Death in the Sunshine (Retired Detectives Club, #1)(19)

The guy stamps on the gas and the Beetle lurches forward.

Moira manages to smack her palm against the window once more before the car is out of reach. She runs after it, but it’s a losing game and she knows it. In seconds the car is gone and Moira’s left standing in the middle of the street.

There’s no doubt in her mind now. Whoever the blond guy is, he’s definitely following her. The question is, why?





10


MOIRA


Moira swears under her breath. It’s infuriating. Concerning too. She’s seen the blond guy three times now, and every time he’s got away.

‘Who was that?’

Moira turns and is surprised to see Lizzie standing a couple of feet behind her. Moira shakes her head. ‘I don’t know, but I saw him near the entrance to Manatee Park earlier, and then he was hanging around outside my house before I came here.’

‘So he’s following you?’ Lizzie says, frowning.

‘Yeah, I think so,’ says Moira.

Lizzie bites her lip. Looks conflicted. Then gestures towards the house. ‘You’d better come back inside.’

Moira stays put and says nothing. She doesn’t want another argument.

‘Look, who knows who that guy is? He could be connected to the murder,’ says Lizzie. When Moira still doesn’t move, Lizzie shrugs. ‘Okay, fine, suit yourself.’

Moira watches Lizzie start walking back towards the house. Thinks of how upset Lizzie was just a few minutes earlier. Knows she could just walk away, but it’d be better – kinder – to try to fix things. ‘Okay, Lizzie, wait up.’

They go back through the garden gate and along the pathway to the patio. As they reach the table and chairs, Lizzie turns to Moira. ‘You should call that detective and tell him that man’s stalking you.’

Moira’s been thinking the same thing. ‘I will, but first . . . Look, I know you don’t believe me, but before today the only time I’d met Philip was in the supermarket when I saw you both together.’ Moira shakes her head. ‘He isn’t the reason I didn’t go back to yoga to meet up with you as planned.’

Lizzie frowns. ‘Why, then?’

Moira sits down. She knows she needs to give Lizzie enough to convince her she’s telling the truth, but not so much that she reveals too much about herself. Lizzie and Philip might be nice enough, but they’re still dangerous. She can’t drop her guard about her life before, but what’s happened since she arrived here at The Homestead is safe ground. ‘If I’m honest, I was having a bit of a tough time, settling in. This place is lovely but it’s pretty full-on. I hadn’t realised it would be like that when I moved here. I found things rather overwhelming so I guess I retreated a bit. I couldn’t face showing up and doing a class. I needed a bit of time to be on my own, to get my bearings and adjust to this place.’

‘And do you think you’re adjusted now?’

‘I was getting there.’

‘Until you found the body this morning?’

‘Yes.’

‘So that’s why you were reluctant to come back round when I texted earlier?’

What’s one more lie, thinks Moira. ‘Yes, that’s why.’

Lizzie’s silent for a moment. Thinking. Then she nods. ‘I get it – the need to take a bit of time to get settled in. Life out here is very different to being in the UK. It can be a bit of a shock, especially if you’d not visited much before you moved. I’ve spoken to a few other Brits out here who’ve gone through feeling that, so I guess I do understand.’

‘Thanks,’ says Moira.

They sit for a moment in silence. The awkwardness remains, but at least the shouting has stopped. Moira isn’t convinced Lizzie truly believes her about Philip, but it’s a start. Still, Moira knows the risks are just as high. She can’t cut Lizzie out of her life. If she does, she might ignite the suspicions about her and Philip, and there’s a chance that’ll encourage Lizzie to try and find out more about her, and Moira doesn’t want that. She’ll have to keep Lizzie and Philip close. That way, maybe they won’t get curious. Right now, it seems the best play open to her.

Lizzie clears her throat. ‘You know, I wanted to live here because of the zero crime rate. But with the burglaries and now a murder it feels like we’re not safe any more.’

‘Sure.’ Moira doesn’t want to challenge Lizzie straight after the conversation they’ve just had – it feels like she needs to build their relationship up more before that – but she thinks Lizzie’s fooling herself. Nowhere is safe and a world with zero crime is a fantasy nirvana. Humans are hardwired to hurt each other.

Lizzie sighs. ‘I really wanted a rest from it all. The job was so all-consuming – all the pressure, and the long hours. Before he retired Philip seemed to have been suffering from fatigue for years, and I’m pretty sure the job was making it worse, although he refused to see that.’ She pauses, and seems to be looking to Moira for assurance, or understanding, or something.

Moira nods, but there’s something about the way Lizzie winced as she talked about Philip having a blind spot on the impact the job was having on his health that makes her think there’s more to the story than Lizzie’s letting on. ‘And you were happy to leave your job when he retired?’