Page 86 of The Life Daisy Devlin Designed
She let herself into the guest wing, remembering the last time she’d been here with Matt. Now it looked like all of Kayley’s belongings had simply exploded all over the place.
Stepping carefully across the room, Daisy opened the small cupboard that housed the boiler, before going into the kitchen to try the heating clock. Nothing.
It couldn’t be something big, she reasoned – the heating system was pretty new. She took another look around the boiler, hunkering down to check the meter, when something caught her eye: the master switch on the wall was turned off. She flicked it back on, and immediately the boiler started to fire up.
As Daisy turned to leave, she noticed a glass dish on the coffee table, filled with crystals. Picking up the large white stone on top, she turned it over in her hand to admire it.
The door banged, and Kayley came into the room.
“Hello?” She stopped at the door. “Can I help you?”
“Actually, I just helped you!” When Kayley continued to stare stonily at her, Daisy forced herself to smile. “I figured out the boiler – the master switch was turned off.” She half-turned to point it out. “It’s the low switch on the wall, it must have been –”
“Must have been what?” Kayley’s eyes narrowed. “You think I turned it off? That’s what you’re implying, right? Because how would I understand your strange little Irish heating systems, like it’s not like we have switches in the States!”
Okaaay.She wouldn’t react; she was a professional! “Well, it’s sorted now.”
“Don’t let me delay you.” As Kayley stepped aside, a movement behind her caught Daisy’s eye, and her heart sank as she spotted a mouse flash by the skirting board. She’d already put down a few traps in the main part of the house, but she really should have put some down here too.
She wondered if Kayley’s reaction was down to stress, or if she’d done anything to make the other woman dislike her. Kayley Lynch might be a talented singer, but she was a total pain!
CHAPTER 39
Daisy and Matt had almost finished the upstairs snag list when Matt’s phone rang.
“I have to take this, it’s work.” He shot her a look of apology.
“It’s fine, I’ve to make a quick call anyway.” Daisy headed down to the kitchen, and made the phone call she’d been dreading.
“Howya, Daisy,” Kenny said when he answered.
“Hi, Kenny.” Daisy took a deep breath, and filled him in on Todd’s suspicions.
“Jesus Christ!” Kenny said, when she’d finished.
Daisy braced herself for more, but Kenny just sighed heavily.
“It’s not your fault, Daisy, but it’s total bullshit.”
Daisy glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was still on her own. “Yeah, I know, Kenny. But I promised Matt I’d ask who was around the morning after the house party.”
“We had the whole crew there,” Kenny said shortly. “Your decorators only came later.”
Daisy hesitated. “When you say the whole crew, does that include Alec?”
“It does.” Kenny sounded disappointed. “Now lookit, I don’t want to rush you but –”
“No, it’s fine,” Daisy said, hurriedly. “Sorry I had to ask, Kenny.”
He muttered something Daisy couldn’t hear, and hung up.
She slipped outside, grateful to get some air, and furious with Kayley and Todd for throwing around groundless accusations. Pushing her hands deep into her pockets, she took a deep breath, and wandered down the central path that divided the kitchen garden into two halves.
Looking around, it was easy to imagine a time when the neat rows of growing plots had been full of herbs and vegetables, and fruit bushes had scrambled over the back wall that separated the garden from the orchard beyond.
She walked down to examine the tangle of branches and vines that wound around each other, trying to figure out what was there. As she got near the gate, she recognised Kayley and Todd’s raised voices on the far side of the wall.
Determined to avoid Kayley, Daisy turned to leave, but stopped as something caught her attention.
