‘No, I checked.’
‘Oh no!’ Danny clapped a hand to his head again. Then: ‘Wait – listen. There was some shifty-looking fella hanging around at the front of the shop earlier. Long, dark, messy hair. Looked like a tramp. I didn’t trust him at all. I didn’t tell him where you were either, Rosa. He asked for you. Said his name was Nate. I’m not one to grass usually, but you saving my Alfie, well, that makes you one of the family.’ He added scornfully, ‘I know his sort. I’ve lived among them. He knew you weren’t there, too.’
‘Ah, OK.’
‘You know him, do you?’
Rosa sighed. ‘Yes, you’re right, I do.’ It pained her to think that Nate could be capable of stealing from her. But knowing herself, as she did now, she also accepted that addicts were liars and often desperate. However, despite all this, the thought of the money being stolen hadn’t even crossed her mind.
In fact, she was quite relieved that Nate had been looking for her. Rosa felt a certain affinity with him – another stray to fill her own deep-rooted insecurities. Also, she was desperate to talk to him about the other night. She assumed he had no credit on his phone, or he would have replied to her message. Titch used to be like that all the time when she was skint too. The same now-blossoming-and-happy Titch, whom Rosa had rescued from the beach bench all those months ago, when the younger girl had found herself pregnant and with nowhere to turn.
‘Look, I’m so sorry, Rosa. Is there anything I can do? I don’t want paying for starters and that’s a given. I could kick myself. For fuck’s sake!’
‘Don’t be silly, it may turn up yet. So, think back, can you remember one hundred per cent you putting the cash in the mug in the microwave?’
‘Yes, definitely. It was only a few hours ago, and I’m not going senile yet, I don’t think.’
Mind you, Danny thought guiltily, the last hour in the back kitchen of the Corner Shop was a bit of a blur. What he did remember very clearly, however, was that posh tart, whose name he didn’t even ask for, swiping her arm across to clear the worktop and smashing a mug as she did so. He hadn’t had sex for months, so he wasn’t turning it down when offered on a plate like that. In fact, it was the best sex he’d ever had – and it had been a long time coming. She had insisted he take his socks off too. Kinky cow. He still couldn’t believe that it had happened; none of his mates would believe it. Her voice was so plummy too. Made it all the funnier.
At that moment Alfie came charging back to them, holding a pebble up in his hand. ‘Daddy, Grannie Green says we can throw some stones in the sea!’ he shouted excitedly. ‘We got lots of flat ones, and they are in Grannie’s bag.’
Tina Green came puffing up behind the young lad and Danny noticed how tired his mother looked.
‘No throwing in the dark, Alfie, but tomorrow for sure. Come on, my old darlin’,’ he said to his mum, ‘let’s get you back to the campsite. Rosa, we’re here for the weekend, so we’ll come and see you on our way to the beach tomorrow. If you’re about, that is?’
Danny put a sulking Alfie on his shoulders, linked arms with his mother and as they started walking up the hill, the deep-thinking ex-con let out a massive sigh.
‘That doesn’t sound too good, son. Everything OK?’
‘Yeah, Ma, yeah. It will be.’
Alec waited while Sara locked up the café.
‘I enjoyed that,’ he said. ‘The fireworks and the hustle and bustle of being on the front line of serving.’
‘I’ve done bugger all, sorry.’ Rosa bit her lip.
‘Good,’ Alec replied kindly. ‘I’m under strict instructions from Josh for you to take it easy anyway.’
Sara appeared outside. ‘It was worth opening though; we’ve taken a tidy penny.’
‘Great! But let’s not leave money in the safe any more,’ Rosa said hurriedly. ‘I think one of us should take it home to bank on a Friday from now onwards. Let’s just leave the float.’
‘OK, but I’ve never had a break-in here before. You know what this place is like.’
‘Yes, but it looks like I may have had the day’s takings stolen from the shop earlier. I don’t want to discuss it now, if you don’t mind, as my head is all over the place and I’m tired. I might be wrong – I hope I am.’
‘Ah, right. Are you sure you’re feeling all right though?’ Alec was concerned.
‘I’m fine, honestly.’
‘And don’t forget you’ve got that snazzy CCTV system.’
‘Oh yes – you’re right!’ Worried for their safety after a fire was started deliberately in the shop, Josh had gone security-crazy and insisted they install the best equipment on the market. It was so discreet and well-hidden that Rosa had forgotten it was there.
Just as they started to head up the hill, a stranger approached them. He was a very upright, white-haired man in his mid-fifties, wearing a long black coat and sucking on an ornate Meerschaum pipe. He could have stepped straight out of a horror film, with his debonair good looks and somewhat spooky appearance.
‘Excuse me and sorry to bother you folks but I missed the show, did I?’ His voice was soft, almost hypnotic.
‘Yes, the annual excitement for Cockleberry Bay is over,’ Alec said in a dead-pan voice.
‘Damn. I was looking for someone too. He always did love the fireworks, you see. I thought it would be a definite.’
‘Oh, what is his name? We may know him, as this is a small place,’ Rosa replied politely.
‘It’s Nathanial, Nathanial Webb.’
‘Er, we do know a Nate,’ Sara chipped in.
‘Webb, you say?’ Rosa suddenly felt sick.
‘That’s him, he always did like to shorten it, much to his mother’s dismay.’ He then looked directly at Rosa. ‘He’s got curly dark brown locks, just like yours, in fact.’ He stared at Rosa for what felt like a minute, but was probably only seconds.
For some strange reason Rosa, again, instinctively wanted to protect the long-haired loner. She said, ‘I don’t have his number, but he quite often comes into my shop. Should I take your number, and then when I see him, I can ask him to call you, maybe?’
‘Great idea. Here’s my card.’
Rosa looked at it. Christopher Webb, Webb & Sons, Funeral Directors.
‘Ah, I see. You must be family then?’ Rosa’s voice shook slightly.
‘You’re a bright spark, aren’t you, young lady?’ The silver fox tapped the contents of his pipe into his palm, then, looking at her intently again, said, ‘Yes. Nathaniel is my son.’
CHAPTER 39
Lucas had insisted that he sat in with Rosa while she was being interviewed by DC Clarke. Knowing full well that she wouldn’t be capable of pushing anyone down a flight of stairs, he was here to protect her, as well as learn why the police were insinuating such things.
‘If she’s tried to murder my old woman, I want to hear it straight up,’ he imparted with a completely straight face, much to Rosa’s annoyance.
‘That’s enough now, son. You’re not on CSI. Sit quietly or sit outside, please.’