The Quinton Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 17)

by Diana Xarissa

  “Does that mean you want it?” Amanda asked.

  “I think I need to talk to William about it,” Janet replied after a quick look at the price that was written on the desk’s tag. It was probably a fair price, but it was more than Janet felt comfortable spending under the circumstances.

  “Yes, well, like I said, he’ll be here at midday.”

  Janet nodded. “I’m going to go and visit the police station. I’ll be back.”

  “The police station…” Amanda echoed in a confused voice.

  Janet crossed the car park and then the road. The police station had once been a tiny cottage and Janet felt slightly claustrophobic every time she visited.

  Susan Garner, Robert’s assistant, was, as usual, behind her desk knitting. “Good morning,” she said as Janet entered. “How are you today?”

  “Not great,” Janet replied.

  Susan nodded. “I just finished typing Robert’s report on your situation. How awful for you and Joan. If I can help at all, do let me know what you need.”

  “I need Roland to go away.”

  “I suggested to Robert that he could arrest Roland for something, but he didn’t seem to like that idea.”

  “I don’t suppose he’s learned anything else about Roland yet?” she asked.

  “Not that I’ve been told, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. He’s not in the office right now, or you could ask him yourself. There was a traffic accident just outside Little Burton about half an hour ago. Robert is still there, dealing with the resulting mess.”

  “I suppose it was too much hope that he’d already learned that Roland isn’t who he’s claiming that he is.”

  “Far too soon,” Susan agreed. “What do you think of this pattern? I’ve not done it before and I’m not sure whether I like it or not.”

  Janet inspected the blanket that Susan was making. The pattern she was knitting into it was different, but Janet wasn’t sure she liked it either. “It’s, well, odd,” she said eventually.

  “That’s my thought exactly,” Susan laughed. “Would you display it if I finish it?”

  Janet thought about her answer for a minute. Susan loved to knit and seemed to have an endless supply of blankets, hats, and scarves. The sisters had agreed to display several of them in the sitting room at Doveby House. When guests purchased the blankets, Janet and Joan kept ten per cent of the sale price. It was an arrangement that was working well for all three women. “I don’t know,” Janet said eventually. “I suppose I’d need to see the whole blanket before I decide.”

  Susan made a face. “Maybe I should give up on this one, then. It’s tricky and I’m not loving it.”

  The pair talked about knitting and blankets for a while before chatting about a dozen other topics. Janet was surprised when the clock on the wall chimed twelve.

  “I didn’t mean to take up so much of your time,” she told Susan as she headed for the door.

  “You’re welcome anytime,” Susan assured her. “I don’t get many visitors. Sometimes my job is a little bit lonely.”

  Janet walked back across the road while making a mental note to visit Susan more often. She hated the thought that the woman was lonely in the tiny police station.

  “Ah, Janet, hello,” William said as Janet walked back into the antique shop. “Let’s go and get some lunch.”

  Chapter 6

  “How are you?” William asked as they settled into seats in the small coffee shop that was next door to the police station.

  “Not great,” Janet replied honestly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Janet gave him a brief summary of the situation. When she was done, William shook his head.

  “I’m sorry. I wish I could do something to help. I do know an excellent solicitor, if you need one, but he’ll be expensive.”

  “We’re going to see what Peter Plumber can do, at least for now,” Janet replied. “Robert is investigating. I must say, I’m really hope that he’ll discover that Roland isn’t truly related to us at all.”

  They ate sandwiches and chatted about nothing much. Janet knew she was distracted, but William seemed out of sorts as well.

  “Is everything okay?” Janet finally asked as they dug into their puddings.

  “Sure,” William said quickly. “Amanda is doing a wonderful job, which gives me more time to, um, well, just enjoy life, I suppose.”

  Janet frowned. He didn’t sound as if he was enjoying life. “I don’t know what to do about that desk. It’s perfect for Joan, but I’m not sure that she’ll still have a place to put it in the new year.”

  “Leave it for now and let me know. I’ll give you a good price for it, if you do decide you want it, of course.”

  “But it’s nearly Christmas. I’d hate to see you miss out on a sale because of me.”

  “It’s one desk. I’m not going to worry about it. Your friendship means more to me than the commission on a single small desk.”

  Janet wondered for a minute where he would draw the line in valuing their friendship, but then decided she didn’t really want to know. “Thank you,” she said instead.

  “No problem, but I really must dash. Amanda needs her lunch break and we are quite busy at the moment, with the holidays.”

  He and Janet walked back across the road together. Janet climbed into her car and drove away as William went back to the shop. As she pulled into the car park at Doveby House, a second vehicle pulled in right behind her. Frowning, Janet got out of her car and walked as quickly as she could towards the house.

  “Good afternoon,” a clipped voice said from behind her. “You must be one of the Markham sisters.”

  Janet stopped and turned to face the man. The car he’d climbed out of was a black luxury model that Janet knew must have cost him more than most people made in several years. Everything about him screamed money, from his expensive shoes to his perfectly cut black hair. As he held out a hand, Janet noticed the emblem on his gold watch.

  “I’m Eldridge Quinton. I believe you’re expecting me.”

  “I’m Janet Markham. Roland Dickerson said that you’d be arriving this afternoon,” Janet replied as she took his hand. “He seemed to think that you wouldn’t be here before two, though.”

  “Roland probably expected me to drive rather more sensibly than I did,” Eldridge chuckled. “I was eager to get here, though. He’s been raving about the beautiful scenery in Derbyshire since he arrived. He also commented on how incredibly hospitable you and your sister have been. I appreciate your willingness to let me stay in your lovely home.”

  Janet frowned. “There seems to have been a misunderstanding there,” she said quickly. “We told Roland that we couldn’t accommodate you. I’m terribly sorry, but we only have two guest rooms, you see.”

  “Maybe we should move this conversation inside,” Eldridge suggested. “It’s quite cool out here when the wind blows.”

  Janet nodded and then turned back around and walked as quickly as she could into the house. “If you want to wait here, I’ll just find Joan,” she told him after she’d shut the door behind them.

  He nodded and took a seat on the nearest couch. “This is a lovely room,” he said, glancing around.

  Janet rushed to the kitchen. “Mr. Quinton is here,” she told Joan in a low voice.

  “Who is Mr. Quinton?”

  “Eldridge Quinton,” Janet clarified.

  “Oh, dear. I didn’t hear him knock.”

  “He pulled into the car park right behind me. He’s probably forty-five, and his watch cost more than my car. It probably cost more than my car and your car put together,” Janet said. “He’s in the sitting room, looking around and mentally tallying up how much the furniture is worth.”

  Joan frowned. “It’s only half one. He wasn’t meant to be here this early.”

  “Apparently he drove fast.”

  Joan took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and then marched into the sitting room with Janet on her heels.r />
  “Ah, you must be Joan.” The man was on his feet, holding out a hand, before Joan could speak.

  “I am Joan Markham.”

  “I’m Eldridge Quinton. Roland has been telling me wonderful things about both Doveby Dale and Doveby House. It’s a real pleasure to meet you.”

  “Yes, well, we weren’t expecting you until later, Mr. Quinton. I believe Mr. Dickerson will be back shortly, though.”

  “You must call me Eldridge,” he replied. “I know we’ve a spot of legal bother to work through, but I’m really here hoping for a short holiday. It’s nearly Christmas and I’ve been working far too hard lately.”

  “What a shame,” Joan murmured.

  “Roland told me that you had a second guest room that I would be able to use, but your sister seems to think that the second room is unavailable.”

  “I’m sorry, but Janet is correct. We did tell Mr. Dickerson that we wouldn’t able to accommodate you. We may need to provide a room for our solicitor, you understand.”

  Eldridge frowned. “But you don’t need your own solicitor,” he said smoothly. “This is all between family, after all. I’m sure we can find a reasonable solution to the problem without any fuss or bother. There’s very little point in you paying a solicitor for this little matter. He or she will cost you more than you’ll gain.”

  “That may be true, but we’d prefer to have someone acting on our behalf with legal matters,” Joan said. “Janet and I aren’t experts in such things.”

  Eldridge laughed. “I’m not an expert either, but don’t tell Roland I said that.” He winked at Janet. “I understand that you want your own advice, but I was hoping we’d be able to sort everything out with a short chat this afternoon. I have all of the paperwork with me for a quick resolution.”

  “I don’t think we’re going to be able to agree to anything today,” Joan said. “Our solicitor will be here soon, though, and I expect Mr. Dickerson back at any moment as well.”

  “Your solicitor will be here today?” Eldridge asked. “I hope he isn’t charging too much extra for coming to the house rather than having the meeting in his office.”

  “I believe that’s our concern, not yours,” Joan replied coolly.

  “What must you be charging Roland for coming all the way from London?” Janet mused.

  Eldridge chuckled. “Roland is a dear friend. I’m acting on his behalf as a friend more than as a solicitor in all of this. As I said, we were both hoping for a quick and easy solution to the matter. No one wants to cause anyone any distress or unhappiness.”

  Janet was grateful when someone knocked on the door. She swung it open and looked at the man on the doorstep. He looked around fifty-five. He was wearing a rumpled suit that had seen better days and was slightly too large for him. His hair was mostly grey and thinning badly on top.

  He gave Janet a friendly grin. “I’m Peter Plumber,” he announced. “Call me Peter, of course.”

  “Do come in,” Janet said. “I’m Janet Markham,” she added before introducing her sister and Eldridge to him. “Mr. Plumber is our solicitor,” Janet added after the introductions.

  Eldridge raised an eyebrow. “Really?” he said, sounding amused.

  “I’m no expert in cases like this,” the other man said, “but I’ve been in touch with a few friends. They’re going to do what they can to help me along the way.”

  Eldridge turned a chuckle into a cough and then cleared his throat. “I was just telling Joan and Janet that they’ve no need to drag a solicitor into this. I’m sure we can reach some sort of agreement between ourselves that will suit everyone. It seems unnecessary to drag solicitors into family matters.”

  “And yet here you are,” Peter said.

  “I am here as a friend, mostly,” Eldridge countered. “Roland and I have known one another for many years. When he started going through his mother’s things, I offered to look over anything that looked important for him, just in case I could provide assistance. Obviously, we never expected to find what we found.”

  “If you could explain further, I’d like to understand exactly what you found,” Peter told him.

  Eldridge shrugged. “We should wait to have this conversation until Roland returns, seeing as how you all want to keep this official.” His tone was sarcastic, but Peter just nodded.

  “That seems to be for the best, really,” he replied mildly.

  Janet began to pace back and forth across the sitting room. Where was Roland? He’d told the sisters that he’d be back by two. The phone startled her.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s Robert Parsons. I just thought I’d pass along the information I’ve gathered thus far.”

  “Just give me a minute, Robert,” she said. She handed the phone to Joan and then headed for the kitchen extension.

  “Joan, you can put your receiver down now,” she said. “Go ahead,” she told Robert when she heard the click from the sitting room phone.

  “I’m afraid it isn’t good news,” Robert told her. “I haven’t learned much, but it does appear that the man in question is your distant cousin.”

  Janet sighed. “That doesn’t mean the will he claims to have found is valid, though,” she said.

  “It doesn’t,” Robert agreed. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I couldn’t find any trace of a criminal record for him. From what I can tell, he’s lived a perfectly ordinary life. He’s had a few parking tickets over the years and one fine for speeding, back when he was nineteen. I couldn’t find anything else interesting about him at all.”

  “Is it possible that the man who is visiting here isn’t actually Roland Dickerson?”

  “I suppose anything is possible. As my investigation isn’t official, I didn’t want to ring his employer and start asking questions, though.”

  “I understand,” Janet said sadly.

  “I’ll just repeat what I told you yesterday, then. Don’t be pressured into signing anything in a hurry.”

  “Peter Plumber is here now, as is Roland’s solicitor, Eldridge Quinton. They’re being carefully polite at the moment and Eldridge is insisting that we can reach an agreement without any problems.”

  “I’m sure Peter will look after your interests to the best of his ability. Make sure you and Janet read everything you’re asked to sign, though, too.”

  “Yes, of course.” Janet sighed and then put down the phone. She’d been hoping that their guest was an imposter, but that seemed less likely now.

  When she walked back into the sitting room, Joan was sitting on the couch next to Peter. Eldridge was sitting in a chair nearby, doing something on his mobile phone. Before Janet could decide where to sit, the front door opened and Roland strolled into the house.

  “There you are,” Eldridge laughed. “I was starting to worry about you.”

  “I had a late lunch at the little café up the road,” Roland replied, sounding unconcerned. “The waitress is cute, so I stayed longer than I might have otherwise.”

  “You aren’t here to chat up waitresses,” Eldridge told him.

  “It’s Christmas,” Roland protested. “It was just a bit of fun.”

  Janet made a mental note to ring Stacey at the café and warn her about Roland. Stacey was pretty smart, but Janet didn’t want to take any chances.

  Eldridge introduced Roland to Peter. “This is the solicitor that Janet and Joan have engaged,” he said with a smirk.

  Roland sighed. “I told you that engaging a solicitor was a completely unnecessary expense for you, dear cousins. We can settle this between ourselves without involving anyone else.”

  “As you’re working with a solicitor, I believe Janet and Joan are wise to do the same,” Peter told him.

  “Eldridge is just a friend, really. He’ll work out the correct legal language for us, but he won’t charge me for that. I was hoping to work out a settlement with my cousins myself.”

  “So what sort of settlement are you proposing?” Joan asked.

  Rola
nd sat down in the chair next to Eldridge. “I assume you used most of the inheritance from Mildred to buy this place,” he said, glancing around the room.

  Janet nearly replied, but a look from Joan made her bite her tongue.

  After a long silence, Roland chuckled. “It doesn’t much matter, actually, what you did with the money. It seems to me that the money should have been mine. I know how much Mildred’s house was sold for, and I know she had other assets when she died. I’m prepared to forget about those other assets, if you’re prepared to give me the amount you received from the sale of her house.”

  Janet looked at Joan. The man was talking about over a hundred thousand pounds. There was no way they could simply give him that kind of money.

  “If you’d prefer, you could simply sign Doveby House over to me instead,” Roland offered, smiling smugly at them both.

  Chapter 7

  “I’m going to have to discuss this with my clients,” Peter said. “I’d also like to see a copy of the will that you found and proof of your identity.”

  Eldridge laughed. “You’re wasting everyone’s time with all of that, but I suppose you have to do something to justify what you’re charging your clients.”

  “Surely you don’t expect my clients to simply write their cousin a cheque,” Peter replied.

  “I believe he’s being very generous, actually,” Eldridge countered. “As he’s already pointed out, Mildred had other assets in addition to her home. He’s willing to allow his cousins to keep what they received from those assets. If this ends up getting dragged through the courts, they’ll lose that money as well.”

  “Obviously, this has all taken us by surprise,” Janet said. “Joan and I need to time to think about our options and to discuss things with Peter.”

  Roland nodded. “I don’t want to go to court,” he said. “I don’t see any advantage in dragging this out for months or years or in paying solicitors to negotiate for us.” He glanced over at Eldridge and laughed. “Sorry, old friend, but I’d rather not give you the work.”