Page 65 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
When Bee answers the door, she looks in a proper state, hermascara smudged on her cheeks and her face white as a ghost.
‘Hi. Come in. The police have just gone, but Jon’s here withus.’ She shakes her head. ‘I can’t believe they think it’s Joanna who did allthis. They said she threatened you with a knife?’ She stares at me in horror.‘How are you, Ruby? I feel absolutely terrible that I dragged you into thismess.’
I smile. ‘I’m fine. And you didn’t drag me anywhere. It wasme who decided to investigate all the strange goings-on.’
‘Without my help,’ murmurs Hudson, which I immediately takeas a reprimand.
‘But you wereworkingall the time.’ I round on himin a fury. ‘I’d havelovedyour help. But it was all I could do to dragyou away from work formeals, never mind anything else.’ I shake my headand laugh to try and cover up how mad I am at him.
‘Ruby, I was worried about work. That’s all.’ He shrugs. ‘Ifit makes you feel better, I’ve been feeling terrible for not realising thedanger you were getting into.’
‘Oh, dear. I don’t want you falling out,’ wails Bee. ‘Thisis all my fault for getting you involved.’
‘Of course it’s not,’ chant Hudson and I at the same time.We turn to each other and despite everything, we laugh.
‘How’s Jodie?’ I ask, with a glance towards the door.
Bee smiles. ‘I thought she’d be awake for ages but she wasso tired, she fell asleep on the sofa while I was reading her favourite story.Without eating her chocolate biscuit.’ She smiles at Jon. ‘He carried her through.’
‘Well, that’s good, anyway.’
‘It is. But we’ve just been sitting here, since she went offto sleep, wondering why the hell a woman I’ve never even met before shouldcarry out a vendetta against us! I mean,why?’
Jon nods, slipping a comforting arm around Bee. ‘It makes nosense.’
‘I know.’ I glance at Hudson. ‘That’s exactly what we’vebeen saying. And we don’t have an answer.’
Bee shakes her head. ‘What did Jodie and I ever do todeserve having such horrible things done to us? I mean, it was obviously Joannawho appeared at Jodie’s window because you found the bleeding doll mask in hercupboard. And we now know it was her in the plague doctor’s costume because youfound that in her cottage as well. It must have been her sending the horribleletters as well. And I suppose she stole Madison’s necklace.’
I nod. ‘I’m sure it was her. I saw the figure in the plaguedoctor costume walking over towards Clifftop House the night the burglary tookplace.’
‘But how did she get in?’ asks Jon. ‘The police said therewas no sign at all of a break-in.’
‘She had keys, and I think she dropped them when she wasrunning away from us on the clifftop.’ I stop, hit by a light bulb moment. ‘Joanna’scleaner is Norma.’
‘Yes. And...?’ Bee looks puzzled.
‘Well, maybe Norma was in on the whole thing with Joanna.They’d have talked, wouldn’t they? Maybe even become quite friendly, like youand I did, Bee. And Joanna would have known that Norma resented you for having betterlive-in accommodation than her and getting “preferential treatment” as regardsshifts. So if Joanna wanted to do all these things to you and Jodie, the bestperson to help would have been Norma.’
Bee frowns. ‘Of course. Norma would have been able to giveJoanna the keys to get into Clifftop House to carry out a burglary so that I’dbe blamed.Andremember that morning when I was having coffee at yoursand Joanna pitched up? She was there when I told you I’d be cleaning atClifftop House later that morning. So maybe she formulated her plan right thereand then.’
‘Yes! When I came back into the kitchen after waving youoff, I put Ellie on speaker while I made Joanna a coffee – so she would haveheard Ellie telling me they were all going out for the day and wouldn’t be backtill late that night.’
‘So Joanna got the keys from Norma and did the burglary thatnight before Ellie and the girls got back, knowing that suspicion would fall onme because I’d cleaned there earlier that day.’
I nod. ‘I followed the plague doctor that night – and we nowknow that was Joanna – and she climbed to the top of the tower. I’m thinkingshe probably had a good view of Clifftop House from up there, so she’d be ableto check that Ellie and the girls were still away and the house was empty, withno lights on. Which would mean she’d have free rein to walk right in, using thekey, and steal the necklace without the danger of being discovered.’
Bee and I stare at each other in amazement, letting Joanna’sappalling treachery sink in.
‘Bloody hell,’ murmurs Hudson. ‘Joanna Vickers truly is apiece of work.’
‘You’re right there,’ agrees Jon, and Bee gives an exhaustedlittle sigh and rests her head on his shoulder.
There’s a brief silence as we all try to process everything.
At last, Bee sighs. ‘But I still don’t understand. Why wouldJoanna do all this to Jodie and me, when she doesn’t evenknowus?’
Jaz
