Page 34 of Dead in the Water

“I love it,” Jessica said beaming. “I mean, it’s cool when you’re here too, but I really like the feeling that I’m in charge. Even if it’s just for a little while.”

“I’m glad you enjoy it.”

“You can leave me to take care of the place whenever you want. That’s why you hired me, isn’t it?”

Lily nodded. To start with, she’d been thinking about needing help when it was busy, but it felt good not to be tied to the place every minute of the day.

“What have you got planned for today?” Jessica asked.

“Nothing definite yet.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Can you start setting up? I need to make a phone call. I’ll come back and help you after that.”

She wasn’t even in the flat yet when Oscar answered her call. “Are you at the hotel?”

“Yes.”

Letting herself into the flat, she headed for the kitchen. “If I call the front desk, can you be the one to answer the phone?”

“Why?”

“Can you? Are you near the reception?”

“I could, but why?”

“I’ll call in one minute. Just make sure you answer and I’ll explain then.”

It took a minute for her to find the number for the hotel. Oscar answered quickly, his tone suddenly much more formal.

“Hello,” Lily said, stifling a smile. “Friends of mine are currently staying at the hotel and I need to speak to them urgently. Could you please put me through to their room? It’s a Mr and Mrs Hughes. Joyce and Keith.”

“Lily!” Oscar hissed.

“Please. I need to speak to them and I don’t want to trudge all the way up there.”

“What do you want to talk to them about?” he said, his voice a hushed whisper. “You can’t just call and start interrogating them?”

“I’m way more subtle than that. Besides, I saw them yesterday and we chatted so it won’t seem weird. It’s to do with what we talked about. I promise they won’t think it’s odd that I’m calling, and I definitely won’t interrogate them.”

“You’re going to get me into trouble. I need this job.”

“I promise you won’t get into trouble. Please, just do this one thing for me. I’ll owe you a favour, which you can call in at any time.”

He hesitated. “Fine. Hang on. I’ll put you through to their room. I don’t even know if they’re there, though.”

“Thank you,” she said, before a ring tone sounded in her ear. It took a while before the male voice answered with a questioning hello.

“Is that Keith?” Lily asked.

“Yes.”

“This is Lily. We spoke yesterday. I own the ice cream shop.”

“Hi,” he said, a puzzled ring to the lone syllable.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I keep thinking about you and what a difficult time it must be for you and your wife.”

“Thank you,” he muttered.

“I know you said you were feeling a little lost with what to do with yourselves, and I don’t know if this interests you, but I just realised I have free tickets for the tourist train which runs around the island. It’s one of those things that I always put off doing, what with me living here…” That was a lie – she’d been on it a few times. “I wondered if you’d want to go with me. I hear it’s a lovely trip, and it might be a nice way to take your minds off everything.”

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