Page 47 of Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea

The revelation sent panic scorching through Florrie, her thoughts rushing to Dodgy Dick.

Paula was distraught at the thought of someone sneaking in with the intent of causing trouble for her daughter. ‘We need to let the police know about this, Charlie,’ she said. ‘It needs stopping before it gets out of hand. It was bad enough them having to deal with the Christmas tree in the doorway but this is another level.’

‘I agree,’ Charlie said, gravely. ‘I’m happy to give ’em a ring, if you like, love?’ he asked, looking over at Florrie.

‘Thanks, Dad, I’d appreciate that, especially since you witnessed part of it.’

‘Aye, good point. Hopefully they’ll be able to lift some fingerprints from the back door and maybe the jug, if the intruder wasn’t wearing gloves, like. I just feel terrible that whoever it was had managed to sneak in with Jack and me being so vigilant about checking tickets.’ Charlie puffed out a frustrated sigh.

‘I’m sure whoever it was can’t have crept in earlier in the day and hidden themselves in the shop,’ said Florrie. ‘I would’ve noticed, as would Leah, and she never mentioned anything.’

‘Plus, Gerty would’ve been barking and growling, you know how protective she is,’ Ed said.

‘True.’ Florrie had to agree with that, Gerty had always been quick to root out anyone she considered unsavoury. The Labrador’s reaction to Dodgy Dick when he’d called with Wendy slid into her mind.

‘Well, I’d say we pretty much knew everyone who came to Jenna’s reading,’ Paula said, looking thoughtful. ‘And there wasn’t a soul who stood out as being shifty to me in that gathering – everyone seemed really nice and normal and thrilled to be there. I just don’t get it.’

‘Actually,’ Charlie said, slowly, scratching his chin, ‘I think I might have an idea who it could be – not his name, mind, but I’d definitely recognise him if I saw him again.’

‘Well, it could be something to build on.’ Ed sounded hopeful.

‘Who, Dad?’ His words sent fear scurrying up Florrie’s spine.

‘I’ll run it by you, see what you think. I’m not sure if any of you witnessed owt though, but it could jog a memory or two.’

The three of them listened as Charlie told them how he’d recalled a brassy-looking woman making a fuss at the door as they’d taken tickets and let people in. A youth, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head, had loitered beside her. The lad had stood out as not being what he’d considered your average Jenna Johnstone fan.

‘I can remember thinking at the time that he had a shifty air about him, seemed reluctant to make eye contact or show his face.’

Charlie went on to say how he hadn’t had much time to dwell on it since the brassy-looking woman started to kick off about not being allowed inside. She was insistent that she’d paid for a ticket and that Florrie had supposedly written her name in a book she kept at the counter – ‘I think she called herself Sylvia Hicksworthy, but I’m not the best with names, so you might be better checking that with Jack.’ He heaved a regretful sigh. ‘Anyroad, she was creating a right stink about it, being very forceful, so Jack said he’d go and have a look, see if he could find this book she’d been wittering on about. Next thing I know she’d dropped her handbag on the floor, sending the contents rolling all over the place and blaming me for it, can you believe?’

‘Why did she blame you, Charlie, love?’ Paula asked.

‘I hadn’t a clue at the time. All I can remember thinking was that we needed to get rid of her and sharpish.’

‘I’m not surprised, Dad, she sounds like a right nightmare.’

‘Ugh! And some,’ Charlie said. ‘I can just remember getting proper irritated because she was barking orders out, telling me to look for stuff she reckoned had rolled into the shop. By thistime, folk behind her were starting to get a bit impatient. I wasn’t half glad when she’d gone, which, now I come to think about it, she did all of a sudden. I can remember thinking it strange that she’d created all this drama, demanding her ticket, ordering me to find stuff and then suddenly she was gone, quick as a flash. But I was that glad to see the back of her so I could get on with letting folk in, I didn’t stop to give it much thought at the time.’

‘No one can blame you for that, Charlie, it was cold outside, and folk had been waiting a long time.’ Paula gave her husband’s shoulder a reassuring pat.

‘Aye, that’s what Jack and me were worried about. Anyroad, turns out Jack couldn’t find any mention of a Sylvia Hicksworthy. His theory is that she was just trying her luck at blagging a free ticket. But after what’s happened tonight, I reckon it was more like a premeditated ruse to distract us.’

‘I’m beginning to think you’re right.’ Ed shot Florrie a concerned look.

‘Actually, I don’t recall making a record of that name anywhere, or seeing it in the list of reserved tickets, for that matter. I suppose Leah or Jean could have,’ Florrie said. ‘But no one was collecting their tickets on the door. We would’ve told you and Jack if that had been the case, made sure you had them ready to hand over.’

‘Sounds like she was in on the plan with the little wrong ’un who tried to sabotage Jenna’s reading,’ Ed said.

‘Seems he made a hasty escape out the back door. We found it flapping open, same with the one to the backyard.’

Florrie recalled being faintly distracted by a disturbance from the bookshop just after the lights had gone out, but she’d assumed it had been something to do with her dad and Bear who she hadn’t seen enter the reading room. It would seem she’d been wrong.

‘Right, we might as well head home,’ said Charlie. He’d returned from the reading room where he’d gone to make a call to the police. ‘They said seeing as though it’s not a serious incident, they won’t be sending anyone out till the morning.’

‘Oh, okay.’ Florrie couldn’t help but feel relieved at hearing this – she was shattered and suddenly desperate to get home.

‘Mind, the lass on the phone said not to touch owt just in case it contaminates any evidence. I did tell her we’d done a bit of tidying up here in the shop, but she said not to do anything else, especially in the kitchen.’

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