The Life Swap, page 25
The sound of footsteps in the hall was the first Tess knew of the paramedics’ arrival. She hadn’t heard their vehicle, or the creak of the front gate. She’d been too busy keeping up the pressure.
As they came into the bedroom, she was aware of their uniforms, but her vision was so blurred by tears she couldn’t see them properly.
‘Hey.’ Gentle hands clasped her shoulders. ‘Easy there, honey.’
Tess’s face pulled out of shape with the effort of not crying as she allowed herself to be eased aside.
‘He’s gone,’ a woman’s voice said quietly.
‘But —’ An agonised sob broke from Tess. ‘But I thought —’ She gave a desperate shake of her head. ‘I – I had to keep trying.’
‘Sure, love.’ A man spoke now and his voice was gentle too. ‘But I’m afraid it’s too late. There’s no more we can do for this old fella.’
Tess was sure that her tear ducts were too exhausted to cope with any further crying, but as Ebony handed her the phone, she could feel her eyes welling again. ‘Hi, Luna.’ She knew her voice sounded washed out and weak, but she couldn’t help it.
‘Tess, what is it? What’s happened?’
Hearing the terror in Luna’s voice, Tess felt her own panic return. She drew a very necessary deep breath before she spoke. ‘I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Jeremy has died.’
‘Jeremy? Oh, dear heaven, the poor man.’ After a short, but no doubt shocked pause, Luna asked, ‘How did it happen?’
Calmer now that the worst was out, Tess managed to continue. ‘He seems to have died peacefully in his sleep. I found him at home.’
‘You found him?’
‘Yes.’ Now a choking sob broke from her, she couldn’t help it.
‘Goodness, Tess, that must have been so distressing for you.’
Tess knew Luna might also be remembering another time, when they’d both sat together by her mother’s bed. Those days had been heartbreaking too, but at least they’d been warned, which had meant that they’d also, to a certain extent, been prepared.
‘Are you all right?’ Luna asked.
‘Not really. Actually, I don’t mean that. I’m fine – or at least, I’ll be fine, but it was a horrible shock.’
‘Of course it was. I suppose it must have been his heart.’
‘Yes, that seems the most likely cause. But I guess the medicos will double-check.’
Tess could hear Luna giving a hasty, stage-whispered explanation to a companion. As soon as she’d finished, Tess moved to the practical reason for her call. ‘We thought you might want to come home, Luna. There’ll be a funeral, of course. Clover and Father Jonno are already looking into the planning for that.’
‘Yes. Gosh. I’m needing a moment to take this in. So – so what about Ebony? She was about to fly down here. But I suppose, if I come back for the funeral, she might as well stay up there, after all?’
‘I guess.’ Tess could hear a person on the other end talking to Luna now. A man’s voice.
‘Oh, damn,’ Luna said, back into the phone. ‘Max has just reminded me that I’ll need to check with the police before I can make any definite plans.’
‘Okay.’ Tess felt suddenly exhausted by all these complications. ‘I imagine you’ll get back to Ebony when you have more news then?’
‘Of course. And thanks for letting me know, Tess. But, sweetheart, I’m so sorry on so many levels that this has happened. Please give my love to Clover, won’t you?’
‘I will,’ Tess promised.
Tess was in The Thrifty Reader when Adam found her. She’d offered to look after the shop while Clover was at the rectory with Father Jonno. Tess had been going through new boxes of donations, sorting the books into genres, a task Clover never enjoyed, but that Tess found easy, methodical and mildly distracting, which was exactly what she needed on this saddest of afternoons.
She was setting a book on top of the outback noir stack when she heard footsteps in the doorway. She braced, hoping it wasn’t another local wanting to chat about Jeremy. When she turned, the newcomer was silhouetted in the afternoon light, but she recognised his height and broad shoulders.
Her immediate impulse was to hurl herself at Adam and to be cradled against his comforting chest.
Perhaps he sensed this. He said simply, ‘I’m so sorry, Tess.’ Then, in what appeared to be an instinctive gesture, he held out his arms. And what could a girl do but fall into his wonderful, warm embrace?
So truly comforting. Adam was wearing a corduroy shirt and Tess wanted to bury her face in its velvety comfort, to soak up his strength, his kindness, his closeness. But she knew she mustn’t stay there for long.
‘I take it you’ve heard about Jeremy,’ she said as she stepped away.
‘Yes. I called in at the cottage and Ebony was there. She told me you were here – and how you found Jeremy.’ Adam’s throat worked and his eyes shimmered. ‘I can’t imagine, Tess – I wanted to make sure you were all right.’
Oh, Adam. She almost fell back into his arms. ‘That’s lovely of you,’ she said. ‘And I’m kind of all right.’ But now, as had happened so many times already in the past few hours, Tess was reliving her heartbreaking discovery.
She screwed up her face in an effort to ward off another burst of crying, and she leaned back against the table where she’d been working, gripping its edge with both hands for support. ‘Clover is up at the rectory with Father Jonno. They were both so very fond of Jeremy.’ Tess sent a glance around the store. ‘I knew I could look after this. I’ve done it before.’
‘It’s very good of you.’
She gave a small shrug. ‘If Clover had been here, she would have been mobbed by people dropping in to talk about Jeremy.’
‘Yes,’ said Adam. ‘I think the whole town knew him.’
Tess nodded. ‘At least when people see that it’s only me, they don’t usually stay long.’ She managed a smile. ‘Or they buy a book.’
‘That’s a hint for me, I guess.’
‘No, of course it isn’t. As I said, it was lovely of you to call in.’ And I really appreciated the hug.
If only she felt comfortable enough to tell him this.
‘But I should take a look at the books while I’m here,’ Adam said now, as he scanned the shelves and tables. ‘I don’t suppose you have any more about shed houses?’
‘I don’t think so.’ In fact, Tess had already scoured the shelves and was quite sure that they didn’t have any such gems. ‘But there are a couple of beautiful bird books.’
He moved off to browse and he was in a far corner, looking through the gardening section, when Dimity popped her head around the doorway. ‘Hi Tess,’ she called. ‘Have you heard from Ingrid about the choir?’
Tess shook her head. ‘Nothing new.’
‘Right, then I’m glad I caught you. We’re going to be singing for Jeremy’s funeral and so there’ll be an extra practice. In the hall, same time as usual, night after next.’
‘Oh, lovely. Thanks for letting me know.’
‘I’ve texted most people, but I didn’t have your number.’
‘Oh, I can give it to you.’ Tess quickly did so.
‘Thanks.’ Dimity smiled once they’d done the exchange. ‘See you at choir.’
‘Sure.’
Dimity was about to leave when she noticed Adam, still browsing over in the corner. Her eyes widened and the glance she sent from Tess to Adam and back again could have been disapproving or merely curious, it was hard to tell. But it was a timely reminder that the Maisie factor was still alive and kicking.
Tess hadn’t the emotional energy to deal with that now, though. Today was all about Jeremy.
Even though Luna had Max by her side, she still couldn’t walk into the police station without feeling tense and sick in the stomach.
Detective Keith Broomfield wasn’t in, they were told by the uniformed policeman at the front desk.
Max knew the right questions to ask, however, and they were promptly taken down a hallway to Detective Cindy Blair’s office. Luna recognised this woman from the initial visit to the apartment.
She was youngish and small framed, and kept her dark hair in a tidy, efficient bun. Her alert, dark eyes gave the impression she would rarely miss a detail.
‘How can I help you?’ she asked them politely.
Luna commenced her explanation about her need to travel, but she hadn’t quite finished before the detective jumped in. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Didn’t Keith Broomfield tell you?’
‘Tell us what?’ asked Luna and Max together.
‘News came through yesterday. The woman who stole that jewellery has been arrested in Perth.’
‘In Perth?’ Luna gasped.
‘Yes, she was trying to get out of the country. Let me see . . .’ Cindy Blair lowered herself into the chair at her desk, slipped on a pair of red-framed reading glasses, and turned to her computer screen. She began to type, but then looked up. ‘Take a seat, won’t you?’
Exchanging quick, slightly bemused glances, Luna and Max did as they’d been bidden, then waited in silence as the detective typed and frowned at her screen.
‘Ah, yes,’ she said at last. ‘Here’s Keith’s report. The person in question is Bulgarian – Georgina Draganov is her name. Apparently, she’s been wanted by Interpol for some time. It says here, she’s a known master of disguises.’
‘So she wasn’t Maria Balan after all?’ asked Max.
Cindy Blair checked her screen again. ‘She has plenty of history. She’s been using these disguises for a good many years and has done time in jail in Europe. But it’s intriguing. She mostly steals jewellery, but she doesn’t necessarily score big rewards. The report suggests that the big deal for her is pulling off the tricks, rather than making good money.’
Luna shuddered, remembering how easily she’d been sucked in by Maria’s ‘tricks’. ‘Evil witch,’ she whispered under her breath.
‘She’s not dangerous,’ said the detective. ‘Or rather, she’s not violent. Seems she thrives on the adrenaline of taking risks. Her major claim to fame was stealing an extremely valuable emerald in Switzerland when she was young. It was all over the media at the time.’
‘Well, there you go.’ Max was clearly pleased by this outcome.
But for Luna it was strangely deflating to have this good news coming on top of the sad news about Jeremy. It didn’t give her quite the lift it might have.
In many ways, Jeremy had been an intriguing mystery, but he’d been gentle and caring and, well, harmless for want of a better word. By contrast, it felt creepy to know that the person she’d thought of as Maria – the woman she’d tried so hard to please with her very best craftmanship – had totally conned her.
‘At least this means you’re free to take off whenever you want to,’ Max said once they were back out on the footpath.
‘Yes.’ Luna reached for his hand. Gosh, how many times already today had she felt a need to touch Max, to connect with his calmness, to express her appreciation? ‘Thanks for your help in this.’
‘I didn’t do much. It’s your little friend back at the apartment we should be thanking.’
‘Caleb? Oh, yes, of course. I’d almost forgotten he told us about Maria’s wig.’
Instantly, Luna was wondering about a gift she might buy Caleb. Or perhaps something she could make. She always preferred to give handmade gifts. She would need to think of something for Grace as well, as it wouldn’t be appropriate to single out the boy and draw too much attention to the conversation about Maria. In fact, it might be better to get something for the whole family.
She’d have to give this some thought.
Almost immediately, Luna realised there was actually a head-spinning amount to think about. To begin with, she should let Craig Drinkwater know about the closure of this case and – gulp – she should probably let him know about Max’s DNA proof, and hopefully lay that particular demon to rest.
Then, there was the question of her journey north. She supposed she should fly to Cairns this time, rather than taking twenty-five hours on the train. Perhaps Ebony could meet her at the airport?
And what about Max? Luna had been so looking forward to giving Ebony her news. Now that she knew the answer to her daughter’s all-important question, she couldn’t bear to keep the truth to herself. And, anyway, she really wanted Ebs to meet Max. But would it be appropriate to bring him into the middle of all this sadness?
Perhaps not. Then again, it wasn’t as if Ebs had known Jeremy . . .
And then there was also the problem of accommodation. Her cottage was so small. Where would she put Tess?
Goodness, life could become very complicated in a hurry. One thing was clear to Luna – another coffee in a café was called for while she tried to sort out what her next steps might be.
CHAPTER THIRTY
It was late in the day when Tess drove back to the cottage. Gentle shadows fell over the rolling hills where fat cattle lazily munched, and the sunset-tinted air was soft and mellow.
At this twilight hour, the landscape took on a dreamlike quality, as if an artist had painted it. Tess could imagine this scenery captured inside a thick gold frame and hanging in an art gallery where city folk admired it with wistful smiles.
That will be me soon. Back in the city, with nothing but pictures to remind me of this beauty.
It seemed almost inevitable now that her swap with Luna would be cut short. While this particular detail hadn’t actually been discussed during the several phone calls that had bounced back and forth during the day, Tess was sure that after coming home for Jeremy’s funeral, Luna would have no real desire to return to the Paddington apartment.
She was dismayed by how downbeat this made her feel. It didn’t help that she wasn’t sure where she would stay when Luna returned. There were only two beds in the cottage. Perhaps she should find a room at the pub?
To cheer herself up, she’d called in at the supermarket for cheese and crackers and then at the bottle shop for wine to share with Ebony when she got home – except, she would have to stop thinking of the cottage as home, wouldn’t she?
It was quite dark by the time she turned off the road and even darker as she headed down the track where the tree branches met in an arch overhead. When she saw the lights of the little cottage glowing through the trees to welcome her, she found herself blinking tears. Damn it, she would miss this place.
At least Ebony was well acquainted with Luna’s wood stove and a lamb casserole was coming along nicely, the aroma adding to the welcoming warmth as Tess stepped inside, now carefully dry-eyed. And Ebony made a nice fuss of Tess’s wine and cheese offerings, even though she had, in fact, also stocked up on similar items.
‘It’s been such a huge day,’ Ebony said, greeting Tess with a sisterly hug. ‘Especially huge and sad for you, you poor thing. I think we should definitely spoil ourselves this evening. Here, you sit by the fire and put your feet up. Let me do the honours with the wine and cheese.’
Happy to comply and be treated like the guest, rather than the hostess, Tess sank into one of Luna’s sagging but comfy armchairs and propped her feet on a velvet patchworked footstool. Behind the stove’s glass door, carefully arranged logs glowed brightly and flames flickered, almost like an additional welcome.
Ebony handed her a glass of red and set a plate with crackers and a wedge of stilton on the little stool beside her, and then she too flopped into an armchair.
Tess realised now how truly exhausted and emotionally drained she felt, and she was grateful now to sink into the moment, to have nothing to do but sip her wine and watch the flickering firelight.
From somewhere outside, she heard the hoot of an owl and then the scampering of small, clawed feet on the roof, probably a possum rushing to hide from the winged predator.
After a bit, Ebony said, ‘I’ve always been partial to caveman television.’ She was referring to the flickering fire, of course.
‘It’s certainly mesmerising,’ Tess agreed. ‘And comforting.’
‘Absolutely. I love it.’ Ebony helped herself to a crumbling piece of cheese, pressing it into a cracker with the side of the knife. ‘I know Mum struggled with her conscience over the whole wood-burning thing. She’d rather save trees than burn them. But she balances those niggles by helping out at a revegetation nursery.’
‘Great idea. That’s one group Luna didn’t leave on her list for me to join.’
Ebony grinned. ‘There’s only so much a girl can do in a few short weeks.’
‘Yes,’ said Tess softly. Too true, she added silently. But then she chastised herself for sitting here, alive and well, enjoying wine and cheese and still feeling sorry for herself, simply because her stay here might be coming to an end, while poor, dear Jeremy had come to the ultimate end.
‘It’s hard when you lose someone out of the blue, without warning,’ she said. ‘If we’d known, we might have done more for Jeremy.’
‘What might you have done?’ Ebony asked. ‘Thrown a party?’
‘I’m not sure he would have wanted a party.’
‘I remember that lovely one you threw for your mum.’
‘Ah, yes.’ Tess smiled, also remembering. ‘For her last Christmas. That was a wonderful night, wasn’t it?’
‘Amazing.’
Tess’s dad had hired an entire top-floor restaurant and they’d invited all of her mother’s friends. Adele had written the guest list and she’d wanted to include just about everyone she knew. They’d filled the space.
There’d been a magnificent Christmas tree draped in twinkling lights, grand views up and down the river, which also glittered with lights, scrumptious food and plenty of wine, and a band playing all of her mum’s favourite songs.
‘Who was it who persuaded Mum to sing?’ Tess asked now. ‘Was it Luna?’
Ebony nodded. ‘I think so. She always loved Adele’s music.’
