Page 53 of A Merry Little Christmas
‘Come on,’ said Jaz, and we followed her back across the lawn to the gate. Then we hurried along the lane to the car, laughter bursting out of us in little squeaks from sheer relief...
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The following evening, I joined other members of the failed chutney heist team, in the Swan Hotel bar.
The talk was obviously all about Maddy getting stuck up the tree and how Operation Chutney Grab was going to proceed now.
‘So I really did see a face last night at the window of the summerhouse?’ said Fen.
Maddy nodded. ‘When you mentioned seeing someone in there, it suddenly clicked who it might be. I’d heard Maisie complaining that the phone signal at Bogg House was a bit dodgy, especially at night, so I thought maybe she sometimes nips out to the summerhouse to chat to her boyfriend, Fergie.’
‘So it wasMaisieI saw, looking out at us.’ Fen stared at Maddy in wonder.
‘I hope you didn’t tell her why we were there,’ said Jaz. ‘The whole point was that Ellie wouldn’t find out what we were trying to do.’
‘I had to tell her.’ Maddy shrugged. ‘I mean, how else could I have explained why we were doing a secret op in her back garden at the dead of night, with me hanging off a tree?’
Jaz shrugged. ‘Fair point.’
‘Don’t worry, though. She won’t say anything to Ellie.’
‘How do you know?’
Maddy grinned. ‘We made a deal. She won’t mention seeing us trying to steal the chutney. And I won’t tell her mum that she sneaks out at night to talk to her boyfriend.’
Fen looked shocked. ‘But that’s bribery.’
Maddy grinned. ‘It’s hardly the crime of the century, is it? And we’re saving Ellie’s feelings, remember?’
‘True.’
I smiled. ‘It was very clever of you to join the dots like that and work out it was Maisie.’
Maddy shrugged. ‘What can I say? Move over Vera Stanhope. There’s a feisty new detective in town.’
We chuckled and Kenzie said, ‘So you also managed to find out from Ellie that the chutney is at the village hall?’
‘Yes. She took the whole lot over to the hall a few days ago. She’ll take back any that’s not sold for the Christmas market. They’re in a couple of boxes in the stock room, apparently, along with all the other goods people are donating for the WI sale.’
Fen gave a snort of laughter. ‘So when we went to break into the shed, the chutney wasn’t even there. We were barking up the wrong tree altogether.’
‘In my case, quite literally,’ said Maddy.
There was a burst of laughter from a group of people on the other side of the room, and we all turned to look.
I’d noticed them when we came in. It was hard not to. They’d obviously had a skinful already and were clearly having a hilarious time.
‘Works Christmas do?’ suggested Kenzie with a grin. ‘Now that I’m working solo, I quite miss being part of a team and going to the festive works night out.’
‘You can come to ours,’ said Fen. ‘Former café employees are always welcome.’
One of the noisy group was on his feet now. ‘No kidding, he was walking along like this,’ he was saying, demonstrating by lurching to one side and almost knocking two pints off the table. ‘Swore that the last time he had a drink was a sherry with his granny last Christmas.’
‘Sit down, Kev, before you fall down yourself!’ shouted someone else. (Cue more riotous laughter.)
‘Ah, here she is!’ They were waving at someone coming into the bar now. We all turned to look, and to my surprise, I recognised her.
It was Amanda.
