Aunt Bessie Likes

by Diana Xarissa

  Aunt Bessie Likes

  An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery

  Diana Xarissa

  Text Copyright © 2017 Diana Xarissa

  Cover Photo Copyright © 2017 Kevin Moughtin

  All Rights Reserved

  For happy couples everywhere.

  And happy single people, too!

  Author’s Note

  I’m surprised and delighted when I think that this is the twelfth book in the Aunt Bessie series. I’m still enjoying writing about Bessie and her friends. Thank you for coming on this journey with me.

  If you are new to the series, Bessie first appeared in my romance novel, Island Inheritance. She was the source of the inheritance, however, so we learned her life story mostly through diaries and letters. Unable to let go of the character, I decided to give her her own cozy mystery series. It was one of my better decisions in life!

  Because of the whole being dead thing, the mysteries are set around fifteen years before the romance. The first Bessie book took place in March, 1998, and they’ve continued on from there. I always suggest that you read them in order, as the characters do change and develop, but I write each one to stand alone as well.

  This is a work of fiction and all of the characters are fictional creations. Any resemblance they share with any real person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The Isle of Man is very real and a truly special place. The historical sites mentioned within the story are also real. The various businesses in the story, however, are fictional and any resemblance that any of them bear to real businesses is also coincidental.

  I’ve used British (and Manx) spellings and terminology throughout the book, and there is a short glossary of terms in the back to help readers from outside the UK with anything that might be unfamiliar. The longer I live in the US, the more likely it is that more Americanisms will sneak into the texts. I’m sorry about that, and if you let me know, I will try to correct them.

  The picture on the cover of the book is of St. Lupus Church in Kirk Malew on the Isle of Man. It is situated near Castletown. Built in the twelfth century, it is one of the oldest churches on the island still in use as a church.

  Remember, I love hearing from readers. Please feel free to get in touch in whatever manner most suits you. There are contact details in the back of the book. (I would especially love snail mail, as my daughter usually checks my post office box with me, and she’s always disappointed when it’s empty!)

  Table of Contents

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Glossary of Terms

  Other Notes

  Aunt Bessie Meets

  By the Same Author

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  “I don’t know. Maybe the blue one is better,” Doona said, turning slowly in front of the shop’s largest mirror.

  “I liked the blue one better,” Bessie said firmly. “And the blue hat is nicer than that one, as well.”

  Doona patted the hat she was wearing and frowned. “This one is sort of, well, unusual,” she admitted. “I’m still not totally certain that I should wear a hat, anyway.”

  “It’s a wedding,” Bessie replied. “It’s only proper to wear a hat to a wedding.”

  Doona nodded, but she still looked uncertain.

  “That’s great on you,” the shop assistant said as she wandered past with an armful of dresses for another customer. “I love the hat. It’s such an unusual style.”

  “I’m not sure I was going for unusual,” Doona muttered, turning around even more slowly. “Maybe I’ll try the blue one again.”

  “Yes, do that,” Bessie agreed.

  Doona nodded and disappeared into the changing room while Bessie settled back in the comfortable chair that the shop had thoughtfully provided. It was probably meant for long-suffering husbands, but Bessie was quite happy to take advantage of it. This was the fifth shop she and Doona had been in, and while she hated to admit it, Bessie was getting tired.

  “After this, tea and cakes,” Doona said as she stuck her head out of the curtained cubicle. “My treat, since I’m dragging you through every shop in Douglas.”

  Bessie chuckled. “You don’t have to treat, but I won’t say no to a tea break, or a slice of cake, for that matter.”

  Doona nodded and then withdrew behind the curtain once more. With nothing to do but wait, Bessie amused herself by watching the other customers. Douglas sometimes felt quite far away from the small village of Laxey where Bessie had lived for all of her adult life. While she often felt as if she knew nearly everyone in Laxey, when in Douglas she was far less likely to see friends or even acquaintances. The shop they were in had a nice mix of styles that seemed to appeal to everyone from the teens giggling at the front of the shop to the woman near the back who must have been close to Bessie’s own age.

  No one who knew Elizabeth Cubbon, known as Bessie to nearly everyone, was brave enough to ask her exactly how old she was and Bessie certainly wasn’t telling. She rarely gave her age a thought, preferring to focus on how she felt, which was mostly fit and healthy. If pressed, she’d admit to having had her free bus pass for many years now, but would also point out that she was some years away from receiving a telegram from the Queen. Having a cottage on the beach meant that she took plenty of exercise each day and breathed in fresh sea air while she walked. She credited both the air and the exercise for her continued good health.

  “It’s just a bit matronly,” Doona complained as she pushed aside the curtain and stepped back out in front of the mirror. “I feel too young to look this old.”

  Bessie studied her friend for a moment and then nodded reluctantly. “You’re right. I think I like the dress so much because it would suit me, but you’re too young for it, really.”

  “I suppose that means more shopping after our tea break,” Doona said with a sigh.

  “I’ll definitely need a slice of cake, then,” Bessie told her.

  Doona nodded before she went back into the changing rooms. Bessie and Doona were unlikely friends, but after knowing each other for nearly three years, they’d become extremely close. Doona was in her mid-forties, with two failed marriages behind her. She and Bessie had first met at a Manx language class as her second marriage was ending, and Bessie had provided the right mix of tough love and caring sympathy to get Doona through the worst of her heartbreak. Over the past year Doona had been the one providing support for her friend as Bessie had found herself caught up in multiple murder investigations. Now they were both happy and excited about the impending nuptials of one of their mutual friends.

  “What are you going to wear to the wedding?” Doona asked as the pair settled into seats at the nearest café.

  “I don’t know,” Bessie replied. “I suppose I should go shopping, really. I don’t have any hats anymore, and if I’m going to buy a hat, I may as well buy a dress to go with it.”

  “You don’t have much time,” Doona pointed out. “It’s already the first of February, although where January went, I simply don’t know.”

  “Time does seem to be moving very quickly lately,” Bessie agreed. “But the wedding isn’t until Valentine’s Day. I have plenty of time to shop.”

  “We should have been looking for dresses for you as well. I didn’t even think, sorry.”

/>   “I was looking for me as well, but I didn’t see anything I liked. I’ll probably do my shopping in Ramsey. There are a few shops there that I quite like.”

  “We can stop there on the way home, if you’d like,” Doona offered.

  “It isn’t really on the way home,” Bessie said. “Anyway, I can go shopping any time. This is your only day off this week. Let’s just focus on you.”

  “I don’t want to ask for any time off at the moment. Things are a bit tense at the station and I don’t want to add to the atmosphere.”

  Bessie nodded. Doona was one of the civilian front desk staff at the Laxey branch of the Isle of Man Constabulary. Inspector John Rockwell ran the station and he was a good friend to both women. His second-in-command, Anna Lambert, was sometimes more difficult to work with.

  “Did I mention that Hugh’s invited Inspector Lambert to the wedding?” Doona asked as their tea was delivered.

  “Yes,” Bessie said, pressing her lips together firmly to prevent herself from adding anything to her reply.

  “I know he felt he really had to, as he’d invited everyone else at the station, but I do wish he hadn’t,” Doona said in a quiet voice. “I hope I don’t get stuck sitting with her at the reception.”

  “Oh, that would be awful,” Bessie exclaimed. She blushed and shook her head. “That’s not fair. I don’t much like how the woman does her job, or like her as a person, but I’m sure we can find a way to get along for a few hours if we have to, for Hugh’s sake.”

  Doona nodded unenthusiastically. “Maybe Hugh can put her with some of his more distant relatives,” she suggested. “You know, the ones you don’t really like but have to invite anyway.”

  Bessie laughed. “As I understand it, it’s going to be a fairly small wedding. I’m not sure he’s invited his more distant relatives.”

  Hugh Watterson, a young police constable in Laxey, was marrying his pretty blonde girlfriend, Grace Christian, on Valentine’s Day. As a primary schoolteacher, Grace wasn’t any wealthier than her husband-to-be, so they were keeping the wedding as small and affordable as possible. Neither set of parents had the money to throw the couple a lavish affair, either, although Bessie had heard that both sets were giving the couple what they could to help them make a deposit on their first home together.

  “Hugh’s taking a week off after the wedding,” Doona said. “That’s one of the reasons why things are a bit tense at work.”

  “Why would that cause tension?”

  “Constables are meant to book their holidays well in advance,” Doona explained. “Asking for an entire week off on such short notice didn’t sit well with Inspector Lambert.”

  “They did plan the wedding in something of a hurry,” Bessie said. Hugh had finally worked up the nerve to ask Grace to marry him after a difficult murder investigation where Hugh had actually been a suspect. All of that had taken place at the very beginning of the new year, and once Grace had said yes, Hugh had been determined to make her his wife as quickly as possible.

  “Yes, well, John gave Hugh permission for the week off without asking Inspector Lambert for her opinion. I gather if she had been asked, that she wouldn’t have been as quick to agree.”

  “It’s Hugh’s honeymoon. Anyway, he deserves a break after everything that happened last month. A great deal of the stress and strain he was put under was down to how Inspector Lambert handled the investigation.”

  “She said she doesn’t want to start a precedent, but I don’t think any of the other constables are giving any thought at all to getting married. They all seem to be enjoying the single life, sometimes a bit too much.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being single,” Bessie said stoutly.

  “Of course not,” Doona agreed. “Although weddings are fun, too.”

  “Yes, and I imagine honeymoons are quite nice,” Bessie, who’d never been married herself, said.

  “Yes, they can be,” Doona replied. “Although Hugh and Grace are just going to Ramsey for the week, I gather. Hugh said something about getting a special price for a week at the Seaview, which is lovely, but it’s not exactly the most romantic honeymoon destination.”

  “The Seaview is one of the nicest hotels on the island, but it would be nicer for them to get away properly,” Bessie said thoughtfully.

  The delivery of thick slices of Victoria sponge ended that particular conversation. Refreshed by tea and cake, the pair headed back out into the high street to continue searching for the perfect dress for Doona.

  “This might be it,” she called from behind a fitting room door an hour later. “I really love this one.”

  Bessie studied her friend for a short while before she spoke. “It’s almost perfect,” she said eventually. “But not with that hat.”

  Doona frowned. “I have to agree. This hat isn’t working with this dress. But I love the dress. I’ll just have to look for a different hat.”

  “Remember the hat in the second place we went to?” Bessie asked her. “That would be perfect with that dress.”

  Doona thought for a moment and then nodded happily. “You’re absolutely right,” she said. “I’ll just pay for the dress and then we can go over and get that hat.”

  Bessie sat back with a happy sigh as Doona went to change. Her best friend was going to look lovely at Hugh’s wedding, and Bessie wouldn’t be the only woman wearing a hat, which was sometimes the case these days.

  “Let’s go and get lunch,” Doona suggested a short time later as the pair made their way back to Doona’s car with the dress and hat safely purchased.

  “I’m not all that hungry after that huge slice of cake,” Bessie replied. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Oh, something extravagant and decadent,” Doona laughed. “But we can skip lunch and go somewhere for dinner instead, if you’d like.”

  “I can, if it’s an early dinner,” Bessie said. “Hugh’s coming over at half six so I’ll need to be home by then.”

  “Is he bringing all of his case files?” Doona asked. “He’s become quite obsessed with some of them.”

  While Hugh had been suspended during the recent murder investigation, John Rockwell had given him some cold case files to study. “He’s bringing over the files that he’s most interested in,” Bessie replied. “He’s hoping I can help fill in more background information and maybe help him find a starting point for reopening at least one or two of the investigations.”

  “If anyone can help him, it’s you,” Doona said. “You know everything there is to know about everything that’s ever happened in Laxey.”

  Bessie laughed. “Not exactly, but I have lived there for a long time. I’m really hoping I can help. It would be nice to see some of the old cases solved.”

  To fill the time before dinner, Doona drove them to Ramsey, where they had a wander around the large bookshop and then did some grocery shopping. That meant a stop at Bessie’s cottage to drop off groceries before heading out for their evening meal.

  As they’d skipped lunch, Bessie didn’t feel at all guilty about having something indulgent for dinner. The new fish and chips shop that had just opened in Laxey was getting rave reviews from Bessie’s friends, so she was eager to try it.

  “I can see why everyone is saying such good things about this place,” she said to Doona after her first bite. “This is delicious.”

  “The best fish and chips I’ve had in ages,” Doona replied.

  “I understand the owners have come from across,” Bessie remarked. “I’m glad they decided to open in Laxey instead of Douglas.”

  “We didn’t have much choice,” the man in the white apron who was walking past said. “We couldn’t afford anything in Douglas. We barely scraped together enough for this place. Now that we’ve been here a few weeks, though, I can see why the island is so popular. It really is something special, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” Bessie agreed. She and Doona introduced themselves to the man, who looked to be in his late forties. He was shor
t and a bit plump, but that was hardly surprising considering his occupation.

  “I’m Dan Houseman,” he told Bessie. “My wife is called Sadie and she’s in the kitchen, frying fish as fast as she can. I’m strictly front of house, as I can burn water on a good day.”

  “Well, she’s very good at what she does,” Bessie told him. “I’m sure you’ll be very popular here in Laxey.”

  “We’d love it if you’d become regulars,” Dan told her. “We’re thinking about starting some sort of loyalty scheme, you know, like the supermarkets do. Every ten meals you buy, you get one free, or something like that.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” Doona said enthusiastically. “Not that I need any excuse to eat more fish and chips.”

  When a large group of people entered the shop, Dan excused himself to help the girl behind the counter with their orders. Bessie crunched her way through the last of her fish with a satisfied smile on her face.

  “I think we should try and eat here at least once a week,” Doona said after she’d swallowed her last chip.

  “I don’t think I should eat fish and chips that regularly,” Bessie replied. “Maybe once a fortnight?”

  Doona laughed and patted her tummy. “You’re right. I shouldn’t eat fish and chips that often, either. I’ve finally lost a few pounds but I’ll put them right back on if this gets to be a habit.”

  Doona was curvier than Bessie, who’d always kept herself fit and slender, but recent stress had caused Doona to lose some of the extra weight she’d carried for years. The dress Doona had purchased for the upcoming wedding was two sizes smaller than what she normally wore, which worried Bessie slightly.

  “You can afford to put a few pounds back on,” she told Doona as the pair got up to leave. “You’ve lost quite a bit of weight.”

  “With everything that happened with Charles, I sort of lost interest in food,” Doona replied. “I’m feeling a lot better now, but I’m determined to keep the weight off.”