Springtime at Hope Hall by Pam Rhodes

Author:Pam Rhodes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lion Hudson Limited
Published: 2019-10-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Maggie glanced up from where she was serving a couple of customers at the Call-in Café just as their accountant Trevor walked in, with his wife Mary following several steps behind him. Uncharacteristically, the usually friendly Trevor marched through the foyer without a word, leaving Mary to sit down alone. She cut quite a forlorn figure, so as soon as Maggie was free, she walked over to pull up a chair beside her.

“You okay? You look like someone who desperately needs a coffee.”

When Mary turned her face towards her, Maggie was shocked to see that tears were leaving dark mascara tracks rolling down her cheeks.

“Come around the back,” said Maggie kindly. “We’ll have our coffee in my office.”

Minutes later, Maggie put down two cups on the desk and brought over a chair so that she could sit directly opposite Mary.

“Bad day?”

“You could say that,” sniffed Mary.

“Would it help to talk about it?”

“You’d be better off talking to Trevor. He’s the one who’s being unreasonable.”

Maggie reached out to pull the lid off the biscuit tin she’d also brought in with her. “Tell me over a biscuit or two. There’s nothing in the world that a chocolate digestive can’t sort out.”

“Well, it was an ordinary morning really. I always go to the supermarket on a Friday, and that’s exactly what happened. I did everything as usual: took the trolley round, filled it up, got to the checkout and paid – nothing out of the ordinary at all. But then, when I got back out to the car park, my car was nowhere to be seen. I walked round for ages, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. It had been stolen.”

“Oh my dear, what a terrible shock for you!”

“A security man there saw what a state I was in, and he put a call through to the manager, who came out and walked right round the car park with me to take another look. He was so kind. He took me through to his office while he called the police, and a lady arrived with a sweet cup of tea from the café. They couldn’t have been nicer.”

“What did the police say?”

“They came quite quickly. I just told them what had happened, and they asked me for all the details of the vehicle and about what might have been in it. They said they’d be on the look-out for the thieves right away, because they might still be in the area.”

“Of course. These car thieves are so clever. How did the police think they got in?”

“Ah, well, that’s when I realized it might just have been my fault. Trevor is always telling me off for leaving my key in the ignition. It’s so convenient at home, and because the car is way up the drive I’ve never thought there was any problem about leaving the door unlocked. I’ve always been dreadful for losing my keys, and that’s why I’ve found that leaving the key just where I need it in the car is a really sensible solution.

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