by M A Comley
Another dog approached. Ben was instantly attracted to the poodle strutting her stuff around him.
“Oops, we’d better drag them apart before we end up with a pack of Labradoodles on our hands,” Ruth said to the poodle’s owner, chortling.
“Oh my. Wouldn’t that be simply adorable?” the middle-aged lady said.
Ruth knew most of the people in the town who exercised their dogs at the park but failed to recognise this lady. “Are you new to the area?”
“Yes, we moved into the old station house a few days ago.”
“How wonderful. That place is in dire need of renovation. What plans do you have for it? Sorry if you think I’m being nosy.” She offered her hand for the woman to shake. “I’m Ruth Morgan, the local private investigator.”
“Wow, a Miss Marple in our midst. I’m Cynthia Jackson by the way. Just a general renovation.”
“Hardly. But I do have a good track record, not wishing to blow my own trumpet.”
“Well, if you can’t blow your own trumpet, others aren’t going to do it for you. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope I don’t ever need your services in the future.”
They both laughed. “You’d be surprised the number of people who say that and then eventually seek out my help.”
“Gosh, I hope not. As far as I know, my husband adores me, worships the ground beneath my feet and has never cheated on me in the past. Isn’t that the majority of cases you cover, ones of infidelity?”
“Mostly. I’m glad your husband is one of the men who appear to be in the minority around these parts. I’m dealing with a far more serious case right now.”
Cynthia peered over her shoulder briefly then leaned in. “Not that awful murder that happened over the weekend?”
“Oh, you’ve heard about that. It was my friend’s husband.”
Cynthia gasped, and her poodle looked up at her out of concern. “No, that poor woman. Fancy getting married one minute and seeing your husband splayed out in front of you the next, his neck broken.”
“You seem very well-informed, Cynthia.”
“I might have overheard a conversation between a few of the locals at the supermarket yesterday.”
“Ah, I see. I know how hard it is to escape the local gossip in a small town like this.”
“Which leads me to ask, it shouldn’t be too difficult to ascertain who the killer is, should it?”
“Maybe. I’ve only just started the investigation this morning, although saying that, as with all weddings, there will always be a number of out-of-towners on the wedding guest list.”
“That’s true. Well, either way, I wish you every success tracking down the killer, dear. I must confess, I did hesitate and question if we’d made the right choice coming here after I heard about the incident.”
“Honestly, things like this rarely happen around here. Hey, if you need any advice with the renovations, my sister and her husband are in the throes of renovating their quaint cottage. Maybe it would be good if you met up with them, when you both have a few spare moments that is.”
“Sounds like fun. How far are they into their renovation?”
“They’re doing everything themselves. They’re hoping to finish by Christmas. I think they meant this year, not next. Although looking at the state of the place, I’m not so sure. Have you ever renovated a house before?”
“Oh yes, my husband, Michael, and I are aware of the pitfalls. That’s why I’m insisting that Michael is specifically hands-off with this project. I want this place done and dusted in a matter of weeks, a couple of months at the latest. Our last project was a manor house with sixty rooms. Far too big for the pair of us. We made a handsome profit out of it, though, so mustn’t grumble. We’ve put the rest of the money in a pension pot, ready for when we can kick back and enjoy life. Until then, Michael insists he has one more renovation in him. I’m going along with that for now, anything for a quiet life. Are you married, dear?”
Ruth raised her hand in front of her. “That’s a sore point. My boyfriend is trying to get me down the aisle, but I’m struggling with that idea at present. I love him dearly, just not feeling comfortable about committing.”
“My, it’s usually the other way around in a relationship. Don’t you want the big wedding under your belt?”
“Not really, no.”
“Oh my, then you do have a problem.” Cynthia sniggered.
Ruth smiled and shrugged. “So it would appear. It was lovely speaking to you. I hope you settle in well. No doubt I’ll see you around in the future.”
“Do you have a card on you?”
“Of course. Ring me if you need to know anything about the town et cetera.” She handed Cynthia a card.
Cynthia looked at the card and chuckled. “Excellent! I feel as though I’m ahead of the game. You never know when you’ll need your own PI.”
Ruth slipped the leash on Ben, who was still paying far too much attention to Cynthia’s poodle, and walked back to the car.
That afternoon, she continued to ring more people on her list without obtaining any significant results. In the end, she closed the office at five, earlier than usual, and went home.
James was in the kitchen, making coffee when she entered the room. She kissed him on the cheek. “How was your day?”
“Busy as usual. You look ticked off. Everything all right?”
“So-so. Frustrating day on my part, I’d guess you’d call it. I feel like a duck paddling fast to get away from an alligator and not getting very far.”
He laughed and placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. “You’ll get there. Something will eventually slip into place, it always does with you. You’ve got this.”
“Sometimes a very special police officer gives me a clue if we’re working on the same case.”
He unhooked his arm and stepped away from her. “I can’t keep doing that, Ruth. You know how close I got to getting caught last time I offered to lend you a hand. At the end of the day, my bosses are going to figure out where you get your ‘valuable information’ from, and it’s going to be my head on the chopping block, not yours.”
“But, surely, you want to know what happened to Bradley as much as I do, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. That’s kind of stating the obvious, but there are procedures in place to prevent us from telling every Tom, Dick or Harry the ins and outs of a case.”
“I dispute that. You’ve never handed me anything on a plate. You might have led me to a possible suspect’s door before or dropped a hint as to what a suspect’s motive was that initiated a shake-up in my powers of deduction, but nothing more than that. I’m quite offended that you’d even suggest otherwise.” Ruth crossed her arms in defiance and tapped her foot.
“Now don’t go getting all prissy on me. I know what you’re like when you don’t get your own way.”
“Prissy? Prissy? What are you talking about? Since when was stating facts classed as being prissy? You need to take a good look at yourself in the mirror sometimes, James. Take a look at that self-righteous chip sitting on your shoulder. And you wonder why I refuse to marry you.”
His mouth dropped open. She realised she’d overstepped the mark, but there was no going back now. She turned on her heel and picked up her car keys. Ben took that as a sign to follow her. She bent down and kissed the top of his head. “You stay here, boy. Mummy needs to go out for some fresh air.”
Ben began to howl when she walked away from him, the heart-rending noise tugging on her heartstrings. She reached for his leash and beckoned him. Together they trotted towards the back door.
“I swear that damn dog means more to you than I do. One of these days you’re going to come home and find all my stuff missing, Ruth. There’s only so much a man will take from the woman he loves, especially if that love and respect isn’t reciprocated.”
Seething, she turned to glare at him, ready to give him a furious rebuttal. Instead, she shook her head, tugged on Ben’s leash and slammed t
he door behind her.
“Men! Who the heck do they think they are? Whoever wrote that damn book about men being from Mars was spot on. We’re poles apart at times. Ugh…there’s no way I’d marry a man who didn’t think I loved him—or share a bed with him in the future either.”
With Ben loaded into the back seat of the car, she drove around town for about half an hour just to try to cool her temper. Then, not wishing to go home to embark on round two with James, she headed over to Geraldine’s house, wondering if she was home yet. She slapped her thigh for being too wrapped up in her work which had made her forget to catch up on her friend’s well-being. There I go again, having a pop at myself when all I’ve been doing all day is working on Geraldine’s case. Lighten up, girl, for goodness’ sake.
Geraldine hugged her like there was no tomorrow. Maybe in her world there wasn’t at the moment. “Are you alone?”
“Yes, although Ben is in the car.”
“No. I won’t have that. You know he’s always welcome in this house. Go get him. I could do with a warm snuggle from him. I’ll put the kettle on.”
“Okay. I’ll be back in a tick.” Ruth returned to the car and unhooked Ben from his harness and slipped his leash around his head. “You’re lucky she adores you, handsome boy.”
He licked her face in response and leapt out of the car.
They entered the back door to Geraldine’s house again. “Are your parents not around?”
“I sent them off to the pub. Their arguing was getting me down again. I wish they’d either pack it in or go home. I can’t stand their petty bickering. It wears you down after a while.”
“I bet it does. I had to get out of the house. James and I fell out earlier.”
Geraldine placed their cups on the kitchen table and invited her to take a seat. “Oh no. Why? You two are usually the most solid unmarried couple I know.”
“Maybe it’s time for us to reassess that tag.”
Geraldine gasped. “There are two ways I could take that. Either you intend marrying him, which is the more unlikely scenario, given the expression on your face right now, or you’re thinking about ending your relationship. Which is it?”
Ruth sighed and waved a hand in front of her. “When I figure that out, you’ll be the first to know. It’s been a hectic and frustrating day. Enough about me. How are you feeling now? That’s the most important question on my mind at present.”
“Still feeling numb, I’ll be honest with you, although I find myself having to put a brave face on when Mum and Dad are around.”
“That’s not right, sweetheart. You shouldn’t have to conceal the truth about your feelings. It’s an important part in the grieving process.”
“I know; however, it gives me a far more peaceful life. I still can’t believe I’ll never see him again. I find myself sitting here, watching the back door, waiting for him to throw it open and take me into his arms. Soothe the pain away by telling me that it’s all been a bad dream. I so want that to happen. Am I being plain ridiculous thinking that?”
Ruth placed a hand over her friend’s. “I think you’re acting like any normal grieving widow would in your position. I’m so sorry you’re having to go through all this. You know I’m here for you, right?”
Geraldine gave her a tender smile. “I’d be lost if I didn’t have you as a friend. Dare I ask how the investigation is going?”
“Sadly, not fast enough for my liking. I feel as though I’m letting you down when I have nothing significant to report.”
“That’s nonsense. Don’t ever think that, Ruth, ever. You hear me?”
“I do. I’ve had an uber-frustrating day, chasing down some of the guests from the wedding. I called at Carmel Cove Hall to obtain the table plan to get all the names rather than bother you.”
Geraldine tapped the side of her nose. “Now that’s the type of thing Columbo would do.”
Ruth sniggered. “I suppose watching all the Columbo episodes and Poirot films over the years has contributed greatly towards me and my business. It still takes a lot to sift through the clues to achieve the results, though.”
“I can understand that. You’re so thorough in everything you do, it was a no-brainer to employ your services. You know what the plod can be like at times.”
“I know. Hopefully, between us, we’ll soon be able to supply you with an answer as to who the culprit is soon. You’ll need that to give you closure, allowing you to get on with your life.”
“Do you think I’ll ever get over losing Bradley? My heart is still aching painfully.”
“Of course you will. It’s only been a few days. Hang in there. We’ll all be here to help you. You’ll never be cast aside and left to grieve alone. Not unless that’s the way you want things further down the line.”
“Thank you. That truly means a lot. What happens next?”
Ruth shrugged. “I continue with the investigation. Ringing people to see if they either overheard Bradley talking to anyone or if someone saw a person venture up the stairs to the turret. I’m ringing the people who are further afield at the moment before I start questioning those who live in the town. I’d rather do that face to face if at all possible.”
“Sounds like you have everything sussed out. Is there anything you need me to do?”
Ruth grinned sheepishly. “Answer a few questions when you’re feeling more up to it.”
“Hey, just opening up to you about how I feel has lessened the pain around my heart. Go on, ask me anything you like.”
“If you’re sure?” Geraldine nodded. “Okay, I need to ask you if Bradley had fallen out with anyone lately. Did he confide in you about things like that? Or keep that type of thing under wraps?”
Geraldine sipped at her cooled coffee. Replacing her cup on the table, she said, “I might need a few moments to think that over.”
“Take all the time in the world. I’m in no rush to get back to the cottage and my non-blissful existence.”
“You really are too harsh on James. He loves you to pieces. Anyone with half a brain could see that.”
“Maybe.”
Silence filled the room until Geraldine’s eyes widened and she reached out to grip Ruth’s hand. “His best friend, John Calshaw.”
“What about him?” Ruth tried to cast her mind back to the wedding. She didn’t remember seeing John at the ceremony or the reception even.
“They fell out a few months ago.”
“Do you know why?” Ruth asked.
“No. I’ve been sitting here trying to figure that out before I considered mentioning his name. I haven’t got a clue.”
“Was he at the wedding?”
“He wasn’t invited. How do we know he didn’t slip in unnoticed and do the deed?”
“Now who’s being the amateur sleuth?”
“Ooo…there’s a thought. Maybe we should team up and go into business together.”
“You wouldn’t give up your job of teaching the little ones, would you? All that training, plus the amount of holiday you teachers get during the year.”
“It’s a fallacy. We don’t get that much time off. Most of it is spent planning out the next term’s lessons. Maybe I should consider a change in career. Start afresh, somewhere new.”
“No. You can’t do that. I’d miss you for a start, and yes, that’s me being totally selfish.”
“Ignore me. I really don’t know what to do for the best about the future. All I keep thinking about at the moment is what lies ahead of me with regard to the plans for the funeral. It sickens me that I should be sunning myself in the Caribbean with my new husband this week.” Sadness descended, and tears swam in her eyes.
“I know, lovely. Hang in there. I can help with the arrangements if you want. You’re not alone in this, you know that.”
“I know. Maybe I’ll be able to get my head around it more once the idea has settled. I’ve been told the pathologist won’t release the body for at least a week anyway. So, there’s no real rush.”
“I forgot about that. Yes, they’ll need to keep his body in case anything significant turns up during the investigation. Has Inspector Littlejohn been in touch with you?”
“She visited me briefly in the hospital. By then the doctors had given me medication, therefore I wasn’t very lucid. Not sure how much sense I was making in answering her questions. She told me that she’d pay me a visit once I got home. I’m presuming she’ll stop by soon.”
“Thankfully, I’ve only bumped into her once. That was on the day of the…wedding,” she said, correcting herself quickly when the first word that came into her head was murder.
“You hate each other. I hope that won’t be a hindrance to your case.”
“It won’t. I promise to stay out of her way as much as possible. Right, I’d better go home, see if James has calmed down yet, that is unless you want me to hang around with you for a while longer?”
“No. You go and try to rectify things with James. Take my word that he does love you, everyone but you can see how much. Be kind to him. You’ll only regret it if you break up. There’s often no way back, lovely.”
“Okay, pep talk taken on board. I’m going to shoot off. I’ll pay John a visit tomorrow.”
Geraldine walked Ruth and Ben out to the car and hugged Ruth after she’d settled Ben in the back. “Thank you for dropping by. Keep me up to date with things as they progress, if you will?”
“That goes without saying. Take care. Don’t put up with any crap from your parents either. Tell them to tone their arguments down or take a hike.”
Geraldine’s head tilted to one side. “Why don’t you listen to your own advice where James is concerned?”
“Whatever. I’m out of here. Love you lots.”
Geraldine blew her a kiss. “Love you, too, my dearest friend.”
When she entered the back door of her home, she heard the TV on in the living room. She pulled a white tea towel from the drawer and walked into the hallway. She waved the towel around the doorway of the lounge, and relief flooded through her when James laughed.