A few minutes later, Fenella headed out of the building to do some shopping. While it would have been easier to take Mona’s car, she wasn’t ready for that challenge yet. Feeling slightly foolish, she walked to the nearest grocery store the long way around. She also still wasn’t ready to walk back through the alley behind the building.
A large display at the front of the store showcased what they called “wheeled shopping trolleys” and Fenella couldn’t resist taking a look. They weren’t exactly fashionable, but a trolley would make her shopping trips much easier. After considering a few plain ones, she decided to be bold and chose a bright purple one with large pink polka dots. If she was going to use the stupid thing, she was going to at least pretend to be happy about it.
The trip around the store didn’t take long, even though she still wasn’t sure where to find things. She’d only planned for a few meals, reasoning that she could shop whenever she wanted to now that she wasn’t working. At the checkout, the girl filled a few bags and Fenella carefully packed everything into her new shopping trolley.
“It’s really bright, anyway,” the girl said, nodding toward the trolley. “You won’t misplace it, will you?”
“I hope not,” Fenella laughed.
She made her way back to her building, happily pushing her trolley and feeling grateful that she didn’t have to carry plastic shopping bags today. As she turned the corner and began to walk down the promenade on the last leg of the journey, she noticed the distinctive markings on the car that was parked at the curb. What was a police car doing at her building?
“I hardly think this is necessary,” Suzy was saying loudly as Fenella entered the building’s lobby area. “I’m quite sure I can answer all of your questions without going down to the station.”
Fenella walked toward the elevators as slowly as she could reasonably walk, not wanting to look as if she was being nosy, but desperate to find out what was happening.
Suzy was standing in the center of the room with a uniformed police constable on either side of her. Her feet were firmly planted and it looked as if the constables were having some trouble persuading her to come with them.
“I’m sorry, but we’ve been asked to bring you down to the station,” one of the young uniformed men said. “We’re just following our orders.”
“Whose orders?” Suzy demanded.
The two men exchanged glances and then one of them spoke. “We’re just constables,” he said. “We get told what to do by dispatch and we do it. We’re not informed as to where the orders come from.”
Suzy narrowed her eyes. “This simply won’t do,” she said loudly. “I’m too busy to waste my morning playing nice with the police. You can’t make me go to the station.”
“Actually, we can,” Inspector Robinson’s voice was cool as he crossed the lobby. “I can place you under arrest if you prefer. For the moment, I’d rather you went willingly. I’m sure you’re eager to help us with our investigation.”
Suzy laughed. “I’m not, actually. I think you’re going to have to arrest me.”
The inspector nodded and opened his mouth; before he could speak, however, a tall grey-haired man walked out of the door from the management offices.
“What’s going on?” he demanded loudly.
The inspector walked over to him and the pair talked quietly for several minutes. Fenella had given up any pretext of heading for the elevators. Instead, she, like everyone else in the lobby, simply stood and watched the scene unfold.
“Ms. Monroe, a word, please,” the man barked.
Suzy turned and walked over to join him and the inspector. Fenella watched as the woman shook her head and whispered with some urgency. After a few minutes, the tall stranger took a step backwards.
“Enough,” he snapped. “You’re causing a scene. Go.”
Suzy turned bright red and Fenella could see her struggling to keep her temper under control. As the man stared at her, Suzy tossed her head and then spun on her heel. She walked over to the two uniformed constables and smiled at one of them.
“It looks as if it’s just you and me, then,” she said in a flirty tone. “I do hope you’re going to have to strip-search me.”
The young man blushed brightly and then quickly walked out of the building. His partner followed, with Suzy between them. As soon as the trio left the room, the grey-haired man stalked back through the door to the management offices. Inspector Robinson looked around at the small crowd of people who were still in the lobby and smiled ruefully.
“And that’s enough excitement for today,” he said loudly. Fenella began to walk toward the elevators, trying to blend into the background. It didn’t work.
“Ms. Woods?” the inspector called.
Fenella stopped and turned to smile at him. Around her, she could feel the eyes of the curious on her. When the inspector reached her side, she was struck again by how very attractive he was, especially when he smiled.
“Sorry, now everyone will think you’re next,” he said.
“It’s fine, unless you really are thinking of arresting me,” Fenella replied.
“Not at all,” he assured her. “I just thought you should know that we’re investigating Suzy for things completely unrelated to the two murders.”
Fenella frowned. “That’s disappointing,” she said.
“It is,” he agreed. “And unfortunately, the two investigations are tangled up with one another, which complicates the murder investigations.”
“You haven’t ruled Suzy out as the killer, have you?”
“No, not entirely, although she’s not at the top of my list.”
Fenella wanted to ask why, but she didn’t think she’d get an answer. “Good luck,” she said instead, feeling as if it was a stupid thing to say.
“Thank you,” he replied. He took a step away from her and then turned back. “By the way, I won’t be back in the Tale and Tail for a few days. The investigation has to take priority. Once it’s all over, though, I’d like to buy you a drink.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Fenella said.
In the elevator, she thought about all the things she probably should have said. At forty-eight years old, she felt as awkward as a teenager with men. Too many years with Jack had spoiled her, although she’d never been exactly comfortable talking to men she was attracted to at any age. That had been one of the things that she’d liked about Jack. She’d felt comfortable with him from the very beginning. And that should have been all the warning you needed that you and he weren’t going to have a great romance, a little voice in her head whispered.
Back in her apartment, she unpacked the shopping and then found a home for the trolley in the small closet by the front door. She had to move several pairs of shoes to make the space, but it seemed worth it to her. She was already feeling quite fond of her little trolley and there was no doubt it had made today’s shopping trip much easier.
The phone interrupted her before she could settle in with a book.
“You have a package at reception,” a mechanical voice told her.
Fenella went back down to the lobby, wondering what she’d received. When she was handed the box that had arrived, she stared at it for a moment and then chuckled. She’d completely forgotten that she’d shipped a box of books to herself.
Back in her apartment, she unpacked the box. Nearly all of the books were biographies of Henry the Eighth and his six wives. They were the starting point for the book she was planning to write and she piled them all carefully on the desk in the corner of the master bedroom. She’d read them all before, of course, but now she needed to read them again and start taking notes.
“Perhaps unpacking them is enough work for today,” she said to her reflection as she walked out of the bedroom. Feeling slightly guilty for neglecting her writing project, she was relieved when she checked the clock and discovered it was time for lunch.
She fixed herself a can of soup and sliced some of the fresh bread she’d just bought to
go with it. While the soup was heating, she gave Katie her lunch. The pair had just about finished when Mona joined them.
“A little excitement in the lobby this morning?” Mona asked as she sat down next to Fenella.
“Suzy was arrested, or at least taken in for questioning,” Fenella said. “But Inspector Robinson said that it doesn’t have anything to do with the murders.”
“That’s a shame,” Mona replied. “Especially with you having nightmares about the killer.”
“How do you know about that?” Fenella demanded.
“I heard you scream,” Mona told her. “I thought about popping in to see if I could help, but I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about seeing a ghost just then.”
Fenella thought about it for a moment and then laughed. “I see your point,” she said. “But I don’t really think of you as a ghost anymore.”
“So the next time you have a nightmare, I’ll come and visit,” Mona told her.
“I’m sort of hoping I won’t have any more nightmares,” Fenella said.
“But until the killer is behind bars, you probably will. Maybe you should give my plan a bit more thought.”
“Nightmares are better than dying,” Fenella said.
“And I’ve taken your complaints into consideration. I’ve reworked the whole plan so you’ll feel safe.”
Fenella opened her mouth to argue. “What’s the plan, then?” were the words that actually came out of her mouth.
“You need to get in touch with all of the suspects and tell them you know something about the murder that you know they don’t want the police to know,” Mona said, clearly excited. “Then you can arrange to meet them somewhere public to talk about it. Only the killer will turn up, of course, and then you’ll know who did it.”
“Knowing who did it doesn’t really help, though, does it?”
“You can use your phone to record the conversation you have with the killer,” Mona said. “Then you can take the recording to Inspector Robinson and he can arrest the relevant person.”
“The killer isn’t going to confess, though,” Fenella argued. “And he or she might accuse me of blackmail.”
“It’s only blackmail if they’re hiding something,” Mona insisted. “And if they murdered two people, they shouldn’t be worried about a little bit of blackmail.”
“Of course they won’t be worried. They’ll just kill me, too.”
“But you can tell them that you’ve left a full accounting of the whole story with someone you trust to be turned over to the police if anything happens to you,” Mona said.
Fenella laughed and then sighed. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” she said.
“Totally.”
“It won’t work.”
“It might, and it might help you sleep at night.”
“I had one little nightmare. I’m sure the police are close to solving the cases anyway.”
“Maybe you could just ask everyone to meet you without saying you saw something, and then spring it on them when you talk to them,” Mona suggested. “That way they won’t be planning on killing you when they get there and maybe they’ll be so surprised that they’ll blurt out a confession.”
“I like that better,” Fenella admitted reluctantly. “But I doubt anyone will want to meet with me. Why would they?”
“Don’t give them a reason, just ring them all up and ask them to meet you,” Mona said. “The guilty party will probably rush to oblige you and that’s the only person we’re really interested in.”
“What if they all agree? How will that help?”
“You’ll have to meet them all individually and tell them you saw them in the alley,” Mona said. “Then see how they react.”
“And hope they didn’t bring a knife just in case.”
“They aren’t going to stab you in broad daylight in the middle of the promenade,” Mona said.
“Is that where you think I should meet everyone?”
“There’s a bench right across the street from us,” Mona told her. “It’s public enough to protect you, but private enough for the conversation you need to have. And I can see it from here, so I can keep an eye on you.”
“And how does that help?” Fenella asked.
Mona shrugged. “Anyway, even if it doesn’t work, it’s worth trying. Sitting around waiting for the police to work it out is too frustrating.”
“I’ll have to think about it,” Fenella said eventually. “It could work, but I’m not sure we should interfere with the police.”
“It’s not interfering,” Mona said. “It’s asking people to meet you for a chat and seeing if they turn up. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
Fenella thought of a dozen things that might happen that she wouldn’t like, but she didn’t bother to tell her aunt any of them. Mona clearly thought the plan was a good one and she wasn’t going to be swayed by Fenella’s arguments.
“I need to get some work done now,” Fenella said. “I’ve just received a shipment of some of the books I need for my research.”
“We should get this done today, if we’re going to do it,” Mona said. “I know you want to think about it, but you should think quickly.”
Fenella ignored the remark and headed into the bedroom. The pile of books looked both tempting and daunting. She picked up the first one and flipped it open at random. The phone rang before she’d read a single word.
“Ah, yes, is that Ms. Woods? This is Kara Newstead,” a voice said.
“Good afternoon,” Fenella said. “What can I do for you?”
“I was hoping we might meet,” Kara told her. “I think I know why Mark wanted to see you and I thought you should know.”
“I’m working right now,” Fenella told her. “But we could meet later, maybe around four?”
“Excellent,” Kara said. “I’ll come to your flat.”
“Oh, no,” Fenella said quickly. “I work from home and I’m already feeling cooped up in here. There’s a little bench just across the road from my building. Let’s meet there so I can get some fresh air.”
After a short pause, Kara spoke again. “Sure, that’s fine,” she said. “I’ll be there.”
The girl hung up quickly, leaving Fenella frowning at the phone.
“That’s one set up already,” Mona said. “While you’re at it, you should ring the others and arrange to meet them as well.”
Feeling as though she wasn’t going to get any work done anyway, Fenella impulsively followed Mona’s advice.
“Ah, yes, Bethany? It’s Fenella Woods. I was hoping we might get together for a little chat,” she said after she’d dialed the first number.
“About your cat?” Bethany asked.
“No, about, well, about Alan Collins.”
“Oh, I see,” the woman said flatly. “I work until five.”
“Maybe you could meet me just after five, then? There’s a little bench just across the road from my apartment building and I’ll need some fresh air by that time myself.”
“Sure,” Bethany replied, sounding unenthusiastic.
Fenella found numbers for Mandy and Abigail in the telephone book and rang them both. Neither woman was at home, which made it easier for Fenella. She simply left messages for them both, asking them to meet her. She suggested three o’clock to Mandy and half an hour later to Abigail. She just had to hope that they’d get the messages in time.
“You can’t meet with Suzy, of course, as she’s still at the police station,” Mona said. “I do wonder what Shannon Kneale is up to these days, though.”
“Shannon Kneale?” Fenella asked.
“Do try to keep up,” Mona told her. “She’s Peter’s ex-wife, remember? She’s much younger than he is and she had a fling with Alan Collins. I’d like to think she did it, as I’d love to see her in prison. She’s not a nice woman. But as you haven’t come across her yet, ringing her out of the blue would seem odd.”
“What about Peter?” Fenella asked. “Is he on your lis
t of suspects?”
“He’s too sweet,” Mona told her. “I do suspect Donald Donaldson, but I don’t think you should be ringing him. You need to let him chase you.”
“Or not,” Fenella snapped.
Mona shrugged. “You’re a big girl, you can make your own choices,” she said. “But he is very wealthy. You could do a lot worse.”
“Money isn’t everything. Didn’t you just warn me about the man?”
Mona shrugged. “He’s handsome and rich. That’s a combination that’s hard to resist.”
“I thought you said he was a criminal,” Fenella replied.
“He’s never been charged with anything,” Mona told her. “But we’ll leave him out of today’s little exercise, anyway. We can argue about him later. For now, I think we’ll have to settle for the four you’ve already arranged.”
For the next hour Fenella paced around her apartment, doubting her sanity. The skies began to fill with clouds.
“What do I do if it rains?” Fenella demanded of Mona who was sitting and watching the waves.
“Meet in the lobby of the building?” Mona replied. “You just want to make sure you’re somewhere with lots of other people around.”
“No one is going to show up,” Fenella said after a few more minutes had passed. A moment later the phone rang and Mandy confirmed that she would be there at three.
“So it’s just Abigail you haven’t heard from,” Mona said with a satisfied smile. “Things are coming together nicely.”
“It’s highly unlikely that any of these women are the killer,” Fenella said. “We’re wasting our time.”
“At least you should sleep better tonight for feeling as if you’re doing something,” Mona said. “It isn’t as if you’re working on your book, after all.”
Fenella flushed. “I would be working, if I weren’t about to go out and try to get a murderer to confess to me.”
“No you wouldn’t,” Mona said. “You’d already said you thought you’d done enough by unpacking the box. You’re dragging your feet on the book, but we’ll talk about that another time.”
Fenella opened her mouth to protest, but she knew her aunt was right. She was dragging her feet for a great many reasons, none of which she wanted to talk about with Mona.
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