Encounters and Enemies

by Diana Xarissa

  “Then we should go,” Fenella said reluctantly. “But we’ll have to walk slowly, as I’m very full.”

  Peter chuckled. “I won’t complain. I’m enjoying the company.”

  Fenella flushed. She couldn’t think of a suitable reply, so she kept quiet. The pub was nearly empty, and they’d only just walked in the door when Shelly joined them.

  “There you are,” she said, hugging Peter and then Fenella. “I was starting to get worried about you.”

  “We just ate very slowly,” Fenella told her. “And we had dessert.”

  “I thought maybe you decided to have a long walk on the promenade and not bother with the pub tonight,” she said.

  “It was tempting,” Peter said. “I don’t often get Fenella all to myself.”

  Shelly laughed and took Fenella’s arm. “Let’s get drinks and then go upstairs,” she said. “Once we’re sitting down, you can tell me who that man was that was knocking on your door before eight o’clock this morning.”

  The upstairs was nearly empty, and the trio was soon settled in with two cats for company.

  “So, who was he?” Shelly demanded. “I thought he looked like an American actor, but I can’t work out which one.”

  “I thought he looked like a used car salesman,” Fenella told her. “But he’s a police inspector.”

  “A police inspector? Everything is okay with Daniel, isn’t it?”

  “I suppose so; why wouldn’t it be?” Fenella asked.

  “I don’t know. When you said the police were at your door, he was the first thing that I thought of,” Shelly replied.

  “He didn’t come to talk about Daniel. He came to ask me questions about Anne Marie Smathers,” Fenella told her.

  “She was murdered?” Shelly exclaimed.

  “No, not at all,” Fenella said quickly. “But she’d told someone that she was planning to visit me yesterday. He wanted to know why.”

  “You didn’t mention that last night,” Shelly said.

  “Because I didn’t know,” Fenella replied. “She never said anything about it when we spoke and she never called to suggest a meeting.”

  “How odd,” Shelly said.

  “I knew her,” Peter said. “She was friendly with my parents, although my mother didn’t like her.”

  “Why not?” Shelly asked.

  “My mother never said, but I can guess. Anne Marie was, well, she seemed to like other women’s husbands. My mother wasn’t really the jealous type, and my father never gave her any reason to be, but Anne Marie caused tension between them anyway.”

  “I met her last night,” Fenella said. “But we only talked for a few minutes.”

  “I’ve no doubt she said something shocking or outrageous,” Peter said with a chuckle. “She liked to do that.”

  “She told me far more about herself than I wanted to know,” Fenella said. “And she didn’t have very nice things to say about Mona, either.”

  “They were friends, at least on the surface,” Peter told her. “Although I know she often accused Mona of having been involved with her husband before his death.”

  “It was all such a long time ago, I can’t believe anyone still cares,” Shelly said.

  “Would you care, if you found out that your husband cheated on you many years ago?” Fenella asked.

  Shelly flushed. “When you put it that way, yes, I would,” she said. “But he didn’t. He wasn’t the sort of man who would have ever cheated.”

  They finished their drinks and headed for home. Fenella was still feeling rather full and as if she’d drunk a bit too much wine. It had been a nice evening, though, and she was looking forward to her first Tynwald Day as well.

  Peter stopped outside her door and smiled down at her. “Thank you for joining me for dinner,” he said softly.

  “I’ll see you both around nine,” Shelly called as she let herself into her apartment.

  “Thank you for dinner,” Fenella replied. “I enjoyed it very much.”

  “I hope at least some of that enjoyment came from the company,” Peter said.

  “Of course it did,” Fenella laughed nervously.

  Peter bent down and gave her a gentle kiss. It was affectionate, but not passionate. When he lifted his head he sighed. “I really do enjoy your company,” he said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

  Fenella nodded and then let herself into her apartment. Peter walked away as she shut her door behind her. Mona wasn’t at home as Fenella got ready for bed.

  6

  Tuesday morning was bright and sunny, and for once Fenella didn’t mind when Katie woke her. “It’s Tynwald Day,” she told the kitten as she bounced out of bed. She gave Katie her breakfast and started a pot of coffee before mixing up pancake batter. After a quick shower, she made herself pancakes and bacon, smothering the pancakes in a generous covering of maple syrup. As she ate, washing down each bite with coffee, she noticed Katie watching her.

  “I know, I know. Pancakes are an indulgence, especially with this much syrup, but it’s a special occasion. If I had a job, I wouldn’t have to go to work today,” she told Katie. “As it is, I’m going with Shelly and Peter to watch the ceremony and enjoy the festival.”

  Katie stared at her for a minute longer and then wandered off to find a place in the sun for a nap. Fenella wasn’t sure what to wear, but as Shelly had told her that they were going to be sitting on the ground, she opted for jeans. If Shelly was dressed very differently, she could always change quickly, she decided. With her hair in a ponytail and a minimum of makeup on her face, she threw everything she thought she might need into her largest handbag and then paced around the living room for a short while.

  “Where are you when I need you?” she asked Mona, who was nowhere to be found.

  “Never mind,” she said after a moment. “I’m sure you have important things to do.” Try as she might, Fenella couldn’t imagine what her aunt might be doing. “What do dead people do when they aren’t haunting the living?” she muttered as she checked her hair in the bedroom mirror. Her reflection didn’t have any answers for her, so she gave up and headed over to Shelly’s apartment.

  “I wasn’t sure if jeans were going to be okay,” she said once she and Shelly had hugged.

  “Jeans are fine,” Shelly told her. “My trousers are denim, too, they’re just zebra print rather than blue.”

  Fenella nodded. Shelly loved colors and prints, and her outfit today celebrated both. The oversized sweater that she was wearing was bright pink, with large polka dots in green and yellow. Somehow on Shelly it just worked, though, at least as far as Fenella was concerned. Unable to imagine wearing zebra print denim pants, Fenella followed her friend to Peter’s door.

  “Good morning, ladies,” he said, greeting them each with a hug. “You both look ready for a fun day.” Peter was wearing dark grey pants and a navy blue polo shirt.

  “Don’t you have an jeans?” Fenella asked.

  Peter shook his head. “I’m a bit too old for jeans,” he told her. “And these are more comfortable, anyway.”

  He locked up his apartment and the trio rode the elevator down to the building’s underground parking garage. When they arrived at Peter’s car, Shelly quickly slid into the backseat.

  “You sit up front with Peter,” she told Fenella. “You’ll be more interested in the scenery than I am.”

  The drive across the island didn’t take long, although it seemed to Fenella as if everyone was heading to the same place. There was a long line of cars snaking along the twisting side road that led to the nearest parking area.

  “Why don’t you two get out here?” Peter suggested after they’d waited several minutes and moved only a few feet. “I’ll park the car and find you.”

  “Nothing is going to happen for at least another hour,” Shelly said. “We may as well enjoy your comfortable car for as long as possible. We won’t be this comfortable on the grass.”

  After several more minutes where they did nothin
g more than inch forward, Fenella could see someone talking to the man who was directing traffic. A short while later, the line of cars began to move much more rapidly. They were parked and on their way to Tynwald Hill only a short while later.

  Peter insisted on carrying Shelly’s bag, which held the blanket for them to sit on and a few snacks. “I know there will be loads of food available,” she told them as she handed the bag to Peter. “But the queues will be long, too. These are emergency rations to keep us from starving while we queue.”

  Fenella and Peter both laughed, but as Fenella surveyed the crowd, she began to think that Shelly had the right idea. It looked as if nearly every man, woman, and child on the island was there.

  Food vendors were already hard at work and Fenella found her mouth watering as various smells wafted through the air around them. Glad that she’d had a substantial breakfast, she followed Shelly through the crowds.

  “I think this is as close as we’ll get,” Shelly said as they crossed the large green space next to Tynwald Hill. “We may as well get settled in for the ceremony.”

  “I can’t believe how many people are here,” Fenella said as she sat down on the blanket.

  “Nearly everyone on the island makes an appearance at some point,” Peter told her. “Not everyone comes for the actual ceremony. Many people just come for the festival.”

  “I’m sure that will be more fun, but I’m really looking forward to the ceremony,” Fenella told him. “I’m still surprised that we can just turn up and watch the island’s government at work.”

  “They aren’t really working today,” Shelly said with a grin. “Today is ceremonial, really. There are some that would argue that our government is never really working.”

  “But today isn’t a day for discussing island politics,” Peter said. “I love the ceremony. I especially enjoy hearing the new laws read in Manx. My first wife took some classes in Manx and every once in a while I manage to hear a word I recognize.”

  “I should try taking a class,” Fenella said thoughtfully. “My mother spoke a little bit of Manx, but I never wanted to learn. I’m sorry now, of course.”

  “It’s a very difficult language,” Peter told her. “But I love the way it sounds.”

  All around them people were arriving and settling in on blankets or folding chairs. The ceremony itself started right on time, and everyone stood up as the official procession began. Fenella did her best to follow what was happening, but it was sometimes difficult to hear and understand things.

  “Now the laws in Manx,” Peter told her.

  Peter was right; the language was beautiful to listen to, although it sounded incredibly foreign to Fenella’s ear. “He’s very good,” Fenella whispered as the man finished speaking.

  “I’m sure he’s been learning the language for a great many years,” Peter told her.

  “I’m so glad we came,” Fenella said as the ceremony finished and people began to stand up. “That was wonderful.”

  “It’s the first time I’ve been to the ceremony in years,” Shelly replied. “I’d forgotten how interesting it actually is. But now the fun can begin.”

  Fenella’s phone buzzed as she stretched her legs. “It’s a text from Donald,” she said. “He can’t get away from his business colleagues right now, but he’ll try to catch up with us later,” she told the others.

  “So what would you like to do first?” Peter asked the women.

  “What is there to do, exactly?” Fenella asked.

  “One of the marquees will be full of Manx businesses, offering samples of their wares and the like, and the other contains representatives from different not-for-profit organizations around the island. They’ll be passing out information about the work that they do. There are food vendors everywhere. Or we could take a walk through the arboretum, which isn’t, strictly speaking, part of Tynwald Day, but is right next door,” he replied.

  “I’m hungry,” Shelly said. “Although from the looks of the queues, so is everyone else.”

  Fenella looked around. “I think everyone got up from their seats and headed straight for the food,” she said. “Maybe we should look around one of the tents and wait for the lines to get shorter.”

  “They may not get much shorter,” Peter warned her. “But the tents are a good idea. We won’t starve doing that, anyway.”

  Fenella wasn’t sure what he meant, but she didn’t have to wait long to find out. Right inside the first tent, the island’s dairy farmers had a huge display. They were passing out small cups full of ice cream made from milk from the island’s cows.

  “So good,” Fenella said as she scraped up the last bite of the sweet frozen treat.

  The very next table was offering cheese samples, and all three friends were happy to indulge. The island’s largest commercial bakery was next, passing out slices of their newest multigrain bread.

  “I’m getting quite full,” Shelly said with a laugh as they stepped back from the bakery table.

  “It’s all so delicious, though,” Fenella said. “What’s next?”

  Several of the island’s businesses had tables that followed. Instead of food, they were giving away pens and pencils with their company name on them and other similar items. Fenella was pleased when the local grocery store chain handed her a large empty shopping bag.

  “You can put all your goodies in here,” the woman behind the table told her with a smile.

  “I didn’t realize I’d need a bag,” Fenella laughed. She’d already collected three pens, two pads of sticky notes and a large handful of brochures advertising a range of goods and services, many of which she hadn’t known she needed.

  “The bank is giving out refrigerator magnets,” Shelly told her. “They’ve already run out of keychains.”

  “This is fun,” Fenella said. “Although I’m starting to get hungry again.”

  “We should move on to the adult section,” Peter suggested.

  “What do they have there?” Fenella asked, slightly concerned.

  Peter laughed. “Intoxicating beverages,” he told her.

  A small section of the tent had been roped off and a sign informed everyone that it was only open to those eighteen and older. The man guarding the doorway waved Fenella and her friends inside.

  “Age does have its privileges,” Shelly laughed.

  A large local pub had the first table and was passing out small glasses of one of their home-brewed beers. Fenella took a sip and struggled not to make a face. It wasn’t at all to her liking.

  “Would you like the rest of mine?” she asked Peter in a low voice after he’d swallowed his sample in a single gulp.

  “You didn’t like it?” Peter asked as he took the drink from her.

  “Not really,” Fenella told him.

  She was happier with the wine that was being poured at the next table. The man behind the table tried to sell her on the idea of holding her next big event at his venue as she sipped her drink. “I’ll definitely keep you in mind if I ever have an event,” she promised, taking the brochure he kept waving in front of her. “Thank you so much.”

  A short while later, the trio made their way back out into the open air. “That was fun,” Fenella said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all of these brochures, but it was interesting to see just how many local businesses there are on the island.”

  “The queues have died down a bit, if you want to get some food,” Peter said, gesturing toward the line of food vendors. “Or we could walk over to the food tent across the way and see how busy it is there.”

  “I didn’t know there was a food tent as well,” Fenella exclaimed.

  “They put it a short distance away to encourage people to use the food vendors and their trucks,” Shelly told her. “The younger crowd usually do that, but us older folks like the marquee where we can sit down and have more proper food.”

  “Let’s go,” Fenella said. Although she’d spent most of the morning sitting down watching the ceremony
, she was ready to sit again.

  They were all pleased to find that the food tent was only about half full and the line at the counter was short. Having filled their trays with a variety of different items, they found an empty table near the open tent flap and sat down to enjoy their lunch.

  “We should try some of the vendors for dinner,” Shelly suggested.

  “After I eat all of this, I won’t want much dinner,” Fenella replied.

  “That makes the vendors the perfect choice,” Peter said. “You can just get a snack. There are plenty of choices.”

  “Fenella? This is a pleasant surprise,” a familiar voice said.

  “Paul, hello,” Fenella said, smiling at the man who was standing at her elbow. “I don’t know if you know Peter Cannell and Shelly Quirk,” she said. “This is Paul Clucas,” she added.

  “Of course I know Paul,” Peter replied. “We’ve worked together on a project or two over the years.”

  Paul smiled. “I’d like to do more of that,” he said. “Everything I’ve done with you has been hugely successful.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Shelly said.

  “It’s nice to meet you, as well,” Paul replied. He glanced at the opening to the tent. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m meeting my mother and Paulette. My mother is, well, not having a very good day.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Fenella said.

  “They’ll be here in a minute to get something to eat. Please don’t be offended if I try to keep my mother on the other side of the marquee,” he replied. “I’d rather not see her any more upset than she already is.”

  “Oh, no, you worry about her, not me,” Fenella told him. “I’m happy to pretend that I don’t know any of you.”

  Paul nodded. “I appreciate that,” he said. Some commotion behind him had him turning around. “And there they are,” he muttered. He glanced back at Fenella and then hurried away.

  “I told you I don’t want anything,” Phillipa Clucas shouted at her daughter. “I’m not hungry.”

  “Perhaps we should just go home,” Paulette said in a strained voice.

  “I want to watch the dancing,” Phillipa replied. “You said we could watch the dancing.”