CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The following evening, I joined other members of the failed chutney heist team, in the Swan Hotel bar.
The talk was obviously all about Maddy getting stuck up the tree and how Operation Chutney Grab was going to proceed now.
‘So I really did see a face last night at the window of the summerhouse?’ said Fen.
Maddy nodded. ‘When you mentioned seeing someone in there, it suddenly clicked who it might be. I’d heard Maisie complaining that the phone signal at Bogg House was a bit dodgy, especially at night, so I thought maybe she sometimes nips out to the summerhouse to chat to her boyfriend, Fergie.’
‘So it was Maisie I saw, looking out at us.’ Fen stared at Maddy in wonder.
‘I hope you didn’t tell her why we were there,’ said Jaz. ‘The whole point was that Ellie wouldn’t find out what we were trying to do.’
‘I had to tell her.’ Maddy shrugged. ‘I mean, how else could I have explained why we were doing a secret op in her back garden at the dead of night, with me hanging off a tree?’
Jaz shrugged. ‘Fair point.’
‘Don’t worry, though. She won’t say anything to Ellie.’
‘How do you know?’
Maddy grinned. ‘We made a deal. She won’t mention seeing us trying to steal the chutney. And I won’t tell her mum that she sneaks out at night to talk to her boyfriend.’
Fen looked shocked. ‘But that’s bribery.’
Maddy grinned. ‘It’s hardly the crime of the century, is it? And we’re saving Ellie’s feelings, remember?’
‘True.’
I smiled. ‘It was very clever of you to join the dots like that and work out it was Maisie.’
Maddy shrugged. ‘What can I say? Move over Vera Stanhope. There’s a feisty new detective in town.’
We chuckled and Kenzie said, ‘So you also managed to find out from Ellie that the chutney is at the village hall?’
‘Yes. She took the whole lot over to the hall a few days ago. She’ll take back any that’s not sold for the Christmas market. They’re in a couple of boxes in the stock room, apparently, along with all the other goods people are donating for the WI sale.’
Fen gave a snort of laughter. ‘So when we went to break into the shed, the chutney wasn’t even there. We were barking up the wrong tree altogether.’
‘In my case, quite literally,’ said Maddy.
There was a burst of laughter from a group of people on the other side of the room, and we all turned to look.
I’d noticed them when we came in. It was hard not to. They’d obviously had a skinful already and were clearly having a hilarious time.
‘Works Christmas do?’ suggested Kenzie with a grin. ‘Now that I’m working solo, I quite miss being part of a team and going to the festive works night out.’
‘You can come to ours,’ said Fen. ‘Former café employees are always welcome.’
One of the noisy group was on his feet now. ‘No kidding, he was walking along like this,’ he was saying, demonstrating by lurching to one side and almost knocking two pints off the table. ‘Swore that the last time he had a drink was a sherry with his granny last Christmas.’
‘Sit down, Kev, before you fall down yourself!’ shouted someone else. (Cue more riotous laughter.)
‘Ah, here she is!’ They were waving at someone coming into the bar now. We all turned to look, and to my surprise, I recognised her.
It was Amanda.
She beamed at them and hurried over. ‘Been here a while, I see. Honestly, I could hear you from the reception area. It’s to be hoped you’re all on “lates” this week and not the dreaded “earlies”!’
Amanda hadn’t seen me, and we settled back into our own conversation.
‘So what on earth do we do now?’ pondered Kenzie. ‘Break into the village hall this time?’
‘That seems a bit risky,’ I pointed out.
Fen sighed. ‘Look, why don’t we forget all the subterfuge and just tell Ellie? Be honest with her about everything?’
I nodded. ‘We should probably just come clean and admit to her what happened . . . that we were all feeling ill after eating her chutney.’
Maddy made a face. ‘You really want to do that? Even though we now know most of the jars are now at the village hall, ready for the sale on Sunday, and it would be really easy to steal them so that Ellie would be none the wiser?’
‘How would it be easy, though?’ I asked.
‘Well, think about it. Jaz does Zumba classes at the hall and she has to lock up after her late class on a Thursday night.’
Jaz frowned. ‘I hope you’re not suggesting we break in using my key?’
‘But if you have a key, it wouldn’t be breaking in, would it? You could have a perfectly legitimate reason as an established key-holder, for letting yourself into the village hall after dark, when there’s no one else there.’
I laughed. ‘You really are enjoying all this, aren’t you, Maddy? We’d probably be spoiling your fun if we refused to plan Christmas Chutney Grab mark II!’
‘What? No! Of course I’m not enjoying it.’
Our laughter told her she was fooling no one. And in the end, it was decided that we’d gather at the village hall on Saturday evening, the night before the WI sale, and make sure none of the jars of chutney went home with any unsuspecting customer.
Amanda hadn’t noticed me so far, but a little later, when I went with Jaz to order more drinks, she came up to the bar.
‘Hi, Katja. I didn’t realise you were here.’ She smiled, although I thought she seemed a little awkward with me – not like her usual friendly self. She would know that Caleb and I were no longer together, of course.
‘Amanda!’ I thought it best to act as if I’d only just seen her, too. ‘How are you?’
‘Oh, you know. Working hard selling houses.’ She nodded at the rowdy group over in the corner. ‘I used to work with these muppets, would you believe?’
‘Before you got a job at Caleb’s company?’
She nodded. ‘I was finding it too stressful so when the opportunity came up to –’ Her phone, which was on the bar, rang at that moment. Looking at the name that had come up, she stopped in mid-sentence and snatched up the mobile.
‘Sorry. I’d better –’
‘Yes, of course,’ I said quickly.
She gave me another stiff little smile and hurried out of the bar, and I heard her say, ‘I’ll come right out. See you in a minute.’
I stared after her, my insides shifting uneasily.
It probably wasn’t Caleb she was rushing out to meet. But I had to know. Otherwise, I’d kick myself later for not finding out.
So I told Jaz I’d be back in a minute and I nipped out after Amanda.
Hurrying through the reception area of the hotel, I headed for the revolving door but stopped by the side of it. Going out into the street wasn’t necessary. I could see Caleb’s car parked directly outside – and Amanda was opening the passenger door and slipping inside.
I swallowed hard, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with emotion.
She’d been so eager to see Caleb, she hadn’t even said goodbye to the people she was with.
A second later, the car moved away into the traffic . . .