Page 9 of Murder in the Winter Woods (Julia Bird Mysteries #8)
Coral took that as a ‘yes’ and took two cups and saucers from the cupboard.
‘Carrot cake, scones, mince pies?’ she asked, waving to a pile of tins and Tupperwares and packets at the end of the counter.
‘I’ve got just about anything you fancy.
And there’s more in the fridge. Tomato soup?
Quiche Lorraine? Lasagne? People have been very kind. ’
‘Carrot cake would be lovely,’ said Julia, noticing that it was close at hand and already cut.
‘Do sit.’
Julia did as she was told, taking a seat at the kitchen table. ‘Thank you. I won’t stay long. I wanted to bring you something that I found. Something I think might be Lewis’s.’
‘How would you have something of Lewis’s?’ Coral asked sharply. ‘I didn’t know you knew him.’ She sounded almost suspicious.
‘I didn’t know him, really, although he did drive me once or twice. He was a very good driver, and seemed like a friendly chap.’
‘Oh yes, he was that, very friendly. Everyone liked him. The ladies especially.’
‘Well, you felt you could trust him, I always thought. And people do worry about getting into a car with a stranger. Women especially; they like to have someone they know and trust.’
‘Oh, they liked Lewis all right,’ Coral said, sniffily. ‘It was always like that, especially when we were younger. No end of trouble, it was.’
It seemed rather an odd thing to say, under the circumstances, and Julia wasn’t sure how to respond.
She was saved, mercifully, by the shrieking of the kettle, which drew Coral’s attention.
Julia watched as she set about making tea – properly, with leaves, and a pot and a milk jug, none of your ‘swirl the bag around’ nonsense.
While Coral was slicing and plating the cake, Julia opened her handbag and took out the short chain with its dangling saint.
‘I came to bring this,’ she said, putting it on the table in front of her.
‘I was walking near the site of the accident and I found this St Christopher. I thought Lewis might have dropped it. And that it might have sentimental value for you.’
Coral sat down, putting the cake plate in front of Julia. She picked up the charm. ‘This is not Lewis’s. I’ve never seen it before.’ She put it down with some distaste, and brushed her hands together as if to remove dust.
‘Oh, well, it seems I jumped to the wrong conclusion, what with his job…St Christopher is meant to guard travellers, you know.’
‘Oh, Lewis wasn’t superstitious like that. He believed in keeping your wits about you on the road. Not that that helped him in the end…’ Coral’s rather formal manner cracked and her eyes teared up.
‘I’m so sorry, Coral,’ said Julia, stricken.
‘The last thing I wanted to do was to come here and upset you. I thought it might be something special or personal…But it’s obviously not.
’ She slipped the offending item back into her bag, and put her palm over the widow’s shaking hand.
‘Now, you take a minute and I’ll pour us some tea. ’
Coral nodded meekly, while Julia bustled with the tea things.
By the time she’d poured their second cup of tea, and they’d started on a second slice of cake – ‘Just a sliver, now’ – Coral had a better colour.
She seemed to have warmed to Julia, after her initial suspicious manner, and had started telling her about their son, who was married to a dentist, and had twin baby boys and twin Airedales.
When they’d finished their tea and cake, and Julia had a full picture of the family tree, along with considerable insight into the twins’ similarities and differences, she stood up to go.
‘I’d better let you get on with your day, Coral. I’m sure you have lots to do. I’m sorry to have disturbed you.’
‘Not at all. I appreciate you coming. It was kind of you to bring the saint,’ Coral said. ‘And it was nice to meet you properly.’
‘You too, Coral. Thank you for the delicious tea. Now you take good care of yourself, and remember I’m here if you need to chat.’
Back at home, Julia allowed herself a bit of Facebook lurking.
It was slim pickings, frankly. A lot of memes.
The ‘I Love Berrywick’ page had the usual notices about upcoming events and things to do – everything from a Tuesday morning knitting circle called Knits & Wits, to a volunteer bat counting project, to the Christmas market.
There were the usual things for sale, and a few lost-and-found notices.
Scrolling through them, Julia had a thought.
She took out the St Christopher, placed it on her desk and snapped a picture.
She put up the photograph, together with a caption: St Christopher.
Found on Maple Road. DM me if it’s yours.
Scrolling through some more, she saw that someone had shared Jim McEnroe’s Southern Times tribute to Lewis – Life of local taxi man killed in hit-and-run – which had attracted scores of comments.
Lots of people expressed shock and sadness and sympathy.
A good many expressed their outrage at the kind of driving that had killed him.
Which reminded Julia of her other intended task for the day – to work on the ideas and messages that would inspire visitors to drive better and slower in Berrywick.