tears followed the first, plunging down Jodie’s cheeks. ‘I don’t remember his number plate.’ Her mouth stretched around a sob. ‘Shane’s my boyfriend. I’ve been with him for months, he almost lived here—’
‘About that.’ Alexia clasped her aching forehead. ‘You know some of the money in the community account was cleared by cheques paid into a few different accounts?’
Jodie gave the tiniest of nods.
Alexia stroked her friend’s arm through her dressing gown. ‘Gabe and I have an appointment with the bank tomorrow and we’re hoping you’ll come.’ She cleared her throat miserably. ‘The thing is … the cheque numbers relate to the cheque book we keep here so a likely scenario is that …’ About to say as he got so close to you she looked at the misery and pain on her friend’s face and changed it to, ‘as we let him pretty much run tame here, he had access to it.’
Slowly Jodie’s face crumpled. ‘How could he?’
Although she knew Jodie was beseeching her to explain how Shane could treat Jodie that way, Alexia shied away from any discussion that might lead to the conclusion that Jodie had been a mug. ‘The DC said it’s possible Shane’s a confidence trickster. Obviously time’s been invested in pulling together his plan and it probably won’t be the first time he’s done it. By sharing space with you he got access to your laptop, your security gadget from the bank and the cheque book.’
With a howl, Jodie lost what was left of her composure. ‘All the cheque books. My private bank accounts are empty too-oo-oo!’
Shock swept through Alexia. ‘Oh, no! Oh, Jodes. For some reason that hadn’t occurred to me. Have you called the police?’
‘Noooo-oo-oo,’ Jodie bawled, flinging her arms around Alexia and burying her head against her shoulder.
‘Then tell DC Fitzhugh when you go and see him. And you’ll have to notify the bank.’ She slipped her arms around Jodie’s quaking body. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’
‘Yes plea-ea-ease!’
It was some time before Jodie stopped howling. Alexia hugged and patted her and passed her tissues, stunned by the cruelty of her friend’s humiliation. Ben’s disappointing behaviour paled into insignificance when compared with the cynical way Shane had used Jodie.
‘Th-thank you for not being cross,’ Jodie hiccupped eventually.
‘Of course I’m not cross. You’re the sister I never had, remember?’ Alexia referenced the phrase they’d used as teenagers. Jodie, older by two years, had always been ready with teenage wisdom at important moments, such as Alexia’s ‘first time’. At the end the boy goes ‘ruuuhhhhh’ and falls on you but he’ll be OK after a minute.
In their twenties it had been Alexia who’d blossomed, following her star despite not being able to complete university, determined not to stagger from one financial crisis to another like her dad, nor to rely on a man, like her mum. Jodie, less driven, had been content with working in cosy coffee shops popular with customers who liked a chat as well as a well-risen scone.
Alexia had been surprised when Jodie agreed to join with Gabe to run The Angel Community Café. Responsibility didn’t feature large in her comfort zone – in fact it was a prime cause of anxiety for her – but probably Gabe, with his innate good sense and decades of financial experience, had made it seem nice and safe.
Now everything had gone wrong. Alexia and Gabe were struggling for a grip on the nightmare of being the victims of crime. Jodie had gone to pieces. Christopher Carlysle, who’d only ever lent his good name to The Community Café fundraising account, was making it plain he had not expected to be dragged into the fallout from theft by deception.
And how the hell was this whole ugly mess to be explained to the villagers? So many had joined in the fundraising—
Jodie thumped the sofa cushion, jolting Alexia out of her unhappy reverie. ‘You’re supposed to be the businesswoman, Alexia!’
Alexia, her legs aching from crouching for so long, wobbled dangerously. She’d thought herself inured to Jodie’s lightning changes of mood but this one caught her by surprise. ‘What?’
Jodie’s face was blotched red but her mouth was set in a stubborn line. ‘You obviously didn’t check Shane out, did you?’
Alexia hauled herself to her feet, rubbing her knees to bring the circulation back. ‘One of the ways I check contractors out is to go on personal recommendation from someone I trust! In this case, the person I trust would be you. FYI, you’re also the reason he’s half-lived here, eating us out of house and home while, it turns out, he poked his nasty nose into our private things, stole anything he could get his shitty hands on including a lot of money we were responsible for, and left us to face the music.’
Though understanding it was fear that made Jodie snap and snarl like an injured animal, the attack left Alexia feeling sick and trembly. ‘I’m going to have a few drinks at The Three Fishes. Coming?’ The invitation was tacked-on with little enthusiasm.
‘I just want to stay here.’ Jodie turned her face into the cushions.
Alexia gazed at her, shoulders quivering under a mantle of unbrushed hair. ‘Do you want to phone DC Fitzhugh before I go?’
Jodie’s voice came out muffled. ‘No.’
Trying to persuade Jodie in this mood was like trying to cajole a timid dog out from under a bed – it was best for everyone to wait until she felt safe. Alexia shrugged wearily back into her jacket and let herself out of the front door. Her days didn’t usually involve being in the pub at six o’clock, but sod it. Her days didn’t usually involve fraud, theft, betrayal and a horrible throb of panic beneath her breastbone, either.
It was only a five-minute walk to The Three Fishes but it was chilly enough that Alexia was glad to push open the door into the pub’s bright warmth and make for a stool at the bar. Janice the barmaid appeared from the back regions as Alexia propped her elbows wearily on the polished wood. ‘A very big glass of Sauvignon blanc, please.’
Janice reached for a glass. ‘Your wrecking party took all our trade on Saturday night, by the way, so you’re on Tubb’s shit list.’
‘Unfortunately, the landlord being cranky doesn’t even make the top ten of “Alexia’s things to worry about” right now.’
Janice laughed as she placed the frosty glass in front of Alexia along with a tumbler of ice, not needing to be reminded that Alexia liked to pop ice into her wine no matter how well chilled it was already.
Alexia took a big gulp of wine to fortify herself before reaching for her phone. She hadn’t wanted to rub salt into wounds by checking her private accounts in front of Jodie but she was almost shaking with trepidation as she opened her banking app …
Phew. She took another big gulp of wine in relief. Both personal and business accounts were intact. Though he might have been able to find her Internet banking security device in her drawer, Shitty Shane hadn’t had the opportunity to look over her shoulder and catch her passwords as he probably had Jodie’s.
Grateful for small mercies but feeling decidedly un-chatty, she kept her eyes trained on her phone screen as she worked her way steadily
