by Agatha Frost
Benjamin lifted his left hand awkwardly up to his right shoulder as he stared down at his sister. He mouthed something, before looking up at Julia.
“You would have done the same,” Benjamin said to Julia before directing it to the rest of the room. “She is only nineteen! Any of you would have done the same.”
“How did you find out?” Blair asked, both of her hands clutching her tiny stomach.
“I suspect he overheard one of your conversations with Henry. It wasn’t like you weren’t in his room three times a day serving him his food. Benjamin had a knack for discovering this castle’s secret passages, so I don’t doubt he found the one leading up to Henry’s bedroom from the courtyard. Those types of secret passageways were built to be easily accessed in case of emergencies, which was why Henry’s was in his closet. You snuck up there to see where it led, and you overheard a conversation between Blair and Henry about their baby. You decided then you were going to kill the man, you were just waiting for your moment. You snuck into his bedroom when he wasn’t there, took the gun from his wall, and you waited for him to return. You shot him, and then you ran back down the passage, disposed of the gun, no doubt in the loch, and you carried on with your day. Nobody knew you knew about the network of secret passages here. Why would anybody ever suspect the new groundskeeper?”
“He was threatening her!” Benjamin cried. “He told her if she didn’t get rid of the baby, he would make her regret ever being born!”
“Blair got you this job here, so she wasn’t going to go through this alone,” Julia said, smiling down at Blair. “She was going to keep her baby regardless. She wanted to have the same relationship with her child as your mother did with you. It wasn’t like Henry was going to be around for much longer. You hoped if you concealed your pregnancy for long enough, nobody would ever figure out who the father was, and you could save as much money as possible. Even if you had known the castle was up for grabs, I don’t think you would have taken it. Out of all the people who lived in this castle, you were the only one who wanted to do the right thing.”
Benjamin dropped to his knees and grabbed both of Blair’s hands in his. He tried to look at her, but she couldn’t bring herself to return his gaze. Julia’s heart broke for them both. She understood why Benjamin did what he did, and if it was her and Sue in their situation, she wasn’t sure if she could say she wouldn’t have done the same.
“I didn’t know he was dying,” Benjamin said as he started to cry. “I’m so sorry, Blair.”
“Why are you sorry?” Charlotte cried. “You did us all a favour. Is this over yet? I’m exhausted.”
“It’s over, Charlotte,” Julia said before turning to the bookcase. “DI Fletcher, you have to give the door a good push!”
The bookcase creaked open and DI Fletcher, followed by five uniformed officers walked into the room, all of them sharing the same dumbfounded look as they blinked into the light.
When Charlotte saw the uniformed officers, she suddenly jumped up from the chair and made for the door, but to everyone’s surprise, Andrew stepped in her way and grabbed hold of her.
“If I’m going down, yer coming wi’ me, lassie,” he snarled through gritted teeth. “I’ve hated yer guts since the day you were born.”
DI Fletcher handcuffed Benjamin, while the other officers advanced on Andrew, Charlotte, and Rory. Rory instantly started spouting about being a lawyer and how he was going make them all lose their jobs. Charlotte thrashed and screamed against Andrew, but despite everything, he did the right thing and held her securely until she was handcuffed. He immediately offered his hands for cuffing.
When they were all taken away, Julia let out a relieved sigh and turned her attention back to the table. Dot gulped down her wine, and then Charlotte’s leftovers, before picking up her spoon to dig into her Cranachan.
“No point wasting good dessert,” Dot announced, giving the rest of the guests an encouraging nod to join her. “I must say, the spa really is rather excellent, because I didn’t notice any of this going on. Top notch work again, Julia, my love.”
Julia collapsed into Rory’s chair and reached across the table to grab Sue’s hand. They both looked at their gran as she wolfed down her dessert, and all they could do was laugh.
As the officers worked their way around the drawing room to take official statements of what everybody had heard, Julia hung back near the window, sitting in Charlotte’s armchair. She stared out at the loch, wondering what would become of the castle that had seen so much death and destruction in the last week.
“I owe you an apology,” a soft voice came from behind her.
DI Fletcher sat in the armchair next to her and joined her in looking out at the dark loch. In the reflection of the glass, she caught him glancing at her.
“It’s not needed,” Julia said, shaking her hands dismissively.
“You have a brilliant mind,” he said, his tone heartfelt. “I couldn’t piece any of that together. The police force needs more people like you.”
“I just keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the shadows,” Julia said with a small shrug. “I’m happy being a baker.”
“Well, you must be an amazing baker,” he said as he stood up. “Your man back home is pretty lucky. Now I can see why he couldn’t resist letting you run his investigation. You’re quite the force to be reckoned with, Miss South.”
“He’s not too bad himself,” Julia said with a wink. “Do you mind helping me up, Detective Inspector? I can barely move in this dress.”
She held out a hand, and he yanked her up. She pulled down the ruffles in her dress, surprised to see him holding out a hand for her to shake.
“I promise I’m actually left-handed,” he said playfully as he glanced down at his open palm. “Drive safely back home.”
They parted ways, and Julia was happy she had sensed the mutual respect between them. She felt bad for assuming he couldn’t do his job because of his age, but she knew it had taken some guts to drop everything on her request and follow her down a secret passageway to wait for a confession that might or might not happen at the end of a long meal.
“So, let me get this straight,” Sue said as she appeared behind Julia and rested her chin on her shoulder. “Charlotte told Rory to get rid of Mary, which he took to mean ‘kill Mary’, which he did willingly. She also told Andrew to destroy the evidence of her brother’s crime, and he did that willingly too. Then, Benjamin killed Henry, completely unrelated to the rest of the family, because Henry had gotten Blair pregnant, but he was dying of cancer anyway so he should have just waited and none of this would have happened?”
“I think that’s about right,” Julia said with a nod. “Although, you missed out how great the spa was.”
They both looked back to their gran again and chuckled as she grabbed the dessert across the table from her and started her third helping of Cranachan as she gave her statement, no doubt embellished with dramatic twists that never happened and recommendations for great wrap treatments and cucumber facials.
“What now?” Sue asked, linking her arm with Julia’s.
“We go to bed,” Julia said, letting out a small yawn. “We have a long drive home tomorrow. Are you going to tell her?”
Sue rested her hand on her stomach as they walked out of the drawing room and towards the entrance hall.
“Soon,” she said. “I think I’m enjoying this being our secret for now. It’s just like being kids again.”
“But with tighter dresses and more murder.”
They made their way up to their bedroom, and after Sue peeled the dress off Julia, she wiped off the remnants of her red lipstick and collapsed onto her bed, ready to dream of nothing else other than what was waiting for her back in Peridale.
Chapter Fifteen
Julia didn’t set an alarm for the next morning, but she still rose with the sunrise, as did Sue and Dot. It wasn’t long before they were fully packed and loading their mountain of luggage back into her tiny car.
“Do we need to check out?” Dot asked, looking back at the grand castle entrance.
“There’s nobody to check out with,” Sue reminded her. “The entire family has gone. Just like that.”
“Probably for the best,” Dot said airily with a shrug. “They were all pretty awful.”
Julia and Sue both gave each other the look they did whenever their gran said something outrageous. One of them usually attempted to correct her so she could see why what she had said was inappropriate, but it seemed neither of them actually disagreed with their gran, even if they wouldn’t have said it out loud themselves.
After forcing the car boot shut, and squashing the hatbox Sue still hadn’t had a chance to open, Julia turned back to the castle and inhaled the cool, crystal clear heather-scented air once more. As though the loch knew what had happened, the skies were vibrant and cloudless, and the water was calm. In the distance, she thought she saw a deer sprinting across the horizon, but it could have been her mind playing tricks on her. Despite everything, it was still a beautiful place.
“Get the car started,” Julia said, tossing her keys to Sue. “I have something I need to do.”
Sue nodded her understanding and climbed into the car, leaving Julia to head back into the castle. She wasn’t entirely sure where she would find Blair, but she decided the kitchen was the best place to start. When she pushed on the door, she saw the young girl sitting at the counter, her mousy hair down for the first time, and in much more casual clothes.
Blair looked up at her with a smile, letting Julia know there were no hard feelings. Julia climbed into the seat next to her, and they sat in silence for a moment.
“I’m sorry about your brother,” Julia started.
“I’m sorry I ever asked him to come here,” Blair said with a small laugh. “I was just so lonely and scared. Henry was a persuasive man. I never should have been so stupid.”
“None of this is your fault,” Julia whispered, nudging Blair with her shoulder. “You’re the victim in all of this, but you have something to look forward to. A new beginning. I think there are some good lawyers out there who could make a worthy case for you inheriting this castle considering the only other heirs are soon to be serving long prison sentences.”
Blair looked around the kitchen, and Julia actually thought she was considering it for a moment. She shook her head and looked down at her stomach, resting her hand on the tiny bump.
“A new beginning,” Blair agreed with a nod. “I never belonged here. I’m going home to my mam in Blackpool. She’s always wanted grandkids.”
“That’s a good idea. You’re wise for somebody so young.”
“Not wise enough to turn and run the first time Henry tried it on,” Blair said softly. “Do you know what Seirbigh means in ancient Gaelic? It literally translates to doom. This is Doom Castle. I was doomed from the second I arrived here. It sucks you in with the beautiful views, but nothing good happens between these walls. You’ve set it free, Julia.”
Blair took Julia by surprise and hugged her. When she let go, Julia could feel the tears welling up, but she forced them down.
“If you’re ever near Peridale, pop into the cafe and say hello,” Julia said, before looking at her stomach. “Both of you.”
“I promise we will,” Blair said with a nod. “I think I should go and pack. I don’t suppose you’re driving past Blackpool, are you?”
Julia nodded and held her arm out for Blair. They set off up the castle stairs together, both of them more than ready to go home.
After dropping Blair off with her mother, who was more than overjoyed at her daughter’s surprise return, they set off towards Peridale leaving them to have a much needed conversation.
They arrived in Peridale just after six in the evening as the sun started to wane in the sky. As Julia drove through the village, she made sure to slow down and really soak up every tiny detail. Just seeing her café, even if it was closed, gave her butterflies.
She dropped Sue off with her gran. Just like with Blair and her mother, they also needed to have a serious conversation. Dot invited her in for a cup of tea, but she declined in favour of heading straight home.
When she pulled up behind Barker’s car, she could barely contain her smile as she killed the engine. She inhaled, relieved to smell manure from the surrounding fields, and not heather. She grabbed her single bag from the boot and walked around Barker’s car, which was now sporting a giant dent where the registration plate should have been.
Using her key, she unlocked the front door, dropped her bag on the doorstep, closed her eyes, and smiled. She was home.
She followed the sound of music and laughter into the kitchen. She walked in, surprised to see Barker and Jessie completely covered in flour.
“Julia!” Barker exclaimed. “You’re home!”
“I am,” she chuckled. “Dare I ask?”
“We’re having a food fight,” Jessie said with a shrug.
“We were trying to bake you a cake.”
“But you said I always burn cakes.”
“So she dumped a bag of flour on my head,” Barker said, dusting the flour off his hair. “And then I tossed the batter at her, and I guess – welcome home!”
Julia didn’t care about the mess. She walked between them, taking them into an arm each. Jessie eventually wriggled free, leaving Julia to wrap her arms fully around Barker’s waist. He kissed the top of her head, before lifting up her chin with his forefinger to kiss her softly on the lips. Time suddenly stopped, and everything that had happened over the past week no longer mattered.
“So, how was it?” Barker asked. “Did anything exciting happen?”
“Nope,” Julia said, as she dusted the flour off her front. “It was actually quite boring. Uneventful, you might say.”
Barker stared at her suspiciously, but he didn’t question her. He wrapped his hand around her shoulder, and they both watched as Jessie sat down at the counter, her eyes glued to her tablet. Mowgli crawled in through the open kitchen window and nudged Julia’s arm to let her know he was happy she had returned, before looking at the flour and sauntering straight back out into the garden.
“We should go away sometime soon,” Barker suggested as he rested his head on hers. “Just you and me.”
“I’m exactly where I want to be right now,” she said, smiling at Jessie who looked peculiarly up from her tablet. “Here, with you two.”
“Did you bump your head in Scotland?” Jessie mumbled as she tapped on her screen. “I heard too much fresh air can actually be bad for you.”
Julia laughed as she picked up the kettle. Staring out into the garden, she flipped open the lid and began to fill it with water. She caught Barker’s eye in the reflection of the glass, and they smiled at each other. As Barker began to sweep up the mess, and Jessie ignored them both in favour of her new gadget, Julia’s mind wandered to her sister’s pregnancy. Without realising she was doing it, her hand rested carefully on her stomach as the kettle overflowed, and for the first time in a long time, she began to wonder if that would be her one day.
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Book 6. Espresso and Evil
Published by Pink Tree Publishing Limited in 2017
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Copyright © Pink Tree Publishing Limited.
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For questions and comments about this book, please contact [email protected]
www.pinktreepublishing.com
www.agathafrost.com
Cover designed by Ashley Mcloughlin.
Edited by Keri Lierman.
Beta team - Ceri Sell, Sam Callaghan, Tonya Polk, Tee Prinzo Bilgore and Amy Keating Casey.
About This Book
Released: June 20th 2017
Words: 48,000
Series: Book 6 - Peridale Cozy Café Mystery Series
Standalone: Yes
Cliff-hanger: No
When a coffee shop opens in the village, Julia is surprised when her customers flock to the new business, leaving her café almost empty. A failed protest against the corporate chain store leaves Julia wondering if her cafe can survive, but she suddenly has bigger fish to fry when the owner of the coffee shop is poisoned, and she is framed for his murder.
As Julia attempts to clear her name, she is stopped in her tracks when an unwanted familiar face arrives in Peridale. Her past and present crash together, threatening to jeopardise her blossoming relationship with Barker. Julia's history is back to haunt her, and she is forced to deal with the consequences of her actions before its too late. Somebody is trying to frame Julia for her rival's murder, but can she juggle her most challenging case yet with her complicated love life before she loses more than just her café?