Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea (Micklewick Bay #4)

Chapter 27

TWENTY-SEVEN

Leah was shocked when Florrie and Ed shared what had happened. ‘Oh my God! No way! I had no idea! I was that engrossed in Jenna’s awesome reading, I was totally oblivious to anything that was going on in the shop,’ she said. Hearing this had gone some way to reassuring Florrie that it had more than likely been the same for the rest of the audience.

‘But now you come to mention it, I do recall hearing a bit of a kerfuffle from the direction of the shop beforehand, when people were first coming into the reading room, but I was adding more of Jenna’s books to the table at the back and didn’t really think any more about it.’ A troubled expression clouded her young face. ‘And there was that bit of noise when Jenna was doing her reading, too.’

‘Well, try not to worry about it. We think it was just some daft lad playing a prank and showing off to his friends, but obviously we’re going to do all we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again,’ Florrie told her. She and Ed had agreed to play down the sinister side of what had happened, not wanting to frighten their young assistant. They were also keen not to broadcast that Dodgy Dick might be behind it, worrying it could be bad for business if word got out, something that would no doubt afford the slippery businessman a degree of satisfaction, which neither Ed nor Florrie were keen to do.

Florrie and Ed had been talking to PC Nixon for the last half hour while the scenes of crime officer was busy dusting for fingerprints around the back door and kitchen. They’d called round from the local station in response to Charlie reporting last night’s disturbance. The couple had also filled the police officer in on the incident with the Christmas tree and the envelope filled with pieces of smashed snow globe. Florrie was reluctant to mention Dodgy Dick’s visit to the bookshop with Wendy for fear of antagonising him and making the situation worse. The slippery character seemed to revel in his growing reputation amongst the locals as someone to keep on the right side of, and she didn’t think he’d take kindly to having his collar felt by the local police force. Florrie was relieved when Ed had agreed with her, albeit reluctantly.

PC Nixon was draining his mug of tea, Gerty’s eyes glued to the plate of biscuits before him on the table, when there was a knock at the door of the reading room. The three of them turned to see Leah walk in, her cheeks flushed.

‘Jean’s just popped in, said she’d look after things for a minute.’

‘Oh, right,’ said Florrie, curious as to what could be responsible for the agitated expression on their young assistant’s face.

Leah tapped on the screen of her mobile phone and held it out to Florrie. ‘I was checking the bookshop’s social media pages when I spotted we’d been tagged in this.’

With Ed leaning into her, Florrie watched the video footage of people queueing outside the shop the previous night. Though it had been dark, the streetlights and those above the shop’s signage had been bright enough for the phone camera to pick out people’s faces.

‘Thought the woman who was causing all the drama and the lad that was with her might be on there. There’s more, too, loads actually.’

‘There!’ said Ed. ‘Pause the video!’

Florrie acted as quickly as she could. ‘Where am I looking?’

‘That woman with the massive hair. Her. There!’

Florrie squinted at where Ed’s finger was pointing, enlarging the image. Sure enough, there was a woman who fitted her dad’s description. And standing beside her was a lanky youth, his face clear for all to see as his hoodie had momentarily slipped backwards, revealing his face.

Florrie pressed her hand to her mouth. ‘Leah, you’re a star! I reckon that’s them.’

‘It just crossed my mind that there might be a chance they’d be captured in someone’s photos, knowing how people are keen to share stuff like this, especially with it being something as popular as a Jenna Johnstone event.’

‘Good thinking, young lady,’ said PC Nixon. ‘Maybe you should consider a change of career and come and join us.’ He chuckled and Leah smiled shyly.

‘Don’t suppose they’re familiar to you, PC Nixon?’ Ed asked, as Florrie handed the police officer the phone.

PC Nixon’s eyebrows twitched as he looked at the screen. ‘Oh, they’re familiar all right, too familiar for my liking, actually.’ He glanced over at Leah. ‘Do you mind if I take a look at some more?’

‘Not at all. There’s this, too.’ Leah took her phone and tapped on the screen, handing it back to him.

He regarded further similar footage of the youth and the bouffant-haired woman, shaking his head. ‘I’ll need you to send me the link to these.’ He fished around his pocket, pulling out a small card. ‘Here’s my number.’

‘’Course.’ Leah nodded.

‘Right then, I’ll need to speak to Jack and your father, Florrie, but leave it with me and I’ll see what we can find out,’ PC Nixon said.

‘Okay, thank you.’

With the police officers gone, Ed and Florrie asked Jean to join them in the reading room while Leah manned the till.

‘Oh, my goodness! All that was going on while Jenna was doing her reading?’ Jean said in disbelief when they’d finished updating her on the drama.

‘It was.’ Ed nodded.

‘Credit to your dad, Bear and my Jack for keeping it so well contained.’ Jean’s brow crumpled. ‘Mind, what a dreadful thing to do, causing a power cut like that. But it was very impressive of Jenna not to get fazed by it at all. She just carried on, in her element, reading to everyone.’ Her face brightened at the mention of the author. ‘She’s a lovely lass, that one. Hasn’t let her success go to her head, same as my Jack.’

‘You’re right there, Jean.’ Her words raised a smile from Florrie. ‘From your reaction, I’m guessing Jack hasn’t mentioned anything to you, about what happened last night, I mean?’

‘Not a word, lovey, but then again, I suppose he hasn’t had the chance. He and Jenna headed straight to The Cellar after the reading, and I haven’t seen him today. Though before he left last night, he did mention something about the possibility of taking Jenna back home to Newcastle, what with the trains being what they are.’

‘That’s fair enough.’ Florrie assumed he hadn’t wanted to worry his mum with her living alone and going back to an empty house. Her next thought had been that Jack and Jenna had clearly got along well the previous evening. The implications gladdened her heart.

‘Well, let’s hope the police trace the culprit, and quickly at that. Bernard would turn in his grave if he thought this was going on.’

Florrie tucked her chin deeper into her scarf. She was beginning to wish she hadn’t ventured quite so far along the top prom taking Gerty for a walk. The wind, whipping in from a gun-metal-grey sea, frothing with white breakers, was bone-numbingly cold and she hadn’t passed many other folk daft enough to brave the elements.

She had to do a double-take as she spotted Jack and Jenna walking towards her. Despite the plummeting temperature, the pair were chatting away happily, sauntering along at a leisurely pace, Jenna’s infectious laugh whipped away on a sudden icy gust. They didn’t seem to notice the pinhead flakes of Alpine snow that the sky had suddenly decided to scatter over them. But what had really piqued Florrie’s interest was that they were holding hands. ‘Oh, wow!’ she said under her breath, her heart lifting at the sight. Jean would be over the moon to see this.

Spotting her, Jenna gave an enthusiastic wave. ‘Hiya, Florrie, pet.’

‘Now then, Florrie,’ Jack said in a familiar Yorkshire greeting. He was wearing a warm smile.

‘Hi there.’ Florrie waved back, smiling broadly as Gerty tugged hard on her lead to get to them.

With greetings out of the way and a thorough ear ruffling for Gerty from both authors, Jenna asked, ‘How’s your day been so far? Jack told me about last night, by the way.’ Her words clouded in front of her as her smile fell. ‘I’m so sorry someone would think to do such a thing, it’s shocking. Mind, it’d take more than a piddly power cut to get me to shut my trap!’ The author gave another giggle, making Jack and Florrie laugh, too.

As the wind swirled around them, Florrie went on to explain about the social media footage and the visit from the police officer, as well as filling them in on the other things that had happened in the build-up to last night’s act of sabotage. ‘Hopefully, they’ll be able to trace whoever was responsible and put an end to the trouble we’ve been having.’

‘That Dodgy Dick bloke is getting way too big for his boots, and he’s not being too clever about how he goes about his little intimidation campaigns either,’ Jack said, his nose a vivid red from the cold. ‘Mark my words, he’ll get himself caught before long.’

‘It won’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned,’ said Florrie, just as a seagull started screeching from a nearby rooftop.

Jenna reached out and gave Florrie’s arm a sympathetic pat. ‘I’m glad we’ve seen you actually, pet. I have an idea and I’d like your opinion.’

‘Ooh, I’m intrigued.’ Jenna’s words had resurrected Florrie’s smile.

‘Mind, it’s so bloomin’ cold here and we’re starting to get a covering of snow on us – we’re going to end up looking like snowmen! Tell you what, Jack needs to pop in on his mam, so why don’t I meet you at the bookshop? We can have a chat about it there?’

‘Are you sure you have time? I mean, aren’t you heading back today?’ Florrie asked. She reckoned it must be getting on for half past two already.

‘I’ve talked Jenna into staying for an extra day.’ Jack’s grin was classic cat-that-got-the-cream.

‘Uh-huh, that’s right, Jack had very kindly offered to take me home today – the trains have been cancelled again – but then, as I don’t have to be back until Saturday evening, we both thought I might as well hang around here for a bit longer, make the most of it. I have to be honest, I’m quite taken with Micklewick Bay.’

And not just Micklewick Bay, from what I can see.

‘So, this is only a suggestion, and please don’t feel you have to agree to it if it’ll interfere with your plans, okay? I promise you I won’t be offended, pet.’ Jenna flashed a smile at Florrie, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea. In the warmth of the reading room, she was sitting opposite the bookshop owner at the very same desk she’d given the reading from the previous night.

Florrie smiled back, thinking she could listen to Jenna’s Geordie accent till the cows came home, it had such a happy ring to it. She adjusted her glasses and leant forward, resting her chin on her hand. ‘Fire away, I’m all ears.’

‘Righto, here goes. How would you feel about me coming back to the bookshop to do a book signing session? It’d be to compensate for last night, with it being cut short, like.’

‘Are you serious?’ Oh my days! This was music to Florrie’s ears.

‘Uh-huh. I’m deadly serious. There’s no way I’m gonna let that brute Dodgy Duck, or whatever the plonker’s called?—’

Florrie snorted, almost choking on her tea. ‘It’s Dodgy Dick, but I like Dodgy Duck. It has a wonderfully comedic ring to it, that somehow suits him so much better.’ She and Jenna dissolved into a fit of the giggles, Jenna’s cackle filling the room.

When their hilarity had finally subsided, Jenna elaborated on her suggestion, saying how she was planning regular visits to Micklewick Bay and that she’d be staying with Jack.

Interesting!

‘We could use the opportunity to do a further book signing session. In fact, if it works for you, I could probably squeeze one in just after Christmas, if you fancy? I’ll let you know the dates I think I’ll be here, and we can take it from there,’ Jenna said with a wide smile.

‘That would be brilliant, thank you!’ Florrie’s mind set to work straight away. It wouldn’t matter if the book signing was organised at short notice, Jenna was so popular, she was sure it would be a success.

‘Now, this is strictly confidential, cos it’s just very early stages – though you can tell Ed, of course,’ Jenna said, conspiratorially, her hazel eyes twinkling, ‘but Jack and me were actually talking about organising some sort of book festival for the town in the summer, like.’

Florrie gave a gasp of delight. ‘Oh, wow!’ she whispered. ‘That would be fantastic!’

Jenna beamed at Florrie’s reaction. ‘I’m chuffed to bits you like the idea. We thought we could get a few authors together, do some talks, Q&As, workshops, that sort of thing. We could maybe even hold some of the events here, if you fancy? Really showcase this gorgeous gem of a bookshop.’

A wave of excitement rushed through Florrie. ‘This is like a dream. It would be awesome to hold some of the events here. In fact – keep this to yourself, though it’s okay for Jack to know – but Ed and I have plans to extend the bookshop and create a tearoom here. Like your book festival idea, it’s very early days but we’re currently having plans drawn up that involve converting the flat upstairs.’

Jenna’s eyes grew wide. ‘A tearoom in a bookshop? Could there be anything more perfect?’