Page 12 of So This is Christmas

A few months ago she and Jessica had had a similar conversation when a resident’s wristwatch went missing.

‘Amber’s been bloody well stealing things for ages,’ Sophie had told Jessica.

‘But how can I say anything? I need this job.’ Financially and because she had nothing much else these days – not to mention the fact that Amber could tell everyone what she knew about Sophie.

Jessica had leaned in and confided, ‘You know, I have had my suspicions too for a while now. I’ve kept my mouth shut for the same reasons as you. I hated not saying anything, not reporting it, but she has this way of switching things round and I know I’d come off worse.’

‘She’s a nasty piece of work, that’s for sure.’

‘I can’t bear the thought of leaving residents in here without at least a few people on their side,’ Jessica had said.

‘I try to make sure valuables are out of sight, back with family or well-documented. But there’s only so much you can do when it’ll be our word against hers.

I’ve got three kids under ten, I can’t afford to lose this job. ’

Monica, still hovering at the kitchen door now asked, ‘Who do you think took it?’

‘I have my suspicions.’

Monica was smiling at someone approaching and Thomas – their oldest resident at ninety-eight years old – appeared at the kitchen doorway. He’d been really friendly with Bea and by the look on his face he was as shocked as they all were at her passing.

Sophie got up from her chair and went over to him. ‘How are you doing?’

‘It’s a terrible shock,’ he said.

‘I know, we all loved her so much.’

‘This place won’t be the same without her.’

‘It really won’t.’ Sophie fell back into her role as carer, listened to him, found him tissues so he could have a good cry, then took him to the main lounge. He wanted to be with other people, he said. He didn’t want to be alone.

Who did?

It was one of the things that had hit her when Martin died. Sophie had found a sense of family with her husband and the arrival of their son, but losing her husband when she was still so young herself, she’d felt adrift yet again. She knew just how horrible it was to feel all alone.

She passed by Bea’s room on her way back from the lounge.

She couldn’t help but go in. She slumped down on the bed that had been stripped of its sheets, the room devoid of the colour Bea had added to it with her warmth and personality as well as her possessions.

She put a hand on the mattress as if it connected her to Bea somehow, tilted her head back, stemming the tears before she took a deep breath.

She went over to the boxes and from the one with the crocheted blanket lying on top, she pulled out the little radio that had kept Bea company so often.

She put it on and sure enough, whatever channel it was tuned to had Christmas carols playing.

It calmed Sophie’s temper every time she thought again about the necklace.

Would Amber really have taken it after Bea had died or in the hours before she passed?

She wished she’d had the guts to report the woman for theft years ago.

And if she’d been more careful and hadn’t said her secrets out loud, Amber wouldn’t have such a terrible hold over her.

She let herself listen to the soothing music, she hummed along to the Christmas tunes. What would Bea make of her falling apart like this? What would she think about the sadness Sophie felt here in the room where they’d spent many hours chatting away?

To the sounds of ‘Silent Night’ sung by a choir with clear, crisp voices, it felt like a final goodbye from the dear old lady who had won her heart.

In a matter of days someone else would arrive at the care home and take over this room, it would take on a whole new identity, and another part of Bea would be gone.

Her thoughts were interrupted with Amber’s appearance. ‘Oh good, the room is clear.’

Did the woman feel any sense of compassion for Bea who had lived here for years?

‘Aren’t you at least a little bit sad?’ Sophie fired back.

‘What?’ She frowned like it was the most ridiculous question. ‘Of course I’m sad. But death is a part of life, Sophie. You should know that.’ She harrumphed like this was a teaching moment not to be missed.

Sophie looked away from the woman she despised more with each passing day. ‘I’ve boxed up Bea’s things and put her clothes into bags.’

‘Don’t forget to put that radio with the rest of it.’

Right now Sophie wanted to turn the volume right up just to piss her off.

‘We’ll be welcoming Mrs Jenkins on Monday,’ Amber said from behind her.

‘I’ll get the cleaners organised to do a deep clean, asap.

’ She said ‘asap’ too, rather than sounding out the letters.

So abrupt, so clinical. Where was the caring part of her personality?

‘Are you taking the bags of clothes and the boxes with you?’

Sophie grunted some kind of affirmative and Amber breezed off as if Bea had walked out of here for a better life, rather than died.

Monica came in a few minutes later. ‘Everything okay? I saw the witch on her broomstick.’

That made Sophie grin. ‘Bea would’ve loved your description.’

‘I watched The Proposal last night, stole it from there.’

‘Very apt.’

‘Are you keeping it all?’ Monica put an arm around Sophie’s shoulders and looked at Bea’s things. A few bags and three boxes wasn’t much to show for a life, was it?

‘I’ll take the clothes to the charity shop and go through the rest of the things at home.’

‘She’d want you to. And it’ll all get binned otherwise – well, once Amber has rifled through to see whether there’s anything she might want, of course.’

‘She probably did a sweep of the room before I even got to packing it up.’

Monica sighed. ‘Probably.’ And then she nudged Sophie. ‘Come on, I’ll help you take everything out to your car, if you like.’

‘Thanks.’

Once the bags and boxes were loaded in the car Sophie went back inside the lodge. It was almost time for Thomas’s medication and she made her way along the corridor to get what she needed for him.

But when she passed Bea’s room she stopped.

The cleaning team were there already, so when Amber had said asap she hadn’t been kidding.

Already the air was filled with disinfectant and the bed’s waterproof mattress had the telltale high sheen it always got when it had had a thorough clean.

The team were dealing with every surface; one person was in the far corner with a mop, another was wiping along the top of the little wardrobe.

It was as though all traces of Bea were being wiped out before Sophie’s very eyes.

She stood there, numb.

And when Amber swept past her in the corridor it was like a proverbial red flag to a bull.

Sophie marched after her and followed her into her office.

Amber started slightly at the sight of Sophie before she’d even sat down at her desk, but she quickly righted herself, scooted in her chair and began tapping those talons of hers against the keyboard. She knew she had a visitor; she did this kind of ignoring to keep the upper hand.

Well, not any more.

‘You took it, didn’t you?’ Sophie delivered the accusation without the slightest hint of restraint.

‘Excuse me?’

‘The necklace. Bea’s necklace. She was wearing it this morning, but not when they took her body away.’

She wasn’t sure but Sophie thought she detected a flinch. Perhaps Amber had assumed she’d got away with it, that she wasn’t going to be challenged.

‘I suggest you calm down, Sophie. And sit down.’

‘No thanks.’

Amber got up and went over to close the door to her office. Back behind the safety of her desk she kept her hands on her hips. ‘I’d watch your mouth if I were you.’

‘I’ve been doing that for far too long as it is. And you’ve been doing this for a while. Bea isn’t the first person you’ve stolen from and I doubt she’ll be the last.’

Amber’s jaw twitched ever so slightly. ‘Like I said, watch your mouth.’

But Sophie hadn’t finished. ‘I’m going to report you. Enough is enough.’

She turned to leave but Amber’s voice followed her. She should’ve known she wouldn’t get the last word.

‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you.’ Amber waited for Sophie to turn and face her and then gave a smirk.

‘Actually, why don’t you do it. Go right on ahead and report me.

You’ve done that before, not that it got you anywhere.

’ She sat down at her desk before she added, ‘Let’s see who they believe…

Me, an upstanding pillar of the community without a blemish on my record – apart from your waste of time complaint – or you, with your clear vendetta against me as well as your own sorry history. ’

Sophie wished she could wipe the smug look off the woman’s face.

Amber smirked again. ‘What, nothing to say? Didn’t think so.’ She fixed Sophie with a cocky stare. ‘Thank you for packing up the room. While you’re in the mood for packing, you can gather all of your things and clear out your locker. This is your last shift.’

‘You can’t do that.’ Sophie hated that her voice wobbled. Amber’s sickly-sweet perfume invaded her personal space as Amber stalked towards her and held the door open even wider.

‘I think I just did.’ And before Sophie walked out of the room, Amber lowered her voice and added, ‘Leave without a fuss and your little history stays between us. I’ll make sure you get a good reference. Otherwise…’

She didn’t need to add anything else.