Arson at the Art Gallery Read online

  "You said on the phone you weren't quite sure what needed doing?" Jason asked.

  "Yeah. We just got here yesterday. I only had a couple of quick looks at the place when I bought it three months ago. There was a building inspection report of course, but it didn't really mean much to me, other than assuring me the place wasn't about to fall down anytime soon."

  Jason's eyes roamed over the great room. "I'm sure you don't have to worry about that," he said. "They built them pretty sturdy back in the day. How about I take a good look around at the basics, plumbing and electrical, that sort of thing, and get back to you?"

  "That'd be great, thanks. Oh, can you start with the hot water system? We could both use a hot shower as soon as possible."

  "No worries." Jason grinned and then got to work, leaving Addison to hunt out her daughter.

  "What was that all about?" she asked when she found Olivia in her room, clothes spread all over her bed. "You chose now to unpack?"

  "You never told me he was so cute," Olivia said, holding a top up and checking it out in the mirror, before discarding it and trying another.

  "I only spoke to him on the phone. Cute doesn't really translate well over the airwaves."

  Olivia rolled her eyes and kept searching for the perfect top to impress Jason. Evidently it was nowhere to be found. Addison recognised the signs of a panic attack rising in her daughter.

  "Hey, come on. What's really going on?" She took hold of both of Olivia's hands and held tight. Olivia burst into tears, and Addison pulled her in for a hug. "Are you worried about going off to uni?"

  Addison felt Olivia nod into her shoulder.

  "It's okay to be nervous, sweetheart. This is a massive time in your life. Everything is changing. But some things are staying the same, too. I'll always be here for you."

  "There will be so many new people." Olivia broke away from her mother and sat cross-legged on her bed. She lifted the bottom of the tank top and wiped her eyes with it. "And I've never lived away from you."

  Addison pulled the desk chair over and sat in front of her. "You've wanted to enough times."

  Olivia smiled.

  "There it is. That smile is going to win so many hearts, my darling. Griffith University isn't going to know what's hit them. And I'm only three hours away. Much closer than if I'd stayed in Sydney."

  Olivia wrapped her arms around herself. "Did you come all this way just so you could be close to me?"

  "No. Well, that wasn't the only reason. I needed to get away from Sydney just as much as you did. As did your brother, for that matter."

  "Justin went to Melbourne for work."

  "I know. But I don't think he would have considered it had we not lost your father. Sydney was a part of who Dad was. Who we all were when he was alive. It's understandable none of us could cope being there without him."

  "I miss him, Mum."

  "I know you do, sweetheart. I also know he would have been very proud of you. He would have loved having a forensic scientist in the family. He always had a high regard for the crime scene and lab technicians, you know."

  Addison took a deep breath. It still hurt to think of Rob. He'd been a homicide detective in Sydney for twenty years before his diagnosis. He often came home and told her how the scientists had helped him to break a case.

  "I'm doing this for me as much as for Dad, you know," said Olivia, tears gone now.

  "I should think so. It would be silly to devote three years of study, not to mention an entire career, to something you weren't interested in. But Dad would have loved it, just the same. He was very proud of both of you."

  Olivia nodded. "Do you think Justin will visit soon?"

  "I'm sure he will as soon as he can get time off work." Addison reached for the nearest top and handed it to her daughter. "This one will do. Come on, we can't leave Mr Handyman down there by himself forever."

  3

  By mid-morning Jason had made a list of his own and gone off to the hardware store to get supplies. The hot water system had rusted right through and needed replacing, so he'd called a plumber to take care of that as well as a couple of minor jobs in two of the upstairs bathrooms.

  The house had already been a bed and breakfast in a previous life, and most of the bedrooms had en-suite bathrooms. They also had hideous wallpaper, which was the first thing that had to go.

  Addison had never renovated anything before, but she had watched a lot of television shows. They made it look so easy on those shows, surely she could get most of this work done herself. She was in no hurry.

  Rob had taken out a life insurance policy as soon as he became a cop. He realised the risk of losing his life in the line of duty, and while he'd been prepared to make that sacrifice, he hadn't been prepared to leave his family in financial strife. The cost of living in Sydney was high, particularly housing, and Addison was grateful he'd made sure from the beginning that their family was covered if the unthinkable happened.

  In the end it was cancer that took his life, not a stray bullet or any of the other side-effects of being a homicide detective. Between the life insurance payout and the sale of the family home in Sydney, Addison had had more than enough to cover the cost of the beach house. With what was left over, plus her own superannuation from her days as a high school teacher, and Rob's police pension, at fifty-five Addison never had to work again. Which was why Olivia kept questioning her desire to buy such a big house and run it as a bed and breakfast – she didn't need the money.

  What Olivia didn't understand was Addison wasn't doing it for the money. It was company she was after. With Justin off building his own career in Melbourne, and Olivia about to start university, Addison needed to fill the gap. After Rob died she hadn't wanted to see anyone. She'd locked herself away in their house and done the bare minimum to care for herself and the children. It was what she'd needed at the time to cope with the grief.

  Now she needed the opposite. She felt an urge to surround herself with people; to laugh again. To live the rest of her life. Rob hadn't wanted her to lock herself away. He'd specifically told her not to. So she'd packed everything up and come to Getaway Bay, the place she'd adored as a child.

  They'd come here every January – she and her parents – when she was young. As an only child she'd looked forward to the two weeks a year she'd get to spend playing with her cousins on the beach and in the nearby park. She knew she'd romanticised it in her mind, but she felt so drawn to the place, and when Olivia announced she'd be attending Griffith University in Queensland, Addison knew it was time to return to Getaway Bay.

  She'd found the beach house almost immediately, and the idea of a bed and breakfast, and all the company it would entail, was too good to resist. She'd made an offer on the house immediately and, much to her cousin Layla's delight, here they were.

  "Mum, are you listening?"

  Addison shook herself out of her reflections. "What, honey?"

  "Are you going to do something with all of this? Or just daydream?"

  'All of this' was the ingredients for scones Addison had laid out on the kitchen bench. Layla had been right about Hazel's scones. They were truly terrible. Addison hadn't baked since before Rob died. She'd decided it was time.

  "Sorry, sweetheart. I was lost there for a moment. I'm going to make some scones. That is if I can get this oven to work."

  "You're baking again? Sweet! This sea change business might be a good idea after all." Olivia started playing with knobs and buttons on the oven. After a moment she opened the door and stuck her hand in. "There you go. It's preheating now."

  "How did you do that?"

  Olivia smiled. "I'll write it down for you." She knew her mother well. She changed the subject. "I know we can do a lot of the stuff inside the house ourselves, and I'm happy to help while I'm here, but neither of us really has the first clue about renovating, Mum. Where do we start?"

  "Don't worry, I've got it all figured out," said Addison as she started measuring out ingredients for the scones.


  "You're going to ask Jason what to do, aren't you?"

  "Yep. He's at the hardware store getting everything we need to start stripping the wallpaper and getting it ready to paint. Then he's going to show us how. We'll be fine."

  "I don't doubt it," said Olivia, pulling out a stool from under the kitchen bench and taking a seat. "I guess you've watched enough renovation shows in your time."

  "Don't you tease me about watching those shows. I know you secretly love them too." Addison remembered many a night on the couch back in Sydney when the two of them would curl up with popcorn and watch back-to-back episodes of their favourite reno shows. No Marvel movies for them.

  "Yeah, fair point."

  They chatted about colour schemes and furniture shopping while Addison made the scones and popped them in the oven. While they baked, she unpacked the box containing her coffee machine, and fired it up.

  "You want one?" she asked Olivia, who was busy checking her phone.

  "Yes please."

  There was a knock at the door before it opened and Jason called out. "I'm back."

  Addison went through to the great room. "Hi Jason. How did you go?"

  "Got everything we need. We'll have this place restored to its former glory in no time."

  "With a few modern touches, I hope," said Olivia from the kitchen doorway.

  Jason tipped his head. "Of course. Whatever you want." He turned back to Addison. "I'm just going to unload the truck. Mind if I use that shed out the back to store some stuff?"

  "Not at all. When you're done come in and join us for morning tea. The scones should be just about ready."

  "I thought something smelled great. I'll be with you in five minutes."

  Jason left and Addison rejoined Olivia in the kitchen, noting her daughter was blushing less after this encounter with the handyman. She didn't say anything.

  Soon enough the three of them were seated around the dining table with hot coffee and warm scones.

  "Butter is going to have to do I'm afraid," said Addison. "I forgot to get jam and cream when we were at the supermarket. I'm a bit out of practice on the baking side of things."

  "Wow," said Jason, taking a bite. "If this is what you produce when you're out of practice, I can't wait until you get your eye in Mrs Lake. These are delicious."

  "Please Jason, call me Addison. And thank you."

  "You're welcome. Can I have another one?"

  "You can have as many as you like if you're going to help us get this place to feel like a home."

  4

  They worked together most of the day, taking breaks for food and instruction from Jason on what to do next. The plumber came and installed a brand new hot water system, much to Olivia's delight.

  At five o'clock Addison's phone rang. It was Layla.

  "How's it going? You got that beach house all pretty yet?"

  "I think it's going to take more than a day, Layla. What are you up to?"

  "I've been with Dad most of the day. I'm exhausted. I never realised how much it takes out of you, sitting with a sick person."

  "I know what you mean," said Addison. Her eyes welled up.

  "Oh, hun, I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me."

  "Don't worry about it," said Addison. "Just remember I'm here for you. I know what you're going through."

  "Thanks. Hey, I was calling to see if you and Olivia wanted to come by the gallery. You can check it out, say hi to Jenna, and then I thought maybe we could go to the pub in town for dinner. What do you think?"

  Addison could think of nothing she'd like better. "Give us ten minutes to change and we'll be right there." She ended the call and found Olivia chatting in the kitchen with Jason. She'd certainly got over her anxiousness over the course of the day.

  "Time to test that hot water system out, kid," said Addison.

  Olivia frowned at the term of endearment. "What's happening?"

  "We're going to pick up Layla and go into town to the pub for dinner." Addison turned to Jason. "You're welcome to join us."

  "Thanks, but I've got some stuff to do tonight. I'll see you first thing tomorrow?"

  "When you say first thing…"

  Jason laughed. "I'll make a start outside if I'm too early for you."

  "Thanks." Addison smiled. "We've got a lot done today."

  "We have. I'll be off then." He tipped his head, which seemed to be a habit whenever he entered or left a room. Nice country manners. Addison liked him a lot.

  "Come on then, let's get cleaned up," she said once he was gone. "I told Layla we'd only be ten minutes."

  "I'll be that long just in the shower if we've got hot water," said Olivia, running up the stairs.

  "No you won't. You're too conservative with water to do that."

  "You know me too well."

  They got themselves ready and left to pick up Layla. Addison let Olivia drive. She wouldn't get much chance to drive once she left for campus, and Addison felt a young driver should get as much practice as she could. It also meant she could have a glass of wine or two at the pub without worrying about driving.

  Addison directed Olivia to Layla's art gallery. She filled with pride at her cousin's accomplishments as they pulled up outside the building. The cousins had always stayed in contact over the years, but they hadn't seen much of each other. Addison had only met Layla's ex-husband twice, and both times the meeting had been strained. She was glad when Layla had finally left Rick.

  Layla had left both her husband and her Brisbane home behind. She'd come back to Getaway Bay because her father was sick, but also to start her life over. She was a brilliant painter, and she finally got to follow her dream and build an art gallery. The finished building included a studio in the back, and a flat upstairs. It was wonderful.

  Olivia pulled up outside the gallery. "We going in?" she asked.

  "Definitely. You have to see some of Layla's work. She's very talented."

  Layla greeted them at the door, and Addison immediately lost herself again in the paintings adorning the walls of the gallery, as she had when she'd come here three months ago. There were a couple of new works up now.

  "These are awesome," said Olivia, following her mother around the room. "Did you do them all?" she asked Layla.

  "Yes, they're all mine. Come, I'll show you the studio." Layla linked her arm through Olivia's and led her out the back to the studio. Addison had actually slept there on a blow-up mattress last time she was here. It had certainly been an interesting place to lay her head.

  Now, she left them to it and went upstairs to Layla's flat. Might as well get it over with.

  "Hello, Addison."

  Addison followed the sound of the voice. Jenna was sitting out on the small balcony overlooking the water.

  "Hello, Jenna. Long time no see." There was no hugging, or even a shaking of hands. Addison nodded; the small gesture seemed the most appropriate.

  "Yes, I suppose it has been a while." Jenna didn't get up. She sipped a glass of wine and turned back to watch the waves. "I was sorry to hear about Rob. He was a good man."

  "Thank you." Addison gritted her teeth. So good you tried to steal him from me all those years ago. She took a deep breath and let the past slide by. "What brings you back to Getaway Bay?"

  "I suppose Layla has told you about our father," Jenna replied.

  "She mentioned he's not doing so well. I'm sorry to hear that."

  Layla and Jenna's father, Dennis, had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's five years ago. It was what prompted Layla's move back to the Bay. She'd moved back in with him until she built the gallery, and he'd become too sick to stay at home. He was in a nursing home now, and Layla said the home and the staff were excellent. Still, Layla spent a lot of time visiting him. Something Addison felt sure Jenna wouldn't be bothered to do.

  "He's going to die," Jenna said matter-of-factly. "I thought it best I be here. For Layla, you know."

  And so you can get your hands on his money quicker. Addison kept that
thought to herself. "That's nice of you," she said instead.

  Jenna shrugged, and Addison was saved from more small talk by the arrival of Layla and Olivia. Olivia went straight over to Jenna on the balcony.

  "Hi, I'm Olivia. Mum's told me… well, she says you're her cousin. Nice to meet you." Before Jenna could respond Olivia had pulled her to her feet and wrapped her in a hug. Addison and Layla did their best not to burst out laughing. Jenna wasn't a big fan of human contact.

  "We're going to the pub for dinner," Olivia continued, oblivious to Jenna's discomfort. "Do you want to join us?"

  "Um, no, thank you. They don't have anything on the menu I can eat."

  "Are you on a special diet?" Olivia asked.

  "Jenna's always on some special diet or other," said Layla. "Come on, honey. You must be starving after all that hard work today." She ushered Olivia and Addison out of the flat and down the stairs, before turning back to Jenna. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

  They'd made it to the car before Layla stopped. "Shoot. I forgot my purse. I'll be back in a minute." She turned on her heel and went back into the gallery.

  "Jenna seems interesting," said Olivia while they waited.

  "Interesting is one word for her," said Addison. As much as she'd always loved Layla, Addison had never been as fond of her younger cousin. When they were very little Jenna had always tagged along, wanting to join in. But as they got older, Jenna grew apart from Addison and Layla. Instead of wanting to join them, she'd spied on them and played tricks on them.

  "Did you ever miss having a sister?" Olivia asked.

  "Not really," said Addison. "Do you?"

  "Sometimes I think it would be nice. But then I look at my friends who have sisters, and they always seem to be fighting with them."

  "You fought with your brother enough when he lived at home."

  "True. But I think brothers and sisters fighting is different to sisters."