A step ladder had been opened up a little way down the hall. A middle aged man was halfway up it, he was scraping wallpaper off.
Amy noticed where Grace was looking. “We’re getting rid of the old wallpaper. Can you believe that someone has papered over that lovely wood panelling? I always think of secret doors when I see panelling. Oh, I’m being silly, don’t listen to me!”
Grace smiled at her. “I know what you mean, I feel like reaching out and pushing the panels to see if they reveal a secret room.”
Charlie gave a snort of derision. So did the man on the ladder.
Amy ignored the man on the ladder and Grace ignored Charlie.
They walked down the hall. Grace looked over her shoulder at the stained glass window that was over the door. “That’s a beautiful window, I think it’s the first mill that Benjamin Heath built.”
Amy said, “You’ve been doing your research. The drawing room is down here on the left. Grace’s steps slowed as they neared the library. She said, “What’s in this room?”
Amy swiftly reached for the door and pulled it shut. “Don’t look in there, it’s a mess. This way.”
She led Grace into a large room, there were dust sheets everywhere apart from on two small sofas and the table that stood between them. On the table stood a teapot and assorted tea things.
Amy apologised again for the mess. “It’ll get sorted out soon. Please, do sit down. Would you like tea? I can organise coffee if you prefer.”
Grace sat down. “Tea will be fine, thank you. Are the sheets covering some of the original furniture? Did some furniture come with the house?”
Grace didn’t miss the look of alarm that flashed across Amy’s face. She quickly said, “No, it’s just our old stuff from our previous house.”
Charlie sat down next to Grace. He leant forward, his hands resting on his knees. He studied Amy’s face. “She’s lying. And she’s wearing lipstick. Why does she need to wear lipstick? Who is she wearing it for?”
Amy started to pour the tea. Grace took the opportunity to ask one of the many questions that were bursting to come out of her head. “I see you’re having the outside of the house done. I always thought that old buildings looked nice with a bit of soot to age them. It gives a sort of nod to the industrial past.”
Amy finished with the tea pot. She picked up a milk jug and gave Grace a questioning look.
Grace nodded and continued talking. “This house has been part of the town forever, I guess some people won’t like the work that you’re having done, making it look new again.”
Amy put the milk jug down. She gave Grace a direct look and said, “I don’t care what people think. Charlie, my late husband, thought the same thing. I thought it looked messy, I don’t like mess.”
Grace took the cup that was offered. She was taken aback by Amy’s direct tone. It was as if Amy was ready for an argument.
Grace said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Amy took her own cup and sat back on the sofa. “It’s okay. Charlie never listened to my opinion. I used to walk past this house when I was younger. I imagined it to be like some sort of palace. I can’t have my palace looking like someone’s thrown a ton of coal all over it!”
Amy laughed. Grace joined in uncertainly. There was almost an hysterical sound to Amy’s laugh.
Grace took a sip of her tea and wondered how to phrase her next question.
“You bloody idiot!”
Grace almost dropped her cup.
Amy sighed and put her cup on the table. “Sorry about that. That’s the foreman, the one that’s in charge of the builders. He’s always shouting at someone. You wouldn’t think I was doing him a favour by giving him all this restoration business. He looks at me sometimes as if he wants to kill me. I’ll be glad when he’s gone.”
“It must be hard dealing with everything on your own,” Grace said.
Amy shrugged. She picked up her cup again. “I like it. Charlie was a good husband, he provided for me but he was overbearing. He never listened to me. I had good ideas about the business, he was in the loan business, but he just wouldn’t listen.”
“Do you run the business now?” Grace asked.
Amy nodded. “With some help. You didn’t come here to listen to me wittering on about my dead husband, have you got some information for me?”
Grace reached into her handbag. She did want to hear Amy wittering on about her dead husband but she would just have to bide her time.
She placed two large books down on the table. “These are my history books, you’ll find lots of information about furniture from the Georgian age. And, here, I’ve written down some web sites for you. If you like, I can make enquiries with local antique shops, see if they have anything available for sale now.”
Amy took the books and started to flick through them. “That’s very kind of you. I’ll have a look through and see if anything catches my eye. I could do with silverware and that sort of thing. I’m not too bothered about big bits of furniture at the moment. I do appreciate you coming over.” She looked at her watch.
Grace could feel her opportunity slipping away. “You said you might have something to sell?”
A voice boomed out behind her. It wasn’t the foreman this time.
“Who’s this? Another one of your charity cases asking for money? Tell her to sling her hook!”
A man stormed into the room, anger blazed across his face. Grace recognised his features.
Charlie confirmed his identity. “That’s my brother. What’s he doing here?”
Chapter 13
“Toby! Don’t talk to Grace like that, she’s my guest, I invited her here,” Amy said.
Toby glared down at Grace. “What do you want? Don’t try and get any money out of Amy just because she’s an easy touch. If you’re here on any sort of business you can talk to me.”
Charlie burst out, “What’s he talking about? Business? What business? Don’t tell me Amy’s gone into business with him. She knows he’s got no business sense.”
Amy stood up and coolly addressed Toby. “Grace is helping me with something, it’s nothing to do with you.”
Toby waved his arm in Grace’s direction. “Tell her to leave, we’ve got things to discuss, papers to sign.”
Grace stood up. “Perhaps I’d better go.”
Amy shot Toby a cold look. She turned to Grace and said, “I’m sorry about my brother-in-law’s behaviour. Thank you again for the books.”
Grace started to walk away. “That’s okay, I’ve left my number, call if you need any more help. I’ll see myself out.”
Amy looked like she was going to say something but Toby said, “Okay, bye. Amy, have you checked your emails today? There’s something you need to see.”
Amy gave Grace an apologetic look. Grace nodded in acknowledgment and headed for the door.
Charlie seethed at her side. “That brother of mine is so arrogant! Listen to how he talks to people.”
Grace gave him a pointed look as she walked out of the room.
Charlie caught the look. “What? I’m nothing like him.”
Grace walked on a few steps. She paused outside the library door. She had an overwhelming impulse to go inside.
Charlie let out a shout of pain. Grace looked at him and whispered, “What is it?”
He rubbed his chest. “Felt like my heart was giving up on me then. This death business isn’t what I thought it would be, I thought I’d be floating around somewhere in a sea of tranquillity. I wasn’t counting on being in pain.”
He looked towards the closed library door. “I feel I want to go in there, I think there’s something we need to know, something to do with my death.”
“Me too,” Grace said quietly.
She nearly jumped out of her skin as a voice boomed out, “One more mistake like that, Jim, and you’re out! Lazy, that’s what you are, not used to working, can’t take an order. Look at the mess you’ve made!”
Grace looked down the hall.
The middle aged man was still up the ladder, an older man with a red face stood at the bottom of the ladder. Grace assumed it was the foreman that she had heard shouting earlier. The man looked to be in his sixties. Even from this distance Grace could see veins pulsing in his forehead. She felt a surge of pity for Jim, stuck up the ladder.
Jim muttered, “Sorry, boss, I’ll watch what I’m doing.”
The foreman suddenly looked Grace’s way, his eyes still full of fury. Grace didn’t want to be on the receiving end of his temper so she quickly walked down the hallway and towards the front door. She had a tight smile on her face as she walked past the two men.
She let out a sigh of relief as she closed the front door behind her. There were a lot of angry people in that house.
She had her hand on the gate when a voice called out her name. She looked over her shoulder to see Amy running down the path holding a small box.
Amy caught up to Grace. “I’m so sorry about that scene inside! Toby is the controlling type, just like Charlie.”
Grace gave no attention to the snorting noise that came from Charlie’s direction.
Amy carried on, “Ever since Charlie died he’s been trying to help me. I appreciated his help at first, he sorted Charlie’s belongings out, but now he’s really getting on my nerves! He thinks he should take over Charlie’s business, he thinks I can’t handle it on my own. Just like Charlie. I’m doing fine on my own, the business is thriving.”
Grace’s thoughts flicked to the loan business advertised on the website. Amy must be aware of that, or had Toby set that up?
Amy held the box out to Grace. “There might be something in here that you could sell in your shop. They’re just bits and pieces. The old woman, Emily, who lived here left them behind. She said she would be back to pick them up but she’s never been back for them. Would you like them?”
Grace didn’t hesitate. She took the box. An idea was forming. “Thank you, that’s kind of you. We need all the help we can get at the shop. It’s hard setting up a business. I was considering taking out a loan. I noticed from your card that you do loans, would you be able to help me?”
Amy gave Grace a kind smile and said, “I don’t know anything about the loan business. Charlie left that side of his company to Toby. If I were you I’d try a reputable bank, I’m not sure that Toby would give you the best interest rate. Sorry, but I have to get back inside. The foreman’s shouting at his work force again, and I can’t leave Toby alone for a minute, he’d move in if he could!”
Amy ran down the path and back into the house.
Grace’s eyes narrowed as she watched her. She said to Charlie, “So, it’s Toby who’s set up the loan business with the high interest rates. And it looks like he wants to control Amy, perhaps move in here and take your place. Interesting.”
Charlie looked in the same direction as Grace. “You’re thinking that Toby killed me so that he could get his hands on my money, my home and my wife.”
Grace turned to him. “Well, isn’t that what they call a motive? He had reason to kill you.”
Charlie gave Grace a sad smile. “First of all, Amy is lying. I didn’t leave any part of my company to Toby, it all went to her. And secondly, Toby is gay.”
“Oh,” Grace said. She thought for a moment. “So why is Amy lying. What is she hiding?”
Chapter 14
Grace looked down at the box. She could see some ornaments, some photographs, a few pens. Not really worth taking back to the shop.
She said to Charlie, “Do you know Emily Heath’s new address?”
“I do, she gave it to me so I could forward any post. Why?”
“I think it’s time we paid her a visit. I want to know why she left this house, it’s been in her family since it was built. There’s something fishy going on.”
“What’s this got to do with my death?”
“I don’t know yet, I just know that I have to talk to Emily.”
Charlie told Grace the address. It was within walking distance.
Twenty minutes later Grace and Charlie were walking up the path of a modern looking bungalow. An elderly lady was bending over some flower pots near the front door. She straightened up as she heard Grace’s footsteps, a smile ready on her face.
“Hello there,” she said. She nodded towards the box in Grace’s hands. “Are you collecting or delivering? If you’re collecting I’m afraid I haven’t much to give you.”
Grace returned the woman’s smile. “Are you Emily Heath?”
“I certainly am.” She took off one gardening glove and extended her hand to Grace. “And you are?”
Grace took Emily’s hand. “I’m Grace Abrahams. I run an antiques shop in the town with my brother. Well, not just antiques, a bit of everything these days. Anyway, I had some business with Amy Ford, the woman who lives there now.”
Emily’s smile dropped slightly. “Yes, I know Amy Ford.”
Grace raised the box. “She said these belonged to you but you never came back to the house to collect them. Would you like them back?”
Emily peered inside the box. “To be honest, I’d forgotten all about them. I try to avoid walking past Heathville. Too many bad memories. Thanks so much for bringing them round. I think I’ve been to your antique shop, it was a few years ago. I spoke to a kind man there, he found me the most beautiful pearl necklace. You have the same look about you, was it your father I spoke to?”
Grace nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak.
Emily studied her for a moment, then she seemed to remember something. She put her hand on Grace’s arm. “I heard about what happened to your parents, so sorry my love. Death doesn’t get any easier, does it? No matter how much time has passed since you lost a loved one the grief can still jump up and bite you on the bum!”
Grace let out a snort of laughter. “I haven’t heard it put that way before.”
Emily gave her a brisk nod. “You need a cup of tea and so do I. Come inside, no arguments.”
Grace didn’t argue, a cup of tea sounded perfect.
Charlie sighed at her side. “Do I really have to listen to you two whinging on about lost ones?”
Grace felt an urge to stick her tongue out at him. He really was annoying. For a second she wished she could be more like Pearl, she’d tell Charlie exactly where to go.
Emily led Grace into the bungalow. It was clean and bright inside. The furniture was cheap and cheerful, Grace had some similar items in her house.
Emily looked back at Grace. “Not at all like Heathville, is it? Totally the opposite. I love living here. Sit yourself down in the front room, I’ll stick the kettle on.”
Grace did so. The furniture in the front room was new too. There were a few framed photographs on the wall. A series of photographs showed the same boy as he aged. Grace smiled, her parents had similar photos of her and Frankie. Grinning toddlers, first day at school, smiles with teeth missing, that awkward teenage stage.
Emily came into the room. She noticed where Grace was looking. Pride filled her face. “That’s my son. I don’t know how I would have managed without him. And my boyfriend was a great support too. Oh! Don’t look so surprised. I’m not too old to have a boyfriend. Wait until you hear this, I met him online!”
Grace’s face must have been a picture because Emily burst out laughing. “I know! I couldn’t even switch a computer on a few years ago and now look at me, I have an Internet boyfriend! He’s working nearby, he’ll be popping in for his lunch soon.”
Emily sat down on a chair opposite Grace. “I never thought I’d be this happy after losing Heathville. I had to sell it, for my son’s sake. It was the gambling you see.”
Grace said, “Gambling? Did your son have a problem?”
Emily nodded and gave her a wry smile. “He certainly did have a problem, a problem with me and my gambling.”
Chapter 15
“Your gambling?” Grace said, trying not to sound too shocked.
Emily gave a sad nod. “M
y gambling. I can see that you’re surprised. It isn’t a problem I’ve had all my life, nothing like that, it only started recently. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about my problems. That kettle should have boiled by now.”
She stood up. Grace said, “I’d like to know about your problems, if you don’t mind telling me. When my parents died I kept my feelings to myself, I made things worse for myself by bottling things up.”
“Yes, I suppose it’s better to talk about things. Let me get the tea, won’t be a minute.”
Emily left the room. Charlie sat down next to Grace, his impatience was obvious. “Why do you need to have another cup of tea? You’ve just had one. You’re not doing much to find out who my murderer was, I thought you were trying to help me?”
“I am trying to help but Emily obviously wants to talk and I’m happy to listen to her. We still need to find out why she sold Heathville.”
Grace stood up and walked around the small room. She looked closer at the photos of Emily’s son. He looked familiar. What was it about him? Ah! Of course, he had a look of Benjamin Heath.
Emily returned to the room carrying a tray. She said, “You won’t find any grown up photos of him, he hated having his photo taken! He preferred being hidden away on his computer, spent far too much time on it. I was always having a go at him, telling him to get out more. What can you do? You can only help your children so much. Do you take milk and sugar?”
“Just milk, thanks.” Grace returned to the sofa.
Once tea had been sorted out Emily said, “I’ll start at the beginning with my story. I hate stories where you just get the ending and have to work everything out yourself, don’t you?”
Grace nodded.
Emily began, “You probably know that my relative, Benjamin Heath, built Heathville? I think it’s common knowledge round here. He was a mill owner and did very well out of the industrial age, he was very good at adapting to all the new changes. He was a clever man.”
Grace thought of the man that she had seen in her vision. That Benjamin Heath had seemed confused and not sure of himself.
A Different Shade Of Death: A Cozy Mystery Ghost Story (Storage Ghost Murders Book 2) Page 4