Aunt Bessie Remembers

by Diana Xarissa

  Bessie frowned. “One of Elizabeth’s friends, probably. They’re all from London, so they have the greatest chance of having met Mr. Rhodes before. I can’t believe that Elizabeth is covering for anyone, but I suppose if she were that she’d be more likely to cover for one of her friends than anyone else.”

  “Except maybe her parents or Andy?”

  “Maybe, but they didn’t do it, so we don’t have to worry about them,” Bessie said dismissively.

  John nodded. “My thoughts are running along the same lines, although I’m keeping a more open mind than you are.”

  As he started to get to his feet, Bessie put a hand on his arm. “You didn’t ask me about Michael Higgins,” she said.

  “Ah, yes, well, Mr. Higgins is a rather special case. He may well be working with us on this, and he certainly isn’t a suspect.”

  Bessie tried to find out more, but John wouldn’t say anything further on the subject. She was frustrated when she let him out a few minutes later. A glance at the kitchen clock showed that she had about an hour to fill before lunch. Maybe another walk on the beach would do her some good.

  Chapter 6

  It was still raining lightly, so Bessie went to find herself an umbrella before she headed out. She’d found an old favourite in the back of her wardrobe, and was almost at the door when the phone rang. While she considered letting the answering machine pick up, she knew she wouldn’t be able to leave until she’d heard whatever message might be left. It was probably faster and easier to simply answer the phone.

  “Bessie? It’s Mary. I know you probably don’t want to talk to me after last night, but I wanted to see how you are.”

  “I’m fine, and I’m always happy to talk to you,” Bessie replied. “How are you holding up?”

  “I hate being caught up in the middle of another murder investigation, but otherwise I’m fine. Feel free to refuse, but I was wondering if you’d like to join me for lunch? We have a house full of guests, none of whom are inclined to go out anywhere, and I would love to have someone my own age to talk to while we eat.”

  Bessie hesitated. She liked Mary a lot, and she knew the woman was painfully shy. Having to sit through lunch with all of Elizabeth’s friends would be difficult for her. While Bessie wasn’t particularly eager to see the young people again, it was also remotely possible that she might pick up a clue or two for John over lunch. “Of course I’ll come,” she said after a moment.

  “Should I send a car?”

  “No, don’t. I was just going out for a walk. I’ll come up from the back, assuming the police constable will let me.”

  “I’ll let him know that you’re expected,” Mary promised. “He’s not meant to stop legitimate visitors, just uninvited ones.”

  “I should be there in about twenty minutes, unless that’s too soon,” Bessie said.

  “No, that’s perfect. We can have a few minutes of peace and quiet together before lunch.”

  Bessie put the phone down and glanced at her clothes. She was far too casually dressed for lunch at Thie yn Traie. No doubt Mary would be wearing something gorgeous and expensive. Bessie slipped off her raincoat and headed back upstairs. She changed into a nice skirt and a matching jumper.

  The constable was expecting her when she arrived at the bottom of the stairs to Thie yn Traie a short while later.

  “Miss Cubbon, if you could just wait here, please,” he said. “Someone is coming down to escort you up the stairs.”

  Bessie frowned. “I’m quite capable of walking up stairs all by myself,” she said tartly.

  “But you’ll let me fuss over you because you know I care,” Hugh said from above her.

  Bessie hadn’t noticed his approach, as her umbrella blocked her view. She took the arm he offered and let him lead her up the long and winding flights from the beach to the back of Thie yn Traie.

  “I could have managed on my own,” she repeated herself as they went.

  “The stairs are very slippery when they’re wet,” Hugh said. “I thought coming down to get you was better than standing at the top and worrying about you.”

  Bessie might have argued further, but just then Hugh’s foot slipped slightly and he nearly lost his balance. Bessie held on to him tightly until he was steady again. “See,” he muttered.

  “Good thing I was here,” Bessie laughed.

  At the top, Hugh led Bessie into the house through the back door. Jonathan Hooper was there to take her coat and umbrella.

  “Mrs. Quayle is waiting for you in the great room,” he told Bessie in his formal tone. “If you’d like to come with me?” He held out an arm and Bessie took it.

  “How are you coping with all of this?” Bessie asked as they walked through the corridor.

  “It’s quite trying, really, but I’m surviving. At least the staff should all be out of it, as we were all together in the kitchen during the relevant time.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Bessie said.

  “I’m spending every spare moment trying to find that hidden door,” he whispered. “It’s the only thing that makes any sense, so it has to be here somewhere.”

  “Just be careful,” Bessie told him. “If there is a hidden door and the killer did use it to get to Mr. Rhodes, he or she isn’t going to want anyone else to find it.”

  “I’ll be careful,” Jonathan promised.

  Mary was sitting on a couch in front of the windows. The rest of the room looked very much as it had the previous evening, with the long dining table still in place. Bessie frowned at the row of chairs that had been set up before the lights had been turned off. Why hadn’t anyone tidied them away?

  “Bessie, thank you so much for coming,” Mary said, getting to her feet and crossing the room to give Bessie a hug. “I wouldn’t have blamed you one bit if you’d told me you never wanted to come to Thie yn Traie again.”

  “Are we having lunch in here?” Bessie asked.

  “No, we’re leaving this room exactly as it was last night, at least for the time being,” Mary sighed. “I managed to persuade Inspector Rockwell that he didn’t need to put police tape all over everything, but effectively the room is considered a crime scene, or rather, that half of the room is.”

  “I’m surprised he’s letting you use the rest of the room.”

  “He probably would rather we didn’t, but George rang the chief constable and got permission for us to use it if we promise to stay away from the table where we ate and the chairs that were used during the pretend murder,” Mary told her. “I probably should just have had the butler lock the doors and keep everyone out, but it’s my favourite place to sit and think. I’m being very careful and I’m not letting anyone else in.”

  Bessie nodded. Not doubt John would have preferred that the room was locked and inaccessible, too, but George and the chief constable were friends. The chief constable would probably prefer if John let Mary and George move the furniture back where it belonged entirely. “I think I’d rather sit somewhere else, if you don’t mind,” she told Mary.

  “We can go through to the dining room,” Mary said. “Our chef is just putting out a buffet lunch for people so that they can help themselves whenever they’re hungry.”

  Bessie followed Mary down a long corridor, past the kitchen where a handful of staff were hard at work. The dining room was enormous, with a long rectangular table at its centre. Bessie quickly counted the seats. There were twenty chairs around the table, but Bessie imagined that many more could be fit into the gaps between the chairs. Sean Rice was sitting on his own with a plate of food in front of him. As Bessie and Mary walked into the room he jumped to his feet.

  “The butler said I could just help myself,” he said apologetically. “I didn’t realise anyone else was coming.”

  “I’m hoping everyone is coming down,” Mary told him. “I’d hate for the kitchen to have to make individual meals for everyone throughout the day. Mr. Hooper has gone to invite everyone to lunch.”

  “I should have wait
ed, then,” Sean said.

  “Not at all. It’s meant to be an informal buffet luncheon,” Mary assured him. “Bessie and I will be eating now. We aren’t waiting for the others either.”

  Mary walked over to the table along the far wall. The vast quantity and variety of food on offer surprised Bessie.

  “Everything looks wonderful,” she told Mary.

  “I won’t promise it all will be wonderful,” Mary said in a low voice. “Our chef is often more ambitious than successful, but she’s trying. I would love to hire Andy in her place, but he’s not interested in the job.”

  “He still has to finish culinary school.”

  “He’s already one of the best chefs I’ve ever known. I’m not sure that culinary school is going to be able to teach him much more.”

  “I believe he’s learning about a great deal more than just cooking. He said something about learning business management and how to deal with staff and all manner of things.”

  “As he’s independently wealthy, I can’t imagine why he’d want to go to all of the trouble to open his own restaurant. I’ve seen how hard Dan and Carol have to work. It’s a very difficult business.”

  “But it’s all that Andy has ever wanted to do,” Bessie told her. “Maybe he’ll modify his plans and simply do catering or open a bakery or something, but he gets enormous satisfaction out of what he does.”

  “And he’s incredibly talented. I should be encouraging him to open that restaurant. George and I would eat there every night.”

  “You want Elizabeth to find something useful to do with her life,” Bessie reminded her friend, “and she’s quite wealthy, isn’t she?”

  Mary laughed. “You’re right, of course. And we make both of our sons work hard as well. It just seems as if Andy has chosen such a difficult career for himself when he doesn’t have to work that hard, that’s all.”

  “Food, how nice,” Ernest McCormick said from the doorway. “I don’t suppose it will be as good as what we were served at the party, but I shouldn’t complain, as I haven’t had to make it myself.”

  His sister laughed. “As if you ever cook anything yourself,” she said. “I cook whenever we eat at home in our flat, which isn’t very often, I must say. We both prefer restaurants to my cooking,” she said to Bessie and Mary.

  “I didn’t realise you shared a flat,” Bessie said. She’d filled her plate, so she stepped away from the table to let the brother and sister have their turn.

  “Oh, yes, our parents set it all up,” Norma replied. “They gifted us with a gorgeous flat in a wonderful location in London on the condition that we live together. I believe they want me there to keep on eye on my little brother.”

  “If they only knew,” Ernest said with a wink. “Norma is the one who’s out every night until the wee small hours, running around with unsuitable men. I’m usually tucked up in bed by nine.”

  “With some cheap blonde or other to keep you company,” Norma shot back.

  Ernest laughed. “Well, there may be some truth to that, but at least I’m home if Mummy rings to check in on me.”

  “If Mummy would learn to ring my mobile instead of the flat, she would be able to check in on me as well,” Norma sighed.

  “She’s rung my mobile three times already today,” her brother told her.

  “Yes, I’ve talked to her twice and let the third call go to voice mail. Why she should suddenly start using that number today, after all these years, I’ll never understand.”

  “I hope nothing is wrong,” Bessie said as she found a place at the table. She deliberately sat near the centre of the table, hoping she’d be able to talk to everyone as they came in.

  “Mummy is incredibly worried about there being a murderer running around at tiny tray,” Ernest explained.

  “Thie yn Traie,” Bessie corrected his Manx.

  “Yeah, there,” he shrugged. “Anyway, she’s been ringing everyone she can think of to ring, from the island’s lieutenant governor to her own member of parliament. None of them have managed to get us permission to leave, however.”

  “We all need to be patient with the police as they try to work out who killed Inspector Rhodes,” Mary said. “You know you’re all more than welcome here as long as you need to stay.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Vivian said as she strode into the room. Today the girl was wearing a tight T-shirt and a miniskirt that just barely covered her bottom. Bessie held her breath as the girl leaned over the food table to inspect what was on offer. Across from her, Sean sat up and took in the view.

  “I don’t know that I can eat any of this,” the girl said with a sigh. “I have to watch everything I eat so carefully. I can’t afford to gain an ounce, you know. I’ve several modeling gigs booked for when I get back to London.”

  “I can have our chef make you whatever you’d like,” Mary said. She got to her feet. “What can I get for you?”

  Vivian shrugged. “I’m not especially hungry, really. I was just lonely in my room, so I thought I’d come down and hang out in here for a while. Maybe I’ll just have some salad.”

  The girl piled a few lettuce leaves onto a plate and then sat down next to Sean. Ernest and Norma had taken seats on Bessie’s side of the table, but had left a few empty chairs between themselves and Bessie.

  “Everything smells wonderful,” Richard said from the doorway. He crossed the room and began to fill a plate with what looked like a little bit of everything. Vivian jumped back up and joined him at the table.

  “I have to be very careful of what I eat at the moment,” she told Richard, “but it all looks so good. You’ll have to tell me what’s nicest and maybe I’ll try a bit of it.”

  Richard glanced at her and shrugged. “I’m sure it will all be good,” he said.

  “I was wondering where everyone was,” a quiet voice said from the doorway.

  Bessie smiled encouragingly at Madison Fields. “Come and get some lunch,” she told the girl.

  Madison nodded and then crossed to the food table. Richard was still loading up his plate, with Vivian watching his every move. As Madison arrived, Richard smiled at her.

  “Good morning,” he said softly.

  “I believe it’s afternoon now,” Madison replied, “so good afternoon.”

  Richard chuckled. “I’m afraid after last night I’ve lost track of time.”

  “Me, too,” Vivian said loudly. “It definitely feels as if we should be drinking wine with whatever meal this is.”

  Mary stood up again. “I can have someone open a bottle of wine, if you’d like,” she offered.

  “I would definitely like,” Vivian said.

  “Yes, wine would be good right now,” Sean agreed.

  “It’s a bit early in the day,” Richard said. “I think I’ll stick to coffee for now.”

  “There’s coffee?” Vivian asked. “I’ll have coffee, then. We can drink wine with dinner.”

  “Did you want some wine?” Mary asked Sean as Vivian pulled Richard into the other seat next to hers.

  “No, I’m fine,” he said shortly.

  “Madison, sit here,” Richard suggested as the girl turned around with her plate. She’d taken tiny portions of only a few things, Bessie noted.

  “Thank you,” she said as she dropped into the chair next to Richard.

  “How are you?” Bessie asked the girl.

  She looked startled as she looked at Bessie. “Fine, thank you.”

  “I’m sure everything that’s happened has been unsettling,” Bessie suggested.

  “Oh, yes, I’m unsettled, but, I just thought...” she trailed off and looked down at her plate.

  “I’m here,” Elizabeth announced from the doorway. When everyone was looking at her, she swept into the room and then rushed around the table, giving everyone air kisses as she went. “It’s so good to see you all,” she said when she’d finished. “I was worried that you’d all be hiding in your rooms complaining about the party.”

  “
The party was fine,” Sean said. “The murder mystery part went a bit off track, but the food and drink were excellent.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Well, you can’t blame me for the murder mystery part. That was all Susan’s doing.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Susan said as she walked into the room.

  Elizabeth flushed. “Even you have to admit that there were a few flaws in the execution of the murder mystery,” she said to the other woman.

  Susan raised an eyebrow. “Besides the fact that my father was murdered while we were all playing silly games in the dark?”

  Elizabeth opened her mouth to reply but then snapped it shut again. She turned and made her way over to the food table and began to fill a plate.

  “Susan, I’m glad you came down to get something to eat,” Mary said in a gentle voice.

  “I’m not hungry,” Susan said. “I only came down because I couldn’t stand staring at the walls in my room any longer.”

  “You should eat something,” Mary said coaxingly. “At least try something light.”

  Susan shrugged as Mary got to her feet. Elizabeth quickly moved away from the food table and slid into an empty seat near Ernest and Norma. Mary took Susan’s arm and led her to the table. As Susan looked on, Mary filled a plate for her with a little bit of just about everything available.

  “Come and sit with me,” Mary suggested as she turned away from the table. “Bessie and I were just chatting about the weather. It’s been so rainy the last few days, hasn’t it?”

  Susan sat down next to Mary and took a tentative bite of something from her plate. Mary looked over at Bessie.

  “I’m not sure I ever remember an August quite this wet,” Mary said.

  “The island is always rainy,” Bessie replied. “I don’t pay much attention to which month we’re in, really. I just always expect rain.”

  “That’s very pessimistic of you,” Elizabeth said.

  “I don’t think so. I quite like the rain, when it isn’t too heavy or too cold,” Bessie replied.

  “And you truly enjoy sunny days if you’re always expecting rain,” Mary added.

  “Exactly. I have a number of umbrellas and several raincoats, and there’s nothing better than being able to take a long walk and not need either,” Bessie said.