Death of a Dancer

by Irena Nieslony

  Taylor and the other officers rushed over to separate the two men.

  “Mr. Simpson,” Taylor spoke severely. “This isn’t the way to sort things out. We have no proof that Mr. Wilkinson is the killer, so please calm down. Mr. Wilkinson, do you want to press charges. You’re well within your rights.”

  “Yes, yes I do,” Percy said, rubbing his nose. “That man is crazy. He’s trying to lay the blame on me for killing his wife, while he probably killed her himself.”

  Charles lunged for Percy, but Taylor and Helen came in-between them.

  “Mr. Simpson,” Taylor said “I know you’re upset, but this is no way to act, especially in public.”

  Charles’s shoulders dropped and he looked defeated, but Rachel watched the scene in horror. How could all this be happening in her new hotel? She had worked hard to get it off the ground and it had been against all the odds; now all her hard work was being destroyed.

  Taylor glanced over at Rachel and could see the hurt in her eyes. He felt for her and called a couple of officers over to book Charles. That man might be grieving, but he couldn’t go around accusing people of killing his wife and attacking them.

  Josh came over to Taylor.

  “Is it really necessary to arrest my father?” he asked, his voice tinged with anger.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but it is. He can’t go round beating up other people just because he thinks they killed his wife”

  “I’ll be posting bail as soon as you’ll let me.”

  “I’m sure you will, sir.”

  Josh walked over to Rachel.

  “Hey, don’t cry Rachel.”

  She only had a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks, but she felt vulnerable. Josh put his arms around her, trying to comfort her. Unfortunately, Taylor looked over, and seeing them in an embrace, felt a streak of jealousy surge though his body.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll settle dad’s bill, Rachel.” Josh spoke, letting go of her.

  "You don’t have to.”

  “Yes I do. You’ve had a terrible time and anyway, dad will settle up with me later.”

  Percy stood up and walked towards Rachel.

  “Do you think you could get my bill sorted, Ms Fisher? I want to go home now.”

  “Yes, yes of course.”

  Rachel left the dining room to get their bills organized. She expected that most people would leave in the morning, not in the afternoon as planned, then there would be just her, her two cats, Macbeth and Hamlet, the staff and Walt and Evelyn in the house until the new guests arrived in two days’ time. It should give her the time to calm down and assess the situation.

  Chapter 5

  Everybody had packed and left Oakfield by midday, except for Walt and Evelyn who were staying on. However, they had decided to go sightseeing in Windsor and therefore wouldn’t be requiring lunch.

  As the last of the guests left, Rachel felt like bursting into tears. She had been so looking forward to opening her hotel, but nothing had gone to plan and it hadn’t been the triumph she had hoped it would be.

  Her thoughts then drifted towards Jane Simpson. Rachel couldn’t help but think how excited she had been when she had arrived on Friday evening. Who on earth could have committed such a callous act? She couldn’t imagine Charles murdering his own wife. He would surely get a divorce if he wanted to end the relationship, so perhaps it was Percy Wilkinson. In fact it could have been any of Jane’s guests. Who knew what grudges they held against her?

  Rachel knew she needed to snap out of this mood and who better to help her but her closest friend, Mary. They had been school friends and had stayed in touch even though their lives had gone in different directions. Mary Knight had been married twice, had three children and was a midwife, while Rachel had put most of her energy into her career.

  Mary had been a great support to Rachel throughout James’s persecution of her, so she felt a little guilty burdening her with her problems again. However, nobody was able to put things in perspective like Mary could.

  Rachel picked up the phone, and on hearing Mary’s friendly voice, she at last let go of her emotions, telling her all about the murder and then bursting into tears. For a few moments, neither woman said anything. Mary was trying to absorb everything that Rachel had said, but was finding it hard to take it all in. Rachel finally spoke again.

  “I’m so sorry, Mary. I don’t know what came over me. I’ve tried to hold it together, but it hasn’t been easy. I’ve been on the verge of tears since yesterday.”

  “Well, you’re probably due a good cry then. Just let it all out, Rachel. I’m so sorry that this has happened. I’m beginning to think Oakfield is cursed, what with everything that happened to you there last year.”

  “Oh Mary, don’t say that. I’m sure it’s not. I’m just having a spell of bad luck; that’s all.”

  “Yes, and it’s all connected to that house.”

  “Last night I did momentarily wish that George hadn’t left me Oakfield, even though I do love it.”

  “Are there any guests still there?” Mary asked.

  “Everybody who was leaving today has left. There’s just an American couple still here. Luckily they haven’t been put off by what happened; in fact I think they’re quite excited about the whole thing. Three more couples are supposed to be coming on Tuesday; if they don’t cancel.”

  “Why should they? The murder must have been committed by a member of the family or by a friend, so they’re highly unlikely to be in danger.”

  “You’re probably right,” Rachel said and then paused.

  She’d had enough of talking about the murder, so decided to change the subject and talk about something more cheerful.

  . “I have a date tonight with Josh Simpson, Jane’s son. Do you remember him?”

  “Yes I do. You had a crush on him when we were kids, but he was so quiet and seemed terrified of us.”

  “Well, he’s all grown up now and he’s absolutely gorgeous and not at all shy anymore. I can hardly believe he’s turned out like he has.”

  “Be careful, Rachel. Remember when you went out with someone from the old days. James fooled you and tried to kill you.”

  "Why should Josh want to kill me? I certainly can’t think of any reason whatsoever.”

  “No, I suppose I can’t either. Mind you, it’s a bit strange him wanting to go out just after his mother died.”

  “He said it would help. It might cheer him up a bit.”

  “I suppose that makes sense. So you’ve got Peter Taylor out of your system at last then?”

  Rachel had confessed her crush on the detective during the winter. Mary had actually been on a date with Taylor, but an old boyfriend of hers, Geoff Maynard, had turned up and Mary realized she was still in love with him.

  “I must admit that my feelings for him did resurface a little bit when he walked in the door last night,” Rachel confided.

  “Hold on a moment,” Mary exclaimed. “Do I gather that he’s the detective on this case?”

  "You’ve hit the nail on the head, Mary. However, he paid little attention to me and only acted in a professional manner. I’m telling you, he has no interest in me whatsoever. I’ve put my feelings for him to the back of my mind. Josh is a better prospect. He asked me out within minutes of meeting me. He knows what he wants and he goes out and gets it.”

  “Well, be careful, Rachel.”

  “I will, though what I need to be careful about, I don’t know. I’ll let you know tomorrow how things go.”

  “You’d better,” Mary laughed, and after they talked a little about Geoff, they ended their conversation.

  Rachel sighed. She wasn’t worried about going out with Josh, but Mary had unsettled her a little. She had rushed into a relationship with James and look where that had got her. She didn’t want the same to happen again, but then Josh was nothing like James. He had been a good, obedient child, not a ruffian. There was no way he wanted to kill her.

  * * *

  Rachel sp
ent most of the afternoon trying to decide what to wear that evening. One outfit after another came out of her wardrobe, but was then thrown on the bed, rejected. Being such a well-known actress, she had many beautiful dresses which she had worn to award ceremonies and other such illustrious events, but she thought that most of them were too dressy for a simple dinner date. However, would it be that ordinary an evening? After all, Josh was a music producer and probably mixed with many well-known faces. She‘d bet anything that he went to the fashionable restaurants and clubs where you had to be somebody to get in. Josh didn’t seem as if he was short of money, certainly not if you went by his designer suit and his Porsche. She expected that he would want to impress her, even though she was used to the best in her own right. Rachel, however, was a very level-headed girl and material things didn’t make much of an impact on her. To her it was what was on the inside that mattered, not the outside.

  Rachel finally decided that she wanted to wear something that wasn’t too over the top, but still said she had made the effort and she finally plumped for one of her little black dresses. It was quite short and clingy and showed off her figure to perfection. She decided to wear stiletto heels and emerald jewelry. Rachel loved the combination of black and green, thinking how much it reminded her of her sleek black cat, Macbeth.

  Having made up her mind on her outfit, Rachel went to the reception desk to check with Sarah that everything was set up for the evening. Sarah had said that she would mind the hotel phone for a few hours before she served dinner to Walt and Evelyn.

  Sarah was reading a magazine when Rachel came down. Rachel didn’t mind her doing this as they only had the one room occupied, but as soon as Sarah saw Rachel, she jumped up.

  “Guess what,” she said. “In the time you’ve been upstairs, we’ve had four bookings for dinner."

  The restaurant at Oakfield Hall was also open to people who weren’t staying at the hotel.

  “Really?” Rachel gasped. “I don’t believe it.”

  “A couple of them did ask if this was the hotel where the murder took place.”

  “Perhaps the Chief Inspector was right after all. It looks like we may get more bookings because of Jane’s death. I don’t understand some people. They really do have grisly and morbid tastes. I hope that none of them ask to see the room where Jane was murdered. Perhaps I had better stay here and cancel my date with Josh.”

  “Nonsense,” Sarah interjected quickly. “I’m sure Steven and I can cope, and Mrs. Bell in the kitchen will come to our aid if need be. She doesn’t stand for any baloney and she can be really fierce.”

  “I thought Steven had the night off.”

  “He did, but he volunteered to stay when he heard about these bookings. Nothing is going to stop you going on this date, Rachel. I can imagine you’re a bit nervous, but Josh is gorgeous and seems to really like you, so you’re going and that’s that.”

  Rachel smiled, knowing she'd been defeated and anyway, the more she thought about it, the more she was looking forward to spending the evening with Josh.

  * * *

  Josh walked into the hotel dead on seven thirty and was greeted by Rachel who was waiting at reception. He couldn’t believe his eyes. She looked even more beautiful than she had done that morning. Her dress fitted her figure perfectly, silhouetting the slimness of her body. Oh, how he wanted to take her in his arms right there and then, but he stood quite still, rooted to the spot. Rachel had waved her hair and it looked sleek and shiny as it fell over her shoulders. Her make-up wasn’t overdone; it simply accentuated her features and her mouth was so kissable, but Josh knew she wouldn’t want her lipstick ruined. Plus it was much too early in their relationship to be so presumptuous. Perhaps later in the evening he might try and steal a kiss.

  Rachel discreetly studied Josh and was more than pleased with what she saw. He again wore a suit and she could tell it was a designer label. His light brown hair looked a little tousled and she imagined running her fingers through it.

  They seemed to stare at each other for ever, but finally, Josh spoke.

  “You look beautiful tonight, Rachel,” he said, moving closer and handing her a bouquet of red roses.

  Rachel could feel herself blushing, but she took them graciously.

  “They’re lovely, Josh. Thank you so much.”

  Rachel smelt his aftershave as he came nearer to her. It was Roja and could cost as much as seven hundred and fifty pounds. She realized then that Josh must be seriously well-off, but all she was interested in was that the after shave was one of her favorites and luckily not the one that James had used. She couldn’t bear to be reminded of him every time Josh came close.

  “Is your father alright, Josh? He hasn’t been thrown in jail for hitting Percy, has he?”

  “No, Percy decided not to press charges after all, so dad’s at home with Catherine and Ben.”

  “Good. Your father has enough to worry about.”

  “Yes, he has, but anyway, onto nicer things. I’ve booked us a table at a lovely restaurant near Windsor on the banks of the Thames. I just hope you didn’t go there with...” his voice faltered.

  “You mean James. You can mention him, Josh. I won’t burst into tears or anything like that. But no, we didn't eat anywhere close to the Thames, so you’re safe. We did, however go to Blenheim Palace and have a champagne lunch in The Indian Room so that might best be avoided.”

  “Thanks for the warning,” he smiled.

  Steven walked into reception to hold fort.

  “Hi Josh.”

  “Steven, working again?”

  “Yes, we have a few tables booked for dinner.”

  “I thought there were only Walt and Evelyn. Oh I see...”

  “The restaurant is open to people who aren’t staying in the hotel Josh,” Rachel said quickly.

  “Did they book today?’

  Rachel held his gaze for a moment, trying to think of the best way to explain why they thought the guests had booked, but Josh spoke first.

  “They heard about mum’s murder. God, some people are so bloodthirsty,” he said sadly.

  “I’m sorry, Josh. I don’t know how they found out. It’s not been in the papers yet.”

  “Word of mouth I expect. Never mind, it’s bound to happen. It’ll be worse when the press do get hold of the story.... Oh, come on Rachel, let’s forget it and enjoy our evening.”

  “Will you put these in water, Steven?” Rachel asked, handing him the roses.

  Steven nodded, Rachel put on her coat and they left for their first date

  * * *

  “Oh, an Aston Martin,” Rachel said, as she pulled her coat around herself to keep warm.

  The cold air had swept over them as soon as they had stepped outside the hotel.

  “I thought you were driving a Porsche the other day?” she continued.

  “I was. I know I may be showing off a little, but cars are my passion and I do have two. Anyway, I’m sure you move in circles where lots of people have flashy cars. I doubt I’ve impressed you that much.”

  “On the contrary, Josh.” Rachel said, as he turned on the ignition and the car burst into life. “You have impressed me, but not by your cars or the way you dress.”

  “You’re almost making me blush, Rachel, but I hope you stay as unaffected as you are. So many people in show business are only interested in how much money you make and what you’ve got. I must admit that even I’m guilty of that at times. I think you might keep my feet on the ground. You’ll be good for me, Rachel.”

  Rachel glanced quickly at Josh. Her heart started racing and a funny feeling started in the pit of her stomach. She felt like she was sixteen again and was on her first date. However, Josh wasn’t like any sixteen year old boy she had ever known. He knew how to say all the right things and he said them as if he meant them. Rachel, however, wasn’t naive. She knew he was making himself sound wonderful in order to make her like him all the more, but then wasn’t that the best part of dating in the early
stages; all the flattery and the excitement of getting to know the other person, even if some of it was exaggerated a little?

  Once they hit the dual carriageway, Josh increased the speed and Rachel thought what a smooth ride the Aston Martin was, not that her Mercedes SLK was uncomfortable. She loved it, but had been planning to get a new car, possibly a Jag., even though James had owned one However, she had invested so much money in Oakfield that it would have to wait for a while.

  “Where are you taking me, Josh, I’m dying to know?”

  “Wait and see. I expect you’ve been there before, but it’s a lovely place.”

  “I am actually feeling pretty hungry now. I’ve hardly eaten anything all day.”

  “I know what you mean. Today has been strange. I went to dad’s house with him and neither of us felt like eating. Catherine will hopefully get him to eat something later. Ed came over in the afternoon, but he only stayed an hour. He and dad don’t get on too well. Ed’s very much a typical music producer, long hair, scruffy, but rich. He drinks too much, is seen with lots of women, etc., etc. However, he is a good businessman and we get on great.”

  “Have Ed and your dad never got on?”

  “Apparently he adored dad when his parents were together, but when they divorced, that’s when the trouble started. Ed hated my mother for taking dad away and he decided he couldn’t bear to be with him, not even when he was young. They sort of made up later, but things have always been a bit strained between them.”

  “He doesn’t sound very forgiving. I’m sorry, Josh, I shouldn’t judge him without meeting him.”

  “Don’t apologize. He can be awkward at times.”

  They became quiet, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Both were just enjoying the ride and the anticipation of what the date might bring.