Chapter 35
‘I can’t believe we’ve done all this journey, virtually tail-gating her, and you lost her just as we turned into the village!’
Freddie glanced at Angel. ‘It’s not my fault a tractor pulled out in front of me. I couldn’t even see her car in front of it, let alone get past the damn thing! Why couldn’t she just tell us the address when I asked?’
Angel rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, like she was going to do that, catching us in the attic, thinking you’ve been cheating on her daughter with me.’
Freddie rolled his eyes too. ‘I’d forgotten about that!’
Angel looked at him. ‘Really? Already?’
He glanced at her. ‘No, actually. For some reason, I can’t get that kiss out of my head.’ He looked ahead at the road, saying to himself, ‘I don’t get why.’
Angel stared at him. For her part, she knew why she couldn’t get it out of her mind. She’d been in love with him since the moment she’d set eyes on him, even though she’d thought she couldn’t stand him – to begin with.
Angel got her phone out of her handbag.
Freddie glanced at her. ‘What are you doing?’
Angel wanted to warn Briony that her mum was on her way. She’d sent several texts, but it didn’t appear that Briony had read them. Perhaps mobile reception wasn’t great at The Beach House, or she was too busy to read her texts. Angel looked at Freddie crossly. You didn’t have to ask her mum where her mother’s house is. It’s called The Beach House, in Dunwich Heath.’
‘But we don’t know where that is – exactly. You don’t know the address.’
‘No, but we could have asked someone when we arrived in Dunwich Heath, instead of asking Lorna where her mother lives in Dunwich and giving the game away that it’s where we were going to find Briony. You’ve lost Lorna’s car anyway. I’m sure someone would give us directions in the village.’
‘But what I don’t understand, Angel, is why Briony never told her mum where she was. She looked so shocked when you told her.’
Angel nodded, not letting on that she had known all along not only that Briony had kept her whereabouts from her mum, but the reason she’d done so.
‘She must have pretended she was still going on the trip to the Galapagos Islands. I don’t get why.’
Angel stared out of the window, nervously biting a fingernail.
Freddie glanced at her again. ‘You’re quiet all of a sudden. What are you not telling me?’
‘Please, Reggie. I want to help.’
‘I don’t think you can help with this.’
‘At least tell me what’s going on.’
Reggie said, ‘I got this letter.’ He was about to hand it to Briony when the phone rang. ‘Is that your mobile? Aren’t you going to answer it, Briony?’
‘No, it isn’t my mobile.’ It was the house phone behind her in the hallway. ‘I want to know what’s up with you.’
‘It might be important. Go on, answer the phone.’ He looked forlornly at the letter in his hands. ‘This problem isn’t going away any time soon.’
Briony insisted that Reggie hand over the letter so she could read it as soon as she got off the phone.
‘I’ll wait in the kitchen.’
She eyed Reggie as she picked up the phone in the hall. ‘Hello?’ She listened to the stranger on the phone as she watched Reggie through the open doorway. He sat down at the kitchen table and stared at the plans for the outbuilding.
Luna immediately appeared by Reggie’s side. Briony had had to keep her inside during the party. She knew Luna would love to make friends with all those people outside, but not everyone was a dog lover, and she didn’t want Luna frightening people who had not met her yet because of her size and appearance.
Reggie gave her a friendly pat on the head. He smiled as he made a fuss of the dog.
Briony spoke down the phone. ‘No, Blythe isn’t here. This is her granddaughter. May I be of help?’ Briony frowned. ‘You’re the firm who drew up the plans for the outbuilding?’ Briony imagined that a firm of architects might have drawn up the plans. Troy hadn’t mentioned they were his. What do you mean, does my grandmother still want to go ahead?’
She listened as the person on the line said, ‘We’ve been waiting to hear back from Blythe. We have some dates we can pencil her in to do the job.’
‘You were going to do the work?’ Briony didn’t understand. ‘But there’s a guy who has been working from your plans already.’
‘What guy?’
‘What do you mean, what guy?’ Briony glanced at Reggie, who was looking her way, raising his eyebrows.
Briony replied. ‘Troy – of course.’
‘There’s no one by that name who works for us.’
‘Ah.’ Briony realised what had happened. Her grandmother had chosen to go with another company, the one Troy worked for, to renovate the outbuilding. Her grandmother obviously hadn’t told them. That was awkward. ‘Look, I’m sorry, but my grandmother chose to go with someone else, obviously.’
‘Well, this is all rather odd.’
Briony winced. They would think that, seeing as they’d drawn up the plans and had assumed the job was in the bag. Briony apologised again because she didn’t know what else to say. ‘I have to go now.’
‘I will have to speak to my manager regarding what will happen with her deposit money.’
Briony paused. ‘Deposit money?’
‘It’s rather a surprise to hear she employed somebody else to do the work. You see, she said that she wanted us, and only us to do the job. She gave us a deposit as a retainer for our services, so the moment we had some free dates we could arrange with her to start. I’ll speak to my manager when he comes back from holiday. We’ll be in touch.’
‘Okay,’ Briony said in a small voice. She slowly replaced the phone and stared out of the kitchen window at the outbuilding. If her grandmother hadn’t hired Troy, then what was he doing there? Briony recalled that when she’d discovered Troy on her grandmother’s property, she’d just assumed he was there to do the job. If he wasn’t, then why the hell had he agreed to do it?
‘What is it, Briony?’ Reggie asked. ‘Who was that?’
‘It was the company who drew up the plans for the outbuilding. Something isn’t right.’
‘How so?’ Reggie asked.
Briony happened to glance at Reggie’s letter, which she still had in her hand. ‘What the hell …?’ She took a closer look, just to be sure she wasn’t mistaken. She stared at it, dumbfounded.
Reggie rose from his seat. ‘What’s wrong?’
Briony joined him in the kitchen. ‘This letter – what’s it about?’
Reggie breathed a huge sigh. ‘I got it this morning. It’s from a solicitor on behalf of the owner of the music shop. They’ve hiked the rent on the shop – massively. It’s extortionate.’ He rubbed his forehead in consternation.
Briony stared at him. ‘Wait, why?’
‘I asked myself the same question when I first opened the letter – why now?’ He sighed in resignation. ‘I guess that after all these years on a peppercorn rent, the shop felt like it had been forgotten, and it’s come to the attention of some eagle-eyed accountant or something.’
‘Oh, my goodness, don’t excuse them for doing this. They must realise they’ll put you out of business, hiking your rent like that!’
Reggie shrugged. ‘Why would they care? It’s business.’
‘But is that even legal, to raise it so much all at once?’ She looked at Reggie. ‘Have you seen Joss about this?’
He shook his head. ‘There are people with far worse troubles than me. I wouldn’t want to take away Joss’s time from someone else who needs his help.’
Briony was angry with him – didn’t that just sum up his generation? Always thinking of others. She looked at the letter in her hand. ‘This letter is from the same firm of solicitors behind the letters being sent to my grandmother. That’s why I was shocked when I first saw it.’
‘Are you sure?’
Briony nodded. ‘Oh, yes. One hundred percent.’
Reggie looked at her in surprise. ‘I don’t understand … what is going on?’
‘Either this is the biggest coincidence, or the person after The Beach House owns your shop.’
‘You think they’re after ousting me and getting their hands on Cobblers Yard too?’
Briony looked at Reggie thoughtfully. ‘No, I don’t think that’s it.’
‘What are you thinking?’
What Briony was thinking was far more disturbing. Joss’s talk of grudges came to mind. She put her hand to her mouth in surprise. ‘I think the person behind these letters found out Blythe’s granddaughter is working for you, and decided to get back at anybody helping me.’
She swore, surprising Reggie. ‘I am so sorry. You’ve got this because of me.’
‘I don’t see how that can be the case.’
Briony did. It made perfect sense. She explained, ‘You said yourself that the owner seemed to have forgotten you, while rents in the area have gone up over time.’
Reggie sighed wistfully. ‘Well, I suppose it had to catch up with me sooner or later.’
Briony held up the letter. ‘But don’t you see, Reggie? Everything was okay until I came along and started working for you.’
Briony and Reggie were standing in the kitchen, staring at one another as it all sank in, when they were interrupted.
‘Briony?’
She turned around at the sound of Troy’s voice, surprised he was still there. ‘I thought you’d left?’
‘No. I’ve been sitting outside in my van trying to figure out what to do.’ He stepped forward, holding out his hand. ‘Look, I want to work things out. I don’t want to lose you, but there’s something you should know. Something I need to tell you.’
Briony stared at him. She knew what this was about – the outbuilding. ‘Not now, Troy. I need to find Joss.’
‘Joss – why? What’s going on?’ Troy asked.
‘Reggie has suddenly had his rent hiked.’
Troy looked at him. ‘Why?’
‘It’s my fault.’
Troy turned to Briony. ‘How can it be your fault?’
Reggie shook his head. ‘It’s not your fault, Briony.’
Behind them, the door opened, and Willow stepped into the kitchen. ‘Troy, Daddy sent me to find you. He wants you to help at the barbecue.’
‘Not now, Willow!’
Willow pursed her lips, stroked Luna, and retreated with Luna to the other end of the kitchen. She picked up a kitten and stood eyeing the adults as she held the kitten up to her face and stroked him.
‘I wish Blythe was here now,’ said Reggie. ‘Perhaps she’d know what all this is about.’
Briony sighed. ‘Me too.’
‘How is she doing?’ asked Reggie. ‘Is she still in a coma?’
She nodded.
Troy said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me that your grandmother is in a coma?’
Briony turned to him, feeling guilty that she’d thought she couldn’t trust him, or anyone, just because Joss had told her to keep Blythe’s condition to herself in case it got back to whoever was behind the nasty solicitor’s letters.
She looked at Troy. She could tell by his expression that he genuinely didn’t know what was going on regarding Reggie and his rent hike.
‘She had a stroke. I’ve been trying everything I can think of to make her wake up. I’ve even taken Luna into the hospital to visit her, but so far nothing has worked.’ One thing she knew she hadn’t tried was Blythe hearing her daughter’s voice. Briony knew that was the last resort, and very soon she would have to contact her mum and tell her everything.
She was surprised the hospital hadn’t been in touch with her mum; after all, she had given them Lorna’s new mobile phone number. She’d been trying to prepare for the possibility that on one of her hospital visits, she’d find her mum there.
‘Oh, Briony. I’m so sorry.’
She looked at Troy’s face, full of concern, almost looking as though someone had died. ‘Don’t do that,’ she said.
‘I don’t understand …’
‘She’s going to be fine, absolutely fine.’ Briony swiftly turned to Reggie. ‘Isn’t she, Reggie?’
Reggie had also visited Blythe in hospital, bringing her flowers, and even playing a ditty on a violin. But even that hadn’t worked.
She said it again, ‘She’s going to be fine – isn’t she, Reggie?’
Reggie raised his eyebrows. ‘Um, of course, of course.’
Briony ignored the look that passed between Reggie and Troy, getting the feeling that Reggie was just humouring her.
Briony changed the subject. ‘We have to find Joss, tell him about the letter.’
‘What letter?’ asked Troy.
Briony really didn’t want to get into all that right now. This wasn’t the time. She passed the letter back to Reggie.
He held it up and told Troy, ‘This letter is from the same firm of solicitors that have been sending letters to Briony’s grandmother; whoever is behind these is after her house, her land. We think the same person or company who is behind the letters owns the shop; it can’t be a coincidence.’
Briony rolled her eyes. She hadn’t expected Reggie to tell Troy.
‘Can I see it?’
Reggie handed it over.
‘Troy, there isn’t time to explain all this.’ She watched Troy reading the letter, frowning. He looked up. ‘What the hell!’
‘Yeah, it’s totally out of order,’ commented Briony. ‘Whoever they are, they must realise they’ll put him out of business.’
‘And out on the street,’ added Reggie.
Briony and Troy turned to look at him in surprise.
‘I live above the shop. It’s my business and my home.’
It hadn’t occurred to Briony that the shop was his home too. ‘We must find Joss. Thank goodness he’s at the party.’