Dotty Dreads a Disaster

by Diane Ezzard

  “I’m not sure what to make of that. Delphinia is warning me to stay away but the more I think about it, the more I am suspicious of her. Her tent was close enough to have sneaked over to Millie’s stand. She is more than competent at knowing about potions and their effects, plus she didn’t like Nigel. Rather than her sending me a warning to keep away, she has made me keener to delve deeper.”

  “Yes, I wouldn’t mind finding out what she knows about the White Brethren Society.” The two girls looked at each other and nodded.

  In the end, it was Harry who beat them to it.

  Chapter 30

  Dotty’s cab pulled up outside her house and the taxi driver beeped his horn. She glanced in the hall mirror, gave her hair a quick pat, and rubbed her lips together to make sure her lipstick was just right. Grabbing her jacket, she shouted out to her parents.

  “I’m off.”

  “Have a nice night,” her mum replied. Dotty slammed the front door shut. She was meeting Dave again. They were meeting at the wine bar without their cars, so they could both have a drink. It had been Dotty’s suggestion. She hoped that by loosening him up a bit, it would give him the courage to become more intimate with her. He was just the opposite to Wayne. Wayne couldn’t keep his hands off her and whilst she preferred Dave’s gentlemanly conduct, it had gone on too long now. If he didn’t make a move on her soon, then she would make designs on him. That is once she had slurped a few shots and a few glasses of prosecco.

  As always, things didn’t go to plan. Dotty drank too quickly. She had a thirst on her like she’d been stranded in the desert for a week without water. She guzzled the wine was like she was in a drinking competition and had to finish first. Nerves got to her. She’d had enough of waiting. At one point, she grabbed hold of the collar of Dave’s rugby shirt and pulled him towards her, trying to go in for a kiss.

  “Whoa, steady on, girl.” He gently unfolded her hands off the material and pushed her away. She sat back on the hard leather chair and sighed. “Are you okay, Dotty?”

  “I’ve had too much to drink.”

  “You will have a sore head in the morning.” Dave laughed. They chatted some more. Dave seemed oblivious to Dotty’s plight, trying to woo him. Because she had been sat down most of the evening, when she came to stand up, she was unsteady on her feet. When it was time to leave, she wobbled across the carpet, linking Dave’s arm.

  The cool night air hit her as they opened the door to walk outside. She staggered along the pavement then stopped. Dave turned to look at her just as her mouth opened and the most putrid smelling liquid came out. Vomit splashed onto the ground and over his new jeans. He hailed a taxi and gave the driver her address and the money to get her home safely.

  The next morning, the only thing Dotty remembered about the evening was the sight of Dave’s face when she was sick over him. He didn’t look too pleased. She would have a lot of grovelling to do if she wanted to see him again. For now, she reached for the painkillers to ease her pounding head and felt totally sorry for herself.

  Rachel phoned Dotty that evening to give her an update on how the move had gone. She sounded upbeat. After recounting her own weekend’s escapades, she asked Rachel about hers.

  “Was it horrendous, getting all his stuff in?” Dotty asked.

  “It’s not that, we don’t know where to put everything. We’ll have to buy another wardrobe. Anyway, we’ve got some other news.”

  “What, you’re not pregnant, are you?”

  “No, silly, it’s nothing like that although we are getting a parrot.”

  “A parrot?”

  “That’s right. Harry is an animal lover, and you’re not allowed cats and dogs here under the lease agreement. I have checked the paperwork and you can have budgies and the like.”

  “You’ll have to watch it with a parrot.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That you don’t give all your secrets away.”

  “I have no secrets.”

  “Well, make sure the parrot isn’t around when you’re making love. You wouldn’t want it to pick up on whatever you call Harry in moments of passion.”

  “You mean like hunky drawers and donkey dude.” They both laughed.

  “Something like that, yes.”

  “No, the reason I wanted to speak to you, as well as to catch up, was to tell you what Harry’s discovered.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Well, he was working on his laptop earlier. You know what a geek he can be sometimes?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he came across some information that may be of interest to us.”

  “Go on.” Dotty felt a lightness in her chest. Her senses were heightened.

  “He’s found out who is behind Stargazer Enterprises.”

  “What, the organisation that Nigel paid out large sums of money to?”

  “The very same.”

  “Is it someone we know?”

  “It’s Delphinia.”

  “Wow, very interesting. Well done, Harry.” Then in a voice mimicking a parrot, she said, “Who’s a clever boy.” They both laughed.

  “So, do you think Nigel paid to have his fortune told?”

  “He can’t have paid for that much worth of advice. I wonder what she did for him for that price?”

  “Well, he got his oats off Edna, so I doubt it was for services rendered.” The girls chuckled.

  “Could she have been blackmailing him for some other misdemeanour, do you think?”

  “It’s worth looking into.

  “Do you think she killed him?”

  “It’s possible. Maybe he stopped paying her. I could check with Judith if the payments ended. Plus, her tent wasn’t that far away from where he was killed.”

  “What about Fred Peterson? Could she have murdered him also?”

  “We can check if she had an alibi. If he took over the finances of the White Brethren Society, he may have told her she was getting no more money.”

  “That’s a possibility because he was a bank manager. You may be onto something there.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “Let’s get her over to give us another reading.”

  “Won’t that be dangerous?”

  “If she’s as good as she says she is and can see into the future, she’ll know to expect it.”

  Chapter 31

  Dotty tossed and turned in the night. Pictures of Delphinia flashed into her thoughts. The West Indian lady morphed into an African witch doctor. Dotty dreamt that she cast a spell over her. In the dream, Rachel was banished out of the country and couldn’t get back in to see Harry. Dotty was glad when the alarm sounded the following morning.

  The girls told Kylie about Harry’s discovery the previous evening.

  “I can’t believe it,” Kylie said. “We need to organise another meeting with her.”

  Dotty felt the adrenalin rush through her body at the anticipation of confronting the fortune teller.

  Meanwhile, she had a busy day ahead. She had lots of chocolates to make for a fair at the weekend. She rolled out of bed and jumped in the shower. Her mind worked overtime. Last night, when she eventually got off to sleep, she had convinced herself that Delphinia was behind the murders. The girls had to tackle her before she did any more damage, but they would have to be careful. If she had used a knife to slit Fred’s throat, then she was a dangerous woman. Before they made any accusations, they needed to find out where she was the night Fred was killed.

  Dotty got dressed and put her apron on. There was no time for breakfast this morning. She had a lot to do. Coffee and dipping into her ganaches would keep her going. The morning flew by. Her mind wasn’t on her work though. By lunchtime, she couldn’t stop herself from calling Kylie to see if she had got hold of Delphinia.

  “No, not yet. I left her a message and told her it was urgent. I said you particularly wanted to talk to her. I said that after the warnings she had given you, it sent you into meltdown.”
r />   “Oh, well done. Let me know as soon as you’ve organised something.” Dotty ended the call and felt a tap on the shoulder. It was her dad.

  “I hope you’re not getting mixed up in something you shouldn’t be. I know what you’re like for meddling.”

  “No, dad. Of course not. Would you like a cup of tea? I’ve got a couple of hours more work her and then I’ll tidy up.”

  “Make sure you do and yes I will have a drink and in answer to your question, Delphinia had an alibi.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I overheard you talking. I’m not completely stupid and I know what’s going on. The killings have been big news, so I spoke to my mate about how the investigation was going when we played golf this week. Delphina has someone to vouch for her whereabouts the night Fred was killed.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “So, don’t lie to your dad in future about what you’re up to.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  That was Dotty told. She had one batch of chocolates remaining to make when disaster struck. Somehow, through rushing to finish, the filling curdled, and she didn’t have enough cream for the last batch anymore. The fruit and nut filling she planned to do was one of her best sellers. Her customers would lynch her if there wasn’t enough for them. She took off her apron and sighed.

  “Just nipping to the shop, Dad. Won’t be long.” Dotty usually walked to the High Street as it wasn’t far, but on this occasion, she drove to save time. If her dad went into the kitchen while she was out, he was likely to have a coronary at the mess. She needed to rush back and get finished.

  Dotty drove past The Old Six Bells where Kylie worked and as she slowed down to turn into Sainsbury’s carpark, she noticed Royston stood outside the pub talking to someone. She couldn’t make out who it was as she had to keep her eye on the traffic. Before entering the supermarket, she looked up and saw Royston was still there talking. Deciding to have a nosey, she wandered up towards the pub.

  That was interesting. It was Winston, Delphinia’s son. Dotty went over to speak to them. They didn’t notice her approaching and were deep in conversation. Dotty caught the tail end of what they said.

  “So, the ambush is still on for next Friday,” Royston said. Winston was about to reply when he felt Dotty’s presence and looked up.

  “Hi, Winston, I’ve been trying to get hold of your mum.” Winston looked at her as though she had grown an extra head. He didn’t reply. Both young men stared at her. Winston rubbed the back of his neck and turned to Royston. His eyes narrowed. Dotty swallowed and tried to ignore the fact she had interrupted something. “Sorry, you probably don’t remember me. I’m Dotty.” She held out her hand to shake Winston’s, but he kept his hands firmly in his pocket.

  “She’s that, alright.” Royston laughed and nudged Winston. Dotty didn’t take the bait and turned her body away from Royston.

  “Your mum has done a couple of readings for me and I needed to see her about something she said. My friend left her a message, but Delphinia hasn’t got back to us yet.”

  “So, what do you want me to do?” Winston sneered and shrugged his shoulders.

  “If you wouldn’t mind mentioning that you’ve seen me and ask her to ring either me or Kylie, that would be great.”

  He gave her a half-hearted nod. Dotty didn’t think he would pass on any message. She couldn’t wait to leave those two to their conniving. She turned on her heels and walked swiftly back to the shop.

  Dotty was on pins to get home and phone Kylie and Rachel to tell them about the encounter with the boys. She was beaten to it by Rachel.

  “We need to recruit Harry into our private investigator’s ring. He’s done a sterling job.”

  “Why? What’s he uncovered now?”

  “There’s a lot goes on when you get into that dark web.”

  “I’m sure there is. What has he found out?”

  “The White Brethren Society are planning a march this Friday. They’re hoping to recruit more people to their cause. There will be a rally, followed by a meeting at Abingworth meadow. From what Harry read, they are keeping their views on their distaste for other cultures low-key and concentrating on discussing making Britain a greener place to live.”

  “Wait a minute, next Friday, you say?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “I thought I heard Royston and Winston talking about an ambush next Friday. I don’t know if I heard them right, but they could be linked.”

  “Do you think you ought to tell the police?”

  “I’m not sure. What if I didn’t hear correctly? I would look a fool.”

  “Maybe mention it to Dave then.”

  “Good idea. I haven’t heard from him in a while. It would be a good excuse for me to get in touch.”

  Chapter 32

  Dotty couldn’t get hold of Dave, so she left a message saying there was something important she had to tell him. He replied that he also had something important to say to her. That sounded ominous. She wondered what it could be. He told her he was working until Sunday evening so asked if her news could wait until then. She decided that it could, so they arranged to meet up after her event finished.

  Sunday morning, Dotty looked out the kitchen window as she got ready to pack her chocolates away. How things had changed in a few short weeks. Three weeks ago, snow had been forecast and this weekend, England was basking in a heatwave. That meant the barbecues were out in force and the area stunk of lighter fuel. Whilst Dotty loved to see the sun shining, her chocolates didn’t. She would keep her fingers crossed that she was given a cool spot at the event.

  The clear blue sky improved Dotty’s mood and seeing that yellow ball in the sky was a bonus. It was a shame the nice weather was so sporadic. According to the weatherman, it was due to last for three days before the rain came back. It was the sort of day, for an outing to Brighton which was where Dotty would have preferred to be. This mini heatwave would do her sales no favours. No one bought chocolate in the sunshine.

  She wheeled her truckload of goodies out to the car and wiped the perspiration off her brow. This wasn’t a good sign, to be so warm so early. She prayed her confectionery would hold up in the heat. She arrived nice and early at the fair to get the best spot but as she walked into the large craft marquee, she groaned. It was like a greenhouse. She couldn’t work in those conditions. Quickly, she went to find the organiser.

  “Barbara, can I have a word, please.” Barbara had just finished talking to a tall man and held a tight grip on her clipboard.

  “Yes, what is it?” Barbara looked over her glasses.

  “Is there anywhere else you can put me. The marquee is so hot, my chocolates will melt.”

  “Oh dear, not really. Let me think.” A large woman with brown wavy hair walked up to speak to Barbara.

  “I can’t find my pitch. Are you sure you’ve numbered them correctly?”

  “What was your name again?” Barbara asked the woman. Someone else came to have a word with her, hovering by her shoulder.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “My electricity supply isn’t working.” Barbara looked at Dotty. “Give me a minute and I’ll see what I can sort out for you.”

  Dotty felt downcast. She almost wished she hadn’t come. Kylie wasn’t joining her. After her confession about eating her products, Dotty now had to work alone so she wouldn’t get a break unless she left her stall unmanned.

  Dotty waited outside. Her skin already glistened from standing inside the tent. The sun beat down like the thermostat had broken. England didn’t do air conditioning. There weren’t enough hot days to warrant it, so when the heat came it was unbearable. Barbara hadn’t even thought to bring along fans. Today would be like working in an inferno — sheer hell. Finally, Barbara came out to attend to Dotty.

  “I understand your plight but there’s not a lot I can do. The only thing I can suggest is, I have a small gazebo that I can put up over by the entrance area. You would have to w
ork alone but at least it’s in the shade.”

  “Okay, that will have to do.” Dotty sighed. Half the fun of these events was chatting to other traders. Today she would have to sacrifice any networking for the sake of her chocolates’ survival. People were already coming in, so she had to work quickly to set up her display. It was hot work. Sweat trickled down her back. Dotty’s main priority was keeping her products in the shade. She hoped that would be enough to stop them from melting.

  Everyone who walked past commented on the weather. The UK is probably the only place in the world where talking about the climate is the number one conversation topic. It takes up such a large portion of the day. That’s mainly because every season can appear within a twenty-four-hour period and it can be so unpredictable. It wasn’t unpredictable today though. This scorcher had been on the cards for a few days and people were getting prepared. Sun creams and designer sunglasses were out in force.

  “What a lovely day.”

  “Too nice to be working in.”

  “We’re getting our burgers and sausages in ready for tonight’s barbecue.”

  Dotty listened to the comments of the people who wandered past her stall. She didn’t want to be a killjoy and say she wasn’t enjoying it. That was like sacrilege to say you weren’t happy seeing the sunshine. She glanced down at her display. It was party time for the wasps who homed in on her chocolates. Dotty wafted them away.

  Sales were slow which was as Dotty expected given how warm it was. She spent all her time fighting off the wasps and flies and keeping everything in the shade. She moved the trays around. Wearing her plastic see-through gloves, she tested to see how they were holding up. One or two batches were becoming dangerously soft.

  “Hello, Dotty. I wondered if I’d see you here. How’s the weather suiting you?”

  “I’m struggling, Betty. If I’m not careful, this sun will melt everything.”

  “Oh, what a shame. All that work you put into making them will be wasted. I’ve just been talking to Lydia Farnham. She’s doing a bomb selling her fruit smoothies.”