by Agatha Frost
Julia, on the other hand, wasn’t ready to let it go, despite what she’d told Barker. She’d promised him she wouldn’t put herself in danger by investigating, and she didn’t intend to. There was nothing dangerous about visiting Bev’s place of work to try to talk to her again.
Julia lingered around for another hour, hoping that Bev would eventually give in to her vice. When the coffee shop finally quieted down, Bev grabbed her jacket and headed for the front door. Julia scooped up Vinnie and followed behind.
“Oh, it’s you again,” Bev said as she lit a cigarette. “Stand on my other side. You’ll be upwind from me.”
Julia did as she was told and watched as Bev’s cigarette smoke drifted in the opposite direction of them. Julia took another cautionary step back and put Vinnie over her shoulder, not that Bev seemed to mind.
“Did you hear about that woman who got mugged in Fern Moore the other night?” Bev mumbled through her cigarette. “It was the same night we were on the bus. Did you see anything?”
“No,” Julia lied, not in the mood to recount the tale again. “I heard about it though. I heard she’s fine.”
“Hmm.” Bev sucked hard on her cigarette. “I’m not sure you’d ever be fine again after something like that. Not really.”
Julia cleared her throat. She had to bite her tongue, she so desperately wanted to tell Bev she was strong enough to not let a single moment define her life.
“How are you doing, Bev?”
“Police dragged me in again yesterday.” She stated in a matter-of-fact voice. “Claimed they had new evidence, but it was nothing. They’re chasing their own tails trying to pin this on me.”
“What new evidence?”
“Just some old pictures from a bad period in my life.” Bev’s thin lips curled around her cigarette as her eyes fogged over. “It’s nothing. It wasn’t relevant, and they knew it. I left when I realised I wasn’t under arrest.”
Balancing Vinnie on her hip, Julia pulled a pile of printed out photographs from her bag and handed them to Bev. She tossed her cigarette on the floor and stamped it out before flicking through the images.
“Where did you get these?” Bev asked coolly.
“They were on Tony’s assistant’s laptop.”
“And you’re carrying them around in your bag because…?”
“I wanted to see how you’d react when I showed them to you.” Julia took the pictures back and tucked them away. “As it happens, it seems like a waste of my printer’s ink because you didn’t react at all. Consider me a little embarrassed.”
“I’m not going to lie about my past.” Bev checked her watch. “I only have a couple more minutes before they come looking for me. Why are you so interested in me? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you’re here again. The first time I could believe, but you came here today for a reason.”
Julia considered her thoughts for a moment. Whatever she chose to say next could make the difference between Bev opening up and giving her more useful information, or Bev running off and never speaking to Julia again.
“I have a keen interest in local crime,” Julia admitted. “Although, saying that out loud makes me sound a little peculiar.”
“Just a bit.”
“I just want to know what happened to Tony,” Julia said, dropping her guard. “We were both there. We both saw it. Why would someone kill him that way? They could have slipped peanuts to him any time. Why there?”
“And why my cake?” Bev huffed and leaned against the metal exterior of the building. “I could have been chosen at random, but out of all those people, it just happened to be the ex-wife? No wonder that DI is salivating at the thought of charging me. It’s a picture-perfect ending.”
“Why did you enter the bake-off?”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t live in Peridale.” Julia stepped closer now that Bev had stopped smoking. “They’re holding them all over the county. If you really love baking, which I think you do because your red velvet was near perfect, you could have entered any of them, but you chose to enter the one your ex-husband happened to be judging.”
“Is there anything wrong with wanting to rub it in your ex-husband’s face?” Bev asked. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t show off your ring and talk about how happy you were if your ex showed up out of the blue. I had nothing to show off, other than that I’d let him go. The woman in those pictures was sick. I don’t deny how difficult I found the divorce. Wouldn’t anyone? After nearly twenty years of marriage, he threw me out onto the street without a penny to my name. He moved Camila in the next day. I wasn’t standing outside their house, I was standing outside my house. Tony might have paid for it, but who do you think made that house a home while he was at work? I was angry, and I wanted them to know it. I put my life into that place, and I got nothing in return. I tried so hard to get Tony back. I tried too hard for too long. I didn’t realise what I was doing half the time. Looking back now, I know I acted crazy, but at the time, I thought I was doing it out of love. When I finally stepped back and let them get on with their lives, I found some peace. That’s why I went to the bake-off. I wanted to show him that he didn’t affect me anymore.”
Bev paused and scrambled for another cigarette with trembling hands.
“Look at me, I’m back smoking, and I’m working in the noisiest place on the planet. Tony and I might never have had kids, but it didn’t mean I didn’t desperately want them. After what happened with Judy, he didn’t want to go through that again. Now I have to spend my days surrounded by them, and I hate to burst the bubble, but it’s not fun when they’re not your own. I go home, and my back is killing me, my ears are ringing, and it takes a full bottle of wine before I even feel human. And now the cigarettes are back! I should be living the best years of my life right now, but these are truly the worst.”
“They could be worse.”
“How?”
“You could have still been married to Tony.” Julia offered her a playful smile. “I know we don’t know each other, but your life doesn’t have to end because of this. My gran is eighty-five and has just got engaged.”
“Eighty-five?” Bev choked on her smoke. “Wow. I don’t think I’ll still be around then if I carry on like this.”
“Tomorrow’s a new day.” Julia glanced at her watch; she’d taken up more than enough of Bev’s smoke break. “Just one more thing before you go back. I have some more pictures. Tony thought he was being followed, and it seems he was right. Do you have any idea who this man is?”
Julia passed her the second lot of pictures from her bag. Bev flicked through a couple, but she shook her head.
“No idea. Sorry. That could be anyone.” Bev stamped out her second cigarette and blew out the smoke. “I need to get back now. If you ever want to stop treating me like a suspect, we could be friends. I heard you’re a good baker, but I’m not too bad myself. See you around.”
Julia carried Vinnie to the car. He had fallen asleep somewhere during the conversation, which didn’t surprise her, given he was late for his afternoon nap and had been playing at full speed for hours. She buckled him carefully into the car seat, which Barker had kindly transferred over to her car, and set off back to Peridale, this time without a detour through Fern Moore.
Could Julia trust Bev? Despite having so much in common, from their messy divorces to their love of baking, a nagging voice in the back of her head told her to keep her distance.
Chapter Twelve
“So, you talked to Oliver?” Johnny urged on Julia’s doorstep early on Monday morning. “What did he tell you?”
“Tony was being followed by a man.” Julia handed over the pictures she’d printed off. “That’s all I got from him. Well, that’s all I think is important. And no, before you ask, I haven’t figured out who he is.”
“Yet.”
“I’m glad you have faith, Johnny.” Julia pulled her dressing gown close as a chilly wind whipped down the lane. “I don’t have much to
work on.”
“Have you talked to the wife yet?”
“Briefly.”
“And?”
“She was understandably grief-stricken, and I didn’t want to push too hard.” Julia shivered as the cold air sucked all the heat from her cottage. “Are you coming in? I spent all morning heating this place, and I have a baby in here.”
“I can’t stay.” Johnny glanced at his girlfriend’s cottage across the lane. “Leah has given me a key, and I’m going to let myself in and surprise her with breakfast in bed. Do you think she’ll like that?”
“Just don’t make it a total surprise. The sun has barely shown its face. You might give her the fright of her life.”
“I never thought of that.” He fiddled with his glasses. “I’ll just have to be extra quiet. Keep me in the loop!”
Leaving Johnny to hopefully surprise and not shock Leah, Julia retreated to her cereal and cup of tea in the kitchen. Her corn flakes had turned to mush, but the cold had blown her appetite away. Barker helped Vinnie with his own breakfast, watching her as she scraped the mess into the bin.
“Your phone beeped when you were at the door.” Barker nodded to her phone on the counter. “What did Johnny want?”
“Gossip for the paper.” Julia picked up her phone. “What does he ever want? Oh, it’s from my dad. He says Katie is recovering well, but they still haven’t cleared her to fly.”
“It’s been eight days.” Barker huffed as he spooned more cereal into Vinnie’s open mouth. “How much longer do you think they’ll be?”
“As long as it takes. She has pins in her legs and can barely stand up straight without three people helping her.” Julia cocked her head and watched as Barker matched Vinnie’s facial expressions. “It’s not a problem, is it?”
“No,” Barker said, his tone unsure. “It would just be nice to get back to normal. Don’t get me wrong, I love having Vinnie around, but you have to admit it’s a lot of work.”
“Babies are.” Julia turned around, looking through the kitchen window to hide her face from Barker. Emotion swept over her in an instant. Since her frank conversation with Sue the day before, the words had been on the tip of her tongue. They were desperate to fall out, to fill the silence with a question so huge it would change everything in an instant. She parted her lips, and her throat even grunted, but the words wouldn’t come.
“Do you … do you … do you want another coffee?”
“I’d love another coffee.” Barker leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “That’s why we’re so perfect for each other. We can practically read each other’s minds.”
Julia stared deep into his eyes. She desperately willed him to read exactly what was on her mind so she didn’t have to be the one to bring it up.
“Are you feeling okay? Your eyes are shiny.”
“Allergies,” Julia said, turning away to wipe a fallen tear.
It almost hurt that he didn’t question her further since, unlike Tony Bridges, she didn’t have any allergies.
Once again, Jessie insisted that she run the café on her own and that Julia stay home with Vinnie. Julia knew Jessie didn’t want a rambunctious toddler running around the café on a quiet Monday, which Jessie would likely spend consumed by her phone—not that Julia minded. It gave her a chance to cross another person off her list without throwing herself into a dangerous situation.
“I’m going to take Vinnie for a walk,” she called to Barker, who was too deep in his writing to question her. “I won’t be too long.”
As Julia pushed Vinnie’s pram up the winding lane in the direction of Peridale Farm, she felt the first hint that spring would soon take over the village. The afternoon air still held a chill, but the snow had completely melted. For the first time in a full week, the sky wasn’t masked with a sheet of hazy clouds. Staring up at the pure blue sky, she vowed never to take it for granted again.
They bypassed the farm, taking a narrow lane that ran alongside it instead. More than once, she had to push herself into the bushes to allow cars up and down. She was using her memory of a map she had seen that morning to lead her in the general direction, not that she needed it by the time she reached the bottom of the lane. The scent of horse manure was so thick in the air, it pulled her in the right direction.
The Peridale Riding Centre was so tucked away deep in the countryside, it was easy to forget the place was even there. Julia hadn’t given it much thought since her sole visit in her early teens when Sue had been deep in her horse-riding phase. She’d somehow convinced Julia, who would’ve rather been at home baking, to give it a try, and with Dot’s encouragement and the help of a stepping stool, Julia had mounted a small chestnut pony. Unlike Sue, who possessed the natural elegance and poise needed to ride, Julia was awkward and clumsy on the back of the animal. She panicked, kicked too hard, spooked the horse, and was ejected from her saddle and into the dust within thirty seconds. The bruise on her backside was enough to put her off ever wanting to try again, and even though the instructors had tried to convince her to ‘get back on the horse’, Julia had sat on a grooming box, embarrassed and sore, where she remained until Sue had finished and they could leave.
When the riding school finally came into view, Julia didn’t recognise it as the place she had visited as a child. She remembered a single row of stables with a mucky outdoor riding ring, but a lot had changed in the almost three decades since. The row of stables she remembered was still there, but it paled in comparison to the giant structure that had been built to house the indoor stables. A larger outdoor school had also been built, and there was even an indoor school for when the weather wasn’t as good.
Even though Julia hadn’t given the place much thought since her childhood, it appeared enough people cared, because even on a quiet Monday, it was teaming with life. Children of all ages ran around in their tight jodhpurs, dirty riding boots, thick hoodies, and riding hats. They were leading horses, brushing and washing them, mucking out, feeding, riding, and, despite there still being a chill in the air, they all looked like they wouldn’t want to be doing anything else after a long day of school.
Feeling like the fraud she was, Julia approached with trepidation. She let herself in via a large metal gate and pushed Vinnie into the concrete yard in front of the indoor stables. To the left of the stables, she immediately spotted Florence Henshaw, the feisty redhead who had thrown the coffee in Tony’s face an hour before his death. She stood in the middle of the outdoor school, surrounded by four small children atop ponies listening while she barked her instructions.
“C’mon, Ella!” she cried, her authoritative tone cutting through the air. “You’re supposed to be doing a rising trot! I want to see your bottom actually rising from the saddle. That’s it! Keep your back straight!”
Remembering what she’d once been told about never walking directly behind a horse, Julia walked around the edge of the yard to the gate of the school, where parents stood watching their kids during their lesson.
“Okay, everyone, we’re going to do a little sequence to finish off, okay?” Florence said before clapping her hands together. “Remember what I told you last week about X? Where is X?”
“In the middle,” the four children chorused.
“That’s right.” Florence looked pleased with herself. “Right where I am standing. Now, taking turns and not getting too close to each other, I want you to go from A, to B, to C, to E, and then finish at X in a neat line. Can you do that?”
“Yeah,” they called.
Florence ran over to the gate and leaned against it while the children performed what she had asked of them. They headed one by one to the letters tacked to the outskirts of the fence, and then to the middle. The children looked around seven, but none of them struggled with the task. Julia could feel the embarrassment from her fall regurgitating itself through the decades.
“Perfect!” Florence called out. “Now, do I need to go and get the step, or can you all dismount on your own?”
The four children all dismounted with no trouble at once. Once again, Florence looked pleased with herself.
“Excellent.” Florence swung open the gate and shooed the parents away. “What do we say about the step?”
“Steps are for first-time riders, and never again,” they chanted.
Despite Florence’s somewhat dictatorial approach to her teaching, the parents were all brimming with proud smiles. The children seemed disciplined, able to take instruction, and well-behaved for such a young age. Maybe Julia had missed out on something after all?
The four children led the ponies into the indoor stable, leaving the parents to linger by their cars, most of which were giant SUVs and sports cars. Julia remembered the price list on the website; riding certainly wasn’t an affordable hobby to take up. When the school was empty, Florence shut the gate and marched right past Julia without giving her a second glance. She got the impression Florence was there because she loved horses and teaching, and she was less interested in the parents who tagged along to watch, not that Julia was one of those parents.
Julia followed Florence into the indoor stables and watched as she ducked into a dimly lit office, which was cluttered with children sizing their hats. Florence filtered through them and consulted a large book on the desk before checking her watch. She drank from a bottle of what appeared to be an energy drink before emerging ready for whatever was next on the schedule. Not wanting to miss her opportunity, Julia pushed Vinnie forward and blocked Florence’s path.
“Hello there,” Julia said as sweetly as she could. “I was wondering if you could help me?”
“What is it?” Florence stood with her feet wide apart and her hands on her hips on the inside of her quilted jacket. “The baby is too young for lessons, although if you come back in a year, I have a tiny pony I can throw him on.”
Florence went to step around Julia, but she countered, using the pram as a blockade. Florence stared Julia dead in the eyes, and it was obvious she wasn’t used to people being so forceful on her premises.