Dotty Dreads a Disaster

by Diane Ezzard

  The following day, Kylie was off work so able to go along to the library. Graham, the manager at the pub where she worked had only just stopped phoning her asking her to do extra shifts. He had called her almost every day for the past three weeks. They had been short-staffed and one of the other barmaids was off sick with a broken arm. Thankfully, Graham had now recruited a temporary replacement which meant Kylie could have her life back. The extra money came in handy and she had already spent most of it. The good news about not working today meant that Kenny was coming over to see her tonight. She walked into the library with a spring in her step.

  “Excuse me,” she said to the librarian with wispy hair tied up in a bun. The woman looked up over her thick-rimmed glasses. “Do you have any books on mushrooms?”

  “If you have a look in the gardening section, some of the books on plants have a section on fungi. We have a couple of books that specifically deal with mushrooms and toadstools. Normally, I could look the details up for you straightaway, but our main server is down.” She flapped her hands in the air. “If you give me a moment, I’ll show you how to search for them using our back-up method.” A few minutes later, Kylie stood over her shoulder at the indexing drawers. “Thank goodness we still keep the old-fashioned card system updated.” Her nimble fingers worked through the tray of cards. “Here we are, yes I was right. There are two books specifically relating to mushrooms.” The librarian smiled. She seemed pleased with herself and showed Kylie which shelf to find them on. “They should both be there somewhere if they’re not out on loan.”

  Kylie went over to look but couldn’t locate either book. She called on the librarian again for her assistance.

  “You’ve been ever so helpful. I can’t thank you enough.” The librarian was one of those people who loved helping others. The satisfaction she got from the praise she received was immense. A lifelong spinster, she had dedicated her life to the library. There were rumours that it was due to close. Thankfully, she was nearing retirement, so it wouldn’t affect her, but she still thought it would be a sad day if that happened. The two women stood with their eyes peeled on the array of books. She checked the nature shelves.

  “Oh dear, I can only think both books must be out on loan and unfortunately, I can’t tell you right now because of the temporary blip with our technology.”

  “Would you be able to let me know when they come in or better still, tell me who loaned them?”

  “Oh, I couldn’t say who has them if they’re out on loan.”

  “The thing is, Jean,” Kylie said, reading the woman’s name badge and moving in closer towards her. “I am a private investigator. I am investigating a murder inquiry for a client of mine.” Her voice was hushed. “It may help the case immensely if I found out who had been researching mushrooms recently.”

  “Oh, you mean because of the death of Nigel Hastings?”

  “Ssh.” Kylie put her pointer finger over her lips and nodded. “This has to be between you and me.”

  “I see. Well, of course, I will help you all I can,” Jean whispered. She looked pleased with herself for guessing who the investigation was about. “Do you have a card and I’ll contact you with the information you require as soon as the computer system is up and running again?”

  Kylie feigned looking for a business card. She patted down her pockets and searched in her handbag.

  “Drat. It looks like I have given them all out. Here, I’ll write my number on a piece of paper.” She passed the scribbled note to Jean who looked as proud as a peacock as she thrust out her chest. This may be hush-hush, but she would tell her elderly parents who she lived with that she was helping in a murder inquiry. Nothing as exciting as this had ever happened to Jean before. The nearest she got to any excitement was the day the fire brigade turned up at her house. Her large-framed mother had got herself wedged in the toilet seat and couldn’t get out.

  “I will do all I can to help.”

  “Thank you, Jean.” Kylie winked at the librarian and left.

  Chapter 12

  Kylie was running late. She needed to get back home, showered and changed before Kenny arrived. She thought about offering him something to eat but she was such a bad cook, it might put him off her. Kenny wouldn’t mind. It wasn’t her food he came over for. Kylie was the takeaway queen normally. She lived off fried chicken, burgers and kebabs and had the hips to prove it.

  As soon as she arrived home, she rushed into the shower. Her toes flinched as she walked across the cold ceramic bathroom floor. Her mind was giddy, anticipating the night ahead. She couldn’t get the picture of Kenny in the buff out of her brain. As she turned the dial on the old appliance, thousands of lukewarm droplets were released over her head. She closed her eyes as the water trickled down her back. Her thoughts still had images of Kenny and she smiled.

  After she finished, she dried herself off then slumped on her bed looking up at the ceiling. She hoped this would be a night to remember. Their first encounter had been one of nerves and fumbles. Now they had shared more intimate moments, they were both more relaxed with each other. Kenny told her how much he liked to grab hold of her ample frame as he whispered his sexual fantasies in her ear. She hoped to enjoy his body for as long as she could before he got fed up of her and went back to his wife.

  Kylie set the room up with some Barry White music and scented candles. The lights were dimmed as she waited for Kenny’s arrival. He was early which she saw as a good sign of his eagerness. He didn’t disappoint. Kenny’s biceps and pecs flexed when he walked through the door. He wasted no time taking his T-shirt off. Kylie’s eyes ogled his body. She was mesmerised by his torso. He wasn’t waiting for any formalities such as a cup of coffee. This man meant business and had only one thing on his mind. Kylie stared shamelessly. He had ink across his chest and down his arms. The tattoos spilt over onto his back. Kylie couldn’t wait to explore his body.

  They kissed and Kylie led him to the bedroom. Their lovemaking was fast and furious. It was over too soon for Kylie’s liking, but he had satisfied her. They lay together in bed and he told her about his day at work. Their behaviour turned to being more like that of an old married couple.

  “I went over to an elderly man’s place today. He had a blocked toilet. It wasn’t the prettiest of jobs. When I looked in the pipes, I found out what the problem was.”

  “Fat turds?” Kylie asked.

  “No, false teeth.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, he dropped his dentures down the loo without realising and he’d been wondering where they got to.” Kenny laughed.

  “Oh, that’s gross. I wouldn’t want to wear them again after knowing where they’d been.” Kenny looked at the time.

  “I have to shoot.”

  “What? Already? That’s a shame. I was hoping for seconds.”

  “You’re a nympho.” He kissed the top of her forehead. If he’d kissed her any lower, he may have been tempted to stay for more.

  Kylie’s love life was a far cry from Dotty’s. Whereas Kylie saw all the action, Dotty had seen none. There was little point having two men chasing after her if all they did was chase her by text. It wasn’t in her makeup to ask a guy out but if neither Wayne nor Dave got their finger out soon, she would have to resort to stronger tactics or search elsewhere. She was sick of spending time at home watching TV every night. Even her mum and dad had more nights out than she did. She wondered if men weren’t attracted to her because she still lived with at home. There would be no hanky-panky under her parents’ roof. She liked to take things slowly anyway. It had taken time to get over her previous relationship. The scoundrel had never told her he was married, and it had wounded her.

  Whether it was the law of attraction or some special skill Delphinia passed on to her, something spooky happened that night. She was thinking of Wayne when a message pinged through from him.

  Fancy a trip to the movies and a Chinese next Thursday?

  It felt eerie how she had willed him to contact he
r. Maybe Delphinia had super-powers after all. She made arrangements with Wayne and still had a big grin on her face when her phone rang. It was Kylie. She no doubt wanted to go into the finer details of what she and Kenny got up to.

  “I’ve got some news,” Kylie said. Dotty was surprised. Her voice wasn’t as upbeat as she expected.

  “Go on.” Dotty waited to hear about Kylie’s escapades.

  “Auntie Flo has disappeared.”

  Chapter 13

  The girls met up at the Strawberry tea rooms the following day. The anguish showed on Kylie’s face. She rocked back and forth in her chair.

  “I can’t believe Auntie Flo would do something stupid like this. She must have lost her phone because it’s not like her to be silent. There’s been no news. I’m getting concerned now. It’s been three days since she disappeared.”

  “I hate to ask you this, Kylie, but does she know anything about mushrooms?”

  “Oh no, you don’t think she was involved with what happened at the Spring Fair.” Kylie’s lips narrowed and she placed her palms down on the table.

  “Her disappearance looks suspicious, you’ve got to admit, Kylie.” Dotty’s words did nothing to allay Kylie’s worries. Kylie’s head dropped.

  “There is a glimmer of hope.” Kylie glanced between the other two.

  “Oh?” Rachel asked.

  “She went down the pub the evening she disappeared, so she may have gone on somewhere and continued drinking. She once got so drunk after a party she went missing for five days. Maybe she’s done something like that again.” Kylie raised her eyebrows.

  “Did anyone see where she went?”

  “Uncle Chris doesn’t seem too concerned. He thinks she’ll surface soon. He said he’ll give it a week and if she hasn’t come home by then, he’ll start looking.”

  “I’m glad I’m not married to him. I hope nothing sinister has happened to her.” Rachel shuddered. “Keep us posted, Kylie. How are things with you, Dotty? Are you looking forward to your date with Wayne?”

  “I suppose so.”

  “Only suppose?” Rachel asked. Dotty shrugged her shoulders.

  “I like him but it’s early days. I don’t know him well enough yet and I don’t want to rush into anything after what happened with the last fiasco. No more married men, thank you very much.” She put her hand up like she was stopping traffic.

  “There’s nothing wrong with a married man if you want to spice up your life.” Kylie’s face brightened up, thinking of her time with Kenny. “You’re still interested in Dave, aren’t you? That’s why you’re not getting all gooey-eyed over Wayne.”

  “I do like Dave as well. Dave’s more of a gentleman but he’s very slow on the uptake. He probably doesn’t fancy me.”

  “Oh yes he does,” piped up the other two in unison. They all laughed.

  “We must come up with some way to nudge him along.” Kylie smiled.

  “I don’t want you two getting involved.”

  The girls chatted some more about their respective love lives. Kylie kept glancing over at the brownies on display but for the first time in ages, she resisted temptation.

  “You’re not even tempted by those gorgeous cream cakes. What’s going on?” asked Rachel, who never ate cake.

  “It’s only because my stomach is off. Worrying about Auntie Flo is affecting me physically.”

  Dotty nodded. It wouldn’t do Kylie any harm to lose a bit of weight. She might encourage her to come along to the Slimming World class that Dotty had joined.

  Kylie’s phone rang.

  “I’ll take this, girls.” The noise in the café was loud with the constant chatter of the mums who regularly attended the establishment. There was also a table of elderly women celebrating one of their group’s birthday. Kylie couldn’t hear anything, so she took her phone outside to speak.

  A few minutes later, she skipped back in with a smile on her face.

  “Who was that? Kenny?” Rachel asked.

  “No, better than that.” Kylie’s grin went from ear to ear.

  “Better than Kenny? This has to be good. Come on, spill the beans.” Rachel watched her sit back down. Kylie had this knack of leaving her friends in suspense when she had something important to say. It reminded Dotty of how they operated at judges houses on X Factor. They would keep the contestants guessing, right to the very last second, eking out the waiting game for extra suspense.

  “Who was it, Kylie?” Dotty asked in a loud voice. She was losing patience with her friend.

  “That was the librarian, Penny.” Kylie’s eyes sparkled.

  “And?” Rachel drummed her fingers on the table.

  “She had some news for me.”

  “We guessed that as she phoned you. Come on, Kylie what is it?” Rachel’s fingers flapped towards Kylie, beckoning her to provide more information.

  “She told me who previously lent the books on mushrooms.”

  “Anyone we know?” Dotty cocked her head to one side.

  “Have a guess.”

  “Oh Kylie, stop being an idiot and tell us.” Rachel slammed her hand down on the table. The women sat at the next table turned around. Kylie moved her head in closer towards her friends who did likewise.

  “Christine Beckley,” she mouthed.

  “Wow, really?” Rachel’s eyes widened, and she sat back in her seat then looked across at Dotty whose eyebrows were raised. She nodded, thinking. “I don’t understand. Christine works at the library, doesn’t she?”

  “Yes, but I presume she still has to borrow books like the rest of us, especially if she wants to study what they contain.” Kylie raised her eyebrows.

  “One of us ought to pay Christine another visit. I’m happy to go,” Dotty said.

  Back at home, Dotty tried to figure out how to get hold of Christine’s address. She checked through all the paperwork she had about the local fairs. Sometimes, they gave out addresses of those in charge but when she went through everything, there was nothing listed for Christine. Dotty decided to call in to see her good friend, Patsy at the local florist’s shop. She knew Christine was a churchgoer and Patsy was married to the local vicar. Hopefully, she could find out where she lived.

  The shop door pinged as Dotty walked in. She had brought Winnie along for the walk and left her outside. She didn’t want her dog knocking over any vases or displays.

  “Hi, Dotty. Good to see you. What brings you out on a blustery day like today?” Patsy asked. It was heading towards May, but the March winds were still out in force and it looked like rain was on the horizon. Dotty breathed in the mixed floral aromas that she loved.

  “I’m after a favour, actually. I’ve some questions I want to ask Christine Beckley. She attends your church, I think, so I wondered if you could get her address for me.”

  “I’m sorry, Dotty. As much as I’d like to help, I wouldn’t be able to give out personal information. I can’t afford to fall foul of the data protection laws.”

  “I guessed that.” Dotty’s face looked glum. Her head bowed, looking down at the concrete floor. Patsy had been friends with Dotty since they did a flower arranging course together.

  “Can’t you call in the library to see her?”

  “It’s rather a delicate matter. I want to speak to her in private.” Patsy busied herself moving buckets of mixed flowers.

  “I could give her your number and ask her to contact you.” Suddenly, the door pinged open. Dotty looked up. She couldn’t believe her luck. In walked Christine, her hair looking more dishevelled than usual.

  “Is that your dog out there?” Christine addressed Dotty, frowning.

  “Yes, em, I’ve only popped in for a minute to see Patsy.”

  “it’s doing a lot of barking.” Dotty knew that. She could hear Winnie’s impatient woofing.

  “I’m going to her now.” Dotty walked towards the door. The other two women watched her.

  “Oh, Christine?” Dotty called over. Patsy turned away and busied herself at t
he counter.

  “What?” Christine’s tone was curt.

  “I’ve been doing some foraging. I wondered if you could help and tell me what I can and can’t eat. From what I hear, you’re the expert on mushrooms.”

  Christine’s cheeks reddened.

  “I’m no expert.” She cleared her throat.

  “I’m curious to know more. I’m trying to eat more of the healthy, back-to-the-earth kind of foods.” Christine studied her. Patsy kept her head down.

  “In that case, why don’t you come along to the evening class I’m running at the garden centre over the next six weeks. It’s on plant food and I think you’ll find it useful.”

  “That sounds a great idea. I’ll go down and sign up. Thank you, Christine, and see you soon, Patsy.” Patsy waved her friend off, wondering what she was up to.

  Chapter 14

  Dotty loved going to the cinema. Ever since she was a child when she used to go to the Saturday matinee, she got excited at the sight of the big screen. She hugged a huge family-sized popcorn watching the adverts. The war film wouldn’t have been her first choice. She was more into romcoms, but she gladly settled for anything just to have a night out. Plus, Brad Pitt had a starring role, so it wasn’t all bad. She glanced across at Wayne as he took a slurp from the small-sized coke that was actually ginormous. Goodness only knew how big the large size must be. He’d have spent the night emptying his bladder and missing half the film if he’d chosen that. His hand dived into the bucket of popcorn and he smiled at Dotty as they watched the trailers together.

  She was glad he had brought her to the better of the two cinemas in the area — the one with the plush seats. It was almost like being at home, as she slouched with her feet up. She sat back to relax as the movie started and she sank into the dark red velvet chair. As the lion roared, the chatter stopped. It wasn’t long before Dotty’s mind hurtled back to the Second World War, the setting for the film. She imagined herself as a heroine working for the Resistance in France and helping all the Jewish children to escape. Bombs hurtled down in unison with the noises on screen. Her thoughts took a dark twist as she was sentenced to death by the Germans. Thankfully Brad’s face popped up in time to save her and she re-joined the film’s storyline.