The Hampton Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 8)

by Diana Xarissa

  “Does that mean you’ve discovered who set the fire?” Janet asked.

  “Not exactly,” Robert said, flushing. “But we don’t believe that any other local businesses or residences are in any danger.”

  “So you think the arsonist was targeting the grocery shop specifically,” Janet said.

  “You could say that,” Robert replied.

  “I hope you’re right.”

  They chatted about the weather and local politics for a few minutes before Robert got up to go. “By the way, I understand Edward Bennett is still staying with you,” Robert said as they walked towards the front door.

  “Yes, he is,” Janet replied.

  “I’d really like a word with him,” Robert told her. “Can you have him ring me on my mobile when you next see him?” He handed her one of his cards with his mobile number printed on the back.

  “I’ll ask him to ring you the minute I see him,” Janet promised, wondering what the police constable wanted to talk to Edward about.

  “Thank you,” Robert said. Janet stood in the doorway and watched as the man walked to his police car and drove away. He waved as he pulled out of the small car park for Doveby House. When his car disappeared out of sight, Janet pushed the door shut and sighed.

  With nothing else to do, Janet wandered up to her bedroom and tried to pick out an outfit for dinner that evening. Edward had said he wanted to take her somewhere nice, but she wasn’t sure if that meant somewhere fancy or not. The last time they’d gone out for a nice meal, he’d taken her to the wonderful and very expensive French restaurant in Doveby Dale. She’d worn one of her nicest dresses and almost felt underdressed. With that in mind, she pulled out the most expensive dress she owned and held it up.

  “What do you think?” she asked Aggie, who was stretched out on her bed.

  Aggie looked at her and then put her head down. “Is it too much?” Janet asked. “Or not enough?”

  “Merrew,” Aggie replied.

  “Yes, you’re right, it would be better to see it on,” Janet said. She changed into the dress and then stood in front of the mirror. “It’s was very expensive,” she told Aggie. “I bought it for a friend’s wedding a few years ago, even though it was an extravagance. I think I’ll wear it. If nothing else, it will be good to wear it more than that once. Joan was so cross when I bought it; maybe she’ll feel better seeing it getting more wear, as well.”

  Aggie yawned and settled into her pillow. Janet hung the dress back up and then searched through her drawers for a new pair of tights. “I never did ask you who you think started the fire,” she said to the kitten as she dug through the drawer. Aggie gave her a bored look and then shut her eyes.

  “Now, don’t go to sleep,” Janet said. “I’ll just name the suspects and you tell me what you think of them.”

  Aggie didn’t bother to respond, but Janet was undeterred. “Here we go,” she announced. “The first suspect is Simon Hampton.” Janet was disappointed when Aggie didn’t respond. She rather liked the idea of Simon as the culprit. “Well, maybe he hired someone else,” she muttered.

  “Okay, what about Joseph Carter?” Janet asked, naming her next favourite suspect. Aggie yawned again and began to lick a paw.

  “What about Hannah Carter?”

  This time Janet was relieved to get no reaction from the kitten. She’d quite liked Hannah. “How about Clifton Price?” Janet asked.

  “Meerreewww,” Aggie told her.

  “Ah, ha,” Janet said. “So Clifton is involved. That just leaves Cynthia Hampton.”

  “Meerrrreeewww,” Aggie said.

  Janet sat down on the bed and stared at the kitten. “You think the two of them were in on it together?” she asked.

  “Meew,” Aggie told her, snuggling against her.

  “Or maybe you’re just bored with this game and are going to reply to everything now,” Janet suggested. “What about Joan Markham?”

  “Yooowwww!” Aggie shouted.

  Janet laughed. “She tries to be nice to you,” she told Aggie. “But she isn’t really a cat person.”

  Janet named a dozen different people, from television actors to local politicians, and Aggie grumbled at every name. “This isn’t helping,” Janet complained after Aggie shouted loudly when Janet named the current Prime Minister.

  “Merrressheesh,” Aggie said. She shut her eyes tightly and seemingly fell asleep.

  It was nearly five o’clock when Edward finally got back to Doveby House. He was full of apologies.

  “I’m so sorry,” he told Janet when he found her in the library. She’d heard his key in the front door and run to the library, grabbed a book, and dropped into a chair.

  “Sorry?” she echoed, looking up from a book that she could only hope she was holding the right way around.

  “I meant to be back hours ago,” Edward said. “I was hoping to spend the day with you.”

  “I had to go to the supermarket anyway,” Janet said. She glanced at the clock and tried to act surprised. “I didn’t realise it was that late,” she said. “I’d better go and find something to wear for tonight. We are still going out tonight, aren’t we?”

  “Yes,” Edward said firmly. “Wear something fabulous. We’re going to one of my favourite restaurants in Derby.”

  Janet nodded and got to her feet. “Oh, Robert Parsons stopped by this afternoon,” she said. “He’d like you to ring him on his mobile when you have time.” She handed Edward Robert’s card.

  He frowned at it. “I hope whatever he wants won’t take long,” he muttered as he took the card from Janet. “We have a table booked for seven.”

  Janet took the book she’d grabbed with her as she left the library with Edward following. When she got back to her room, she looked to see what she’d selected. Her new system for arranging the books had worked perfectly. She’d grabbed a random title and it was exactly what she’d hoped it would be, a mystery that she’d read enough times that she could have faked it if Edward had asked her what she was reading. She dropped the book onto her bed and focussed on getting herself ready for dinner.

  “How do I look?” she asked Aggie a while later.

  Aggie looked up from her pillow and nodded. Janet assumed that meant that the kitten approved. Another look in the mirror reassured Janet that she looked her very best. The dress was pretty and it fit her well, and her shoes were stylish but still comfortable. She’d spent extra time on her hair and makeup and she thought she looked pretty good, at least for her age.

  “Not that I’m old,” she said to her reflection. The woman in the mirror winked at her. Edward makes me feel like a lovesick teenager, Janet thought as she picked up her handbag and headed for her door. That has to count for something.

  Edward was in the sitting room on his phone. He’d changed into a dark grey suit that looked wonderful on him. Janet felt a bit breathless as he smiled when he saw her. “I’ll ring you back tomorrow before I leave,” Edward said. “I’m afraid that’s the best I can do.”

  Janet wondered if she should leave him alone to finish his conversation, but apparently that was the end of it. Edward switched off his phone and dropped it into his pocket. “You look stunning,” he told Janet. “I love that dress.”

  “Thank you,” Janet said, blushing. “You look very handsome yourself.”

  “Why, thank you,” Edward grinned. “Shall we?”

  He held out his arm and Janet took it and let him lead her to the door. After she’d locked up behind them, she took his arm again as they walked to the car. “I remembered that you liked the French restaurant in Doveby Dale,” Edward said once they were on their way. “The one in Derby is even better.”

  “I’m not sure that’s possible,” Janet told him.

  “I also remember that you speak much better French than I do,” Edward said. “I’ll leave you to ask any questions about the menu that I may have.”

  Janet laughed. “I did live in France for a short while,” she reminded him. “And I think
all I talked about while I was there was food.”

  They chatted about nothing much as they made their way the short distance to Derby. Janet was dying to ask Edward what Robert had wanted, but she didn’t want to look nosy. She tried to steer the conversation in that direction a few times, but it never quite managed to get her where she wanted to go. She was starting to wonder if Edward was doing it on purpose when they arrived at the restaurant.

  Edward pulled up behind another car at the curb. “There’s valet parking,” he told Janet.

  They waited while the couple in the car in front of them climbed out. As the driver handed his keys to the valet, Janet gasped.

  “But that’s Clifton Price,” Janet said.

  “Yes, and his companion is Cynthia Hampton,” Edward told her. “This could get interesting.”

  Chapter Nine

  Janet and Edward watched as the other couple walked into the restaurant. As one of the valets drove Clifton’s car away, Edward moved his forward. He and Janet were quickly out of the car, with Edward nearly throwing his keys to the valet. The young man handed Edward the ticket he would need to get the car back and then Edward and Janet followed Clifton and Cynthia into the restaurant.

  There was no sign of them when Janet and Edward reached the entrance.

  “Good evening,” the man in a tuxedo greeted them. “Do you have a booking?”

  “Yes, under Edward Bennett, and we’d like to be seated near the couple that just came in,” Edward told him.

  The man raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know…” the man began.

  Edward took a step closer to him and said something that Janet couldn’t hear. The man nodded and then made a few notes on the paper in front of him.

  “Right this way,” he said with a small bow.

  Edward and Janet followed the man into a small and dimly lit dining room. Most of the tables were full, but Janet could see Cynthia and Clifton sitting together in an empty section. She and Edward were shown to the table next to them.

  Clifton looked up and frowned at the man who was seating Janet and Edward. “I paid extra for a quiet corner,” he snarled.

  “So did he,” the man told him.

  Clifton opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut again. He ran his eyes over Janet and Edward and then turned back to Cynthia. “We don’t have to stay,” he said.

  Cynthia glanced over at Janet and Edward and yawned. “They’re probably celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary or something,” she said with a shrug. “And they’re probably both deaf. I’m not bothered.”

  “You know I just want you to be happy,” Clifton said.

  “Maybe you could work on that a little faster,” Cynthia snapped back.

  Clifton sighed and picked up his menu. Back at her table, Janet did the same. She quickly discovered that it was far too dark to read it, though.

  “I can’t read a word of this,” she told Edward. “I don’t suppose you brought a torch?”

  “I suggest we have the waiter read it to us,” Edward told her.

  “He can start with the specials,” Janet said. “That might be all I need to hear.”

  Their waiter appeared a moment later and settled into a long conversation with Edward about wine. Janet knew she ought to care more about which wine Edward ordered, but to her they all tasted more or less the same.

  At the next table, Clifton had ordered a bottle of wine as well, and Janet watched as he made a huge production out of his first taste.

  “I suppose it will do,” he said after a moment. The waiter smiled and filled their glasses before taking their order. Janet found herself straining to listen to what they’d ordered, hoping to get some idea of what was on the menu. She heard Clifton’s order clearly, but it wasn’t anything that tempted her. Cynthia spoke much more softly.

  A moment later their own waiter was back with the wine that Edward had selected. After it had been poured, he quickly took them both through the menu. When Janet asked her questions in French, he beamed at her. In the end, she and Edward both settled on the chef’s three course daily special menu.

  As their waiter walked away, Janet found herself looking over at Cynthia and Clifton. She tried not to stare at the pair, who were already nearly finished with their first bottle of wine.

  “He’s driving,” Janet hissed to Edward.

  “I’ll ring Robert before they leave,” Edward told her. “He’ll be stopped before he gets too far.”

  “You’re driving,” she reminded Edward as he raised his glass.

  “I know, but I can have one glass,” he told her. “To new friends,” he said, touching her glass with his.

  “New friends,” Janet echoed, wondering if friends was all he wanted them to be.

  “You’re drinking too much,” Cynthia snapped at Clifton.

  “I’ll stop after this one,” Clifton told her as he refilled his glass.

  “So what’s going on with everything?” Cynthia asked.

  Clifton glanced over at Janet and Edward. Janet quickly turned her head so that she was looking at Edward rather than him. He didn’t seem to have noticed the awkward movement.

  “The police are investigating,” he replied in what Janet could only assume was meant to be a whisper. Perhaps if he hadn’t already drunk nearly half a bottle of wine, he’d have been better at regulating his volume.

  “Shhhhhh,” Cynthia hissed.

  “I just said the police are investigating,” Clifton protested. “That much is common knowledge. Someone committed a crime and the police are investigating.”

  “How’s Simon dealing with it all?”

  “You should know the answer to that better than I do,” Clifton said. “You live with the man.”

  “He hasn’t been home since before the fire,” Cynthia replied. “He’s cheated before, of course, but he’s never stayed away for days on end like this. I think it’s over between us.”

  “It didn’t look over at the press conference,” Clifton told her. “And afterwards, when you two were all over each other in the back of the limousine.”

  “Simon always likes to perform for an audience,” Cynthia said dismissively. “And with the police and the press both snooping into all of our affairs, it’s important that we present a united front.”

  “That’s word for word Simon,” Clifton snapped.

  “Maybe, but he’s right.”

  “If you’re leaving him, why do you care?”

  “Please, you know as well as I do that I need Simon as cooperative as possible. I don’t want our divorce to drag through the courts and I want as much money as I can squeeze out of him. He can be generous in the right mood.”

  “He’s not going to be generous,” Clifton said dryly.

  “Probably not,” Cynthia agreed. “But I’m doing everything I can to keep him on my side.”

  “Even while you’re planning to leave him.”

  “Especially while I’m planning to leave him.”

  They were interrupted by the arrival of their first course. At the other table, Janet and Edward had been listening silently. Now their food arrived as well.

  “This is delicious,” Janet said after her first bite. “You may be right. It might be better than the meal we had in Doveby Dale.”

  “Only just slightly,” Edward told her. “The restaurant in Doveby Dale is excellent, especially for its location.”

  Janet nodded and then focussed on enjoying her first course. The moment her plate was empty, their attentive waiter whisked it away.

  “Your main course will be out shortly,” he told them both.

  “I thought you said you weren’t going to drink any more,” Cynthia said.

  “I’m just having one glass from the second bottle,” Clifton told her. “Otherwise, you’ll have to drink the entire bottle yourself.”

  “I could manage it,” Cynthia replied.

  “But you don’t want to go home drunk and have Simon asking a lot of questions about where you’ve been.
”

  “He won’t be there,” Cynthia said, waving a hand. “I told you, he’s been staying with his new girlfriend.”

  Main courses were delivered at both tables at almost the exact same time. Janet’s mouth began to water as she looked at the plate that had been put in front of her.

  “That looks good,” Edward said.

  “Would you like to try a bite?” Janet offered.

  “Only if you try mine,” Edward replied.

  Janet took a small bite of Edward’s chicken dish while he took a slightly larger piece from hers.

  “Delicious,” Edward said.

  “So is yours, but I think I prefer mine.”

  “And I prefer mine, so we both made the right choice,” Edward said.

  “So what are we doing next?” Cynthia asked her companion.

  “I thought we might have pudding and then go back to my flat and, um, well, spend some time together,” Clifton replied.

  Cynthia laughed. “Did you? Really? I mean, pudding is fine, but that’s all I’m going to agree to tonight. And I shouldn’t have to tell you the reasons why.”

  Clifton frowned. “We could go somewhere else, if you’re worried about someone seeing you going into my building,” he suggested.

  “No, not tonight,” Cynthia said firmly. “And my question wasn’t about tonight, either. I meant what are we doing next towards getting things ready for my divorce?”

  “I think we need to wait a few days for the excitement to die down,” Clifton said.

  “I think we should strike while the iron is hot,” Cynthia replied.

  Janet nearly laughed at the pun that was presumably unintended, but she turned the laugh into a cough and then took a hasty sip of wine. Cynthia looked over at her, but by that time Janet was staring at Edward and he was speaking to her in a low voice.

  “I’m going to ring Robert in a minute,” he told Janet. “I’m not sure what those two are up to exactly, but I don’t like the sound of it.”

  “Do you think they set the fire?” she asked.

  Edward shrugged. “From what I’m hearing, I suspect Clifton may have had a hand in it, and I think he probably did it for Cynthia’s benefit, although I’m not clear on how it benefits her, exactly.”