He turned and pulled open the pub door, disappearing inside without looking back.
Chapter Twenty
Arthur
On Thursday morning, Arthur arrived at the community center at ten for his weekly Carers Support Group coffee morning. He’d been coming every week since Esi first started losing her eyesight and was always grateful for the hour spent chatting with others who understood the challenges, frustrations and rewards of being a full-time carer. But this morning, as he walked into the center, he found his fellow group members milling round the lobby.
“Morning, Arthur, how are you?” asked Dill, another regular. “How’s Esi?”
“I’ve left her listening to a Beverly Jenkins audiobook so she’s grand. How’s Mick?”
Dill smiled and shrugged, an expression familiar to anyone in the support group, and one that held a hundred emotions. Arthur nodded.
“What’s going on here?”
“They’re running late setting up. Understaffed, apparently.”
Arthur put his head through the door of the main hall and saw it was empty.
“Sorry, excuse me, coming through.”
He turned round to see Nova staggering down the corridor, carrying the tea urn.
“Sorry for the delay, we’ll be ready in a tick.”
“What’s going on?” he asked her, following her into the hall.
“Sandy hasn’t turned up.”
“That’s unlike her, is she ill?”
“I don’t know, I can’t get hold of her.” Nova put the tea urn down and plugged it in. “I’m not even meant to be working today; I’ve been suspended.”
“Suspended! But why?”
“Long story. Do you mind helping me get the chairs out?”
“Of course.”
Nova gave him a grateful smile as they headed toward the store cupboard. “How did it go with the private investigator yesterday? Sorry I didn’t call you back, but I had a full-on day.”
“It was interesting. Ash found a file on his computer labeled ‘Michael Watkins.’ ”
“Oh, wow! What’s in it?”
“Turns out it’s password protected, so we can’t open it. Ash is trying to get in though; that boy is a whiz with computers.”
“I wonder why Pierce had a file on Michael?”
“My guess is Phyllis was right and Cynthia employed him to do some digging into Michael. Maybe that’s how she found out he was having an affair?”
“I suppose,” Nova said, but she didn’t sound convinced. “Either way, we need to stop our investigation into Michael and Cynthia.”
“Why? We’re just getting somewhere, especially if Ash can hack into this file.”
“It’s too risky. Cynthia made a formal complaint to Sandy about us; that’s why I’ve been suspended. Plus, yesterday Craddock was really sick, and Phyllis thinks Cynthia poisoned him.”
“What?” Arthur almost dropped the chair he was carrying. “Why would Cynthia poison Craddock?”
