Aunt Bessie Invites (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 9) (13 page)

“Karen was certain that the body is Jacob’s,”
Bahey said.
 
“She said the watch
proves it.”

“Did she have any idea who might have wanted
to kill him?” Bessie asked.

“She said he’d had some trouble with a
farmer in Douglas,” Bahey reported.
 
“Apparently, he’d offered to buy the man’s farm, but then, after he’d
had it surveyed, he decided he didn’t want it.
 
Jacob told Karen that the man was really
angry about the deal falling through.
 
That’s why Jacob moved to Laxey, to get away from that farmer.”

“I don’t suppose Karen knew the farmer’s
name?” Bessie asked.

“She didn’t,” Bahey said.
 
“At the time it wasn’t important to
her.”

“It seems a fairly flimsy motive for
murder,” Bessie speculated.
 

“He also left a few angry women in Douglas,”
Bahey told her.
 
“But Karen didn’t
know their names, either.”

“I hope you don’t mind if I tell John
Rockwell everything you’ve told me,” Bessie said.
 

“Of course not,” Bahey assured her.
 
“I talked to Inspector Corkill once, but
I suppose I should ring him again now that I’ve talked to Karen.”

“You should,” Bessie agreed.
 
“He’ll be able to check out the Douglas
connections to the case.”

“I’d rather you didn’t tell anyone else,
though,” Bahey added.
 
“Karen would
rather people didn’t know anything about her relationship with Jacob.
 
She’s quite happy for everyone to think
she was just one of his casual dates.”

“I’ll keep it to myself,” Bessie promised.

“Karen wants to come over for whatever
service they have for him over here,” Bahey said as Bessie prepared to
leave.
 
“She said she still has a
spot in her heart for Jacob.
 
He was
the first man she ever loved.”

Bessie, who’d never really recovered from
the loss of her first love, understood the sentiment perfectly.
 
“I’d love to see her while she’s here,”
she told Bahey.

“We’ll have to have lunch or something,”
Bahey said.

“I shall have to knock on doors on my way
out,” Bessie told Bahey.
 
“There are
a few people here who haven’t responded to my Thanksgiving invitation.”

“I’m not sure why you invited them all,”
Bahey said.
 
“You only lived here
for a month, not even.”

“I know, but I haven’t had neighbours for
many years,” Bessie told her.
 
“The
cottages around mine have been holiday cottages for a very long time.
 
One of the strangest
part
of staying here was having other people all around me.
 
I just thought it would be nice to see
them all again.”

As Bessie reached the door, it suddenly
swung open.
 
“Ah, just in time to
get a hug,” Howard Mayer beamed at Bessie.
 

It took several minutes to hear all about
his daughter and the baby before Bessie could finally get on her way.
 
She quickly moved across the corridor
and knocked.
 
She got no answer from
Ruth Ansel’s flat, and it seemed that Muriel Kerry was out as well.
 
She was luckier on her third attempt.

“Ah, Bessie, I did hope we’d see you again
one day,” Bertie Ayers said, his eyes twinkling at her.
 
“You certainly livened up the place when
you were here.
 
I don’t suppose
you’d like to come back?”

“No, not even a little bit,” Bessie said,
surprising them both with her blunt honesty.
 
She laughed.
 
“Sorry, but I love my home too much,”
she explained.
 
“I hope you’re
planning to come to my Thanksgiving dinner?”

“Oh, aye, I forgot to ring you and let you
know, though, didn’t I?” Bertie shook his head.
 
“I’ll make it up to you by bringing my
own gin, shall I?”

“Of course not,” Bessie said.
 
“You’re not to bring anything but
yourself.”

“Oh,” he said.
 
He glanced around and then lowered his
voice, even though the hallway was deserted.
 
“I did wonder if I might bring a friend,”
he whispered.

“Of course you can,” Bessie said in surprise.
 
“Is it anyone I know?”

Bertie grinned.
 
“Well, Muriel and I have been spending
more time together, you see.
 
I did
think, that is, I thought she might like coming to your little gathering as a
couple.
 
I know you invited her as
well, but, I well, anyway, it’ll upset Ruth, no doubt, but well, maybe
it’s
time I settled down a bit, don’t you think?”

“I’m very happy for you both,” Bessie
said.
 
“I’ll look forward to seeing
you a week on Saturday.”

Bessie headed for the lift, mentally shaking
her head at Bertie.
 
Time to settle
down?
 
At
sixty-something?
 
Maybe it
was, at that.

Bessie tried the flats on the first floor,
but no one seemed to be at home.
 
She’d just include them all in her count to the restaurant and see
who
turned up, she decided.
 
In no particular hurry to get home,
Bessie headed into the Douglas city centre for a wander around the shops.
 
An hour later, she’d bought several
things she hadn’t realised she needed and was ready to ring Dave.
 

She was coming out of the chemist when she
nearly fell over as a toddler cut across her path.
 
“Oh, dear, are you okay?” she asked the
little girl, who looked up at her and burst in tears.

“Kylie, you mustn’t run away,” the pretty
blonde woman who was two steps behind the girl gasped.
 
“I’m ever so sorry,” she said to Bessie.

“Liz?” Bessie asked.

“Oh, goodness, Bessie?
 
I’m even more sorry now,” Liz Martin
said with a laugh.
 
She gave Bessie
a hug and then picked up the still sniffling child.

“This is Kylie, in case you didn’t realise,”
Liz said.

Bessie smiled at the beautiful child.
 
“She looks just like you,” she told
Liz.
 

“Bill says so as well,” Liz told her.
 
“But I suppose that’s only fair, as
Jackson looks exactly like his father.”

“That does seem very fair,” Bessie
agreed.
 

“I’m so glad I ran into you, actually,” Liz
said.
 
“I know I rang and said we’d
come for the dinner next week, but I’m ever so worried about bringing the
children.
 
As you’ve seen, Kylie isn’t
always the best-behaved child in the world.
 
I’d hate for her to ruin your special
event.”

“Thanksgiving is for families,” Bessie said
insistently.
 
“I’d love to have a
whole room full of children, but I simply don’t know any others.
 
They can’t do anything except run around
and be noisy, and that’s not a problem, that’s part of what makes the holiday
special.”

Liz looked doubtful.
 
“I suppose, if they don’t behave, we can
always leave early,” she said.

“It will be fine,” Bessie said.
 
“It isn’t fancy or formal, it’s just a
lot of food and a lot of good friends.”

“Thank you so much for including us,” Liz
said.

“I so enjoyed taking Manx with you,” Bessie
told her.
 
“I hope you’re keeping it
up.”

“I’m trying, but I have the advantage of
living next door to Marjorie, of course.”

“And Marjorie will be there next week,”
Bessie told her.
 
“And Henry and
Joney Quirk from our class as well.”

“Oh, it will be like a reunion,” Liz said
happily.
 
“Maybe we’ll have time to
have a chat in Manx at some point.”

“Oh, I do hope not,”
Bessie
told her.

Liz laughed.
 
“Maybe not, then.”

Bessie rang for her taxi as Liz dashed off,
chasing her energetic toddler again.
 
Dave had Bessie back in Laxey in time for her evening meal.

After she’d eaten, she rang John and told
him everything she’d learned from Bahey.

“We need to find more of the women who went
out with Jacob,” John said.
 
“I want
to know how many of them thought he was going to take them back across with
him.”

“I can ring a few people tomorrow,” Bessie
suggested.
 
“Some of them might be
happier talking to me than to the police.”

“That’s a great idea,” John said.
 
“Any background information you can
gather would be greatly appreciated.”

A short time later Bessie headed to
bed.
 
She felt restless, but she
slept well.

Chapter Seven

Another rainy morning meant that Bessie was
back in her waterproofs and Wellington boots for her walk.
 
She kept it short again, just going far
enough to wave to Thomas before heading for home.
 

With the breakfast dishes washed, dried, and
back in the cupboards, she sat down with her telephone and began to ring a few
of her many friends and acquaintances around Laxey.
 
After an hour, she’d updated her copy of
the list she’d given John with quite a few additional notes.
 
She took a break for
tea, and just moments after she’d put the phone down
,
it
rang
.

“Bessie, it’s John,” the voice said.
 
“I was just about to start ringing
around to try to track down a few of the women who went out with Jacob, and I
thought I’d check with you first and see how you’re doing with them.”

“I’ve spoken to three women who went out
with him,” Bessie reported.
 
“All
three said that they only went out with him two or three times and that it was
just a bit of fun, nothing more.”

John noted the names of the women Bessie had
reached.
 
“What’s next on your
agenda?” he asked Bessie.

“I’ve tracked down phone numbers for three
of the women who are across now,” she said.
 
“I was going to try ringing them, but
maybe you’d prefer to do that?”

“Give me their details and leave them with
me,” John said.
 
“If we get a
positive identification on the body soon, we might have them questioned by
someone from their local station, rather than talk to them by telephone.”

“I’m still trying to find someone who might
know what happened to Susan Black or Anna Long,” Bessie said.
 
“I’ll keep working on them until after
lunch.
 
I have an appointment this
afternoon to meet with one of the women on the list.”

“Which one?” John asked.

“Mona Kelly, although technically she’s Mona
Smythe now,” Bessie replied.
 
“She
just happens to live in the same building as Sarah and Mike Combe and I’ve been
promising them a visit for weeks.
 
When I spoke with Mona, she didn’t want to talk on the telephone, so I
suggested I should come and see her.
 
After we talk, I’ll drop in on Sarah and Mike and save myself a separate
trip to Port Erin.”

“I’m not sure I want you visiting suspects,”
John said.

“Surely Mona Kelly isn’t a suspect,” Bessie
replied.

“At this point, everyone on the island is a
suspect,” John said.
 
“We haven’t
even identified the remains.
 
If
they do turn out to be Jacob Conover’s, the women he spent time with will have
to be considered very seriously.”

“Mona is a sweet lady who wouldn’t hurt a
fly,” Bessie told him.
 
“Anyway,
even if she killed Jacob all those years ago, she has no reason to do anything
to me.
 
We’re just going to have tea
and a chat, that’s all.”

“Ring me when you arrive at her flat and
then again when you leave,” John demanded.

“Oh, good heavens,” Bessie exclaimed.
 
“I’m sure to forget.
 
Please don’t storm her flat with a dozen
armed men or anything.
 
Mona and I
would probably both have heart attacks.”

“Try not to forget,” John said.
 
“You know I worry about you.”

“I know, but Mona is sixty-three, not even
five feet tall and I’m sure she doesn’t weigh more than eighty-five
pounds.
 
I’m certain I’m quite safe
with her.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” John said.
 
“But after everything you’ve been
through this year, you ought to know that murderers come in all shapes and
sizes.”

“You’re right, of course,” Bessie said.
 
“I’ll try to remember to ring you.”

“Good.
 
And
good luck with finding our two missing women
.
 
I hope you can track them down.
 
I’d like to talk to every woman he took
out, and I don’t have the time or resources to track them down myself, at least
not until we’re sure who we’ve found.”

“Who else could it be?” Bessie asked.

“That’s a very good question,” John told
her.
 
“If I had any ideas on that
score, I’d be digging into them as well.
 
For now, we’re working on the assumption that it’s Jacob Conover, at
least in part because we don’t have any other possibilities.”

Bessie spent another hour on the phone,
talking to various people.
 
She
learned a lot of interesting news about her friends and neighbours, but none of
it was relevant to the case.
 
No one
was able to help her with her search for the two missing women.

After a light lunch, Bessie took a taxi to
Port Erin.
 
The driver her service
sent was new to the job and to the island, so Bessie found herself giving him
directions as they went.
 
When he
pulled into the car park for Mona’s building, Bessie gave him an encouraging smile.

“You will be able to find
your
way back to Douglas, won’t you?” she asked.

“I think so,” the man replied.
 
“Although I’m tempted to take a long
lunch break and simply wait here until you’re ready to go back.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be,” Bessie told
him.
 
“I’m going to visit some
friends.
 
It could be several
hours.”

He nodded.
 
“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” he said
cheerfully.
 
“I’ll just keep heading
north with the sea on my right.”

“That’s it exactly,” Bessie told him.
 
“Thank you.”

She walked into the building and pressed the
lift button, quickly ringing John while she waited.
 
A few minutes later she was knocking on
Mona’s door.

“Bessie, it’s so good to see you,” Mona said
as she swung her door open.
 

Studying her friend in the doorway, Bessie
thought she’d been just about right in her description to John.
 
Mona was
tiny, with
grey hair in a tight bun and brown eyes
that looked more lively than
Bessie remembered.

“How are you?” Bessie asked, giving the
woman a gentle hug.

“I’m very well,” Mona replied.
 
“I do think the south of the island
agrees with me, after all those years up north.”
 
She led Bessie into a spacious sitting
room with gorgeous views of the sea below.
 

“What a wonderful view,” Bessie
exclaimed.
 

“Yes, it’s something special,”
Mona
agreed.
 
“Frank would have hated it.”

Bessie laughed.
 
Mona’s husband, Frank Smythe, had worked
for the island’s ferry service for many years.
 
He once told Bessie he couldn’t
understand why people were so interested in sea views.
 
“I see the sea all the time,” he’d
grumbled.
 
“When I’m at home, I like
to see trees and grass.”
 

Frank had died of a heart attack some years
earlier, and Bessie had been surprised when Mona had almost immediately sold
their small house in Laxey and bought this seaside flat in Port Erin.
 
Bessie had only seen the woman a couple
of times in the intervening years, but clearly Mona was happy with her choice.

“Do the children like it?” Bessie asked.

Mona shrugged.
 
“They’re both too busy with their lives
to bother much with me,” she said.
 
“Paul is in London.
 
He married
a positively nasty woman who insists that they spend every holiday and special
occasion with her horrid family.
 
At
least they don’t have children to ruin.
 
Mary and her husband, Jack, live in Derby.
 
They have two adorable little ones and
I’d love to see more of them, but Mary and Jack are both teachers and have no
money to speak of.
 
I’ll go and
spend Christmas with them; I usually do.”

Mona took Bessie into the modern kitchen and
put the kettle on.
 
A plate full of
biscuits and small cakes was already in the centre of the table in one corner
of the room.
 
They both sat down
with tea and a few biscuits and quickly caught up on a few mutual acquaintances
before Bessie brought the conversation around to the real reason for her visit.

“I was surprised you didn’t want to talk
about Jacob Conover when I rang,” Bessie said, trying to keep her tone casual.

Mona shrugged.
 
“It isn’t that I don’t want to talk
about him, exactly.
 
I just don’t
see the point.”

“The police need all of the information they
can get if they’re going to track down his killer,” Bessie said.

“Yes, I’m sure they do,” Mona replied.
 
“But I haven’t any useful information,
that’s what I mean.
 
I had dinner
with the man a couple of times, but it was just a couple of times and it was a
long time ago.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to ask you some
rude questions,” Bessie told her.
 
“You don’t have to answer them if you don’t want to.”

“I didn’t go to bed with him, if that’s what
you’re wondering,” Mona told her.

Bessie found herself blushing under the
other woman’s steady gaze.
 
“That
wasn’t it at all,” she said quickly.
 
“I was wondering who decided to end the relationship, that’s all.”

Mona laughed.
 
“I suppose that’s a rude question in its
own way,” she said.
 
“But I don’t
mind answering it.
 
As far as I can
remember, it was pretty much a mutual decision.”

Bessie deliberately bit into a biscuit,
hoping that her silence might get Mona to reveal more.

“I know,” Mona said after a moment.
 
“Everyone who has ever been tossed aside
says that it was mutual.”
 
She
laughed and took a drink of her tea.
 
“In this case, though, it actually was.
 
I liked Jacob and he was fun to spend
time with, but we both knew it wasn’t going to lead anywhere.”

“Why not?” Bessie asked.

“I didn’t want to be a farmer’s wife,” Mona
said.
 
“I had big dreams in those
days and they didn’t include the long hours and hard work that comes with
owning a farm.”

“I can certainly understand that,” Bessie
said.

“I didn’t really want to get married at
all,” Mona continued.
 
“I wanted to
go to university and, well, never mind all of that.”
 
Mona stopped and drank some tea, her
cheeks pink.

“What did you want to do?” Bessie asked.

Mona sighed.
 
“I thought I was going to be a famous
writer,” she said sheepishly.
 
“I
read a lot of Agatha Christie’s books and I thought I would write mysteries
like hers and make a fortune.”

“It’s never too late to try,” Bessie said.

“Oh, really, Bessie,” Mona said.
 
“I’m far too old to start now.
 
Anyway, I was working as a secretary in
one of the schools when I met Frank, and my parents thought I ought to marry
him.
 
I was already twenty-five when
I met him and my mum was convinced I’d be an old maid if I let him get away.”

“I’m serious,” Bessie told her.
 
“You’re never too old to chase your
dreams.
 
You should try writing a
book.”

“I never travelled or did anything exciting,”
Mona replied.
 
“I’ve nowhere exotic
to set my murder.”

“What wrong with the Isle of Man?” Bessie
demanded.

Mona laughed.
 
“No one would want to read murder mysteries
set on the Isle of Man,” she said emphatically.
 
“But let’s get back to Jacob, shall
we?
 
I didn’t want to marry him and
he didn’t want to settle down, really.
 
So we went out a few times and then he moved on to the next girl who
caught his eye, and I didn’t mind a bit.”

“Some of the women involved must have minded
a great deal,” Bessie said.
 

“I don’t know,” Mona said.
 
“Like I said, Jacob was a lot of fun,
but he was very honest about his feelings.
 
He liked keeping company with pretty young women, but he wasn’t looking
for a wife or even a steady girlfriend.
 
I’m sure one or two women wanted more, but as far as I remember, no one
got more than a few dinners from him before he moved on.”