Chapter 25

TWENTY-FIVE

After everyone had left, and only Ed, Florrie and her parents remained, Charlie broke it to them that he and Bear had traced the source of the power failure back to the till in the main room of the bookshop.

‘There was someone else here in the bookshop,' Charlie explained. ‘I heard them hurry by the kitchen. I followed whoever it was up here but before I caught a proper look at them, the lights went out and I heard them scarper off down to the back of the shop. Sounds like they sent a display flying while they were at it.'

They'd given chase as best they were able given the icy conditions, but the hoody-wearing youth had been too quick for them and had made his escape, melting into the wintry evening. Charlie had been tidying the display of books when Bear noticed the counter was swimming in water, as was the till and the attached card reader. It appeared that the unwelcome guest had given it a thorough dousing, which would account for the power outage.

The revelation sent panic scorching through Florrie, her thoughts rushing to Dodgy Dick.

Paula was distraught at the thought of someone sneaking in with the intent of causing trouble for her daughter. ‘We need to let the police know about this, Charlie,' she said. ‘It needs stopping before it gets out of hand. It was bad enough them having to deal with the Christmas tree in the doorway but this is another level.'

‘I agree,' Charlie said, gravely. ‘I'm happy to give 'em a ring, if you like, love?' he asked, looking over at Florrie.

‘Thanks, Dad, I'd appreciate that, especially since you witnessed part of it.'

‘Aye, good point. Hopefully they'll be able to lift some fingerprints from the back door and maybe the jug, if the intruder wasn't wearing gloves, like. I just feel terrible that whoever it was had managed to sneak in with Jack and me being so vigilant about checking tickets.' Charlie puffed out a frustrated sigh.

‘I'm sure whoever it was can't have crept in earlier in the day and hidden themselves in the shop,' said Florrie. ‘I would've noticed, as would Leah, and she never mentioned anything.'

‘Plus, Gerty would've been barking and growling, you know how protective she is,' Ed said.

‘True.' Florrie had to agree with that, Gerty had always been quick to root out anyone she considered unsavoury. The Labrador's reaction to Dodgy Dick when he'd called with Wendy slid into her mind.

‘Well, I'd say we pretty much knew everyone who came to Jenna's reading,' Paula said, looking thoughtful. ‘And there wasn't a soul who stood out as being shifty to me in that gathering – everyone seemed really nice and normal and thrilled to be there. I just don't get it.'

‘Actually,' Charlie said, slowly, scratching his chin, ‘I think I might have an idea who it could be – not his name, mind, but I'd definitely recognise him if I saw him again.'

‘Well, it could be something to build on.' Ed sounded hopeful.

‘Who, Dad?' His words sent fear scurrying up Florrie's spine.

‘I'll run it by you, see what you think. I'm not sure if any of you witnessed owt though, but it could jog a memory or two.'

The three of them listened as Charlie told them how he'd recalled a brassy-looking woman making a fuss at the door as they'd taken tickets and let people in. A youth, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head, had loitered beside her. The lad had stood out as not being what he'd considered your average Jenna Johnstone fan.

‘I can remember thinking at the time that he had a shifty air about him, seemed reluctant to make eye contact or show his face.'

Charlie went on to say how he hadn't had much time to dwell on it since the brassy-looking woman started to kick off about not being allowed inside. She was insistent that she'd paid for a ticket and that Florrie had supposedly written her name in a book she kept at the counter – ‘I think she called herself Sylvia Hicksworthy, but I'm not the best with names, so you might be better checking that with Jack.' He heaved a regretful sigh. ‘Anyroad, she was creating a right stink about it, being very forceful, so Jack said he'd go and have a look, see if he could find this book she'd been wittering on about. Next thing I know she'd dropped her handbag on the floor, sending the contents rolling all over the place and blaming me for it, can you believe?'

‘Why did she blame you, Charlie, love?' Paula asked.

‘I hadn't a clue at the time. All I can remember thinking was that we needed to get rid of her and sharpish.'

‘I'm not surprised, Dad, she sounds like a right nightmare.'

‘Ugh! And some,' Charlie said. ‘I can just remember getting proper irritated because she was barking orders out, telling me to look for stuff she reckoned had rolled into the shop. By this time, folk behind her were starting to get a bit impatient. I wasn't half glad when she'd gone, which, now I come to think about it, she did all of a sudden. I can remember thinking it strange that she'd created all this drama, demanding her ticket, ordering me to find stuff and then suddenly she was gone, quick as a flash. But I was that glad to see the back of her so I could get on with letting folk in, I didn't stop to give it much thought at the time.'

‘No one can blame you for that, Charlie, it was cold outside, and folk had been waiting a long time.' Paula gave her husband's shoulder a reassuring pat.

‘Aye, that's what Jack and me were worried about. Anyroad, turns out Jack couldn't find any mention of a Sylvia Hicksworthy. His theory is that she was just trying her luck at blagging a free ticket. But after what's happened tonight, I reckon it was more like a premeditated ruse to distract us.'

‘I'm beginning to think you're right.' Ed shot Florrie a concerned look.

‘Actually, I don't recall making a record of that name anywhere, or seeing it in the list of reserved tickets, for that matter. I suppose Leah or Jean could have,' Florrie said. ‘But no one was collecting their tickets on the door. We would've told you and Jack if that had been the case, made sure you had them ready to hand over.'

‘Sounds like she was in on the plan with the little wrong 'un who tried to sabotage Jenna's reading,' Ed said.

‘Seems he made a hasty escape out the back door. We found it flapping open, same with the one to the backyard.'

Florrie recalled being faintly distracted by a disturbance from the bookshop just after the lights had gone out, but she'd assumed it had been something to do with her dad and Bear who she hadn't seen enter the reading room. It would seem she'd been wrong.

‘Right, we might as well head home,' said Charlie. He'd returned from the reading room where he'd gone to make a call to the police. ‘They said seeing as though it's not a serious incident, they won't be sending anyone out till the morning.'

‘Oh, okay.' Florrie couldn't help but feel relieved at hearing this – she was shattered and suddenly desperate to get home.

‘Mind, the lass on the phone said not to touch owt just in case it contaminates any evidence. I did tell her we'd done a bit of tidying up here in the shop, but she said not to do anything else, especially in the kitchen.'

‘Fair enough, love.' Paula gave a tight smile.

‘Might be an idea to have a last check round, make sure nothing else has been damaged or taken, even. Plus, it'd be reassuring to know that all the doors and windows have been secured before we head home. Surely that can't hurt.' Ed had put into words exactly what had been running through Florrie's mind. What had happened already was bad enough, but it didn't bear thinking about how awful it would be if they returned in the morning to find the place had been trashed.

Much as she didn't like to admit it, there was no escaping it: this latest unpleasantness could only be down to Dodgy Dick. No one else had an axe to grind with them.

‘Well, I'm just glad no one was hurt.' Her mum's words sent a shard of fear spiking through Florrie, nausea churning in her stomach.

What would have happened if her dad or Bear had tackled the youth? Goosebumps sprang up over her skin at the thought and she quickly shook it from her mind, not wanting to give any headspace to such a horrible scenario.

Their peaceful life had been turned on its head and, if the evening's unpleasantness had been anything to go by, she could only assume things were going to get worse.