Chapter 28
The wind bit at Jamie’s cheeks as he sat on the bench between the golf course and the beach. He’d tried calling Petra three more times and got no response. Just when he was contemplating going home to get warm, a flash of golden fur rushed past him.
Petra was close behind the tall dog, and didn’t stop when Jamie called out to her. A rush of adrenaline left him a little out of breath when he caught up with her on the beach.
“I’ve been trying to call you!” he said, marching to keep up with her.
“And I’ve been trying to ignore you. Didn’t know it was you – but I suspected the calls from an unknown number were nothing good. Not after the week I’ve had.”
“I heard the police spoke to you.”
“Aye,” she snapped. “Turned up on my doorstep accusing me of being a thief.”
“Can you stop for a minute? I only want to hear your side of it.”
It took a minute but she finally came to a halt. “I didn’t steal Mrs Langford’s jewellery. I’m not a thief. The police might not have arrested me, but I’ve lost one job since they came to my place and I reckon other people will follow suit once they hear about it.”
“The police didn’t find anything,” he stated.
“No, but that doesn’t stop people wondering. And people tend to assume the worst.”
“Were you really let go from your last job for stealing?”
“Aye, and with hindsight I should have sued them for unfair dismissal. The whole situation was wrong.”
He frowned. “You were falsely accused?”
“I can tell you exactly what happened,” she said angrily. “And you can tell me if you think I’m a thief.”
He nodded for her to go on.
“It’s a big hotel chain that I was working for. They worked the staff hard for minimum wage and didn’t even bother to treat us with respect. The paying customers came first and if you forgot that, you didn’t last long.”
“What happened?” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets and wishing she’d get to the point.
“One morning I went in to clean a room and there was a fella still in bed. I shouted that I could come back later, but he told me to stay – said the place needed straightening up.” Her mouth twisted in a sour expression.
“That was the understatement of the century. I’ve cleaned some messes in my time but cleaning while the person who made the mess lies in bed takes the piss if you ask me. ”
He nodded his agreement.
“After I cleaned up a sink full of vomit and a couple of used condoms in the bathroom I wasn’t in the best of moods.
Then I had to tidy up the bedroom while he put a hand over his ears to cover the noise of the vacuum cleaner – as though I was the problem.
” She grimaced as though reliving it. “He hacked up phlegm, spat it into a glass and handed it to me. Told me to deal with it. A few minutes later I came back from the bathroom and found him snoring as though he didn’t have a care in the world.
” She shrugged. “He’d left his wallet out, so I helped myself to twenty quid.
People like that would never leave a tip for the cleaners, but tell me I didn’t deserve something extra for that? ”
“Yeah. I’d say a tip would have been appropriate.”
“There we go then. I was just taking what I was due. He reported it, the cheeky bastard. I lost my job and was branded a thief. Do you think I’m a thief?”
“I mean, technically . . .” He decided not to finish that sentence since her glare gave the impression she might launch him into next week.
“I never stole from Mrs Langford. She was a weird one, but I kind of liked her.”
“You didn’t try and kill her then?”
Her slow blink showed exactly what she thought of that question. “I bloody did not.”
“Did you make any threats the day you went to get your money?”
“Yes. Because he wasn’t going to pay me and I was sick of being treated like I’m nothing. I told him to get the money or I’d ruin his life. Something like that. I forget the exact words. I’m all bluster when I get going.”
“And that made him give you the money?”
“Yeah. He scuttled away upstairs. Mrs Langford seemed amused by me. She kept smiling at me, which I thought was a little odd if she really thought I’d stolen her jewellery.”
Petra paused, looking thoughtful. “She went into the living room and started singing the theme tune to her radio plays. I’d heard it enough times when I was cleaning, but her singing it tickled me.
It all felt like a bit of a farce after that.
When Mr Langford came back down I muttered something else about how they’d be sorry they’d crossed me and I slammed the door behind me.
It was quite dramatic, but I get a bit like that.
Maybe that’s why I liked Mrs Langford. I reckon she could be the same. ”
Jamie nodded. “I think you might be right.”
Half expecting Cal and Skye might be there, Jamie called hello when he walked into the house. Only the cat appeared to greet him.
“Still need to do something about you,” he muttered, crouching to stroke her.
“I haven’t seen any posters, but I’m sure someone must be missing you.
I guess I should put up some posters about you.
” He whipped his phone out and took a couple of photos.
Pinning up more posters would give him time to ponder his next move regarding the Langfords.
He didn’t put up as many posters as he’d done for Misty, but he dotted plenty around the town. If someone locally was missing Shadow, they should see them.
The walk built up a thirst and he headed for High Tide. Maybe Skye would be working.
There was no sign of her when he slipped into a chair at one of the last available tables. He was trying to figure out if it was table service or if you had to order at the counter when the owner walked over to him with a notepad in her hand.
“Hello!” she chimed.
“Hi. Fiona, isn’t it?”
She looked at him properly. “Ooh! Jamie, right? You’re helping Moira out while she’s away?”
“That’s me.” He glanced around. “Skye isn’t working today?”
“No. Not here anyway. She’ll no doubt be at the golf club or studying. Always busy. Even in her breaks here, she gets her laptop out and gets on with her studying. Very conscientious. I was nothing of the sort at her age. What can I get you?”
He asked for a black coffee and didn’t have time to change his mind before she scuttled away again. He’d ask for milk when she returned.
“I hear you were there when Marguerite was found.” Fiona’s voice was quiet when she put his coffee in front of him. “That must have been terrible.”
“Yeah.” He wanted to ask for milk but it felt inappropriate. Maybe he’d be a proper man and drink it black.
“I’ll never forget the look on poor Heather’s face afterwards.”
Jamie frowned. “How do you mean?”
“She’d been in the café that morning. Often comes in for a coffee and then walks up to her parents’ place.
Gets her steps in before she spends the rest of the day sitting for work.
We were chatting, since she was my only customer.
It’s funny to think how fast life changes.
We were chatting without a care in the world and then half an hour later . . . well, you know what happened.”
“Yeah.” Jamie stared up at her. “So she walked up there that morning?”
“Yes. Same routine as always. The poor thing. I saw her yesterday. She’s staying with her dad to help him through it.
I only hope there’s someone helping her through it.
” She turned and waved at a couple walking in.
“Enjoy your coffee,” she said and left him opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish.
That didn’t make sense. Mr Langford had called Heather and she’d driven over to the house. He was fairly certain of that. Maybe she’d been on foot. His mind was all over the place as he sipped the coffee, forgetting it was hotter without milk and scorching his lips.
He didn’t linger, but paid the waitress at the till, then asked Fiona if he could have a quick word.
She moved to the doorway with him.
“I was just wondering,” he whispered. “What time was Heather here on Tuesday?”
“Early. Must have been 7 a.m.”
“And you said you saw her again later?”
“Yes. I’d say it was an hour later when she came back for her car. I didn’t know then what had happened. I waved to her, but she just got into her car and left. With hindsight it was obvious she was grief-stricken and probably didn’t register me at all.”
Jamie nodded. “I guess not.”
He thanked her for the coffee and strode away. It made no sense. Heather didn’t arrive at the house until later. It must have been after ten. His heart rate increased as he walked through town. Should he call Emma and update her?
Probably not. He needed to be sure of the facts first.