And The Earth Moved: Romantic Comedy Cozy Mystery (Amber Reed CCIA Mystery Book 1) (16 page)

I take a moment to think about it. “Happier,” I eventually reply.

Charlie quirks an eyebrow. “Oh? You don’t think he’s happy now?”

“In some ways, yes but being famous has come with a heavy price for Ennis.”

Charlie rubs at the stubble on his chin. “The media hassle you mean?”

I nod, huddling a little further into my coat.

“For a guy who claims to crave the quiet life he seems to surround himself with excitement and drama and not in a good way either. He’s hiding from the world’s press, has a volatile brother who’s probably been murdered and a sulky high maintenance girlfriend.”

I sigh. “Sometimes I think Ennis would rather go back to the days before he became a star.”

“What’s the deal with Siobhan anyway?” Charlie asks. “I get the impression she’s not very happy these days either.”

“I think she’s just protective of Ennis and probably a teeny bit insecure too. Dating someone famous and someone voted Sexiest Guy on TV at that, it must be tough.  Everyone wants Ennis. Including lots of women. Siobhan isn’t in show business. She’s an air hostess. I should say she
was
an air hostess. She’s on sabbatical at the moment.”

“You two don’t seem to get along,” he says.

“No, we don’t. I’ve tried but…”

“She’s jealous of you,” he finishes.

I’m not sure what to say to that.

“Come on.” Charlie gets to his feet. “Enough with the leisurely lunch, we’ve work to do.”

“Time’s getting on,” I say much later as Charlie surveys yet another potential vantage point over the quarry.

“Yeah, we’ll have to head back soon.” He lifts the binoculars from around his neck up to his eyes and scans the view with them.

“Any good?” I ask.

“Not much better than any of the others we’ve checked out today.” He lets the binoculars hang around his neck on their strap again and shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“So which one is the winner then, Agent Huxton? Which one of these vantage posts are we coming back to in the pitch black tonight?”

“Couple of options. I’ll have a think about it over the next few hours. Come on.” He slips an arm across my shoulders and it has its usual affect. I feel myself grow warm despite the cool breeze. “Time to be making tracks.”

Chapter Twenty One

I put another glass of wine on the bar in front of Debs. Outside the wind howls and the rain hurls itself against the windows. I shudder. In an hour, once I finish my shift, I’m going to be crouched on some bit of rock peering down into a dark quarry. 

“So,” Debs says, sipping her drink. “You seem to be spending rather a lot of time with this Charlie guy who’s investigating the trouble up at Ennis’s place. What exactly is going on up there?”

I shrug. “Haven’t a clue.”

“So are you and him, you know, getting serious?”

“Not really, no,” I say, realising a part of me is wishing the opposite was true.

“Another pint please, Amber.”

Liam hauls his six-foot-plus frame onto a bar stool and fixes me with a smile. “Whenever you’re ready, sweetheart,” he adds. “No rush.”

I find it difficult to get the measure of Liam. I know he has a taste for trouble but at the same time I’ve seen him capable of being so pleasant and polite. Maybe it’s just because he likes me and he’s on best behaviour when he’s around me. He did ask me out once but I used the sex-with-the-ex episode as an excuse, saying I wasn’t ready to dip my toe back into the dating pool just yet.

I quickly sort his drink, aware of Liam’s eyes following my every move, making me feel a little nervous. 

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

Liam hands me a five pound note, pressing it slowly and deliberately into my palm. “Keep the change.”

Debs shudders as he disappears off to the corner of the pub again to his table for one. She lowers her voice. “That guy seriously gives me the creeps. Liam’s certainly a strange character,” she adds as she fidgets on her bar stool. “I wonder what is going on up at that quarry of his?”

That, I think, is exactly what Charlie and I intend to try and find out tonight.

Then I spot her. Siobhan has just walked into the pub. She never comes in here. Amazingly she seems to be alone too. This could be my chance to find out what she was about to tell me the other day. She takes a seat at the far end of the bar and I notice Liam eyeing her up. I scoot over before she changes her mind and makes a dash for the door.

“Siobhan, lovely to see you!” I enthuse, pasting on my best barmaid smile. “What can I get you?”

She looks around and clutches her bag close to her chest. “Nothing. Is there somewhere we can talk? In private?”

I nod. “One second.”

“Debs, I have to nip out the back for a minute. Can you keep an eye on things for me please and give me a shout if anyone wants serving?”

“Sure,” she answers, looking at Siobhan and me, curiosity evident in her eyes.

I close the door behind us and face Siobhan. “Are you OK? Is Ennis? Is something wrong? What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Joel,” she replies.

I feel a tingle of anticipation run through me. “What about him? Is this the thing you were about to tell me the other day in the kitchen up at Ennis’ place?”

She nods. “Yes. It’s been bugging me. I didn’t tell you to start with because I thought,” she starts to chew on a perfectly manicured finger nail. “I thought it might make me one of your prime suspects or something. So I kept quiet but Ennis is so upset about all this business with Joel, and I was afraid it would somehow come out anyway and then he’d be mad at me for not saying and…”

“What is it?” I ask, wishing she’d get on with it rather than rambling. Any second now somebody could want a drink and Debs will shout me and the opportunity to find out her secret could be lost. “Siobhan? What is it? Tell me what happened with Joel.”

Chapter Twenty Two

“Joel kissed me.”

I take a deep breath. Now
that
I was not expecting.

“When? Where?” I gasp.

“Up at the house. A day after he arrived. I was alone upstairs and Ennis was in the gym which is in one of the outbuildings. Joel came out of his room and grabbed my hand as I was walking across the landing to the stairs. He pushed me back against the wall and kissed me. I shoved him off and slapped him. Asked him what the bloody hell he thought he was playing at.”

“And?” I prompt, one ear listening for Debs in case she has to shout me back through to the bar.
Please don’t let anybody want serving in the next five minutes.

“He made it obvious he wanted more. I told him to get lost, well, words to that effect. He said he’d tell Ennis I came on to him. I said he was crazy if he thought Ennis would believe him before he’d believe me, but I knew Joel was volatile, trouble. Then he said maybe he wouldn’t tell Ennis himself. Said he’d sell a ‘my night with brother’s hot girl’ story to the trashy mags and papers instead. Said he needed more money in his bank account as it was getting a bit too low for his liking. I knew he was capable of doing something like that and I knew it would destroy Ennis and cause a whole load more problems for his career and his reputation. I just walked away and he stood there laughing at me. I thought about telling Ennis what he’d said afterwards but things were already so difficult between them that I didn’t want to add to Ennis’ worries. He was struggling to learn lines for work and get into character for his next role, and all this wasn’t helping him any.”

She transfers her nervous chewing from her finger nail to her bottom lip. “I love Ennis. I don’t want him to know what his brother did. Joel is gone now. He can’t hurt us anymore. We can try to get on with our lives once the case is solved and the funeral has taken place. Please promise me you won’t tell Ennis.”

“I’ll do my best, Siobhan. You know I’d never do anything to hurt him. He’s a good friend. The only problem is, if this is relevant to the case then the truth will have to come out.”

“I didn’t kill him!” she shouts and I frantically shush at her.

I place a reassuring hand on her arm. “I know. Don’t worry. I’ve got to tell Charlie about this, but we swear this goes no further unless it has to for legal reasons. OK?”

She nods, looking deflated. “I suppose that’s the best I can hope for in the circumstances.”

“Siobhan, why did Ennis let Joel come to stay if things were so bad between them?”

“Because he couldn’t say no to his mum when she asked him to. She was worried about Joel being drunk all the while. She asked Ennis, begged him, to let Joel come and stay with us. Wanted them to try and sort these bad feelings out between them. She wanted them to get back to being brothers, like they used to be before Ennis became famous and Joel decided to ditch his job and spend his time milking Ennis for everything. She honestly thought Ennis would be a good influence on Joel. I suppose, as usual, she was just pushing Joel onto someone else so she didn’t have to worry about him or try to sort him out herself. I hate that woman.”

I place a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for telling me all this. I truly appreciate it.”

“I didn’t do it.” She laughs nervously. “I know that sounds stupid and it’s what a person who did do something illegal would probably say anyway, but it is the truth. I swear. I might have hated Joel but I wasn’t alone in that and he was, at the end of the day, still Ennis’ brother. I’m not a murderer and, before you say anything, I didn’t go up to that quarry that night. I didn’t sneak out to follow him and confront him. I certainly didn’t push him off the edge – deliberately or accidentally. I swear. I was at home all night with Ennis. I didn’t go anywhere.”

“Amber!” Debs voice rings through from the bar.

“I have to get back to work but thanks, Siobhan. You did the right thing telling me.”

I head back to the bar, all the time wondering if maybe Siobhan is somehow involved in Joel’s death, despite her protests to the contrary.

Chapter Twenty Three

We’re on a ledge not far from our designated surveillance spot. There’s a narrow section to traverse before we reach the slightly enclosed area where we’ll be spending the next few hours, crouched together in the darkness.

Charlie goes first and then waits for me to cross the narrow ledge. Seeing my hesitation he holds out a hand. I’m not good with heights but I haven’t told Charlie that for fear he’ll try to use it as an excuse to stop me coming here with him tonight. I gratefully take his hand and, holding my breath, gingerly take a step towards the ledge.

“Be decisive,” Charlie instructs. “You’ve got to be confident about where you’re putting your feet.”

Determined not to embarrass myself I try to conjure up positive, decisive thoughts as instructed, step onto the ledge and silently pray I’ll reach the other side of it safely.

The next thing I know I feel my foot start to slip, panic rising inside me. I’m going to fall a hundred foot into a quarry. I stop breathing, arms flailing in the air. This is it. The way my life ends.

“I’ve got you.”

I feel strong arms grab me, pulling me to safety. Daring to open my eyes I see I’ve now got my back up against the edge of the quarry wall and Charlie is standing in front of me, blocking me from the edge and certain death. Relief courses through every inch of me and I meet his gaze. He’s so close.

I’m not sure which of us makes the first move. Maybe we both move at exactly the same time, but I experience a rush of excitement and pleasure as his lips brush softly, teasingly against the corner of my mouth. At that moment a low rumbling noise starts in the distance and grows ever nearer. The earth, quite literally, starts to shake beneath our feet.

The earth is moving as we kiss.

For a second I wonder if it’s one of those magical moments like in books and films – they really do exist! Then, as Charlie ends the kiss and grabs my hand, pulling me away from the ledge and across, back into safer territory, I realise it’s all real.

It wasn’t the kiss which made the earth move. It was something else entirely.

What on earth just happened? An illegal quarry blast? Another earth tremor? An explosion? A warning of danger from the ancient standing stones up above us? It sounded similar to the noise we heard that night at the guest wing but somehow quieter.

“Did the earth just move for you too?” I attempt to quip, catching my breath and glancing at Charlie.

He nods. “It did. It was a proper earth tremor but very low on the Richter Scale I’d say. The ground seems to be getting quite unstable around here. Anyway, we can safely say it wasn’t from you kissing me,” he pauses, then adds cheekily, “though that was pretty good.”

“Hang on, excuse me, did you just say from
me
kissing
you
? I’m fairly certain it was you who kissed me.” In truth I’m not certain at all but I can’t let him think I’ve accosted him.

“Actually I think it was you who kissed me first,” he insists.

“Do you always have to be right?” I challenge.

His face breaks into a smile which reaches all the way to his eyes and he nods. “Usually, yeah.”

In a split second he steps forward, slips a hand around my waist and slowly eases me back against the wall of rock behind us. His kiss is rich, deep, yet surprisingly gentle. I feel myself starting to respond in spite of where we are. Maybe it’s because I’m in shock after my near fall. That’s my excuse anyway. The kiss seems to go on forever and, at the same time, it seems to end all too soon.

When he eventually releases me, he whispers in my ear, “Now
I’ve
kissed
you
.”

I lift a hand to my lips. “Yes. You have.”

He steps away but still holds my hand. “Right, let’s get down to business.”

“What?” I gasp, startled. “Up here? In the quarry? You kiss me and then you think we’re going to…”

“I meant business as in finding this exact spot where we can see the quarry to get this surveillance stuff under way.”

I flush with embarrassment. “Oh, right, yes, of course. I knew that. Not that I would have, well, you know, with you, up here. I mean I hardly know you and…”

“No, of course not,” he replies, with a smile which tells me he suspects otherwise.

“What are you doing?”

Charlie looks at me over his shoulder and I desperately try not to fidget. “My bottom’s going numb. It feels like we’ve been here for hours and nothing has happened. Apart from me getting increasingly numb, cold and hungry.”

“We’ve been here less than half an hour,” Charlie says in an amiable tone. “You’re not the most patient of people are you?”

“Half an hour? Seriously? Is that all?”

Charlie nods and turns back to the quarry where precisely zilch has happened since we arrived. I should have been spending my time concentrating and peering into the darkness of the quarry doing my night watchwoman duties. In reality I have spent my time thinking about and overanalysing that kiss as well as trying to achieve the impossible by finding a comfortable position on the cold quarry ledge.

Silence falls as Charlie once again lifts his night vision binoculars to his eyes and scans the quarry for any signs of activity.

“Look!” Charlie hisses and points towards the quarry hole. It’s vast and it’s dark but even I can make out some pinpricks of light in the distance.

A vehicle is slowly making its way across the base of the quarry. We watch in silence as it starts to bump and rattle its way up one of the tracks on the other side. After a few moments it parks in front of an area with six-foot-high metal fences around it.

Charlie has his binoculars trained on the vehicle and hands me a pair too, pointing in the direction of the van. I look through and tweak the controls on the binoculars until I get a clear picture. I focus in and see in the beam from the headlights of the vehicle there are some words spray painted on the sides of the fences - DANGER LOOSE ROCKS.

“What are they doing?” I hiss at Charlie.

“I don’t know yet,” he hisses back.

From what I can make out two men are moving some of the metal fences out of the way to reveal a cave-like recess in the rocks behind them. Next they haul the back doors of the van open and start to unload numerous large boxes.

“Can you see what’s in them? Does it say anything on the boxes?” I ask.

“No!” Charlie whisper-shouts back.

I fall silent as we watch box after box being carried into the cave. By the time the men slam the van doors shut and climb inside to start their journey out of the quarry, it’s pretty clear we’re witnessing some kind of smuggling operation.

Charlie lowers his binoculars.

“Well,” I say. “I think we have our answer about what’s going on at the quarry. They’re stashing stolen goods or something aren’t they?”

“Possibly. Interesting there was only one of the brothers in that van. Ryan was there but what about Liam? Are they both involved, or doesn’t he know what his little brother is up to?”

“So what happens next?” Now that the excitement is over I’m aware of how uncomfortable I feel again. Maybe I’m not cut out for this surveillance lark. All I want to do right now is get out of here. A spot on the lovely comfy sofa back in my flat is beckoning. I could curl up with a hot water bottle and a huge glass of wine. And probably a bar or two of chocolate as well. Or a custard slice. “Are you going to call the police?”

“No,” Charlie replies. “For starters we don’t know what’s in the boxes. It could be something legal, totally harmless, though I highly doubt it.”

“So what do we do then?”

Charlie gets to his feet and slips the binoculars back into his rucksack. “
We
don’t do anything. I’m going over there to see what’s in the boxes.
You
are going to make your way back to the car. When you get there you check and note the time. You wait thirty minutes inside the car with the doors locked. If I’m not back after thirty minutes then you get out of here. Drive home.”

“What? No, I…”

Charlie holds up a hand to silence me. “I’m in charge, remember? We agreed, out here, you do as I say. Plus, I promised Ennis I’d keep you out of trouble.”

“I’d rather come with you and…”

“No. You shouldn’t even be here. It’s too risky. You go back to the car. I’ll make sure you get safely back across the narrow ledge bit and then you go straight to the car. Promise me.”

Reluctantly I nod. I’m not happy about the prospect of making my way back to the car in the dark, through the woods and fields, on my own. I’m also not happy about leaving Charlie here all alone.

“Say it.” He leads me towards the dreaded narrow ledge. “I want to hear you say it. You have to promise me.”

“I promise.”

He helps me across the ledge. “Good. Now go.”

“You will be careful, won’t you?”

He grins back at me. “Now where would be the fun in that?”

“What about the local police? Shouldn’t you call this in and let them know what’s going on?”

“I will when I know what’s in those boxes. First I need to see what Ryan and his sidekicks have unloaded.”

I wait for a moment as he makes his way in the opposite direction; soon he’s merged into the darkness. I feel alone. Fearful. The urge to follow Charlie is strong. I’d rather be with him, I’d feel safer then.

Plus I’d get to see what’s in those boxes as well.

I glare at the narrow ledge and know I don’t fancy my chances trying to negotiate it again but a part of me is tempted, just so I can follow Charlie. Then I remember the ground shaking from the earlier tremor and it makes up my mind for me. I don’t particularly want to trudge alone through the darkness to get back to the car either but right now it seems like the lesser of two evils.