A Question of Guilt by Janet Tanner Read Free Book Online Page A

weren’t friends or anything. I don’t think Becky liked her much.’
    So, no hope of an introduction there, then.
    â€˜And Dawn’s not from round here, is she? According to the newspaper reports she went home to Dorset after the fire.’ I frowned. ‘Strange, though. Why would she come here in the first place?’
    â€˜For her job, I suppose,’ Rachel said reasonably. ‘She worked at Compton Properties, the estate agent’s in the Square.’
    â€˜I know . . . but why
here
? I wouldn’t have thought there’d be much about Stoke Compton to attract a girl from Dorset. If she wanted a change of scenery, I’d have thought she’d have headed for somewhere with a bit more life.’
    The pizzas arrived, bubbling tomato, cheese and anchovies on thin, crispy crusts, and for a few minutes we were too busy eating to talk.
    â€˜I’m just going to have to drop into the café and try to get talking to Lisa,’ I said between mouthfuls. ‘Hopefully she’ll be able to give me an address for Dawn too.’ A thought struck me. ‘I suppose it’s possible she might have come back to the area when the trial and everything was over and she’d had time to get over what happened. Presumably she had other friends here besides Lisa – a boyfriend, even. That might have been the reason she came here in the first place. In time being with him would take precedence over her unpleasant memories of what happened with Brian Jennings, wouldn’t it?’
    â€˜I suppose . . .’
    â€˜Well,
Lisa
certainly seems to have been able to put it all behind her,’ I went on. ‘The café is in the very place where the fire started. I do find that a bit surprising. I wouldn’t have thought she’d be comfortable with that at all.’
    â€˜Lisa is a pretty tough nut, according to Becky,’ Rachel said. ‘My guess is she saw an opportunity and took it. Properties on the High Street don’t fall vacant very often. And of course, the fire would have very different connotations for her, too. Quite apart from the fact that it was Dawn who was the target for the attack, and not her, the whole episode must have something of an aura of romance for her.’
    â€˜Why?’ I asked, the last forkful of pizza poised halfway between my plate and my mouth.
    Rachel cocked me a look.
    â€˜She married the baker who rescued her. There is something pretty romantic about that, you must agree. The hero and the damsel in distress, getting together and living happily ever after. It’s like something out of a fairy story.’
    â€˜Mm.’ I nodded, feeling rather pleased about this unexpected twist. Even if my efforts to find a fresh suspect for the fire-raising came to nothing, there should at least be a feel-good feature in the story of Lisa and her baker.
    â€˜Talking of happy ever afters, how are things going with Tim?’ Rachel asked.
    â€˜You haven’t mentioned him lately.’
    I shrugged. ‘Nothing to say, really. Actually I don’t think it’s “going” anywhere.’
    â€˜Oh Sally.’
    â€˜And I’m not at all sure I want it to.’ It was the first time I’d actually said it out loud to anyone.
    â€˜In that case best call it a day. I can thoroughly recommend married life, but not if it’s with someone you don’t want to be with one hundred per cent. That’s a recipe for disaster. Besides which, you’re just wasting time when you could be meeting someone else. The love of your life.’
    â€˜Like I’ve had the chance to meet anyone this last year!’
    â€˜True. But you’re well on the road to recovery now. If you don’t think he’s the one you want, tell him so.’
    It was almost an echo of what Mum had said, but I didn’t want to think about it right now.
    Rachel glanced at her watch.
    â€˜Look, I’m sorry to bring this party