Pumpkins, Peril and a Paella (A Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Book 4)

by Bryan, Sherri

  “None of us wanted to turn our backs on that kind of money but, while the police were looking for the robbers, none of us wanted to keep it in our houses. So we did the next best thing. We hid it, and the property business was the perfect cover. We’d hide the money in whatever property was being developed at the time and before it was finished, we’d take it out and move it to the next one.

  “It was such a perfect plan until your fiancé stuck his nose in and ruined everything. You see, we’d hidden almost £350,000 in your kitchen wall just two weeks before the boys were arrested. Trouble was, with all the commotion after that, nobody thought to put the builders on hold and they went ahead and completed the job before any of us had a chance to get the money out.

  “What with the arrest, the trial, the boys going to prison and Bill becoming ill, the last thing on my mind was the money so we decided to leave it where it was - only temporarily, of course. I mean, we were so flush it wasn’t as though we needed it at the time.”

  Charlotte stared in horrified disbelief as she realised why the name MB Properties had been so familiar to her.

  They were the property developers she’d bought the café from. She’d never had to meet them as the agent had dealt with the sale on their behalf, but she clearly recalled the name being on all the paperwork.

  It was almost beyond comprehension that this despicable family had been involved in the creation of her wonderful café, which she had credited so many times with saving her from the darkest despair following the loss of her parents.

  She recalled the first time she’d set eyes on it, not long after it had been transformed from a dingy storeroom into what would become Charlotte’s Plaice.

  “I can’t believe you were the property developers who turned the old Chandlery storeroom into this café. I just can’t believe it.”

  “Well it’s true, dear. And you shouldn’t be so surprised - that was our business, after all.” Maureen crushed her cigarette with the toe of her boot and blew smoke out of her nose.

  “You know, Charlotte, if your precious Nathan hadn’t been so intent on interfering - constantly going round to check that Lionel Hall and that insipid wife of his were okay - we would never have crossed paths, you and me.

  “You see, if he hadn’t walked into the store during the second robbery, the boys would never have been arrested. They would have had plenty of time to take the money out of your kitchen wall and we would have moved on to the next property and out of your life.

  “In hindsight, they should never have gone back to the Hall’s place but it had been so easy the first time - like taking candy from a baby, Richard had said - they couldn’t help themselves.

  “After they were arrested, the stress made my poor Bill so ill - it was terrible to see. And it was all your damn boyfriend’s fault. When Bill died, I swore I would get my revenge on Nathan Costello one day.

  “And that day, my dear, thanks to the Chief Inspector’s unexpected arrival, is today.”

  Charlotte glared at Maureen. “Are you completely out of your mind? Nathan’s a policeman. He’s supposed to prevent crime and protect the community. He wasn’t interfering by going round to check on Heather Hall, he was doing his job. And he probably only turned up here tonight because when he passed by he thought there was something suspicious going on. Because that’s his job.”

  Maureen laughed again. “Oh my goodness, you’re beginning to sound like my Samuel. When the boys were released, we got straight on a plane and went to the villa in Tenerife to regroup and put a plan in place. We needed to figure out how to get our money back and how we were going to settle our scores with Chief Inspector Costello.

  “The thing is, Samuel went a bit soft in the head while he was inside. He just wanted his money. He didn’t want revenge on anyone, let alone a policeman.

  “Can you believe he even had the nerve to threaten to tell Costello what we were planning unless we dropped the idea? I can assure you, my dear, that was the last mistake he ever made.

  “I arranged for Richard to call him and arrange to meet on the marina with Lavender, Marigold and Laurence, on the pretext of planning how they were going to get into your café.

  “And that’s when Laurence killed him. On my say so, of course. No one does anything without my say so. Don’t get me wrong, it was a terribly hard decision to make but it was, shall we say, a necessary evil. He was starting to become a liability and we couldn’t risk him shopping us to the police.”

  Charlotte looked at her in horror. “You are out of your mind! You ordered the murder of your own son?”

  “Well, yes, dear. Obviously, I couldn’t do it myself - I’m not a complete monster, you know. So it’s a blessing for us all that Laurence was around to do the deed. He doesn’t look it, but he’s awfully strong. He has to train for hours every day so that he can keep up with all that drumming - it’s very strenuous, apparently.”

  “Ooh yes, he may be skinny but make no mistake, he’s 100% solid muscle. I can vouch for that.” Marigold giggled.

  Charlotte turned to Larry. “So, you killed Samuel because he wanted to do the right thing?” She shook her head. “You really are the lowest of the low.”

  “Listen, Charlotte, you don’t understand.” Larry removed the gobstopper from his mouth again, suddenly keen to defend himself. “Samuel would have ruined everything if he’d spoken to Costello.

  “When we found out that the boys were being released from prison, Marigold knew they’d be making plans to get the money back. She was going to give me her share so I could put down a deposit on a place. We’re moving in together, see. We couldn’t let Samuel ruin everything by going to the police so when Maureen asked me if I’d get rid of him, I didn’t hesitate.” He gave Marigold a squeeze and she gazed up at him adoringly.

  Maureen lit another cigarette and pushed a cuticle back with her fingernail.

  “Anyway, as I was saying, Samuel wasn’t the same person when he came out of prison. He’d changed ... he would never have dreamed of threatening me with the police before he went inside.” She laughed. “I played the concerned mother very well, don’t you think?”

  “Oh yes, and we were awfully good at pretending that was the first time we’d seen the body, weren’t we? You know, when we ‘found’ him in that pile of snow.” Lavender and Marigold smirked at the end of the bar.

  “The whole lot of you should be locked up!” Charlotte was raging. “GBH, armed robbery, intimidation, extortion and protection rackets ... not to mention a nice little sideline in murder! I hope they lock you all up and throw away the key!”

  Maureen stiffened. “What do you know about the protection racket? Nobody’s talked about that for years - not since Bill became involved in the property business.”

  She glowered at Charlotte before relaxing. “Actually, it doesn’t matter what you know because you’re not going to be around for long enough to tell anyone about it. And anyway, there’s no proof. Only the word of a lot of pathetic business owners, and I’d like to see that stand up in court.”

  “Actually, there is proof.” The words were out of Charlotte’s mouth before she could stop them. “Against you.”

  “What are you talking about?” Maureen Slater’s eyes narrowed as she moved slowly towards Charlotte, her bony fists clenched.

  “I found some notebooks that had been hidden in here underneath the bar. They show all the collections that were made from each business owner, the dates and the amounts. And it’s all in your handwriting. I’d say that’s pretty incriminating, wouldn’t you?”

  Maureen’s face was puce. Before Bill had joined her in the property business she’d helped him by keeping the only records of the protection racket. After he’d died and the old books were nowhere to be found, she’d assumed they’d been destroyed. The thought that he’d hidden them from the police in the café before he’d become ill had never once crossed her mind.

  She was incensed that he hadn’t told her about them before he died but more than
that, she was furious that Charlotte had the only evidence that could prove her involvement in her husband’s shady business dealings.

  “That bloody idiot! I thought he’d destroyed those books! No one’s ever had anything on me and I’m damned if they’re going to now. I want them - where are they, you little cow! Give them to me or, I swear, I’ll hurt you.”

  Charlotte thought on her feet, praying she’d be able to buy a little time if she appeared to be cooperating. “I’ll ... I’ll take you to them after you’ve finished here. I promise. Just don’t hurt us.”

  “Don’t worry, Maureen. We’ll get them from her, won’t we, Larry ... Lavender?” A sneering Marigold was only too happy of the opportunity to cause Charlotte discomfort.

  As Maureen contemplated her predicament, Trevor distracted her with a call from the kitchen.

  “Ma! We’ll get the damn books when we’ve finished here. Right now, I need a beer.”

  His mother stared long and hard at Charlotte before pushing past her for a beer from the fridge and taking it to Trevor as he continued with his destruction of the wall with his hammer and chisel.

  Charlotte saw her chance as she quickly scanned the café.

  Larry had gone back to reading the newspaper, Marigold was hanging blissfully, on his arm, Lavender was playing a game on her phone and Maureen and Trevor were in the kitchen.

  She had to act quickly.

  She quietly opened the cupboard under the bar and took out the glass snow globe that Ava had bought her. She weighed it up in her hand and offered up a little prayer. Please God, don’t let me really hurt anyone. Just a little bit, for a little while.

  She had to make a split-second decision.

  “Hey, Trevor!” As he turned to face her, she said, “Your brother liked pretty things. Let’s see how you like them!”

  She raised her arm and he began to move towards her. With all her might, she threw the ornament at him over the kitchen door. Her aim was good. It hit him right in the middle of his forehead and he dropped like a stone.

  As Maureen ran to his side and before the others had time to react, Charlotte reached behind the bar and grabbed the first thing she laid her hand on. Launching a full bottle of gin at Larry, it caught him on the chin and he clutched his throat, gasping for air as the gobstopper became lodged in his windpipe.

  Immediately, Marigold became hysterical, banging him on the back and screaming for Lavender to help him.

  With the others temporarily incapacitated, there was only Maureen Slade left to deal with and by now, Charlotte knew that she was prepared to do anything to keep her and Nathan alive.

  Maureen picked up the chisel that had fallen from Trevor’s hand and stepped out of the kitchen, a look of pure evil on her face. “You hurt my boy,” she whispered. “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with? You and Costello are going to wish you never laid eyes on me.”

  Charlotte knew she had to stand her ground. She held a bottle of brandy out in front of her. “Please don’t make me hit you with this, Maureen. I don’t want to, but you know I will if I have to.”

  As Maureen got closer, Charlotte spotted her saviour out of the corner of her eye.

  It all happened so quickly.

  As Maureen raised the chisel, Charlotte picked up the soda syphon and aimed it at her face.

  The chisel fell to the ground as Maureen’s hands flew to her eyes, stinging from the blast of soda water. With trembling hands, Charlotte picked it up quickly and took the phone from her pocket.

  “Ben! Ben! Are you there?”

  “Charlotte! Thank God you’re okay. We’re outside. We’re coming in now.”

  The doors flew open and in stormed what seemed like the whole St. Eves police force.

  “Oh, thank God! Quick, Nathan’s been hurt. We need an ambulance.”

  “We know - there’s one here. We heard everything, Charlotte. That was quick thinking of yours to call me again and keep the connection open.” Ben stepped back to let the team of three paramedics tend to Nathan, Trevor and Larry.

  “He’s going to be alright, isn’t he?” Charlotte watched the medics work, willing them to give her some good news.

  “By the look of it, he’s going to be fine. We’ll need to take him in for observation, but that’s quite normal procedure with a bang on the head. He’ll be out tomorrow, I’m sure.”

  “Is everyone else going to be okay? It’s my fault that Trevor and Larry need medical treatment.”

  “I’m sure they’re both going to make a full recovery. The chap in the kitchen will need an x-ray, just as a precautionary measure, but his vital signs all indicate that he hasn’t suffered any serious injury. He’ll have a banging headache when he wakes up and the other one will have a sore throat for a while, but they’re both going to be okay. Friends of yours, are they?” asked the paramedic.

  “No, they’re bloody well not!” Nathan croaked.

  At the sound of his voice, Charlotte burst into tears. She sat on the ground beside him and held his hand. “Oh, Nathan, thank God. Everything’s going to be fine. You’ve had a bump on the head, but you’re going to be okay. I’m coming in the ambulance with you ... I am allowed, aren’t I?” she asked the paramedic.

  “Course you are.”

  “I’ll meet you at the hospital and wait with you,” said Ben, “and then I’ll take you home.” He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I just want to make sure this place is as secure as possible and get some officers stationed outside. This is a crime scene now, but we’ll try and get things back to normal as soon as we can. I doubt you’ll be able to open tomorrow, though, Charlotte.”

  For the first time ever, she couldn’t have cared less that the café wasn’t going to open. All she cared about was Nathan.

  The paramedics carefully put him onto a stretcher and carried him out to a waiting ambulance. As she followed behind, Charlotte heard the snap of the handcuffs as Larry, Lavender, Marigold and Maureen were read their rights before being led away.

  The nightmare was over.

  Thank God.

  Chapter 12

  “Glad to see you’re fully recovered, Chief.”

  “Good to have you back, Chief.”

  On his first day back at work after a week at home, Nathan was making his way back to his office after a team briefing.

  Maureen and Trevor Slade, along with Lavender and Marigold Burridge were all facing charges of theft, conspiracy and accessory to murder. Larry Hall was facing charges of an assault on a police officer, conspiracy and murder.

  In addition, Maureen Slade’s involvement in the protection racket was being investigated, with a view to charges being brought by any of the business owners who had been targeted.

  Nathan particularly hoped that the outcome of the investigation would see Andrew Dibble’s widow being awarded a sizeable compensation payout.

  It would never make up for what had happened to her husband at the hands of Bill Slade and his henchmen, nor the financial problems the couple had suffered as a consequence, but he hoped it would go some way to making Ann Dibble’s life a little more comfortable.

  He sat back in his chair and touched his head, gingerly. The evidence of the blow he’d suffered was plain to see but apart from superficial cuts and grazes, he was as good as new. He hadn’t wanted to take any time off work but at the insistence of the police doctor to take a week’s bed rest, Charlotte had been only too happy to ensure his orders were carried out to the letter.

  He grinned as he recalled Charlotte’s words to him when he’d tried to get up and dressed the first day he’d been home from work.

  “Nathan Costello. I swear, if you even think about it, I’ll ask Ava and Harriett to come round and give you a bed bath. I’m not joking.”

  He rested his chin on clasped hands, lost in his thoughts. He was thankful that recent events weren’t going to prevent him from attending the meeting he’d arranged. He couldn’t have allowed that to happen.
>
  A sharp knock on the open door interrupted his thoughts.

  “Yes?”

  PC Farrell poked her head into the office. “Chief, here’s the file on the Collier assault case that you asked for.”

  “Thank you, PC Farrell. I’ll take a look at it.”

  “Anything else you need, Chief?” The police constable hovered, awaiting further instruction.

  “No, that’ll be all for now, thank you. If you could close the door on your way out, please.”

  Nathan waited until PC Farrell had left before dialling a number on his mobile. He didn’t want any trace of this call on his desk phone.

  “Hi, it’s Nathan. Yes, yes, I’m fine. Is eleven still okay with you? Right, I’ll see you then. What? No, of course I haven’t said anything to anyone ... especially her. Right, I’ll see you tomorrow. Yeah, looking forward to it. Bye.”

  He looked at the diary that lay open on his desk. LW - 11:00 hrs was written against tomorrow’s date.

  He was filled with trepidation and excitement at the prospect of meeting Lola Whitworth and although he wasn’t one for praying, he looked skyward and offered up a few words.

  “Please, God. Don’t let this backfire on me.”

  ººººººº

  “So you’re off on another training course?” Charlotte spread buttered granary toast with a thick layer of lime marmalade.

  “Yes, but only for a day,” Nathan answered distractedly from behind the newspaper.

  “We must have the most knowledgeable police force in the country.” Charlotte observed, her mouth full of toast.

  “Hmmm, yes, I suppose we must have.”

  She flicked the newspaper and Nathan peered over the top of it. “Any chance of a face-to-face conversation? You know, where we actually look at each other and talk at the same time?” She grinned.

  “Sorry. What do you want to talk about?” Nathan put the paper to one side and leaned towards her.

  “Well, nothing in particular, I just don’t like talking to the back of the newspaper. Why don’t you tell me what this training course is all about?”