey, Al,” he said, in an accent even broader than the proprietor. “You hear that Frankie Ingram got fried in Penny Baker’s hot tub yesterday? It’s all over the TV. Talk about some people bein’ a magnet for bad luck.” He pulled a large handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped his forehead.
Al spread his arms wide. “Jimmy, I got customers here.” He gestured towards Charlotte and Nathan. “These people are on their honeymoon. They don’t wanna hear about some poor guy who croaked his last in a hot tub—you know what I mean?” He put his hands on his ample hips and shook his head as the delivery man disappeared into the kitchen with a sheepish expression on his face.
“Sorry about that. Some people don’t know when to give their big mouths a rest, you know what I mean?”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” Charlotte poked around in her glass for more fruit. “Actually, we already know about it—we were at Penny’s when it happened.”
Immediately, Al’s smile vanished. “You’re friends of the Penny Baker?”
His reaction took Charlotte by surprise. “No, not friends, just acquaintances—we met at the airport on the way out here—but we got chatting and, when we bumped into her a couple of days ago, she invited us to her house for a barbecue. We barely know her, really.”
“And you was at the barbecue? When poor Frankie…oh my God!” Al slapped his sausage-like fingers against his forehead and sat down heavily on a stool behind the bar.
“Unfortunately, yes, we were,” said Nathan. “So you know Penny and Frankie?”
“Yeah, and Amy, too.” Al nodded. “The girls don’t come in here no more, though—it’s a long story—but whenever Frankie came back to London, he always dropped by for a chinwag and to grab a couple’a burgers. In fact, only a few days ago, he was sittin’ right where you’re sittin’ now.”
�
�What d’you mean, when he “came back” to London?” asked Charlotte.
“He used to live ‘round here, years ago,” said Al. “So did Penny and Amy. Frankie left first and the girls followed soon afterwards.” He inspected his fingernails. “Can’t say I was sorry to see the back of them, either. Penny and Amy, I mean. Devious pair, if ever I met one.”
He crooked his index finger, drawing them closer. “The Bakers, the parents, I mean, now they’re lovely people. She’s an interior designer and he’s got his own private investigation company. Years ago, he was workin’ on an investigation—the client had hired him to follow the husband ‘cos she was sure he was havin’ an affair.” He scratched his head. “Anyway, turns out he was havin’ an affair...with Penny.
“Oh boy, it caused a lot of trouble at the time. Thing is, she used to come in here with the guy all the time—they’d sit canoodlin’ in a booth, makin’ a burger and a rootbeer last all evenin’. She was single, seventeen but looked twenty-five—and turned out he was married, thirty-three but looked twenty. How was I s’posed to know he was so much older than her? He looked young enough to me and he didn’t wear no wedding ring. Anyway, her dad was mortified—I don’t know how he explained that to his client—and Penny was grounded for months.
“Anyone else would have learned their lesson after that, but not Penny. Oh, no.” Big Al’s big jowls wobbled as he shook his head. “She only started carryin’ on with the guy again and, when she finished with him, she took up with another old geezer. Her parents was at their wits’ end, worryin’ about her and the bad influence she was havin’ on her sister, Amy. The last thing they wanted was for Amy to follow Penny’s lead and find an old ‘friend’ of her own—you know what I mean?
“Anyway, me and my Lynne, that’s my wife, we told the Bakers we’d give the girls a few hours workin’ here in the evenin’ if it would help put their minds at rest. They was goin’ crazy worryin’ about where they were, what they were doin’, and who they were doin’ it with—if you know what I mean. We told ‘em we’d keep an eye on the girls here. That way, they could be sure they weren’t gettin’ up to no mischief.”
“Why’d you give Penny a job if she was so much trouble?” asked Nathan.
Al shrugged. “’Cos I felt kinda responsible, I s’pose. Knowin’ she’d been carryin’ on with the guy under my nose made me feel a little stupid, you know what I mean? I guess I gave her a job by way of an apology to Mr and Mrs Baker—my Lynne told me to keep out of it but I felt like I had to do somethin’.”
“So why’d you pull a face when I mentioned her name?” said Charlotte, twirling a cocktail umbrella.
Al picked up a glass from the draining tray to dry the inside. “Well, she and Amy had been workin’ here a few months when we noticed the tips were lower than usual. Our servers have always made great tips, so the drop was really noticeable.”
“Don’t tell me—Penny had her hand in the tip jar?” said Nathan.
Al nodded. “You got it in one—and Amy, too. They shoulda been puttin’ the tips in the jar behind the bar to get shared out between all the servers at the end of the night, but they was puttin’ ‘em in their own pockets instead.
“When I found out what was goin’ on, I felt like I’d been kicked in the teeth. I trusted ‘em and they threw it back in my face. The day I found out was the last day they worked here. We lost customers, too—a lot of their friends used to come here to eat when they was workin’ but, after I booted the girls out, they stopped comin’. Mind you, I’m not sure that was a bad thing—my Lynne was convinced that half of ‘em were eating for nothin’, you know what I mean?”
For a fleeting moment he looked troubled, but his frown was soon replaced by a smile. “Anyways, not my place to tell you who to hang around with and who not to, just giving you the benefit of my experience. You seem like nice people; wouldn’t want you gettin’ stung like we did. Sometimes you just gotta look at the bigger picture to see what’s going on right under your nose, you know what I mean?”
He looked over Charlotte’s shoulder at his grandson, who was rolling towards them at a frightening speed.
“Hey, looks like your table might be ready. You enjoy your meal. Oh, and don’t forget to read about the competition on the back of your menu in case you’re interested in takin’ part.”
“What competition?” asked Charlotte.
“If you can guess the secret ingredient in the burgers, you’ll get one meal on the house.” Al chuckled. “But if you think you know, don’t go shoutin’ out the answer—just tell a server and they’ll let you know if you’re right. The competition’s been runnin’ for over thirty years, and in all that time only fourteen people have guessed what it is.
“And by the way, if you’re thinkin’ of havin’ a side order with your main, we do a great macaroni cheese with bacon—it’s my own recipe and it’s to die for, if I do say so myself. Anyway, nice talkin’ to you.”
“Likewise.” Nathan helped Charlotte down from the stool. “If these burgers are as good as they look, I’m sure we’ll see you again before we go home.”
“If they’re as good as they look, we’ll definitely see you again—and I’m definitely up for the culinary challenge.” Charlotte licked her lips as a waitress rolled past them with a platter bearing a juicy burger complete with melted cheese, sliced pickles, crispy homemade fries, a house salad, handmade relish and coleslaw and, the crowning glory as far as Charlotte was concerned, a pile of glossy, deep-golden fried onions. She jabbed the air with a determined finger. “That’s what I’m having. Come on—let’s eat!”
ººººººº
“Those burgers were, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever tasted. They’re going on the menu when we get home.” Charlotte fanned her face.
“I can’t believe you guessed what the ingredient was,” said Nathan as he hung off the strap on the crowded underground train. “I knew there was something different about them but I would never have guessed what. In fact, if I’d known beforehand, I’m not sure I’d have tried them.”
“I think it’s because my senses have heightened since I’ve been pregnant—well, my sense of taste and smell, at least. I’m not sure I’d have known otherwise. Anyway, Al’s a character, isn’t he? Surprising what he said about Penny and Amy, don’t you think? Mind you, I’m not judging—we all made mistakes when we were kids.”
“Well, it’s not really surprising because we don’t know them, do we?” said Nathan. “Maybe they still do stuff like that now—how would we know? That’s the thing when you don’t have a history with someone—you have to take them at face value and hope they’re being honest with you. If they’re convincing enough, they can make you believe that the most far-fetched lies are the truth. How would you ever know any different? Anyway, come on, here’s our stop.”
ººººººº
Later that evening, after a twilight circuit on the London Eye followed by a light dinner and a hot chocolate in a restaurant overlooking the River Thames, Charlotte fell into an uneasy sleep.
Her dreams were filled with images of corpses and electric chairs.
A figure in black, menacingly brandishing a triple-decker burger, removed a hood to reveal the sombre face of Big Al. “Sometimes you just gotta look at the bigger picture to see what’s going on right under your nose,” he reminded her.
Twice, she woke in a hot sweat, thoughts of recent events spinning around in her head. A nagging feeling of unease started to settle in and she suddenly craved to be surrounded by all things familiar—to be back in St. Eves in her own home with Jess, Ava, Betty, and Harriet to make her laugh.
On the verge of waking Nathan, she decided against it. Instead, she pulled the duvet up to her chin and, just as dawn’s misty veil fell away to reveal the day, she dozed off into a troubled sleep.
ººººººº
“I feel a little ungrateful saying it, but I’m so glad we’re leaving today.” Charlotte winced as the baby gave her a kick any football fan woul
d have been proud of. I’m ready to go home now.”
“Well, wait no more, my love.” Nathan opened the taxi door and helped her into the backseat. “St. Eves, here we come.”
With every mile closer to the airport they got, Charlotte felt her heart become a little lighter, her mood remaining upbeat until she saw Penny in the departure lounge, on her own and looking lost, holding Zac in a baby sling.
“Listen, if going over there to say hello is going to upset you, don’t go.” Nathan was adamant. “She’ll never know—damn it, she’s seen us.”
Penny waved before making a beeline for them.
“Hi, how are you?” Charlotte tickled Zac’s arm as he leaned his head against Penny’s shoulder, eyelids drooping over big blue eyes as he sucked on his thumb.
“Oh, you know. In a daze, really. We still can’t believe what’s happened. We’re just going through the motions. You know, I thought the police were going to arrest us—or at least keep us here. I was so relieved when they said we could go home—I know we’re going to be hearing from them again soon, though.” She blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall and nodded towards her sister. “It’s Amy I’m worried about. She’s taken it so hard. She feels completely to blame.”
“What? Why on earth would she feel that?”
“She can’t stop thinking that Frankie’s dead because he overtook her and got in the tub first. If she hadn’t let him catch her up, he’d still be here.”
“Yes, but she’d be the one lying on a mortuary slab. For goodness’ sake, she can’t think like that—she’ll drive herself mad.”
“I know. We’ve all told her that but...” Penny shook her head and stroked Zac’s hair. “Anyway, I just wanted to come and say hello. I’m so sorry you had to be a part of all this—I hope it didn’t ruin your honeymoon, although I suspect it probably did.”
“Look, don’t worry about it.” Charlotte hugged her. “If you ever want a change of scene back in St. Eves, you’ll find me at ‘Charlotte’s Plaice’ café on the marina every day except Saturday.”