Tea and Broken Biscuits

by Daphne Neville

  “Perhaps she was going to a party or out for a drink,” suggested Lottie as though reading her sister’s mind, “She wouldn’t drive if that were the case.”

  Hetty nodded. “Could be and she probably caught a bus home as well or took a taxi. There are endless possibilities and I suppose to be honest we still take the bus occasionally even though we both drive. Anyway, on a more cheerful note, have you heard, Gideon, that Brett’s offered to pay for the church to be decorated?”

  “Het, we’ve been sworn to secrecy. Remember, Brett wants his largesse kept quiet.”

  Hetty’s hand flew to her mouth. “Whoops.”

  Gideon chuckled. “Don’t worry his secret is safe with me and I knew anyway because Sam told me when he visited me in hospital yesterday and he said to keep quiet.”

  “Talk of the devil,” exclaimed Lottie, as the door opened and Vicar Sam entered the room along with Debbie who carried a tea tray.

  “You’ve another visitor,” announced Debbie.

  “Sam, good of you to call so soon.” Gideon began to rise from his chair. “I didn’t hear the doorbell ring.”

  “That’s because he came round the back,” said Debbie, as she put down the tray, “and I had the door open to let the sun in.”

  “Don’t get up,” insisted Sam, as he gently pushed Gideon back into his chair, “I just came round because I wanted to make sure you were home safely. You’re certainly looking well now that you’re back in the comfort of your own home.”

  “Thank you. I feel well too.” Gideon placed his feet back on the foot stool.

  Debbie handed out mugs of tea. “Please excuse the fact the biscuits are broken but,” she said, “but I can assure you they taste just as delicious.”

  Vicar Sam took two halves of different varieties. “Mother would be very impressed to see that you’re using them.”

  “Are these the ones that you took for choir members?” Hetty asked.

  “I’ve no idea,” said Gideon, “Are they, Debbie?”

  “No, they’re not, these are another lot,” Debbie took a biscuit and sat down, “The police took the first box away and so I said they could keep them because Penelope had given me another box by then. I think it rather amused them.”

  “Mother’s biscuits seem to be everywhere,” chuckled the vicar.

  “We were talking about having the church painted just before you arrived,” said Hetty. “Have you anyone in mind to do it?”

  Vicar Sam dipped his biscuit in his tea. “I thought Ian would be our best bet.”

  “What Ian the electrician who is doing the lighting for the play?” Hetty asked.

  “That’s right but he does decorating as well. He’s a good chap and very reliable. Isn’t that right, Gideon?”

  “Yes, he painted the outside of our house and made a smashing job.”

  “He’ll need a bit of scaffolding,” said Hetty, “it wouldn’t be safe to paint the top bits on a ladder.”

  Sam laughed. “Don’t worry, that’s all in hand. He knows someone with a tower he can borrow.”

  “What’s Ian like?” Lottie asked, “I’ve seen him on several occasions but never actually met him if you know what I mean.”

  “Salt of the earth,” laughed Sam, “he’d do anything for anyone.”

  “Has he been in the area long?” Lottie was determined to dig deeper even if the vicar did think highly of the electrician.

  “Now I’m not the person to ask that,” laughed the vicar, “As you know I’m a relative newcomer myself.”

  “Same here,” said Gideon.

  Debbie nodded.

  “Hmm, we’re a right bunch of Johnny-come-latelys, aren’t we?” chuckled Hetty, “Because we’ve only been here for eighteen months or so.”

  When Hetty and Lottie left, Hetty caught a glimpse of Marlene watching them through the voile curtains in an upstairs window.

  “We’re being watched,” hissed Hetty, nodding towards the upper storey of the house next door to Gideon and Debbie where the figure quickly backed away.

  “Being watched,” mused Lottie, as something suddenly occurred to her, “You know what, Het, that might be why someone attempted to murder Hazel. Not being watched so much but more having been seen.”

  “What on earth are you on about, Lottie?”

  “Hazel being at the bus stop means she might have seen the person who attacked Gideon when he left the church. In which case that person would have a motive to silence Hazel to stop her telling the police.”

  “I think you might be onto something there,” conceded Hetty, “but why leave it so long? Gideon was attacked on the Wednesday but Hazel wasn’t shot for another five days. So if she was going to report it she would surely have done so by then.”

  “Yes, of course. Oh well, it’s food for thought and something else to add to our list of clues.”

  “But we don’t have a list of clues.”

  “No, not on paper but we do in our heads.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  On Saturday morning, the family packed up their belongings ready for the journey home for the children were due back at school the following Monday. Emma came up to see them off and Zac promised he’d be back at the end of May during half term week to see the play.

  “Can we come back and see the play as well?” Vicki asked, hopefully.

  Bill shook his head. “No, because I won’t be able to get the time off work. Remember we’re going to Scotland for two weeks in August.”

  “But you and Mum don’t need to come with us. We can come with Zac.”

  “If you were older it would be fine but fifteen is too young.” Sandra sounded adamant.

  “We’ll be sixteen in June,” reasoned Kate. In her hand she held the sprig of white heather.

  “That’s as maybe but apart from age it wouldn’t be fair on Grandma and Auntie Hetty,” snapped Sandra, “you girls can be a bit of a handful.”

  “Oh no, we wouldn’t mind at all, would we, Het?”

  “It’s alright with me if it’s alright with you,” said Hetty, addressing Sandra and Bill, “in fact it’d be nice for the girls to go to the beach and so forth because the weather should be better by then and I’m sure they would behave.”

  “I think you’ve forgotten something rather important,” Bill reminded them, “you’ll both be doing your GCSEs before and after half term so you’ll have lots of revision to do.”

  “Good heavens, yes,” exclaimed Sandra, “definitely no then.”

  Vicki scowled. “But Zac will need to study too for his A Levels and you’re letting him come back.”

  “Zac’s promised to study while here and we know he will because he’s dedicated.”

  “Please don’t think I’m interfering,” said Hetty, “but if the girls are allowed to come here then Lottie and I would make sure they put in the necessary time to revise, wouldn’t we, Lottie?”

  Lottie saw the look of hope in the eyes of her granddaughters and her heart melted. “Yes, we would and it would be nice to think we were able to help them towards their futures.”

  “Oh, please say yes,” Kate begged. Her fingers gripped the white heather tightly.

  Bill looked at Sandra. “What do you think, love?”

  “Well, I suppose revising here is as good as anywhere and it might even be better than at home because their friends won’t be able to call round here and distract them.”

  “Good point.” He turned to his mother and aunt. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Positive,” said Lottie. Hetty nodded to confirm her agreement.

  “Okay then, yes, but you must promise to behave and revise for at least two hours every day and if I hear anything to the contrary, I’ll drive down overnight and take you home. Understood?”

  “Understood,” shouted Kate and Vicki in unison, as they hugged their parents and then their grandmother and great aunt.

  By lunchtime they were ready to leave.

  “Drive carefully,” said Lottie, “a
nd ring when you get back so we know you’re home safely.”

  “I will, and when we’ve gone at least you’ll have more time to get on with your investigations.” Bill chuckled as he sat down on the driver’s seat.

  “I shall miss your cheek,” smiled Hetty.

  They drove down Long Lane and then along the main street; as they passed Sea View Cottage they saw Brett packing things into the boot of his car.

  “Looks like Brett’s going back to London,” observed Zac.

  “Well, I suppose he has to,” reasoned Sandra, “because he won’t earn much money down here unless he’s spending his time writing.”

  “I think he spends more time in the pub than anywhere else,” laughed Bill. “He’s been in there every time I’ve gone in since Alina went up to London.”

  On Monday evening, Sid the plumber looked into the mirror at his home in Honeysuckle Close and stroked the moustache he was growing for his role as the detective inspector in the play. For after discussing his appearance with Robert, they had decided that to look the part he ought to have a moustache like Inspector Poirot and a mac like Inspector Clouseau. Sid was feeling proud for the moustache was growing nicely and earlier in the day Daisy, who was doing the costumes along with Lottie, rang to say she had found a suitable mac in the charity shop which should it fit would be ideal. Sid, delighted by the news had gone along to the charity shop during his lunch break to try it on. It was perfect. Feeling that everything was going well, Sid picked up his script and went off to the village hall for a rehearsal quoting his lines with confidence as he strode down the road.

  Neither Kitty nor Lottie went to the practice that evening and so when it finished, Hetty bypassed the Crown and Anchor and went straight home. Lottie was in the sitting room watching television when she arrived back and she could tell by the speed at which her sister removed her shoes and coat that she had something of interest to report.

  “Well,” said Hetty as she sat down on the settee, “Marlene said something tonight which has got me thinking. She suggested that the robbery at Pentrillick House was probably an inside job and was done so they could claim the insurance. That would explain why none of the stolen stuff was ever found. What do you think?”

  Lottie scowled. “But isn’t that the reason for the robbery in your play?”

  “Yes, but there could be something in it and if so maybe Hazel Mitchell knew about it and had to be disposed of.”

  “Hetty,” scolded Lottie, “that’s a terrible thing to say. The Liddicott-Treens are lovely people and they would never simulate a robbery to get the insurance and they most certainly wouldn’t have tried to murder poor Hazel. This play is blurring your common sense and making you unable to tell fact from fiction.”

  Hetty looked downcast. “But it sounded so believable when Marlene suggested it.”

  “Well, I hope the others who were at the practice told her that her theory was silly.”

  Hetty nodded. They did…all of them.”

  “Good, and another thing worth bearing in mind is that Hazel has not been working for the Liddicott-Treens long and she certainly wasn’t there when the robbery took place. She wasn’t even widowed then.”

  “I wish you’d come to all the meetings, Lottie, instead of one here and there. You’re more down to earth than me.”

  “I will, in a few weeks’ time when you’re practising without scripts as by then costumes will need to be discussed in more detail. I’m looking forward to working with Daisy to sort them out and the charity shop will be a good source for garments.”

  “Hmm, well you won’t have long to wait because Robert said we must all know our lines by the beginning of May and that’ll be here before we know it.”

  Lottie smiled. “Ginny will be busy from May onwards then if she’s the prompter.”

  “She certainly will and I’m sure it’ll be a test of her patience.”

  “Was Brett at the rehearsal tonight?”

  “No, he’s gone back to London. Someone said he went on Saturday and I’ve just remembered something else,” Hetty’s eyes sparkled, “All drama group members and their partners and so forth are invited to Saltwater House for a garden party on Bank Holiday Monday. Isn’t that exciting?”

  Lottie frowned. “Where on earth is Saltwater House? It’s not a name I’ve come across before.”

  “Me neither so I asked Tess and I gather it’s up that track which runs off the main street shortly after the pub. I’ve never been up there because it looks like it’s private property.”

  “Which it probably is. So who lives up there?”

  “This Paul bloke, you know, the one who’s just arrived back on the scene. Apparently he wants to have a little do to thank drama group members for the fun he had a couple of years ago.”

  “But we weren’t members then. We weren’t even living down here.”

  “I know but everyone’s invited, old and new.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  On Tuesday evening, Hetty and Lottie walked down to the village hall to play bingo because Hetty said that she was feeling lucky. The weather was fine and as they walked along the main street they saw Marlene ahead standing outside the post office. Before they reached her a red car pulled up on the road and she climbed into the front passenger seat.

  “Quick, duck!” commanded Hetty, as she grabbed her sister’s arm and pulled her behind a parked van. After the red car had driven by they both stood up.

  “Why did you do that?” Lottie asked.

  “Because I didn’t want her to know we had seen her.” Hetty watched as the car disappeared round the bend.

  “Why?”

  “Why, because she’s probably up to no good, that’s why.”

  “By doing what? You really do overreact, Het as I’m sure whatever she’s doing is completely innocent.”

  “No, I doubt it. I bet she’s got a fancy man. She looks a flighty piece and she’s always fawning around Brett and Robert. I wish I’d been able to get a look at the driver.”

  They commenced walking towards the village hall.

  “Well, the driver wasn’t Brett or Robert, that I do know,” said Lottie, “because Robert drives a black VW Golf and Brett has a silver BMW and Brett’s not here anyway because you said he went back to London on Saturday.”

  “Well I never,” laughed Hetty, “that’s not bad considering a year ago you didn’t know one make of car from another.”

  “You’re quite right, I didn’t, but driving has made me notice cars more than I used to and I’m rather intrigued by all the shapes and sizes.”

  “Really? So, what was that red car that Marlene went off in?”

  “A Ford Fiesta of course.”

  “Wow, I’m impressed. I wouldn’t have had a clue.”

  “Wouldn’t you?”

  “No, so you’re one up on me there.”

  When they arrived at the village hall they were surprised to see Debbie Elms standing by a table and in the process of hanging her jacket on the back of a chair.

  “Lovely to see you,” said Hetty, going straight over to where Debbie stood. “We didn’t know you were a bingo fan.”

  Debbie smiled. “I’ve been ordered out of the house. Gideon said I need to get out and meet people because I spend too much time at home, bless him. Trouble is, I don’t really know many people when it comes to going out alone so I thought I’d try my hand at bingo.”

  “You’ve not played before then?”

  “No, but I believe it’s pretty straightforward.”

  “Child’s play,” said Lottie, “come and sit with us. It’ll be nice for us to have your company.”

  In between games, the sisters told Debbie in hushed tones of their efforts to find out who was responsible for the recent crimes.

  “Now that sounds right up my street so if you want another opinion please don’t hesitate to ask me, after all three heads are better than two.”

  This prompted Lottie to tell Debbie of Marlene’s suspicious behaviour j
ust witnessed.

  “And who knows,” chuckled Hetty, “she might be involved in all sorts of other dodgy things as well. In fact that’s probably why she’s good at her part in the play.”

  “What do you mean?” Lottie asked.

  “In the play she’s the hairstylist’s deceitful, conniving wife and I reckon she’s the same in real life.”

  Debbie tried hard not to laugh. “Well I know we’re not her favourite people but I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t resort to assault nor do I think she would attempt to steal from the church so I think we can rule her out there.”

  “We agree but things are always more complicated than they seem on the surface,” said Lottie.

  “Absolutely, so do you think she might have a fancy man?” Hetty asked.

  Debbie smiled broadly. “No idea and she certainly wouldn’t tell me if she had.”

  It was dark when they left the village hall but as they neared the church they spotted the red Fiesta they had seen earlier pull up on the opposite side of the road to the post office. Marlene leaned across and gave the driver a peck on the cheek and then stepped out onto the pavement. She waved as the car tooted and drove away and then turned the corner into St Mary’s Way where she and Gary lived.

  “See what we mean,” said Hetty to Debbie, “Don’t you think that’s a bit fishy?”

  “Yes, I must admit I do.”

  “But wherever she’s been she’s not been away long,” reasoned Lottie. “Two hours at the most.”

  “Hmm, probably can’t be away any longer or Gary would be suspicious. And at least we know now that the driver of the car was a bloke.”

  “Perhaps he’s her brother,” Lottie suggested.

  “But if so why pick her up outside the post office and not at her house?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Debbie shook her head. “She doesn’t have a brother that I do know. Sisters, yes, two in fact, but no brother.”

  Hetty rubbed her hands with glee. “There you are then. I reckon she’s been off with her fancy man having told Gary she was going to bingo.”