Page 11 of A Poisonous Plot

“Nonsense. She’s a big help around the house. And it gives me peace of mind to have someone around. There’s a great comfort in knowing I’ll be found promptly if I die in my sleep. I hate the thought of rotting away until the neighbours notice the smell.”

“Don’t be so grim,” Maria admonished.

Glynis only shrugged. “Twenty years from now, you’ll be having the same concerns.”

“If I make it that long,” the woman said. “You’ll probably outlive me.” Her eyes strayed to Lily, then quickly away again. “I should go in and see if I can find what I need for the window boxes.”

“You could also ask if they’re looking for any staff,” Glynis said. “I think you’d enjoy working in the cafe a few mornings a week.”

“Don’t nag,” Maria said gently before wandering away.

Glynis waited until she was out of hearing before speaking again. “I’ve told her she needs something to get her out of the house. I think a part-time job would be perfect for her, but she doesn’t seem keen on the idea.”

“Have you known her long?” Lily asked.

“We’ve been friends for a long time, but she just moved in with me a few months ago.” Her eyes went to her retreatingfriend. “She was living in Bristol. Retired not too long ago, and she’s been living alone since she got divorced. I’ve been nagging her to visit me for years. When she finally agreed, I persuaded her to come for an extended stay. I thought the change would be good for her, but I worry that she doesn’t socialise much.”

“A job sounds like a good idea,” Lily remarked. “And working in a garden centre sounds nice. The cafe’s cute.” She lifted the drink in her hand. “I don’t recommend the green smoothie, though.”

“Don’t say that!” Glynis beamed. “It’s my drink of choice.” She patted her stomach. “It may not be the tastiest treat, but it keeps me regular.”

“That might be a bit too much information,” Lily said, making Glynis laugh loudly. “It’s definitely not to my taste,” she went on. “If you don’t mind the fact that I’ve had two sips, you’re welcome to it. Otherwise, it’ll go in the bin when I get home.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Glynis said, taking it from her. “That’ll save me a few quid.” She sucked at the straw and grimaced. “It’s worse than usual. Very bitter today. It’ll keep me full of energy, that’s the main thing. By the way, how was your evening in the pub with your sexy policeman?”

Lily heaved in an exasperated breath as she shook her head. “I had a nice evening with Flynn.”

“You won’t even admit he’s lovely to look at?”

“He’s my friend. That’s all.”

“Not denying it either.” Glynis patted Lily’s cheek like an affectionate grandmother. “I’ll see you tomorrow for my morning ice cream fix if there’s some going.”

“There will always be ice cream waiting for you,” Lily said, then laughed when Glynis took another sip of the smoothie and grimaced dramatically.

Chapter Five

With the visitto the garden centre out of the way, Lily spent the afternoon deciding on the ice cream flavours she’d offer for the shop opening. Once she had the menu finalised, she could call Gordon to give him her shopping list. She’d also need to put in an order with the supermarket to make sure she had enough cream and the other products which she couldn’t get from the garden centre.

It should have been a straightforward task, but after questioning her decisions, she decided to sleep on it and put in her orders the following day. She did order blackboard paint for the back wall of the shop, along with chalk pens, so she felt sufficiently productive.

By the time she crawled into bed, she was feeling more positive about the opening of the shop. Deep down, she knew that she just needed to swallow her nerves and get on with it.

Sadly, any positive feelings had left her when she woke in the middle of the night. In their place were pangs of nausea and intense stomach cramps. It felt as though her insides were being squeezed, and she instinctively rolled onto her side and brought her knees towards her chest. The motion didn’t help, and shespent half an hour writhing on her bed before forcing herself up to get a glass of water.

Moving helped a little, and she wandered the flat, wondering if the nausea which came in waves would get strong enough for her to vomit, and if she’d feel better if she did.

When the pain faded, she slipped back into bed and dozed for an hour or two before waking to an overpowering rush of nausea. Springing from the bed, she just made it to the bathroom in time to rid herself of the contents of her stomach.

The relief was immediate and she rinsed her mouth out before trudging back to bed and falling straight into a deep sleep.

When she woke again in the middle of the morning, a dull ache had replaced the cramps, as though someone had punched her repeatedly in the stomach. An unhealthy dose of self-pity accompanied the discomfort. Being ill was never pleasant, but being ill alone was miserable.

She thought of how her uncle had coddled her when she was ill as a kid, and missed him so fiercely it brought tears to her eyes.

A distraction was what she needed, she told herself as she dragged her duvet to the couch and switched the TV on. It didn’t help, and ten minutes later she had her phone in her hand, typing out a message to Flynn, casually asking how work was going.

Thrilling as ever,he replied, and she smiled at the words which she knew were all sarcasm.I’ve made the sergeant two cups of tea this morning, cleared up the front desk, washed the Land Rover and shooed a cat out of the station three times. Crime fighting at its most intense.

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