The Green Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 7)

by Diana Xarissa

  “I’ve found you very welcoming,” Janet replied.

  “But you’re a woman,” Nancy said. “You wouldn’t have felt welcome if you were a man.”

  “No, but then I probably wouldn’t have seen the sign for the club in the ladies’ loo at the Doveby Dale grocery shop, either,” Janet countered.

  “Just tell us what you think of the idea,” Harriet said. “Do you think we should let men join us or not?”

  Janet looked around the table. Everyone was looking at her expectantly and she didn’t have any idea what to say. No matter which answer she gave, it seemed as if half the group would be angry with her.

  “Maybe we should meet the man, or men, in question,” she said finally. “Maybe we could have an extra meeting, a sort of special one where men are included. We could get together afterwards to discuss whether or not we feel comfortable inviting the men in question to join the group properly.”

  “I don’t think so,” Harriet said. “I’m simply not interested in having men in the group, no matter who they are.”

  “I think Janet has a good point,” Martha said. “I don’t really want men here, either, but we should give them a chance to come along and meet everyone. Maybe they won’t like us, and that will take care of that.”

  “Well, I see I’m outvoted,” Harriet said. “Don’t be surprised if I don’t turn up to your special meeting, though.”

  “If you don’t turn up, you don’t get to vote on the final decision,” Nancy said.

  Harriet pressed her lips together and frowned.

  “When can we have our special meeting then?” Martha asked.

  “How about next Friday, the 12th?” Nancy suggested.

  Janet took out her diary and checked the date. “We have a couple arriving that afternoon, but I should be able to make it anyway. They’ve stayed with us before and they aren’t at all demanding.”

  “I’m free,” Martha said.

  “I can do that as well,” Edna said.

  “I’m not sure,” Harriet said stiffly. “I’ll see.”

  “Very good,” Nancy said. “Let’s save ourselves some trouble and just meet at the café in Doveby Dale.”

  “Of course,” Harriet muttered darkly.

  “Unless you have a different suggestion?” Nancy asked her.

  “No, that’s fine,” Harriet replied. “Just don’t be surprised if I don’t make it.”

  Nancy nodded and then looked around the table. “I think that’s all for tonight, then,” she said dismissively.

  Janet was hoping for a chance to talk more with Edna and Martha, but everyone walked out together. Nancy stood and watched as everyone climbed into their cars. It wasn’t until Janet was pulling out of the car park that she saw Nancy turn and walk towards her own car. Janet shrugged and headed for home.

  “Did you have a nice evening?” Paul asked from his seat on the sitting room sofa as Janet walked into Doveby House. His long blond hair was out of its usual ponytail and his glasses looked as if they’d been cleaned recently.

  “It was fine,” Janet said, feeling too tired to go into any detail. Aggie looked up from her place on Paul’s lap and meowed softly. “Yes, I’m going up to bed now,” Janet told her kitten. “If you want to sleep with me, you’ll have to get up.”

  Janet would swear the animal understood every word as Aggie looked from Paul to Janet and back again. Joan joined them before Aggie had made her decision. Michael appeared behind Joan.

  “How was your evening?” Joan asked.

  “Fine,” Janet said. “But very tiring, for some reason.”

  “Having known Nancy Johnson and Harriet Thomason my entire life, I’m not surprised you’re tired,” Michael said. “They’ve never been able to get along and I’m sure that hasn’t changed. No doubt you’re tired from having to listen to them bicker all night.”

  “I forgot that you grew up in Doveby Dale, too,” Janet exclaimed. “But why do they spend time together if they don’t like each other?”

  Michael shrugged. “I think they both live in fear of learning that the other one did something enjoyable and they missed it,” he said.

  Janet laughed. “That actually seems about right,” she said.

  “I know I’m the one who encouraged you to join the group,” Joan said. “But if you aren’t enjoying it, you don’t have to keep going.”

  “I think I’d really like to get to know Edna Green and Martha Scott better,” Janet told her. “They both seem really nice, I just don’t get much chance to talk to them because Harriet and Nancy have such dominant personalities.”

  “Maybe you should invite the ones you do like to have lunch with you one day or something,” Joan suggested.

  “That’s probably against the rules of the group,” Janet said.

  “You’re not serious?” Joan asked.

  “Only about half-serious,” Janet replied. “But I really don’t want to upset anyone, at least not at this point. I’ve only been to two meetings. We’ll see how it goes over time.”

  “At least you only meet once a month,” Joan said.

  “Except we’re having a special meeting next Friday,” Janet told her. “I don’t have to go if you need me here. I know the Ellsworths are arriving that day for their Valentine’s weekend.”

  “I should be able to handle Peter and Paula Ellsworth,” Joan said. “As I recall, they weren’t any work at all.”

  Janet nodded. She’d really liked the young couple who had stayed with them some months earlier. They were struggling with fertility issues and were under a lot of stress, but they’d been almost perfect guests. Janet couldn’t help but hope that Paula might have some very exciting news to share with her when they arrived.

  “I’ll make sure to stay out of the way,” Paul offered.

  “You aren’t ever in the way,” Joan scolded him. “You’ve become part of the family.”

  Janet smiled to herself. Both sisters had been somewhat apprehensive about letting the man stay on a long-term basis, but now she couldn’t imagine the house without him. He put the bins out each week, carried in the shopping when he was there to do so, and just generally helped make the large house feel less empty. They were going to miss him when he went back to London in March.

  “Thanks,” Paul said, grinning.

  “I’m off to bed,” Janet announced. Janet glanced over at Aggie, who seemed to sigh deeply as she looked back at Janet. As Janet turned and headed for the stairs, she was happy to hear the soft thud as Aggie jumped off of Paul’s lap to follow her.

  An hour later, Janet was curled up in bed with Aggie purring beside her. Janet read a few chapters of the Sherlock Holmes novel she was in the middle of and then switched off the light. As she drifted off to sleep, she couldn’t help but feel as if Aggie was the perfect companion.

  The next morning, she changed her mind as Aggie licked her nose and then began to swat at Janet’s exposed ear. “I’m sleeping,” Janet muttered at the playful kitten.

  “Merow,” Aggie said back.

  “Agatha Christie Markham, it’s only six o’clock,” Janet said sternly. “I’ve told you before that I don’t want to be woken up until seven.”

  Aggie tilted her head and stared at Janet as if trying to work out what she’d said. “Merroww,” she said softly.

  Janet sighed and sat up in bed. Aggie leaped back and forth over the shifting covers, swatting at everything and tumbling over her own feet. “You have far too much energy in the morning,” Janet told her.

  Aggie jumped off the bed and ran to the bedroom door. “I have to get showered and dressed first,” Janet warned her as she walked to the door. “You’ll be on your own out there.”

  Aggie bounced in place, eager to run around the rest of the house. “Off you go, then,” Janet said. “I’ll get you your breakfast in a little while.”

  She stood in her doorway and watched the kitten scamper off down the corridor. She’d always wanted a cat and now that she had one she was nearly always p
leased with the surprise from Edward. This morning she still felt tired, though. Shrugging, she headed for the shower. Aggie was hers now, and she wasn’t about to shirk her responsibilities.

  Joan was already in the kitchen, making breakfast for everyone, when Janet went down.

  “I’ve fed the cat, so don’t be fooled by her,” Joan said.

  Janet laughed. On more than one occasion both sisters had given Aggie her breakfast, and once Paul had fed her as well. They were more careful now to make sure that she was only fed twice a day. “Is there anything exciting on our schedule for today?” she asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

  “It’s Saturday and Paul is heading down to London for the weekend,” Joan told her. “I thought I might spend the day with Michael for a change.”

  “The café around the corner from here came up about a dozen times last night,” Janet said. “Now I can’t stop thinking about their fish and chips. I think I’ll buy myself lunch there.”

  “So you won’t mind if I’m out with Michael,” Joan said.

  “Not at all. You go and have fun.”

  “I just need to go over Paul’s room, once he’s gone,” Joan said. “Then I’ll probably be out for most of the day. Michael will drive, though, so you can use the car.”

  “Am I on my own for dinner as well?” Janet asked. “I don’t mind, but I’ll have to do a bit of shopping, I think.”

  “There’s plenty of food in the freezer,” Joan said. “I don’t expect I’ll be back before nine or ten.”

  Janet opened her mouth to ask her sister where she and Michael were going, but then stopped herself. She was just the tiniest bit jealous of her sister’s relationship with their handsome neighbour, and she didn’t want to make things worse by finding out that they were doing something fun while she was having fish and chips alone in the neighbourhood café.

  “We’re going to a conference in Derby on analgesics,” Joan added. “Michael assures me that it will be fascinating.”

  Janet laughed. “I’m sure,” she said dryly. Michael was retired, but clearly he was still fascinated by his old career. Janet couldn’t imagine Joan being the least bit interested in the subject.

  With nothing but a good book waiting for her, Janet helped her sister tidy and vacuum in Paul’s room. The other guest room had been empty for some time.

  “I’ll dust and run the vacuum through before Peter and Paula get here next week,” Joan said. “We needn’t worry about it today.”

  Janet read a few more chapters after Joan left, before deciding to take herself off to the café. She put a small bowl of treats out for Aggie and refilled her water bowl before she went. Taking her current book and a spare, just in case, she drove over to the café and went inside. It was busier than she was expecting, but she found a small table for two in the back corner.

  “You aren’t dining alone?” Ted asked he spotted Janet. Ted ran the dining room in the small café while his partner, Todd, took care of the kitchen.

  “I am,” Janet told him. “Joan’s off with Michael and I decided that I needed some of your fish and chips.”

  “Always an excellent choice,” he told her. Janet opened her book and settled in to read, letting the noise and hubbub around her fade into the background. She was quite immersed in the story when she heard a familiar voice.

  “I think we’d prefer a quiet table near the back,” Nancy Johnson said to Ted.

  Janet looked up and smiled, ready to wave to the woman. She stopped herself when she saw that she wasn’t alone. The man with her was a total stranger to Janet, but she disliked him immediately.

  Chapter Four

  As the pair walked towards her, Janet quickly buried her nose in her book again. Nancy didn’t seem to notice her as she sat down at the table beside Janet. She sat with her back to Janet, across from her companion, leaving Janet plenty of opportunity to discreetly study the man from behind her book.

  Janet usually thought she was good at guessing people’s ages, but she wasn’t certain about the man with Nancy. His hair was dark brown with only a faint smattering of grey scattered through it. Surely that couldn’t be created artificially, Janet thought. Even at some distance, Janet could see that his eyes were a stunningly bright green. He was wearing a suit that looked custom-made for his trim shape. As Janet sipped her drink she decided that he was at least fifty and probably more likely to be in his sixties, like his companion.

  “Would you like drinks while you look over the menu?” Ted asked the pair.

  “I usually drink wine with my meals,” the man said. “But I don’t suppose you do that here.”

  Janet frowned at the man’s condescending tone. If he’d wanted wine, he should have gone somewhere other than a small café.

  “Now, Gerald, I did warn you,” Nancy said. “I simply don’t have time for a long lunch today. You’ll have to make do with tea or a fizzy drink if you want my company.”

  “I most definitely want your company,” the man said smoothly.

  Janet frowned behind her book. She hadn’t even met him, but she didn’t like Gerald very much.

  “So what would you recommend?” Gerald asked Nancy after they’d ordered their drinks.

  “The food here is simple, but tasty,” Nancy replied. “I think I’ll have a jacket potato with cheese and some salad.”

  “Perhaps I’ll just have a ham sandwich,” Gerald told her. “They can’t get that wrong, surely?”

  “As I said, the food is generally quite good.”

  “Yes, well, I hope you’re right.”

  Ted was back with their drinks, and Janet found that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the couple. Ted took their order and then brought Janet her food.

  “Here we are,” he said brightly. “Fish and chips.”

  “Thank you,” Janet said quietly, glancing at the other table, hoping that Nancy hadn’t noticed her.

  “Enjoy,” Ted added before he walked away.

  Janet quickly put her head down, staring hard at the book in front of her. After a moment or two, she looked up. Nancy and Gerald were sipping their drinks and paying no attention to Janet whatsoever.

  “So, when I can meet your little group of friends?” Gerald asked after he’d finished the last of his fizzy drink.

  “A couple of people in the group aren’t sure they want to welcome men into the membership,” Nancy explained in an apologetic voice. “But you can come to our meeting on Friday and make the case for yourself there.”

  “This coming Friday?” he checked.

  “Yes, is that okay?”

  “Of course it is. I wanted to be sure. I’d hate to miss the meeting. I’m off to London this afternoon, but I’ll be back some time on Friday. Where are we meeting?”

  “Just here at the café,” Nancy said. “It’s convenient for everyone, at least.”

  “I just hope I can charm them into letting me join,” Gerald said. “If you have any suggestions for the best way to do that, please do tell.”

  Nancy shrugged. “Harriet is the one you’ll really have to sell on the idea,” she said. “She doesn’t understand why you’re interested in joining our little group.”

  Gerald sighed. “It’s so difficult, making friends later in life. I think I’d join just about any group right now, if it meant I could start having some sort of social life.” He leaned over and took Nancy’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’re the only person I’ve met who’s made any effort me make me feel welcome in Doveby Dale. Surely it’s only natural that I want to get involved in the activities you enjoy.”

  Nancy blushed. “I try to be welcoming to everyone,” she said. “I grew up here and I still find it difficult to make new friends.”

  “So I must charm Harriet,” Gerald said. “But tell me about the others so I’m prepared.”

  “Martha is the other person who’s not keen on letting men into the group,” Nancy said. “But she’s more easily swayed. Just be nice to her and she won’t be able to vote
against you.”

  “Got it.”

  “Edna’s a bit of a strange one,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “I didn’t think she’d like the idea of letting men join, but she actually said she has a male friend who might be interested in coming as well. I can’t imagine who it might be, but you could have some competition on Friday.”

  Gerald laughed. It was a booming and rather unpleasant laugh, at least as far as Janet was concerned. “I’m not worried about that,” he said confidently.

  “That just leaves Janet,” Nancy said.

  Janet held her breath, thinking of the old adage that you never hear anything good about yourself.

  “And what does Janet think of letting men into the group?” Gerald asked.

  “She wouldn’t take a side,” Nancy said, sounding annoyed. “She’s the one who suggested we have this meeting on Friday.”

  “Seems quite sensible,” Gerald said.

  “I suppose so,” Nancy said grudgingly. “I simply don’t know the woman well enough to work out which way she’s leaning, and she may well have the deciding vote.”

  “If they vote against me, I suppose we can always start our own little group,” Gerald said, patting Nancy’s hand.

  Ted delivered their food then, which interrupted the conversation. As Gerald took huge bites of his sandwich, Janet began to think that she might just avoid having to get up and walk past the couple to leave. Gerald was probably going to finish his lunch before Janet finished hers.

  “I quite like the group I’m already in,” Nancy said after a few bites of her lunch. “I started it twenty-odd years ago, you know. We used to be a lot more involved in the community and whatnot. In the last few years it has rather become just a group that meets for dinner once a month, but maybe it’s time to start doing more again.”

  “I’d love to be a part of that,” Gerald said. “I want to do everything I can to make Doveby Dale the most perfect little village in Derbyshire.”

  Janet held up her book and made a face. She didn’t like the man at all and she couldn’t help but wonder why he was eager to join their group. His line about needing friends didn’t quite ring true for Janet.