Page 45 of Artful Deceit

“I’m sorry,” Lily said again. “I really want to find the thief, and I have to follow every lead.”

Len’s features softened. “I want them found too, but you can’t go harassing innocent people.”

“I know.” Muttering a last apology, she wandered away, slowly enough that Flynn caught up with her quickly.

“What was that all about?” he asked, with a frustrated bite to his words.

“I told you, I overheard him talking… I got the wrong end of the stick.”

“Why are you even looking into this?”

“I’m not, but I overheard him talking, and it felt suddenly obvious that it was him. It all added up. Except, obviously it didn’t.”

“You just said you want to find the thief.”

“So?”

“Why are you involving yourself?”

“Because I enjoy investigating. Haven’t you noticed that by now?”

“But previously there was always a reason for you to get involved. It affected you.” He paused before continuing. “Do you actually see yourself as an investigator? I don’t care, but I guess it always felt a little accidental before.”

“It’s accidental now… I thought I’d stumbled on the perpetrator. But also, itdoesaffect me. St Mary’s is my home. Someone robbing my neighbours doesn’t sit well with me.”

“Okay,” he said with a sigh. “Are you going to keep looking into it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Just keep me updated, okay.”

“Yeah. What’s going on with Sergeant Proctor? Did he turn up for work?”

“He arrived right when I got off the phone with you. Apparently he overslept.”

“Weird,” Lily said.

“Yeah. I should get back to the station.”

“I need to open the shop,” Lily said, despair seeping through her.

What she really needed was a new plan for finding her backpack, and quick.

Chapter Twenty-Two

In need of a little normalcy,Lily spent the morning focusing on the simple yet satisfying task of handing out ice creams. Frustrated that she’d hit a dead end with her investigating, she reminded herself that this was how it always went – she kept asking questions and exploring possible suspects until she landed on the right person. She needed to put the feeling of defeat aside and stick with it. Eventually, she’d uncover the thief and find her backpack.

In the middle of the afternoon, she was contemplating returning to the art retreat when she spotted Saffron and Martha walking along Porthcressa Beach. Her gaze followed them until they stopped and laid out blankets on the sand. It seemed they were settling in for a while.

Lily waited ten minutes before wandering down to their spot.

“Hello!” she called when she got close, though it was only Saffron there now.

Saffron raised a hand to shield her eyes as she looked up. “We’ve got a few hours to spare, so we thought we’d hit the beach. Martha’s here too – she’s gone for a swim.”

“It’s a bit chilly for it,” Lily said.

“I said the same, but she thinks this might be the best weather we get before we leave.” She shuffled over on her blanket and gestured for Lily to sit down. “What happened to you this morning? You ran away without saying goodbye. We were all a bit confused.”