The scarves were all lightweight for summer, cotton or silk, and in a range of patterns and colours from pastels to bold. Charlotte particularly liked one with a soft green background and a vibrant dash of emerald. It said ‘Rosie’ all over.
Happy with her finds, Charlotte crossed the road. There were less people about now and she found herself walking faster than normal.
You’re braver than this.
She deliberately slowed her steps, enjoying the walk in the evening air. The corner was ahead and once she went over the side street, the bookshop was only a little bit further. There were some people looking in its window.
Charlotte didn’t want to disturb them so stepped onto the grass verge. She glanced at the window. Their faces were reflected in the glass.
Their…what?
She stopped abruptly. Two men, both with longish dark hair. But where their faces should be…it didn’t make sense. They were misshapen. Her brain struggled to frame what her eyes saw. They turned.
Masks. Nothing more than scary Halloween masks.
Neither man moved.
And Charlotte couldn’t. Her legs were frozen in place. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.
One man stepped her way and she instinctively backed off the grass verge onto the road as a car approached.
The other man grabbed the first man’s arm. “Leave it, Darro.”
They took off away from the bookshop, pulling off their masks as they ran.
“Wait!” Charlotte found her voice and her legs and sprinted after them. “Come back. I need to ask you questions.”
They disappeared around a corner and she halted, panting. What on earth was she doing chasing them? The car that had scared them off pulled up alongside and a window wound down.
“Are you okay?” It was a young woman. “Do you need a lift?”
“No. I mean, yes, I’m fine thanks. I live here.”
“If you’re sure.” The car left before Charlotte could ask what they saw. If they’d seen the masks, then she had witnesses.
To what? Charlotte hurried upstairs and locked herself in. She should be calling the police. But she knew what would happen. Sid Browne would come calling and make sure her concerns didn’t make it past him. She wasn’t about to have that man anywhere near her.
Somehow, she had to find Darro and his friend and discover what was going on. And she had to do it on her own. Rosie didn’t need to be frightened.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Grey skies and steady rain greeted Charlotte when she finally woke. Dreams had filled her night. People staring at her through the bookshop window. Just staring. And then a dream that had reoccurred her whole life and always woke her in frozen fear, when a simple walk along a street turned to nightmare as lights went off and breathing behind her closed in.
She’d not had that particular dream for a while and it unnerved Charlotte. It came when she struggled with controlling her environment and was a reminder to take a step back. Except she couldn’t. Not from the sinister behaviour of too many people in this town.
With a stronger than normal coffee, Charlotte checked on the tree on the balcony. It was one little thing that made her happy, seeing it recover a bit more each day. She was sure it was growing now, the tips of its branches green and healthy.
“One day, I’ll find the perfect place and plant you. Would you like that?”
Now she was talking to trees. It made sense though. She always told her patients to verbalise their fears and worries, or at least write them down. Instead of keeping them in an endless cycle of increasing concern, this was a simple and effective way to manage them.
“Doctor heal thyself. Okay, tree, I have a problem.” She sipped coffee for a while. The rain was slowing. Humid air promised more rain or a storm.
“I think someone is trying to scare me. Or Rosie.” Time to have some tree-therapy. “Sid was very interested in the bookshop last night, then our thieves—alleged or not—did the same. But you may have noticed they went a step further and used masks.”
The tree moved a little as a breeze picked up.
“Absolutely. I agree they might have used them to protect their identity. But why were they even there? Did someone know I was heading back?”
A shiver ran up her spine. If she was being watched, why? Was Sid so determined to uncover her past that he’d stoop to this? She’d need to leave Kingfisher Falls. Charlotte’s fingers reached for the bracelet. Was there no place she could be free of the bad decisions she’d made and have a chance to start over?
Before the panic swept through her body, Charlotte stood. There was no reason to believe Sid was doing more than bluffing. Intimidating a woman who’d stood up to him. Whatever was going on in town was not of her doing, nor would she stand by and let good people be hurt. She should call Trev. Ask him some hypothetical questions.
He’ll drop everything to get here and fix it.
She sighed. This was a new predicament. Not being able to speak to police about crimes, scare tactics, and goodness knows what else. When the only police officer in town was in the middle of it, what was she to do? Rosie’s call to the general police line wasn’t exactly taken seriously, or if it was, had been explained away by Sid. And Trev had no jurisdiction here, just a mother he’d needlessly worry about if Charlotte said anything.
Today, she’d take control. No more frightening dreams if she faced things head on.
“You do look so tired, darling.” Rosie peered over the top of her glasses as Charlotte set down two takeaway coffees on the counter. “I feel terrible putting you through so much.”
“I love it. The customers are fun, and I enjoy making everything look nice. Even sweeping out the front makes me feel like I…well, belong here.”
“Well, you do belong here and I, for one, am very happy to know you.”
Not if you really
