Aunt Bessie Questions (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 17)

by Diana Xarissa

  Bessie nodded. “Helen seemed frazzled and incredibly worried about the wedding tomorrow. She was looking forward to getting tonight’s meeting over with, so that she’d have a clear idea of what was going to be happening tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Okay, let’s continue. Take me through your conversation with Helen before you left for the church,” John said.

  Bessie repeated what she could remember of that conversation. John didn’t stop her again until she was recounting his own arrival in the car park.

  “Before I arrived, did either Helen or Pete seem anxious or worried about anything?” he asked.

  “You mean besides the wedding?” Bessie asked. “I’m pretty sure they were both worried about the wedding, but nothing else. No, wait, I’m also pretty sure that Pete was worried about Helen. He kept trying to calm her down and reassure her.”

  “Neither of them behaved in an atypical manner?” was John’s next question.

  “Not that I noticed, although it’s hard to say what’s typical for either of them on the day before their wedding,” Bessie replied.

  John sighed. “I know, and that’s the problem. They were both edgy and anxious, but I didn’t have any reason to suspect that they were worried about anything other than tomorrow.”

  “There’s no way either of them killed Reverend Doyle,” Bessie said steadily.

  “What if he told them he wouldn’t marry them?” John asked.

  Bessie took a long deep breath before she replied. “I know you’re just doing your job,” she said eventually, “but you know them both as well as I do. There’s no way either of them would kill anyone under any circumstances.”

  “You know full well that isn’t true,” John said quietly. “I believe anyone can kill, given the right provocation.”

  “You may be right, but Helen and Pete would both need very strong motives before they would consider such a thing. I won’t believe it.”

  John nodded. “I’ll leave that for now, then. Finish telling me about your day, including what you and Helen were discussing while you were waiting, please.”

  Bessie obliged, telling John everything that she could remember. “I hope that’s everything,” she said at the end, “because I’m exhausted.”

  “I just need you to tell me everything you know about Reverend Doyle,” John said.

  “As I know next to nothing, that won’t take long,” Bessie replied. “He’d only been on the island for not much over a month. I could talk for hours about the man he replaced, but he left the island in May.”

  “Where did he go?” John asked.

  “Nice,” Bessie replied.

  “In France? I suppose it won’t be hard to find out if he’s still there.”

  “I’m sure he is. Several of the older ladies in the congregation have kept in touch with him. I get regular updates. He’s actually thinking about coming back for a visit some time in the autumn, but not before then,” Bessie said.

  “So when he left, Reverend Doyle was appointed? Any idea how that works?” John wondered.

  “None at all. I’m not as active in the church these days as I used to be,” Bessie said. “Even when I was more involved, I was never privy to how the bishop made his appointments. You’ll have to talk to him about that.”

  “I have an appointment with him tomorrow morning,” John replied. “But you must have picked up some skeet about Reverend Doyle over the past month, surely?”

  Bessie grinned at the man’s use of the Manx word. “A few of my friends have complained about the way he conducts his services,” Bessie said, “but there are always complaints when someone new comes into a parish. He simply didn’t do things the way the former vicar had. People would have come around eventually.”

  “And you don’t know anything about his personal life?”

  “No, not a thing. Actually, now that you mention it, I’m surprised that I haven’t heard more. I didn’t even know he had a housekeeper, let alone a live-in one. I’m surprised that didn’t have people talking. Maybe Ms. Hamilton is considerably older than Reverend Doyle was, though.”

  “Do you know how old Reverend Doyle was?”

  Bessie shrugged. “As I said, I only met him once or twice. I would guess he was around fifty, but that’s just a guess. I think he dyed his hair, which made me think he was older than he wanted everyone to think he was.”

  “Isn’t that unusual for a vicar?” Hugh asked.

  “You’d have to ask the bishop about that too,” Bessie replied.

  “I’m going to walk you and Helen back to her car,” John said, getting to his feet. “If I can tear her away from Pete, that is.”

  Bessie looked over and smiled. She hadn’t heard the door open or seen Pete come in, but he was holding Helen tightly, and she was crying quietly on his shoulder. Pete was patting her back and whispering in her ear.

  Bessie followed John across the room towards the couple. They were still a few steps away when the door suddenly swung open.

  “What the bloody hell is going on around here?” a voice shouted from the doorway. “And where is William?”

  Bessie looked over at John and shrugged.

  “Ah, sorry about the interruption,” James Clucas said from behind the woman. “But Ms. Hamilton has just returned home and the constable at the vicarage told her she couldn’t go inside.

  “And now I’d like some answers as to why,” the woman said loudly.

  Bessie raised an eyebrow. Ms. Hamilton was a thirty-something blonde in a tight skirt and four-inch heels. She was not at all what Bessie had been expecting. There was no way any of her friends knew that Reverend Doyle was sharing the vicarage with this woman. The complaints to the bishop would have been fast and furious.

  “Come on, then,” Ms. Hamilton demanded. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  Chapter 3

  “Ms. Hamilton, I’m sorry about the temporary inconvenience,” John said. “Please come and sit down.”

  “I don’t want to sit down,” the woman snapped. “It’s late and I want to go to bed. Where is William? I’m sure he isn’t any happier about all of this than I am. Whatever has happened, you’ve no cause to keep me out of my home. I can’t believe that William told you that you could take over the vicarage like this.”

  “As I understand it, the vicarage is the property of the church,” John replied calmly. “We have permission from the bishop to search it, along with the church, and the church hall.”

  “Search?” The woman turned pale. “What are you searching for? And where is William?”

  “Ms. Hamilton, please take a seat. I’ll be with you in just a minute, and I’ll explain everything,” John replied.

  The woman looked around the room and then stared at Bessie for a moment. “Who are all these people?” she asked.

  “They were just leaving,” John told her.

  “You know where to find me,” Bessie said in a low voice. She continued on her way to the door. Helen stood up as Bessie went past and fell into step behind her. James followed them to the door and then held it open so that they could walk out.

  “What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall in there right now,” Helen whispered as she and Bessie walked towards the car park.

  “I’ll just go back to the church in case I’m needed,” James said, mostly to himself.

  Bessie gave him an encouraging smile. “I’m sure the police are working as quickly as they can.”

  “Yes, I’m sure,” James replied.

  A loud scream startled all three of them.

  “John must have told her about Reverend Doyle,” Helen said sadly.

  “I must say she wasn’t what I expected,” Bessie told her.

  “It’s not like her to be all dressed up like that,” James said. “She usually wears clothes that look as if they’re too big for her. I’ve never seen her wearing makeup before, either. She’s younger than I thought she was, or maybe she just looks younger when she’s all made up.”

  �
��I wonder where she was tonight,” Bessie said thoughtfully.

  “She looked as if she was at a party,” Helen said. “I wonder if she’s married or has a boyfriend on the island.”

  “I don’t think she’s married, not with the way she was living with Reverend Doyle and all,” James said.

  “It’s a very small house for two people,” Bessie remarked.

  “It is, aye.” James took a step closer to them and then lowered his voice to a whisper. “And from what I could see, they were only using the one bedroom.”

  Bessie gasped. “I know young men and women live together all the time these days, but I would have expected something different from a member of the clergy,” she said sadly.

  James shrugged. “I may be wrong, but there are only two bedrooms in the vicarage. They had a problem with the plumbing the other day, and when I was there, I noticed that the second bedroom was full of boxes, so full of boxes that you couldn’t actually get into the room. Reverend Doyle said something to me about having trouble finding room for all of his things. I didn’t like to ask any questions.”

  “I can understand that, but John needs to ask some now,” Bessie said. “You need to make sure that you tell him everything that you know.”

  “I already talked to one of the young constables,” James replied. “I didn’t think to mention my thoughts on the sleeping arrangements in the vicarage, though. The police are searching it. Surely, they’ll notice that the second bedroom isn’t being used.”

  “They probably will, unless Reverend Doyle rearranged things once he’d realised what you’d seen,” Bessie answered. “Whatever, you should still tell John what you saw.”

  “Okay, well, I’ve promised to lock everything up when the police are finished, so I’ll talk to him then,” James promised.

  “Did you see anything else odd in the vicarage?” Bessie asked.

  James shrugged. “As I said, there were boxes filling up the second bedroom. That was about the only room I saw, aside from the sitting room and the loo. The sitting room was tidy and neat, and the loo was just a loo.”

  “There’s only one, so they must have been sharing that too, right?” Helen wondered.

  “Yes, it’s a small house, really,” James told her. “The last vicar’s housekeeper didn’t live in. The church paid for her to have a flat nearby.”

  “I hope the police finish soon,” Bessie told the man.

  “I do as well. We have a wedding here tomorrow afternoon. There will be flowers arriving in the morning and lots to do,” James replied.

  “We know,” Helen said. “I’m the bride.”

  “Oh, dear,” James exclaimed. “I didn’t realise, but I’m not sure what’s going to happen, really. I don’t know who can perform the ceremony. You may have to ring the bishop.”

  “That’s already been done,” Bessie assured him. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You shouldn’t,” James said. “If everything goes right with the wedding, you shouldn’t even know I’m here. But I will be, of course, just in case.”

  Bessie gave the man a hug and then she and Helen continued on their way to the car. They’d only gone a few steps when the door behind them swung open with a loud bang.

  Ms. Hamilton stormed out of the church hall with John right behind her. “Ms. Hamilton, wait,” he called.

  She spun around. “I have nothing further to say to you,” she shouted at him. “First of all, I don’t believe you. William is fine. I don’t know who or what you found in the churchyard, but it won’t be William. Second of all, even if something did happen to William, you’ve no right to search my home. Now I’m going back to my house, and you and your men are going get out and leave me in peace.”

  John shook his head. “I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve met Reverend Doyle a couple of times since he’s been on the island. The body was definitely his.”

  “Show me, then,” Ms. Hamilton challenged him.

  “The crime scene technicians are still working on the scene,” John replied. “Once they’ve finished, and the body can be removed, we can make arrangements for you to see him.”

  “Fine, that’s fine. So for now I can go home and get some sleep,” she said.

  “I’m afraid you can’t stay at the vicarage right now,” John told her. “I’ll have one of my constables escort you inside so that you can collect an overnight bag. Then I’ll have someone take you to a hotel.”

  “And you’re going to pay for that?” Ms. Hamilton demanded.

  John frowned. “I’m sure we can arrange something,” he replied.

  The woman stared at him for a minute, and Bessie could almost see the moment when she decided to change tactics. Ms. Hamilton tossed her hair and then walked slowly towards John.

  “I’m sorry,” she said breathily. “I’m really sorry. I’m just so tremendously overwhelmed by all of this. I rarely go out in the evening, and I certainly wasn’t expecting to come home to this.” She stopped and dug in her small evening bag for a tissue.

  “I’m sure this is all terribly upsetting,” John replied. “I’m sorry that I had to share such bad news with you, but I’m sure you can understand how important it is that we start our investigation immediately.”

  “Of course,” the woman said, taking another step closer to John. “I’m sure you can understand how devastated I am, though. I can’t imagine going to stay in a cold and empty hotel room tonight. William and I were very close. I want to stay in what was our home so that I can feel close to him, at least for one more night.” She wiped her eyes again.

  Bessie watched closely, trying to see if the tissue was actually getting wet. She knew she was probably being unfair to the woman, but she’d taken an immediate dislike to Ms. Hamilton the moment she’d seen her.

  “I’m sorry, I truly am,” John replied, “but I can’t let you stay in the vicarage tonight.”

  “And tomorrow the bishop will throw me out,” Ms. Hamilton sighed. “The use of the vicarage went along with the appointment at the church. It was William’s home. I only got to share it with him. With William gone, I’ll be homeless. I probably already am.”

  “I’m sure the bishop won’t throw you out into the street,” James objected.

  “I wish I had your confidence,” the woman said sadly.

  “Let’s get you sorted for tonight,” John suggested. “We can worry about the rest tomorrow.”

  Ms. Hamilton put her hand on John’s arm. “You said I could collect an overnight bag, right? I’ll just need a few minutes to gather up all of the things I need.”

  “Yes, of course. I’ll have a constable escort you,” John said. “Please limit yourself to what you actually need for tonight. Once we’ve been through the house, you’ll be able to get the rest of your belongings.”

  She looked as if she wanted to argue, but after a moment she simply sighed and nodded.

  “Let’s go and get what you need,” John said. “I’ll escort you myself.”

  “I’d be awfully grateful to you if you’d do that for me,” the woman simpered. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer all of your questions earlier. Maybe you can ask me them again while I’m packing.”

  “Let’s deal with one thing at a time,” John replied.

  As he and Ms. Hamilton walked past Bessie on their way to the vicarage, Bessie was struck by how tired John looked. It wasn’t until they were out of sight that Helen spoke.

  “I suppose we should go,” she said. “I’m meant to be getting married tomorrow.”

  “And you will be,” Bessie said firmly.

  “I’d feel better about it if I thought Pete was going to get a decent amount of sleep tonight,” Helen replied. “He’s going to end up being too tired to enjoy our honeymoon.”

  “I doubt that,” Bessie said.

  The pair walked back through the car park to Helen’s car. They were both silent on their way back to Bessie’s cottage. Bessie was lost in thought, wondering what Reverend Doyle had done that had led to hi
s murder, and curious as to his relationship with Ms. Hamilton. She could only imagine that Helen was thinking about the wedding.

  When Helen pulled into the parking area for Bessie’s cottage, there was a shiny red sports car parked there.

  “It’s Elizabeth,” Helen said. “What is she doing here at this hour?”

  “Whatever it is, I hope it won’t take long,” Bessie muttered as she climbed out of the car. She hadn’t even shut the car door before she heard Elizabeth’s door slam. Elizabeth was a very pretty blonde with an enviable figure and a penchant for short skirts and high heels. Tonight, though, she was wearing what almost looked like pyjamas.

  “Helen, you poor thing,” Elizabeth said as she rushed across the parking area to pull Helen into a hug. “I can’t imagine how you must be feeling, but don’t worry. I have everything under control.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Helen replied.

  “Reverend Smith from Onchan is going to perform the ceremony tomorrow. He’s going to be at the church at one o’clock. He’d like a few minutes with you and with Peter, separately or together, whichever you’d prefer,” Elizabeth told her.

  “Oh, separately,” Helen said quickly. “I don’t want Pete to see me before the wedding. We don’t need any more bad luck, not now.”

  Elizabeth chuckled. “I think you’ve already had more than your fair share,” she said.

  “That’s for sure,” Bessie exclaimed.

  “But what if the church isn’t available?” Helen asked. “We don’t have that many guests coming, but we have too many to simply ring everyone to tell them about the change in venue.”

  “I spoke to the chief constable, and he’s assured me that the church will be ready for you as planned,” Elizabeth replied. “He and Daddy are good friends,” she added.

  “My goodness, Pete’s not going to like that,” Helen muttered.

  “My job as your wedding planner is to make sure that your wedding happens,” Elizabeth said. “If that includes me calling in a few favours from friends of mine, then that’s what I’ll do.”