Read Online 3 A Reformed Character by Cecilia Peartree - Free Book Online
Authors: Cecilia Peartree
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knew him...' She thought over what she had just said, and gave a bitter laugh. 'I don't suppose they'll be so keen to have him round there now.'
'Do you think it's even possible that - ' Amaryllis began and then came to a halt. Jock, realising she had been about to ask a silly question such as, did Mrs Laidlaw think Darren could have committed the murder, had stood on her foot. She had done well not to yelp or scream. Maybe she was saving that for when they were on their own. He hoped she would be gentle in her retaliation.
Tricia Laidlaw stood up. 'I'd better go round to the police station now.'
'Good luck with that,' said Jock.
'Let me know if you need any help,' said Amaryllis. She wrote her phone number on a piece of paper and gave it to the other woman, who folded it carefully into her purse as if it was valuable. It might be more valuable than she knew, Jock thought, watching. If Amaryllis took on a project, she wouldn't rest until she had completed it to her satisfaction. 'Is there a Mr Laidlaw? I mean - Darren's dad?'
There was a long pause, and Jock wondered if Amaryllis had finally crossed the line between friendly curiosity and utter nosiness.
'No,' said Tricia Laidlaw. 'He's - out of the picture.'
They all went out together.
'Has Victoria been to see you?' said Jock, almost as an afterthought.
'Victoria?'
'Victoria Petrelli,' said Jock. Surely he hadn't said the wrong thing with that. Any mother would be pleased if her son went out with someone as pretty and - well, pretty - as Victoria.
'I don't know - why should she come and see me?' said Mrs Laidlaw, looking genuinely puzzled.
Jock thought about it a bit. 'Well, just to talk about Darren, or something,'
He wasn't entirely sure what a girl-friend and a mother would talk about under the circumstances, but surely there was something.
'Talk about Darren?'
'Mrs Laidlaw,' said Amaryllis gently 'Did you know Darren was seeing Victoria?'
'Darren seeing Victoria Petrelli? No, surely not! What gave you that idea?'
'We met them together - they came to our caravan asking for help - didn't he tell you?' said Amaryllis.
Mrs Laidlaw actually swayed on her feet, and clutched at the gatepost for support. Jock moved a little closer to her, thinking he might catch her if she fell.
'He can't be - surely they're just friends?' she said faintly.
'Maybe that's what it was,' said Jock. He didn't want to distress the woman even more. He hoped Amaryllis wouldn't pester her with more questions.
'I've got to go now, anyway,' said Tricia Laidlaw and hurried off up the road.
Jock walked in the opposite direction, willing Amaryllis to follow. She did, but she soon overtook him and rushed along as if it was nearly closing time at the Queen of Scots.
'Where are we going?' said Jock to Amaryllis. He was already a bit out of breath trying to keep up with her. She was obviously heading somewhere in a hurry.
'The Petrellis,' she said. 'I hope you feel like an ice-cream sundae.'
'I'm a knickerbocker glory man myself.'
'I thought you might be.'
Chapter 7 Ice-cream surprise
Amaryllis walked faster than usual to prove to herself she hadn't suffered any after-effects from Giancarlo's assault. If Jock couldn't keep up, it was too bad. She would leave him behind if necessary - no room for passengers. She was still annoyed with herself for having to take two painkiller tablets first thing that morning. Her elbow had bothered her all night, with odd random twinges interspersed with shooting pains if she accidentally lay on that side; and she got a pain in her back when she walked. She couldn't remember feeling so bad since the time in Kazakhstan... But she drew a mental veil over all the events of that mission.
They seemed to be the first customers of the day in the Petrelli's restaurant, a small but prosperous-looking place not far from the harbour. Half of it was a takeaway that served ice-cream during the day and fish and chips in the evenings, and the other
'Do you think it's even possible that - ' Amaryllis began and then came to a halt. Jock, realising she had been about to ask a silly question such as, did Mrs Laidlaw think Darren could have committed the murder, had stood on her foot. She had done well not to yelp or scream. Maybe she was saving that for when they were on their own. He hoped she would be gentle in her retaliation.
Tricia Laidlaw stood up. 'I'd better go round to the police station now.'
'Good luck with that,' said Jock.
'Let me know if you need any help,' said Amaryllis. She wrote her phone number on a piece of paper and gave it to the other woman, who folded it carefully into her purse as if it was valuable. It might be more valuable than she knew, Jock thought, watching. If Amaryllis took on a project, she wouldn't rest until she had completed it to her satisfaction. 'Is there a Mr Laidlaw? I mean - Darren's dad?'
There was a long pause, and Jock wondered if Amaryllis had finally crossed the line between friendly curiosity and utter nosiness.
'No,' said Tricia Laidlaw. 'He's - out of the picture.'
They all went out together.
'Has Victoria been to see you?' said Jock, almost as an afterthought.
'Victoria?'
'Victoria Petrelli,' said Jock. Surely he hadn't said the wrong thing with that. Any mother would be pleased if her son went out with someone as pretty and - well, pretty - as Victoria.
'I don't know - why should she come and see me?' said Mrs Laidlaw, looking genuinely puzzled.
Jock thought about it a bit. 'Well, just to talk about Darren, or something,'
He wasn't entirely sure what a girl-friend and a mother would talk about under the circumstances, but surely there was something.
'Talk about Darren?'
'Mrs Laidlaw,' said Amaryllis gently 'Did you know Darren was seeing Victoria?'
'Darren seeing Victoria Petrelli? No, surely not! What gave you that idea?'
'We met them together - they came to our caravan asking for help - didn't he tell you?' said Amaryllis.
Mrs Laidlaw actually swayed on her feet, and clutched at the gatepost for support. Jock moved a little closer to her, thinking he might catch her if she fell.
'He can't be - surely they're just friends?' she said faintly.
'Maybe that's what it was,' said Jock. He didn't want to distress the woman even more. He hoped Amaryllis wouldn't pester her with more questions.
'I've got to go now, anyway,' said Tricia Laidlaw and hurried off up the road.
Jock walked in the opposite direction, willing Amaryllis to follow. She did, but she soon overtook him and rushed along as if it was nearly closing time at the Queen of Scots.
'Where are we going?' said Jock to Amaryllis. He was already a bit out of breath trying to keep up with her. She was obviously heading somewhere in a hurry.
'The Petrellis,' she said. 'I hope you feel like an ice-cream sundae.'
'I'm a knickerbocker glory man myself.'
'I thought you might be.'
Chapter 7 Ice-cream surprise
Amaryllis walked faster than usual to prove to herself she hadn't suffered any after-effects from Giancarlo's assault. If Jock couldn't keep up, it was too bad. She would leave him behind if necessary - no room for passengers. She was still annoyed with herself for having to take two painkiller tablets first thing that morning. Her elbow had bothered her all night, with odd random twinges interspersed with shooting pains if she accidentally lay on that side; and she got a pain in her back when she walked. She couldn't remember feeling so bad since the time in Kazakhstan... But she drew a mental veil over all the events of that mission.
They seemed to be the first customers of the day in the Petrelli's restaurant, a small but prosperous-looking place not far from the harbour. Half of it was a takeaway that served ice-cream during the day and fish and chips in the evenings, and the other
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