The Rhodes Case

by Diana Xarissa

  “Ah, good evening, Janet, wasn’t it?” Edward asked as she entered the room.

  “Yes, that’s right,” Janet replied, trying to stop herself from frowning at the greeting.

  “I’m starving,” Reuben said. “I don’t suppose you have any snacks for your guests?”

  “We don’t normally offer anything besides breakfast,” Janet replied. “I could pop you a bag of microwave popcorn, though, if that sounds good.”

  “That would be great,” Reuben replied. “Maybe we could watch a movie or something. Where’s the telly?”

  “You have television in your room,” Janet told him. “Otherwise, there’s a television lounge at the back of the house.”

  “My room is nice and all, but I’d rather not spend all of my time in there. I’m not a teenaged boy trying to avoid my parents anymore,” the man laughed. “Where is the lounge?”

  Janet showed him the way to the lounge. “I’ll just go and make your popcorn,” she told him. “Do you want a cold drink, too?”

  “Yeah, lager would be great.”

  “We don’t have alcohol in the house,” Janet said.

  Reuben frowned and then shrugged. “Anything cold will do.”

  Janet nodded. “Did you want something as well?” she asked Edward.

  “Maybe, but I’ll come and give you a hand in the kitchen,” he replied, winking at her.

  Janet flushed and then turned and walked briskly to the kitchen. By the time she’d put the bag of popcorn in the microwave, Edward was standing right behind her. She pushed the start button and then turned around, into his embrace.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispered in her ear after a gentle kiss.

  “You know where to find me,” she replied.

  He sighed. “I don’t deserve you. My job is important, but so are you. I truly am going to retire soon. I’ve been saying that for years, but I never really wanted to stop doing what I was doing. Now I have a strong incentive to stop.”

  Janet shook her head. “We barely know one another.”

  “I know, but I knew the moment I saw you that you were going to be important to me. There’s something very special about you, Janet Markham, and I want you in my life, and not just once in a while when our paths cross.”

  The popping in the microwave began to slow. “I have to get that,” Janet said, turning back around and counting the seconds between pops. She didn’t really care if Reuben’s snack burned as much as she needed to catch her breath and put some distance between herself and Edward. His hands settled on her shoulders and began to massage them gently.

  “Stop that,” she whispered.

  “Why?”

  “I can’t…you can’t…we aren’t…” Janet stammered. She yanked open the microwave, nearly hitting herself in the head with the door. The bag of popcorn was steaming hot when she pulled it out. Grabbing a bowl from the nearest cupboard, she dumped the popcorn into it and then took a step away from Edward.

  “We need to talk,” she told him. “You can’t keep kissing me and touching me and acting as if we’re a couple. We aren’t.”

  Edward nodded. “I’m sorry. I’m more than a little crazy about you, though. This entire situation is incredibly frustrating. I’m going to do my best to get Reuben to head to bed. Maybe then we can have a proper talk.”

  As Janet carried the popcorn to the television lounge, she gave serious thought to simply going up to her room once she’d delivered Reuben’s snack. While part of her wanted desperately to talk to Edward, part of her was terrified by what he might say. She’d done her best to ignore her feelings for the man, even spending time with other men, but there was no doubt that there was powerful chemistry between the two of them. Every time he touched her, that was confirmed.

  Reuben was sitting in a chair in front of the television. Janet handed him his popcorn, and Edward handed him a drink. Joan hadn’t moved from her seat on the couch. Janet sat back down next to her as Edward took a seat on Janet’s other side.

  “So, how long have you had the bed and breakfast?” Edward asked during the first commercial break.

  “About a year and a half,” Joan told him. “We bought it after we’d both retired.”

  “What did you do before retiring, then?” was Edward’s next question.

  “We both taught primary school,” Joan said.

  “And neither of you ever married?” Edward wondered.

  “No, we didn’t,” Joan replied. “We both enjoyed teaching, and when we were younger, if you got married you were expected to give up your job to stay home and raise a family.”

  “Things have changed a lot, haven’t they?” Reuben interjected.

  “If you were retired, why buy a bed and breakfast?” Edward asked. “It seems as if it must be hard work, although Reuben and I will try make things easy on you.”

  “Having a bed and breakfast was always a dream of Joan’s,” Janet told him, repeating a story that she knew he’d already heard before. “She’d never told me about her dream, though. It wasn’t at all possible, really, until we learned that we’d inherited some money from a distant aunt.”

  “I saw Doveby House being advertised in an estate agent’s window and persuaded Janet to have a look at it with me,” Joan added.

  “And then I fell in love with Doveby House and agreed that we should buy it and have a go at the business,” Janet concluded.

  “And how do you like it?” Edward asked.

  Janet looked at Joan, who shrugged. “It’s been both better and worse than I expected,” Joan said after a moment. “There are things I enjoy, such as cooking for guests, and things I don’t, mostly to do with difficult guests.”

  “I’ll bet you could tell some stories,” Reuben laughed.

  “We could,” Janet agreed. “There have been some guests who’ve made me want to sell Doveby House and move just about anywhere else in the world.”

  “It is a lovely house,” Reuben said. “The furniture is nice, too. I don’t know a lot about antiques, but I recognise them when I see them. It must have taken you a long time to put all of this together.”

  “We bought the house fully furnished,” Janet told him.

  He raised an eyebrow. “If you want to sell any of the pieces, just let me know.”

  Janet shook her head. “We love everything in the house and we think it all fits perfectly. I can’t imagine selling anything.”

  Reuben nodded. “You’re right, of course. That doesn’t mean I won’t be making you an offer on one or two items, though, if something catches my eye. As I said, I don’t know a lot about antiques, but I know quality and I know what I like. If I see something I like, you can name your price.”

  “Let’s not worry about that for now,” Edward suggested.

  Reuben shrugged. “I’m still hungry,” he said, holding up the now empty popcorn bowl.

  “Why don’t you come into the kitchen and I’ll make you a sandwich or some soup,” Joan suggested.

  Reuben’s eyes lit up and he quickly followed Joan out of the room. When they were gone, Edward got up and shut the door before increasing the television’s volume to an almost uncomfortable level.

  “Come and sit over here,” he told Janet, offering his hand. She let him pull her out of her seat and lead her to a couch as far from the television as possible.

  “What’s going on?” she demanded as soon as she sat down.

  “I can’t tell you anything, really,” Edward replied. “Let’s just say that Reuben needed a safe place to stay for a few days. He also needs a minder. That’s why I’m here.”

  “Why can’t he know that you’ve been here before?”

  “I want him to believe that I found Doveby House from an advertisement and that we were lucky to be able to get rooms here on short notice. He doesn’t know who I really am or what I do. I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “Who does he think you are?”

  “He doesn’t really know or care who I am. I’m here to look after
him for the week. He thinks I’m one of his father’s friends or business associates, which I am, more or less.”

  “I don’t think I understand.”

  “I can’t tell you anything further. I’m sorry, but what I do is nearly always top secret and sometimes goes beyond that.”

  “There are things beyond top secret?”

  Edward chuckled. “Let’s talk about you instead. How have you been?”

  “Fine.”

  “Should I ask how William Chalmers is these days?”

  Janet flushed. William was the other man in her life, although their relationship seemed to stop and start as much as the one with Edward did. William owned an antique shop in Doveby Dale. He was handsome and charming, and although he had a criminal record and had spent some time in prison, Janet found herself attracted to the man. They’d had dinner together several times, but every time they seemed to be getting closer, William would stop ringing or start making excuses as to why he couldn’t see Janet.

  He’d been distant in the weeks leading up to Christmas, but then had presented Janet with a wonderful painting of Aggie as his gift to her. She hadn’t really seen the man since, though.

  “He has a new assistant,” Janet told Edward. “Her name is Amanda Hockensmith, and I’m afraid she’s after his money.”

  “I shall have to take a look at Ms. Hockensmith,” Edward said, pulling out a notebook and making a note. “Does that mean that he’s been spending more time with her than with you?”

  “They work together.”

  Edward’s smile looked smug. “I can’t say I’ll be sorry if he’s interested in his new assistant. The man worries me. Having waited my entire life to find you, I’d hate to lose you now.”

  “You can’t lose what you don’t actually have.”

  Edward frowned and then pulled Janet closer to him. “I only have a week to change your mind about that. I should get started.”

  When he raised his head, Janet was prepared to concede that he’d made a very good start. “I don’t want to play games,” she said softly.

  “I can assure you I’m not playing,” he told her firmly. “I have to look after Reuben at the moment, but once that’s done, I’m hoping to stay for a day or two longer. I really want to get to know you better, and I want you to get to know me, warts and all.”

  “That doesn’t sound at all fun,” Janet laughed.

  “I’m going to try to make it fun,” Edward said in a low voice before he kissed her again.

  The knock on the door sent Janet running back to sit right in front of the television. While she turned down the volume, Edward opened the door.

  “Reuben has gone up to bed,” Joan told them both. “He’s asked for his breakfast at ten.”

  Edward laughed. “I shall be down at eight,” he said. He kissed the top of Janet’s head. “Sleep well,” he told her before he walked out of the room.

  “Did he tell you anything?” Joan asked as she sat down next to Janet.

  “Not really,” Janet sighed.

  They watched television together for a few minutes, but Janet was too restless to concentrate. “I’m going to bed,” she told her sister.

  “I’m just going to see if I can catch the news headlines,” Joan replied. She switched channels just in time for a news bulletin.

  “Police in London are searching for Everett Fox, who escaped from a maximum security prison in Paris yesterday,” the woman on the screen said. “Mr. Fox is wanted in connection with a series of break-ins at homes and businesses throughout Paris. Additionally, he is wanted for questioning with regard to several armed bank robberies across continental Europe. It is also possible that he may have been involved in several unsolved murders in both Paris and elsewhere in Europe. Paris police believe that Mr. Fox travelled to London immediately after his escape yesterday.”

  The screen went blank for a moment and then a slightly blurry photograph of a man in his thirties appeared. “This is Everett Fox. Police report that he frequently disguises himself with a beard and/or a moustache,” the woman’s voice said. “Here is an artist’s rendering of what the man may look like now.”

  Janet stared at the screen. The man in the drawing bore an uncanny resemblance to Reuben Rhodes.

  “That looks like…” she began.

  “It can’t be,” Joan interrupted. “Edward wouldn’t bring a wanted criminal here.”

  “Why not? It’s the perfect place for someone to hide.”

  “Why would Edward want to help a man like that hide?”

  “Maybe he’s going to be a witness in a case against someone even nastier,” Janet suggested.

  “Or maybe Reuben just happens to look something like Everett Fox, coincidentally.”

  “I thought you were the one who didn’t trust Edward,” Janet said.

  Joan shrugged. “I don’t trust him, but I truly can’t see him bringing a criminal to Doveby House. For all of his faults, I do think he cares about you and wouldn’t want to put you in any danger.”

  Janet wasn’t sure that she agreed with Joan, but she didn’t argue. Instead, they both headed to bed. After locking her bedroom door, Janet moved the chair from her desk over and slipped it under the door’s handle.

  “It might not work, but I’ll sleep better with it there,” she told Aggie. The cat shrugged and went to sleep on her pillow next to Janet’s.

  Chapter 3

  She woke up determined to talk to Edward about their guest, but when she got downstairs not long before eight, she found Edward and Reuben together in the kitchen. Joan was hard at work making their breakfast.

  “Good morning,” she said, trying not to stare at the man as she moved to help Joan.

  “Good morning,” Edward replied, giving her a warm smile.

  “I’m not a morning person,” Reuben said. “I need coffee before I can function.”

  Janet refilled the empty coffee cup in front of the man and then poured herself a cup. She sipped it while she put bread into the toaster and pulled down toast racks for their guests.

  “What are your plans for today, then?” Janet asked Edward as she handed him the first full toast rack.

  “We’re going to go and look at a few stately homes,” Edward told her.

  “Yeah, great,” Reuben muttered.

  Edward chuckled. “It’s my job to keep you entertained while we’re here.”

  “Visiting stately homes isn’t entertaining,” Reuben complained.

  “We’ll keep the touring to a minimum and thoroughly investigate the pubs and cafes at each site,” Edward promised.

  Reuben’s mood seemed to brighten slightly at that and he actually gave Joan a smile as she put his breakfast in front of him. Ten minutes later, he sat back from his now empty plate. “Delicious,” he said. “I never eat breakfast, but if you came and cooked for me every morning, I would start.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Joan replied.

  “Everything was excellent,” Edward told her, “and now we’re off. We won’t be out late, I don’t imagine. I’ll ring if we’re going to be back after nine.”

  Joan nodded. As the men walked out of the room, Janet followed. Reuben headed straight for the front door, while Edward walked more slowly. When Reuben was some distance away, Edward reached over and gave Janet’s hand a squeeze.

  “I thought he was lying in,” Janet whispered.

  “He was woken by a phone call at seven and couldn’t get back to sleep,” Edward told her. “He’ll probably lie in every other day while we’re here. We can talk later. I’ll make sure of it.”

  Reuben was waiting just inside the front door, staring outside at the grey morning. “It’s going to rain,” he said sullenly.

  “It’s January. It often rains in January,” Janet told him.

  Reuben sighed. “Whose idea was it, coming here?” he asked Edward.

  Edward laughed. “I know, I know, you would have preferred the French Riviera or perhaps Greece. This is a better choice, though,
for many reasons.”

  “Whatever.” Reuben shrugged, and then stepped out into the gloomy morning. Edward followed him, giving Janet a smile as he looked back over his shoulder.

  Janet watched them climb into a black luxury car before she shut the door.

  “Did you get a chance to ask Edward anything before Reuben came down?” Janet asked Joan when she got back to the kitchen.

  “They came down together,” Joan told her.

  “Edward said we’d have time to talk later. I hope he’s right.”

  Joan made breakfast for herself and Janet while they chatted about the various chores that needed to be done that day. The first priority, when they had guests, was cleaning the guest rooms. After they’d eaten, while Joan loaded the dishwasher, Janet headed upstairs to start work.

  “Edward is very tidy,” she told Joan a short while later.

  Joan stood the doorway, glancing around the room. “It is very tidy in here. It shouldn’t take long to get this room done, anyway. I shall have a peek next door.”

  When Janet finished cleaning the bathroom, she joined Joan in the other room. It looked surprisingly tidy as well.

  “The bathroom was a bit of a mess,” Joan told her, “but only what you’d expect, really. I’m just about done, aside from the vacuuming.”

  “I’ll vacuum both rooms if you want to start on the laundry when you’re done in here.”

  Joan nodded and then went back to work. Janet pulled the vacuum cleaner out of the small storage closet on the landing and ran it around Edward’s room. By the time she’d finished that job, Joan was done with Reuben’s room and had taken a pile of laundry downstairs. As Janet worked, she found herself glancing repeatedly at the wardrobe in the corner. She and Joan always did their best to respect the privacy of their guests. Opening the wardrobe would be a breach of that, no matter how much she thought the man resembled a wanted criminal.

  She was putting the vacuum away, having only just resisted the temptation to snoop, when someone knocked on the front door.

  “Robert, what a lovely surprise,” she said as she stepped back to let the young constable into the house.

  “I’m afraid I can’t stay long,” he told her. “I’ve a great many people to visit today.”