Aunt Bessie Knows (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 11)

by Diana Xarissa

  Nigel looked surprised again and then nodded. “Yes, Emma and I were together,” he said.

  “That’s odd, considering how involved you were with Gennifer.”

  Nigel flushed. “It wasn’t anything,” he said quickly. “I mean, me and Emma, it was just a, well, just a, I was pretty drunk, you see. She’s been chasing after me for years, and I was drunk and just angry enough with Gennifer to, well, whatever.”

  “Did Emma realise it was just a one-off experience, or was she hoping for more?”

  “You’d have to ask her that,” he said, staring down at the table.

  “I shall have to do just that,” Bessie murmured.

  “I don’t suppose you saw Gennifer after she left the great room, then?” Bessie asked.

  “No, I left right after she did, but I couldn’t find her anywhere. Emma followed me out and helped me look and then, well, then we went back to her room for a while.”

  “And you didn’t return to the party until nearly midnight.”

  “Yeah, I wanted to make sure I was there at midnight to kiss Gennifer. When I couldn’t find her in the crowd, I went back out to look for her.”

  Bessie frowned, thinking about poor Emma.

  Nigel seemed to read her expression. “Emma knew the score,” he said defensively.

  “And do you have any future with Emma, do you think?”

  Nigel laughed. “No, I can’t imagine that I do,” he said. “She’s a sweet girl, but not my type at all. Anyway, I can’t possibly think about such things at the moment. It will be a long time before I start thinking about replacing Gennifer.”

  “I wonder if Emma is hoping for a different outcome,” Bessie said, hoping the man might try to see things from the girl’s perspective for a change.

  He shrugged. “She ought to know me better than that,” he told Bessie. “Anyway, when we get out of here, I’m off to New York for a few months for work. She’ll probably forget all about me while I’m away. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet a gorgeous fashion model and she’ll mend my broken heart.”

  “Good luck with that,” Bessie said.

  “Anyway, I suppose I should be getting back. Thank you for the tea and the biscuits. I’m actually feeling better, having been able to talk about how I feel for a bit.”

  “I’m glad I could help.” Bessie walked the man to the door and watched as he went out and climbed into his car. She recognised it as one of the fleet that George and Mary owned. Shutting the door, she turned to the small box that Nigel had given her.

  “What’s that?” Hugh asked from the doorway.

  “I’m about to find out,” Bessie said. “Nigel brought it. It’s from Elizabeth, apparently.”

  She opened the box and pulled out something wrapped in tissue. Unwinding the tissue revealed a small figurine of a cat playing with a ball of yarn.

  “It’s cute,” Hugh said unenthusiastically.

  Bessie laughed. “It is rather cute, I suppose. I assume Elizabeth will want it back at some point, but for now it can live by the sink.”

  She set the ornament next to the bottle of washing-up liquid and then shrugged. “No doubt it was just an excuse to get Nigel to visit, but it does look nice there.”

  “You should have a cat,” Hugh said. “I can just see one curled up in your sitting room, keeping your books company all day.”

  “It’s a lovely idea, but I really don’t like cats,” Bessie replied. “My older sister was badly scratched by one when we were young and the whole experience put me right off the idea of ever owning one myself.”

  “Maybe you should get a dog,” Hugh suggested next.

  Bessie sighed. She could tell he was warming to the subject. “I’m quite happy on my own,” she told him. “I enjoy being free to come and go as I please and would hate to be responsible for looking after any living thing, really.”

  “Fish?” Hugh asked.

  “Not even fish,” Bessie said firmly.

  Hugh might have argued further if someone hadn’t knocked on Bessie’s door just then. Relieved to be done with that conversation, Bessie was feeling inclined to like her next visitor, whoever it might be. She swung the door open and smiled at Emma Taylor, who was shivering on the doorstep.

  “Do come in. You look as if you’re freezing,” she exclaimed.

  “I’m fine,” Emma said, her teeth chattering slightly. “Only I thought I would walk over, and it’s a lot colder than I realised.”

  Bessie shook her head. “Sit down and I’ll make you some tea. That will soon warm you up.”

  Emma sat in the chair that Nigel had just vacated, and Bessie started more tea. “So what brings you here?” she asked the girl after a moment.

  “Oh, Elizabeth needs to borrow some flour and sugar,” Emma said. “She’s going to try her hand at baking some biscuits for us, but apparently the kitchen is short on ingredients.”

  “Do you know how much of each she needs?” Bessie asked.

  “Yes, I have a note.” Emma handed Bessie a slip of paper that was covered in a nearly illegible scrawl.

  Her recent class in paleography sometimes came in handy in unexpected ways, as Bessie worked out what Elizabeth needed. “I’ll just measure everything for her when you’ve had your tea,” she told Emma as she handed her a cup. “Have a cookie as well,” she suggested, gesturing towards the plate that was still in the centre of the table.

  “Oh, thank you,” Emma said. She took one of the snickerdoodles and broke off a tiny bite. “It’s very good,” she said in a polite monotone.

  “How are you holding up?” Bessie asked as she sat down across from her.

  “Oh, I’m okay, just anxious to get home, you know.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you must be. Still, at least you have Nigel to keep you company,” Bessie said, watching the girl closely to see her reaction.

  “Nigel?” Emma blushed brightly. “I mean, we’re all keeping each other company. We’ve no choice, really.”

  “Yes, but I thought someone told me that you and Nigel were a couple. I must have misunderstood.” Bessie tried to look like a confused and harmless lady in her late middle age.

  Emma blinked and then shrugged. “We’re not,” she said flatly. “He’s taken Gennifer’s death badly. He’ll need some time to recover before he’s ready for a new relationship.”

  “Oh dear, I have mixed it all up, haven’t I?” Bessie exclaimed. “I thought someone told me that you and Nigel were already involved before Gennifer died. I thought I’d heard that you two were together while Gennifer was missing.”

  Emma blushed again. “We were,” she muttered, looking down at the table. “But, well, that doesn’t mean anything. Nigel was just mad and trying to upset Gennifer, that’s all.”

  “But you care about him a great deal, don’t you?” Bessie asked softly.

  “Of course not,” Emma scoffed, still staring at the table. “He’s just one of the group, you know? We’ve all been friends for years and I think it would be best if we all just tried to stay friends instead of people getting romantically involved with one another.”

  Bessie nodded. “That’s a very sensible attitude,” she said. “Of course, Elizabeth and Howard are a couple.”

  “But they aren’t serious,” Emma told her. “They’re just having fun together. Howard went out with Gennifer for a while, too, but that was casual as well.”

  “And Sarah is quite smitten with Bruce, isn’t she?” Bessie asked.

  “What a good word,” Emma said, smiling. “Yes, Sarah is very smitten with Bruce, but he wouldn’t sleep with her if she were the last woman on earth. It’s quite sad, really. I keep encouraging her to move on, but she won’t listen.”

  “I got the feeling that Bruce was too enamoured of Elizabeth to look at other women.”

  “Another excellent word,” Emma said. “Yes, Bruce has been chasing after Elizabeth for a while now, but she barely notices him.” She sighed. “Listen to me, I make our little group sound like a sad bunch of people
chasing unrequited love. We really do enjoy each other’s company, you know, at least usually.”

  “I’m sure it’s very difficult at the moment,” Bessie said.

  “Yes, it is definitely that,” Emma agreed. “Anyway, I should be getting back,” she said. “Elizabeth is waiting for me so she can start baking.”

  “Oh, of course,” Bessie said. She pulled flour and sugar down from the cupboard and found her scales. “So,” she said causally as she worked, “who do you think killed Gennifer?”

  Emma’s teacup clattered into its saucer as the girl gave Bessie a shocked look. “How could I possibly know?” she asked.

  “Oh dear, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Bessie said. “I just assumed that you’d given the matter some thought. It must be worrying sleeping at night, knowing that there is a murderer somewhere on the island.”

  “She must have slipped and fallen by accident,” Emma said a touch desperately. “I can’t believe she was murdered.”

  “I think the police are quite certain about it,” Bessie replied. She carefully measured out flour and then poured it into a small plastic bag. “I might have suspected Nigel, if he didn’t have an alibi,” she said conversationally.

  “Nigel wouldn’t have harmed a hair on her head,” Emma said bitterly.

  With the sugar measured and sealed into another bag, Bessie put both items into a large bag and handed them to Emma. “There you are, I hope I’ve understood Elizabeth’s handwriting correctly.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine,” Emma said. “Thank you for the tea.”

  “You’re welcome any time,” Bessie told her. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m nearly always here.”

  “That’s very kind of you, but really I just want to go home. I’m sure things will be much better at home.”

  “Perhaps there’s still a chance for you and Nigel,” Bessie said gently.

  Emma shook her head. “Whatever he thought about Gennifer while she was alive, he’s convinced himself now that she was the perfect woman. I don’t think anyone will ever be able to take her place.”

  “You’re all so very young,” Bessie said. “You and Nigel both have a long life ahead of you and plenty of time to meet the right other person.”

  Emma shrugged. “What if the right other person doesn’t even know you exist?” she asked in a sad voice.

  Before Bessie could reply, Emma had taken the bag that Bessie had prepared and was letting herself out of the cottage. Bessie followed to lock the door behind her, her mind turning over the girl’s last words in her head. Who had Emma been referring to in that comment? Surely, it couldn’t have been Nigel, not after all their years of friendship and especially not after their time together on New Year’s Eve. Shaking her head, Bessie turned around in time to see Hugh sneaking another snickerdoodle.

  “Hugh Watterson, you’ll spoil your dinner,” she said sharply.

  “But the sitting room still smells like cinnamon and these cookies are all I can think about,” Hugh said sadly. “I can’t even focus on my cold case files. I love the smell and the taste of cinnamon.”

  “Cinnamon on its own isn’t very good,” Bessie told him. “It needs sugar mixed with it in order to taste nice, although it does smell wonderful.”

  “I wasn’t suggesting I wanted to try cinnamon on its own,” Hugh replied. “Just that I need to take a few of these back with me when your next guest arrives.”

  Bessie thought about arguing, as she didn’t want the man to fill up on biscuits before tea, but she was so pleased that he was eating anything that she gave in. “Take a small plate and take two or three cookies with you, then,” she said. “But that’s all until after the pizza.”

  “You’re the boss,” Hugh told her, giving her a grin.

  Hugh filled his plate and carried it through to the sitting room, then he rejoined Bessie as she waited for her last guest. He was just nibbling his way through a snickerdoodle, under Bessie’s glare, when the knock came.

  “Jeremy? What can I do for you?” Bessie asked the young man at her door.

  “Elizabeth has sent me a list of a few other things she needs,” he said apologetically. “Apparently, she forgot to read the whole recipe before she sent Emma.”

  Bessie laughed. “Come in and have some tea while I see what I have,” she suggested.

  Jeremy handed her another nearly indecipherable list and then sat down. Bessie switched on the kettle before she tried to read it.

  “Two eggs, I can certainly do that,” she said. “Butter I have, and I think I have plain chocolate chips as well. What is she trying to make?”

  Jeremy shrugged. “I haven’t the foggiest idea. All I know is that she’d already sent everyone else down here for some reason or another, so she had to ask me this time.”

  Bessie laughed. “She’ll have to come over herself if she’s forgotten anything else.”

  “We’re all just happy to get out of the house for a while,” Jeremy told her. “It’s huge, but it feels quite claustrophobic when you feel as if you’re stuck there.”

  “I can’t imagine,” Bessie said. “I do hope you aren’t too upset about poor Gennifer?”

  “I’m sad, obviously. She could be, well, difficult to get along with at times, but no one deserves to die.”

  “No, of course not,” Bessie replied. “I don’t suppose you’ve given any thought as to the identity of the killer?”

  “That’s a job for the police, not me,” he told her firmly. “They’re the experts at that sort of thing. I’ll stick to what I do best.”

  “I hope Nigel is okay,” Bessie said, trying a different approach. “He seemed very upset when he was here earlier.”

  “He’s taking Gennifer’s death very badly. While they fought a great deal, it seems he had real feelings for her.”

  Bessie assembled all of the needed ingredients into a bag and then poured tea for her guest and herself. She sat down opposite him and patted his hand. “It can’t be easy for any of you,” she said softly.

  “No, we’re all upset, and of course, eager to get home.”

  “At least Nigel has Emma. I understand they’re involved in some way,” Bessie said, trying her confused expression on Jeremy.

  He gave her a considered look before he replied. “You must have misunderstood,” he said. “They were together during the party, but they aren’t properly involved, at least not as I understand it.”

  “Perhaps they’ll end up together, now that Gennifer is gone,” Bessie suggested.

  Jeremy shrugged again. “It isn’t my place to speculate on that sort of thing,” he said.

  “Emma seems like a lovely girl,” Bessie said.

  “She’s very nice, if a bit, um, well, she does rather fade into the background, at least around women like Gennifer and Elizabeth.”

  Bessie nodded. “And Sarah is hopelessly in love with Bruce, and he couldn’t care less.”

  “You know quite a lot about our little circle,” Jeremy replied.

  “I’ve had a chat with just about all of you,” Bessie said. “Some details, like that one, are pretty obvious.”

  “Yes, Sarah does wear her heart on her sleeve. I’m sure one day she’ll realise she needs to move on.”

  “What about you? Are you secretly in love with one of the group, or is that too nosy of me?” Bessie asked.

  “I’m more or less engaged to a young lady in London whom I’ve known since birth,” he told her. “For the moment, we’re keeping our relationship quiet, but some sort of formal announcement will probably be made before the year is out.”

  “Congratulations,” Bessie said. “I’m surprised she didn’t come with you to the island.”

  “She’s in New York City with her family. They like to spend the holidays there. I was going to have a quiet night in for New Year’s Eve, until Howard rang at the last minute and invited me here. I didn’t see any harm in coming, although I’m quite sorry I did now, of course.”

  “And the others do
n’t know about her?” Bessie checked.

  “I don’t like to talk about my personal life,” he said stiffly. “I’m not sure why I told you about her, but I certainly haven’t mentioned her to that lot.” He inclined his head towards Thie yn Traie. “I used to be good friends with Howard, but we’d grown apart in the last six months. I was surprised when he invited me to the party, but as I said, I didn’t have anything better to do.”

  Bessie nodded. “We’re all hoping the police will have everything sorted very soon,” she said. “I know you’ve all been questioned about your movements that night and whether you saw Gennifer after she left the party.”

  “We have,” Jeremy agreed. “And for what it’s worth, I stayed at the party after Gennifer left, except for a visit to the en-suite attached to my bedroom. I didn’t see Gennifer anywhere.”

  “No one seems to have seen her after she left the party,” Bessie remarked.

  “Except, of course for her killer,” Jeremy intoned seriously.

  “And of course he or she isn’t admitting to anything.”

  “I did hear that one of the empty guest rooms was used by someone that evening,” Jeremy said. “I don’t suppose you know anything about that?”

  “I was actually one of the people who discovered it, while we were looking for Gennifer,” Bessie told him. “I know the police had a crime scene team go through it, but I don’t know what they found.”

  Jeremy frowned. “Maybe that’s where Gennifer was during the hour or so that she was missing.”

  “Or maybe someone used the room some time back and no one noticed until that night,” Bessie suggested. “George and Mary haven’t moved in yet, and Elizabeth is only using a few rooms. I can’t imagine anyone has been checking on empty rooms on a regular basis.”

  “Again, none of this is really our concern,” Jeremy said. “I’m quite happy to let the police do their job and work it all out. I just wish they’d do so a little bit more quickly.”

  “Yes, well, I’m sure they’re doing their very best,” Bessie said, saying what was expected, rather than what she actually believed.

  “I’d better get that bag up to the house so that Elizabeth can get started,” he said, getting to his feet. “She’s promised us something delicious for pudding tonight and we’re all looking forward to it.”