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‘I’m not sure, it… well, it just seems so unlikely.’
‘What does?’
‘Well, first there was the message on the mirror and now there’s the tanning incident…’
Katerina left the insinuation hanging and shockwaves ricocheted through Suzie’s brain.
‘You mean… you think someone might be targeting Miranda?’
Katerina sighed. ‘I don’t know. Maybe it’s just my imagination playing tricks on me.’
‘But how can that be right? Robyn has an orange face, too.’
‘Has anyone spoken to Diana yet?’
Suzie peered through the bookshop’s open doorway, smiling when she saw how attractive Miranda looked after the subtle makeover. Ana was now in the process of combing the fringe of Miranda’s caramel bob back from her face and giving it a softer, more tousled look.
‘Wow, Miranda, darling, you look amazing!’
‘Thank you, Robyn. Actually, Ifeelamazing. I wish I’d known before how a little powder and lipstick can give the spirits such a wonderful boost. If I had, I might have ignored Roger’s dismissal of pampering as indulgent and joined my friends at all those spa days they used to enjoy.’
To cover for the surge of emotion her belated realisation had clearly caused, Miranda muttered something about replenishing their coffees and disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a cafetiere and pouring Suzie and Katerina a fresh coffee.
‘Erm, Miranda,’ said Katerina, after taking a gulp of her drink. ‘Have you heard from Diana this morning?’
‘No, why do you… Oh, do you think she might be orange, too?’ Miranda laughed.
‘Maybe.’
‘I’ll give her a call.’
When Miranda returned, she was grinning broadly.
‘You’re right. She’s orange, too. I invited her over to the bookshop to complete our Tango Trio, but she said she’s too embarrassed to go out in public. When I told her that was ridiculous, and that if she didn’t come over right now I’d ban her from book club for the rest of the year, I’m pleased to say she changed her mind and has promised to be here in the next ten minutes. Heidi, do you think you could—’
‘Oh my God!’ Heidi exclaimed, her eyes glued to her phone, her face a sickly shade of white. ‘I knew it! I knew something like this would happen!’
Chapter Twenty
‘Heidi? What’s going on?’
‘Look!’
Heidi thrust her phone towards Katerina, and everyone crowded round to watchHolsHacker’s most recent upload in dismay. He’d just published a special edition of his popular travel vlog because Santorini had, in his words, “so much to offer the discerning traveller who enjoys a bit of comedy thrown in with their sun, sea, and sand vacation”.
Suzie’s stomach curdled as she watched the camera frame an image of the front of the book shop, its whitewashed facade looking almost mystical in the soft ivory moonlight. As the person behind the lens descended the short flight of steps into the courtyard – the very place they were currently sitting – it was clear that the door was not just ajar, but wide open, inviting any passer-by to come inside, which is exactly what the intrepid filmmaker decided to do.
After showcasing the extensive bibliographic selection housed on the floor-to-ceiling shelves – as well as scattered around on the floor – the vlogger then took a tour of the backstage area, starting with the storeroom, the tiny kitchen, and then, to everyone’s horror, they pushed open the door to the bathroom where they proceeded to film the special effects that had been daubed across the mirror.
‘Is that lipstick?’ asked Robyn, peering at the screen.
‘Yes,’ said Miranda, her voice tight.
‘What does it say?’
‘It says “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo”.’
‘A strange choice,’ Robyn mused. ‘Graffiti artists in my day leaned more towards Dondi and Bando than Shakespeare. Oh my God, are those kisses made with real lips?’
