Chapter 30: Cora - The Foster Child

It’s full-on at school now with the Christmas activities. I’m so busy I don’t have time to hear myself think! There’s such a lot to organise and as well as the usual taking calls, handling correspondence, maintaining diaries etc that I have to do, I’m now assisting with the administration and planning of all the Christmas activities and sending out letters to let the parents know what’s going on, then collecting the permission slips for various events.

I walk home with Gabby on Tuesday. She hasn’t got her grandkids with her today, they’re both off with a tummy bug, but she dropped by the office after her shift at the pharmacy to bring in the permission forms for them to attend the carol service next week. I was about to finish work so we chat easily as we walk home together.

‘Fancy a coffee at mine?’ I ask.

‘I’d love to. I’ve been dying to see inside the posh house,’ she replies with a grin.

I’m aware that some of the villagers call Virginia Cottage the ‘posh house’. I guess because it’s bigger than most of the other cottages in the village and is set well back from the road.

‘Ha, it isn’t looking very posh today. We put the tree up last night and I haven’t tidied everything away yet. Also we both got up late this morning and left in a hurry,’ I tell her. ‘The tree is gorgeous though, and I’ve hung a wreath on the front door.’

‘Blimey you’re more organised than me. I’ve promised Tom and Daisy to put our tree up soon but haven’t got around to it yet.’

‘I always put the tree up early. I love Christmas, it’s such a wonderful, uplifting time of the year.’

We’re walking up the front path together now.

‘We bought a real Christmas tree that we can send back and they replant it again. Have you ever had one of those?’

‘No, but Rea does. She likes the idea of having a family tree. The kids say goodbye to it and then are happy to see it again the next year.’

‘We have a real hand-crafted wreath too. It’s beautiful.’

I get my key out as we approach the front door and then realise that the wreath has gone. Only the gold hook is hanging over the door. For a moment I stare at it uncomprehendingly.

‘What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,’ Gabby asks.

I can feel her eyes on me.

I pull myself together and point to the bare gold hook with a shaking finger. ‘Someone’s stolen my wreath!’ I gasp.

Gabby follows my gaze. ‘Flipping heck! Who the hell would do that?’ she exclaims. She looks totally shocked.

‘I don’t know.’ I’m shocked too. Someone has actually been into our garden and stolen our wreath. I’m a bit nervous about going inside, wondering what I’ll find, and am glad that Gabby is with me. I summon up my courage and open the front door.

‘I can’t believe that someone’s had the gall to steal your Christmas wreath off your bloody front door,’ Gabby says, shaking her head as we step into the hall. ‘It’s terrible what people do nowadays.’

‘It isn’t just the wreath. A few things have been happening…’ Suddenly I need to tell someone about it, to get their take on everything. As I make us a coffee each I tell her all that’s happened. She gasps when I tell her about finding the screw in my tyre on Sunday. ‘I’d only used my car the day before.’

‘What? Crikey, Cora, it sounds like someone has really got it in for you.’ She frowns. ‘You don’t think it’s anything to do with this Tilly business, do you?’

I’m astonished at that. ‘Surely not! Are you suggesting the Taylor-Browns have done this?’

Gabby takes the mug I offer her. ‘Not the parents, no, but Caleb is a bit of a rogue. I wouldn’t put it past him. And he did give you a right dirty look when we passed him the other day.’

I’m stunned at this suggestion. ‘You really think…’

She looks thoughtful. ‘I don’t know but someone has it in for you. You haven’t upset anyone else in the village, have you?’

I’ve still got my suspicions about Violet, but I don’t want to voice them to Gabby. Especially when I don’t have any evidence. Maybe it might be Caleb. A teenage lad is more likely to climb over a locked gate than Violet.

‘Luckily Elliot put a doorbell camera up yesterday,’ I tell her. ‘He’s probably been too busy to notice any alerts but when he checks it tonight we should have proof who’s doing it.’

Gabby looks a bit taken aback. ‘I didn’t notice a camera.’

‘Elliot’s put it on the side wall so that it’s not so obvious. He said we’re more likely to catch the culprit that way.’

Gabby nods. ‘Good idea. No wonder I didn’t spot it.’ She blows the top of her drink to cool it down. ‘Haven’t you got the app on your phone too?’

‘I never thought to, but perhaps I should as I’m home more than Elliot. I’ll ask him to download it to my phone tonight too.’

When Gabby leaves a little later, I point to the camera on the wall. ‘See, we’ll have a clear view of whoever took the wreath.’

‘Then what will you do?’

‘Tell the police and they can sort it.’

I walk to the gate with Gabby and am about to close it when Elliot arrives home. I leave it open for him to drive through, then close it and walk over to the garage where he’s parked his car.

‘Did you get an alert on the doorbell app today?’

He shoots a surprised look at me. ‘I don’t think so. Why? Has something happened?’

‘Someone’s stolen our Christmas wreath.’

‘What?’ He digs his phone out of his pocket, checks the app and shakes his head. ‘Damn, there was a signal loss a couple of hours ago so I guess that’s why I didn’t get an alarm.’ The wi-fi signal isn’t great at the cottage.

‘Someone is deliberately targeting us, Elliot. Gabby thinks it might be Tilly’s brother, Caleb, angry at me for upsetting her. Apparently he’s a bit of a rogue.’

His eyes darken. ‘You’ve discussed this with Gabby?’

‘She came home with me, I invited her back for a coffee.’

His lips tighten. ‘I would rather Gabby hadn’t witnessed this.’

I’m surprised at his reaction. ‘So would I but I wasn’t to know someone had stolen the wreath. And Gabby has been a big support to me since that business with Tilly,’ I say defensively.

‘I know. I’m not getting at you, but I hate anyone knowing my business.’ He follows me inside and goes straight over to the coffee maker. ‘Coffee?’ he asks.

‘No thanks, I’ve just had one with Gabby.’

He makes himself a coffee, slowly, methodically, as if he’s thinking. I’m thinking too, trying to make sense of everything. He takes his drink over to the table and sits down, interlocking his hands and resting his chin on them, his dark eyes fixed on the cup in front of him. He looks deep in thought but I can’t get a real sense of what he’s feeling. I know how I’m feeling though, threatened. Unsafe.

‘Elliot, do you think we should call the police?’ I sit down opposite him.

He raises his eyes to meet mine. ‘I’d prefer to have evidence first. I’m actually wondering if you’re right and it’s Violet but I don’t want to accuse her without evidence. It’s annoying that we lost the signal to the doorbell camera but that’s just a blip. We’ll catch them, Cora, and then we’ll call the police.’

I have to be at school early today as we have a staff meeting, so I’m off before Elliot for once.

‘See you later,’ I say, kissing him on the forehead. ‘See you tonight. Have a good day.’

‘Thanks, you too.’

I pull on my coat and open the front door and almost trip over a parcel on the doorstep. Goodness, what’s that doing there? We have an agreement with the delivery firms to put all parcels in the box by the gate.

‘Someone’s sent us a parcel,’ I shout as I carry it in.

Elliot comes out of the kitchen, mug in hand. ‘Who’s it for?’

I don’t know. I put the box down on top of the hall cupboard. ‘There’s no name on it. How strange.’

‘Let me…’ Elliot’s hurrying along the hall but I’ve already opened the box.

‘Oh my God!’ My hand flies to my mouth and my legs almost give way under me as my stunned gaze rests on our Christmas wreath, hacked to bits as if someone has attacked it frenziedly with a knife.