I grabbed the robe and made my way to the kitchen. As I put the kettle on to boil, I looked around for my phone. I couldn’t see it and could only assume Dad had done what he’d told me not to, and taken it to bed with him. I made two mugs of tea and carried them back upstairs.
I slowly opened Dad’s bedroom door. Although asleep, he was propped up with pillows and my phone was on the side of his bed. I crept in and placed the tea on his bedside table, then picked up my phone. Whether Dad sensed me or not, I wasn’t sure but he startled.
“Dani, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing, I just wanted my phone. I’m sorry to wake you. I’ve left you a cup of tea,” I said, backing away towards the door.
“Oh, thank you. I must have drifted off.”
“What do you mean? You haven’t tried to stay awake all night have you?”
“I tried, but I don’t think I even managed that when I was in my teens,” he said with a chuckle.
“That’s daft. I would have heard the phone, I think. The ring tone is set to loud. Have a couple of sips of tea and then see if you can get some sleep.”
I left Dad and headed to my own room. I didn’t want to climb back in bed, as tempting as that was, because I knew I was likely to doze. Instead I sat in my chair, looking out to a calm sea and cursed it.
Mother Nature had decided to have the sea raging while Miller was out in his boat, to have the clouds darken and the rain to lash down. Now he had been found, she’d decided to calm the sea, clear the clouds, and let the sun shine. It dawned on me then that it was also New Year’s Eve.
I spent the morning moping around the house, checking the time, letting Lucy in and out of the garden, whether she wanted to or not. I called the hospital but because I wasn’t family, I wasn’t told anything. Eventually, as lunchtime came, I called Daniel. He didn’t answer so I left a message on his voicemail.
“Daniel, it’s Dani. I wondered how Miller was doing. Could you call me back when you have a spare minute? Thank you.”
In my frustration, I slammed the phone back on the kitchen table. I’d been involved right from the beginning, and I knew I had no right to be updated the minute Miller went into hospital, but being notified of his progress shouldn’t be too much to ask. I had to check myself. It hadn’t been long since Miller had been found; I needed to give them time.
I spotted the letter I’d written to the solicitor on the side and rifled through my purse for a stamp. A walk to the post box would give me something to do. I pulled on my coat and left the house. As I came to the end of the lane, I paused beside the honesty box. I was tempted to look inside and see if my letter had been taken, I knew it couldn’t have been, of course. I sighed and carried on walking. I deposited my letter in the small post box situated in the wall of Colette’s shop. I was about to walk away when I heard her call me.
“Dani, how are you? Is there any news on Miller?” she asked, rounding the corner of her building.
“No, I left a message for Daniel but I haven’t heard back.”
“Want to come in for a cup of tea?”
“That would be nice, thank you.”
I followed her around the side of the building to the door at the back that took us into her cottage attached to the rear of the shop. I had never been inside her house and was surprised by how modern it was. The door took us straight into an open-plan kitchen diner. I envied her light oak and stainless steel kitchen with its modern appliances.
“This is a beautiful kitchen,” I said.
“Miller designed it, made and fitted it as well. He’s a very talented man. So sit and tell me what you know.”
She made the tea and I told her all I knew.
“And they didn’t let you see him? My, that’s not nice, or very Christian, either. I think I’d be mightily pissed off at that,” she said, startling me with her curse word.
“It’s family only at the moment.”
“Semantics. That boy is in love with you, they know that.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said.
“Dani, I’ve seen the way he looks at you, how often he speaks about you. I only had to mention that you’d returned, and that you were thinking of the converting the barn, for him to ask me to recommend him. Not that I wouldn’t have, of course. He’s a fantastic builder and he’ll do an amazing job.”
“I’m very fond of him, too. I have to say, I am a little hurt but I understand they probably have way more on their mind than to worry about me.”
Colette huffed and waved a hand to dismiss my words. “They should have let you see him, period. He was always a little shit.”
“Who was?”
“Daniel. I’m surprised he got made the vicar of this parish after his history.”
I frowned. “What history?”
“Oh, I bet he didn’t tell you. And of course, it’s rumour, but…”
“But what?”
Colette sighed and delayed answering by taking a sip of her tea.
“Did you know that Miller was convicted of stealing cars and selling them? Daniel was, sort of, involved in that.”
“What?”
“From what I know, Miller took the fall because Daniel was training to be a vicar, or whatever they call it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Daniel had a friend, one of the gang that Miller got involved in. Miller only got involved because of Daniel.”
“But how was Daniel involved in stealing cars?”
“Daniel allowed his friend to hide a car at his dad’s house. Now, whether Daniel truly knew what was going on is questionable, however, he definitely knew the guy was a wrong ‘un. Maybe he thought he was doing good, I don’t know. Miller drove home drunk and in another stolen car. I think Lincoln had come to the end of his tether; he called the police. When they came, they arrested Miller and also found the hidden stolen car. Lincoln told them he thought that belonged to Daniel. The police arrested Daniel for, what’s it called...?”
“Aiding and abetting?”
“Yes, I think so. Anyway, Miller stepped up, he was already arrested, and said that he’d put the car there. He confessed to stealing it and was about to sell it. I think that might have been his final nail in his proverbial coffin.”
“Wow, Miller didn’t tell me anything like that.”
“I don’t suppose he did. My assumption is, not once did Daniel acknowledge what Miller did. In fact, he publically criticised him, distanced himself when Miller went to prison. That is where their problem stems from.”
“I didn’t know any of that. So Daniel presents himself as the good guy all the time, when in fact, he might have been on the fringes of the same criminal activity Miller was involved in.”
Colette slowly nodded her head. “I imagine Daniel thought he’d be able to save souls and all that rubbish, despite not being an actual vicar at the time.”
Dad had been right, Colette seemed to be the font of all knowledge.
“I need to get back, thank you for the tea,” I said, pulling my coat from the back of the chair and putting it back on.
I walked slowly back to the house, digesting what she’d said. I couldn’t remember exactly what Miller had said as to why he’d been in prison, but I knew there had been no mention of Daniel.
“Hi, you’ve been gone a while,” Dad said, when I walked into the house.
“I had a cup of tea with Colette. I never know whether to call her by her first name or Mrs. Hampton,” I said with a laugh.
“I think she answers to anything nowadays.”
“Anyway, she told me something interesting.” I repeated what I’d learned.
“Interesting, I certainly never knew that. I don’t know if honourable would be the right word, but what he did, to save his brother’s humiliation and possible loss of his career certainly warrants some respect. More so from Daniel.”
“I thought so, too. Most of the time when he talks about Miller, it’s with fondness, but just every now and again he’ll say something that has my hackles up. I’m not sure that sometimes I get to see the real Daniel, or the Daniel that’s doing public service. Does that make sense?”
“It does. So what are you going to do with that knowledge?”
“Nothing, I guess. But it just gives me a better understanding of why they don’t get on.”
I picked up my mobile to check for the umpteenth time. There was no reply from Daniel.