YOU'RE DEAD: Three Gripping Murder Mystery Suspense Novels

by Diane M Dickson

  The garden door was ajar, a shaft of dust-dappled sunlight sliced the tiles and ran up the front of the store cupboard. Mildred, brave now that it seemed Mrs Boulton was indeed absent, strode across the spotless floor and stepped into the bright warm morning.

  Chapter 1

  “So tell me again how come we can have this house to stay in? Freddy, are you listening?”

  “Yeah, yeah course I am, just hold on a second, the turn should be right up here, I don’t want to miss it. Okay, it’s down this road and then we can stop in the village. There’s a pub where we can have a drink and lunch and then we’ll go on to the house. With a bit of luck the furniture van’ll be there early this afternoon.”

  Yeah, there it is, The White Swan, it’s nice. Great food. I remember when we used to come here in the holidays. Course it’s changed hands now but it’s still smashing. Dad and I went the other week when we came to check the place over.”

  The burgundy VW Passat pulled into the car park and slid easily into a free space. Freddy Samuels climbed out, stretched his long frame and then turned to take hold of Marsha’s hand. “Come on Marsh, let’s get a drink.”

  “It’s lovely here. This all seems too good to be true. How come this place is still empty, you know, how come your family haven’t sold it? I mean really, your dad has his lovely home and we have the flat and now here’s this house. I know you came here when you were little but I didn’t know that you – well your dad – owned it.”

  “Okay, usually the family rented it out for holidays, short term, a week or so at a time. When my dad heard about me getting the post at Kingscliff School he told the agents not to let it this year. He didn’t tell us until he was sure that everything was confirmed because he didn’t want us to feel pressured, then, when I came down for the orientation weekend he just took me along there and said that if we wanted to use it we could. We can have it for as long as we want, just until we find something else, or if we choose to, pretty well permanently. I told him that if we decided to do that then we would have to work out some sort of rent or whatever.”

  Marsha’s auburn hair bounced around her shoulders as she nodded vigorously. He looked across at her and his stomach flipped the way it did so very often these days. The pure joy of having her with him still took him by surprise. She was small, tiny really at just over five foot, but glowing with health and energy. She was dressed simply in jeans and a light sweat shirt but she was all woman and bubbling with excitement. He loved her totally and still couldn’t believe that she loved him back.

  Sitting in the dim lounge of the country pub Freddy leaned across the table. “You know if you don’t like it, the house, say so and we’ll find somewhere else as soon as we can. I always liked it when I was a kid and we spent the holidays here but Mum was never very keen. She used to hate it when Dad went back up to town and left us on our own during the week. She said she couldn’t ever relax because it had an odd atmosphere. Mind, she did suffer a bit with her imagination getting the better of her at times.”

  Marsha squeezed his hand, the cloud of sadness that she’d seen so often in the last year passed through his eyes. “You still miss her so much don’t you?” He shook his head, sighing.

  “Let’s not get maudlin, this is a new start and she would want us to be happy. Come on, what are you having to eat? I’m gonna splurge and have the large size fish and chips.”

  “Oink, you pig, I’ll have the chicken Caesar salad and it’d better be as good as you say if this is going to be our local… So, this house was your grandparents?”

  “Great grandparents actually, they were both killed in a bombing raid in London. My granddad was away at school at the time and his older sister Mildred was staying with friends.”

  “Wasn’t there some mystery about Mildred?”

  “Yeah, that’s it. After the war, the house belonged to my granddad and Mildred but Granddad was away in India in the army. Mildred lived on her own there, she wasn’t married and although she used to do some charity work and stuff she didn’t actually have a job. She didn’t need to work, the family were quite well heeled at that time. Anyway, apparently her and the housekeeper were at the house and they just vanished.”

  “Vanished, what, you mean ran away? Oh were they an item then? Was it a love tryst or something?”

  “Well, no, not as far as I know. The housekeeper must have been quite old because she’d been with the family for years. No, the first thing Granddad knew about it he got a call in India to say that his sister was missing. Well of course he came straight back but by that time a few weeks had gone by. They had dragged the lakes and the river and searched around but it seems as though the two of them had simply disappeared. There was nothing at the house though. As far as I remember from the stories I was told, the kitchen door was open and there was food on the table but just no sign of either of the women. The police were called, mainly because of the housekeeper’s husband. He raised the alarm when she didn’t come home from work.”

  “No blood or signs of violence or anything?”

  “Apparently not, just an empty house. It doesn’t bother you does it?”

  “What, no course not, does your dad know much about it? It is rather intriguing.”

  “I don’t think so, not much more than I just told you. Anyway he’s coming over tomorrow so you can ask him about it then if you like.”

  “It won’t upset him?”

  “God no, he never knew her and his father was made of pretty tough stuff, you know. By the time Dad was born it was all old history. Mildred had gone, they had searched and searched but she was never heard of again, neither was the housekeeper, Mrs Bradley, or Bourbon or something. The place has been done up a few times since then and the bathroom and kitchen were all new last year so it’s not even the same house really. You’re sure it’s not a problem?”

  “No, course not. Oh great here’s the food, jeepers you’re never going to eat all those chips are you? I think I’ll have to help you out.”

  Chapter 2

  “Come on in Mr Samuels. We’re in turmoil, but it’s lovely to see you. Did you have a good drive?”

  “Fine my dear, just fine and please call me Bob, Robert if you must, but no more Mr Samuels. We’ve known each other long enough now to get past that.” He leaned to kiss her cheek and placed his hands on her arms giving her a gentle squeeze.

  “Okay, sorry, I know you’ve told me before.” Marsha grinned back at the rangy man. He had Freddy’s eyes, his were slightly faded by time and age, but still a deep blue. Although his hair was heavily streaked with grey, the natural colour on the top of his head was the same dark brown as her boyfriend’s. She liked this man, she really did, he was kind and unassuming, a well-liked and successful business man. He idolised Freddy which was enough to win her approval, but it was more than that, he had such a lovely nature that she was sure she would have liked him no matter how their paths had crossed.

  They moved into the kitchen. The windows were thrown wide to let in the early summer warmth and to freshen the air. Cleaners had been in during the week and so all there was for Marsha to do was to unpack the boxes and stow their things away in the modern, shiny red units. She still couldn’t believe how lucky she was. Coming from her background she was continually struck by how much easier life is when the wheels are oiled with plenty of money.

  She remembered moving house just once with her mum and dad and two sisters, and it had been awful. They moved from one grim, damp place to another slightly less damp but still poor, and it took her mum weeks to clean the grime of years from every cupboard, wall and door frame. Mum would have been amazed to see this place but the years of hard work and disappointment had taken her off, probably before her time but not before she was ready. Tears flooded Marsha’s eyes, she wouldn’t ever be able to show her mum where she was living. They would never have her visiting this lovely village house. She would have loved the beautiful new kitchen and bathroom, freshly decorated rooms and pretty garden jus
t waiting for a hand to turn it into something wonderful. She heaved a sigh and then turned back to Bob who had started tidying the cupboard, “Oh please, you don’t need to do that.”

  “Hey, what do you think I came for? I’m not taking a day away from the office to stand around doing nothing, now you tell me which box goes where and let me at it. Where’s Freddy by the way?”

  “He’s walked into the village to get some milk and stuff from the little shop. We did bring some with us but it’s finished now, and he’s going to see if he can get something quick for lunch.”

  “Oh, I hope he remembers that little confectioners, they sell excellent pies and pasties and delicious freshly made bread.”

  “Tell you what, he’s only been gone five minutes why don’t you see if you can catch him and then you can help him to choose. He knows what I like but he’d probably appreciate your input.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, please don’t worry about all this stuff. There’ll be plenty more to do later though.” She grinned at him as he turned and strode down the path towards the little wooden gate.

  She hefted another cardboard box onto the table and slit the tape sealing the top. “Food box,” it said on the label. Okay now, which cupboard? Ah but of course there was a walk-in pantry. She pulled the door open and stepped inside. It was newly painted but the little ventilation fan had cleared any hint of the smell and the shelves had been wiped ready to receive the tins and packets. She dragged the box across the table, and gripping it with her arms at full stretch, staggered back to the larder. She lowered the box to the floor and nudged it forward with her foot. She had expected there to be a light in here but for some reason that obvious improvement had been overlooked. She’d have a word with Freddy, they could probably have one put in. Not to worry, for now there was plenty of borrowed light with both the windows and doors open, flooding the place with sunshine.

  This was such fun, just like playing house. No hard work just the easy, fun bits, she was grinning to herself as she stacked the groceries. She was so wrapped up in the task at hand that the shock, when the door slammed and plunged her into deep gloom, caused her to let out a yell.

  She stood for a moment in the darkness, a hand pressed to her chest, convinced that she could feel her heart hammering under the palm. She laughed, part shock, part relief.

  Holding her arm out in front she stepped carefully towards the tiny line of light that told her where the edge of the door was. The box was still on the floor and so she had to take care not to fall among the cornflakes. Sliding her feet forwards she eventually made it to the end of the space. She felt along the side of the door until her hand hit the handle. The door refused to budge, surely it opened outwards, hmm maybe not; pulling at it made no difference, she jiggled the handle and pushed again this time using both hands. Pulling and pushing in the dark she began to feel panicked. The door had jammed, probably due to the slamming. “Shit.” She turned and leaned her back against the wood. “Oh, bugger, now what am I going to do?” Well it was obvious there was nothing she could do, the bloody door was stuck fast. She would just have to wait until Freddy and his father came back. Damn she had hoped to have set the table on the patio before that so they could have a lovely outdoor lunch. Oh well, it would have to wait. She slid to the floor and rested her head on her raised knees.

  Chapter 3

  “Are you sure you’re okay love?” Freddy threw his arm around Marsha’s shoulders.

  “Yes of course I am, mind you it’s typical you guys should decide to go for a drink when I was stuck there in the dark. I couldn’t even get on with any work. Is the door broken Bob?”

  “No, doesn’t seem to be, it was just that the old wooden catch had fallen down, probably when it slammed. That’s why you couldn’t open it. You looked so sad sitting in the dark all crumpled and bat-like. Ow, just kidding, Freddy your girlfriend’s beating me up. But really Marsha you did look forlorn when we came to your rescue.”

  “Well you would have looked forlorn locked in a pantry for an hour and a half. You do realise I couldn’t even find the cornflakes with no light don’t you?”

  “Aw diddums, ow, look Dad she hits me as well.”

  “Come on you two kids, let’s get that champagne open and forget about this little episode. I’ll send an electrician in during the week to put a light in there, probably one on a motion sensor would be best. If you’ve got your arms full it’s easier if you don’t have to fiddle with a light switch. We’ll sink the fitting in the ceiling and the sensor over the door and that’ll make sure it can’t happen again and we’ll change the old wooden latch to a magnetic catch.”

  “Oh come on guys forget about it, somebody mentioned champagne. Let’s take it out onto the patio, it’s later than we’d planned but we can have something to eat and a glass of bubbly. Do you have to go home tonight Bob? We can make up the spare bed in no time, there’s no other furniture in the room but if you don’t mind a bit of indoor camping it’ll mean you can have a drink this evening, I’ve got a casserole that I made last week and froze and we can scoff the rest of this gorgeous sour dough bread. What do you reckon? You can be our first guest, that’d be perfect.”

  “I would love that my dear, I really would.”

  “Great, that’s a deal then, lunch and a bit more unpacking and then we kick back and have our first dinner party.” Marsha turned to Freddy and planted a kiss on his laughing mouth as Bob looked on, grinning. They made their way out onto the sunny patio. As they moved through the kitchen door a chill slithered down Marsha’s spine causing an involuntary shudder and goosebumps popped up on her arms and neck. A tiny prick of disquiet squirmed in her gut. “Hey come on, I must be hungry, my stomach’s complaining.”

  ***

  “Well that was a very pleasant evening, thank you so much, and thank you Marsha, the casserole was delicious. I can’t believe you only arrived yesterday and here we are eating, drinking and enjoying such a lovely evening. However, I really must take myself off to bed, I hope we can get some more work done tomorrow morning and then we’ll have lunch at The White Swan, my treat to thank you for tonight.

  I do hope you’ll be happy here, this house has had such a spotted history in the last few years, all those holiday lets and what have you. Of course it’s a long, long time since it was lived in permanently but we had good times here didn’t we Freddy, back in the day?”

  “We certainly did Dad, lots of happy memories and we are really grateful to you for letting us move in now.”

  “Oh not at all, when all is said and done the darned place will be yours one day. Not for a while yet I hope. Anyway enough of that; just enjoy living here and I do hope that you’ll allow me to pop down and see you now and again.”

  Marsha uncurled from the bean bag she had been sitting on and took the few steps that brought her to stand in front of her boyfriend’s father. “Bob, thank you so much for this and you are welcome to come whenever and however often you would like. There will always be a meal and a bed and a welcome for you here.”

  She stretched up and kissed his cheek. She was surprised that there was the glitter of moisture in his eyes, but then they had all been drinking and were tired. As soon as he had gone she turned to Freddy, reached out to grab his hand and pulled him up from the settee, “Come on lover boy, we’ve a lot to do tomorrow and I just want to curl up in our lovely new bedroom and sleep.”

  “Aw, really, just sleep.”

  “Well yes, but maybe not right away!”

  Chapter 4

  “It’s looking great isn’t it?” Freddy and Marsha sat in the sunny bay window of the dining room where they had put a small round table so they could take advantage of the view of the front garden.

  “It is, I can’t believe how quickly you’ve got it looking like home.”

  “Aw come on that wasn’t really me, it was newly decorated and the cleaners had been in, it’s been like moving into a doll’s house. Your dad is so lovely, Freddy. I don�
��t think he wanted to go home yesterday afternoon, did he?”

  “No, he gets a bit lonely I think. He misses Mum so much, well I do as well but I’ve got you.” He leaned across the breakfast detritus and kissed her gently. “But poor Dad, they had been married such a long time and hated being apart especially in the last few years. It was so sudden as well, he barely had time to get used to the idea that she was ill and that was it, she’d gone. Mind you I don’t suppose it’s something you get used to, is it?”

  Marsha sighed, she hated to think about last winter. Shortly after she met Freddy, just when life was looking rosy and they had moved in together the whole sweet scene was soured by his mother’s illness and death. She knew that they would get over it but they had been such a close family, Freddy, Bob and Fiona, that it was still hard for him. Her heart wrenched as she watched him trying to surreptitiously wipe away a tear that had trickled from the corner of his eye.

  “Hey come on have you seen the time, you should get a move on. Are you going to walk to work, use your bike? What?”

  “I’d like to use my bike but it’s a bit Mr Chips isn’t it? Cycling through the village to the stone gates of the boy’s school, well not boy’s nowadays, but you know what I mean. I don’t really see me arriving in a tweed jacket and bicycle clips and I’m not going in my cycling shorts, not on the first day. No, I’ll walk, I have time and it’s great remembering the stuff we used to do, when I was a kid, you know. What about you? Have you anything planned?”

  “I don’t know how long it’ll be before the agency finds me some work so I’m planning to make the most of the break while I can. I want to get into the garden. With a bit of luck we still have time to get some annuals planted and then there’ll be some colour this year. Some of the shrubs can still be pruned, so if the weather holds I’m going to spend most of the day out there. I might go to that garden centre we passed on the way here and see what they have. You won’t need the car so I can easily nip up there.”