Page 70 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
‘I’ll do it,’ says Jodie.
‘You will? Go on, then.’ Smiling, I hand her my phone. ‘Youput in your mummy’s mobile number.’
Bee shows her what to do, and very slowly and carefully,Jodie keys Bee’s number into my phone and then rings it, and Bee answers andpretends she doesn’t know who it is on the other end of the phone. It’s nicebecause it means that as they’re driving away and waving, we’re all laughing,which makes the parting easier to bear...
*****
A little while later, I’m mooching around the house,unable to settle to anything, when there’s a ring at the doorbell.
It’s Mitch.
‘Hi! Come in.’ I pull the door wide and after a moment’sawkward hesitation, he steps over the threshold.
‘Have the police found Jodie’s kidnapper?’ he asks.
‘Oh, yes! Yes, they have. I wanted to let you know, but Ihad no way of contacting you. Tea?’
‘Um... coffee, if you have it, please?’
‘Of course. Sit down in here while I make it.’ I usher himinto the kitchen and he sits down at the table. ‘Well done again for yesterday,by the way. Saving Jodie like that. Goodness knows what Joanna would have doneif you hadn’t tackled her the way you did.’
‘Joanna?’ He looks up at me, bemused.
‘Oh, you don’t know, then? I thought the police might havecalled you. Yes, it was Joanna in the plague doctor costume. She’s the one whonearly pushed Jodie off the cliff.’
Mitch is staring at me. ‘Am I hearing this right? It wasJoannawho abducted Bee’s daughter?Shewas the one I rugby-tackled to theground?’
I nod. ‘She also sent Bee horrible threatening letters andstole a necklace to try and get her fired.’
He doesn’t reply. He’s staring off into space as if he’sseen an entire room full of ghosts.
‘Mitch? Are you okay?’
He nods vaguely. ‘So Joannadidlead me to Emerald’s heir,after all,’ he murmurs.
‘Sorry?’
‘I’ve been searching for Emerald’s heir but all I had to goon was the name, Anna, and the possibility that she’d moved here. She’s in lineto inherit all of Emerald’s properties and the charity, but I tracked down Joannafirst. She’s Emerald’s cousin, and like a bloody fool, I let her know that ifEmerald couldn’t track Anna down, she’d be second in line to inherit.’
‘Right.’ I stop filling the kettle, listening intently. ‘Soyou’ve been watchingJoanna’scottage all this time?’
He nods. ‘I thought she might lead me to Anna. And she has.’He shakes his head with a smile of disbelief. ‘The final piece of the puzzlehas just slotted into place. I can’t believe I’ve actually worked it out. Itdidn’t take long. Just a massive wild goose-chase via Aberdeen then a weekhere, trying to fathom it out. I couldn’t believe it when I arrived here andspotted Joanna in the street. I mean, she lives inSurrey. It was a bitof a “coincidence” that she should be here as well, when I’d just recently toldher about the inheritance. I knew she was up to something. I guessed she’dvisited Emerald’s old house, just as I did, and found out about Anna’s plans tomove here. I’d no idea if she’d worked out who Emerald’s heir was, though. Ijust hoped that if I kept an eye on her, she might end up leading me to Anna.’He grins. ‘I was desperate enough at one stage to try stopping women in thestreet who looked about twenty-eight and asking them if they happened to becalled Anna!’ He shakes his head at the memory. ‘I’m sure some of them thoughtit was a chat-up line. I’m surprised I haven’t been arrested before now,accused of sexual harassment.’
‘I’m not quite following you, Mitch. So whoisEmerald’s mysterious heir, then?’
‘Haven’t you guessed?’ He shrugs. ‘It’s just hit me thatJoanna’s been trying to get rid of her so she can inherit the money herself.Scare her away, I suppose. She was known as Anna back then, but it turns outEmerald’s long-lost foster daughter is... Bee.’
‘Bee?’ I stare at him, trying to take this in.
He nods. ‘Bee might be her middle name, I suppose. Or anickname? All I know is Emerald knew her as Anna all those years ago. And eversince then, she’s been wishing and hoping that somehow they’d meet again.’
‘Bee’s in line to inherit all of this fromEmerald?’I abandon the kettle altogether and plop down at the kitchen table oppositeMitch. ‘This is all pretty surreal.’
‘I know. I can’t believe it myself. Although after whatJoanna put them through, I’m very glad there’s a happy ending.’
I stare into space, thinking about the sadness in Bee’s eyeswhen she told me about the woman who fostered her for one brief but wonderfulyear. That wasEmerald? It sounds far too fanciful to be real, but themore I think about it, the more I hope it’s true. Bee would be so thrilled –not because of the inheritance, but because she’d finally be reunited with thelovely woman who called her a cherub. The one Bee prayed every night she couldstay with, as her ‘forever mummy’.
‘So where is she? Bee?’ Mitch slaps his thighs. ‘I need togo and see her. Tell her the good news.’ He stands up. ‘And Emerald! She’sgoing to be over the moon!’
