Scandal at Six (Lois Meade Mystery) (19 page)

Thirty-
s
ix

“H
ere it is,” said
G
ran.
L
ois and
D
erek were eating hot apple tart and custard, and
G
ran had relented and offered to call enquiries for
J
ustin’s number while they ate.

“What has enquiries found?” Lois asked.

“Very helpful,” said Gran, putting down the phone. “Sounded such a nice woman. I reckon she was hoping for a chat.”

“Yes, well, what did she say?”

“‘Brookes, D. Holly Farm, Longtoft Fen’. That sounds like it, doesn’t it? You could try that, anyway.”

“Well done, Mum,” Lois said. “Right, Derek, will you, or shall I?”

“You do it. I’ve been thinking. Do you think Justin has anything to do with the zoo? Them creatures looked very unusual. Maybe a rare species? I should ask him outright, if I were you.”

Lois dialled the number, and a woman’s voice answered. “Mrs Brookes? Oh good. It’s Lois Meade here. We own the shop where Justin has moved into the flat. That’s right. Well, we said he could use the shed in the garden to keep some of his stuff. There’s something we have to ask him. Is he there, please? Oh, and please accept my condolences on your sad loss.”

“Is he there?” said Gran in a stage whisper.

Lois nodded. “She’s gone to fetch him. Sounded a nice person, anxious to help. Shame about her husband. Oh, is that you, Justin? Right. It’s just that Josie and me were getting rid of some of the junk in the shed, and found these little animals in a cage thing. Yours?” She turned and nodded at Derek. “So would you like us to look after them while you’re away?”

She paused, and the others watched, waiting for the answer. Then she nodded and said she hoped everything would go smoothly for the funeral, and hung up.

“So?” said Derek. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”

“He said he’d be glad if we could make sure they were warm, and give them food and water. He also said that they were a secret present for somebody, and asked us to keep mum on them being here. Or there, in the shop. As long as they were not disturbed, he said, they’d be okay. Fright could kill them, he said.”

“Huh!” said Gran. “I reckon there’s something funny going on there. If I were you, Lois, I’d inform Inspector Cowgill. He’ll know what to do.”

“But
we
know what to do,” said Lois. “Look after them, and don’t let on we know they’re there. Simple enough, and the least we can do under the circumstances.”

Gran went off to the film, and Lois and Derek turned on the television to catch the news. The item about Robert Pettison was brief. The man had had a serious accident and was in Tresham General. The zoo remained open to the public, and was being run by a team of helpers with the newly trained keeper.

“What about that message from Cowgill?” Derek said.

“It’ll keep until tomorrow,” said Lois. “Nobody’s dead, and there’s only the baby elephants to report. And we’re not doing that until Justin gets back. I need to think.”

“What about?”

“About what Gran said. Something funny going on there. She’s a shrewd old dame, my mum, and when you think about it, Derek, who does Justin know who would want a couple of baby elephants for a birthday present?”

*

“
M
orning,
L
ois.
H
ow’s my favourite spy this morning?”

“Not as chirpy as you, Cowgill,” Lois said. “But I got your message. What do you want?”

“You,” said the inspector. “But as that is impossible, I’d like a word about that Pettison character.”

“Him what fell downstairs in a drunken stupor with a whiskey glass in his hand?”

“Don’t forget the hot-water bottle,” Cowgill said. “It has not improved his facial features, I’m afraid. Looks very painful. Scalded. He’d just put the boiling water in the bottle. Of course, he should have known never to put boiling water in a rubber hot-water bottle.”

“Don’t waffle, Cowgill!” said Lois. “Can I come in and see you this morning? There’s something I need to ask you. And could we meet at the zoo? I want to look around.”

“Fine. I was going there, anyway. See you at half past ten?”

*

M
argie was on the gate when
L
ois arrived, and as she bought her ticket, she saw Dot Nimmo crossing the drive with a wheelbarrow full of mucky straw.

“Dot! What on earth are you doing? Wait for me. I’m coming in. Thanks, Margie. See you later.”

“Morning, Mrs M. I’m not playing truant. Nothing much to do up at the house, with him being in hospital, so I thought I’d help out down here at the zoo. Did I do wrong?”

“No, absolutely right. But dump your smelly load, and come with me for a minute or two.”

“Where’re we going, then?”

“To the zoo, of course,” said Lois, and marched off into the entrance hall, where there was a souvenir shop and directions to the various enclosures.

“Mrs M, I hope you won’t mind my asking, but why are we joining the gawpers and going round the zoo like a couple of tourists?”

“Because I’m looking for something. Do you know your way around? Do they have small mammals anywhere?”

“My favourites,” said Dot, and led the way. “Look, Mrs M. Those tiny mice—they’re from the Isle of Wight. Aren’t they dinky? Dear little souls. Then look at these.”

Lois looked. Two grey rats stared at her. “Not too keen on these, Dot. I was hoping to see one particular species. Very rare. Perhaps too rare for this small zoo.”

“What are they called, Mrs M?”

“Baby elephants,” said Lois. “Come on, they’re not here. Let’s go and have a coffee before Cowgill gets here. I’ve arranged to meet him. Lead me to the café, Dot. Coffee’s on expenses.”

*

W
hen
C
owgill arrived, he and
L
ois walked up to the house, where Dot appeared, duster in hand, having got there before them.

“I’ve unlocked, Inspector,” she said. “Mrs M told me you were coming.”

“Right. Well, Mrs Nimmo, I’d be glad if you remember that no one is to be admitted to the house at any time.”

“Except you and Mrs M?” said Dot.

“Perhaps you’d better give me the key,” said Cowgill. “There’ll be no need for you to stay. Perhaps get back to muck spreading! Thank you, Mrs Nimmo, very kind of you to help.”

“I’m paying her, actually,” said Lois, after Dot had gone. “But she’s a very useful person to have around. She misses nothing that goes on.”

“Talking of which, Lois, my dear, what is it you want to ask me?” He walked through to the hall, where there were still signs of Pettison’s fall.

“It’s something my mother said, as a matter of fact. Now, if I asked you about endangered species, would you think I was mad?”

“No, never that, Lois. So what are you going to ask me?”

“Gran said she reckoned there was something funny going on. I am sure there is, and it’s something to do with baby elephants.”

“Now you are mad! There are no elephants here.”

“No, but listen. Josie and me were cleaning out the shed at the back of the shop, and found a couple of baby elephants in a cage on a shelf.”

Cowgill groaned. “Lois, my dear,
please
!” Lois took pity on him, and told him the whole story, including her call to Justin and his sad family news. “So we’re looking after them,” she said finally. “But I don’t know. They’re not the sort of pet you usually have. If they’re going to stay on our premises, I need to know if they are kosher, bred in captivity and that, or trapped in the wild and smuggled into this country.”

Cowgill was silent. He sighed, and said that Lois was right. There had been suspicions for a long time that Pettison was up to something of the sort. But they’d never managed to catch him at it, or found any endangered species in the zoo.

“We think he has a network of contacts, including places where he can hide the illegal animals until he moves them on. He doesn’t keep them in the zoo, as they’d soon be identified. So, shall I pick you up around two this afternoon?” he said. “I’ll bring an expert, and we’ll have a chat, then go down to the shop and take a look at them. In the meantime, please keep this to yourself, if possible. It could be the very lead we have been looking for.”

“Right,” said Lois. “Mum was in the shop when Josie found them, and I think she’s been snooping, so I reckon you’d better act quickly. Yes, of course I’ll be there at two this afternoon. Thanks, Cowgill. See you then.” She set off back down the drive, and something made her look round. Cowgill was standing at the top of the portico steps, watching her, so she blew him a kiss and carried on her way.

Thirty-
s
even

I
t was ten to two when
C
owgill arrived, parking where
L
ois could see him from her office window.
T
his time he had a passenger beside him, and it was female.
T
hey got out of the car and began to walk up the drive.
T
o her surprise, she saw the woman link arms with
C
owgill and look up at him fondly.
W
ho was this then?
S
he went to the door quickly, before
G
ran could get there, and waited until they knocked.

“Good afternoon, Lois!” said Cowgill cheerily. “May I introduce our species expert, Miss Miranda Cowgill. And yes, we are related! Miranda is my niece, and has helped us out on several occasions where her skills are required. Miranda, this is Mrs Lois Meade, my very good friend and unofficial assistant.”

“Please come in,” said Lois. “Oh yes, and this is my mother, Mrs Weedon. Could you manage a coffee for us, Mum?”

After this good beginning, things began to deteriorate. Derek appeared, grunted a “How do” and said he hoped Lois wasn’t going to be long, as he needed her help out the back. Then Gran tipped up the entire tray-load of coffee in the hall and burst into a series of oaths, blaming it on the dog Jeems, who was crossing her path at the time.

“Right, let’s make a start,” said Cowgill, when they were all seated. “Could you tell us exactly how the animals came to be here, right from the start?”

Lois told them in as few words as possible how she had found them in the shed, covered with a paper carrier, or half one, up on a high shelf. She and Josie had got hold of Justin, who had been given permission to use the shed as part of his rent on the flat, and he had said they were his.

“Asked us to look after them until he got back,” she said finally. “I’d never seen anything like them before, and told Derek, and he thought they were some sort of shrew.”

“Did Mr Brookes say exactly what they were?” asked Miranda.

Lois shook her head. “Sorry, no. He was very anxious about them, and told me not to say anything to anybody about them. That’s why I called you, Cowgill! I expect he’ll never forgive me.”

“Very likely. But you may have to do without Justin Brookes for a time, anyway,” said Cowgill. “But thanks, Lois. It is a very important matter. Perhaps we could go down to the shop now?”

“And please give our thanks to Mrs Weedon for the coffee, and sympathies about the accident. I do hope she wasn’t hurt.”

They had reached the door by this time, and Gran appeared behind them. “I’m made of strong stuff, Miss Cowgill,” she said. “Takes more than dropping a few crocks to upset me.”

*

J
osie saw them coming from the shop window, and put up a notice saying
CLOSED FOR TEN MINUTES
. Then she welcomed them in, and they all went out to the shed in the back garden.

“I’ve got the key, Mum,” she said, and began to unlock the shed door.

“We should be very quiet, so as not to alarm them,” Miranda said. “They are very sensitive little creatures.”

“Not frightened of us, were they, Josie? Not after we’d give them something to eat.”

They crept in, and Josie put on the light. Miranda immediately turned it off. “Sorry!” she whispered. “Best to approach them in the dark.”

“Over here,” said Lois, leading the way. “Up there, look. On the top shelf.”

“Where, exactly?” said Cowgill.

Lois felt around on the shelf and then turned to Josie. “Put the light on, dear,” she said, and then, blinking in the light, they all stared.

“They’ve gone,” said Lois. “Josie! They’ve gone! Where on earth—? Who could have got in here?”

“Let’s look round,” said Cowgill. “Someone might have moved them.”

They were nowhere to be found, and Miranda looked at her uncle. “You know what this means, don’t you?” she said. “They’ve been stolen, or retrieved. What a pity.”

“Yes, a pity you couldn’t see them,” said Lois, “but it does mean Mum was right. They were clearly valuable enough for someone to want to steal them. As for retrieving them, I reckon either Justin came back during the night, or he asked someone to collect them for him. Someone who has another key? There’s only one key, isn’t there, Josie?”

“Two,” said Josie. “I had another one cut for Justin, so he wouldn’t have to bother me every time he wanted to go in there. I suppose he could have got a spare cut from his, and given it to somebody.”

They returned to the shop, and Josie took down the notice. “Sorry, Inspector. I didn’t even suspect anyone would do that. Sorry your journey has been wasted, Miss Cowgill.”

“No bother,” said Miranda. “Always a pleasure to see Uncle Hunter! But I’ve just been thinking. Did you get a good look at them? Could you identify them, if I sent you a picture over the internet?”

“Brilliant idea,” said Lois. “Send it to me on an email. Then me and Josie can look at it together. Derek’s guess was, as I said, a shrew of some sort, and I reckon that’s the nearest we’ve come.”

Lois and the two Cowgills walked back up to Meade House, and waved them off, then returned to the house.

“Well, what were they?” said Gran. “They weren’t white mice, that’s for sure. Are you going to tell me now?”

“Don’t know, I’m afraid,” said Lois. “They’re gone. Lost, stolen or strayed. I felt a right fool, with Cowgill’s niece there, an’ that.”

“What d’you mean, gone? The shed was locked, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was. I watched Josie unlocking it. So someone got in with a key, or picked the lock, and made away with them. Anyway, all is not lost. Miranda Cowgill is going to send me a photograph of one of those little animals to check out. If it is that one, then Justin is going to be in trouble.”

“Such a nice young man, too,” said Gran, but her face belied her.

“You don’t like him, do you, Mum?” Lois said.

“Too nice,” said Gran. “Not like that Miranda Cowgill. Now she’s
really
nice.”

“Seems fond of her uncle. Nice for him, as he lives alone. Now, where’s Derek, or has he given up and gone out?”

*

I
n the
B
rierley house,
B
etsy was leafing through a magazine, waiting for Ted to come home. She had been late to bed last evening, and had stayed in bed this morning until after he went off to work. Now she had the high tea all ready, table laid and was wearing her sexiest dress, all designed to make a good impression.

She heard the door, and put down her magazine. “Is that you, Ted?” she called.

He came into the room, took one look at her and at the table carefully laid, and said, “What have you been up to now?”

“Nothing, of course! Just thought you might like to have an attractive girl to come home to.”

“I see. Well, thanks, but no thanks. Now you can go and take off that ridiculous dress, and come down in something more comfortable. My name’s not Pettison.”

“Pity it isn’t!” Betsy said crossly. “At least he appreciates me. Says I have the figure of a girl. What do you think, Ted?” She knew she was being irritating, but a woman scorned, and all that.

“I think I have had a hard day’s work, and all I want is a nice tea and a bit of peace. Is that too much to ask? And while I’m about it, where the hell were you last night? You don’t usually work out of hours, except for Pettison, and he’s out of action in a hospital ward, with any luck.”

“Visiting a sick aunt,” she said.

“Rubbish! But forget it. What’s for tea?”

*

I
t so happened that last night around midnight,
D
ot had got out of bed to go for a pee, and had looked out at the street below. The streetlight was still on, and to her surprise, she saw a car draw up outside the Brierleys’, and Betsy get out and let herself into the house.

“My God, that woman works hard,” she had muttered, and laughed to herself. “Give me a duster and scrubbing brush anytime. You can keep your job, Betsy,” she had added. Then she thought that Betsy
was
a real scrubber, in a different sense, and that had made her chuckle again. When she returned to bed, another thought had struck her. Where had Betsy been? Pettison was still in hospital, and surely Ted wouldn’t have let her out so late to anyone else?

“Odd little sod, that Ted,” she had said, not for the first time, and went straight back to sleep.

*

N
ext morning, straight after breakfast,
L
ois went into her office to check her email. There it was, the one she had been expecting. It was from Miranda Cowgill, and had an attachment. She clicked on it, and up came a photograph, a close-up of a small animal, like a mouse but not like a mouse, she thought.

“Derek! Come and look! I’m in the office.”

Derek came in and peered at the screen. “Um, yes. And then again, no.”

“Just what I thought,” said Lois. “That one has the long nose, okay? But it sort of droops, whereas ours curved upwards. It’s got spindly little legs, too, that one. Isn’t it a beautiful colour? All goldeny.”

“No such word,” said Derek. “Well, if you ask me, they are some sort of exotic shrew creature. Not from this country, anyway, else I’d have seen them, excavating behind floorboards an’ that, as I do. What’re you going to do, then, gel?”

“I’ll see if Josie has had the same email, and ask her what she thinks. She saw them same as me.”

At that moment, the phone rang and it was Josie. “Mum? Have you seen it? Isn’t it sweet? But I’m not sure it’s the same as ours. Our baby elephants’ trunks curved up in a happy way, but this one points down. I’d say it was the same, but different.”

“Exactly,” said Derek. “Clever girl, our Josie.”