The Fenton Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 6)

by Diana Xarissa

  “Yes, well, I have to say, I don’t like the man. He has a criminal record, you know.”

  “I do know,” Janet told him. “He’s been very honest about his past.”

  “Or so you believe.”

  “Yes, well, I tend to trust people until they give me reason not to,” Janet told him. “You should be grateful for that.”

  Edward laughed. “Oh, I am,” he said.

  Something buzzed somewhere and Edward sighed. “That’s my other phone,” he told Janet. “I have to go.”

  “It was nice talking to you,” Janet said, wondering if she really meant it. Talking to Edward was more confusing than nice.

  “I love talking to you,” Edward replied. “I hope you enjoy having Margaret as a guest.”

  Janet disconnected the call and put her phone down. She walked over to her mirror and looked at herself. “You’re too old to have this much trouble with men,” she told her reflection sternly. The face in the mirror stuck out its tongue at her. Laughing at herself, she headed back downstairs to help Joan with whatever else needed doing before their guests arrived the next day.

  The next morning, Janet was reluctantly up early. Joan was busy in the kitchen when she walked downstairs.

  “I thought you might like a proper breakfast before we head out,” Joan told her.

  Janet smiled. She shouldn’t enjoy it so much when Joan felt guilty about the bed and breakfast and tried to make it up to Janet by cooking, but when faced with an unexpected and very welcome full English breakfast, she couldn’t help but be happy.

  “That was delicious,” Janet told her after she’d cleared her plate.

  “It was nice, for a change,” Joan agreed. The sisters usually had cereal or yoghurt for breakfast when they didn’t have guests. “Of course, I’ll be cooking breakfast for the next couple of mornings as well.”

  “I won’t complain,” Janet assured her.

  The sisters loaded the boxes of books into their car’s boot and headed towards the centre of Doveby Dale. Joan drove and she parked as close to WTC Antiques as she possibly could.

  They carried the boxes to the door of the shop and pushed it open. After their many visits to the shop in the past, the loud buzz that sounded as they entered didn’t surprise them. The man who rushed out of the back room did, however.

  “Ah, good morning,” he said brightly. “How can I help you?”

  Janet stared for a moment. The man couldn’t have been much more than twenty-one. He had blond hair that was long and caught in a very untidy ponytail. His eyes were hidden behind thick glasses that appeared to be badly in need of a good clean. “We were looking for William Chalmers,” she said after an awkward pause.

  “Ah, Mr. Chalmers hasn’t come in yet today, but I’m sure he’ll be here soon. I’m certain I can help, though. What can I do for you?” the man asked.

  “Mr. Chalmers once asked us if he could purchase some books from us,” Janet explained. “We’ve now had a chance to sort through our library and we’ve found some books we’re willing to sell.”

  “Oh, oh, dear, well, I mean, that is, hmm, maybe you’d better wait for Mr. Chalmers,” the man stammered out. “Perhaps you’d like to look around while you’re waiting. I can answer any questions you might have about the items in the store.”

  Janet put her heavy box down on a large dining table and Joan quickly followed suit. With nothing to do but wait, Janet decided to test the young man. It quickly became obvious that he couldn’t answer any questions about anything in the shop.

  “I am sorry,” he said for the tenth time, when Janet asked about a set of bookshelves. “I don’t believe I know exactly what sort of wood that is. I don’t suppose the tag says?”

  “If the tag said, I wouldn’t have had to ask,” Janet told him.

  “No, of course not,” he said, his face bright red.

  The sound of the door buzzer saved the man from Janet’s next question. She turned and was relieved to see William Chalmers in the doorway.

  “Janet and Joan? What a pleasant surprise,” the man said. “I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

  Janet found herself blushing as she walked towards the man. “Not at all,” she said, her voice too loud. “Christmas is such a busy time, isn’t it? And I’ve finally finished rearranging the library. That’s why we’re here, actually.”

  “I see you’ve met Paul,” William said.

  “We have, although he didn’t introduce himself,” Joan replied.

  William sighed. “What have I told you about that?” he asked the young man.

  “I should always introduce myself to customers,” the man said. “I’m sorry, I forgot.”

  “Do it now,” William said sternly.

  “Good morning, ladies,” the man said. “I’m Paul Nichols, the assistant manager.”

  “Assistant manager? Impressive,” Joan remarked.

  William chuckled. “Paul, why don’t you get back to sorting out the inventory and I’ll take care of our customers.”

  “Okay,” Paul replied. He turned and disappeared through the door at the back of the room.

  Janet and Joan knew that the doorway led to a smaller room that William used as an art gallery, and that beyond that was an even smaller room that was used for storage and also as William’s art studio.

  “I’m sorry about Paul. His father is an old friend of mine. He got himself into some trouble in London, so his father sent him up here to give him a fresh start. He’s just never done this sort of job before and he has a lot to learn.”

  “Yes, well, he seems nice enough and he was definitely trying to help us,” Janet said.

  “He does try hard,” William agreed. “But what can I do for you lovely ladies today?”

  “We’ve been clearing books out of the library and we ended up with these two boxes of books we don’t want. I don’t think any of them are valuable, but we thought you might want to buy them from us for display purposes.”

  “Oh, yes, I might at that,” William said. He opened the first box and began going through it. “Yes, I see what you mean,” he said after a short while. “I can’t imagine there’s much market for old books on keeping accounts, but they are lovely hardcovers and from a distance they’ll look good on my shelves. How much did you want for them?”

  Joan suggested an amount and William countered with a lower offer. They quickly agreed to meet in the middle. “I’ll send a note with the titles to one of my friends who specialises in rare books,” he told the sisters after he’d paid them. “If any of the books here have any real value, I’ll let you know and we can split the proceeds fifty-fifty.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Joan said.

  “Yes, well, I don’t want to cheat you out of your fair share,” William said, turning pink. “I’m not that sort of businessman.”

  “Thank you,” Janet said “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one of them turned out to be worth thousands of pounds?”

  “I’d be happy with a few hundred,” William replied. “Enough to maybe buy you dinner?”

  Janet flushed and didn’t reply. William sighed and walked the sisters to the door. “Thank you for coming by,” he told them.

  “You were going to do another painting for us,” Joan reminded him. “I haven’t forgotten. We’re more than happy to pay for it, as well. We just love the one you’ve already given us.”

  “Yes, sorry, I’ve been rather busy and now I have Paul underfoot. I will get back to my painting soon, though. I’ll let you know when I have anything finished.”

  “Don’t forget,” Joan said.

  “I won’t,” William promised.

  Janet reached out to push the door open, but it swung away from her before she touched it. Before she had time to think, a young woman burst through the door, nearly knocking Janet to the ground.

  “Oh, didn’t see you there,” the girl said, glancing at Janet and then turning away. “Where’s Paul?” she demanded of William.

&nbs
p; “He’s in the back, working,” William replied.

  “I’ll just go and keep him company,” the girl said. She tossed her head, sending long red hair into motion. Janet watched as the girl stomped away in a dirty pair of trainers that didn’t seem to go with the leather jacket and tiny mini skirt she was wearing.

  “And that was Kara Newstead,” William said. “I don’t mind that she didn’t introduce herself, as she doesn’t work here.”

  “Who is she?” Joan asked.

  “Paul’s girlfriend,” William replied grimly.

  “She’s very pretty,” Janet said.

  “Yes, and she knows it,” William told her. “Paul’s completely taken with her. I just wish she could find something else to do rather than hang around my shop all day.”

  “Surely you can tell her to leave,” Joan said.

  “I would, but it isn’t as if there’s much to do in Doveby Dale,” William replied. “I keep hoping she’ll find a job, but she hasn’t had any luck thus far.”

  “I don’t think I know of anyone hiring in the area,” Janet said thoughtfully.

  “I don’t suppose you need extra help with the bed and breakfast?” William asked.

  “I’m afraid not,” Joan said. “January and February are looking as if they’re going to be very slow months. We can’t afford to take on extra staff right now.”

  And if we could, Kara Newstead would not be the sort of person we’d be looking for anyway, Janet thought. “I thought retail shops were always hiring,” she said.

  “Kara doesn’t want to do that sort of job,” William said. “As far as I know, she hasn’t a single qualification, but she still expects to be paid a great deal for doing not very much.”

  “I think we’d all like that,” Janet said.

  William laughed. “Yes, but we’re old enough to know that those sorts of jobs don’t really exist.”

  “Good luck,” she told William as she reached for the door again. This time she opened it and she and Joan exited the shop. They were back in the car, on their way to get their groceries, before either spoke.

  “I think we should keep an eye on William,” Joan said seriously. “I’m not sure I trust either of his new acquaintances.”

  “Paul seemed very nice,” Janet countered.

  “He did, but appearances can be deceiving. Anyway, I didn’t like his girlfriend at all.”

  “No, I didn’t like her, either.”

  “I think we’ll have to find another reason to go and see the man very soon,” Joan said.

  At the store, Joan worked down the list of things she needed for their guests, while Janet selected flowers for the guest rooms and the dining table and then wandered around the shop collecting interesting-looking things.

  “Do we need chocolate Santas?” Joan demanded as the shop assistant rang up their items.

  “Yes,” Janet replied. “We didn’t have any at Christmas, and now they are seventy per cent off.”

  Joan shook her head, and Janet was relieved that she didn’t argue any further. She also didn’t mention the box of microwave popcorn or the packet of crisps, leaving Janet feeling sorry she hadn’t added the tub of ice cream she’d wanted to the trolley as well.

  Back at Doveby House, Janet put the shopping away while Joan began preparations for lunch.

  When she’d finished with the shopping, Janet filed vases with flowers. “I’ll take the flowers up to the guest rooms after we’ve eaten and then we’ll be all ready for our guests,” she told Joan.

  Chapter Four

  Joan was always nervous when guests were expected, and today was no exception. Janet curled up with a book while Joan paced back and forth across the sitting room floor.

  “You should try one of those books I lent you,” Janet said after the first half hour.

  “The guests could arrive at any moment,” Joan told her. “I need to be ready.”

  “Maybe you should take up knitting or sewing,” Janet told her half an hour later. “Something that would get you to sit down and relax while you’re waiting.”

  “I’m fine,” Joan said. “I couldn’t possibly sit still.”

  Janet shrugged and went back to her book. It was just getting interesting when someone knocked on the door. As Joan rushed to open it, Janet slid a bookmark into place and rose to her feet, following Joan at a much more leisurely pace.

  “Oh, hey,” the man in the doorway said. “I’m Harry and this is Sue. We have a booking.”

  “Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer, right?” Joan said.

  Sue giggled. “Yes, that’s right,” Harry replied, glancing sideways at his wife.

  “Do come in,” Joan said, stepping backwards.

  Janet had paused a few steps from the door. Now she stood and studied their new guests. Harry looked no more than twenty. His brown hair badly needed combing and his face was dirty. He was wearing torn and ragged jeans and a jumper that had seen better days. Janet could see part of a tattoo on the man’s neck, but from where she was standing she couldn’t imagine what it was meant to be. Sue was similarly dressed, but her blonde hair was clean and shiny and she was wearing a thick layer of makeup. Janet wondered if she was even eighteen. Her bulky jumper seemed to swamp her tiny body.

  “We’ve put you in the larger of the guest rooms,” Joan said, turning to lead the couple up the stairs. “I hope you’ll be comfortable there.”

  “I’m sure it will be very nice,” Harry said.

  “I’ll stay down here, in case our other guest arrives,” Janet said. Joan gave her a tight smile and then led the Mortimers away. She was back only a few moments later.

  “They seem awfully young,” she hissed to Janet.

  “They do,” Janet agreed. “And they don’t seem as if they can afford to stay here, either.”

  “They paid cash for their two nights,” Joan told her. “I just hope they have enough left over to pay for their meals while they’re here.”

  Another knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Janet was closer, so she opened the door. The woman on the doorstep looked to be in her mid-sixites, with twinkling blue eyes and a cloud of grey hair on her head.

  “You must be Janet,” she said brightly. “I’m Margaret Burns. Edward has told me so much about you.”

  “I wish I could say the same to you,” Janet said as she ushered the woman into the house. “But Edward hasn’t told me anything more than your name.”

  Margaret chuckled. “He’s like that,” she said. “Too many years of having to keep secrets, I imagine.”

  Janet opened her mouth to ask the woman a dozen different questions, but Joan interrupted.

  “Let me show you to your room,” she said, shooting Janet a look that Janet knew was meant to stop her asking their guest anything.

  “Thank you,” Margaret said. “I’ve been driving for hours and I’m desperate to freshen up and get out of these shoes.”

  Janet thought the low-heeled pumps looked quite comfortable, but she didn’t say anything as Joan led the woman out of the room. With all of their guests tucked up in their rooms, she settled back in with her book. Joan was back only a few pages later.

  “She seems charming,” Joan said.

  “Yes, I suppose so,” Janet replied.

  “You mustn’t ask her nosy questions about Edward,” Joan told her sternly.

  “Why not?” Janet demanded. “I’m sure she knows a lot more about him than I do.”

  “She’s our guest and she’s here to relax, not talk about her friends.”

  “I’ll be subtle,” Janet promised.

  “No you won’t,” Joan replied. “You must leave the poor woman alone.”

  Janet would have argued further, but she heard footsteps on the stairs.

  “Gosh, it’s all so lovely,” Sue said as she walked back into the sitting room. “It’s like something out of a movie or something.”

  “Doveby House was built in the seventeenth century by the largest landowner in the area,” Janet told h
er. “Of course, it’s been extensively modernised since.”

  “I can’t imagine living here,” Sue replied. “All of the furniture is so posh and I didn’t want to use the fancy soaps in the bathroom.”

  Harry laughed. “Now the ladies will be thinking you didn’t wash your hands,” he said.

  Sue turned bright red. “I did wash my hands,” she said quickly. “But I put the really pretty flower-shaped soaps out of the way and used the bar from the bathtub instead.”

  “You must take the flower ones home with you,” Janet told her.

  “Oh, I couldn’t,” Sue gasped. “I mean, that would be like stealing them.”

  “Not if I’ve told you to do so,” Janet said. “We have to purchase new ones for every set of guests anyway. We can’t leave half-used soap lumps in the en-suites. Take them home and use them when you need a little reminder of your holiday.”

  “Oh, that’s very kind of you,” Sue said.

  “Yes, very kind,” Harry echoed. “Now, can you recommend somewhere for our evening meal? Maybe some place that isn’t too expensive?”

  Sue blushed again. “Harry,” she whispered, clearly embarrassed.

  “Quite sensible, being frugal,” Janet said. “There’s a lovely little café not far from here. Let me show you on a map.”

  She pulled out one of the pile of maps of Doveby Dale and the surrounding area that she and Joan had ordered when they’d first decided to welcome guests. This was the first time she’d used one and she happily circled the café and a few other places that she thought the couple might like.

  “Thank you so much,” Sue said when Janet was done.

  Harry took the map and slipped it into a pocket. “That’s great, thanks. Oh, and is there a garage around here? The car was making a bit of an odd noise on the way up. Better get it checked out.”

  “It’s funny you should ask,” Janet said. “A new place has just opened up.” She gave them directions to Mack Fenton’s garage and then walked them to the door. After locking up behind them, she turned to Joan and smiled.

  “They seem like a nice young couple, really,” she said.

  “I suppose,” was all that Joan replied.