Page 31 of Death on the Rocks (Lily Larkin Mysteries #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

At Old Town Lily could make out a couple of boats bobbing in the bay.

A misty haze lingered in the air, but it seemed the weather forecast was right that the fog was lifting.

If it turned out to be a clear day tomorrow, she could get out and see the sights and enjoy her last day on the island before she went back to establish some kind of real life.

Stopping at the end of the quiet lane, Lily gazed out over the horseshoe beach and the peaceful bay.

Real life: what did that even mean? She’d be back at her rented flat in Truro, and was sure that finding a job would be a good move. Was that enough though? Was it really a life she wanted?

She shook the thoughts from her head, deciding to focus on the task in front of her for now.

Sucking in a lungful of salty air, she turned to the gate beside her. The sign read ‘Treneary House’, so she was certain she had the right place. There was no bell, so she unlatched the gate and set off slowly along the path to the house which loomed up on the headland.

“Hello!” a sing-song voice called out to her as she approached. An angelic-looking little girl swung her hips, making her flowy skirt sweep around her knees.

“Hi,” Lily said, glancing behind the girl, searching for an adult.

“Are you Mirren’s friend?” The girl was probably around six or seven and eyed Lily with open curiosity.

“I don’t know her,” Lily said. “But I am looking for her.”

She giggled. “Why are you looking for her if you don’t know her?”

Again, Lily glanced behind the child, assuming an adult would appear at any moment. “I just wanted to ask her something. Her son told me she might be able to help me…”

“She has five sons,” the girl said.

“Oh.” Lily gave a small smile. “It was Kit.”

“Kit is very nice. He drives the train and he taught me to swim and he’s very funny. Trystan is my daddy.”

“Right,” Lily said, maintaining her weak smile. “Is Mirren here?”

“Yes. She’s my granny.”

Lily shifted her weight. “Do you think you could get her?”

“She’s putting my brother in bed for his nap. He’s just a baby and he cries when he gets tired. He was crying a lot today.”

“I see. Maybe I should come back later.”

“It’s okay. You can come in and wait. My name is Ellie. Do you want to be my friend?”

Lily gazed down at her, thinking that someone needed to teach the child a thing or two about safety. “You shouldn’t invite people into your house if you don’t know them.”

“But you know Kit,” Ellie said, “so it’s okay.”

Lily opened her mouth to argue, but movement in the house caught her attention. A face peered through the window and the older lady waved, then came to the door.

“Hello!” she said, apparently unconcerned that her granddaughter was chatting to a stranger on the doorstep. “Sorry, I was just settling my grandson for his nap.”

“This lady is Kit’s friend,” Ellie said.

“Lily, I assume?” The woman extended her hand. “I’m Mirren. Kit said you might call in.” Stepping back, she beckoned Lily inside. “I was just about to make myself a cuppa. Would you like one?”

“Yes, please.” As Lily followed Mirren into the large, homely kitchen, Ellie kept her unwavering gaze on her.

“Do you want to see my toys?” she asked. “I have lots.”

“Umm…”

Mirren placed a hand on Ellie’s head. “Lily has come to speak to me, not to play. And you’re supposed to be clearing up the living room so you can have TV time, remember?”

She looked thoughtful before agreeing and heading out of the kitchen.

“She’s a sweet little thing,” Mirren remarked. “Had a tummy ache this morning so she couldn’t go to school but she seems as right as rain now. I think she just knew I was having her brother for the day and wanted to spend the day here too.”

Lily smiled amiably and took a seat at the table when Mirren nodded in that direction.

“So you’re interested in the old ice cream shop?” she asked, once she’d filled the kettle and switched it on.

“Yes. I’m interested in the owner. Do you remember her name, by any chance?”

Mirren took a seat. “Gail. It’s funny, I haven’t thought about her in ages, but when Kit told me you’d been asking about her, it stirred my memory.”

Gail. The name didn’t stir any memories for Lily.

“Did you know her well?”

“Pretty well. My kids were still young at that time so I spent a fair bit of time in the ice cream shop.”

“Were you friends with her?”

Mirren frowned. “I wouldn’t say that. She was always lovely and friendly… and I guess we were around the same age. We were at different phases of life, though. She was focussed on her business and I was chasing around after my kids.”

“Do you know her surname?”

“It’s going to annoy me.” Mirren rubbed at her forehead. “It’ll come back to me in a minute, I’m sure.”

Lily wasn’t convinced Mirren was going to prove overly helpful. She had a first name at least, so that was something.

“How long did Gail live on the island for?”

“Not too long. A few years, I think. She was one of those who turned up with a dream of living remotely and being her own boss. If I remember rightly, she’d worked in an ice cream shop when she was a teenager and had always dreamed of having her own shop.

Finally, she gave up the drudgery of her office job and moved here. ”

“But it didn’t work out?”

“As far as I know, things were going well for her. She never gave any indication that there were problems with the business. She made ice cream fresh on the premises and was hardly ever short on customers.”

“Do you know why she left?”

Mirren shook her head. “I remember she was out of sorts for a couple of months and then there was the fire. That shook her up. People pitched in to help fix the place up again, but she’d lost her spark.

Her heart didn’t seem to be in it after that.

To my recollection, she shut up shop one day and left without saying goodbye to anyone. It was all a bit odd.”

It was certainly intriguing. “You said she was out of sorts?” Lily pressed.

“I think she was having some personal problems. Someone died… I can’t remember if it was a family member or an old friend…

but I remember it really got to her. I thought it was just one of those things and it would take time for her to bounce back, but then she was gone.

” She shrugged. “Kit reckons she never sold the shop, and that she still owns it.” Her eyes widened and she snapped her fingers loudly. “Greenway! That was her last name.”

As though the name might be forgotten again, Lily hurriedly opened her phone and made a note of it. “Gail Greenway,” she mused, hoping it might spark a memory, but nothing came.

“Do you know her?” Mirren asked.

“No. I don’t think so.” She drew the old photograph from her pocket and handed it to Mirren. “This is me and my parents.”

“In front of the ice cream shop,” Mirren mused.

“Yes. I have a feeling Gail might have been the one to take the photo.” She paused, feeling an unexpected pang of sadness.

“My parents both died, probably not long after this photo was taken. I only found the photo recently, and…” She paused again.

“I’m probably being silly and nostalgic, but I have this strange feeling that the ice cream shop was somehow meaningful…

like my parents were friends with the owner or something.

” She felt even more emotional at the sympathy in Mirren’s eyes.

“I spent ages tracking down the ice cream shop. It feels a bit deflating that I couldn’t track down the owner, but now that I know her name I might have more luck. Maybe I can find her on the internet.”

“Maybe.” Mirren patted her hand. “I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful.”

“It’s a massive help to have her name. That should be helpful in tracking her down.” Except, she was supposed to be giving all this up and figuring out what to do with her life.

She could allow herself a simple internet search, though. What harm could that do?