She checked the app on her phone and found Nish, River, and Vina making faces into the camera. I love my family. They crowded into the cottage when she opened the door, carrying her along with them into the living room. “You’re all out late.”
“Marnie texted me after her hubby got home,” Vina explained. “I messaged River and Nish, who were out with friends in Looe. They picked up a takeaway and then me. And here we are. We’ve got pizza, chips, and apparently deep-fried something from the smell.”
“Mars bars. You’ll thank me later.” River grabbed the massive paper sack from Nish. “Someone get plates. I got a few bottles of ale as well.”
“So, basically, you brought me a heart attack.” Motts accepted the bottle Nish held out to her. She narrowed her eyes on her cousin. “Did you two have a date?”
“We went to a small concert with a group of friends,” River insisted. “Vina? Where are the plates?”
“They were on a date.” Vina came over from the kitchen with four plates and an assortment of silverware. “Isn’t it adorable? We’ll be related and everything.”
“One date. Vina. One.” Nish flicked his sister on the arm. “Let’s not have wedding bells ringing.”
Seeing how uncomfortable River was getting, Motts decided to provide a distraction. She explained to everyone what had happened with her window. They were as anxious as she was to see the video footage.
They plated up the food, divvying out pizza and chips. The fried candy bars would be left for last. Motts planned to leave those for everyone else; she didn’t want to ruin her chocolate palate with bizarre, greasy sweetness.
“Here we go.” Motts had her laptop on the end of the coffee table. They’d all sat on the floor around it to eat. She hit play on the video clip from when the rock was thrown; she rewound it a few times before finally pausing it on the person. “That’s not—”
“A bloke,” River finished for her.
The video clearly showed a slight figure with generous curves. She had a hoodie on, shielding her face. The woman had a rock already in hand and launched it directly at the front window before fleeing on foot.
“A woman.” Vina eased the laptop closer. “I can’t see any identifying features. It could be any number of people in the village.”
“Could be you,” Nish teased.
“I don’t do anything that requires me to run.” She grabbed her brother’s pizza to take a bite. “The important question is, how are we going to hunt this person down?”
“Ten to one, this ends badly,” Nish remarked when River jumped on board with the idea.
“We’re not hunting anyone down.” Motts grabbed another slice of pizza, fending off Cactus’s attempt to steal a piece of pepperoni. “The police can handle things.”
All three of them turned to stare at her. Motts blocked their gazes with her plate. She conveniently chose not to think about the questions she’d been asking around the village.
Questions weren’t the same as going after someone with pitchforks. The trio bantered back and forth. Motts ignored them and finished her pizza slice.
Meow.
Motts glanced over at Cactus, who’d climbed up to perch on her shoulder. “I agree. I think they need to sleep.”
They finished up their incredibly late supper. Vina insisted on watching the CCTV video several more times. She was convinced the way the mysterious figure walked was familiar.
“Doesn’t seem different from anyone else’s walk.” Motts didn’t really see what she was talking about.
“You don’t watch women’s arses when they walk.” Vina offered a tiny piece of crust to Cactus, who knocked it to the floor and proceeded to play with the bit of pizza. “I’ve seen this woman in the village.”
“So, what are we going to do? Sit outside the café and observe people for days on end?” Nish grabbed the last chip in the packet. “We do have jobs.”
“We’ll figure it out.” Vina patted Motts on the hand. “No one is going to mess with our Mottsy.”
The following morning, Motts woke to find her bed crowded by her cousin and the twins. Cactus had curled up on top of Vina’s head. She snuck out of the room to keep her routine.
She brushed her teeth, splashed water on her face, and walked Cactus around her little garden. “What are we going to do? I’m not running away. I love this cottage even though we haven’t been here long. I can see making this home forever.”
Meow.
“Exactly. It’s sized perfectly for us. I’m even growing catnip for you. We’ll have to make sure you don’t become addicted.” Motts crouched down to check on some of the new plants. They wouldn’t bud for a while. She continued to obsessively monitor them anyway. “We better head inside and start breakfast.”
Meow.
“No, you can’t eat an entire package of bacon or sausage. You’re going to have to share.” Motts led her cat inside. She set him up on the blankets by the rear window. He enjoyed watching the birds who took advantage of the feeders and bath in the garden. “Live-action telly for you.”
Moving into the kitchen, Motts grabbed eggs, bacon, and some freshly baked bread. She knew the others would wake up starving. River definitely would.
She dropped bread into the toaster but didn’t push it down yet. “I can hear you hovering.”
“Can I help?” Vina had Motts’s bathrobe wrapped around her. “Heard the detective brought you chocolate.”
“He did.” Motts focused her attention on cracking eggs into a bowl. She dropped the shells into a little bucket under the sink. “Kernow.”
“Your favourite.” Vina nudged her gently with her elbow. “He’s aesthetically pleasing.”
“Don’t tease.” Motts didn’t have the energy to deal with joking. She felt like an overly wrung out tea towel. “I’m not up for it.”
“Sorry.” She wrapped an arm around Motts and hugged her. “I’m sorry your move to the seaside has been marred by all this nonsense. We’ll get it solved.”
“The police will.” Motts whisked up the eggs. She added a dash of seasoning, her own blend. She couldn’t wait for her garden to grow to have fresh herbs again. “I trust them.”
“You trust him,” Vina corrected. She grabbed the packet of bacon. “Bacon or sausage? Or, both?”
“Both. The boys will be hungry.” Motts genuinely hoped her cousin and one of her closest friends did develop a romantic relationship. They’d be perfect together. “Get the kettle going? I’m going to need buckets of coffee to wake up.”
“I slept great.”
“You can sleep anywhere. You could sleep on top of a moving train.” Motts hadn’t been able to settle down with her overcrowded bed. She’d mostly dozed until about six in the morning. “There was a bed in the spare room.”
“You clearly don’t grasp the importance of sleepovers.”
“Think we’re too old for sleepovers. My body definitely is. I find new aches and pains every morning,” Motts grumbled. “And hot flashes. I’m dying of heat even when it’s snowing outside.”
“Age comes for us all.”
“Age came for me early. Nothing good comes from coming.” Motts paused, then briefly met Vina’s eyes before they broke into giggles. “Go wake up the new lovebirds. The bacon’s about done. And then I’ll pop in the eggs to scramble them.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Save me,” Motts whispered to River, who sat on her left side. She knew ignoring the man on her right was rude but couldn’t help herself. “I can’t sit through dinner. I’ll have a meltdown.”
“Already finding a solution,” her cousin murmured mysteriously. “Can you make it through appetisers?”
“Maybe.”
Her auntie Lily was a lovely woman who enjoyed entertaining family and friends. She also had a nasty habit of trying to play matchmaker. Her efforts usually tended to be restricted to her son.
Unfortunately for Motts, her cousin River had begun dating Nish. Auntie Lily adored Nish, which was great. Th
e downside, however, came in her love of matchmaking transferring to Motts.
Motts sunk deeper into her chair. She didn’t know if dumplings, biangbiang noodles with garlic beef, and custard tart for dessert were worth the nightmare of making small talk with a stranger. Make an effort. You can’t sit here saying nothing. “So, what do you do for a living, Edwin?”
“Dermot,” her blind date corrected. “As I said earlier, I’m a journalist.”
Bugger.
River, the traitorous berk, snickered under his breath. “Well done, Motts.”
“I need air.” Motts got to her feet and fled the room. She went out the back door to sit on the steps leading down to the garden. “Catastrophic colliding candid cabbages.”
“Who’s a cabbage?” Her uncle squeezed on the step next to her. He draped a jacket around her shoulders. “Your auntie wants you to be happy.”
“I am,” Motts grumbled. “Mostly. I’d be happier without someone chucking rocks through my window. And awkward and unexpected blind dates don’t exactly fill me with joy either.”
He wrapped an arm around her. “I did try to talk her out of the blind date.”
“And?”
“Have you ever tried to convince Cactus not to roll around in catnip?”
“No.” Motts peered up at him in confusion.
“Try it. And maybe you’ll understand. Matchmaking is your auntie’s catnip. She adores connecting couples.” He squeezed her shoulders gently. “I’ll talk to her. We want you to feel comfortable and welcome in our home. And you having to flee from the table during supper isn’t alright.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, love, we’re sorry,” her uncle argued immediately. “Want me to bring you dinner out here? It is delicious—I snuck a taste while we were making it together.”
“Motts?”
She tilted her head around to see River standing in the doorway. “Yes?”
“You have a guest.” He smiled mischievously at her. “Mum’s adding a chair to the table. You don’t want to miss this.”
Her curiosity got the better of her. Motts followed her cousin and uncle into the house. She almost stumbled over her own feet when she spotted a familiar, intimidating figure seated next to Dermot with an empty spot on his other side.
Her aunt seemed incredibly happy. Dermot, on the other hand, looked as if he’d rather be eating his dinner directly off a public restroom floor. And her cousin, of course, observed the chaos he’d created with a pleased grin.
Motts slid into her chair. What is he even doing here? “Detective Inspector. Do you often join random families for dinner? Or is this your first one?”
“Motts.” Teo glanced down when she plucked a strand of knitting yarn off his jacket. “I was at my weekly knitting club meeting in Looe when someone texted about free dumplings. I never turn those down.”
“Dumplings.” Motts shook her head. “Wait. Why is your knitting club in Looe?”
“That’s the part you find strange?” River grunted when she kicked his leg under the table. “Abuse.”
Teo chose to ignore the bickering cousins and answer Motts’s question. “My parents live here. The club was started by one of the nuns at their church. I take my mother every week.”
Motts watched as her auntie practically melted. If she’d been one of the characters in a graphic novel, her eyes would’ve been literal hearts. “Not sure this was a good idea.”
“I can leave.” He leaned in to whisper to her.
“No.” She kept her voice low. “Not sure Dermot agrees.”
“Dermot is reassessing every life decision up until this point.” Teo nodded.
The rest of the meal went smoothly, though a bit uncomfortably. Motts felt sorry for Dermot. She wondered what her auntie had told the poor man, who made his escape the second dessert had finished.
“I am sorry, darling.” Auntie Lily looped her arm around Motts, leading her into the den. “The boys can clear the table off. We’ll sit and chat about them.”
“Motts has a date.” River once again saved her from torture. He ushered her and Teo out the front door before his mum could argue. “Chat later. I’m sure the detective inspector can give you a ride home, since I picked you up.”
“Your aunt is watching us from the front window.” Teo followed her down the drive towards his vehicle. “Should I be concerned?”
Motts narrowed her eyes, trying to decide if he was joking or being serious. “I think you’ll be safe. Don’t give her your number. She has no idea how annoying group texts can be.”
“Incredibly annoying.”
Motts waited until they’d gotten on the road to Polperro to pose a question to Teo. “How exactly did my cousin get your number?”
* * *
“He was a witness to a crime.”
“And you give all witnesses your personal number to text you invites to family dinners?” Motts didn’t buy the excuse for a second. It made no sense. “Why do I have a feeling Nish and Vina have your number as well?”
“Witnesses to a crime.”
“Did you give Doc your number? He witnessed my hit-and-run.” Motts took his silence to mean he hadn’t. “Precisely. So why my family?”
“I can’t discuss police matters.” Teo winked at her.
What does that mean?
The conversation moved to other topics. Motts thought she’d missed something. She had no idea what.
She wanted to ask Vina, who often played translator for her. Teo would probably wonder why she was texting. It could wait.
They sank into a comfortable quiet for the last few minutes of the drive. Motts found Teo was thankfully one of those people who didn’t need to fill the silence. He dropped her off, waiting for her to close the door before driving off.
Motts leaned against the closed door and breathed in deeply. “What a strange evening. Cactus?”
Meow.
Her beloved cat prowled down the hall toward her. He rubbed against her legs and followed her into the kitchen. She lifted him up into her arms.
“Would you like some tuna?” She opened the fridge to grab the package she’d picked up at the market. “There are a few bits left.”
While Cactus finished his treat, Motts checked on Moss. Her turtle didn’t seem overly excited to see her. She did move slowly to nosh on a raspberry.
How do you know if a turtle is excited?
Leaving philosophical questions for another day, Motts retreated to the guest room. She’d been slowly turning it into an office and workspace. All of her origami and quilling papers now lined the walls in baskets set on shelves.
A large desk sat in the middle of the room with a futon against the corner. Motts had gotten the pull-out sofa to replace the bed. She grabbed a stack of patterned papers and sat in the armchair she used instead of a proper office chair.
She had several orders for clients but also ones purely for the joy of creating. Her current quilling side project was a recreation of a red and gold sari. It had been Leena’s wedding dress.
It was one of her most complicated and advanced quilling designs to date. Vina had gotten her photos of the original sari over a year ago. Motts intended to finish the project by December, if possible.
In an hour of working with quilling papers, she soothed away most of her tension. Her mind enjoyed the rhythm of placing the scrolls into the design. It was a grand, complicated game of art by number.
Meow.
Motts glanced down at Cactus, who circled around her legs, trying to get her attention. He knew not to jump onto her work table. “Okay, smart kitty. Is it past time for me to take a break?”
Meow.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Motts carefully stored away her project and the quilling supplies. She never left anything out for curious kitties to peruse. “Why don’t we watch the TRY channel? We can giggle together.”
Cactus didn’t laugh. He usually meowed and purred. Motts did like to think he enjoyed her company.
Grabbing a pair of cosy pyjamas, Motts changed quickly. Cactus had already curled up on his favourite pillow on her bed. She set up her laptop on the mattress and slipped under the covers.
Meow.
“I know. They’re hilarious.” Motts shifted around to stretch out on the bed on her side. She watched one video after the other until her eyes started to close. “Night, Cactus.”
Meow.
“You’re right. I should make sure all the doors are locked first.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Did you hear the news?” Vina almost jumped across the counter at Motts when she walked into Griffin Brews. “Did you?”
“Have you overcaffeinated yourself again?” Motts blinked at her hyper ex-girlfriend. She knew Vina often taste-tested new coffee drinks before adding them to the menu. “Or tried too many sweet pastries?”
“I’m not sugared up.”
“Okay.” Motts didn’t know if she agreed. “What news am I supposed to have heard?”
“Rose Walters was taken to the police station for questioning.” Vina waved Motts closer, lowering her voice to avoid the customers seated at one of the round tables. “She was the hooded figure who tossed a rock through your window.”
“Rose?”
“Rose.”
“Rose Walters? The sweet lady who’s married to the grumpiest man I’ve ever met?” Motts wondered how much caffeine Vina had ingested. “Are you sure?”
Rolling her eyes, Vina searched her pockets and pulled out her phone with a triumphant shout. She queued up a video she’d obviously taken. Motts watched as Inspector Ash and Constable Stone led Rose out of the Salty Seaman.
“I….” Motts trailed off, too stunned to complete her thought.
“Right? Hughie stopped by for a latte. He told me why they’d taken her in for questioning.” Vina slipped her phone into her pocket. “Here. I’ll make you a coffee.”
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