Keeley looked over at her friends, laughing over a plate of summer meringues, and smiled to herself. After the events of the last few weeks, it was good to hear laughter in the Yoga Café. The café was back to its spacious and airy self with Suzy’s pictures having been removed, the tortured visages no longer casting a dark shadow over the interior.
Suzy herself had moved back to Bakewell for the time being, although she had told Megan she planned to settle in Belfrey, and Christian was in jail awaiting sentencing, after pleading guilty. Duane had moved into the space left in Megan’s loft. They were at the table now, along with Ben and Jack, who was pushing Bambi’s hairy head from the table as the large dog eyed the meringues with obvious desire. It would have completed the picture, she thought wryly, if Raquel had been there with Duane, but she was nowhere to be seen, having taken up with an older, wealthy man from Matlock. Her brief incarceration in her own basement at the diner had obviously put her off Belfrey for a while. In a funny kind of way, Keeley almost missed her. Fortunately, Duane seemed to have taken Raquel’s latest defection in his stride and had even been out on a date with one of his colleagues at the gym, a pleasant girl with a tan that rivaled even his.
Wiping her hands on her apron, Keeley went to sit down with her friends, sliding onto the chair next to Ben and smiling as he reached for her hand under the table and squeezed it, running the rough pad of his thumb over her palm. She was officially moving in with him this week, and Darla would for the time being stay in the apartment upstairs, though Keeley privately thought that it wouldn’t be long before her mother took up permanent residence at Jack’s.
Ben had asked her to move in with him a week after Christian’s arrest, a shy look on his face as he had done so. Keeley had been taken aback. “You’re sure you just don’t want to keep an eye on me?” she had asked with suspicion. Ben had laughed at that. “If I thought it would keep you out of trouble, I might try it,” he had said, then his voice had turned soft as he added, “I want a future with you. And I want it to start now.” Keeley had said yes without even pausing for thought.
She looked up now as the door chimed to see Diana Glover coming in, a basket under her arm. Keeley got up to greet her, smiling warmly. Diana gave her a shy smile back, one that didn’t quite touch her eyes, which were sadder and more haunted than ever. Keeley sometimes thought she would give anything to see a bit of genuine joy on the older woman’s face.
“Here’s the eggs and cheese you asked for. I had a batch of muffins that needed eating, so I’ve popped them in too.”
“Thank you.” Keeley went to the till to take out the payment for the eggs and cheese, and as she passed it over to Diana she noticed how fragile and small the older woman’s hands were.
“Would you like a cup of tea, on the house?” Keeley offered. “We can try these delicious-looking muffins.”
Diana looked as if she was considering the offer, then shook her head. “No, I had better get back, Ted’s expecting me.” She rushed off without looking at the others. Keeley watched her go with a sigh, wishing there was something she could do to help. Looking up, she saw Jack watching her.
“That Ted Glover needs taking down a peg or two,” he said, taking a puff of his pipe. “And I reckon he’ll get his comeuppance sooner rather than later.”
“I hope so,” said Keeley quietly, “for Diana’s sake.”
“You mark my words,” Jack said with a decisive nod of his head. “One of these days, there’ll be murders up at that farm.”