Death Takes A Trip (Julia Blake Cozy Mystery Book 5)

by Larkin, Gillian

  There was a sudden spark in Nina’s eyes. She raised her head and said, “Yes! Tell me everything. Help me into a sitting position, please. I’m as floppy as a rag doll.”

  Doris came to Nina’s side, and between them, they managed to get her into a sitting position.

  Doris pulled a chair closer and said, “Spill the beans. And for heaven’s sake will you get your bottom off my clean carpet, Julia! Don’t you have chairs in your house?”

  Julia sat next to Nina and told them about Gloria. When she’d finished she said to Nina, “Did Douglas ever mention Kirk Adams to you?”

  Nina shook her head. She raised a finger and said, “Just a moment, there were a few occasions when we were out together that have stuck in my mind as being unusual. Sometimes, when we were out, Douglas used to stop speaking in mid-sentence and look over his shoulder. When I asked him what was wrong he said that he thought someone was watching him. I laughed it off, and after a while, so did he. Do you think Kirk Adams was following us? Listening to our conversations?”

  “Course he was!” Doris butted in. “He sounds like a no-good so-and-so! I bet he sneaked into Douglas’ house on that Tuesday night and threw the old bugger down the stairs.”

  Julia winced at Doris’ tone. “I’ll have to speak to Kirk Adams. I’m not looking forward to it, but I’ll have to do it.”

  Nina pulled her dressing gown closer and announced, “I’ll come with you. He doesn’t scare me! Let me get dressed. And give me twenty minutes to put my war paint on.”

  Julia held her hands up. “No way! You’re staying here. I can handle Kirk Adams. I think.”

  Doris leant over and prodded her roughly. “Have you told DI Sourface what you’ve found out?”

  Julia shifted in her seat. “I did phone him. I told him what Gloria had said.”

  Doris snorted. “Let me guess! Did he tell you to leave the investigating to him?”

  “Something like that. Anyway, I’d better be going. I’ll let you know how I get on.”

  Doris showed her to the door. “Hurry up and get this sorted out, Julia. Nina’s fading away.”

  “I’ll try,” Julia replied. She walked confidently to her car and gave Doris a brisk wave as she drove away. Her smile dropped as soon as she drove round the corner. Where was she going to find Kirk Adams? Oh! And she’d forgotten to ask Nina something! She sighed. Why had she got herself involved in this murder enquiry? She knew why. She had cared about Douglas, and she cared for Nina. Justice had to be done.

  She pulled over as her phone rang. It was Dad. “You’d better come home, love,” he said.

  Panic gripped Julia. “Why? What’s happened? Is it Mum? Anna? Sam? Chloe? Is it Cain?”

  “None of those. I notice you didn’t ask if it was me. I’m at your house. You’ve got a visitor.”

  Julia gulped. “Is it Kirk Adams?”

  “Who? No, it’s Joshua Bentley. He’s in a right state. Just come home.”

  Julia returned to her house to find Joshua Bentley pacing her kitchen floor. Dad was leaning against the oven eating a packet of crisps.

  When Joshua saw her, blood rushed to his face and his mouth curled into a snarl. He jabbed a finger towards her and said, “You! This is all your fault!”

  Julia put her bag on the kitchen table and said, “What is? What have I done?”

  She took a step back as Joshua advanced on her. Dad reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt. “Calm down, Joshua, mate, this isn’t our Julia’s fault at all, you know that. Do you want a crisp?”

  “No, I don’t want a crisp! Let go of my shirt, Ray.”

  “Not until you’ve calmed down.”

  Joshua took a few deep breaths and spoke again in his normal voice. “Everyone’s saying that I killed Douglas Pedley. They’re saying that I didn’t fix his carpet correctly. People have been cancelling jobs. I’m losing money. I wished you’d never phoned me in the first place!” He tried to move forward again but Dad still had a firm grip on his shirt.

  Julia rubbed her tired eyes. She took a step forward and it was her turn to jab a finger at Joshua. “The police have already said that the carpet was deliberately cut. I spoke to Douglas before he died, he told me that you’d fixed the carpet. It’s not my fault that people are accusing you! Why would you want to kill Douglas anyway?”

  Dad nodded towards her and said, “Don’t make me grab your shirt too, young lady. Stop shouting, you’ve scared Joshua.”

  Joshua gave her a small smile. “I’m sorry, Julia. I know you’re right. You know what people round here are like.”

  Julia lowered her finger. “I do. Ignore them. I’m sure the police will capture the real killer soon.”

  Dad released Joshua and picked up another crisp. He waved it at Julia and said, “Never mind about the police, how far have you got with your detective work?” He popped the crisp into his mouth.

  Julia sighed. “I have got some information but I’m not sure what to do about it. Well, I do know, but I don’t know, if you know what I mean.”

  “You’ve gone delirious,” Dad said. “Sit down, I’ll make us a cuppa. Start at the beginning.” He pulled a chocolate bar out of his pocket and handed it to her. “You can have this, it’s for emergencies. Don’t tell your mum that I keep chocolate in my pockets.”

  Over tea and chocolate Julia told Dad and Joshua about her latest findings. Joshua nodded when she’d finished. “I know what Kirk Adams looks like. And I know where he drinks. He’ll be out drinking tonight. He’s a nasty sort, Julia, stay well away from him.”

  “But I have to talk to him, find out where he was on the night that Douglas died,” Julia insisted.

  Dad shook his head. “I’m not having my little girl putting herself in danger.”

  Julia tutted. “I’m not a little girl, I’m … old enough to look after myself.”

  “I know you are, love,” Dad patted her hand. “But let me help you.” He turned to Joshua and said, “It’s been a while since I’ve had a night out. Are you up for going out tonight? Maybe to that pub that Kirk frequents? We could have a friendly chat with him.”

  Joshua grinned and nodded. “That sounds like a grand idea.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Julia said.

  “No, you’ll cramp my style,” Dad said. He stood up and picked a crisp crumb off his jumper, he put it in his mouth. “You’re all out of salt and vinegar crisps.”

  Julia said, “Be careful, both of you. I feel guilty for getting you involved.”

  Joshua stood up. “I’m already involved. We need to find out who killed old Douglas.”

  Dad kissed her on top of her head. “We’ll let you know how we get on. Have an early night, you look tired.”

  As Dad closed the door behind him she heard him saying to Joshua, “Do they have food at this pub of yours? Do they have apple crumble?”

  Julia smiled. She would rather speak to Kirk Adams herself, but she was relieved that Dad and Joshua were going to do it. Her smile dropped. She hoped they didn’t get into a fight.

  She stood up, collected the tea things and took them to the sink.

  Cain! She hadn’t phoned him to let him know what Nina had told her.

  He answered on the second ring. Julia quickly told him about Nina. Then she told him about her dad’s plans.

  Cain laughed. “I know! I’m going to the pub with him! I’ve never been to the pub before.” He paused. “I’ve never had a beer before!”

  As Julia tried to get to sleep that night she didn’t know what she was more worried about, Dad getting in a fight, or Cain getting drunk.

  Chapter 16

  Julia phoned Mum first thing on Sunday morning. Her immediate question was, “Did Dad get in a fight?”

  “No, and good morning to you,” Mum replied.

  “Good morning. Did Cain get drunk?”

  “As drunk as a skunk. He’s presently asleep on my sofa, snoring his head off. I’ve put a bucket next to him but he hasn’t been sick in the night.” />
  “Why is he at your house?”

  Mum sighed. “I couldn’t let him go home in the state he was in. There’s no one to look after him at his house. Poor lamb, he’s going to have a terrible hangover when he wakes up.”

  “Shall I come over, pick him up and take him home?” Julia offered.

  “No, leave him to sleep as much as he can. I know how to deal with youngsters who’ve had too much to drink. I’ve had plenty of practise with you and your sister.”

  Julia smiled. “I’m sure I was never that bad. Did Dad say anything to you when he came in last night?”

  “It wasn’t last night, it was the early hours. Can you believe that! At his age. And I didn’t get any sense out of the old fool. He kept rubbing his tummy and saying that he’d had two helpings of apple crumble and there was nothing I could do about it. And as for your young friend, he could barely stand up! Your dad had to support him. He kept giggling and saying he’d never been drunk before.”

  “I’m sorry, Mum, I feel as if it’s my fault that they’ve ended up in this state.”

  Mum tutted. “Your dad doesn’t need an excuse to go to the pub. As he got into bed he did mumble about having to tell you something. I don’t know what though, he stopped mumbling in mid-sentence and fell asleep.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to come round?”

  “No, I’ve no idea what time they’ll wake up, or what state they’ll be in. I’ll tell them to come over to your house. Julia, your dad told me about what you’re doing. You’ve got yourself involved in a murder investigation again, haven’t you?”

  “I have.”

  “Just be careful, won’t you? Somewhere out there is the person who killed your client. I don’t want them coming after you.”

  “I can look after myself,” Julia said as reassuringly as possible.

  “Hmm. I thought I was only supposed to worry about my children when they were little. It seems that the older you get, the more I worry about you.”

  “Honestly, Mum, I’m fine. Please don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll find out who killed Douglas soon. Love you.”

  “Love you more,” Mum said. Julia could hear the smile in her voice.

  Julia didn’t know what to do with herself whilst she waited for Dad and Cain to come round. She cleaned her house from top to bottom and put a washing load in. There never seemed to be much washing now that Sam and Chloe were away at university. She did miss them, but she didn’t miss the mess that they made. They’d be home from university soon. Despite the chaos they brought with them, she couldn’t wait to see them.

  Julia remembered the old notebook that Cain had given her a few weeks ago, the one that she’d taken out at Douglas’ house. It was full of notes on how to make cleaning solutions and soaps without chemicals. Julia took the notebook out and sat at the kitchen table. Cain’s gran sounded a lovely woman, the way she had taken Cain in when he was young. And the way she’d supported him during his time in prison. It was a crying shame that she’d died six months before Cain was released.

  Julia stopped on a page and ran her finger down the list of items needed. She nodded. Yes, she had all of them. She’d have a go at making it.

  She was so engrossed in her task and taking notes that she jumped when the kitchen door opened. Dad strolled in, a smile on his face. “Good morning, my lovely daughter. How are you today?” Without waiting for an answer he walked over to the oven and pointed to a pot. “Oo, what have you got cooking?” He stuck his finger in and then put the contents in his mouth.

  Julia looked at him from her seated position. “It’s soap. Lavender and mint.”

  Dad nodded and reached for the kitchen roll. He pulled a sheet off and wiped his tongue. He walked to the sink and quickly filled up a glass with water. He swilled his mouth out and grimaced. He looked over his shoulder and said, “I have literally washed my mouth out with soap and water. If I was a cartoon character I’d be blowing bubbles.”

  Julia looked over towards the open door. “Where’s Cain? Have you taken him home?”

  Dad put the glass down. “He was right behind me. I hope he hasn’t fallen over, he’s a bit unsteady on his feet at the moment.”

  Sounding more like her mum than she wanted to, Julia said, “That’ll be the drink, he’s not used to it. And it’s all your fault, you should have kept an eye on him.”

  “He’s a grown man, he needs to experience these things. I hope he’s not being sick in one of your plant pots. No, here he is.”

  Julia’s mouth dropped open as a zombie-type creature entered her kitchen. The zombie was wearing dark glasses. He took them off and blinked blood shot eyes at Julia. Julia shut her mouth as Cain gave her a nod and then winced.

  Julia stood up and led him over to the table. She pulled back a chair and eased him into it. She could shout at him and tell him his present condition was all his fault but she remembered clearly the times that she had been in a similar position.

  In what she hoped was a soothing voice, she said, “Cain, can I get you anything? Water? Aspirins? A bucket?”

  Cain held a hand up and, in a hoarse voice, said, “No, thank you. Your mum has sorted me out. I’m waiting for the paracetamols to take effect. I feel terrible. Why do people drink if they feel like this? I’m never drinking again.”

  “That’s what they all say,” Dad added.

  Cain lifted his head and sniffed. He smiled. “Is that one of Gran’s recipes? Is it lavender and mint soap?”

  “It is. I’ll make a bar for you.”

  A tear rolled down Cain’s cheek. “You’re so kind. All of you. Your mum, your dad …”

  Dad walked over to the table and sat down. “I think he’s still drunk. Get the kettle on, Julia, and I’ll tell you all about last night.”

  “Did you meet Kirk Adams?” Julia asked.

  Dad folded his arms and leant back in his chair. “We certainly did. He’s a nasty piece of work.”

  Chapter 17

  Once Dad and Julia were settled with a cup of tea, and Cain had a pint glass full of cold water in front of him, Dad began, “We got to the pub at eight o’clock. Joshua decided he was hungry and I could tell that Cain was too so I ordered some apple crumble for us all.”

  “That was kind of you,” Julia noted.

  “There’s no need to be sarcastic, young lady. We’d finished our crumbles when Kirk Adams walked in. Or should I say, sauntered in. He reminded me of one of an old cowboy films, you know the ones where the evil cowboy shoots an innocent person and saunters away, pleased with themselves?”

  Julia nodded. “Was he on his own?”

  “No, he was with a group of men. He was boasting about some deal that he’d been working on. Saying that he’d be making money hand over fist, those were his words. We could all hear what he was saying, the whole pub could. As he walked past our table he said, ‘Now that the old codger has gone I can get my hands on his land’. Well, we all immediately thought he was talking about Douglas. I turned to look at Joshua to see if he’d heard. He had, he leapt out of his seat like a scalded cat. His fists were clenched and I knew he was going to go for Kirk.

  “It all happened in slow motion. Joshua swore at Kirk. I won’t repeat his words. Kirk turned to look at where the noise was coming from. Joshua flew through the air like a ninja and thumped Kirk right in the face. Kirk took the hit but then turned on Joshua. I was up in a flash. Kirk is much bigger and stronger than Joshua.”

  Cain put his hand out and tapped Dad on his arm. “Tell Julia what I did.”

  Dad smiled. “Young Cain here tried to break up the fight. He got hurt in the process.”

  Cain bravely lifted up his hand and showed Julia a cut on his little finger. Julia had to squint to see it.

  Dad went on. “I managed to break up the fight. I grabbed them both by the collar and forced them to sit down. They were both shouting at each other. I had to use my angry voice.”

  Julia’s eyes widened. “I’ve only ever heard that voice once.
When that Tommy Whitehall tried to pinch my bike. You scared him off, didn’t you Dad?”

  He nodded. “No one takes anything from my family. Kirk and Joshua shut their mouths and glared at each other. I bought Kirk a drink and then explained why Joshua was so mad. Joshua thought Kirk was referring to Douglas. Kirk said he wasn’t. He said he was talking about an elderly man on the other side of town. It seems Adams Construction are building a new housing development over there and they’d been in negotiations with the old codger that Kirk referred to. The man had died recently and his daughter was more than happy to sell his house to Kirk.”

  Julia said, “Sounds like they’ve got their fingers in pies all around this town. How did the old man die? Did he fall down his stairs?”

  Dad chuckled. “What a suspicious mind you have. Cain asked Kirk that. But no, the old fella died from a heart attack.”

  Julia’s eyes narrowed. “Or so Kirk Adams says. What else did he tell you?”

  Dad leaned closer to Julia and said, “He told us that he was at Douglas’ house on the night he died.”

  Julia gasped. Then she slapped her hand on the table and said, “I knew it! I knew it was him who killed Douglas!”

  Dad held his hands up. “Not so fast there. Kirk didn’t turn up to pester Douglas about selling the house, it was Douglas who called Kirk. Douglas told him that his circumstances had changed and that he was considering selling his house after all.”

  “Oh. I wasn’t expecting that,” Julia said. “That does make sense though. He’d asked Nina to marry him on the Saturday. She’d said yes so I suppose Douglas began to make plans. Perhaps he thought Nina wouldn’t want to live in the house where his first wife lived.”

  Cain spoke. Julia noticed the colour was returning to his face. “So Kirk Adams had no reason to kill Douglas.”

  “We only have his word for it,” Julia said. “Dad, do you think he was telling the truth?”

  “I don’t know, it’s hard to tell with a man like Kirk Adams. He comes across as arrogant and self centred. He seemed to gloat about Douglas agreeing to sell his land, as if it was all Kirk’s doing. There’s no reason for him to lie, is there?”