Toxic Vows: A gripping British cozy mystery (The Seacastle Mysteries Book 4) by PJ Skinner

Author:PJ Skinner [Skinner, PJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

We did not stay for long at the wake. Despite our good intentions, the atmosphere quickly became toxic as Fintan began to sound off about the police force and their inability to catch the killer of his sister-in-law. He pretended to be making a general point, but I could see his comments were cutting George to the quick. Harry puffed up his chest in protest at the implied criticism of his friend, and I sensed everything might go rapidly downhill if we didn’t leave. I poked Helen in the ribs and indicated the door with a flick of my head. She had been struggling with excruciating social panic and her shoulders sagged with relief when she acknowledged my signal. I looked around for Mouse and found him standing out in the passageway near the toilets. He had tears in his eyes.

‘Can we go home now please?’ he said. ‘I don’t think I can bear another minute of this.’

I didn’t need any further incentive. I told him to leave the pub and wait in the car while I rounded up the others. Helen pulled George away from Fintan as they had started to size each other up. I noticed Harry covered their exit, which made me smile. He could not shed his army habit of always looking after his ‘men’. I shrugged and waved at Theresa, and made a telephone sign at her, mouthing ‘call me’ without any hope she would actually do so. We hadn’t managed to speak in the pub, due to the two factions separating to different sides of the room and glaring at each other. It felt like a scene from West Side Story.

Nobody spoke on the way home. Harry patted my leg and twisted in his seat to speak to Mouse, but Mouse stared out of the window pretending not to see him. We got home in one piece. I looked around for George’s car, but it hadn’t arrived. I texted Helen to ask if they were alright, and she answered to tell me that she and George drove straight to home, despite saying they would come to the Grotty Hovel first. I didn’t ask why.

Harry went upstairs to have a bath and I sat on the sofa with Mouse. Hades went straight to Mouse and purred into his ear. I swear he understands Mouse as well as any human. Tears fell on his fur as Mouse struggled to control his feelings.

‘I didn’t even like her,’ he said. ‘Why am I so sad?’

‘We’re all sad, sweetheart. George has infected us with his grief because we love him. We’re all feeling guilty because we didn’t like her much. It’s hard to believe she lied about the baby. You and I were looking forward to it. We’re in mourning for the lost opportunities.’

‘Are we going to find the murderer?’

‘I don’t know if there is one yet. This may be a terrible accident. We need to keep open minds.’

‘Will I feel better if it was an accident?’

‘You might.’

He brightened at the thought, sitting up and making Hades jump off him in faux panic.

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