“He did, which means he was alive when he went into the water, whatever Adam said in his letter.”
“What else did Jackson say?”
“He helped Adam get the body onto the boat, and then he claims he left as Adam was getting ready to go for a sail. He claims that at first he didn’t even know what was in the big heavy bag that Adam asked him to help move, and that once he realised what was happening he was already in over his head and didn’t know what else to do. Apparently he went home and asked Miranda what she thought he should do and she got him to write it all out in case the police ever questioned him.”
“Then she held that over his head so that he’d agree to the divorce,” Bessie guessed.
“Exactly. We’ve asked the police in France to talk to Miranda. We’re hoping she still has the letter and will give it to them. It doesn’t really matter, as we don’t plan to press any charges against Jackson at this point, but I’d really like to read what he wrote all those years ago.”
“It seems to me that Adam wouldn’t have killed himself if Christopher had died by accident,” Bessie said after a moment. “I still not sure why he never identified the body.”
“I suspect he thought that Anna would be too upset to marry him if she knew that Christopher was dead,” John said. “But that’s just speculation on my part. I haven’t spoken to Anna since the day Adam disappeared. Brian came in to identify the body.”
“How’s he taking all of this?”
“He looked shell-shocked, but he did very well getting through the ordeal. I asked him about Anna and Dorothy, but he didn’t say much.”
“I should ring Anna or maybe Dorothy,” Bessie said. “But I don’t want either of them to think I’m prying.”
“Maybe leave it a few days,” John suggested.
Bessie nodded. She wasn’t in any rush to speak to either woman, really, but she was concerned about both of them.
After John left, Bessie washed the tea things and then paced around her cottage for a short while. A nice long walk was just what she needed. She walked around holidaymakers as quickly as she could and then picked up her pace once she’d passed Thie yn Traie. It didn’t take her long to reach the new houses. She shuddered when she saw the police tape some distance down the beach from them. A few people were standing just behind it staring at the sand and the water.
Bessie was temped to join them, but there was nothing to be learned from the patch of beach where Adam’s body had washed ashore. She was turning for home when she heard her name.
“Hello, Bessie,” Hugh called across the sand.
“Hugh, what a lovely surprise,” Bessie greeted the man. “And Grace, hello,” she added when she spotted the woman behind her husband.
“Hello,” Grace replied. “But come on over and hear all of our news.”
Bessie quickly crossed to where the pair were standing behind the house that was for sale. She grinned when she spotted the “sold” sticker on the sign. “You’ve bought the house?” she asked.
“We have,” Grace said excitedly. “We came back to see it again about a dozen times and I finally decided that I could live with just about anything in order to have the glorious en-suite and that amazing kitchen.”
Bessie hugged both her and Hugh. “I’m really delighted for you both,” she said. “I think it’s going to be the perfect home for you.”
“It’s wonderful. There’s so much more room than we were expecting to be able to get,” Hugh said. “And I can’t quite believe that we’re going to be right on the beach, as well.”
“Well, congratulations,” Bessie said. “Please remember that I’m right down the beach from you. You’re welcome to visit anytime. Will you be moving in soon?”
“As soon as we can arrange it,” Hugh replied. “There’s a lot of paperwork to get through and then we have to hire a truck, but we’re hoping to be in by the end of July, if all goes well.”
“Which should give us plenty of time to get settled before the holidays,” Grace added.
“The holidays? Oh, yes, your first Christmas as a married couple and the first in your new house. It will be a very special Christmas, won’t it?” Bessie asked.
Grace flushed and looked over at Hugh. He put an arm around her and then smiled at Bessie. “It’s going to be the best Christmas ever.”
“Have you thought about how you’ll decorate? Where you’ll put the tree and things like that?” Bessie asked them.
Hugh shrugged. “We’re more worried about where we’re going to put the couches and chairs for now. And then, well, there are lots of other little things we’ll need to get sorted before December.”
“And one big little thing,” Grace laughed. She rubbed her tummy and smiled happily at Bessie. “A big little thing that should be arriving just about a week before Father Christmas comes.”
Bessie looked from Grace to Hugh and back again. “You’re expecting?” she asked, thrilled by their happy faces.
“Yes, and the baby is due just a week before Christmas,” Grace answered, giggling.
“Congratulations,” Bessie exclaimed, giving the girl another hug. She blinked back tears of joy as she hugged Hugh as well.
“We, um, weren’t exactly planning to start a family right away, but, well, we’re both over the moon,” Hugh told her.
“That’s one of the reasons why we went ahead and bought this house,” Grace explained. “We’re going to need all the space we can get.”
“I’m so very happy for both of you, and for baby Watterson,” Bessie told them.
She hugged them both again, this time letting a single tear slide down her cheek. The young couple’s obvious happiness filled her with joy. As Bessie turned for home, she couldn’t help but think that while a lot of sad things had happened over the past year and a half, they’d been balanced by a great deal of joy as well.
Glossary of Terms
Manx to English
gura mie ayd - thank you
kys t’ou? - How are you?
moghrey mie - good morning
ta mee braew - I’m fine.
House Names – Manx to English
Thie yn Traie - Beach House
Treoghe Bwaane - Widow’s Cottage
English to American Terms
advocate - Manx title for a lawyer (solicitor)
aye - yes
bin - garbage can
biscuits - cookies
bonnet (car) - hood
boot (car) - trunk
car park - parking lot
chemist - pharmacist
chips - french fries
cuppa - cup of tea (informally)
dear - expensive
deposit (on a house) - down payment
estate agent - real estate agent (realtor)
fairy cakes - cupcakes
fizzy drink - soda (pop)
holiday - vacation
jumper - sweater
lie in - sleep late
lift - elevator
midday - noon
primary school - elementary school
pudding - dessert
skeet - gossip
starters - appetizers
supply teacher - substitute teacher
tat - goods of poor quality
telly - television
torch - flashlight
trolley - shopping cart
windscreen - windshield
Other Notes
CID is the Criminal Investigation Department of the Isle of Man Constabulary (Police Force).
The DVLA is the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
When talking about time, the English say, for example, “half seven” to mean “seven-thirty.”
With regard to Bessie’s age: UK (and IOM) residents get a free bus pass at the age of 60. Bessie is somewhere between that age and the age at which she will get a birthday card from the Queen. British citizens used to receive telegrams from the ruling monarch on the occasion of their one-hundredth birthday. Cards replaced th
e telegrams in 1982, but the special greeting is still widely referred to as a telegram.
When island residents talk about someone being from “across,” they mean that the person is from somewhere in the United Kingdom (across the water).
In the UK people are weighed in stone, where one stone is equal to fourteen pounds. Someone who is ten stone, therefore, is 140 pounds.
A semi-detached house shares one common wall with its neighbour. Usually called a duplex in the US.
A big traditional white wedding gown in the UK is often called a “meringue,” like the fluffy white topping you get on lemon meringue pie.
A traditional UK wedding cake is a fruitcake covered in marzipan icing.
Acknowledgments
My editor, Denise, deserves many thanks for all of her hard work.
I have a wonderful beta reading team and I’m grateful for the continued support and feedback they provide for every new book.
Special thanks to Kevin for even more beautiful photos for my covers.
And last but not least, thank you readers for spending time with Bessie and her friends.
Aunt Bessie Questions
Release date: April 19, 2018
Aunt Bessie questions how best to support her friend Helen.
Helen Baxter and Inspector Pete Corkill are getting married, but Helen’s nerves are getting the better of her. Elizabeth Cubbon, Bessie to everyone, does everything she can to help her friend.
Aunt Bessie questions whether the wedding will happen or not.
When the happy couple stumble across a dead body on the night before the wedding, things get complicated very quickly.
Aunt Bessie questions the dead man’s estranged wife, his live-in girlfriend, and anyone and everyone else she can find.
But this is one killer who wants to stop Bessie, and it seems the killer is prepared to do whatever needs to be done to scare Bessie away from the investigation.
Also by Diana Xarissa
The Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Series
Aunt Bessie Assumes
Aunt Bessie Believes
Aunt Bessie Considers
Aunt Bessie Decides
Aunt Bessie Enjoys
Aunt Bessie Finds
Aunt Bessie Goes
Aunt Bessie’s Holiday
Aunt Bessie Invites
Aunt Bessie Joins
Aunt Bessie Knows
Aunt Bessie Likes
Aunt Bessie Meets
Aunt Bessie Needs
Aunt Bessie Observes
Aunt Bessie Provides
Aunt Bessie Questions
The Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Mysteries
Arrivals and Arrests
Boats and Bad Guys
Cars and Cold Cases
Dogs and Danger
Encounters and Enemies
Friends and Frauds
The Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novellas
The Appleton Case
The Bennett Case
The Chalmers Case
The Donaldson Case
The Ellsworth Case
The Fenton Case
The Green Case
The Hampton Case
The Irwin Case
The Jackson Case
The Kingston Case
The Lawley Case
The Isle of Man Romance Series
Island Escape
Island Inheritance
Island Heritage
Island Christmas
About the Author
Diana grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania and moved to Washington, DC after college. There she met a wonderful Englishman who was visiting the city. After a whirlwind romance, they got married and Diana moved to the Chesterfield area of Derbyshire to begin a new life with her husband. A short while later, they relocated to the Isle of Man.
After over ten years on the island, it was time for a change. With their two children in tow, Diana and her husband moved to suburbs of Buffalo, New York. Diana now spends her days writing about the island she loves.
She also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future as Diana X. Dunn and middle grade and YA books as D.X. Dunn.
Diana is always happy to hear from readers. You can write to her at:
Diana Xarissa Dunn
PO Box 72
Clarence, NY 14031.
Find Diana at:
www.dianaxarissa.com
[email protected]
Aunt Bessie Provides (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 16) Page 23