She checks her smartwatch. ‘Right, I need to give my grandad’s home a call, see if he’s running out of supplies. My list of jobs is getting longer as we speak. Enjoy the rest of your week.’ She places her helmet on her head. ‘Oh, and people will talk and it might look like they’re staring. They’re not being rude. They do care. They just don’t know what to say.’
I wanted to tell that I thought her dad knew more than he was letting on, that he probably posted what could be perceived as a threatening comment on my Instagram, but I refrain. She’s onside and friendly. I don’t want to jeopardise that. ‘Thank you, I know you’re busy.’
‘That’s okay.’ She throws a leg over her bike, one foot still on the floor for balance.
‘Do you know the woman who runs the ice-cream shop by the harbour?’
‘Oh, Natalie Thomas.’
‘Yes. Was she working there back then, when Jess went missing?’
‘Yeah. She and her husband would have been working with his dad at the time. She’s part of the furniture here. I don’t even think she’s ever left Looe before.’
‘Thank you. I’m trying to gather a few thoughts and I’m hoping to say goodbye to Jess while I’m here. Finally allow her to rest.’
‘That must be hard. Yes, you could have a chat with Natalie. She’s lovely and always up for a chat. Have an ice cream while you’re there. They’re the best, especially the salted caramel.’ Daisy looks at her watch again. ‘I have to go. It was lovely speaking to you.’
Maybe I will have an ice cream before I call the home. The shop should be open now. I’ll give Daisy a chance to get her call done. I stare at the lifeboat station with its little gift shop and I think of all the work they did when they thought Jess was out there. The volunteers had headed out into the sea, looking and searching to no avail.
I go to press Damien’s number but then I place my phone in my pocket. He needs a little bit of time to himself, then I’ll come completely clean tonight. Once he sees that he’s made a mistake and that I’m not meeting up with some bloke, I’m sure we’ll be okay. I gulp down the bit of acid that’s climbing up my throat. It’s not just about the message. I lied to him about why we’re really here. It’s not okay. We’re not okay.
I leave the café and lifeboat station behind and head back towards the ice-cream shop. I’m going to wait as long as it takes to speak to Natalie. If she had nothing to hide, she’d have opened that door and welcomed me in. Maybe she and Cody are hiding something together. Whatever it is, I’m not going to let a mystery figure or a few social media messages freak me out.
I’m on the edge of finding something out and I can’t let it go.
TWENTY-ONE
KATE
An hour has passed and the ice-cream shop is still in darkness. The sign on the door tells me it should be open. I haven’t seen a peep out of anyone in there and that’s not for the want of trying. In my desperation, I’ve knocked and peered through the window. I’ve stood back on the opposite side of the road, loitering outside the closed bag shop to see if I can get a glimpse through the upstairs windows, but the curtains remain closed. It’s like the place has been abandoned. Post sits on the floor on the other side of the door, waiting to be picked up.
Other people have passed by and looked disappointed that it was closed. The sky is a little greyer than it was earlier so maybe the owner has decided not to open, but people are on holiday and having ice cream is what people on holiday do. I know when Damien left me earlier to go for ice cream, my own two children would have been disappointed if they’d come here. The pull in my heart makes it almost skip a beat. Again, I’ve let my family down and Damien doesn’t trust me. I could find him now and say everything I have to say, but he needs time to simmer down. The best thing to do is to talk to him later after he’s exhausted the girls and we can get some alone time.
It’s lunchtime now and the smell of greasy chips and vinegar being carried on the breeze is almost making me salivate with hunger. My stomach makes an almighty gurgling sound. I give it a prod to try and calm it down but my nerves are getting the better of me.
Some of the boats are starting to sit on the sand in the harbour as the tide has almost lowered. They’ve gone from bobbing to stationary while I’ve been watching, the ebbed water leaving a carpet of sand, stone and tangled weed. It really smells like seaside now. Little rippled puddles reflect the midday sun although it’s not like summer. The sun is up there but it seems like it’s preparing to leave as it keeps ducking behind the rain clouds and there’s a chill in the air that tells me winter is just around the corner. I zip up my jacket and consider realistically how much longer I can wait for Natalie to come back. I’m wasting precious time.
I wonder if Daisy has made her call to The Brambles. There’s no time like now to find out. I do a search for the nursing home on my phone and Google soon comes up with the number. I press and wait for an answer. The longer it rings, the more my hands shake. This week, I’ve turned into a person I don’t recognise. I’m a liar running scared. Not the best liar but I’m getting better. That’s not something I’m proud of. I’ve ruined the essence of what was us and with all my heart, I wish Damien was more on my side and I didn’t have to follow this up in such an underhand way. We’ve always trusted each other, but not any more and it was me who ruined that.
‘Hello, Brambles Nursing Home. How may I help you?’ Whoever was on the other end of the call hadn’t a worry in the world given the upbeat tone of her voice.
‘Err, hello.’
‘Yes, what can we do for you?’
‘I, err, wanted to know how Archie is, Archie Teague.’ I can’t help stumbling over my words.
‘And you are?’
I didn’t think this far ahead. I can’t say Kate as the staff might mention me next time Cody or Daisy visit. I blurt out the first name that comes into my mind. ‘Nadine. Archie’s my great-uncle. I’m in the area. Is he okay since his fall? We were all concerned.’ I remember Cody telling me about Archie’s fall. That was his excuse for running out of the Old Smuggler when he saw me.
‘Fall?’
‘Yes, not long ago.’
‘Oh yes. He’s recovered now. He did have it bad last Christmas with his ankle. It’s all better now, though.’
Now I know Cody lied about why he left the pub. What else has he lied about? He knows something about the day Jess died and other people know too. If he won’t be straight with me, I will find someone who will be. I swallow down the hurt that is brewing within me. Am I sacrificing my marriage to follow duff leads and hoaxes? I can’t be. There is something in all this. People don’t watch and follow you, they don’t send messages with a threatening edge, all because of a hoax.
