by K E O'Connor
I looked over to see Felicity hovering halfway along the driveway, her attention fixed on the retreating police car.
My gaze went from Zara to Julius and then Horatio as they stood discussing this surprising turn of events. Had one of them struck gold? Luke was implicated in Felicity’s murder, but was it really him? Someone could be standing in front of me, secretly relieved that the murder they’d committed six months ago had been pinned on somebody else.
Until the police had confirmed Luke killed Felicity, I’d keep asking questions and get to the bottom of her mystery.
Chapter 12
An ear-piercing scream woke me from my sleep with a jolt. I rolled out of bed, Flipper leaping up to join me.
It was Helen screaming, and the sound made my heart pound. I raced into her room and saw her staring at me with wide eyes as she lay frozen in her bed.
I looked around, expecting to see a knife-wielding maniac hiding in the shadows. “What’s the matter?”
She swallowed loudly, and a whimper slid from her lips. “There’s something in my bed. I think it’s a ghost.”
I stared at the sheets covering her. “I don’t see anyone, and I don’t sense a ghost. Are you sure you weren’t having a nightmare?”
“No! There’s something in here with me. It’s sort of cold and spiky feeling.”
I tilted my head. “That doesn’t sound like a ghost. Have you looked under the covers?”
“Of course not! If it’s a ghost, I won’t be able to see it.”
I pressed my lips together. “Do you want me to look under your covers?”
“Yes, it’s still here. It’s squirming around.” Helen gasped. “What if it’s a snake?”
“We don’t get many snakes in Hampshire. And we definitely don’t get any snakes coming out when it’s this cold. Could it be a pillow that’s worked its way down the bed?”
“This feels like no pillow I’ve ever experienced before. Get over here and look under my sheets before I have a heart attack.”
I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I walked to Helen’s bed. As I got closer, I slowed. There was a strange lump by her feet. I prodded it gently with a finger, and it wiggled.
Helen squealed. “That’s it. You made it move. Is it a ghost?”
“Are you decent under these covers?”
“Of course! Take a look.”
I gingerly inched up the sheets at the bottom of the bed to discover Helen’s bare feet. Lying next to them was Miltonia.
I laughed as I pulled back the rest of the sheets. “It’s not a ghost, and it’s not a snake. It’s your dog.”
Flipper’s bark sounded happy as he bounded over and licked Miltonia’s head.
Helen raised her head slowly. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Miltonia. “How did she get in here? I shut my bedroom door last night. She was supposed to stay in the main house.”
“She’s quite an escape artist if she made it out of there,” I said. “You can’t deny she likes you. She’s adopted you, whether you like it or not.”
“I’m not open for adoption,” Helen said.
I let Miltonia sniff my fingers before she backed away and pressed herself against Helen’s leg.
“She can’t stay in my bed,” Helen said.
“She is sort of cute,” I said. “Are you sure you don’t have room in your life for this little sweetie?”
“Can you imagine what Gunner will say if I bring her home? She’s a purse dog. If Gunner wanted a dog, he’d get one like Jessie. She’s a good, solid dependable dog. A working dog. A useful dog.”
“You have lots of lovely purses. Miltonia will fit in one just fine.”
“Leaving me with fur inside my ruined purses. Besides, she might not be purse trained. What if she pees in my favorite purse?”
“You can train her if she isn’t, although I’ve never seen her have an accident in the house. You can get a special purse just for her. And, if you haven’t noticed, she doesn’t have much fur to shed.”
Helen sniffed. “Maybe you and Flipper can adopt her. She likes Flipper.”
“She’s not keen on me, though. You, however, she loves. She’d be great company, and you’d make her so happy if you bring her into our family.”
Helen’s nose wrinkled as she stared at Miltonia. “If she is staying, I’ll need to do something with that fur. That ridiculous tuft on top of her head will have to go. And she already needs another bath. I’ll have to change the sheets after she’s been on them.”
“It could be her diet making her smell odd. We’ll find the perfect food for her. And you already know she loves baths, so giving her regular baths until we figure out the problem won’t be an issue.”
“I’ll think about it.” Helen stroked Miltonia’s skin. “I’m not keen on her name.”
“Miltonia is a bit of a mouthful.”
“How about Milly?” Helen said. “It sounds friendly. It’s not so different from Miltonia, so she should take to it.”
The way Miltonia, or now Milly, gazed up at Helen, she’d let her call her Spud Face and still love her. “Milly is perfect.”
Helen gently unpicked a knot from Milly’s head fur. “I’ll think about it.” She scooped her up. “Listen to me, no more sneaking into my bed. I either sleep with Gunner, or I sleep alone. There’s no room for anybody else.”
Milly licked Helen’s nose, and she squealed. “And no licking me. I know where that tongue of yours goes. It doesn’t need to be anywhere near me.”
“If you’re a dog owner, you’ll have to get used to a bit of drool and inappropriate licking. Then there’s the sniffing and the poop scooping—”
“Do you want me to say no to adopting her?” Helen asked. “I’m still undecided, and you’re giving me all the negatives.”
“She’s perfect for you,” I said. “She’s like the ying to your yang. You’re beautiful, and she’s so... well, she’s so quirkily unique.”
“Are you saying my dog is ugly?” Helen clasped Milly to her chest.
I grinned at her. “She’s beautiful on the inside. And Milly’s got character. That makes her even lovelier. Looks fade, but a great personality will set you up for life.”
Helen brushed her fingers through Milly’s fur. “I’m still not convinced.”
She looked convinced to me. I checked the time. It was past seven, and dawn was only just arriving. “Come on, since we’re awake, let’s go see if the family have heard anything about Luke. He’s been in overnight, so the police should have questioned him by now.”
Helen nodded as she grabbed her robe and pulled it on. “Has there been any sign of Felicity since Luke was taken away? Maybe she can find peace now her killer has been arrested.”
“I haven’t seen her since yesterday. She didn’t look happy when they took Luke away. From the way she tried to stop the police, Felicity doesn’t think Luke killed her.”
“She has a right to be cautious. I was so certain Julius did it. Even so, Luke needs to pay for skipping out on his probation,” Helen said.
“He does,” I said. “Let’s hope this is all over. Luke holds his hands up to what he’s done, and everyone can move on, including Felicity.”
Half an hour later, we were both dressed and walking through the front door of the house to be greeted by its usual unpleasant chill and cold spots.
Flipper and Milly followed us, sticking close together, now seeming to be the best of friends.
Zara waved when she spotted us and hurried out of the office. “I hope you both slept okay after yesterday’s excitement.”
“I slept fine, thanks.” I didn’t mention my rude awakening due to Helen screaming.
“I tossed and turned all night thinking about it. I can’t believe we had a criminal working for us. Someone who wanted Felicity dead.”
“Is there any news on Luke?” Helen asked as we walked to the kitchen.
“Horatio took a call about half an hour ago,” Zara said. “It was from the police. I was about to find hi
m and see what they had to say when I saw the two of you.”
As we walked into the kitchen, we discovered Horatio at the table with a large mug of coffee in front of him and a dazed look on his face.
“Any news?” Zara asked.
Horatio nodded, his face pale and his eyes tired. “The police are holding Luke. They’ve got evidence suggesting he’s been profiting off the family business. I can’t believe it. He was always a surly bloke, but I never had him down as a common thief.”
“Sit down, everyone. I’ll make breakfast, and you can tell us everything.” Helen patted Horatio’s shoulder as she set out the breakfast things.
“That would be lovely.” Horatio’s smile was weary. “I barely slept thinking about this mess.”
“What’s Luke been stealing?” I asked.
“That’s the weird thing. The police aren’t sure. They were asking me if any valuable items from the house have gone missing. We have loads of antiques around, but they’re all accounted for. I checked the safe, and everything is in there. Luke’s been receiving large sums of money into his account every couple of months. It’s as if he’s taking things, selling them, and banking the profits. Whatever it is he’s pinching, he’s not stealing things from the house.”
“Could someone be giving him money?” Blackmail was a possibility if he received regular payments. But who would he blackmail, and what did he have on them to make them give him money to keep quiet?
“It’s not me,” Horatio said.
“What about Felicity’s death?” Zara asked. “The police said they’d re-opened the investigation. Do they have new information as to why they did that?”
Horatio shook his head. “They think there could be a connection between the money and her death. We all know how weird Felicity’s death was, but the police couldn’t find evidence of foul play. They poked around and asked questions and came up with bee venom and an accident.”
Helen placed bowls of oatmeal covered in syrup and fruit on the table, poured everyone coffee, and we all tucked in.
“Luke has a good motive for wanting Felicity out of the way if he was stealing from her,” Zara said. “He could have been taking her things and selling them. She found out and Luke got rid of her before she reported him to the police and they discovered where he was hiding.”
“But what was he taking?” Horatio added more syrup to his oatmeal and stuffed a huge spoonful into his mouth. “My sister wasn’t one to collect diamonds or expensive bits of jewelry.”
I sat at the table eating my oatmeal and listening to Horatio and Zara discuss the things that could have been stolen. It sounded as if Luke had the run of the place. It would have been easy for him to sneak around and take valuable things without anybody noticing.
Horatio finished his coffee and went to stand.
Helen shook her head and refilled his mug. “You stay right there. You’ve had a shock. I don’t want you fainting from lack of sleep.”
His smile held a hint of amusement. “I’ll be fine.”
“Drink more coffee and have extra to eat. You need to keep up your strength when you’re under stress.” Helen nudged the granola toward him.
Horatio took little persuasion, and when he’d finished two bowls of granola and another mug of coffee, Helen let him leave.
Zara shook her head as she picked up her mug. “You must think you’re working for a crazy family. I’m so sorry about all of this.”
I shared a smile with Helen. “It’s fine. We’ve had worse.”
“Worse than theft and a possible murder?” Zara’s eyebrows shot up.
“You’d be surprised.”
“Well, no matter. We’ll make the best of it. Still, Felicity’s death not being an accident, it doesn’t bear thinking about.” Zara finished her coffee. “Maybe we shouldn’t have the party. Does it seem disrespectful if they do open a murder investigation?”
I groaned inwardly. “Even if something bad happened to Felicity, postponing the party won’t change anything.”
Zara stared into her mug. “I guess not. We can still remember her, even if her end was at the hands of another person.”
“She’d like that,” I said, knowing full-well Felicity didn’t care for parties. “If there’s anything you need me to do, just ask. The party will still go ahead. Luke can’t spoil that.”
“There is one thing I was relying on Luke for. He was picking up the printing today. Is there any chance you can head into town and collect it? There’s been a stuff up, and they can’t deliver. I’d do it myself, but I have a hundred and one things to do.”
“Sure, no problem. That’s what I’m here for.” The trip into town would give me a chance to ask around and see if anyone knew anything about Luke and his underhanded behavior.
Once we’d finished breakfast, Helen was happy to drive, so we headed into town with Flipper and Milly in the back seat.
“It sounds like Felicity got it wrong,” Helen said. “Luke was on the take. It’s only a matter of time before everything is connected and the police find something to pin her murder on him.”
“But what was he stealing?” I said.
“Didn’t Luke say he tested Felicity’s flowers on new buyers?” Helen said. “Maybe he was offering them more than just flowers.”
“You’re right. He might have used a stall in town, set out the samples, and seen what sort of interest there was. Luke could have had a sideline, selling whatever he stole from Felicity.”
Helen pointed to a sign on a lamppost as we drove past. “It’s market day by the looks of it. We can ask around and see if anyone knows him.”
Helen found a spot to park, and we all climbed out. The town was bustling with shoppers, and there were several dozen stalls set up in a wide market square, selling everything from antique furniture to organic lip balm.
Flipper happily trotted by my side, always happy to explore somewhere new. After a few steps, Milly started to shake, and her tail tucked between her legs. She stopped walking and stared up at Helen, blinking her beady eyes at her.
“Come on, heel.” Helen tapped her thigh.
Milly didn’t move.
“How do you get Flipper to heel?” she asked me.
“With weeks of training. Milly might like to be carried. Maybe the crowds bother her. She’s small.”
“Oh, for goodness sake.” Helen scooped Milly into her arms. She instantly snuggled against her chest and tried to lick her cheek. “It’s embarrassing having this dog glued to me.”
“Milly loves you so much it would be cruel not to cuddle her,” I said. “We might be able to pick up some treats and dog shampoo while we’re here. You can take her home and give her another bath.”
“She needs a haircut, as well.” Helen ran her fingers through Milly’s straggly head fur. “I should take her to the groomers, let them transform her into... well, into her own unique version of stunning.”
“One step at a time,” I said. “She’s more likely to let you groom her than some stranger in a noisy salon surrounded by other dogs.”
“I’m a stranger. She doesn’t know me.”
“You woke up with her in your bed. She knows you, and she trusts you.”
Helen looked down at Milly and shook her head. “I’m not sure what I’m getting myself into. Am I responsible enough to be a dog owner?”
“I trust you with Flipper,” I said. “You can look after one small dog.”
“It looks like I don’t have a choice. Come on. Let’s take a look at these stalls.”
We browsed among the stalls for half an hour. I picked some delicious looking pecan fudge, and Helen splurged on organic camomile hand cream.
“Look, there’s a stall selling pet products.” Helen hurried over and inspected the bottles of shampoo and lotions.
“Don’t worry, Flipper,” I said quietly to him. “I’m not getting anything for you that’s rose scented.”
He looked up at me and wagged his tail. Flipper didn’t need baths. He
was happy to splash around in the river if he needed to freshen up. He was a meticulously clean dog and not known for rolling about in things he shouldn’t.
Helen held up two bottles in one hand as she cupped Milly in the other. “What do you think? Should she smell like roses or lavender?”
“What about something unscented? Maybe she’d like to smell like a normal dog?”
A tall man with a wide smile walked over. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“I need something to tidy up this dog.” Helen pointed at Milly.
“You don’t see many Chinese Crested dogs around here,” the stall owner said. “Have you had her long?”
“We’re getting to know each other,” Helen said. “This might be temporary, but the least I can do is keep her clean while I’ve got her.”
“Have you bathed her before?”
“I have, but she already smells again.”
The stallholder chuckled. “Certain breeds have sensitive guts and allergies, just like humans. Or it could be stress related. Has she had any trauma in her life?”
“Oh! Well, she lost her owner six months ago.”
He snapped his fingers. “That would do it. She might have been off her food, and her stomach isn’t used to anything rich. Keep it simple, lots of good quality, plain food, and lots of love. I believe animals suffer from grief.”
Helen looked at Milly. “Poor little girl. She was sad when we first met.”
“It looks like she’s coming around.” The stallholder smiled at her. “What would you like to try?”
“How about something that smells nice to a dog?” I suggested.
“Milly most likely wants to smell like a sausage,” Helen said.
The stallholder roared with laughter. “I’m sorry to say I don’t do anything that smells like that. I do have something that’s unscented.” He passed Helen a bottle.
“Great, we’ll try that.” Helen handed him some money.
“Do you know anyone by the name of Luke Walsh, who sells flowers on a stall around here?” I asked the stallholder as he passed Helen her change.
He scratched his head. “Luke? I know most of the stallholders here. I’ve had this place for five years. There are a couple of flower stalls at the other end. They’re run by women, though.”