He returned a moment later with a mass of black fabric in his arms, which turned out to be a black witch’s cloak and hat that he passed to Annie and a long black Dracula cape with a red satin collar, which he flung around his own shoulders.

“Where did you find these?”

“The leather trunk beneath the telly. I wasn’t snooping.” He wore a sheepish expression. “I knew that’s where Mari keeps them. I don’t know if the hat will fit you; you’ve got a bigger head than she does.”

Annie scowled at him and pulled the witch’s hat onto her head. It was a little tight, and she was pretty sure it would leave a red mark around her forehead.

“Actually, it fits perfectly,” she said.

Chapter 54

It was absolute mayhem, and Annie was delighted. All the children and many of the adults were in Halloween costumes. Annie counted seventeen witches, including herself and two very sexy witches who made her feel quite dowdy. There were werewolves large and small, Draculas, a Morticia Addams, a scantily clad nurse who looked cold to the bone, zombies, ghosts, pirates, a Ninja Turtle, and one Disney princess—this was Esme, head tucked firmly inside Gemma’s coat, fairy wand gripped tightly in her gloved hand.

Saltwater Nook got a unanimous thumbs-up from the Willow Bay Halloween procession, and a lively roar of approval went up when Annie said the café was open for business. John dished out sweets into waiting Halloween buckets held in eager, chubby hands, and offered round the little bags of hot potatoes to the adults. Annie stationed herself at the coffee machine—mostly hot chocolates and decaf coffees at this time of night, she noticed—and doled out cupcakes and crumbly shortbread.

Maeve stood at the door waving a bag above her head.

“Got a washing-up bowl or something I can fill with water?” she shouted over the noise. “I’ve got a bag full of windfalls from the orchard ready for bob-the-apple!”

Annie ducked down into a cupboard in the kitchen area and handed a large clear plastic mixing bowl to John, who duly filled it with water and carried it carefully through the packed café to Maeve.

“Ah, John, good man. Happy to see you,” she said as she took the bowl from him. “I’ll try my best not to let any of the buggers drown.” And she let out a throaty laugh.

Annie glanced over in time to see Gemma raise her eyebrows.

There was much screeching and splashing outside as heads were bobbed, long hair was held back by parents, and grinning children shivered in their sodden costumes, while others waited in line for their chance to dunk their faces in freezing water for a bruised apple.