Chapter 5
Julia woke to the prod of Chaplin’s hard little forefeet on her collarbone, and opened her eyes to see the cat staring into her face.
‘Goodness, you gave me quite a start,’ she said, lifting him off her chest and depositing him beside her on the bed. ‘I suppose this means it’s breakfast time.’
Her bedside clock confirmed as much. In fact, she’d slept longer than usual.
It was hardly surprising, considering all that had happened yesterday, from the sorting and packing of Marigold’s belongings, to the horrifying discovery and all that had led from that.
Despite being dog tired, Julia had struggled to fall asleep, haunted by the image of the colonel dead on the floor.
When she had told Sean about the day, he’d offered to give her something to help her sleep after the shock.
But she’d refused out of some old-fashioned sense that one should be able to manage without medical help, and then had deeply regretted her decision as she tossed and turned.
Julia got going at a leisurely pace. No need to rush, with nothing in the diary that day. She had planned to spend the day at Greystone Manor, continuing with the sorting out and packing up. But since the death of the colonel, that job had been put on hold.
She put the kettle on and pottered about with the teapot and cups. The sound of slippers slap-slapping behind her on the wooden floor made her smile. Jess walked into the kitchen, her hair a mess and her eyes puffy and dark-ringed.
‘Oh dear,’ said Julia, looking at her daughter. ‘Sleep badly?’
‘I just couldn’t stop thinking about the colonel, Mum. His body, just lying there. And then that poor family, having to deal with another loss so soon after Marigold.’
Julia nodded. ‘I know, love,’ she said. ‘I felt the same. It’s a terrible thing that happened.’
‘Do you think he was murdered, Mum?’ asked Jess, sounding like a small child and not the independent young woman she had grown into. But Julia knew that she was, in fact, an adult and capable of handling the truth.
‘I’m sure of it,’ she said.
Jess nodded. ‘I thought so.’
‘How about we have a cup of tea and take care of the animals’ breakfast needs, and then I take you out for breakfast in the village?’ suggested Julia.
‘A full English at the Buttered Scone?’ said Jess with a grin. ‘Now we’re talking!’
‘I’ve got a bit of shopping to do after breakfast – we need to pick something up for supper – and we can walk Jake this afternoon.’
‘Good plan, Mum. Give me the scrap bowl, I’ll feed the chooks.’
Julia drove slowly down the high street, looking for a parking space. An old chap dressed for the Arctic, despite the sunny day, was walking in the direction of an old blue Morris while digging in his coat pocket. He pulled out a set of keys.
‘Ah, here’s someone coming out,’ she said to Jess, putting on her indicator and coming to a stop.
He lowered himself into the car ever so slowly, and used his arm to lift and pull his legs in. He moved at the speed of a glacier.
‘This could take a while,’ said Jess.
Julia felt the traffic backing up behind her, all the impatient drivers waiting for her while she waited for the old chap to close his door, which he did with insufficient force, and had to open and close it again.
Julia’s heartbeat picked up pace as she became more anxious about the cars waiting behind her.
A couple of cars managed to get past her, which was a relief. Finally, the Morris stuttered to life.
On the pavement, walking towards her, was a stern-faced man in a grey hat with a dark hat band.
She recognised that hat! Unless she was very much mistaken, it was the same hat she’d spotted from the window of the Coach House.
And he was wearing grey trousers, too, similar to the leg she’d seen getting into the car.
Julia was almost sure that the man walking down the pavement was the mysterious visitor who somehow wasn’t a visitor – at least, according to the butler.
Which reminded her that she hadn’t mentioned his presence to Hayley.
As soon as she got home, she would phone her and tell her about him.
After going back and forth a few times, the elderly man and the elderly Morris managed to achieve the feat of exiting the parking spot.
Julia took one last look at the mystery man on the pavement, hoping to commit his face to memory.
Too late. He’d already entered the Buttered Scone, and all she could see was the back of his head.
Julia parked the car in one swift, fluid movement. She was an excellent parker, and it was a skill of which she was rather proud.
‘Why don’t you go to the butcher’s shop and buy us some chops for supper?’ she said to Jess. ‘I’ll get us a table at the Buttered Scone.’
‘Great plan,’ said Jess, getting nimbly out of the car. ‘I’m starving. See you in a mo.’
Julia went into the tea room and deliberately took a table near the grey man, who was perusing the menu.
Flo put a teapot and cup and saucer down in front of him and they exchanged a few words, which Julia didn’t hear.
From her vantage point, she could see his face in profile.
He was younger than you’d expect from his rather old-fashioned style.
Late forties, or perhaps fifty? A handsome, sharp sort of face.
‘Well, hello, Julia,’ said Flo, putting a menu in front of Julia. ‘Good to see you.’
She took the menu, even though the menus at the Buttered Scone were more symbolic than necessary, as far as the regulars were concerned. They all knew the establishment’s regular offerings by heart, and a blackboard by the counter listed seasonal specials.
‘Hello, Flo. Just waiting for Jess to join me. Are you well?’
‘As well as can be expected, under the sad circumstances.’
Flo leaned in and said in a stage whisper that was somehow actually louder and more attention-grabbing than regular speech, ‘Did you hear what happened at Greystone Manor? There was a death.’
‘Yes, I heard, how horrible,’ Julia said, glancing in the direction of the grey man, who was half hidden behind a menu. She saw his eyes flick over to Flo, and back to the menu. A flush bloomed on his neck and spread to his cheeks.
‘The old colonel, apparently. Sandy was just in for a toastie after her doctor’s appointment – strained her calf playing padel, the poor thing – and she had got the news from her cousin, whose boyfriend’s mum lives on the same road.
Apparently there was an ambulance there yesterday afternoon, and lots of police cars. ’
‘It’s so very sad. That poor family,’ Julia said. She didn’t want to let on that she’d been there herself at the time, or that she had any special information about the colonel’s death. The trick with Flo was to listen to her gossip, and not be lured into giving out information yourself.
Flo made a dramatic face and said, ‘Sandy is saying they don’t think it’s natural causes.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Julia.
‘They think it was murder,’ said Flo, rolling her eyes dramatically. Her voice was now at normal pitch, and anyone in the Buttered Scone could hear her.
‘How distressing.’
It was clearly distressing for the grey-hatted man, too.
He got quickly to his feet, setting his teacup rattling and spilling.
He pulled a wallet from his pocket, took out a note and threw it on the table.
He headed for the door and wrenched it open, just as Jess put her hand on the handle outside.
The bag from the butcher shop swung from her arm.
He pushed past her, turned right and walked briskly up the road.
Jess looked after him, shaking her head at his rudeness.
‘Gosh, Flo. I realise I forgot an appointment. I’ll see you another time,’ Julia said, getting up.
Jess frowned. ‘Where are you going?’
‘Come on, I’ll explain as we go,’ Julia said, taking her arm.
‘What about breakfast?’ Jess said grumpily. ‘Aren’t we having breakfast?’
‘Sorry, not yet.’
Julia walked briskly, bobbing this way and that to keep the grey-hatted man in sight. Jess followed.
‘Where are we going?’
‘We’re following that man in that hat… He was at the manor… I’ll explain in a mo…’ Julia said, breathing hard between the words, already a little puffed from keeping pace with him.
She wondered how long she would have to keep this up.
He was tall and long-legged and moving with purpose.
They were coming out of the busiest part of the high street.
As the crowd thinned, it was getting harder to follow him undetected.
Julia was considering abandoning the mission when they got to the Topsy Turnip Inn, and the man went in.
Julia hesitated for a moment. She wanted to follow him in, but what would she do when she found him? She’d think of something when she got there, she decided, and pushed open the weathered wooden door.
Julia looked around. But there was no sign of the man in the grey hat.
The reception area was empty but for a young woman behind the reception desk.
A door led off to the left, to the bar and restaurant.
An old wooden staircase on the right led up to the rooms. He must have gone to one or the other.
‘Are we getting something to eat?’ asked Jess testily. Hunger made her grumpy. It was a trait that she’d displayed since childhood. When Jess was a little one, Julia had never left the house with her without taking an apple or a sandwich. She rather wished she had both of those right now.
‘Not yet. Just give me a minute, I’ll explain.’
‘How can I help you?’ The girl behind the reception desk smiled at them expectantly.
‘Hello,’ said Julia, groping for some non-crazy way of asking about the grey-hatted man. ‘I’m—’
She was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs, and a pair of legs in grey trousers came into view, followed rapidly by a torso and a grey hat with a dark grey hatband.