A Roll in the Hay Page 20

  Even under the soot and the faint burn mark on her left cheek, the blush on Tess was obvious. “It was instinct! Nobody else knew you were there, and the fire engines took way too long. I had to, and I’d do it again, so don’t even think about getting mad at me!”

  “Mad at you?” Susannah got a good handful of the pyjamas that time. “I could kiss you!”

  “Oh. Well, you can definitely do that.”

  So she did. They both did, for a few breathless moments. Very breathless, since neither of them had fully recovered.

  “They’ll want to check on you more.” Tess pulled a chair to the side of the bed and took Susannah’s hand in her good one. “And you probably have more questions, but can we just be like this for a moment? Just…be glad we’re both still here?”

  “Of course,” Susannah said. “We’ll take all the time you need.”

  A parade of doctors, nurses, and orderlies took up most of the next few hours. Susannah was wheeled around in a chair after her attempts to walk under her own steam ended quickly and with a lot of coughing.

  “I’m not carrying you again,” Tess warned. “I’ve got a potentially broken collarbone, so you’ll have to listen to medical advice and take the wheels.”

  The hospital wasn’t a major crisis centre, but it was the biggest facility in the area. Susannah took their reassuring words that she was fine to heart, and despite the pain levels and general exhaustion, she vowed not to wallow in the bad luck of it all. At least she was here to tell the tale.

  They were back in her room when Tess brought it up, having choked down some vending machine coffee and half of the vanilla yoghurt that came with Susannah’s otherwise untouched breakfast.

  “The fire had already started when I woke up,” Tess said. “I think it woke me, actually. I didn’t see anyone around. But it’s been bugging me, and I’m sure the police will be here at some point. Maybe some kind of fire investigator too? Anyway, they’re going to at least suspect this might have been done deliberately.” Tess was ticking things off on her fingers; clearly she had been working at some kind of theory.

  But a theory about what? Surely she couldn’t mean…

  “I know this is probably me seeing one too many crime shows, but didn’t Robin threaten the pub just last week? She said she’d take it from you, but there was no chance she could claim it as being your husband’s. You said he put everything for it in your name.”

  Susannah felt a little too hazy for a business chat, but she tried to focus.

  “I’m not saying she was sitting in the bushes with a can of petrol and some matches,” Tess continued, “but anyone with her connections and a bit of money could find a willing wee bastard to do their dirty work.”

  “No, no. Absolutely not.” Susannah prodded at the banana that sat by her plate. It looked like it wouldn’t be ripe for a week yet. “Especially not since I saw her at the town hall yesterday. She heard me say that I was going to stay at the pub. Even if she’d had some dastardly scheme, she would have called it off if she knew there would be someone there to get hurt. Robin wants my money and the land; she isn’t a murderer…”

  “Susannah?”

  They both looked up to see a stricken Robin Karlson in the doorway.

  “What do you want?” Tess practically growled, gripping Susannah’s blanket and clearly ready to fly into battle. “Only, I think the police probably want a word with you first.”

  “They do. I mean, I spoke to them.” Robin hesitated for a moment before proceeding a few steps into the room. She had her hands clasped in front of her. Instead of her usual country tweeds, she seemed to have dressed in old riding gear, barely one step up from pyjamas. Her eyes were red-rimmed with none of her usual gaudy make-up in evidence. “Susannah, this isn’t easy for me, so please do hear me out. I’ve come to apologise.”

  Susannah snorted in disbelief. “Come to do what?”

  “It seems, uh, my young assistant, Jonathan… Apparently he’s been having some strange ideas about how angry he thinks I am with you. I want you to know that although we’ve had our differences, I would never—never, Susannah—condone any such dangerous behaviour.”

  Susannah looked to Tess then back to Robin, stunned.

  “You mean Jonathan set the fire?” Susannah asked. “Deliberately? Where is he now?”

  “The police have him.” Robin crossed the rest of the space to stand closer to Susannah’s bed. She reached out as though she might take Susannah’s hand for a moment, before diverting to pat aimlessly at the blanket. “The moment I saw him come in, covered in soot… well, I had no choice. I was straight on the phone to the police. It seems he’s been taking my business dispute with you very personally. If this pub fire hadn’t worked, they believe Midsummer was his next target.”

  “He would have burnt down the house?” Susannah almost choked on the jolt of panic chased by fear.

  Robin looked almost as shaken at the thought as she was. Whatever her motives had been, she definitely loved the old place.

  “But how would that have helped you get what you want?” Susannah asked. “You’d have had to rebuild. Was this about how he felt about Jimmy? I don’t understand.”

  “Very convenient,” Tess spoke up. “Even if we take Jonathan out of the equation, that doesn’t neutralise you. You could be back to harassing Susannah again by next week.”

  Robin sat on the edge of the bed, picking at her fingernails absently. “No, no. That’s all done with. If anything worse had happened, if you had… I don’t know how I could have lived with myself. It’s bad enough that you two landed in hospital, but I see now I had latched on to the wrong details. I simply missed my brother and wanted to honour his memory. I should have been more careful about what I said around Jonathan. I knew he had a certain…fixation on James, for years, and he resented you as a result. I didn’t understand how deep the bitterness ran. My disagreement with you aggravated things, spurred him on to…this. Anyway, I’ll raise no further dispute over Midsummer. It’s yours, Susannah, however we got to here. I’ve already called off my solicitors.”

  “Really?” Susannah’s voice was fading. She helped herself to an ice chip. “If this is some kind of ploy to make me let my guard down while I’m vulnerable, in hospital…”

  “You have my word it’s not,” Robin replied, standing and offering her hand for Susannah to shake.

  Susannah met her gaze, sure and steady, searching for any last signs of deception. She didn’t take the outstretched hand.

  Robin seemed to understand, withdrawing the gesture. Too much, too soon for all the months of bad blood. Even so, the sincere expression on her face didn’t waver for a second. “I do so wish it hadn’t taken something this awful for me to finally see my grief with some perspective. If I can do anything to make this up to you, I insist you tell me at your first convenience. I just wanted to tell you in person. I’ll go.” She turned.

  “Robin?” Susannah called after her.

  “Yes?”

  “I know we’ve both exchanged angry words, but there’s something that I haven’t been able to shake since you said it, and—”

  “About James? Resenting you for the marriage?” Robin asked with a sigh. “I knew I’d hurt you with that one. I did feel bad even then, believe it or not. But I’m afraid my source on what James said was our unreliable former employee, so I think you can stop worrying about it.”

  Relief coursed through Susannah. It was just Jonathan and his bitter fantasies. She should have known.

  “I should go, let you rest,” Robin finished. True to her word, she turned on her heel and marched out.

  Susannah didn’t know what to do with herself. Was the nightmare really over? Robin certainly seemed to think so.

  Tess watched Robin go with a scowl. “She’s lucky I didn’t kick her ass right out of here for everything she’s put you through. All very wel
l to be sorry in hindsight, but look what her hate and nonsense stirred up!”

  “You keep that temper, Dr Robinson,” Susannah warned, although she was as touched by Tess and her protective streak as she was devastated that Jonathan could be so whipped up by Robin’s ranting that he would commit this heinous crime.

  “You could have died.” Tess’s voice trembled. She squeezed Susannah’s hand a little too tightly. “We both could have.”

  “Oh come on. This isn’t prime-time television. The queer women survived! Let’s not be all doom and gloom about this.”

  “Lady Karlson?” A policeman stood at the door. He looked about nineteen. “We’d like to ask you some questions. We have someone in custody over the fire.”

  Susannah suppressed a weary sigh.

  He eased his way in, the hi-vis vest covered by bits of equipment, a shiny black truncheon hanging from his hip. His female partner followed suit. “If you’re feeling up to it, we’d like to have a word about events surrounding the fire at The Spiky Thistle?”

  “Yes, yes. Come in and let’s get it over with. Can Tess stay? She’s my…”

  “Girlfriend,” Tess supplied. “I’m the one who got her out of the fire, so it’ll save you time to talk to us both.”

  “Oh, so you’re the hero!” The female officer said, losing her cool expression for a moment. “I hope you know there are a ton of reporters dying to talk to you. It’s like a rugby scrum outside the hospital, and all they want to know about is you, saving the lady of the manor no less!”

  Tess sputtered at the information.

  Susannah took her hand. “I don’t think we’re ready for the press. Thanks for letting us know, though. And Tess here really is a big damn hero.” The sweet blush rose on Tess’s cheeks again, so Susannah risked a coughing fit to lean in and kiss her cheek.

  “Very good,” the first police officer said, pulling out his notebook. “Now let’s start with where you were earlier in the evening.”

  Susannah scanned the pick-up area by the hospital’s quiet private entrance for Tess in her much-maligned car. She hoped Tess had been able to run the gauntlet of reporters without getting stopped. Since the X-rays revealed her lover’s collarbone was just bruised, Tess had been allowed to drive.

  Relief flooded through Susannah as Tess drove into view. She was bundling herself into the passenger seat less than two minutes later.

  In the back of the car, Waffles greeted her from the safety of his crate.

  “So, girlfriend, huh?” Susannah said. “And a nationally famous hero, no less.”

  Tess didn’t blush this time, just winked and blew a kiss at Susannah while navigating the byzantine route to get out of hospital grounds.

  “Well, we needed a word for us,” Tess said. “And since I plan on dating you a whole bunch more than we’ve managed so far, I thought ‘girlfriend’ just about covered it. Do you have any objections?”

  “None whatsoever. We’ll hear from the police tomorrow about the investigation, but they’re pretty sure they’ve got their man. All the evidence seems to corroborate it.”

  “Did you tell them about Robin? Was she really not involved?”

  “Police raided Jonathan’s home, seized a bunch of plans, and have confirmed she was clueless about his darker activities,” Susannah answered. “She was definitely picking fights with me, but he was escalating it without her knowledge. Not big on details, my dear sister-in-law.”

  “How are you feeling? Are you sure they should have let you out this soon?”

  “I’m fine. If I get dizzy or breathless, I should go back in, but you really did save my life. Did I thank you for that yet?”

  Tess braked for a red light ahead, making a show of thinking about it. “You know, I don’t think you have? Sure, you were unconscious, but you have a PA. Would a card and some flowers have killed you?” She snorted with laughter at herself.

  Susannah leaned in for a kiss rather than roll her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Ow.” Tess said when they parted, cars behind them honking because the light had turned green. “That bruising isn’t fun.”

  “Sorry.” Susannah fought a surge of guilt. “I couldn’t resist. Still, you should rest.”

  “No delivering calves for me today, that’s for sure. Adam will have to stand in for me.”

  “Well, I happen to know somewhere very comfortable you could relax tonight. Far away from a crime scene and the smell of burnt wood,” Susannah said. “My bed is definitely big enough for two.”

  Waffles barked.

  “Okay, three, but he has to stay at the bottom.”

  “Good luck with that,” Tess replied, driving them towards Midsummer, trying to hold back a beaming smile as she went.

  Chapter 23

  Tess held her mug of tea and stood by the front door of the vet surgery, trying to watch the events out in front of the pub without being too obvious. Clearly, she hadn’t succeeded, as in less than a minute, Joan crossed the street from the café to come and get a better view beside Tess.

  “What are they saying to Susannah?” Joan asked.

  Tess shrugged. She was neither a lip reader nor a psychic.

  “I mean, what did they say to her before this?”

  “How would I know?” Tess tried to look innocent.

  Joan’s answer was a reproachful look.

  Great. Seemed the whole village knew where Tess had been spending most nights since the fire.

  They continued to watch from a distance as Susannah talked with the fire officer and a senior-looking police officer. There was lots of pointing and gesturing, but it was impossible to tell if the news was just bad or downright terrible.

  “Have they settled on what caused the fire?” Babs asked, approaching from the opposite direction. “Susannah can’t start rebuilding until that’s all settled.”

  “The initial finding was arson, so I imagine this is their final report,” Tess replied, bracing herself for hostilities. “There should be an insurance agent somewhere about as well. It’s a lot of stress for her.”

  “They want to take a look at Robin Karlson,” Joan said.

  “They should,” Babs agreed. “And none of us has trusted Jonathan since he went to the dark side.”

  Tess almost choked on her tea. Babs and Joan were actually acknowledging one another.

  “Of course, I’m being paid regardless, but I can’t stand being idle,” Babs concluded.

  “I’m surprised you haven’t started rebuilding it yourself.” Joan gestured towards the burnt-out building.

  It was just small talk, really, but Tess could hear the rustiness in it.

  “Give me time,” Babs replied. When she finally looked at Joan, her gaze was so soft. “And thanks, by the way, for giving me a place to put my head down. I was offered rooms on the estate, of course, but I didn’t want to be in the way.”

  Tess could feel the pointed look from Joan coming her way. “Listen,” she cut it off, “there’s plenty of room, and it wouldn’t be disturbing our sleepovers to have you stay over. What’s gotten into you two? I’ve been warned since I got here that you’re the Montague and Capulet of Hayleith, and now you’re staying over at Joan’s?” If they could stick their noses into Tess’s business, she could damn well do the same in return.

  “It’s possible…” Joan began, dragging out the words and letting a hint of her usually imperceptible Jamaican twang wrap around the vowels, “…that the fire was a bit of a wake-up call.”

  “You should have seen this one.” Babs sounded more than a little smug as she waved at Joan. “Well, I wasn’t here, but I’ve been told she was crying like a right sap when she thought I’d been in there. I notice she didn’t charge in, though, playing the hero like some fool we know.”

  “With this hip?” Joan scoffed. She turned to Tess. “Anyway, it was impressive what
you did for Susannah. And as you probably know now, if someone is worth running into a burning building for, then you don’t let them go.”

  “But you didn’t—” Babs started to interrupt.

  “I would have, if I hadn’t been told you were away. I only cried because I knew you were safe. So that’s how much you know, woman.”

  Tess smiled at the fondness between them as they argued. “I’ve always meant to ask, and I might not get another chance, with the way you bicker,” she said. “What was the big fight all about? You haven’t spoken to each other in years, right?”

  Babs and Joan exchanged a look, one of those silent discussions that couples had.

  “It was just one of those things,” Babs said, patting Joan’s upper arm. “Water under the bridge.”

  “No, that’s not fair to you,” Joan said. She turned to Tess. “I was scared. Babs gave up just about everything to be with me, and I was so bothered by what people thought that I ran away. Only I didn’t get very far.”

  “You went from working at the pub together to running the café across the road?” Tess asked.

  “Lord Karlson had just bought us out—bought the pub for Susannah,” Babs explained. “I said if she didn’t want people knowing we were more than colleagues, if she was that ashamed of me, well, she could take her half and go.”

  “It was all a bit nasty for a while,” Joan said. “So we gradually stopped speaking. I hated how much it hurt each time, and that was just easier. I suppose we never stopped caring.”

  Babs took her hand and dropped a smacker of a kiss on Joan’s cheek. It left behind an imprint of bright pink lipstick.

  Joan was slow to wipe it away.

  “Heads up,” Babs said at the sight of Susannah walking away from the officials outside the pub. “We’ll expect an update later, Doc.”

  “But—”

  “Bye!” Joan and Babs said in chorus, heading off to the café.