Page 71 of A Perfect Devon Pub
Her aunt, sitting near the fireplace, had been unusually quiet. Fiona studied Ivy’s face, noting the averted gaze. She was glad she wouldn’t have to press Ivy to break her confidence. Kim had been downright nasty, and there was no excuse for her trying to frame Fiona with the Krug, but she wasn’t the key to proving Fiona’s innocence.
‘Let’s go over this again,’ Ru said, breaking the tension as his eyes danced round the room, falling on each person in turn. ‘Lots of expensive wine is missing, and somehow,miraculously, all the evidence points to Fi?’
‘Yes,’ Fiona replied, her voice strained. ‘But I didn’t do it.’
‘Of course not,’ her mother said. ‘All the evidence has been planted; we just need to work out who did that.’
Ivy flinched, and Fiona’s mother turned towards her sister, brows furrowing. ‘Ivy, surely you don’t believe this nonsense?’ Her mother’s words were as much an accusation as a question.
‘Ivy, it’s okay,’ said Fiona, surprised she was taking the lead on this point, not Ru. Her mother was pursuing a dead end. Kim wasn’t the thief. Fiona smiled at her aunt. ‘We know about Kim; you don’t need to protect her anymore’
Ivy glanced down, shifting uncomfortably. ‘Ivy, what are you hiding?’ demanded Fiona’s mother.
‘She’s protecting the person who Ru and I think planted that bottle of Krug and then stuck the sticky note on it the next morning.’ explained Fiona.
‘Why would you do that Ivy?’ asked Fiona’s mother.
‘I know nothing about the Krug,’ said Ivy.
‘But you know something ... I know when my sister is hiding a secret. Are you protecting this Kim woman?’
‘No. I am not protecting Kim.’
‘Not . . . not . . .’ stammered Fiona.
Fingering the cross round her neck, Ivy swallowed, then spoke slowly. ‘It’s not that simple. You don’t understand.’
‘Oh, I think we do,’ Fiona’s mother replied. ‘What I don’t understand is why you won’t tell us who you think is behind this. Out with it!’
Fiona felt a prickle of resentment. She had always trusted Ivy, relied on her in ways she hadn’t her own parents. Now, that trust felt tenuous, stretched thin by Ivy’s choice to withhold a vital clue that might reveal the identity of the thief, when they might have only hours before the police came to arrest Fiona. Ivy’s gaze darted Fiona’s way. ‘I ... It’s complicated.’
Fiona’s mother folded her arms, her eyes narrowing further. ‘Complicated or not, it’s my daughter they’re accusing. We need to get to the truth, and we need to get there soon, before this charade—’
Ru’s hand tightened around Fiona’s, his voice cutting her mother off. ‘Something’s been bothering me. Last night I was running through that suspect list again ...’
The room quieted. Fiona looked at him gratefully, feeling a wave of reassurance.
Her mother reached over, touching Fiona’s shoulder gently. ‘Whatever it takes, we’ll prove you’re innocent. If they try and arrest you, we’ll hire the best lawyer.’
Fiona swallowed, emotion clogging in her throat. She met hermother’s gaze, sensing the support radiate from her.
Ru gave her hand a final, reassuring squeeze. Then he winked at her. ‘Let’s stop badgering Ivy. I think I know who took that wine and how we can prove it.’
‘Who? How? Tell me!’ Fiona cried.
‘By stealing the evidence,’ said Ru.
She recoiled, glancing at her parents to check their reaction. ‘Stealing? What if we’re caught?’ asked Fiona.
‘Hang on a minute,’ said her father sitting bolt upright in his chair.
‘Proving Fiona’s innocence should not involve committing a crime,’ said her mother.
‘But if the evidence is hidden, what choice do we have?’ asked Ru.
Fiona rose, nervous but smiling. ‘Let’s do this – sometimes you’ve gotta’ take a gamble on life.’ She wondered if she’d imitated an Aussie accent. If she had, Fiona hoped everyone would assume it was her parents she was mimicking.
‘This isn’t us,’ her mother said, shaking her head. ‘We don’t break the law. But ... you’re innocent. We must find the real culprit, even if it means bending the rules.’
