Chapter 106
ONE HUNDRED AND SIX
Lorna took the bucket from the collector, thanking him. She kept the light in her eyes dampened down – it wouldn’t do to let him see her excitement, for this bucket was the fullest so far and there were plenty of notes sticking out from underneath the coins.
She got into her car that she’d parked a short distance from the cafe.
Once the interior light had gone off and it was dark again inside, she held the bucket on her lap, shook it around a bit.
Good God, was that a fifty in there? She pulled out the pink-coloured note and stared at it.
Someone had been especially generous. Looking back in the bucket, she also picked out some other notes.
Then quickly took out the daisy print purse she had tucked at the bottom of her bag and went to put the money inside.
Just as the passenger door opened, flicking the light on.
Lorna gasped in fright.
James got into the car and closed the door. He looked across at her, his eyes suddenly resting on the fistful of notes in her hand.
‘What are you doing?’ he asked.
‘Just putting some of the money in a safe place,’ said Lorna quickly.
She ventured a smile. ‘I like to take out the bigger notes from the buckets, keep them together. I think it’s safer, you know, good practice.
Seems less chance of anything going missing.
’ Not missing, Jesus, that sounded so dodgy. And I’m talking far too much.
Lorna swallowed, tried to calm her racing heart, and changed the subject. ‘I didn’t know you were coming to the festival this year? Mum said you were staying in and watching the rugby.’
James looked around the car, including over to the back seat where the other buckets were stacked. ‘Those all full of money?’
‘Well, not full, exactly but—’
‘And you’re responsible for collecting it all?’
‘Yes.’ Lorna was beginning to get irritated by his interrogatory tone.
‘Is anyone supervising you?’ asked James.
Supervising? Who did he think she was, one of his pupils? ‘No!’ said Lorna. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her, as if he could read her mind. ‘I’m actually rather busy, so if you don’t mind—’
‘I’ve just come from the school,’ said James, talking right over her. ‘I had a call from our office manager – you know, Esther. We had a little incident earlier so she had a look at the CCTV footage. Saw something that she needed to tell me about.’
Lorna’s first reaction was one of tentative relief. This seemed to be about something else entirely – certainly nothing to do with her.
‘The footage was recorded in the staffroom.’
Lorna shook her head. ‘And? Why are you telling me this?’
‘It wasn’t from tonight.’ James’s gaze turned steely. ‘It was from the day of the second-hand uniform sale.’
The feeling of relief was swiftly replaced by one of ominous dread.
James continued. ‘You, counting the takings.’ He glanced down at her hands again, at what was in them. ‘Putting some of them into a daisy-patterned purse.’
Lorna’s stomach plummeted off the edge of a cliff.