Page 17 of Murder in the Winter Woods
‘Ah well, it’s a lovely job. I’ll be in charge of a team of data analysts for the security department of a big bank,’ Rosie said in her cheerful, lilting voice. ‘Can’t tell you which bank, I’d have to kill you…’ she added, and gave a tinkling laugh.
‘It’s a big job, very important and demanding. Rosie is terribly clever,’ Hayley said proudly. Julia felt guilty that she’d underestimated the younger sister, based entirely on her sweet manner and her pink-cheeked appearance. She’d known only that Rosie did ‘something with computers’, a large and mysterious category of occupations that seemed to encompass everything from typing to launching space rockets. She’d had no idea Rosie had such a high-powered career.
‘Ah well, so are you,’ said Rosie, taking the vase of flowers from Hayley. ‘Just clever in different ways, aren’t we? I could never do what you do.’
‘Likewise,’ said Hayley, watching as, with a couple of swift hand movements, her sister fluffed up the dahlias into an attractive shape. ‘That, for example. You’re a genius with flowers.’
‘Oh, go on, it’s nothing,’ Rosie handed the vase back. ‘Do you want to put those on the table?’
They all went through to the sitting room where the dining table had been set, and in the centre of which Hayley put the vase.
‘The table looks lovely,’ Julia said, noting the pretty plates, white with a blue trim, the elegant wine glasses, the heavy white cotton table napkins with a blue stripe.
‘It looks all right doesn’t it?,’ said Hayley. ‘I tossed out the non-matching stuff I’d had since whenever, and bought a few new things. A new set of crockery, new glasses.’
Julia remembered the sparsely equipped kitchen from her visits to Hayley-the-invalid. It had been the sad mish-mash belonging to someone who spent too much time at work and ate too many takeaways. She again suspected the hand of Sylvia in this new arrangement.
As Julia thought of her, so Sylvia appeared, opening the door and struggling through with a shopping bag in each hand.
‘Hello, hello, sorry I’m late.’
‘Not at all,’ Hayley said, taking the bags from her with a warm smile. ‘Thanks for getting these. I can’t believe I forgot to buy the drinks!’
Sylvia gave her a grin. ‘Well, you’re a busy woman with a lot on your mind! And we’ve got plenty now. Sparkling water, orange juice, some new kombucha sort of thing with apple…’
‘Sounds perfect. Please, everyone, help yourselves,’ said Hayley, putting the bottles on the sideboard. ‘The chicken needs about fifteen minutes more.’ They sat down, filling every chair in Hayley’s little sitting room.
Hayley did the introductions. Sylvia and Rosie were, in fact, cut from similar cloth. Golden, pink-hued cloth. Sylvia was a little taller and slimmer and blonder, and had a direct and playful manner. Rosie had curlier hair, a fuller face and figure, and was generally a little softer in her ways. But if a stranger had to guess which two women at this little gathering were sisters, they would pick these two.
‘It’s mayhem on the roads,’ said Sylvia. ‘People have come from all over for the Wednesday Christmas market. I nearly got taken out on the pedestrian crossing by someone on a bicycle. Missed me by inches.’
‘That’s terrible,’ Hayley said. ‘Did you get a description? What sort of bike was he riding?’
Sylvia laughed. ‘Put away the handcuffs, Detective. It was just a kid. He made a mistake and, as you see, I lived to tell the tale. Much as I appreciate your concern, you don’t need to track him down and have him put away for life.’ She gave her girlfriend a hug to show that the teasing was with no malice.
‘We’re all touchy about bad driving since Lewis Band got run over,’ Julia said to Sylvia, by way of explanation.
‘Of course you are. What a terrible thing.’
‘We drove past where the accident happened at the weekend,’ said Sean. ‘We stopped to look at the place again and, honestly, I don’t know how the driver managed to swerve like that right there. I reckon he must have been drunk and going much too fast.’
Julia was about to mention the St Christopher when Hayley said something that stopped her in her tracks. ‘Well, we’re not so sure it was a him. We think it might have been a woman, based on the very little evidence we’ve got from the footprints. The only thing we can say for sure is that the person who got out of the car was small and light.’
‘Nothing useful from the street cameras?’ Julia asked.
‘Not so far. We don’t have much information to go on – we don’t have good tyre tread impressions, so we don’t know the make of the vehicle involved. And the cameras aren’t everywhere, as you know.’
‘The road safety committee hopes to get more cameras,’ Julia said. ‘That, and to encourage people to be extra careful. I’m working on the communication side – signage, flyers, that sort of thing. Our aim is for everyone to feel committed to keeping our roads and our road users safe.’
‘I really think that’s where change has to start,’ said Sean. ‘With education, and with people deciding to change their behaviour. Whether it’s smoking or driving or anything else.’
‘I agree one hundred per cent. And you can’t start too young!’ said Sylvia. As a nursery school teacher, she was a great believer in the power of early influences.
A buzzer went off in the kitchen, and Hayley jumped to her feet. ‘Chicken’s ready. Fill up your glasses and get to the table!’
In all the excitement of dinner’s arrival, the little St Christopher drifted out of Julia’s mind once again. It stayed buried in her bag, keeping its secrets. For now.
10
