Aunt Bessie Understands

by Diana Xarissa

  Doona blushed bright red and looked down at the table.

  “Doona could hide in the dining room and just observe,” Hugh suggested. “Then, if anything goes wrong, she could ring 999.”

  “Let’s worry about that later,” Bessie suggested. “For now, having not seen Madison in a great many years, I’m reserving judgment as to whether or not she’s the killer. From what her parents have told me, she seems incredibly unlikely, but they wouldn’t be the first parents to be blind to their children’s faults.”

  “You said she was going to bring some of Phillip’s friends with her?” John asked.

  “That was what Rebecca said, but she didn’t give me any names,” Bessie replied.

  “His closest friend was Harry Holt,” John said.

  “As I understand it, Phillip and Harry had a massive falling-out when Phillip decided to move away. Peter, Phillip’s father, didn’t know if they’d even spoken since Phillip left,” Bessie said.

  “He probably isn’t going to be much help, then,” Hugh said. “Unless he was the one person whom Phillip told about his return visit. Maybe Harry convinced Phillip that it would be fun to surprise everyone else, and then lured him up here and killed him.”

  “That seems a bit extreme,” Doona said. “I understand that he was angry that Phillip had left, but murdering him when he came back feels over the top.”

  “Not speaking to the man for two years seems over the top to me,” Bessie said thoughtfully. “I understand being upset that he was leaving, but I would have thought that supporting your friend, especially as he was going through a difficult time, would have mattered more than anything else. With email and texting and everything else available today, they could have easily stayed in touch, even at a distance.”

  “I hope he does accompany Madison tomorrow,” John said. “I’ll be interested in hearing your opinion of him.”

  Bessie wanted to ask a million questions, but she knew better than to bother. “I talked to Oliver Preston today,” she said instead.

  “How did that happen?” John asked.

  “Remember how I told you that he wasn’t given a room at Christmas at the Castle? We had someone drop out, so Mark and I went to see Oliver and offer him the space.”

  “Does that mean he’ll be taking part?” was John’s next question.

  “No, he turned us down.”

  “Why?” Doona demanded. “I thought all of the charities involved made quite a lot of money last year.”

  “They did, but the focus is on the island, and Mark wanted Oliver to agree to use the money raised from Christmas at the Castle to help people in need on the island, rather than elsewhere. Oliver didn’t want to agree to any restrictions.”

  “What do they do, exactly?” John asked.

  “They fund things that people might struggle to afford during cancer treatment. Things that aren’t necessities but still matter, like wigs or books or maybe even a weekend away,” Bessie told him, remembering the letters she’d read in Oliver’s office.

  “Surely there are plenty of cancer patients on the island who could benefit from that sort of assistance,” Doona said.

  “There are, but Oliver has his own way of selecting whom to help, and where people live isn’t part of his criteria, or so I believe.”

  “What did you think of Oliver?” John asked.

  “I’d met him once or twice before,” Bessie replied. “There’s something about him that suggests used-car salesman, but he’s always very nice, really.”

  “He reminds me of George Quayle,” Doona said.

  Bessie nodded. “George is far more obvious, but there are similarities. Of course, Oliver is raising money for a good cause where George was always all about making money for himself, but they have similar personalities.”

  “I didn’t realise you knew Mr. Preston,” John said to Doona.

  She shrugged. “I knew him years ago, but I haven’t seen him in five years or more. We, um, we went out a few times, but it wasn’t anything serious.”

  “No?” John asked.

  Doona looked at him, her cheeks turning pink as she shook her head. “We had dinner together twice, I believe. It may have been three times, but after that he began to pressure me to have him back for coffee.” She used her fingers to put quotation marks around the last two words. “It wasn’t long after my first marriage had ended. In fact, it was my ex-husband who introduced us. I wasn’t ready to get involved with anyone at that point, not seriously, so I ended things.”

  “On good terms?” John asked.

  “I believe so. It wasn’t acrimonious or anything. The next time he rang me, I simply said I didn’t think things were working, and he never rang me again. That’s how I remember it anyway. He may tell a different story, if he even remembers me. I suspect he’s had a fair few women in his life since then.”

  “What about Dylan Collins?” John asked.

  “I never went out with him,” Doona said firmly. Everyone laughed.

  “He seemed a bit dim,” Bessie said. “I don’t believe that I’d ever met him before, and I was surprised that he’d taken over for Phillip. Being Oliver’s assistant is a big job and he didn’t seem up to the challenge. At least that was the impression I got from the short time I spent with him.”

  John nodded and made a note. “He was working for The Liliana Fund when Phillip was there, though. He did know Phillip.”

  “Maybe he was worried that Phillip was going to want his old job back,” Hugh said.

  “That’s a possibility,” Bessie mused. “As I understand it, Dylan only worked part-time before Phillip left, so his leaving was good for Dylan.”

  “Do you think that Oliver would have taken Phillip back?” Doona asked.

  “There were definitely some hard feelings there,” Bessie told her. “Apparently Phillip left just before an important event, which made things difficult for Oliver and probably for Dylan, too.”

  “Would they have held a grudge over that for two years?” Hugh asked.

  “As motives go, it’s pretty weak,” Doona said. “It’s enough to keep them on the list, though, isn’t it?” she asked John.

  He nodded. “I’m not crossing anyone off the list just yet.”

  “Who else haven’t we discussed?” Bessie asked.

  “Rebecca gave me a list of Phillip’s friends,” John replied. “I’m working my way through it, but thus far I haven’t found anyone who was more than just a casual acquaintance, really. None of them seem to have heard from Phillip since he’d left, and none have admitted to contacting him, either.”

  “It’s always possible that it was something random,” Hugh said. “Maybe he walked into the cottage and found someone already there.”

  “Surely he would have just apologised and left,” Bessie said. “I’m not even sure why he was in Laxey at that cottage. If he didn’t want anyone to know he was on the island, he could have arranged to stay at any number of hotels around the place. Nearly everyone has vacancies this time of year.”

  John nodded. “If we knew why he was in Laxey, we’d probably be closer to identifying the killer. My instincts say that he was here for an arranged meeting. That’s what makes the most sense to me, anyway.”

  “And he was probably meeting one of the suspects we’ve discussed,” Hugh added.

  “Witnesses,” John corrected him.

  “Yes, of course,” Hugh laughed.

  “I’m going to spend tomorrow chasing down the last of Phillip’s friends,” John said. “Hugh, I believe you’re going to be using the first day of your paternity leave, aren’t you?”

  Hugh shrugged. “I can work for a few hours in the morning and only take half a day, if that’s okay with you.”

  “You know I won’t complain if you want to work,” John told him. “Make sure you have Suzannah track your hours.”

  Doona made a face. “I can do it for you,” she said to Hugh.

  “It’s Suzannah’s responsibility now,” John said. “
She’s had the necessary training. It isn’t meant to be your problem any longer.”

  “I don’t mind doing it,” Doona replied. “At least then I know it’s been done correctly.”

  “Suzannah will do it correctly,” John said. “If she makes any mistakes, we’ll sort them,” he added.

  Doona chuckled. “You don’t seem all that confident in her doing it right the first time.”

  “She has to learn to process. It may take her a short while to master it,” John replied.

  “As she hasn’t mastered answering the phones yet, I’m not optimistic,” Doona said quietly.

  John sighed. “She’s getting better, or at least she’s trying to get better. It isn’t as if we had dozens of qualified applicants for the position.”

  “If she spent less time flirting with the constables and more time paying attention to her job, I wouldn’t mind so much,” Doona said.

  “Has she been flirting with the constables?” John asked.

  “She’s been flirting with you, too,” Doona said. “I can’t believe you haven’t noticed.”

  “She’s just friendly,” John waved a hand. “She’s far too young for me.”

  “She is a flirt,” Hugh interjected. “She even flirts with me, even though I’m married.”

  “I’ll have a word with her,” John sighed.

  “Leave your office door open when you do,” Doona advised.

  John looked surprised and then nodded slowly. “Maybe I’ll have a word with all of the reception staff at the same time.”

  Doona laughed. “I’m pretty sure Mary hasn’t been flirting with anyone,” she said.

  “Mary?” Bessie asked.

  “She’s a retired woman who used to work at the Douglas station. She’s helping out up here since we’re so short-handed,” Doona told her. “She’s sixty-eight and has never been married.”

  “Surname?”

  “Corlett.”

  Bessie nodded. “I know her, not well, but I know her. She was something of a flirt when she was a teenager, actually, but I can’t imagine her behaving in that way now.”

  “Suzannah is a problem, though,” Doona said. “One that may take some sensitive handling.”

  John nodded. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow. I wasn’t aware of the situation. You really should tell me about these things, you know.”

  “I don’t like to complain about coworkers,” Doona replied.

  “Especially since everyone will think you’re getting special treatment because you and John are, well, friends,” Hugh said.

  Doona and John both flushed. “I don’t give anyone special treatment,” John said tightly.

  “No, of course not,” Hugh replied quickly. “It’s just that Doona spends a lot of time with your kids and, well, some of the staff have commented on it, that’s all.”

  John nodded. “Maybe it’s time I stopped relying on Doona so much.”

  Bessie frowned at the sad expression that passed over Doona’s face. “I could quit my job,” Doona said quietly.

  “No one wants that to happen,” John replied. “All of the young constables love you.”

  “Because I buy biscuits and let them tell me about their problems with women,” Doona said. “I’d be easy enough to replace, though, and I don’t need to work, not for a while, anyway.”

  “You wouldn’t be at all easy to replace,” John replied. “Look at the trouble we’re having now. Mary won’t do any more hours than she’s already doing and Suzannah still has a lot to learn. Please don’t quit, not until Suzannah is ready to take your place, anyway.”

  “Only ten years to go,” Doona muttered.

  Bessie laughed. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” she said, “but all of this has reminded me that I wanted to invite the children to stay with me one night,” she told John. “Maybe one night next week? I thought we could bake American Christmas cookies and have a late-night stroll on the beach.”

  “They’d probably both love that,” John replied.

  “Maybe you and Doona could go and do some Christmas shopping together,” Bessie suggested. “I’m sure she has some ideas about what the children would like from Father Christmas.”

  Doona laughed. “Their lists are far too sophisticated for Father Christmas. I don’t think the elves can manage fancy electronics or trendy clothing.”

  “And I don’t have a single thing bought for them yet,” John sighed. “I’d really appreciate your help with some shopping.”

  “See if they want to stay here for a night,” Bessie urged him. “Do it when Douglas is having a late-night opening so you and Doona can get a lot done.”

  John nodded. “I’ll let you know. I can’t promise anything because of the murder investigation, but if we get that wrapped up, I’d love to take you up on the offer.”

  Bessie grinned at Doona. She’d done her best to get her friend a night alone with John. If they managed it, it would be up to Doona to make good use of the time.

  Chapter 7

  Bessie slept late the next morning, not waking up until six-fifteen. She frowned at the clock and then decided that she was entitled to the extra minutes after everything that had happened lately. After breakfast, she headed out for her walk, taking her time to enjoy the empty beach. Time seemed to pass much more quickly these days than it had in her youth. She knew it wouldn’t be long before the beach was once again crowded with holidaymakers. The police tape around the last cottage seemed to be flapping gently in the wind. Bessie kept going, to the stairs to Thie yn Traie, and then turned for home.

  “Ah, Bessie, there you are,” Maggie Shimmin said as she marched down the beach towards Bessie. “You’re late today.”

  “Am I?” Bessie replied.

  “Yes, by at least fifteen minutes. You’re never late. Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m fine. There’s been rather a lot going on lately, though.”

  Maggie nodded. “For all of us, of course. Thomas and I have been trying to work out what to do next with that last cottage. If we can’t get permission to tear it down and build a larger cottage, we may just tear it down and leave the space empty, at least for now. We were also discussing selling that plot of land, but I’m not sure we could get permission to do that, either.”

  “I’ve no idea.”

  “Anyway, my back has been bothering me terribly, so I went and saw the doctor yesterday. He’s given me three separate prescriptions to try to help things. I’m nearly losing my mind trying to keep track of which tablet to take when, but the pain is a bit better today, anyway. Thomas is nearly back to normal, but still very weak, so he isn’t any help with anything at the moment. I’ve been thinking about starting the winter refresh by myself, as it needs doing and the sooner we get started, the better.”

  “You need to paint all of the cottages, don’t you?” Bessie asked.

  “Yes, all of them. I don’t quite know what people do in the cottages on their holidays, but every single one of them needs a fresh coat of paint. We need to replace the flooring in one of the cottages, too, as it was allowed to get completely soaked by one of the last sets of guests who stayed there. I suppose I should be grateful they didn’t stay in the first weeks of spring, otherwise we might have had to shut the cottage and turn people away while we were having the floors redone.”

  “The cottages are a lot of work, aren’t they?”

  “Far more than I expected when Thomas suggested that we have them built,” Maggie said with a hint of bitterness in her tone. “On the other hand, what do you think of this?” she asked, holding out her wrist.

  Bessie looked at the gold watch that appeared to be studded with diamonds. “My goodness, it’s lovely,” she lied politely.

  “I won’t tell you what it cost, but it’s real gold and those are genuine diamonds,” Maggie said with a giggle. “Thomas said I could have a little treat since we had such a good summer season this year. Last year I got the car, of course, so this year I chose jewellery.”

&nb
sp; Expensive and gaudy jewellery, Bessie thought. “So the cottages are doing well for you,” she said.

  “Oh, yes, they’re very nearly worth the hard work. Of course, we could probably get a good deal of money for the land if we decided to sell up and retire. I’m not sure I could stand having Thomas at home all day, every day, though. He’s been difficult enough while he’s been ill. Perhaps we need to keep the cottages so that he’s kept busy.”

  “Well, I wish you good luck with planning permission on the last cottage, anyway.”

  “I don’t suppose you know when Inspector Rockwell is going to be finished with it.”

  “I have no idea.”

  “That’s a shame. I’d really like to get back to clearing it out, but the police don’t seem to be in any hurry to take down their tape and let us back inside.”

  “I’m sure they’re working as hard as they can to find the killer.”

  “They aren’t going to make us wait until they’ve arrested someone to get back into the cottage, are they? That could take ages.”

  “As I said, I know they’re working hard. If I speak to John later today, I’ll ask him about the cottage on your behalf.”

  “I’d appreciate that. Now I really must dash. I’ve so many things to do, especially if we’re going to be getting back into that cottage later today.”

  “I didn’t say that,” Bessie protested as Maggie rushed back up the beach. Although Bessie was certain that Maggie had heard her, the other woman didn’t acknowledge Bessie’s comment.

  Sighing, Bessie turned and headed for home. John could deal with Maggie, she decided, planning to ring him the moment she got back to Treoghe Bwaane. The phone was ringing as she stepped inside the door.

  “John asked me to ring to let you know that I’ll be coming over around half one,” Doona told her when she answered. “He wants me there when Madison visits. It’s up to you whether I hide in another room or simply join in the conversation.”

  “I’m not comfortable with you hiding somewhere,” Bessie said. “That doesn’t seem fair to Madison or anyone else who comes with her. We’ll simply tell them that you came by for a chat. If they don’t want to talk in front of you, we’ll have to make other arrangements for another time.”