Aunt Bessie Observes (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 15)

by Diana Xarissa

  “Is he bringing one tomorrow night?” Doona asked.

  “He is,” Bessie replied. “He told me her name, but it’s gone right out of my head. Perhaps we should all just call her Heather.”

  “Why Heather?” Janet asked.

  Bessie laughed and then explained about Genevieve and her insistence on calling all of Scott’s companions Heather.

  “I’m surprised he doesn’t do something similar,” Joan remarked. “It would make things easier for him, surely.”

  “Mary is on the committee as well,” Bessie said. “But I know she didn’t have anything to do with the murders.”

  “What about George?” John asked. “Could Grant have been involved with the pair?”

  Bessie frowned as she considered the idea. George’s former business partner, Grant Robertson, had been involved in a number of criminal activities. When the police started to close in on him, he’d managed to disappear without a trace. George had faced a lengthy criminal investigation, but had eventually been cleared of all wrongdoing. It had taken a while for some of his business colleagues to trust George again, but it seemed to Bessie as if things were slowly settling down and returning to something like normal.

  “I hope not,” Bessie said. “George has had a hard time lately. If Grant was involved with Jonathan and Nathan and that comes out, it will be very hard on George.”

  “Hard enough that he might commit murder to prevent it?” John asked.

  Bessie shook her head. “George is loud and slightly obnoxious, but I can’t believe that he’d ever do anything to hurt anyone.”

  “What if Jonathan and Nathan had some evidence that George knew more about Grant’s activities than George wants to admit?” Hugh asked.

  “Even then, I think George would just deal with the repercussions,” Bessie said, hoping she was right. ‘He’s been investigated and cleared by the police, anyway, so there can’t be anything for him to admit to.”

  “That’s not necessarily the case,” John said.

  Bessie raised an eyebrow. What did John mean by that?

  “What about Mary?” Joan asked. “If she knew her husband was going to be found out, would she kill for him?”

  “Mary wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Bessie said quickly. “She’s simply not capable of murder.”

  “Everyone is capable of murder,” Hugh said. His phone buzzed loudly. He glanced at it and frowned.

  “Is Grace okay?” Bessie asked.

  “She says she’s feeling a bit better and maybe even a little hungry,” he replied.

  “That’s good news,” Bessie said.

  “Yes, but there isn’t a lot of food in the house. We usually go shopping on the weekend. She’s hoping I can stop somewhere and get her a box of cereal or something like that for her dinner,” Hugh explained.

  “The shop at the top of the hill will have cereal,” Bessie reminded him. “Maybe get a loaf a bread as well. Dry toast often helps with upset stomachs.”

  Hugh nodded. “I think I’d better go, though, sorry.”

  “You’ve no need to be sorry,” John told him. “Just try not to catch it yourself. I really don’t want it going though the station.”

  Hugh nodded. “I’ll do my best, sir,” he said.

  Bessie walked Hugh to the door and gave him a hug before sending him on his way. While she was doing that, Doona cleared the table and began running water for washing up.

  “What else is there to discuss?” Bessie asked John.

  “We haven’t talked about means or opportunity, really,” he replied. “Essentially, though, opportunity is wide open. The coroner is having trouble working out exact times of death for both men. In both cases, therefore, we have a fairly large window during which the murder might have happened. A few of the people we’ve discussed tonight have alibis or partial alibis for one or both murders, but aside from Kathryn Kelly, who wasn’t on the island when Jonathan died, we’re considering that everyone had the opportunity.”

  “But they had to get inside locked properties,” Janet said. “Surely that requires a certain level of skill?”

  “It does, but both Jonathan and Nathan were known to be decently capable at picking locks. Neither property had very good locks. From their criminal records, I would suggest that either man could easily have gained entry to both properties.”

  “So the killer just had to arrange to meet them there,” Bessie said.

  “Or take them there,” John told her. “The men didn’t have a car with them on the island. I understand that they were mostly using taxis.”

  “But you haven’t found one that brought them to Laxey just before the first body turned up?” Bessie asked.

  “We haven’t found any trace of them using a taxi after the one that they took from Matty Monroe’s house the night they left there. It dropped them off in Douglas, right on the promenade,” John said.

  “What about means?” Doona asked. “You said they were both struck with a blunt object?”

  “Yes, and we haven’t found the object or objects,” John told her.

  “Struck from behind?” Bessie asked.

  “Maybe,” John replied. “They were both struck repeatedly, so it’s difficult to tell which was the first blow.”

  Bessie shuddered. “I’m not sure I want to know any more,” she said. “But I will ask whether the blows came from above or not. What I mean is, was the killer taller than the victims?”

  “Impossible to say,” John told her. “The victims might have been sitting or even lying down when they were struck. They were both moved after they were dead, although not very far.”

  “Moved?” Bessie echoed.

  “I can’t tell you anything more than that,” John said after a moment. “I probably shouldn’t have told you that much.”

  “So where does all of this leave us?” Bessie asked.

  “It leaves me with a few interesting lines of questioning to pursue tomorrow,” John said. “Do you know if there are any tickets left for the party tomorrow night? I’d really like to be there.”

  “I’ll make sure you can get in,” Bessie promised. “Hugh is welcome as well if he wants to come.”

  “Excellent. And on that note, I think we could all do with some sleep,” John said. “I’ve had far too many late nights this past week.”

  “As have we,” Joan said, getting to her feet.

  Janet stood up slowly, lifting the sleeping Aggie as she did so. “Thank you for having us and for letting me bring Aggie,” she told Bessie.

  “She was no bother at all,” Bessie replied. “And I’m glad you came.”

  “We haven’t talked about what we’re going to do tomorrow yet,” Janet said. “We don’t have to be at House of Mannanan until one.”

  “Let’s see how we feel in the morning,” Joan suggested. “I’m too tired to think right now.”

  “I’m going to walk the sisters home,” John told Bessie. “I’ll come back for Doona after I’ve checked their cottage over.”

  Bessie nodded and then let the trio out. Doona had finished the washing-up, so she and Bessie simply chatted while they waited for John to return. Once everyone was gone, Bessie took herself off to bed. It had already been a busy and exhausting week and her Thursday was going to be a very busy one.

  CHAPTER 13

  When Bessie woke up the next morning, she was delighted to see the sun peeking out from behind a few stray clouds. She hurried through her shower and just had a quick bowl of cereal before heading out for her morning walk. Deep breaths of fresh sea air made her feel good from head to toe. That the sun was shining was a definite bonus. Thie yn Traie felt far too close to home today, so she pushed on, marching purposefully across the sand.

  Because she was meeting the Markham sisters at nine, she knew she couldn’t walk as far as the new houses. Once they came into distant view, she turned for home. It was probably just her imagination that made the bright yellow crime scene tape seem so visible in the distance. Bessie shivered in spit
e of the warmth of the sun and increased her pace. She was back at Treoghe Bwaane with time to spare.

  “Ah, Bessie, we were just trying to work out what to do with our morning,” Janet said as she let Bessie into their holiday cottage a short time later. “We were hoping you might have some suggestions.”

  “What about Peel Castle?” Bessie asked. “It’s only a short distance from the House of Mannanan, so we wouldn’t have to worry about getting from one to the other.”

  “That’s probably a good idea,” Joan said.

  “Otherwise, we could visit the Laxey Wheel,” Bessie added. “That’s close to home.”

  “I think I’d rather see Peel Castle,” Janet replied. “We’ve been to the Laxey Wheel before.”

  “We’ve been to Peel Castle before, too,” Joan said. “But I always enjoying visiting it again. There’s so much to see. I’m sure we haven’t seen it all.”

  “The audio tour does a good job of highlighting the most interesting things,” Bessie told her. “But I can point out a few things that the audio tour misses out.”

  “Peel Castle it is,” Janet said. “Let me run a comb through my hair and then I’ll be ready.”

  Bessie sat down on the nearest chair. Aggie wandered up and gave her a quizzical look. “Did you want something?” Bessie asked her.

  Aggie nodded and then jumped into Bessie’s lap. Bessie wasn’t particularly fond of cats, but there was something likeable about Aggie. She gave the kitten a good scratch behind the ears.

  “Don’t let her bother you,” Joan said.

  “She’s not,” Bessie assured her.

  Janet was back a moment later. “Oh, dear, Aggie, you are a pest, aren’t you?” she asked.

  Bessie shook her head. “She’s fine. I would have chased her away if I minded.”

  “Are we all ready to go?” Joan asked.

  Janet lifted Aggie off of Bessie’s lap and gave her a hug. “I’ve left plenty of food for you,” she told the animal. “We’ll be back for a short while later this afternoon to get changed for the party.”

  “Meerrroowww,” Aggie replied.

  “She does seem to understand you,” Bessie said.

  “She’s a very clever little thing,” Janet replied.

  The drive across the island didn’t take long. “I’ve driven to Peel so many times this trip that it’s starting to feel routine,” Joan said.

  “I am sorry that so much of your holiday has been taken up with this fundraiser,” Bessie told the sisters. “And tomorrow the conference starts.”

  “It’s fine,” Janet said quickly. “We like being useful, truly we do. It isn’t as if this is the first time we’ve been to the island. We have been to all of the sights before. It’s been fun, this time, spending time with you, doing something completely different.”

  “Janet is right,” Joan added. “It has been nice being able to help out. We need to get more involved in similar things in Doveby Dale, really.”

  “After what happened last time, I don’t know that we’ll be invited to help with any more fundraisers there,” Janet laughed.

  Bessie directed Joan to drive past the House of Mannanan and onto the causeway that connected St. Patrick’s Isle to the mainland. There was a small car park for the castle. A strong breeze was blowing as the trio made their way from the car park to the castle entrance.

  “We might just be blown right over to the House of Mannanan,” Janet said.

  “Or beyond,” Joan added, as another gust blew around them.

  “It will be even windier on the castle grounds,” Bessie warned them. “It isn’t too late to change our plans.”

  “A little wind doesn’t bother me,” Joan said stoutly.

  “Me, either,” Janet said. “But if you’d rather not, Bessie, we can do something else.”

  “Oh, I’m fine,” Bessie assured her. “This is only a breeze, really.”

  Dan, behind the ticket window, greeted Bessie like an old friend, which she was. “It’s good to see you,” he said. “You don’t visit us out here often enough.”

  “It’s a long way to go to look at a pile of old rocks,” Bessie teased. “You really need to fix some of these old buildings up and make them more attractive for visitors.”

  Dan laughed. “I was thinking we should put a flat in the Round Tower,” he told her. “Housing is getting so expensive around here, someone would probably pay a fortune to live there.”

  “I don’t know,” Bessie mused. “It would be hard to put furniture in a round building.”

  “You may be right about that,” Dan said, chuckling.

  He gave the women their audio tour guides. “If you have any questions, I’ll be here all morning. Although I’m sure Bessie can answer your questions at least as well as I can, and maybe better,” he told the Markham sisters.

  “I don’t know about that,” Bessie said. “But I’ll try.”

  Ninety minutes later, the trio had tramped across the entire site, battling the odd gust of wind and the very uneven ground. Bessie was sitting on a bench watching seals sunbathing on the rocks below the castle when Joan joined her.

  “I’m worn out,” she admitted as she sat down. “But there were many things I’d forgotten and some that I think were new on this visit.”

  “How long has it been since we’ve been here?” Janet demanded as she plopped down on Bessie’s other side. “I only remembered a tiny fraction of the interesting things about the castle.”

  “I think it must have been at least five years since we’ve been here,” Joan said. “We stopped coming because we said we’d already seen it so many times.”

  “Well, we were wrong to stop,” Janet said. “And if we visit again next year, I want to come again. Maybe on a day when we’ll have more time so that I can do the audio tour twice.”

  Bessie grinned. “I’m glad you enjoyed it so much,” she said. “If you’re done we’ll have just enough time for a pub lunch before we’re due at the House of Mannanan.”

  “That sounds perfect,” Janet said. “I need to warm up, that’s for sure.”

  “One of the pubs we’ve been in before or somewhere new?” Bessie asked as Joan began the short drive back along the causeway.

  “Somewhere new,” Janet said.

  Bessie had Joan park in the House of Mannanan car park, and then she led the sisters to a pub nearby.

  “They do wonderful soups here,” Bessie said. “Even though the sun was warm, I still feel chilled after being out in that wind.”

  “Soup is exactly what I need,” Janet agreed.

  The pub was about half full, and the trio found a table in a quiet corner. Bessie went to the bar to order tea for all three of them, and to get menus.

  “Tomato basil,” Janet announced after she’d had a look. “That’s exactly what I need right now.”

  “Leek and potato for me,” Joan said.

  Bessie frowned. “They both sound good,” she said. “I may have to flip a coin to decide.”

  In the end, she opted for leek and potato, as that was more bother to make at home than tomato. With their order placed and tea in front of them, they all settled in.

  “I hope you didn’t find last night’s discussion too upsetting,” Bessie said. “I mean, I’ve grown rather used to talking about murder with my friends, but it must have been strange for you.”

  “It was strange, but it wasn’t upsetting,” Janet told her. “I just wish the police could hurry up and work out what happened.”

  “They’re doing their best,” Bessie said.

  “Bessie, I have concerns about Jacqueline,” Janet said hesitantly.

  “About Jacqueline? What sort of concerns?” Bessie asked.

  “I think she may have been involved in the murders,” Janet replied.

  “Why?” was Bessie’s next question.

  Janet took a sip of tea and then sighed deeply. The arrival of their waiter interrupted.

  “Tomato and basil,” he said.

  Janet
raised a hand. He carefully set the steaming bowl of soup in front of her and then put Bessie’s and Joan’s bowls down as well. Bessie inhaled deeply and smiled, happy with her choice. Everyone focussed on eating for several minutes.

  “I think I like the baguette as much as the soup,” Janet said eventually.

  “Yes, the bread is one of the best parts,” Bessie agreed.

  When the bowls were all empty, the waiter suggested pudding.

  “I don’t think we have time,” Janet said, glancing at her watch.

  Bessie looked at hers and gasped. “It’s later than I thought,” she said.

  Joan insisted on paying for lunch before the threesome made their way out of the café and across the road. The woman at the ticket desk smiled and waved as they walked into the House of Mannanan.

  “Agnes arrived about ten minutes ago,” she called. “She’s left me a long list of people she’s expecting.”

  Bessie nodded. “I assume she’s back in the party room?”

  “There or the conference room,” the girl told her. “She’s using both spaces for today.”

  It didn’t take long for them to find her. Agnes was standing in the middle of the party room, smiling broadly.

  “Oh, there you are,” she said. “I was just admiring how wonderful it all looks.”

  “It does look good,” Bessie agreed. “And just about ready for tonight.”

  “We need to tack the copies of the historical documents around the place,” Janet told her. “I thought they would look good if they were pinned to the crates in different ways.”

  While Janet and Joan got to work on that, Bessie looked at Agnes. “What else needs doing?” she asked.

  “I hate to say it, but we need a few more cards written,” Agnes said. “We’ve had a few more last-minute donations.”

  “I’m happy to do that,” Bessie said. “And you should be thrilled to have extra donations.”

  “Oh, I am,” Agnes agreed. “I just wish we could have received them last week so that we would have had plenty of time to organise them. I hate that they’re all jumbled up, but I haven’t had the time to try to sort them in any way.”

  “Maybe we could do something like that once the last cards are written,” Bessie suggested. “It would make sense to try to keep similar items together, I suppose.”