It wasn’t his thought process. ‘Has Benny got any enemies you know of?’
Alice laughed. ‘Enemies? Who do you think he is, a gangster? He didn’t pay up so they beheaded our gnome.’
‘I just meant kids can do silly things when they fall out with each other.’
Alice glanced over her shoulder at the opened door to their living quarters. ‘Benny is one of those people who has magic about him. No matter who he meets, they love him. Seriously, he has that many friends, I’ve lost count. Anyway, I did ask him if he had fallen out with someone back when we had the small fire, but he said he hadn’t.’
Benny’s voice called out as he approached the desk. ‘It’s that man in the balaclava again.’
Jamie and Alice quickly joined him to home in on the laptop.
‘Who the bloody hell is he?’ snapped Alice.
‘Local idiot, judging by what he keeps doing,’ said Benny. ‘Should we report him again?’
Alice shook her head. ‘And say what? He returned our gnome.’
‘Have you got the footage of him taking it in the first place?’ asked Jamie.
‘No,’ replied Benny. ‘We didn’t notice it was gone until someone passing asked where it was. Could have been gone weeks for all we knew.’
Alice groaned. ‘If I see him do one more thing to this place, I’m calling the police again. Bloody nuisance he is.’
Jamie placed the gnome beneath the counter just in case the head showed up at some point and they could glue it back on. He could see Alice was annoyed so thought it best to leave his deep and meaningful with her to another day. Right now, she needed a hot chocolate and a snuggle with her blanket.
‘I’m going to save a file just for unexplained and weird behaviour around here,’ said Benny, taking his laptop to his bedroom.
Alice turned to Jamie. ‘Well, never mind all that. How did it go this evening at group?’
Jamie smiled softly. ‘It went well. Now I’m thinking PJs and a funny film.’
Alice’s expression softened. ‘Ooh, I like the sound of that.’
‘And hot choccy with marshmallows.’ He winked, then waited for her to go out back before heading to his room. He was going to do more than build a file on the masked man. One way or another, he was going to make it his business to expose the thug.
Chapter 11
Alice
Alice had no idea how Jamie was feeling as they entered the Jolly Pirate for his welcome dinner. All she knew was how nervousshefelt. She had told herself numerous times all day not to worry. Her friends were lovely people and they were giving Jamie a second chance.
She glanced at Robson behind the bar, then at the Jolly Roger flag pinned to the wall behind him. Normally she’d walk into the pub with a big smile on her face, ready to greet everyone, but a lot of the regulars had stopped supping their drinks and were now staring at Jamie.
Jamie, at her side, seemed relaxed enough, but he was good at hiding his emotions, and each time she had asked him since his release from prison if he was okay, he had told her he was just fine.
Red hair caught her attention as Spencer made his way through the small crowd by the bar to come her way.
His hand shot out towards Jamie. ‘All right, mate.’
Jamie shook Spencer’s hand. ‘Hello, Spence.’
Alice swallowed hard, wondering if Spencer was going to follow up with talk of the past, mostly the part about the smashed window of his family’s flower shop.
‘I hear you’re doing well,’ said Spencer, his blue eyes not moving from Jamie’s face as he lowered his hand.
‘I am,’ Jamie replied.
Alice smiled as Beth joined them. ‘This is Spencer’s partner, Beth.’
