Shilpa woke with a headache. She made her way to the kitchen where Tanvi and Brijesh were having coffee. Half her lamington cake had disappeared.
‘It was there to be eaten, right?’ Tanvi said, noticing her friend looking at the remains of the cake. ‘I know what you’re like with food hygiene. If it was made for anyone else, it would have been sealed up somewhere, not left on the kitchen counter like that.’
‘Was it good?’ Shilpa asked.
‘Perfect,’ Tanvi said. ‘We worked up quite an appetite–’
‘Stop there,’ Shilpa said, holding out her hand. ‘I get it.’ Poor Brijesh. When would Tanvi stop embarrassing him like that? His cheeks had reddened and he was studying the bowl of cereal in front of him.
‘So,’ Tanvi said. ‘What’s the plan?’
‘I have to make another of those for tonight’s party and then a lovely but not so lovely cake for an eightieth birthday celebration.’ Shilpa had received Caroline’s message this morning confirming the cake she wanted for Roy’s brother Martin.
Delivering the cake to Martin Arden’s home would give Shilpa a glimpse into his life if nothing else. Caroline wanted a cake for her uncle. Her words were ‘lovely, but not as lovely as Daddy’s was.’ Shilpa wasn’t quite sure what to make, but then she came up with a naked white-chocolate-and-raspberry cake with meringue buttercream and raspberry jam. Just the thought of the finished product made her tummy rumble. She’d need to nip out to get raspberries, but maybe she could ask one of her houseguests to oblige. She smiled at Tanvi.
Shilpa put the chocolate lamington cake into one of her Sweet Treats branded boxes and took it out to her car. Just as she was about to set off, she received a message from Geoffrey. The party had been moved from their daughter’s house to their home in Gull’s Cove. Something about a burst water pipe. Geoffrey apologised for informing her so late, but it had slipped his mind with all the chaos of the last twenty-four hours. Shilpa started the engine and put the postcode into her satnav. She had always wanted to peer into one of the exclusive homes in Gull’s Cove that looked over towards Mermaid Point. She was especially keen after Brijesh had told her that Cecelia James had lived there. In one of the newspaper clippings he had found, there was a picture of a beautiful whitewashed mansion with curved glass walling and a large terrace that overlooked the water. The house had changed hands a couple of times since the family had left and was now a rental. A very expensive rental. She wondered what Patricia and Geoffrey did to afford such a place.
Shilpa pulled up outside the mansion twenty minutes later. She took the cake out of the boot and made her way to the front door. Geoffrey opened it.
‘This house is stunning,’ Shilpa said as he ushered her inside.
‘Isn’t it?’ Geoffrey said. ‘Makes people think we’re millionaires. We’re not, mind. Patty knows the owners and got us a deal. The proprietors are coming back soon and offered it to us at mates’ rates. We promised to take good care of the place.’ Geoffrey winked. He showed Shilpa where to put the cake and made the right noises when she placed it on the table. ‘That looks first class,’ he said. ‘Bet it tastes it too. You must stay for a drink. Some of our guests’ll be arriving soon. We called some of our closest friends early.’
Shilpa took the glass of champagne he handed her.
‘Excuse me, dear. I’ve got to see how the poussin are coming along,’ he said, a little distracted. He pointed her towards the terrace, where a lone woman was standing in a cream dress and matching shawl.
Shilpa took her glass to the terrace and stood by the woman with fine white hair. She wore a thick gold chain and large diamond studs in her ears. The sun was setting and the sky took on an orange hue. Surrounded by glamour and with a glass of champagne in her hand, Shilpa felt like she was somewhere exotic. She looked out over the water and realised that Gull’s Cove and the house she was standing in were directly opposite Mermaid Rock. Arden Copse sat back in the distance, the golden sun reflecting off its arched windows.
‘What a beautiful spot,’ Shilpa said. ‘I’ve lived in Devon for a year now and I keep finding little hidden gems.’
‘I’ve lived here all my life, dear,’ said the woman with the diamond studs. ‘Travelled extensively, and there’s no other place like it.’
‘I can see why the family moved away,’ Shilpa said. ‘There was a fall on those rocks years ago, and the daughter of the family that lived in this house died. What a tragedy.’
‘It was,’ the woman said. ‘I remember it clearly.’
‘You were there?’ Shilpa asked, turning to the woman. She had managed to put her foot in her mouth again. This time, spectacularly. She had to stop making it such a habit.
‘I was one of the gang, yes. It was such a long time ago. I try not to think of it, but this place brings it all back. We spent many lovely days lounging by the pool at Arden Copse and here with Cissy.’
The woman had a distant expression as she looked at the spot where her friend had perished.
‘What happened with Roy must have brought it all back too,’ Shilpa said, vying for some more information. She didn’t remember seeing the woman at Roy’s, but then there were so many guests there that day.
‘I wasn’t there. I couldn’t make it,’ the woman said. ‘I had a prior engagement in Paris.’ She touched her necklace and then looked at Shilpa. ‘Sorry, I didn’t ask, how do you know Geoffrey and Patty?’ She paused before speaking again. ‘I’m close to Patty’s younger sister who returned here for her studies thirty-odd years ago. That’s my connection.’
‘I don’t really know them,’ Shilpa said. ‘I made the cake for their daughter. I’m the cake lady,’ she said, repeating Geoffrey’s title for her.
‘Ah,’ she said. The woman moved the conversation on and made her excuses after that, leaving Shilpa alone on the terrace. Feeling a little out of place, Shilpa decided to leave. She had had her obligatory drink, so there was no need to stay. She turned and put her glass down on the nearest table. As she neared the front door, Geoffrey approached her.
‘Leaving already?’ he asked her.
‘I have another cake to make for tomorrow night,’ Shilpa said, and she wasn’t lying. She had Martin Arden’s cake to make for his eightieth birthday gathering. Tonight, she was looking forward to going home and getting a takeaway, which she could enjoy with a movie. Plus, her best friend was in town, and she didn’t know how long Tanvi was intending on staying. She wanted to make the most of her time in Devon, especially now she had to share her friend with Brijesh.
‘You’re a lady in demand,’ Geoffrey said. ‘That must be a nice feeling.’
‘You’re leaving?’ came a voice from behind Shilpa. She turned to see Patricia standing there. Shilpa took a step back, allowing the woman into their circle. Patricia was petite, but she had a steely expression of determination about her. ‘You’ve done a beautiful job with the cake. Diana loves it. Takes her right back to her childhood. Memories like that are so important. We shouldn’t forget our past.’
Shilpa shook her head.
‘You’re looking into Roy Arden’s death, aren’t you?’ Patricia said.
The question came from nowhere and took Shilpa by surprise. How did she know?
‘My optician’s in Otter’s Reach and I stopped by Leoni’s,’ Patricia said by way of explanation. There was a reason why Leoni was known as Mrs Blabbermouth in town. ‘They were talking about you being quite the detective. I hear you have form.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that,’ Shilpa said, blushing at the compliment. She was getting nowhere with who had killed Roy Arden. Admittedly, she had spent more time thinking about poor Cecelia James’s death than Roy’s, but since her last conversation with Caroline, she had been giving the case a lot of thought. Caroline was convinced that her father was murdered and Shilpa believed her.
There was plenty of motive for people wanting the millionaire property tycoon dead. There had been plenty of opportunity as well. Roy Arden’s fall had been well-timed, with the lights going off at that convenient moment. A good distraction for someone to lure and push poor Roy Arden off the cliff.
‘I didn’t know Roy Arden well,’ Patricia said, repeating what she had said at Kaya Rock and breaking Shilpa’s train of thought. Patricia wasn’t being entirely honest. She was definitely talking quite intensely with Roy the night he was killed. Had Patricia had a crush on the millionaire? Was that it? Or had Shilpa misinterpreted the whole situation? It was possible. She had been so distracted by the sheer glamour of the event.
‘Some people say he deserved it,’ Patricia said distantly. ‘What do you think?’
‘I don’t think anyone deserves to die,’ Shilpa said.
Patricia focused back on Shilpa and half raised her glass to her. ‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘Now, I must see how my daughter is getting on before all the other guests arrive.’
‘Ignore her,’ Geoffrey said. ‘She’s an old softie really. Roy Arden and Patty once knew each other. Roy was supposed to sell us a property here but changed his mind last minute. It’s why we’re renting here. It upset Patty. She had her heart set on this other house. Now, plans have changed again though, so it was a good job that it fell through. You know what they say, everything happens for a reason.’ Shilpa felt herself relax a little. So that explained the conversation between Patricia and Roy the night he died. Could she have mistaken Roy’s warmth towards Patricia as self-satisfaction at having got one up on her? It was possible and very typical of Roy’s character from what she had since heard about the man.
Geoffrey gave her a wide smile. ‘It looks like we are going to be heading back to Wellington sooner than we thought,’ he said.
‘Oh, how come?’ Shilpa asked.
‘I think we’re done here. Well, Patty is. The kids and grandkids will have more fun visiting us there. I think Patty’s next mission is to get Diana and her family to move to New Zealand. I’m not sure how successful she’ll be this time though.’ He laughed. ‘Now, you must excuse me. Must get back to the cooking.’
He walked Shilpa to the door and watched as she got into her red Fiat and drove off.
As Shilpa drove back through Mermaid Point, she stopped at a fish and chip shop to buy some dinner. She got into line at the popular spot and took out her phone, quickly messaging Tanvi and Brijesh for their orders. When she looked up from her device, she noticed that Caroline’s husband Jack was sitting in the far corner of the shop. He was by himself eating a portion of chips. Shilpa placed her order and went over to say hello.
‘Is Caroline doing okay?’ she asked, after they had made some small talk.
Jack was silent.
‘It’s just that she didn’t sound herself the last time I spoke to her, and I know she has a lot going on with everything that’s happened.’ Shilpa was rambling. She couldn’t stop herself, but Jack had gone awfully quiet, and Shilpa hated awkward silences. Jack speared a chip with his wooden fork. He dipped it in ketchup and popped it in his mouth. After he had swallowed, he spoke.
‘She seems fine to me,’ he said. He studied Shilpa’s face. ‘Like you say, a great deal has happened. It’s a lot for her to process.’
‘So, I guess I’ll see you at the party tomorrow,’ Shilpa said, not knowing what else to say. ‘I’m only dropping the cake off, but Caroline asked me to stay for a drink. She wanted to talk to me about something.’ Shilpa could tell from Jack’s expression that he didn’t know what she was talking about. She needed to extract herself from the conversation, but she didn’t know how. Luckily Jack saved her before she put her foot in it further.
He looked over at the counter. ‘I think your order is ready,’ he said.