Official Town Business (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries Book I)

Two Down, One to Go

The next five weeks passed in the usual matters - and some additional unusual ones. The familiar chores Imogen had to perform every day were the work at the office; taking care of the children; and - the least burdensome of all - Imogen's visits upstairs during lunch. New were the hours herself and the Mayor spent after work looking for possible ways out of the entrapment of the contract with the Americans. The Mayor made calls, and even drove to Abernathy and London twice; Imogen buried herself in legal papers.

And then one sunny day Imogen came home, and found Rosie in the drawing room.

Imogen's sister was sitting in Nana's armchair. And Imogen's first thought was that the ash from Rosie's cigarette could fall on the armrest.

"Rosie! Get an ashtray!"

Her words were obviously ignored, and Imogen rushed to the kitchen in search of a dish to sacrifice.

"Mops, I'm not staying. I came to pick up the children. They're packing," Rosie yelled from the drawing room, and a saucer fell out of Imogen's hands with a clank. 

She stuck her head into the room.

"What?"

"You see, Johnny offered me to move to Abernathy with him, and—"

"Who's Johnny?" Imogen interrupted squeakily.

"Blimey, Mops, don't you care about my personal life at all? You can't remember my boyfriend's name?" Rosie scoffed, and the ash fell, thankfully missing the armchair.

"I thought— Nevermind." Imogen shook her head. "But— When are you moving? And— why now?"

"He's got a job at some car shop there." Rosie shrugged.

"What about your job?" Imogen asked.

At that moment Kathy and Brian stepped into the room with their bags in their hands. Kathy's eyes were red. Brian looked defeated.

"Rosie, does Johnny— I mean, do you even want to take the children with you? They can stay with me. Until you settle there, and—"

Imogen threw her sister a hopeful look. Rosie grimaced.

"Of course I'd rather they stayed here. It'll be a new place for us. The last thing we need is the sprogs being in our way." Rosie tapped the cigarette with her finger, fertilising Imogen's carpet with more ash. "But you're a busy woman, Mops. You are working with the Mayor. You're shagging the Mayor. What do you need two children on your neck for?"

Imogen's right eye twitched. She was naively under the impression that despite the clarity between herself and the Mayor, their relationship had remained if not a secret then at least a need-to-know fact. And then the meaning of Rosie's words reached her understanding.

"Um, Rosie, since when do you care about my... comfort?" Imogen frowned and studied her sister. "You know, to think of it, that might be the first time in my life when you asked before doing anything!"

Imogen shimmied her shoulders wondering what this strange sensation between her shoulder blades was. And then she realised that's what having a backbone felt like.

"What are you trying to achieve here Rosie?" she asked firmly - and then she immediately knew the answer. 

And her own answer to Rosie's answer.

"Kids, go back to your room and unpack," she addressed Brian and Kathy in a much softer voice. "I think your mum changed her mind, and she wants you to stay here, since you'll probably enjoy it more than moving to Abernathy."

The little'uns scampered with relieved whispering, while Imogen turned to Rosie and pinned her with a glare.

"You want money, don't you?" Imogen hissed at her sister. "And don't argue. I just wasn't going to discuss it in front of them so they don't know that their mother would gladly 'sell' them. But I get it." Imogen gritted her teeth. "How much?"