by Adele Abbott
“How on earth did you pull that off?” Winky said.
“I haven’t worked that out yet.”
“What do you mean? You just told Harold and Ida that you had.”
“I know what I said. What else was I supposed to do? You saw their pathetic little faces.”
“You do realise if you don’t manage to get it sorted now, that it will hit them a hundred times harder.”
No pressure then.
Twenty minutes later, Mrs V brought me a cup of tea. She was sporting the new gloves. “I think I’ve come up with a name for them, Jill.”
“Oh?”
“Top Tips. What do you think?”
“I—err—”
“Because the fingertips are removable. And the gloves are tops.”
“It’s certainly a name worthy of the product.”
“That’s what I thought. Would you like me to knit you and Jack a pair?”
“I—err—”
“Don’t worry. I won’t charge you for them. They’ll be my little present to you both.”
“That’s very kind.”
“Top Tips?” Winky scoffed after she’d left the room. “Here’s a top tip. Never drink tea made by someone who thinks those gloves are a good idea. That woman is clearly a teabag short of a brew.”
Chapter 8
Rachel Somers had provided me with the names of two of Alison Forrest’s close friends. One of those was Susan Shields who had readily agreed to meet me. It was obvious, even over the phone, that she was still distraught over what had happened to her friend.
It turned out that she worked not far from my office, so we arranged to meet in Coffee Games. Fortunately, it turned out to be tiddlywinks day, so the noise was at a manageable level.
Smartly dressed in a red jacket and skirt, Susan worked in the travel agents just off the high street.
“I’ve never been in here before.” She glanced around. “Do they always play games like this?”
“Yeah. A different one every day.”
“It’s a little distracting, isn’t it?”
“You should see it on musical statues day. We can go to another coffee shop or to my office if you’d prefer?”
“No, it’s okay.”
“How did you know Alison?”
“We were at school together. She was always the really smart one; she used to let me copy her homework sometimes.” Susan smiled at the bittersweet memory. “Even when Alison was just a kid, she knew she wanted to be a solicitor. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I kind of fell into this job.”
“Did you see her often?”
“We’d sometimes grab lunch together, and we had the odd night out.”
“Just the two of you?”
“Sometimes, but usually there was a group of us. Rachel from her office and—”
“Craig Mann?”
“That’s right. The four of us always had a laugh.”
“When was the last time you saw Alison?”
“Two days before—” Her words petered out, and she had to take a moment to compose herself. “Sorry. We went for a coffee.”
“How did she seem?”
“Okay.”
“Just okay?”
“A little stressed, maybe.”
“About what? Did she say?”
“Not really. I knew she was super busy at work. I assumed it was just that.”
“Did she ever talk about her marriage? About Laurence?”
“Sometimes.”
I had a feeling that there was more Susan wanted to say, so I gave her a gentle nudge. “Good or bad?”
“We all have problems in our relationships, don’t we? I don’t want to blow it out of proportion.”
“Alison is dead, and Laurence is accused of her murder, so if she said anything, anything that might help to uncover the truth of what actually happened, you have to tell me.”
“She and Laurence had been having a few problems. Nothing serious, though, I don’t think.”
“Didn’t she say what?”
“I know she wanted more kids. That might have been part of it.”
“Did she ever suggest Laurence might be cheating on her?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“What about Alison? Might she have been seeing anyone else?”
“No.” Susan hesitated a moment too long before saying, “I’m sure she wasn’t, but the truth is Craig definitely had a thing for Alison. He was always flirting with her, and she seemed to enjoy it.”
“Might it have gone further than just flirting?”
“No. I’m sure it didn’t.”
Might there have been more to Alison and Craig’s relationship than just friendship? I’d reserve judgement on that until I’d had a chance to speak to him.
***
I’d no sooner left Coffee Games than I received a call from Sheila Forrest.
“Jill. The police have just informed me that they’ve released Laurence’s apartment. You said you wanted to take a look around.”
“I do. How soon can that be arranged?”
“How about I meet you there in an hour?”
“Okay. I’ll see you there.”
Before I went to Laurence’s apartment, I had business to attend to in Ghost Town, so I magicked myself over to Cakey C where I found Mad, sitting all alone at a corner table.
“You look like you’ve just lost a fiver.”
“Hi, Jill. I’ve had an ear-bashing from my mother.”
“Sorry if I dropped you in it with Deli.”
“It’s not your fault. I should have told her I was coming back to Washbridge.”
“She must be glad that you’re back, though?”
“Yeah, she is. She’ll be okay in a few days’ time. Right now, she’s really angry at your grandmother.”
“Over the beauty salon? I don’t blame her.”
“She said you were going to have a word with your grandmother.”
“I did, but it didn’t do any good. I warned your mum not to expect anything. Grandma doesn’t listen to anyone, and especially not me.”
“Mum’s scared the new shop will put her out of business.”
“There’s no reason why it should. Just look at what Kathy has done with her shop. Grandma opened up a bridal shop right next door to her, but Kathy’s business is thriving. In fact, she’s recently opened a new shop in West Chipping. The key is for Deli to focus on her own business, to make it the best it can be, and not to worry about what my grandmother is doing.”
“I’ll tell her, but I’m not sure it’ll do any good. Your mum and dad have certainly done a great job with this place, haven’t they?”
“Yeah. Mainly by ripping off Cuppy C. Even the sign looks the same.”
“Where are your mum and dad, anyway? I thought they’d be serving today.”
“So did I.”
“Who are the young couple behind the counter?”
“I’ve no idea.”
“Did you come over to see your parents?”
“Actually, I’ve arranged to meet the colonel and Priscilla. I have a favour to ask of them.”
“Looks like they’re here now.” Mad gestured towards the door. “I have to get going anyway. My feet have barely touched the ground since I got back. We must try and have a night out sometime.”
“I’d like that.”
Despite the colonel’s protestations, I insisted on buying drinks for the three of us. I offered to buy them cake too, but both of them declined, and said they preferred not to snack between meals.
Why was everyone on a crusade to make me feel bad about the occasional muffin?
“Thanks for agreeing to meet me, Colonel, Priscilla.”
“Our pleasure, as always, Jill.” If I wasn’t mistaken, the colonel was deliberately wearing his hair a little longer. “You said you needed our help?”
“I need the services of a ghost, and I wondered if you might have someone on the books of Hauntings Unlimited who would fit th
e bill.”
“What exactly did you have in mind, Jill?”
I explained my very specific requirements to the colonel, and to my delight, he confirmed they had someone who was exactly what I was looking for. “Her name is Harriet.”
“Do you think she’d be up for the job?”
“I’m sure she would. How long would you need her for?”
“Not long. An hour max. The thing is, though, I’m not sure exactly when I’ll need her, but it’ll be sometime within the next couple of days.”
“How about I speak to Harriet, and ask her to keep herself on standby for your call?”
“Would she do that?”
“She will if I ask her to. She gets a lot of work through Hauntings Unlimited.”
“That would be great. How do I get in touch with her?”
“Just give me a call and I’ll despatch Harriet immediately.”
“That’s fantastic, but what will it cost?”
“Nothing.” He waved away my offer. “I’ve lost track of how many times you’ve helped Priscilla and myself. This is the least I can do.”
“What about Harriet? She’ll need to be paid.”
“Don’t worry your head about that. I’ll make sure she isn’t out of pocket.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
“Hello, Colonel, Priscilla.” My mother appeared at our table. “And you, darling.” She gave me a peck on the cheek. “I hope the drinks and service lived up to your expectations?”
“All absolutely exceptional,” the colonel said.
“This coffee is excellent.” Priscilla nodded her approval.
“What about you, Jill?” My father had joined us now. “What do you think?”
“It’s all very nice. I see you have new staff.” I gestured towards the young couple behind the counter.
“That’s Debs and Stuart. Theirs is a tragic story. Giving them a job was the least we could do.”
“What happened to them?”
“They’d just got married and were on their way to the reception in a limousine when it crashed; they were both killed outright.”
“I remember now. Mrs V mentioned that to me. So, they do all the hard work, and you two swan around all day. Is that how it works?”
“I’ll have you know that your father and I have been in the back, holding a management strategy meeting.”
“Will you be taking over behind the counter now that’s finished?”
“Later, perhaps. After we’ve finished our marketing meeting.”
***
The Forrests’ apartment was located just outside of the city centre. Sheila was waiting for me at the door; she had a small suitcase in her hand.
“Are you okay, Sheila?”
“I’m feeling a little nervous about this.”
“If you’d prefer to wait outside, I’ll be okay in there by myself.”
“No, it’s fine. This is something I have to do.” She took a key from her handbag and unlocked the door.
I’d thought Mad’s new apartment was impressive, but this was even better, and certainly much larger.
“I’m going to Adam’s bedroom to get some of his clothes and toys,” Sheila said, over her shoulder.
The carpet had been removed from the lounge, but there was still a stain where the blood had soaked through to the floorboards. Other than that, there was nothing to indicate the violence that had taken place there. The room was sparsely but tastefully furnished with a mixture of abstract and landscape paintings on the white walls. Standing on a chrome and glass sideboard were a number of framed photographs. One of them, obviously taken on their wedding day, showed a happy couple, gazing into one another’s eyes. All of the other photos were of their son, Adam.
After a few minutes, Sheila joined me in the lounge. In addition to the suitcase, she was also carrying a large bag, crammed full of toys.
“How is Adam?” I asked.
“Confused and upset. He keeps asking when he can go home, and where his mummy and daddy are.”
“Doesn’t he know his mum is dead?”
“I’ve told him she’s gone to heaven, but he doesn’t really understand.” Sheila began to well up. “How will he ever understand any of this?”
“Kids can be more resilient than we sometimes give them credit for. By the way, I noticed the door isn’t damaged.”
“No. It was locked when Laurence came back and found Alison.”
“So Alison must have known her killer, or they had a key?”
“I guess so.”
“Look, Sheila, you might not like what I have to say, but—”
“Just say it.”
“I’ve spoken to Rachel Somers and to another friend of Alison’s, Susan Shields; they both suggested that Laurence and Alison might have been going through a rocky patch.”
“I don’t believe that. They were perfectly happy.”
“Are you sure? Isn’t it possible that Laurence went out of his way to give you that impression because he didn’t want you to worry?”
“No. I know my son. I would have known if he was lying.”
“Okay.” I wasn’t sure if I bought that, but I didn’t see the point in upsetting her further. “Do you think you could arrange for me to visit Laurence in prison?”
“I think so. When?”
“As soon as you can organise it.”
As I made my way out of the building, I noticed one of the other apartments was vacant. I dreaded to think how much the rent must be—certainly way above my pay grade.
I hadn’t learnt a great deal from seeing the apartment, but it was clear that Alison must have let in her killer. That or the murderer had somehow got hold of a key.
***
All in all, it had been a long day, so I called Mrs V to let her know I wouldn’t be going back to the office.
“Any messages, Mrs V?”
“Just the one. A woman named Violet Spriggs called. She said your dry cleaning was ready to collect.”
“I haven’t taken any clothes for dry cleaning.”
“She definitely had your name. Might Jack have taken something in for you?”
“I wouldn’t have thought so. What’s the address?”
“Vi The Dry. It’s on Wilbur Street.”
“Okay. I’ll call in on the way home to see what she’s going on about.”
Vi The Dry was tucked in between a kebab shop and a haberdashery.
“Hi, my name is Jill Maxwell. My PA took a message to say that you had some dry cleaning for me to collect, but I don’t think that can be right.”
“You’re the cat lady, aren’t you?”
“Am I?”
“Wait there. I’ll go and get them for you.”
Them?
When she returned to the counter, her arms were full. “I think it’s wonderful that you’ve had these made for your cat.” She held up a suit. “I bet he looks handsome in this.”
“My memory isn’t what it used to be. Remind me, would you, when did I bring these in?”
“A couple of days ago.”
“Right. And did we speak at the time?”
“No. We found them on the counter together with a note with your name and number on it.”
“Right. And how much does this lot come to?”
“Forty-two pounds and twenty pence, please.”
Winky. Was. So. Dead.
Chapter 9
“You paid for the cat’s dry cleaning?” Jack almost spat out a mouthful of muesli.
“What choice did I have? My name was on it.”
“Didn’t the people in the shop think it was a little weird that a cat would have dry cleaning?”
“They seemed to think it was cute.”
“I suppose it is. That blue suit of his is very smart.”
“It isn’t even remotely cute, but that’s not the point. The point is that he left it there under my name, told me nothing about it, and expected me to pick up the tab.”
“I’m s
ure he’ll pay you back.”
“You can bet your life on that. I’ll get that money even if I have to blow up that mini-safe of his.”
“Anyway, you should try and forget about that. You don’t want to be all stressed out for the day ahead, Teach.”
“Don’t call me that. You know I don’t like it.”
“I wish my teachers had been as beautiful as you.”
“I bet you were a little snot at school.”
“I wasn’t a snot. I was a swot.”
“I’m not really sure what to expect at CASS. Hopefully things will be better now Maligarth has gone.”
“What’s happening about finding his replacement?”
“I won’t know until I’ve spoken to the headmistress.”
“By the way, I assume you’re still planning to collect Rhymes’ trophy tomorrow night?”
“Unless you’ve changed your mind and are volunteering to do it.”
“No chance.”
“That’s what I thought. I have no choice because it would break Rhymes’ little heart if I don’t get his trophy. I don’t plan to hang around any longer than I have to, though. As soon as I have it, I’ll be out of there.”
***
When I stepped out of the house, I was greeted with a sight that stopped me dead in my tracks. On the pavement, in front of our house, were two giant cats. And I recognised them both: It was Bruiser and Lovely.
Had a wicked witch or wizard used magic to do this to the unsuspecting cats? What would Britt and Kimmy think when they saw them?
If I could work out which spell had been used, I might be able to reverse it, but to do that, I’d need to get closer to the huge felines. I’d have to be careful because Bruiser might still be harbouring a grudge for my trick with the lion.
“Lovely, come here, girl.”
“Jill?”
The voice took me by surprise because it wasn’t Lovely’s; it was our next-door neighbour, Clare’s.
“What do you think of the costumes?” said Bruiser, AKA Tony.
This wasn’t Lovely and Bruiser; it was my cosplay obsessed neighbours.
“I—err—they’re very good. I take it these are for your next con?”