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Back in the attic, she decided to sort the bags closest to the hatch next. Inside them she found lots of clothes and blankets, so she took them to the kitchen and placed them on the floor. Inside were things that she thought Darcie could sell atDragonfly Dreams, so she shook them out and got her airer from the cupboard under the stairs then draped them over it. Like the magazines, they weren’t damp but they had clearly been packed up for years, so she wanted to ensure that they didn’t smell musty and that there were no hidden nasties in them like moths.
When she’d done that, her stomach was rumbling so she thought it was a good point to break for lunch.
* * *
Ellie put the kettle on to boil then made herself a cheese sandwich and got an apple from the fruit bowl. She peered out of the window and was pleased to see that the rain had passed and the sun was filtering through the clouds. She opened the back door to let some air in and took her lunch to the kitchen table. Before sitting down, she decided to go and get her phone to check if she had any emails. It took her a moment to remember where she’d left it and she groaned. She recalled removing it from her pocket in the attic and setting in down on a joist while she reached for a bag. She traipsed back upstairs to retrieve the phone then back down again.
In the kitchen, she sat down and was about to reach for her sandwich when she realised that half of it was missing. Had she eaten it before she went upstairs and forgotten? Her stomach rumbled, letting her know that she hadn’t. So where on earth had it gone?
A chill ran down her spine. Was there someone else here? Had they crept in through the back door while she was upstairs? Could they be hiding in the cottage waiting to jump out at her? But then, why would they take half a cheese sandwich? She’d never read a thriller where the murderer stopped for a snack before pouncing on the victim.
A noise from outside the door made her get up to go and look and what she saw made her snort out loud with relief.
‘Bloody hell, Willy! You gave me a fright.’
William Shakespaw looked up from the sandwich he was tucking into and gave ameow. But he wasn’t alone, Ellie noticed. There was a ginger cat sitting further along the grass and it was staring at her. Ellie crouched down and held out a hand. ‘Hello. Who’re you?’
The cat gazed at her for a moment then stood up and sashayed towards her and sniffed at her fingers before rubbing her head against them. Ellie looked at the cat’s collar and found the nametag. ‘Hello Cleocatra. Pleased to meet you. Are you and Willy friends?’
Cleocatra meowed in response.
‘Do you like cheese sandwiches too?’ she asked the ginger cat.
The cat didn’t respond to this, so Ellie stood up and walked back towards the cottage. ‘Let me see what I’ve got in the cupboard. There might be something you’d like in there.’
She found the tin of sardines she’d bought the other day and opened them then spooned them onto a small plate before taking them outside. Before she’d even put the plate down, Willy and Cleocatra pounced and gobbled the fish up then spent some time licking the plate clean.
‘I guess sardines are a favourite,’ Ellie said. ‘I’ll have to get some more in for you guys.’
She yawned and stretched her arms above her head.
‘But for now, I need to get on. I have some lunch to eat then an attic to tidy.’
As she went back through the kitchen door, both cats dashed past her and went straight through to the lounge. Ellie hurried after them and found them making themselves at home on the sofa. They curled up, one on either side, and Ellie wasn’t sure what to do. She could make them leave but she found that she didn’t want to. Presumably, their owner didn’t mind them going out wandering, orvisitingmore like, so she hoped they wouldn’t be missed for a few hours. She’d leave the back door open so they could exit when they wanted and finish her lunch then get back to work.
As she sat back at the kitchen table and picked up what was left of her sandwich, she realised that she could get a cat of her own now if she wanted. She hadn’t got one before because Cooper was allergic, but she didn’t have to worry about that anymore. It was strange that she hadn’t thought about this before, but then old habits died hard, and she’d been so used to not having pets that it had become a way of life. Thankfully, that could change now. She’d always imagined having a cat or two and perhaps a dog and she was in control of her own life and her own home so she could do whatever the hell she wanted.
Taking a bite of her sandwich, she smiled. Things were certainly looking up.
Chapter19
Finn
Finn opened his front door and went inside then set the shopping bags down in the hallway. He’d gone to the local retail park today because he wanted to get something new to wear for his date with Ellie tomorrow. He didn’t goout outmuch these days, and when he’d looked in his wardrobe for something to wear, he’d found work clothes, old T-shirts, threadbare shirts and jeans. He didn’t really have anything suitable for going on a date and so he’d swallowed his reluctance to go shopping and gone this morning. And now he was glad he had, even if he wasn’t so happy about the money he’d spent. Still, it would be worth it to feel good when he took Ellie out tomorrow.
He toed off his boots then went through to the kitchen of his rental house and filled the kettle. He’d have a cuppa then head over to Darcie’s because Cole was making pizza this evening for dinner and he’d asked Finn to pick him some toppings up as well as some cream to go with the rhubarb tart he was making. Apparently, Cole was also having a guest over this evening, a lad from school called Rajesh who was in his food preparation and nutrition class, and Darcie had told Finn she thought Cole and his friend were quite fond of each other. Then she’d told him not to say anything because Cole hadn’t admitted to liking Rajesh in that way, and she didn’t want her son feeling under any pressure. He would tell them in his own time, she’d said, if he did end up dating Rajesh.
An hour later, Finn put his boots back on and left the house. He was going to go straight to Darcie’s but something led him towards Ellie’s cottage instead. Admittedly, he did want to check that she didn’t have any allergies or foods she disliked before their date, and he knew he could have asked her by text but he decided to use it as an excuse to see her. He was feeling pretty nervous now and wanted to see her face to face to gauge how she was feeling too.
When he reached the cottage, he paused for a moment to admire the double-fronted façade with its climbing ivy and the trees in the small garden with their leaves in shades of gold, brown and orange. The path that led up to the door was clear of weeds and the door itself had an old-fashioned brass knocker in the shape of an owl.
He hadn’t been inside the cottage in years. He had only been there a handful of times when he was younger, like when he’d gone there to see Ellie or to walk Darcie home if it was getting late. Ellie had primarily been his sister’s friend and so he got to see her mainly when she came to their home. Going out of his way to spend time with her would have raised suspicion that there was something more going on between them and he’d been wary of doing that for several reasons. Iris’s cottage had always been cosy and he was curious to see if it was the same now that Ellie owned it, although he couldn’t imagine it being anything other than perfect with her living there. He raised a hand and lifted the owl, knocked it against the door then stepped back to wait for her to answer.
It seemed like an age before he heard footsteps in the hallway and saw a shadow pass the frosted glass panel in the door above the knocker. He had a horrible thought then, that perhaps he’d disturbed Ellie while she was in the bath or shower or woken her from a nap.
But when she opened the door, it wasn’t tiredness on her face and she didn’t look like she’d just showered or bathed in warm water. In fact, she looked drained of all colour, and she seemed to be trembling like she was freezing cold or in shock.
‘Ellie? Are you OK?’
