The Dead of Winter Read Free

from the hot shower, she looked like a teenager, not a young woman of twenty-one.
    Joy held a plastic carrier bag in her hands. ‘Jeans,’ she said. ‘Caked in mud. Melissa said I could stick them in the washing machine. I just wanted to see if you had anything that needed to go in.’
    â€˜No, I think I survived relatively unscathed,’ Rina told her. ‘Has Tim dried himself off?’
    â€˜Oh, yes, and found the guidebook and gone exploring. Some place, isn’t it?’
    â€˜It certainly is.’
    Joy flopped down on the edge of Rina’s bed and tucked her feet under her. ‘Am I the only one wishing I’d told Tim to come on his own?’
    â€˜No, there are at least two of us. This really isn’t my thing, but now we’re here, I think we should view the whole weekend as life experience and remember that it’s only a couple of days.’ Rina smiled. ‘Think what leverage you’ll have next time you want him to go shopping with you.’
    Joy giggled. ‘Trouble with that, Rina, is I’d much rather take you or Mum or even the Peters sisters. But I’m sure I’ll find some other way of spending my brownie points.’ She leaned over and touched Rina’s short grey hair. ‘You’re going wavy. Must be the rain.’
    â€˜It always has that effect. I didn’t mind when I was younger, but I think I’m getting on a bit for the frizzy look to be a good one. I’ve got a hair appointment booked for when I get back to Frantham.’
    â€˜Ah, at Miss Prince’s salon?’ Joy giggled.
    Rina smiled back. ‘Miss Prince knows how to deal with us ladies of a certain age.’
    â€˜Rina, darling, you will never be a “Lady of a Certain Age”. You are far too special for that. Have you phoned home, by the way?’
    â€˜Yes, and spoken to everyone. Bethany and Eliza send their best love as always and want to know when they’ll see you again, and the Montmorencys said to tell you they’ve found a new chocolate cake recipe you just have to try.’
    â€˜Oh my God, not more chocolate cake.’ Joy’s eyes softened with affection as she thought of the Peters sisters and the Montmorency twins, who comprised Rina’s eccentric household. Ex-performers all, as was Rina, Joy had come to know and love them well since she had entered their lives so precipitously the year before. Her brother had been killed, and Rina and her cohort had helped track down his killers. Joy had come to regard them all as part of her extended family. Tim, the youngest member of the household by a good thirty years, had rapidly become something more than that.
    â€˜Mac was there, with Miriam,’ Rina added, referring to DI Sebastian McGregor and his partner. They had promised to keep an eye on everyone in Rina’s absence.
    â€˜Oh, how are they?’
    â€˜A little tense. Mac’s hearing is on Monday; they’ll be driving up to Pinsent this weekend. By Tuesday I expect he’ll know if he still has a job.’ She smiled. ‘He offered to make a detour and pick us both up on Sunday morning if we find we can’t last the weekend. Tim could collect us from Pinsent on Monday, and you could come down for a few days.’
    â€˜Rina, that sounds like a plan. Let’s see how desperate we get. I’ve been looking at my schedule for the weekend. I’m attending a talk on the Universalist Church, whatever that may be, followed by a lecture and practical demonstration of various circa nineteenth-century mediumistic practices, and in the afternoon something to do with the design and construction of a Davenport cabinet, which I’m assuming is some sort of magic box. I’ll tell you now, anyone asks for a volunteer and I am out of here.’
    â€˜It’s a long walk home.’
    â€˜True. You’re right, though. Tim loves this stuff, and we love Tim – and it should be