Vegetables and Vengeance (Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery Book 17) by Agatha Frost

Author:Agatha Frost [Frost, Agatha]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Pink Tree Publishing LTD
Published: 2019-05-22T16:00:00+00:00

Julia tossed her keys onto the hallway table. She peeked into the sitting room as she kicked off her shoes and put them on the shoe rack. Denise was on the couch with a cup clutched in her hands while Polly was tickling Mowgli’s belly on the rug in front of the mantlepiece.

“He’s so fluffy,” Julia heard the little girl say. “Can we get a cat?”

“You have enough animals,” Denise replied.

“But I can’t rub a chicken’s tummy!”

Jessie followed Julia inside. They stood by the front door, the aftermath of their emotional moment lingering around them. Julia wanted so badly to cling to Jessie and stay that way for the rest of the night.

“I can get rid of her,” she whispered. “It’s your last night.”

“You can’t,” Jessie said, resting her hand on Julia’s shoulder, “and you won’t.”

Jessie walked into the sitting room, where she perched on the edge of the armchair to join in rubbing Mowgli’s fluffy belly. He purred and rolled around, his eyes clenched shut as he enjoyed the feeling of two hands dancing up and down his torso. Barker appeared from the bathroom, where Julia suspected he had been hiding since calling for her to come home.

“I didn’t know what to do, so I just let her in,” he whispered. “She seems really rattled.”

“You did the right thing.” Julia kissed him on the lips. “Go and make me a cup of tea. I’ll sort this out.”

Barker did as he was told, leaving Julia to venture into the sitting room. A scruffy old suitcase sat behind the couch. Its zip had burst, and it was held together by two rainbow luggage straps, leaving fistfuls of clothes poking out.

“Going on holiday?” Julia asked lightly as she walked around the couch to sit in the armchair next to the window. “At this time of year, I don’t think you’ll find nicer weather than we’ve got here.”

Denise chuckled, which Julia had hoped for. She took a sip of her milky tea before putting it on the coffee table. Her movement made Mowgli jump, and he scurried out of the sitting room, leaving Polly to sit on the hearthrug with a sulky frown.

“Do you like cartoons?” Jessie stood up and grabbed Polly’s hand. “I have a laptop in my bedroom.”

Polly nodded before following Jessie. Julia gave her an appreciative smile; Jessie wasn’t the best with children, but she seemed to have sensed the sensitive mood surrounding their visitors. When the bedroom door closed behind them, Denise sunk back into the couch, exhaling like a deflated balloon.

“What happened?” Julia prompted.

“Lyndsey.” Denise’s vacant eyes stared ahead into the fireplace. “She’s double-crossed me.”

Barker hurried in with a cup of tea for Julia before leaving them to it. Julia was glad of the distraction because she wasn’t sure she could feign the shock required for such a revelation; she had been expecting it.

“I was trying to make dinner to smooth things over,” Denise continued. “It was a stupid idea, I know that now, but after what happened

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