CHAPTER 6
Christmas Eve morning and Rosa awoke to the cries of seagulls circling the bay. Her mouth was dry and Hot was whimpering to be let out. She reached for her phone on the bedside table. Six-thirty.
‘Oh, I’m so sorry, boy, you must be desperate. What sort of mother am I?’
She leapt out of bed and gently lifted him down. Then she pulled on a pair of joggers and an old jumper, reached for her jacket and pulled her hat over her mad curls. As it was so early, she didn’t bother with a bra or any sort of face wash. Grabbing Hot’s lead, they both scampered down the shallow fire-escape stairs, which she could access directly from her room at the end of the pub.
At the bottom, Hot peed for what seemed like ten minutes. It reminded Rosa that she hadn’t had time to pop into the ensuite bathroom.
Producing a treat from her coat pocket, she knelt down and rubbed his coat furiously with both hands. ‘Here you go, you’re a good boy. A very good boy.’ He snapped up the treats then rubbed his head against her head and sneezed.
Rosa stood up. She couldn’t believe how long she had slept. On getting back to the pub after her encounter with Luke, she’d felt a bit woozy so thought she’d have a little nap. That nap had turned into a marathon twelve-hour sleep. She must have needed it. But she was terribly thirsty now and poor Hot must be starving.
She had no idea what time any of the shops opened, so she put Hot on the lead and they made their way up the steep slope from the bay to Main Street. If anything was going to be open, it would be the Co-op.
As they walked past the Corner Shop, Rosa smiled to herself. She knew this whole thing wasn’t going to be easy, and usually, a challenge like this would make her want to run away - but because it was her challenge and hers alone she felt strangely excited. The shop looked very gloomy still, especially as she had closed the old damp blinds last night so that nobody could stare in when she was in there. But it wouldn’t be long before she sorted everything out and made it welcoming again.
She then did a double-take: for just a split second she thought she could see a light on in the kitchen at the back. Strange. She was sure she had turned it off, but then again, she had been a bit tipsy. She didn’t have the keys on her to check, but once she had fed and watered herself and her dog, she would come up and have a look. She quickly glanced again, and everything was now in complete darkness, so maybe she had just imagined it.
‘Hurrah, Hot, it’s open.’ She tied him up outside and pushed open the door.
The Co-op was empty apart from the sleepy-looking woman behind the counter who was reading a magazine and didn’t even look up when Rosa walked in. Getting herself a milkshake, a sandwich, some dog food and a copy of the South Cliffs Gazette, Rosa took her basket to the counter.
‘They won’t have reported it in there yet,’ the woman told her, still without looking up. ‘Be in next week’s edition now.’
‘Sorry, I don’t know what you mean.’ Rosa screwed up her face.
‘The incident last night. Did you not see the police car up at the Ship?’
‘Er . . . no, I didn’t.’
‘But you’re staying there, aren’t you?’
How could a complete stranger know who she was already? Rosa thought crossly.
The woman rambled on without her response. ‘Yes, terrible doings. Sheila’s son’s girlfriend decided to walk down from the station ‘cos her boyfriend was late collecting her, so I hear. Got clipped by a car, she did. Broke her ankle quite badly. What’s more, the car drove off - left her lying in the road, poor soul. If it wasn’t for Ralph Weeks doing another pick-up, she’d have been there all night. Thank goodness it’s mild down here for this time of year or she could have been a goner.’
‘Oh no, that’s terrible. The poor girl.’
‘I know. Things like that don’t happen in Cockleberry. The last time I saw a police car was when old Mrs Perivale slipped on the ice and the ambulance couldn’t get up her drive.’ The woman coughed loudly. A cough that only a lifetime of smoking could bring.
‘I’m Mary, by the way,’ she went on. ‘I live in Seaspray Cottage with my old gran. Rosa, isn’t it? That’s right,’ she answered herself. ‘Rosa Larkin. Such a pretty name.’
Did every single person in this town know who she was? Rosa made a conscious note to be more careful from now on, about who she confided in. Maybe she shouldn’t have trusted in Luke, but the Prosecco had loosened her tongue and he had seemed warm and genuine.
Rosa handed over a fiver, told Mary to put the five-pence change in the Air Ambulance charity box and quickly exited the shop.
She untied Hot, gave him a treat, then drank her milkshake down in one. Making her way back down to the beach, she thought about Mary. The latter was an interesting-looking character. With her long, dark hair that reached down to her bum and a brown, weather-beaten face, she resembled a stereotypical witch you might see in kids’ books. Rosa had no idea how old she might be. A bit like with Seb, maybe her weathered face made her look older than her years. But goodness knows how old her ‘old gran’ was, as even being kind, Mary must be in her early forties. Maybe the sea air kept you going down here, Rosa told herself. After all, Mr Myers who’d had the shop before her had been ninety-eight when he had passed.
As she reached the bay, she checked the pub car park. No sign of a police car now, just Sheila’s ancient white Golf convertible.
Rosa picked a rock to sit on, opened her sandwich and started to devour it. The winter sun was rising in the mist, and waves lapped gently against the shoreline. Although cold, Rosa felt peaceful. It really was a very special place.
She pulled bits of bacon out of her sandwich for Hot to snack on, and promised, ‘I’ll put your food down as soon as we get back, Mr Sausage.’ Doing this obviously wasn’t a good idea, as the seagulls thought it was breakfast-time for them too, which caused Hot to start barking loudly and chase around at a hundred miles an hour.
‘Ssh, little man, people are still sleeping.’
‘I wish.’
Rosa jumped. ‘Seb! You made me jump.’
‘No fry-up at the pub today then?’
‘Not today. Hot needed a walk. Is Jet here?’
‘Yes.’ Seb pointed down to the sea-edge where Jet was chasing waves. ‘The Old Bill were hanging around here last night,’ he told Rosa. ‘Thought I’d better not drive down today in case they were here now, as I’m probably still over the limit after last night in the pub. Not fancy a drink yourself last night then?’
‘I was so tired I fell asleep before seven. I can’t believe it, to be honest. I never used to do that at home.’
‘Amazing what the sea air can do to you down here.’
‘I’m beginning to realise that.’
Seb reached down and threw a stone towards the water. Hot charged off after it.
‘Anyway, the Old Bill were here because Sheila’s son’s girlfriend got hit by a car while walking down from the station. Bloody mad, in these dark streets.’ He fixed her with a critical stare. ‘You townies are all the same – too impatient. She could’ve waited for him to pick her up.’
‘Oh dear, that’s awful.’ Rosa couldn’t be bothered to tell him that she knew already. ‘Is she in hospital then or back here?’
‘In hospital. Broke her wrist, evidently.’
Rosa smiled to herself. Chinese whispers could be so dangerous. That poor girl would be in a full body-cast by lunchtime.
‘What time did all this kick off then?’ she asked. ‘Can’t believe I didn’t hear a thing.’
‘Ooh, around six thirty, maybe seven, I think.’ She then noticed Seb was staring right at her chest area. ‘Bit cold, are we?’
Rosa had undone her coat when she had sat down to eat and her nipples, without the protection of a bra, were sticking right out from her jumper. If Luke had said it she might well have responded with some flirty quip, but coming from Seb, for whom she didn’t feel one ounce of attraction, it made her feel a bit sick.
She quickly zipped her jacket back up, thinking, Dirty bastard. Attempting a weak smile, she whistled for Hot, then said briskly, ‘Right, we must go. Have a good day, Seb.’
‘Oh, it’ll be a busy morning at the station, what with it being Christmas Eve and all. I’ve got plenty of mince pies at the ready.’ He started to roll a cigarette. ‘So, will we have the pleasure of seeing you in the pub tonight? I’d hope to think so, seeing as it’s one of the highlights of the Ship’s calendar.’
‘Yes, maybe. It’s about time I fraternised with the locals, seeing as I am here for Christmas.’ And she managed a smile, despite thinking they probably all bloody knew who she was already.