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A few days had passed and all had returned to normal in Castlefield, as well as my bookshop. Well, normal enough. Christina was now my new employee, and she was a welcome addition to our small club. She was cheerful and worked hard. We were starting to become good friends, and the sting I felt with each mention of Alistair had started to disappear.
My novel was coming along, and I was taking a well-earned break by taking down a display in the window. It was late in the afternoon, but not yet closing time, which was why it was odd that Christina ushered out the few customers that were in the shop. Eddie closed the door behind them.
“What are you doing?” I asked her. “What’s going on? Why are you both grinning like that?”
“We’re kidnapping you,” Eddie said excitedly.
“Excuse me?”
“Not really,” Christina said with a warning look to Eddie. “We’re taking you to the pub, come on.” She stepped out from behind the counter and ushered me out of the front door. Eddie followed and locked the door behind us.
“We still need to balanc—oh, sod it. I’ll just go with the flow. It’s been a long week.” Whatever the reason for this sudden outing, I was certain I would like it. Especially since the pub contained alcohol.
After a few minutes we reached the double doors. Both Christina and Eddie practically pushed me through the doors. As soon as I entered the pub, a loud applause ruptured the air. I jumped and then looked at all the familiar faces of the people I cared about so much. Nancy was clapping loudly, as well as the Castlefield Book Club. Eleanor even whistled with her fingers, earning some surprised looks, including from her husband. Alistair and DC Daniels were also there.
I took a demure bow and then went up to Nancy to hug her, mainly because the whole thing was embarrassing me. I buried my face in her shoulder and held her tight. “Thanks,” I said. The applause died down.
“You did so well,” Poppy said. “We’re so proud of you.” She rubbed my shoulder, and I gave her a kiss on the cheek. The other women murmured in agreement.
Eleanor showed up next to me and put her arm around me. “We never doubted our local sleuth for a second, did we?” she said loudly and the others erupted in a few more claps and whistles.
“Okay, okay. Thank you. But I don’t see any cake. If you’re going to throw me a party, where’s the cake?” I said and threw Olivia a look.
She grinned at me. “What kind of bakery would I run if I didn’t provide cake at every opportunity?” A path was made as the others backed up. It led to one of the tables in the back. There was indeed a white cake on the right side of the table. On the left was a large rectangle covered in a sheet.
“What the heck is that?” I asked.
Nancy followed me closely. The others gathered around the table, some took out their phones to take pictures.
“If it’s a collection of spiders, I’m out of here,” I said.
Eleanor chuckled. “What kind of parties do you think we throw?” She was also filming.
Damn. I felt like a kid performing in a school play. I moved to the sheet and grabbed it tentatively. Then I glanced around at the expectant faces—even Alistair was smiling—and yanked off the sheet.
“A cage?” I tilted my head, and then I spotted it. A baby bunny. “Oh my goodness, a tiny bunny!”
People around me laughed and then started clapping again. I didn’t even notice. With a swiftness that my PE teacher would be proud of, I opened the cage and got out the bunny. She was white with grey ears. Was it a she? I didn’t even care. I planted little kisses on her head and kept stroking her. She was incredibly soft and didn’t move. “Do you like it?” Nancy asked expectantly.
I turned to her. “It’s—it’s the best gift.” My voice caught.
“Love, are you crying?”
“No, I’m not, and nobody better be filming my tears,” I said defiantly.
There were some chuckles from the small crowd.
Nancy came over to hug me gently, since I was still holding the bunny. The women’s club followed suit, and I heard Eddie shout: “Hey, I want to join too.” They gossiped a lot, but they were good women, and even Eddie knew that.
The rest of the evening was perfect. The cake was delicious, and my friends and neighbours showered me with compliments. The bunny turned out to be a girl. I didn’t have a name yet, but that would come.
Christina was cracking jokes with Eddie. She got our humour, she was smart and friendly, and I totally got what Alistair saw in her. It was time to move on. Instead of pining over someone I couldn’t have, I would celebrate that I’d made two new friends. Alistair didn’t make it easy, though, with his charming smiles or his long stares at me when nobody else was looking.
But for now, I was incredibly happy with the home I had, not just in this village, but with these people.
––––––––
BAILEY TUGGED ON THE leash, ready to follow his nose again and enjoy the freedom that came with peeing on trees. I remained where I was, though, distracted by the moving van in front of the Pembroke hotel. It was a small van, and I imagined that not much would change about the hotel, except Mr Field’s office, which was still damaged by the fire.
The thing I was most curious about was who would be brave enough to move in. After all that had happened, I had serious doubts that anyone would purchase the hotel, but it had been bought so quickly that nobody had had time to blink. In the past week there had been plenty of speculations, but the simple truth was that nobody knew. Patty the real estate agent was tight-lipped about the whole affair, despite several pub patrons buying her loads of drinks. I wondered what the secrecy was about. It had to be someone with a flair for the dramatic.
Someone cast a shadow over Bailey, and I looked up. I squinted at the familiar man. “Miles Fancypants, right?” I asked.
Miles smiled with his blindingly white teeth that even aliens across the universe could see. “That’s right. I knew you wouldn’t forget me.”
“How could I forget? You made sure I wasn’t arrested.”
“And here I thought it was my dazzling good looks that you would have remembered me for. What are you looking at?”
“Some macabre idiot bought the Pembroke hotel,” I said. “I didn’t believe in curses at first, but now I’m not so sure. It’s a gorgeous estate, but so much has happened there.” I shivered.
“Ah, yes. Alistair told me about that. You were locked in a death room or something,” he said.
“That’s right. It was not pretty. I almost started eating Alistair’s tie.”
He laughed. It sounded melodious. “I’ll be sure to keep my ties away from you.”
“Does that mean you’ve decided to move here?” I gasped as it hit me, and he smiled.
“That’s right. I’m the macabre idiot.” He grabbed my hand and kissed it like he had the first time we met. “I look forward to seeing you around the village.”
He was about to walk away when I pulled him closer. “Oh, I like where this is going,” he said.
“Shut up, you fool. There’s a monster behind you.”
“A monster?” he turned around and looked back at me. He laughed.
“Don’t laugh.” I was experiencing a déjà vu.
“How can I not, dear? That’s a chicken.”
“It’s an evil specimen sent from hell. Though she did save me, so maybe she’s mellowed.”
Pandora stared at us, but didn’t show any signs of attacking.
“Alright, I’ll see you. Good luck with your chicken,” Miles said.
It wasn’t until Miles had passed her that she made that loud screeching sound and started charging. Except that she didn’t attack me, she went for Miles.
“Ouch,” he said as she pecked his leg. He started running. “Get away from me, you winged beast!”
“Told you so,” I shouted as he ran up the hill.
––––––––
I FINISHED WALKING Bailey. It was Sunday and Nancy was having brunch with an old friend in a neighbouring village. Just as I opened the door so I could go up to my flat, someone called my name.
Christina gave me a deflated wave, and her mascara had run. She was carrying two suitcases and two handbags. She started crying when she reached me and dropped everything to give me a hug.
“Alistair broke up with me,” she said after she had caught her breath.
I froze. What?
“Not this again,” Detective Black said from behind me.
Bailey barked.
“I don’t know where to go, I feel so—” she started crying again.
“I have an extra room, don’t worry. You can stay with me.”
Detective Black grunted.
What was I supposed to do? She needed my help and she was my friend.
“Come on,” I said. “I’ll make your bed and get you settled in. It will be fun, okay? You can play with Snowball. Bailey is afraid of her.”
Christina managed a small smile. “Thanks. You’re a good friend.”
I wasn’t sure if I had been, but I was going to be one from now on. Good friends were rare in this world, and you could never have too many.
––––––––
DETECTIVE BLACK STARED into the killer’s deflated eyes that were drowning in salty tears. As his partner cuffed him, he glanced at the smiling picture of Marlene Green. Somewhere in his heart he hoped that her smile was directed at him, that she was finally able to find the peace that she deserved.
He stepped out into the crisp autumn air and lit his pipe. He sauntered in the direction of the pub where he’d have a pint in honour of Ms Green and contemplate the beauty of life, as he did every Friday night. Luckily he got tipsy by the time he got to any answers. After all, what is life without a little mystery?
––––––––
I LOOKED UP AT DETECTIVE Black, his dark eyes settled on mine. “Are you happy with that?” he asked.
“Of course. I’m the writer, and I know you.” I leaned back in my chair and typed the final two words.
The end.
Excerpt The Chrono Unit
