Chapter Eight
As Seagulls Watched their Flock by Flight
Having passed a restless night, Gemma woke early, her head swimming with what the message to Matt meant, why he’d shot off to London and what he might do when he got there.
Once dressed, she perched on the edge of her bed, phone in hand, WhatsApp open. Should she let him know she’d seen the words? But why was she telling him? Because she cared ? Hardly! She barely knew him.
‘Idiot!’ she exclaimed to the window, but it remained inscrutable.
You care because he’s a human being, and everyone deserves compassion.
‘I know ! But what do I do about it?’ Gemma demanded of the coat, which still gave shelter to the mystery note.
Dropping her phone on the bed, she opened her laptop and went straight to Google. Putting the band’s name in brought up pages and pages of links to various music and fan sites. It would take forever to sift through them to find out what – if anything – had happened in their past.
Gemma closed the laptop. There was someone who might know something .
‘I’m popping over to see Anna, Auntie.’
Jean looked up from reading the village magazine. ‘Why don’t you wait a bit, lovely? I’m calling on Mum about eleven, and she’ll probably want to pop over.’
For that very reason…
Gemma sent her aunt a warm smile, busy wrapping a thick scarf round her neck. ‘I need to nab a bit of time with her first. Cooking, you know.’ She waved an airy hand, and Jean smiled.
‘Of course. Oh, and Gemma. Can you strip your bed before you go back? I’ve got a friend coming to stay for the night of the lights switch-on.’
‘Yes, of course. See you later.’
Gemma enjoyed the cold sting to her cheeks from the breeze sweeping in across the sea as she made her way down the hill. Her lack of sleep had left her drowsy and indecisive, and the wind was a welcome slap in the face.
The habitual caw of the crows came from the bare trees on the opposite side of the bay, and curls of smoke spiralled upwards from an assortment of cottage chimneys, until they were caught by the breeze and dispersed into the air. The distant patter of sail lines rattling against the masts of the many yachts in storage provided a backdrop to the banter coming from the fishing boats in the harbour, along with the clatter and scrape of trays of fish being landed and dragged over to the vans taking them to the nearest market.
Wrinkling her nose at the smell, Gemma eyed the seagulls hovering over the water of the harbour, hoping for any discarded morsel as the crew sorted through the last crates.
She popped into Karma for a takeaway coffee, then scooted past the Lugger, the string of coloured lights draped across its front clattering against the whitewashed walls as the wind caught them.
Gemma sipped her coffee as she approached the cottage, mulling over what to say to Anna. It was half nine, so hopefully guest breakfasts would be over.
‘Hey, it’s only me. Okay to come in?’ She peered into the kitchen, and Anna looked up from the kitchen island, where she perused an open book.
‘Of course!’ Anna’s gaze landed on the takeaway cup clutched in Gemma’s hand. ‘Bad night?’
‘You’re observant.’
‘Missing Matt?’ Anna winked, and Gemma rolled her eyes.
‘Not in a good way. I need to talk to you. Before the crowd gets here.’
Anna eyed Gemma with sympathy. ‘Go and take a seat and I’ll put the kettle on.’
Gemma barely noted the pretty view as she mulled on where to begin.
Is your brother likely to kill someone? Has he shown any murderous traits in the year or so you’ve known him? Did Matt tell you, on the way to the station, why he was suddenly going to London? What the hell happened between him and his bandmates?
‘Hey.’ Anna waved a hand in front of Gemma’s eyes. ‘Where’ve you gone? Most people simply enjoy the view.’
Gemma leaned back in her seat as Anna took the one opposite. ‘Sorry. Bit preoccupied.’
‘Have a biscuit and some tea. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.’
Gemma savoured the shortbread as it melted in her mouth. ‘I do. I mean, I need to talk to someone, and you seemed the best bet. Damn.’ She eyed the clutter in the kitchen. ‘Am I interrupting? There were no cars, but walkers often—’
‘It’s fine.’ Anna sent Gemma a reassuring smile. ‘I’ve got no guests until tomorrow, when I’m pretty full for a few nights for the Christmas lights thing. It’ll be quieter after that until the fayre.’
‘The forecast is dire for the next few days. Auntie Jay says there’s a storm coming in off the Atlantic.’
‘Yes, Nicki said the fishing boats have been out for days trying to land a big enough catch to compensate for being stuck in the harbour later. They’re also busy lifting the last few pleasure boats out of the water.’
Gemma took another bite of biscuit, letting Anna ramble on about the village and Christmas. How the hell did she begin?
‘So.’ Anna picked up the teapot. ‘More tea, or are you going to tell me why you came round this early? Or both?’
‘Both, please.’ Gemma watched the stream of hot brown liquid pour into her mug, then wrapped her hands round it, taking courage from the heat stealing into her skin. ‘I’ve been wondering… about Matt, I mean. The band he used to be in. Has he ever told you why they split?’
Anna’s brow furrowed as she offered the milk. ‘Not exactly. I vaguely remember the papers at the time, saying they’d all decided to go their own way. I didn’t pay it any attention, as young bands often don’t last that long, and I’d no idea one of them was my brother.’
‘Of course.’ Gemma chewed her lip. ‘That’s about all I remember too. Only… I know Matt says there’s this reunion tour, but he seems… I don’t quite know how to put it. Isolated. As if he’s on his own rather than contemplating being part of something – it’s as if he’s agreed to it, but wishes he hadn’t?’
Concern filled Anna’s face, but then the door opened and Oliver came in, Dougal at his heels, interrupting whatever she was about to say.
‘I need a coffee.’ Oliver raised a hand as he headed for the machine. ‘Morning, Gemma. Escaped from the creek?’
‘Having a day off with Matt away.’
A grunt came from Oliver. ‘Not much point renting somewhere cut off from the world if you’re going to hop on the Great Western to Paddington when it suits.’
‘It must have been important, Oliver,’ Anna admonished gently. ‘I think he’s finding it hard to settle. He’s used to the bright lights.’ Her expression became troubled. ‘Matty seems to flit from this to that, as if he’s lost his direction.’
Oliver came over and settled his large form in the chair next to Anna. ‘You could be right on that. He’s showing a marked interest in my bookshelves of late, which is hardly running to type.’
‘Oliver’s a social historian with a love of antiques,’ Anna elucidated. ‘He’s written several books and he also has quite a hoard of collectibles.’
Gemma sipped her tea. Perhaps she’d do her own investigation, see if she could find out the cause of the band’s split and why – all these years later – someone had felt the need to send a message threatening Matt.
As it happened, Oliver didn’t linger after finishing his coffee, and once he’d left the room, taking Dougal with him, Anna leaned across the table. ‘So tell me. Honestly, how is it going?’
‘Okay, I think. I mean, I’m only messing up breakfast a few times before it’s edible, lunch is cold, and the freezer contents are working well, except…’ She hesitated. Was she being disloyal to Matt? Then again, Anna was his sister.
‘Except? Gemma, you can talk to me. I have my own concerns about Matty, and maybe they are the same.’
‘He doesn’t eat,’ Gemma blurted out. ‘He pushes food around his plate like a game of chess. I don’t think the potatoes are ever going to checkmate the beef.’ She stirred in her seat. ‘He turns up for his meals as regular as clockwork, but all I end up doing is eating it myself.’
Anna’s face became grave. ‘I suspected as much. Matty was slim when we first met, but he’s becoming painfully thin. He won’t talk to me, says it’s the pressure of getting fit for the tour, but he’s moody too.’
I thought that was just him!
‘Look.’ Anna’s gaze held Gemma’s. ‘There was an ulterior motive behind my asking you to housekeep for Matt. I need someone there with heart, someone who’ll care. Not only do the physical things, like putting fresh sheets on the bed, but keep an eye on, and out for, him.’
‘You barely knew me when you suggested me for the job.’
‘I knew you by reputation, love.’ Anna’s warm smile formed. ‘Your aunt and great-aunt are your biggest champions and have talked about you non-stop since they heard you were coming to stay.’
Gemma sighed. ‘I’m finding Matt hard to fathom. He seems to have this outward persona that’s contradictory to the private man.’
‘Oliver’s an astute judge of character. Deep down, despite the occasional derogatory remark, he gets a bit of where Matty’s coming from. We had such different upbringings, you see. When we were separated, after our parents died, I was raised in a household devoid of love, by a grown-up cousin who couldn’t care less about me. Matty was adopted by an older couple who’d never been able to have children. They pampered him, to the point of smothering.’
‘Has he told you that?’
‘Partly, but I’ve met them now.’ Anna’s smile was tremulous. ‘They are a dear couple, and they dote on him. It almost broke me, meeting them. They said they’d have taken me too, if they’d only known.’
Her expression sobered. ‘Matt rebelled, you know, against the mollycoddling. Started skipping school, flunked most of his exams.’ She gave a short laugh. ‘Except music and English language, which he smashed. He has a natural ability in both, so he didn’t need to revise.’
‘How did his parents deal with it?’
Anna blew out a breath. ‘Heads in the sand. Matty could do no wrong in their eyes. They bought him a guitar, then, when he asked, a keyboard. You name it, they got it for him. He taught himself, answered an ad for a guitarist, joined a local indie band who somehow made it big. The rest is history.’
‘Did he say what time he’s due back?’
‘He’s getting the early train, so about eleven.’ Anna’s brow furrowed. ‘I don’t understand why he had to go all the way to London.’
Gemma bit her lip. Despite Anna’s openness, she couldn’t talk about the note. Besides, if Matt wanted his sister to know something, wouldn’t he tell her?
‘I may as well stay at my aunt’s until he’s here, we can go back together, save wasting fuel.’
‘Good idea.’ A timer pinged, and Anna leapt out of her seat and hurried over to the oven.
‘Smells gorgeous.’ Gemma followed her over to the kitchen.
Anna pulled two trays of cinnamon buns from the oven and slowly transferred them to a wire cooling tray.
‘One of Aunt Meg’s own recipes. They’ll be cool enough to eat soon. I’ve got a few more batches to make for the coffee stall at the lights switch-on.’
‘Auntie Jay said she’d be over.’ Gemma glanced at the clock on the wall. ‘Think she’s picking up Auntie Dee on the way. Do you mind them all descending, eating you out of house and home?’
Anna laughed. ‘They were a baptism of fire when I first came here, but they were also my cheerleaders. I don’t know what I’d have done without their company and the laughter.’ She took a basin from the fridge and began to pour mixture into a prepared tin. ‘Oliver’s grateful too, in his own way. He says if they didn’t come and eat my baking, he’d be the size of a castle.’
Gemma laughed, her spirits improving. Surely once Matt was back, with Anna to keep an eye on him and Gemma there to try to coax him to eat, he’d be happier?