‘You are smart. Anyway, they were in partnership together. My dad ran the hotel side and Uncle Rory ran the restaurant and any events. Back then it was thriving. Always full of people. We had lots of tourists, regulars who came back year after year, plus this was the place the locals came for special meals. You know the sort of thing: birthdays, anniversaries, first dates. Then Dad had his accident and Uncle Rory disappeared.’
Liv leaned forward. ‘Disappeared?’
Effie nodded. ‘One night he was here drinking whisky and singing “Shang-A-Lang” by the Bay City Rollers and the next morning he was gone.’
‘I can see why the Bay City Rollers might drive you to that, but still a bit extreme. Then what happened?’
‘We don’t know. The estate agent is the first contact we’ve had in three years.’
Now she really had Liv’s attention as there was most definitely a mystery to solve.
24
Liv found Fraser in the kitchen scowling at his phone. ‘Something interesting?’ she asked.
‘If you think my ex getting in touch is interesting then yes.’
‘Actually I do. What does she want?’ she asked, coming closer and snatching a look at his screen before he rapidly put his phone away.
‘It doesn’t really make sense, perhaps the message wasn’t for me.’
She sat on the worktop and Fraser shook his head at her. ‘What did it say?’ she asked.
Fraser busied himself with getting out pans and then changing his mind and putting them away again and choosing different ones. ‘Something about me looking cheap on the internet.’ He dropped a pan with a loud clatter, making Liv put her hands over her ears. Fraser spun in her direction. ‘You didn’t take a photograph of me earlier when I was…’ He waved a hand up and down his body.
It took Liv a moment to cotton on. ‘Oh, when you were naked you mean?’
‘Shhh, voice down,’ he said. ‘If Granny hears you she’ll start asking awkward questions. Anyway stop dodging the issue. Did you take a photo?’
Liv gave him a look. ‘Do you recall what I was wearing at the time?’
Fraser looked to the ground for a second then looked up. ‘Not a lot.’
‘Exactly. I didn’t happen to have my Nikon with the paparazzi super magnifying lens on me.’
Fraser’s expression changed to one of thunderstruck. ‘There’s no need to be rude.’
‘I wasn’t,’ said Liv. Then she went over what she’d said. ‘I didn’t mean I’d need a powerful lens to see your… um…’ She pointed at him, making them both look down at his trousers. Liv whipped back her finger and folded her arms to stop herself doing anything similarly embarrassing. ‘I didn’t mean it like that. There were no size issues that I witnessed.’ Fraser blinked. ‘Not that I was looking obviously,’ added Liv hastily. ‘Anyway let’s tiptoe out of this minefield. To answer your question. No, I did not take any photographs of you naked or otherwise.’
‘Then I don’t know what she’s going on about.’
‘Did the intensive care work on my phone?’ she asked.
‘Dunno, have a look.’ He got out the jar of rice and passed it to her. She hoicked out her phone. It seemed okay.
‘I’ll get my charger,’ she said getting off the worktop but Fraser didn’t reply.
A few minutes later she returned to the kitchen and plugged in her phone. They both watched it and waited. At last a red battery sign appeared. ‘Yay! It works. You’re a star,’ she said automatically throwing her arms around his neck. There was a tricky moment where they both froze as if suddenly remembering they were mortal enemies. Liv let him go and they both became intensely interested in staring at her phone.
The staring was interrupted by the beep of Fraser’s phone. He snatched it from his pocket and his eyes pinged wide as he looked at the screen. ‘Bloody hell.’
‘What?’ said Liv trying to get a look over his shoulder.
‘How on earth…’ He appeared stunned as if he’d been whacked in the face with one of his heavy-based pans but at the same time he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off his screen.
Liv was more than curious. ‘For heaven’s sake what?’ Fraser turned his phone around so that she could see. There was a photograph of a muddy Fraser with Shanie Cortina stood right in front of him pouting. It was surprisingly flattering given the situation. Fraser looked ruggedly handsome and Shanie only had the tiniest mud splatter on her cheek, making it look almost strategically placed and you couldn’t see the mess the rest of her was in. ‘What’s wrong with that?’ she asked as he whipped his phone back.
‘It’s got over twenty-one thousand likes and the caption reads:Got saved by a real-life hero today. He’s handsome, fit and the best chef ever. Check out Bonnie Scott’s restaurant at the Lochy House Hotel. Things are looking up for me.’ Fraser looked up from the screen. ‘And then she’s put a heart emoji.’ He shoved his phone in his pocket and went back to banging pans.
