Page 2 of Death on the Rocks (Lily Larkin Mysteries #1)
Chapter Two
Salty air rushed around Lily, invigorating her on her walk across the island.
Green fields and privet hedges gave the sense that a piece of the English countryside had been dropped into the Atlantic Ocean.
At least until the water came into view.
Given the azure hue it felt more like Caribbean waters than the Atlantic.
The sun slipped out from a fluffy cloud, seeming to rain diamonds on the surface of the rippling waves.
With her senses fixed on her surroundings, it felt like no time until Lily reached Hugh Town. After strolling along the quaint main street, bordered by dainty shops, she found the harbour and then Porthcressa beach, which stretched in a long crescent.
At the top of the beach, a concrete promenade was dotted with cafes and outdoor seating. No sign of an ice cream shop, though.
A dog and its owner veered around her as she pulled her backpack from her shoulder. After retrieving her photo, she studied it as though she hadn’t already looked at it a thousand times.
Lily could only have been around four when it was taken. Presumably it was one of the last photos of their little family – and one of the few Lily had of the three of them.
It should have been a treasured possession when she was growing up, but she’d only recently found it among her uncle’s things.
Strange that he’d never shown it to her before, especially as she’d asked him on several occasions about one of her only clear memories of her parents – of being in an ice cream shop where the owner had taken her inside and shown her how the ice cream was made in huge metal machines.
Her uncle had brushed her questions about it aside until she’d convinced herself it wasn’t a real memory at all. At least until she’d found the photo and been convinced it was taken at the ice cream shop from her memories.
The building in the photo was at the end of the row, but as she set off in that direction she felt a sinking feeling. An ice cream shop would surely have a buzz of people. There was nothing of the sort here. In fact, the last building was derelict and a sorry sight given its prime beach location.
Maybe she wasn’t even in the right place.
Turning in a circle, she wondered why she was even looking for an ice cream shop that she’d visited with her parents more than twenty years ago.
The chances of it still being in operation had been slim, and what exactly had she intended to do when she’d found it?
Ripping her gaze from the building, she stared out to sea and felt an emptiness settle in her stomach. The hunt for the ice cream shop had given her a purpose, and if this was the end of that road, what would she do next? Where would she go?
Home, presumably. She just wasn’t sure where that was.
Not one for self-pity, she told herself to get a grip and returned her attention to the rundown old building.
The wind seemed to stop and the noise of seagulls and waves and holidaymakers faded as a shiver crept up Lily’s spine and brought goosebumps rippling over the back of her neck. She’d been there before; she was sure of it.
Generally, she was too level-headed to believe in anything otherworldly, but she had the distinct notion she’d just crossed paths with a past version of herself.
A deep inhale brought everything back into focus at the exact moment that a wild gust whipped at her hair and tore the photograph from her fingers.
It sailed with the wind, then landed squarely on the chest of a young guy sauntering along the promenade. He grinned as he caught it and gave a flick of his head to sweep his hair aside.
“That was some gust,” he said. “Is this yours?”
“Yes. Thank you.” She went to retrieve the photo from his outstretched hand, but he stopped before she could take it and withdrew slightly, eyes dropping to the picture.
He squinted at the photo as he finally passed it to Lily. “Is that the old ice cream shop?”
Her brain stalled and all she could do was stare at him. He was oddly familiar with his sandy brown hair and smiling eyes. She guessed he’d be in his mid-twenties – the same as her.
“Sorry,” he said. “There used to be an ice cream shop here, and the photo kind of looks like it.”
“Yes.” Like a puppy begging for attention, Lily offered the photo back to him. “That’s what I was trying to work out. I’ve been trying to find out where the photo was taken.” She flicked her thumb toward the building. “So this was an ice cream shop?”
“Yeah.” His eyes sparkled as he studied the photo. “I only have vague memories of the place but my older brothers talked about it a lot. The owner used to make the ice cream on the premises, and would give little tours so you could see how the ice cream was made.”
“So I didn’t imagine it,” she said wistfully, a feeling of triumph washing over her. “I had memories of the place but I was never sure if it was a real memory.”
“I know that feeling. Sometimes I mention something from my childhood to my mum and my brothers and they all deny any knowledge of it. I don’t know if they genuinely don’t remember or if they’re just winding me up.
” He grinned. “I’m the baby of the family so I sometimes feel as though I had a completely different childhood to my brothers. ”
“I don’t have siblings,” she muttered, feeling an immediate connection to the guy and wondering again at the familiarity of his features.
“This is a great photo,” he said, handing it back. “You and your parents, I take it?”
“Yes.” She smothered the urge to tell him that they hadn’t lived long enough for her to really know them. “I don’t know why I was so keen to find this place. Looking for a bit of nostalgia, I suppose. Do you know when it closed?”
He puffed his cheeks out. “It must have been twenty years ago. There was a fire so it closed for a while. I don’t think they reopened after that. Shame because it must have been a gold mine. Prime location…”
His words suddenly felt faraway, and Lily’s gaze drifted to the building. “A fire?” she murmured, her brain whirring.
“I think they got it under control quickly. There was no damage to the structure of the building but… are you okay?”
She swallowed hard. It was natural that any mention of fire triggered memories of her parents.
This was a weird coincidence, that was all.
Her parents had died in a fire and this place had also had a fire.
Both had taken place in Cornwall, but in very different locations since their family home had been in Truro.
Forcing her mind back to the present, she smiled at the young guy with friendly features.
“No one wanted to buy the building?” she asked, finding it hard to believe it had stood empty for all those years.
“Oh, people would love to buy it.” He tilted his head, eyes crinkling at the corners as he chuckled. “I’ve been trying to get my hands on it for a while. A few years ago I decided it was the perfect business opportunity and attempted to track down the owner.”
“And?” she asked eagerly.
“Apparently they don’t want to be found. I managed to speak to a solicitor acting on their behalf but I couldn’t get much out of him. Only that it wasn’t for sale. They wouldn’t even let me lease it.”
Lily frowned, her gaze lingering on the stone building. “That’s weird. Why not rent it out and make money from it? Like you say, it’s in the perfect spot with so much passing trade.”
“Yes!” His eyes lit up. “And it still has all the old ice cream making equipment in there. Those machines are solid. I’d bet anything they still work.
” His eyebrows drew together. “I only know that from peering in the back windows, and I was technically trespassing so you didn’t get that information from me. ”
Lily beamed at his playful tone. “So you don’t know what happened to the owner?”
“She moved back to the mainland.” He scratched at his jaw. “If you want more information you could always ask the solicitor. Mr Greaves’ office is just over on Silver Street. But remember, if this place ever comes on the market, I’ve got first dibs.”
She let out a gentle laugh at the sparkle in his eyes. “Don’t worry. I have no plans to get into the ice cream business. I’m only here for a week.”
“Well I hope you have a good week.” He took a step away from her. “I’m Kit, by the way. I own the tourist train that runs around the island.”
“I read about that.” She recalled the flyer in her room with his smiling face on it. So that was why he felt so familiar. “It looks fun.”
His lips twitched at the corners. “It’s the number one rated thing to do on St Mary’s. Definitely not to be missed.”
“I’ll check it out,” she told him, raising a hand to wave as he backed away.
Turning back to the shop, she sucked in a deep breath. She’d found it. And her memories were real.
And the fact that there’d been a fire was just a coincidence. Wasn’t it?
Now, more than ever, she longed to speak to her uncle.
Dropping dead of a heart attack in his mid-fifties, leaving her all alone in the world and with a bunch of unanswered questions about her childhood, had been very inconsiderate of him.