Deadly Past

Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Even on such a miserable wet evening, home delivery from Italia was on time. It was dropped off by Bronnie, who normally waited tables in the lovely little Italian restaurant.

“Nobody wants to come out tonight to eat in, so I’m doing deliveries rather than miss a shift.” Bronnie refused the offer to come inside and hurried back to her car beneath an umbrella. Charlotte suggested it was time for a refill so Rosie obliged while she unpacked dinner.

At the table, they ate for a while in utter bliss. Since arriving in Kingfisher Falls, Italia was one of two restaurants on Charlotte’s go-to list. The other was India Gate House, owned by the parents of her friend, Harpreet. One of the owners of Italia was Doug Oaks, who along with his wife Esther also owned a ladies boutique and were long-time residents and friends of Rosie. And now of Charlotte.

“They never fail.” Rosie speared a strand of pasta. “So delicious.”

“Do you know they have a new chef? So Doug can take a step back?”

Rosie’s eyebrows raised. “I did not. Who is this person?”

Charlotte grinned. “We should have been consulted. Esther mentioned him. He’s new to the region.”

“Well, it is high time Doug and Esther did more than work. They’ve never had a chance to travel and that’s something they talk about a lot.” Rosie pushed her plate away with a sigh. “Great idea of yours. And speaking of you, what do you want to show me?”

The sudden emptiness in an otherwise-full stomach made Charlotte pause. Her history, childhood, all the difficulties, were things she’d rarely discussed with anyone. But until Rosie and Trev, there’d not been anyone she’d trusted enough to share with. Christie in River’s End came close, but Charlotte had left before she was ready to speak of it all. Trev knew a bit and so did Rosie, but even Charlotte didn’t know much.

“If you’d rather not…” Rosie put her hand on Charlotte’s arm with an encouraging smile.

“I do. Let me get the envelope and we’ll have a look.”

She collected the envelope from her bag in the bedroom. It was odd being in here knowing this was where Trev lived now. His move home from River’s End a few months ago had been occupied with crime solving rather than house-hunting to date.

Back at the table, she opened the envelope and slid the contents out. “I have more at home, but these are the items on my radar.”

“And they were your mother’s?”

“Yes. Well, they arrived in a box from Lakeview Care, not long after I moved here.” Charlotte shook her head. “I was so afraid of what I’d find, I ignored most of the contents. Only the Christmas cards, which raised the question of the mysterious sender.”

“Your sister.”

“Yes, Zoe. And since discovering I am adopted, it makes things more complicated. I want to find her, but my mother can’t or won’t help. Short of another trip to Brisbane with specific questions which probably will be ignored, I am at a loss how to proceed.”

“And you don’t want to go back.” Rosie said.

“Never if I can avoid it.” Charlotte’s recent visit to the place she’d grown up ended with despair and confusion. At least she’d got a few answers but they led to more questions. “I’ve been through all the letters. But not the baby book or address book and I could use another…perspective.”

You mean support.

“You’ve never looked at your own baby book?”

“Not that I remember. And knowing Angelica…my mother, it will be either empty or covered in comments. There were also paperbacks filled with red editing.”

Rosie’s eyes lit up. “Was she ever a teacher, or editor?”

About to reply that Angelica flitted from job to job until quitting when Charlotte was old enough to work, a memory flickered to life. Her hand in Dad’s, skipping beside him to pick up her mother from work one day. Opening the heavy, glassed front door to a huge room filled with books.

“She worked in a…library.”

“You have a shocked expression on your face, darling. Have some more gin.”

Charlotte sipped. She would have been young, under eight, because Dad left when she was eight. Mum was wheeling a library cart and humming as she put books where they belonged.

Rosie’s phone rang and she went to answer it.

How had Charlotte not remembered this until now? If Angelica was a librarian, her obsession with correcting what she saw as mistakes in books made sense. Sense to a troubled mind. And perhaps this contributed to Charlotte’s love of reading.

“Oh my goodness!” Rosie’s voice cut through her thoughts. Rosie’s worried, high pitched voice. Charlotte pushed herself to her feet and hurried to find her.

“We’ll come now. Hold on, I’ll tell Charlie,” Rosie’s face was white. “Charlotte, there’s a fire near the bookshop. Lewis heard the fire trucks go past and got a notification.”

Charlotte checked her phone. “I have the alert as well. Looks like the corner of the block, not us.”

Rosie was listening to Lewis as Charlotte raced for her trench coat and handbag. She returned as Rosie hung up.

“We’ve been drinking so I can’t drive. I’ll run down.” Charlotte was already making for the front door.

“Lewis is coming to get me so go. I won’t be far behind. Be careful!”

Charlotte was on the street in a few seconds and almost slipped as she tore along the pavement. Water gushed across the concrete and she moved to the road for a firmer footing. Rain made visibility poor but she had to get to the bookshop.

She rounded the corner onto the main street and froze. Fire trucks filled the street and smoke plumed despite the downpour. Even from here, several blocks away, the sky had an eery red glow. She thought she saw Lewis drive past in the opposite direction. If the fire took hold, Rosie might lose her business. And Charlotte might lose what was in her apartment above.

Move, Charlie!

At the roundabout, a Country Fire Association vehicle—a branded car—was parked to prevent access to the next block. Cars on either side waited, some with their drivers getting out for a look. Even in the rain.

Charlotte dashed over the road and sprinted along the block before hers. The shops here might be at risk. But as she reached the next road, she slowed, then halted at the edge of the footpath. Smoke billowed through the shattered windows of the corner shop. It was the real estate agency. The firefighters were in action and a police car was in the middle of the road.

She headed to the opposite side where the café was. From here the fire appeared contained to the one shop. Nobody lived above it, thank goodness. Her apartment over the bookshop was the only one along there. All her instincts urged her to find a way to the apartment. Her laptop. Her box of memories. Passport. Secret stash of cash for a rainy day.

Rainy day now!

Her phone rang. Rosie.

“I’m outside the corner café but the road is closed.” She answered.

“We know. Are you okay?”

“Yes, and so is the bookshop. It is the corner shop alight. The real estate agency but thank goodness nobody would be in there at night.”

There was a long silence and Charlotte headed back toward the roundabout. “Rosie?”

“Darling, the agent Lewis saw tonight was heading back there.”

Charlotte did an about turn. “When?”

“Um, how long ago, Lew?”

His voice was muffled in the background.

Rosie relayed the information. “An hour or a bit more. Surely he’ll have left.”

“Why don’t you and Lewis go home and I’ll update you as I have news? I’m safe where I am and out of the worst of the rain.” And worried sick. What if someone was inside?

“We’re heading to my house. But I’m worried about you. All that smoke, darling.”

“Looks worse than it is close up. The rain is dampening everything and from the look of things, the fireys have it almost out now. Let me know once you’re home, okay?”

“Lewis is staying for a while so once you know the bookshop is safe, please come home.”

“I will.”

Something was going on. Two of the firefighters were conferring with the police officer. Charlotte recognised him as being from Gisborne, a close by and larger town. There was an intense conversation happening, with gesturing and looks at the blackened shop. She moved closer.

The rain stopped.

Words drifted her way.

Deliberate.

Break in.

Body.

Charlotte gasped. Surely she’d misheard. A body?

Lewis’ visitor had returned to the shop after their meeting. It couldn’t be them. What possible reason would there be for anyone to be inside a burning building? You’d run. Find a way out.

Unless…no. No more murders.