The Death Planner (Storage Ghost Murders Book 6)

by Gillian Larkin

  Grace wiped her tears away. “Are you going to ask her straight away? You’d better get rid of Mrs Smith before you do.”

  Frankie looked over at the old lady and waved at her. “She can stay. I doubt she’ll hear us.” He patted his pocket. “Do you want to see the ring?”

  Grace’s eyes widened. “You’ve got a ring? Already?”

  Frankie gave her a sheepish look. “I bought it the same day that I met Beth. It was just a hunch.”

  “I hope you didn’t buy it from the same jewellers where she works!”

  “Give me some credit, I’m not totally stupid.”

  Pearl made a humph kind of noise and folded her arms.

  Frankie said, “Although, when I was in her shop, I did ask Beth what sort of ring she’d like if she ever got married.”

  Grace couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

  “Grace, one more thing before you go,” Frankie said.

  “Yes?”

  “Put the kettle on. Ta.” Frankie winked at her and moved back to the counter where Mrs Smith was waving a vase at him.

  Grace would normally have told him where to put the kettle but she wanted to speak to Pearl. Once in the kitchen, Grace turned to Pearl and prepared to bring her up to date.

  Pearl held her hand up to silence Grace. She looked up towards the ceiling. “What the hell is that young woman doing?”

  Grace looked up. Jenny was flying round and round the ceiling, muttering something over and over to herself.

  Pearl cupped her hand to the side of her mouth and yelled, “Oi! Stop doing that! Get yourself down here! Right now!”

  Jenny flew down and stopped inches away from the ground. She was writing frantically on her clipboard. There was a manic look in her eyes as she recited, “Wedding! Food! Guests! Wedding! Food! Guests!”

  “Jenny, calm down,” Grace said.

  Jenny moved even closer. Her hand was a blur as she continued to write. “Wedding! Food! Guests! Wedding! Food!” She shimmered and a blood-curdling scream erupted from her.

  Pearl dashed forward and flung her arms around Jenny. They both disappeared.

  Chapter 23

  Grace called out for both of them as loudly as she dared. She waited but neither Pearl nor Jenny reappeared.

  Frankie called out from the shop, “Grace! Has that kettle boiled yet? I’m dying of thirst out here!”

  Grace called out one last time. When there was no response she quickly made Frankie a cup of coffee and took it through to the shop.

  He took it. “Thanks. I thought you’d died in there. Off you go then, Beth will be here soon. I don’t want you staring at me, you’ll put me off.”

  Grace didn’t want to leave without making sure Pearl was okay. “I can stay, I really don’t mind.”

  Still holding his cup, Frankie walked over to the front door and opened it. “I mean this with affection - get out.”

  Grace picked up her handbag and resisted the urge to look back towards the kitchen. “Fine, I’ll go. I know when I’m not wanted.”

  Frankie grinned. “People say that but it’s not true, they never know when they’re not wanted. I’ll send you a text later.”

  Grace reluctantly returned his smile. “Okay. Good luck.”

  Frankie’s grin died a little. “Good luck? Why are you saying that? Do you think she’s going to say no?”

  Grace quickly said, “It’s just an expression! I’m sure she’ll say yes. Bye.” She swiftly walked away. She wasn’t sure Beth would say yes at all. She’d only known Frankie a few days. His proposal could send her running for the hills. Grace gave herself a mental shake and told herself this was nothing to do with her. She had other things to deal with.

  Grace got into her car and drove towards the other side of town. She had Jenny’s headset in her handbag and, hopefully, Jenny should be somewhere nearby. Grace called out for her. But, again, there was no response.

  Ten minutes later, Grace pulled into the car park where Elsa’s flower van was parked. Grace was going to have a heart-to-heart with Elsa about her departed sister. It was going to be a difficult conversation but it needed to be done.

  Grace parked up and began to take her seat belt off. She hesitated as she saw a man approach Elsa. He had his back to Grace but she’d already seen that view. He raised his hand in greeting to Elsa and Grace saw the ring on his finger. She was too far away to see if it was the same design that she’d seen on the photographs, but she was betting that it was. Which meant that the man now kissing Elsa on the cheek was the elusive Giles Redfern. If that was even his real name.

  Grace stayed where she was. She watched the couple talking. Well, it was mainly Giles that was doing the talking. Elsa nodded and smiled as she listened to him. Giles patted her on the head and turned away from her. Grace whipped out her phone and quickly took a few shots. If Jenny ever reappeared Grace would now have an image of Giles’ face. Grace took in his features. He looked handsome enough, but it was that slick kind of handsome that Grace never trusted. It was the look of a man who knew he was handsome, the look of a man who knew he could get away with anything.

  Grace had a decision to make. Should she go and talk to Elsa now? Or should she follow Giles and try to find out more about him?

  Giles walked to the car next to Grace. He must have felt her looking at him because he turned his head in her direction and gave her a slow, knowing smile. It was as if he knew that Grace couldn’t help but stare at his amazing good looks. Grace quickly looked away.

  He got into an expensive-looking car and roared away, music blaring from his speakers as he drove too fast out of the car park.

  Grace waited ten seconds and then drove after him. She tailed him for another ten minutes before he turned into a quiet street and parked outside a neat-looking semi-detached house. Grace parked further down the road and watched him. She picked up her phone and made a note on it to buy herself a pair of binoculars.

  Giles smoothed down his hair as he walked up the path of the house. The door was quickly opened by a woman. Even from this distance, Grace could see the eager smile on her face. The woman reached out for Giles but he quickly pushed her inside and closed the door behind him.

  It was the same entrance that he’d made when he visited Elsa’s house. The swift kind of entrance a person makes when they don’t want to be seen.

  Was Giles having an affair with that woman too?

  Grace cringed when she saw the bedroom curtains being pulled closed. Really! It was only 2 o’clock in the afternoon!

  Grace tapped her fingers on her dashboard. Should she go back to Elsa’s van? Or wait it out here? She decided to wait. She wanted to find out what sleazy Giles was up to.

  She logged on to Amazon and started to browse through the binoculars that they had for sale. How did they ever manage without Amazon? Or the Internet? Grace read the reviews and was quickly persuaded to buy a particularly powerful pair that were small enough for a pocket but strong enough for any covert operation.

  Oh. Look at that. Other customers bought some bugging and listening devices too. Perhaps she should consider those. They would come in useful. She wasn’t sure about a laser pen, it looked fun but when would she actually use it?

  She jumped as loud music blared out. Giles had returned to his car and had started it up. Grace could see his female friend standing at the downstairs window. She was waving at Giles. Grace couldn’t tell if Giles returned her wave before he sped away.

  Grace was all set to follow Giles again but another idea came to her. She jumped out of her car before her common sense took over. She marched up to the house that Giles had just visited and rapped loudly on the door.

  The door opened quickly. The eager look on the woman’s face evaporated as she realised that it wasn’t lover-boy standing on her doorstep.

  Grace planted her hands on her hips and shouted, “Well? I think you’ve got some explaining to do!”

  The woman looked Grace up and down, her mouth opened and then closed aga
in.

  Grace tapped her foot. “Are you going to explain what you were doing with my …”

  The woman’s hands flew up and covered her face. “No! I knew this would happen one day! You’re his wife, aren’t you? I knew you’d find out about us!”

  Grace’s resolve faltered. She hated giving the wrong impression but she had to carry on. Keeping hostility in her voice she said, “I think you owe me an explanation, don’t you?”

  The woman’s hands lowered and she nodded. She opened the door wider and indicated for Grace to come in.

  Chapter 24

  Grace followed the woman into the living room. She opened her mouth, ready to tell the woman that she wasn’t Giles’ wife.

  The woman spoke first, “I knew this would happen! I knew you’d find out eventually! How could you not? He was constantly leaving you alone, giving you all sorts of excuses!” She wrung her hands together as she spoke. “Please sit down. I need to get this off my chest. I’m sort of relieved that you showed up here today. I’ve been wanting to end it with Giles for a while now. I can’t deal with the guilt.”

  Grace decided she would tell the woman the truth in a while. She seated herself in the nearest chair and the woman sat opposite her.

  “How did you find out? Did he slip up? Did I phone him too many times? Was it the receipts from the hotel?” She shook her head. “I told him to be more careful. It was like he wanted to be caught. Did he tell you my name?”

  Grace shook her head.

  The woman sighed and moved further back in her seat. “I’m Angela, Angela Hansen. I’m not surprised that you don’t know my name. Giles can be quite devious when he wants to.” She gave a bitter laugh. “I’ve even suspected sometimes that he’s cheating on me too! I don’t know where he gets his energy from.” She stopped talking and studied Grace. “You’re not at all what I expected. He told me that you were ill, and that you needed constant care from a team of nurses. That’s why he never left you. What exactly is wrong with you? You don’t look ill to me.”

  Grace knew it was confession time. She opened her mouth.

  Again, Angela spoke first, “It’s all lies, isn’t it? Giles has told me one constant lie after another. And I think I know why.” She slapped her knees. “Well! I’ve had enough! You turning up on my doorstep is the final straw! I deserve better than this. If you’ve come here to tell me to leave your husband alone then you’ve wasted your time. I’ve had more than enough of Giles Winterson! You’re welcome to him.” She made to stand up.

  Grace said, “I’m not his wife.” She waited for Angela’s reaction.

  “Pardon?”

  “I’m not his wife. I’m sorry if my actions led you to believe that.” Grace tried to smile.

  “Is this some kind of joke? If you’re not his wife then who are you?” Angela’s eyebrows rose. “Oh! Of course, you’re his other woman. Or his other, other woman. Take my advice, love, and leave him now.”

  Grace said, “I’m not his other woman, and from what I’ve seen of him, I’ve no intention of being one. Can we start again? Giles, or whatever his name is, is taking advantage of someone I know and I want to stop him.”

  Angela sat fully back, curiosity getting the better of her. “Go on.”

  Grace explained about Elsa and their conversation the previous day. She didn’t say a word about Jenny. Grace concluded, “So, you can see why I’m worried about her. Elsa is quite gullible and I think Giles is taking advantage of her. I didn’t know where to find him so I followed him here. Elsa knows him as Giles Redfern.”

  Angela held up a hand. “Elsa? That’s an unusual name. And you say she works on a flower van? Where have I heard her name before?”

  Grace took a chance. “Have you ever heard of someone called Jenny Lorrimer?”

  Angela’s face split into a smile. “Yes! Jenny! Of course!” Her smile faded away. “Oh, Jenny died. It was during a robbery at a hotel, about five or six years ago. It was so sad. They never found out who killed her.”

  “How do you know Jenny?”

  “I run a catering business. I used to work in Manchester and I came across Jenny often. She was lovely to work with, not like some event organisers I could mention. She posted a review online after every event that I supplied food for. Glowing reviews that gained me more customers. I heard that she moved to Leeds to set up her own business. She encouraged me to move here too. She told me she needed a decent caterer, one that she could rely on. I took a chance and moved here. She was as good as her word and I soon built up a list of customers.” She shook her head slowly. “What a waste of a life.”

  Grace hoped that Jenny was hearing these words somehow.

  Angela said, “Elsa was her sister! She did the flowers. She really had a talent for arranging those blooms. She’s lovely too, if a bit simple. And is it the same Elsa that’s being taken for a ride by Giles?”

  “It is,” Grace confirmed. “Jenny left Elsa a good amount of money. I suspect that Giles knows about the money. Were you at the wedding where Jenny was murdered?”

  Angela shook her head. “No, that venue was a bit too big for me. I didn’t have the resources to provide the services that the groom and bride required.”

  “Do you know anyone called Letty, or Letitia Leigh?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Just a minute, isn’t Letitia Leigh an event organiser too? I’ve tried to meet up with her several times to see if she will look at my menus. Her assistant always fobs me off and says my business is too small. That’s how I met Giles actually. I needed some help to improve my business skills so I went to one of those training courses at a hotel in Leeds. Giles was an independent business adviser and he agreed to work with me.”

  Grace frowned. “How long ago was that?”

  “About two years ago. I was doing well with my business, but I knew I could do better. Giles saw the potential in my business. We often met up and one thing … you know the rest. I’m a walking cliché. I fell for all the lies about his wife. I started to get suspicious about Giles’ true motives when he said could help my business better if I signed him up as a joint partner. That would mean opening up a joint account. He came round to see me today to … erm … seal the deal. But one thing led to … I’m such an idiot. I should have ended it months ago.”

  “It’s not your fault. He sounds like a professional conman. It looks like you’ve got a chance to get away from him before you lose any money.”

  “Unlike Elsa. I can’t believe he would do something so nasty to such a lovely girl! What else is he capable of?”

  Grace left the word ‘murder’ unspoken. “I’d like to confront Giles. Do you know where he lives?”

  “I don’t, but I can find out.” Angela smiled at her. “After all that Jenny did for me, the least I can do is to look out for her sister.”

  Grace felt some of the weight she’d been carrying around lift from her shoulders. “Thank you.” She gave Angela her details and left her house.

  As she walked to her car, Grace heard the beep of an incoming message. She looked at her phone.

  It was a message from Frankie. Had Beth said yes or no to his proposal?

  Chapter 25

  For the second time that day Grace rushed into the shop and confronted Frankie. “Well?” she demanded. She waved her phone in the air. “What did she say?”

  Frankie studied Grace for a moment from behind the counter. He said quietly, “What do you think she said?”

  Grace lowered the phone. “Oh, Frankie, I’m so sorry. She said no, didn’t she? Shall I make you a strong cup of tea?”

  “She didn’t say no!” Frankie exploded. “Why would you say that? Why do you think Beth would say no to this?” He swept his arm up and down his body. “Of course she said yes. Grace! Honestly! I thought you were on my side.”

  “I … erm … congratulations!” Grace gave him a bright smile. “I was only joking with you! I knew she’d say yes.” Grace looked around the shop. “Where is she now?”

&n
bsp; “She’s gone out to buy some champagne so we can celebrate our good news. Did you really think she’d say no?” Frankie had a hurt look on his face.

  Grace looked down at her phone and willed for an emergency call to come through. Her phone remained silent. She looked back at Frankie. “It’s only because you haven’t known each other long. I am pleased for you. Did she like the ring?”

  “She did. She told me off for spending so much on it, but I told her she was worth it.”

  “How much did you spend on it?”

  “None of your business.” Frankie moved away from the counter and looked out of the window. “She’ll be back soon. We’re going out for a meal tonight to celebrate. Why don’t you come with us, I’m sure Beth won’t mind.”

  Grace smiled. “I think she might. It’s your night. Maybe you could come round to my place tomorrow and I’ll cook you something.”

  Frankie pulled a face. “I don’t mind coming round but you don’t have to cook. Cooking’s not your strong point. A takeaway will do fine.” He looked out of the window again. His look softened. “She’s walking up the street now. She’s so beautiful.”

  Grace dragged him away from the window. “You’re behaving like a stalker.”

  The door opened and Beth stepped through holding a wrapped bottle. A shy look came over her face as she saw Grace. “Oh, hi there. I didn’t know you’d be here.” She looked down at her feet and said, “Has Frankie told you about our good news?” She looked back at Grace, her cheeks were red. “I know it’s happened so quickly, and you must be thinking I’m some sort of gold-digger. But I can assure you that I’m not!”

  Grace smiled. “I don’t think Frankie has any gold for you to dig up.” She moved towards Beth and said, “I’m so pleased for you, for both of you.”

  “Phew!” Beth said and then smiled at Grace. “I’m so relieved to hear you say that. Would you like a glass of champagne?”