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‘The Potting Shed?’ Callum had no clue where that was.
Jack said, ‘We started another side-hustle – well, Beth did. She’s very enterprising. We’ve renovated the old greenhouse in the kitchen garden. Turns out that among my wife’s many qualities, she has green fingers. She grows the most beautiful flowers, and sells them to a lovely young lady called Lili, who runs a flower shop in Aldeburgh.’ He turned to his wife. ‘Why don’t you give Callum a tour of our new greenhouse?’
Callum noticed that for some reason Beth didn’t appear keen to give him a tour. He said, ‘Wait, isn’t Aldeburgh just down the road from here?’
Beth nodded. ‘Yes, that’s where The Potting Shed is and your bookshop, in a place called Cobblers Yard.’
‘Cobblers Yard,’ mused Callum. He imagined a little clique of shops with Dickensian type shop fronts. He hoped it lived up to his expectations because, if it did, the store would be saleable and would hopefully fetch a good price.
Callum decided to show them the photo just to be sure.
‘Where did you get this photo?’ asked Beth.
‘My dad.’
‘Who are those girls?’
‘I don’t know. Anyway, is this the bookshop?’
Beth took the photo and scrutinised it. ‘Yes, that’s definitely the place.’
Callum grinned.
‘But ...’
Callum’s smile faded. There just had to be abut, a catch. ‘What is it?’
‘This photo must have been taken some time ago.’
Callum had already presumed that was the case. Something about the way the girls were dressed, and their hairstyles, and the fact that the photo was dog-eared, as though it had been sitting in that old wallet for quite some time.
He looked at Beth, who was waiting to find out what the problem was. He caught Jack, who was leaning towards her, looking at the photo and shaking his head.
Beth handed him the photo back. ‘I’m afraid that bookshop has been closed for years. It might take a bit of time and elbow grease to sort the place out.’
‘I’ve got all the time in the world.’ And the motivation to get it done. Callum was thinking of the money. He had no intention of reopening the shop; just making it presentable to sell it.
Jack said, ‘How did you come to own this place anyway? You know it must be worth a bit of money – right? I mean, the Suffolk Coast, especially places like Aldeburgh and Southwold, are really expensive when it comes to property.’
That was music to Callum’s ears. However, he was still looking at Beth’s expression, wondering just how much elbow grease would be involved.
She added, ‘I’m afraid you’ll find the place needsquitea bit of tlc.’
Jack nodded. ‘I’ll say.’
Callum frowned, thinking,Why am I not surprised?It couldn’t be as easy as just turning up, doing a bit of dusting one afternoon, and putting it on the market as a going concern to bring in lots of cash.
A peculiar thought popped into his head out of nowhere.I could run it myself, making a decent living.
‘I think it’s got a flat above the shop,’ said Beth.
‘Has it?’ Callum said.
‘Don’t quote me on that. I mean, the other shops in Cobblers Yard have, so I just assume that one has too.’
Callum caught Jack nodding in agreement.
Callum stared at them. A home and a business all in one. Is that why his dad had wanted him to have the place – because he’d known that one day his Hollywood life would implode and he’d need somewhere to live, and something to do?
