Page 49 of A Village Theatre Murder

Sean and Jono exchanged wry smiles, and the younger man said, ‘That would be me. I’m the army.’

‘He’s feeding himself up,’ said Sean. ‘Building a bit of muscle.’

‘Making music isn’t exactly the healthiest lifestyle. I’ve got a bit scrawny and out of shape. But I’m making an effort to eat better while I’m with Dad. I even wentfor a run.’

‘Leo approves wholeheartedly of this new regime, as you can imagine.’

‘I’m sure he does! You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Jakey? Extra runs. Extra snacks. Now, who wants what to drink?’

Sean fixed the drinks while Julia started setting the table.

‘You’re in a good place for running,’ Julia said. She gave Jono a handful of knives and forks to put out, and opened the cupboard for the plates. ‘We’ve got lots of lovely routes. We walk a lot of them, of course, with the dogs. You can go through the woods and over to the big lake – it’s a bit cold now, but it’s lovely for a swim in the summer.’

‘There are quite a few winter swimmers,’ said Sean, putting a glass of wine in front of Julia’s place at the head of the table, and an apple juice in front of Jono. He didn’t ask either of them what they wanted. ‘It’s taken off, that cold swimming. Absolute lunacy if you ask me, but there seems to be some evidence it’s good for you. It’s not for me, but you might like it.’

‘I think I’ll stick with the running for now, thanks, Dad. It’s enough of a shock to the system.’

Julia put the plates down on the placemats. ‘Well, the river’s my favourite route. It’s lovely with the ducks, and the little boats. Jake and I were there earlier this evening, weren’t we, Jakey?’

Jake and Leo were disinterested in the conversation, both pooped after their walk and run respectively. They were lying side by side under the kitchen table, which would be mildly awkward for the diners’ feet, but they’d work around it.

‘I saw the river at sunset last night,’ Jono said. ‘So beautiful. I was at the Swan for supper.’

‘With Laine,’ said Sean, raising his eyebrows at Julia.

Ah, a date with Laine, she thought. She wondered if anything had happened between the two of them, but didn’t like to pry. She didn’t want to be too nosy about the date, and make him feel pressurised. Instead, she asked a more neutralwarm-up question: ‘How was it? I haven’t eaten there in a while.’

‘The food was good. We went to the pub, not to the fancier restaurant. There are some tables a bit away from the bar, where it’s quiet. We had burgers. Laine is vegetarian, so hers was a veg burger. She said it was good, too.’

Julia played it cool. ‘She seems nice, Laine. In the brief time we met her. And I did like her goat. And it’s not every day you see a goat walking on a lead.’

‘Gruff. That’s the goat’s name.’

‘From the “Three Billy Goats Gruff”, I presume?’ Sean asked.

‘Yes, except she’s a nanny goat, so it doesn’t make much sense.’

‘Still. It’s a cute name. Shall we eat? Help yourselves.’

They filled their plates straight from the tubs, scooping the rich sauces over piles of rice.

‘I’m glad to hear the food at the Swan was nice,’ said Julia. ‘I haven’t been in ages. My ex-husband got married there last year, and I haven’t been back since.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ Jono looked horribly flustered. ‘That must have been, um…Gosh, how sad for you. Or, I mean, awkward…’

‘Oh no, I didn’t mind about his marriage. In fact, I think it’s a good thing!’

‘Well, that’s, I mean…that’s good. Um, and she’s nice, is she?’

‘Who?’

‘His wife. The new one.’

‘There’s no wife. He married Christopher. A man.’

‘Of course, well. That’s good. I mean. If he’s nice. The husband. I mean. Your husband’s husband. Ex-husband’s husband. Christopher.’ Jono blushed scarlet. ‘I’m sorry, I’m making a right mess of things, aren’t I?’

Sean looked from one to the other with a pained expression.

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