Chapter 16 #2
Just then Quinn and Zara came over to the barrier where she was sitting. Even though Quinn had been struggling, his face was glowing with happiness. He was loving spending this time with Zara as much as Zara was.
‘Wow, skating is exhausting,’ Quinn said, taking his woolly hat off and running his hand through his hair.
‘We’ve only just started,’ Zara said, laughing.
Quinn looked at Alex strangely. ‘You look like you’re figuring something out.’
‘Just putting my ducks in a row.’
He smiled. ‘Is that right?’
She slowly pointed to three imaginary ducks in a line in front of her that led between her and Quinn. ‘Quack, quack, quack.’
‘You’re weird,’ Zara laughed.
‘That’s why you love me.’
Quinn smiled. ‘Are you ready to make your accusation then, Barnaby?’
‘Not quite yet.’
‘OK.’
‘Come on,’ Zara said, ‘I want to show you some tricks.’
She tugged his hand and he winked at Alex as he skated away. ‘I think a good trick will be me not falling over on my butt.’
Alex watched them together and smiled. Suddenly she was joined in the seats by the mum of one of the kids in Zara’s class. Alex didn’t really know her but she’d probably nodded hello to her a few times at the school gates.
‘Hi, I thought I’d come over and say hello,’ said the woman. ‘I’m Kayleigh, Jessica’s mum.’
‘Hello,’ Alex said. Jessica wasn’t one of Zara’s friends so she wasn’t sure where this was leading to.
‘I just wanted to say, I find this whole thing a bit weird,’ Kayleigh gestured between Alex, Quinn and Zara.
Alex blinked in surprise at the audacity. ‘Why?’
‘Because he’s her uncle.’
‘Yes, but he’s not my uncle, so I’m not sure why it’s weird.’
‘If it gets serious between you, what will she call him? Uncle Dad?’ Kayleigh laughed.
‘Well right now she calls him Quinn so if… when we get married, I imagine that won’t change.’
‘You’re really going to get married?’ Kayleigh pulled a face.
‘I’m sorry, I fail to see how this is any of your business.’
‘It just feels weird. Even Jessica was asking me about it.’
‘Look at them,’ Alex said, pointing to Zara and Quinn. ‘Look at how ridiculously happy they are together. Surely that’s more important than anything else, that Zara is loved and happy. Surely anyone with an ounce of kindness would want that for me too.’
‘I just think he can do better than his brother’s cast-offs.’
Alex felt her mouth fall open in shock at the pure rudeness.
‘It’s just so weird, everyone says so,’ Kayleigh said.
‘Fortunately I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what anyone else thinks.
’ Alex smiled as she realised that was true.
She didn’t care. They could talk and gossip and laugh all they wanted, it wouldn’t change a thing.
‘I’m in love, he loves me. I am so freaking happy right now.
Some sad, lonely people who have nothing better to do with their time than stick their nose in other people’s business really aren’t going to impact on me. Now excuse me while I join my family.’
She got up and skated over to join Quinn and Zara. She wrapped her arms around Quinn and gave him a kiss in front of everyone. Let them talk. They couldn’t ruin this for her, no one could.
Quinn peered out the window of the car into Christmas Gardens.
They’d only been there on their stakeout for fifteen minutes and Zara was already bored, lying curled up under a pile of blankets in the back seat of the car, reading a book.
Zara had insisted on a proper car stakeout, like you see in the movies and TV shows and although he’d been happy to go along with that, doing it from his house would have been much more comfortable.
There were plenty of Christmas snacks stuffed in the car: mince pies, Christmas-pudding-flavoured fudge, gingerbread men, mini chocolate yule logs, even apple-and-cinnamon cakes decorated with little iced Christmas trees.
Alex was still unpacking all the snacks onto the dashboard as if they were going to be here for months, not just an hour or so.
Plus she’d made a flask of white hot chocolate which she was currently pouring out into plastic mugs.
She then sprayed squirty cream on the tops and sprinkled them with tiny marshmallows before handing the mugs to Quinn and Zara.
Quinn smiled as he took his. She really had thought of everything.
They were parked at the side of the gardens with the house on the far side from where they were, all lit up and twinkling under the abundance of lights. Although slightly unnecessary, Zara was intermittently watching the house and surrounding gardens through a pair of binoculars.
They took a few minutes to drink their hot chocolates, the windows steaming up slightly with their hot breath.
Quinn finished his mug and Alex took it off him and put it, along with hers and Zara’s, back in her bag.
‘I got another message,’ Alex said as she continued to unpack yet more snacks.
Quinn knew Alex hadn’t told Zara about the messages because she didn’t want her daughter to figure out St Nick’s true identity from the clues and then blab it all over the town.
Alex had promised St Nick anonymity and it looked like she was going to keep that promise.
Quinn also knew that Alex didn’t necessarily want to ruin the magic of St Nick by telling her who it was.
‘What did he say?’ Quinn said.
‘He said I should be careful about putting all my duck eggs in one basket.’
‘That’s an odd expression,’ Quinn said, trying not to laugh.
‘I thought that too.’
‘Most people just say don’t put all your eggs in one basket, they don’t specify which breed of bird.’
‘No, exactly,’ Alex agreed. ‘I feel like it might be another clue.’
‘That he likes ducks?’ Quinn asked, innocently.
‘Maybe. I got some snacks for you too. I know you don’t really have a sweet tooth, so I got you some sausage rolls and steak slices from Sweet Escapes, I know you like them.’
He smiled. ‘Thank you, that’s really thoughtful.’
‘And while sweet things are not really your preference, I did get you these crème br?lée doughnuts from Donut Park to try. See if I can convert you to the sweeter side.’
Quinn took them and couldn’t help smiling.
He had hoped that tonight’s forthcoming stunt meant he might be able to throw Alex off the scent for a little while longer but he’d clearly been too obvious with his clues and his emails.
Should he lie and say he didn’t like them?
Although he promised her he’d never lie, not even about this.
‘They’re my favourite,’ he said.
He could see the realisation dawning across Alex’s face and knew his secret was blown. Her whole face lit up with utter joy and she reached out to stroke his face. ‘You are the most wonderful, kindest man and I love you so much.’
He had hoped to do a big reveal on Christmas Eve but maybe this way was better. No fanfare, just this quiet moment between them.
‘What are we going to do if we see St Nick?’ Zara said, interrupting their moment. ‘Will we apprehend him?’
‘Well, he hasn’t actually done anything wrong so I’m not sure he deserves to be arrested,’ Quinn said.
Zara giggled. ‘I didn’t mean that. I meant, will we go up to him and speak to him, let him know he’s been caught red-handed?’
‘I don’t know, I quite like the idea of us knowing but him not knowing that we know,’ Quinn said.
‘As today is only the twenty-second, St Nick might have several more baubles he wants to give to people before the big day. If we tell him he’s been rumbled he might not want to give them and that would spoil it for any intended recipients. ’
‘That’s true,’ Alex said.
‘You’ll know who it is and that’s enough. What you choose to do with that information is up to you.’
‘What if we don’t know who it is?’ Zara said.
He’d hoped to get away with that question and just put in her mind about not chasing after St Nick when they saw him.
‘I think you’ll know. This person knows the people he’s targeting, he knows your favourite colour, your mum’s favourite flower, people’s favourite animals and hobbies. This can’t be a mystery person – it’s someone who lives here, it has to be.’
‘What if he’s in disguise?’ Zara asked.
This kid was way too smart.
‘Why would he be in disguise?’
‘In case someone is watching him to try and catch him.’
‘How would he know someone was trying to catch him?’
‘You might have told him,’ Zara said, innocently.
‘Why would I have told him?’
‘Because you don’t want us to find out who it is.’
Quinn knew Zara was super smart, but he hadn’t been expecting her to read his actual freaking mind.
‘Why would I not want you to know who it is?’ he said carefully.
‘Because you might be in cahoots with him.’
He laughed. He loved this kid so much.
‘It would make sense it was you,’ Zara said, peering through her binoculars at him. ‘Most of the baubles were found here in Christmas Gardens where you live. You would know what my favourite colour is and what Mum’s favourite flowers are. You know a lot of the people who’ve got baubles.’
‘I think those things are merely coincidences.’
Zara huffed and went back to reading her book.
‘Are we… actually going to see anything tonight?’ Alex whispered. ‘Because if not we could go home right now.’ She placed her hand on his thigh and arched an eyebrow at him.
‘Oh no, we’re going to see something, I’m sure of it. I’m not sure what we’ll see but we’ll see something.’
She looked at him in confusion.
Quinn was saved from any further questions by Max’s arrival.
They hadn’t discussed what disguise he should wear, just that he should wear one.
Quinn had assumed, as he was supposed to be St Nick, that Max might dress as Santa Claus but instead Max had gone for one of those inflatable T-rex costumes.
Maybe the costume shop in town had a limited supply of festive outfits at this time of year.