Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Needing to address the feeling of discomfort which had been pestering Lily since her encounter with Len at the harbour, she set off for his place once the shop was closed for the day.
As she stood on his doorstep, he looked much calmer than when she’d last seen him, but his greeting definitely lacked his usual warmth.
“I know you probably don’t want to see me.
” She spoke quickly, suspecting he might close the door in her face.
“But I only want to say that I’m really sorry for this morning.
I jumped to conclusions and I shouldn’t have.
” She paused and when he didn’t close the door on her, she bumbled on.
“In my defence, I’d do the same thing again.
” She frowned. “Which I know makes my apology sound insincere, but I want to figure out who’s been stealing and to do that I need to keep an open mind.
I can’t assume people are innocent because they seem like a nice person. I might make enemies but––”
He raised a hand, cutting her off. “I was angry this morning, but I’ve calmed down now. We’re all good. You don’t need to stand there yapping all evening. And if you’re going to insist on your yapping, you should probably come in so the neighbours don’t have to listen to you.”
Relief had her whole body sagging. “I really am sorry,” she said as she crossed the threshold.
“It’s in the past.” He gave her arm a pat, then led the way into the living room. “I didn’t mean what I said about your windows either.”
“Thank god,” she said, flopping back onto the couch. “The only reason I came to grovel was the thought of having to clean them myself.”
He chuckled, making his belly wobble. “I was upset this morning – having my honour called into question like that wasn’t pleasant, but I soon calmed down.
I think you and I are cut from the same cloth.
We both care about this community and hate the thought of anyone taking advantage of people here.
So I understand your wanting to catch this thief.
Respect it even. You ask the hard questions, but anyone who’s innocent won’t hold that against you for long. ”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“I tell you what I don’t understand… what made you think it was me? Presumably because I’m a window cleaner and have access, but there must have been more than that.”
“It’s a long story,” Lily said. “I thought it was someone at the art retreat to start with…” She spent ten minutes telling him about her investigations and making him laugh as she regaled him with the story of sneaking around Roland’s room while he was fast asleep in bed.
“So as well as ruling me out as a suspect, you’ve also ruled out Roland?”
“Yes. But I’m not even convinced it’s anything to do with the retreat any more so I’m probably just chasing my tail.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “The pencil at the scene of the crime seems like a hefty clue to me.”
She hadn’t actually told Len about her missing items, but had claimed Hilary Phillips had found a pencil after the break in at her place. It felt good to chat it through, even if she still couldn’t be completely open.
“Gideon told me he offers the pencils to everyone he meets,” she said.
“That’s true. I think he was going to suggest paying me in pencils once.”
Lily laughed, but the mirth faded quickly. “I’m at a dead end,” she said sulkily.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if it were someone up at Gideon’s place. They’re an odd bunch from what I’ve seen.” He pressed his head into the chair cushion. “Tell me what else you know. Maybe we can figure this out together.”
Lily huffed out a breath. “I know Martha would like to leave her husband but feels tied to him because she isn’t financially independent.”
“That seems like a decent motive.”
“Yes. But it doesn’t feel right. She’s so meek and mild. I can’t imagine her turning to crime, no matter what the motive.”
“What about that scruffy-looking fella?”
“Silas. He’s an oddball, but I searched his tent and found nothing.” She sat up straighter. “I guess the person I’m most suspicious of is Saffron.”
“The hippy woman?”
Lily chuckled. “Yeah. She’s changed her plans and is leaving tomorrow on a yacht. She got a job working as a nanny. Out of the blue, apparently. And I was thinking that if you were shifting stolen goods off the island, leaving on a private boat would be the easiest way to do it, wouldn’t it?”
“The harbour master will keep an eye on private boats coming and going…” His voice trailed off, and he tilted his head.
“What are you thinking?” Lily asked.
“I’m thinking about my encounter with that hippy lady this morning.”
“What encounter?”
“I sell things, don’t I? Sometimes people ask me to sell items for them, and we split the money. Other times, people just give me their junk because they don’t want the hassle of disposing of it.”
“So?”
“Sometimes I sell stuff on the mainland, but I also sell things locally, on these online community groups.”
“Are you going to get to the point anytime soon?”
He rolled his eyes. “Saffron bought a suitcase from me this morning.”
“A suitcase?”
“Yeah. She said hers was worn out, and she needed an upgrade, but the one I sold her was pretty worn too.”
Lily frowned, thinking. “Maybe she didn’t need a new case, just an extra one…”
“She would if she were leaving with more than she arrived with,” Len agreed with a slow nod.
“That seems as though it would be worth checking.”
“I’d say so. Did she tell you what time she was leaving tomorrow?”
“No, but I have her phone number, and she seems to think we’re firm friends, so I don’t think it would seem odd if I asked her.”
“Do that. Then let your copper friend know where to find her…”
“Yeah.”
“Or I can give Sergeant Proctor a call if you’d rather?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’ll be seeing Flynn later anyway, so I’ll talk to him about it.”