The Cold Light of Mourning - By Elizabeth J. Duncan Page 0,73

updating the business plan, so we can certainly add that in. We’ll use up the old ones first, though. No point in wasting them when we haven’t changed phone numbers or moved or anything. But we’re getting off topic. Let’s go back to the funeral. Who else did you talk to?”

“Oh, right. Well, Emyr, of course, and his friend, David Williams. It turns out that I knew David’s family many years ago, when I used to spend my summers here. He was just a cheeky lad, then, always up to something but so charming he always got away with it. He was called by his Welsh name, Dafydd, back then. Apparently he’s done really well for himself in London. He’s got a big life there, bags of money, by all accounts.

“Oh, and a pretty fancy girlfriend. A woman picked him up after the funeral in a BMW. I didn’t get a good look at her, though, and don’t know if I’d recognize her if I saw her again. She was wearing big sunglasses and a head scarf like a 1960s Italian movie star. La dolce vita.”

“Be nice to know who she is,” said Penny. “As for David, he was Emyr’s best man at the wedding. Apparently very supportive and helpful, he was, by all accounts, when Meg Wynne went missing, but I think we’ve already been over that.

“Was the other one there? Robbie? I wish we knew more about him.”

Victoria thought for a moment.

“I don’t think he was, but I’m not sure I would have known him. The good thing about playing at the funeral, though, was that I had a really good seat at the front and got to see the faces of the people who were there, as opposed to sitting in a pew and looking at the backs of their heads.”

“Oh, sorry!” exclaimed Penny. “I should have asked—how did your playing go? What songs did you do? Were you a hit?”

“Do you know,” said Victoria, “I think I was. I did John Lennon’s ‘Beautiful Boy’ and Emyr started to cry. Is that good or bad, do you think? I can never tell.”

“I think it’s good,” said Penny, “although just thinking about it makes me want to cry, too.”

She thought for a moment.

“Well, since you’ve already eaten, why don’t you get changed and we’ll go for a walk? I’ve been cooped up here all day and the exercise will do us both good. And I’d like to pick up a few things on the way back.”

Victoria cheerfully agreed, telling Penny she might want to put on a jumper as the wind was cool.

A few minutes later they set off, and rounded the corner into the town square.

Penny stopped short and placed her hand on Victoria’s arm.

“What is it?” said Victoria, looking at her. “You look as if you’ve just seen a ghost. Are you okay?”

Penny slowly lifted her hand and pointed in the direction of the town clock at a small woman in a light green spring coat, with a carrier bag in each hand, who was making her way toward them.

“Sorry,” gasped Penny. “She looks so much like Emma the first day I saw her, I was just taken aback for a moment.”

“Oh, that’s only Gwennie,” said Victoria. “She’ll have been tidying up after the funeral. Hello, Gwennie,” she called out.

“Oh, Mrs. Hopkirk, I’m that glad to see you!” she said rushing toward them as the bags flopped against her legs. “I was so busy seeing to the refreshments at the reception I didn’t have a chance to tell you how much I enjoyed your playing.” She looked up admiringly at Victoria and then stole a sideways glance at Penny. “I’m just taking a few sandwiches and cakes home to my sister. They’ll enjoy them for their tea, I thought. But tell me, what did you think of the service?”

She paused to catch her breath.

“I thought it was lovely,” said Victoria. “Gwennie, have you met my friend Penny Brannigan? Penny does our manicures.”

“Oh, Miss Brannigan, how do you do?” said Gwennie politely. “I’ve often thought I’d like to stop in your shop and have my nails done but then I think what with all the washing and cleaning, what would be the point? I remember you always did them for Mrs. Gruffydd on her special occasions. Like Christmas. Always got them done, then, she did.”

Gwennie and Victoria chatted away for a few moments while Penny, in a world of her own, stared at Gwennie’s distinctive coat. Undoubtedly