Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Box Set

by Sherri Bryan

  “We’ll be as quiet as we can, Elsie, but we’re celebrating so we can’t promise there’ll be no noise at all. I mean,” Owen looked at his watch, “it’s only half-past one, not the middle of the night.”

  “I don’t see why you can’t have your party indoors—then you wouldn’t disturb anyone at all. Wasn’t that the sole reason for having the place soundproofed?”

  “Well, yes, that’s true,” Owen reasoned, “but if we did, you’d have to come back in an hour and give us all a good basting because we’d cook if we stayed inside today with the doors shut—it must be at least 80 degrees out here so it’d be like a furnace in there.”

  “And then there’s the barbecue, Elsie.” Penny smiled benevolently at her curmudgeonly neighbour. “We couldn’t really take that inside. Or the hot tub.”

  “Hmpf, oh yes. The hot tub.” Elsie uttered the words as if she found them highly offensive. “Why anyone would need a communal bathtub outside is beyond me—all that cavorting around half-naked in broad daylight. And as for that godforsaken barbecue, stinking out the whole street to high heaven.” She leaned in and Penny’s and Owen’s heads instinctively followed her lead. “I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that this is a respectable neighbourhood.” Her good eye darted between them both.

  At that moment, Amy appeared from inside the house, shrieking loudly as Frankie, dressed only in swimming shorts and a Union Jack flag, shoved ice-cubes down the back of her swimsuit.

  “Oh, hello, Elsie.” Amy came to an abrupt stop, causing Frankie to bump into her and fall flat on his back. In his merry state, he rolled around on the grass, giggling as he blew the cantankerous neighbour a kiss.

  “Elsie! Sweetheart! Have you come to join us in the hot tub?”

  Elsie’s lips became so tightly pursed they almost disappeared. “As I was saying, this is a respectable neighbourhood. Well, it certainly used to be.” She surveyed the assembled group over the top of her glasses before turning on the heel of her sensible shoe and trotting off towards the front door. “Please don’t give me any reason to come back here again, or to call the police, which I will not hesitate to do if you create a disturbance.”

  “Can you believe that woman?” Penny fumed after she’d seen Elsie out. “What a nerve. Honestly!”

  “Who’s that little ray of sunshine?” asked Nathan.

  “Elsie Rayner—she lives two doors down. God, she’s dismal.” Penny poked at the coals with a little more vehemence than intended and they spat back at her. “You should have seen her when we had the hot tub installed. She was round here every five minutes, checking we weren’t going to be turning the place into a house of ill-repute.” She giggled at the memory.

  “Oh, don’t worry about her.” Owen began to place the meat on the barbecue rack and the coals hissed and smoked as meat juices fell onto them. “She’s always been the same. Let’s just forget about her, okay?”

  Penny nodded. “You’re right. This is Frankie’s day.

  On hearing his name, Frankie jumped up from the grass. “Yes, you’re right! This is my day! Onward!”

  As he made a dash for the hot tub, Amy pulled him back by the waistband of his shorts, squealing as she overtook him. “Oh, no you don’t!”

  “Told you she always has to be the first one in, didn’t I?” Penny turned to Charlotte. “It’s the same every year—she won’t give up without a fight.”

  And that’s when, as Charlotte would recall when asked later, everything went into slow motion and became blurred and muddled.

  Screams, laughter, the swing coming to a standstill and a splash as Frankie, having overtaken Amy and just a few yards ahead of her, stepped into the hot tub and began to tremble.

  It took a few seconds for anyone to realise what was happening.

  “Amy! Don’t touch him! Move away!” Nathan called out just in time to stop Amy from pulling Frankie’s hand from the metal rail at the side of the tub. “Someone turn off the power, quickly!”

  Pulling Frankie out of the tub, Nathan turned him onto his back and started CPR. “Call an ambulance and get me a blanket or something to keep him warm.”

  Penny had taken a hysterical Amy inside, along with Danny and Susan who were keeping Zac well away from the drama.

  The rest of the guests stood in a huddle, the shocked silence broken only by the whimpers of Ruby and Eddie.

  Sirens signalled the arrival of the emergency services who took over from Nathan.

  “What’s the name of the gentleman?

  Charlotte saw Nathan’s shoulders slump as he shook his head briefly at the paramedics.

  “Frankie. His name’s Frankie.”

  Another siren followed by a brief ring on the doorbell announced the arrival of the police.

  “Good afternoon, Sir. We’re here in response to a call we’ve had following a disturbance. Is the ambulance outside also attending the same disturbance?”

  “What? Oh, yes…sorry, we’ve had a terrible shock.” As Owen stood back and let the police officers pass, he noticed Elsie hovering outside on the pavement.

  By the time the police reached the scene of the accident, the paramedics had stopped CPR.

  There was no need for it anymore.

  Frankie Ingram was dead

  Chapter 3

  “I’m Detective Inspector Carter and this is Detective Sergeant Rafferty. Our condolences on the loss of your friend.”

  Despite the warmth of the day, DI Carter wore a long beige mac, and his hairline was beaded with perspiration.

  “Why are you here?” Adam Pitt puffed out his chest. “This is obviously an accidental death.”

  “We were called to investigate a disturbance, Sir. Complaints of excessive noise. We had no idea that a death had occurred until we arrived. By all accounts, it seems to be a tragic accident but we’ll need to take the names and addresses of everyone here along with a brief witness statement…if they feel up to it.” DI Carter glanced into the living room, where an increasingly distraught Amy Baker was refusing any help from the paramedics.

  “For goodness’ sake, is this absolutely necessary? Surely you can see what happened?” Adam gestured to Frankie’s body, which had been covered with a blanket.

  “Yes, it is, Sir, but we’ll be as quick as we can.” DI Carter caught Detective Sergeant Rafferty’s eye and spoke under his breath. “Seems like a certain person wants us out of the way, wouldn’t you say?”

  “I would, Guv. Wonder why that is? One to watch, I’d say.”

  Charlotte hoped the police would finish whatever it was they needed to do so that she and Nathan could be on their way. She couldn’t believe Frankie was dead—it was surreal. One minute he was laughing and joking around and the next, he was gone.

  “Nathan,” she whispered, tugging at his sleeve. “Is there anything you can do to get us out of here? I feel like we’re intruding.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. Just a minute.” Nathan approached DI Carter, arm outstretched. “Detective Inspector—my name is Nathan Costello. I’m a guest here, but I’m a DCI in the St. Eves force. I appreciate that you have a procedure to follow but I wondered if, under the circumstances, you could deal with my wife and I first so we can leave these people alone. We barely knew the deceased, you see—we only met him yesterday and we feel that our presence here is a little intrusive.”

  The DI looked Nathan up and down. “A CI, you say?” He gripped Nathan’s hand firmly. “Always good to meet a fellow officer. Okay, we’ll take some details from you then you can be on your way. You’re not staying here, then?”

  “Oh, no.” Charlotte winced as she pushed her hand into the small of her back. “We’re staying at The Milestone. We’re on honeymoon.”

  “Oh, I see. Congratulations.” The DI smiled briefly as he wrote in his notebook.

  Ten minutes later, he was finished. “Well, I think we’ve covered everything—we’ll be in touch if we have any further questions. Thanks for your time.”

  As Nathan chatted
with the DI, Charlotte gathered their belongings. She hugged Ruby and said a quick goodbye to the rest of the guests, blowing Penny a kiss but giving her and her sister a wide berth.

  As she turned away, she was sure she saw a smirk on Adam Pitt’s face as he glanced over at Frankie Ingram’s lifeless body.

  ººººººº

  “You okay?” Nathan added a spoonful of honey to a cup of green tea and handed it to Charlotte as she settled herself into one of the hotel’s squashy armchairs.

  “No, not really.” A warm bath and a lie-down had done little to ease her tension. She sighed. “You know, I could quite easily have packed our bags and gone straight home as soon as we got back here—that was horrific.”

  Despite her involvement in a number of murders in recent years, she would never be as accustomed to upsetting situations as Nathan was.

  “One minute everything was fine and the next, someone’s dead. I just can’t get my head around it. And poor Amy and Penny and everyone else—I can’t imagine how they must be feeling. I felt really bad about leaving the way we did but I felt equally bad being there.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We barely knew Frankie, and we barely know the rest of them—I think it would have been weird to have stayed. No one’s going to think badly of us for leaving when we did—it’s not as though we’re going to see any of them again, anyway.”

  “Well, I’m not so sure about that. Ruby and Penny were talking about dropping into the café some time, so I’m sure I’ll see them again even if you don’t. Although with what’s happened, I don’t suppose they’ll be in for some time.”

  “What did actually happen?” Nathan pulled another armchair closer to Charlotte. “I was talking to Adam so I wasn’t really paying much attention.”

  Charlotte rubbed her stomach. “I’m not sure—as soon as I realised what was happening, I looked the other way. All I remember is that Amy and Frankie came running out of the house while the rest of us were chatting, and we were laughing at them and then…well, then it all got so confusing, I can’t really remember what happened.” She scratched her nose and frowned. “I’ll tell you what, though, there were some pretty weird things I do remember.”

  “Oh yes, what things?”

  “Well, before Amy went inside to change, I heard her ask Penny if she could borrow one of her swimsuits. One with a high neck.”

  “And what’s strange about that?”

  “Don’t you remember Owen talking about the swimsuit Amy wore last year and how small it was? And Ruby saying that Amy had an amazing figure and liked showing it off? Well, if she was such an exhibitionist, why would she ask Penny for a high-necked swimsuit that covered everything up?”

  Nathan lifted a shoulder. “When it comes to women’s fashion, I’m lost, but perhaps she felt like preserving a little modesty. Who knows?” He flicked a peanut into the air and caught it in his mouth. “What else do you remember?”

  “Adam Pitt. When we were getting ready to leave, I’m sure I saw him smirk. You know, kind of smug. As he looked over to where Frankie was, I mean.”

  “You sure it was a smirk? He strikes me as the type of guy who doesn’t show his emotions—maybe it was just the effort of trying to keep them under control. I can’t imagine it was intended that way—he seemed genuinely upset when I spoke to him afterwards.”

  “Hmmm, maybe. Either way, I don’t think I like him very much. He’s not very nice to Ruby—he’s very dismissive of her.” Charlotte blew on her tea.

  “Oh, come on; that’s quite an assumption to make—we only met the guy today. And I think it’s a little unfair to base an opinion of their entire marriage on an hour spent with them at a barbecue. He’s a bit pompous, but he seemed perfectly pleasant otherwise.

  “Actually, he told me there’s something he wants to discuss with me when we get back to St. Eves,” said Nathan. “Can’t imagine what it could be—he was very tight-lipped.” He picked up another handful of peanuts.

  “Anyway, changing the subject, the DI told me they’ll be arranging for someone to drain the hot tub to establish the cause of the accident. As if Penny and Amy aren’t upset enough, looks like they might have to deal with the fact that Frankie’s death was caused by their faulty equipment.”

  “Poor things—it’s a nightmare. How they’re ever going to be able to live with themselves if that’s the case—or even go back to the house again, I don’t know.” Charlotte slid onto Nathan’s chair and cuddled up next to him.

  He kissed the top of her head. “Look, I know how sensitive you are, and I know you’re going to be thinking about this for a long time but, please, please try not to get stressed about it. If you want to go home, we’ll go home, I don’t care. I just want you to be wherever you’ll be happiest.”

  “No, I think I’m okay,” said Charlotte after a pause. “I wanted to go home straight after it happened, but I’m not sure now—perhaps I’ll feel differently tomorrow but, for now, I think I’d like to stay. We’re going to have so little time to ourselves soon; I want to finish our honeymoon.” She looked up at Nathan. “As long as you do?”

  “Course I do. Now, how about we order room service, you can watch a film or read your book, I’ll give you a back rub, and we can get some sleep?”

  Charlotte nodded. “That sounds good. I don’t think I could face going down to the restaurant after what’s happened and I really don’t feel like going out.”

  “Perfect. Room service it is, then!”

  ººººººº

  After a lot of tears from Charlotte, and a long discussion, she and Nathan decided that, despite the recent sad events, they would try to enjoy the rest of their honeymoon as much as possible.

  They set off after a hearty breakfast, determined to make the most of another glorious day. Having walked for miles and feeling decidedly peckish, they were watching a juggling magician in Covent Garden when the smell of fried onions wafted past Charlotte’s nose and woke one of her dormant cravings.

  Sniffing the air, she followed the smell. “Oh my…do you mind if we find out where that’s coming from?”

  They tracked the mouth-watering aroma to a small shop, bearing the sign ‘Big Al’s Diner: Established 1980. Proprietor: Alan King.’

  “Well, it must be good if it’s been here so long. Wonder if Big Al’s around today?” Charlotte peered in through the large shopfront window at the young man in a black apron and hat, flipping large, ground-steak patties on one side of a vast griddle, the other half of which contained a mound of lightly caramelised onions.

  “Well, I don’t know about you, but I know what I’m having for lunch.” She was finding it hard not to drool.

  “They look busy but we can wait for a table inside. Come on.” Nathan held the door open and they entered a small entrance lobby which opened up into a deceptively large space, furnished with chrome fixtures, red leather-look seats, and red and white checked cloths covering the Formica-topped tables.

  In contrast to the formal waiting staff of the hotel, the servers were dressed in white t-shirts, cut off Levi’s, and roller skates.

  As they waited to be seated a cheerful server sped towards them.

  “Hi, my name’s Aiden, I’ll be your server…” His smile quickly faded as he realised he might not be able to stop in time to avoid a collision.

  Anticipating the possible outcome, Nathan stood in front of Charlotte, his arms outstretched and the server grabbed onto his hands.

  “Oh, blimey, I’m so sorry.” The young boy’s face turned pink. “I only started a few days ago and I haven’t quite got the hang of these skates yet. It’s okay, though,” he assured, quickly. “I’m not allowed to carry any food yet. I’m on ‘greet and seat’ duty for a couple of weeks till I’ve finished my training.”

  He looked over his shoulder before whispering, “You won’t tell my granddad, will you? He gave me this job after I finished my exams, you know just to give me some extra cash, but if he finds out I lied to him, he’ll be really upset.
”

  Charlotte grinned. “Let me guess, you told him you could roller skate. Am I right?”

  The boy scratched the back of his neck and nodded, sheepishly. “I didn’t think it would be so hard to learn—but I am getting better.”

  “Hmm, it’s not the skating you seem to have a problem with.” Nathan observed. “It’s the stopping. “But don’t worry,” he tapped his nose, “we won’t say a word.”

  Looking a little happier, the young boy grabbed two menus from a stand. “Would you like a table? I’m afraid it’ll be about twenty minutes, but you can have a drink at the bar and decide what you’d like to eat while you wait.”

  “Yes, please, we’ll do that. After seeing those burgers, I’m not leaving until I’ve had one!” Charlotte hungrily eyed a platter holding ten mini-burgers, a bucket of shoestring fries, and a bubbling dish of macaroni cheese as it zoomed past her on its way to a table of appreciative recipients.

  “Well, I’ll get you seated as soon as I can. Till then, you can sit at the bar and talk to my granddad—or should I say, he can talk to you.” Aiden grinned, mischievously.

  Charlotte and Nathan followed him to a gleaming stainless steel-topped bar occupied by other waiting customers, behind which stood a man they presumed was Big Al.

  Pale-faced, sandy-haired, and blue-eyed, Big Al wore a red and white checked shirt, a dazzling white apron, a white chef’s cap set at a jaunty angle and a smile that stretched from ear to ear. Despite being deep in conversation with a customer at the bar, his eyes darted around the diner. Charlotte doubted that much went on that Big Al missed…apart from the fact that his grandson couldn’t roller skate to save his life.

  “Hey! New friends! Come, come and sit down and take the weight off your feet—oh, hold on, lady with a baby comin’ through!” He put down the glass he was polishing and rushed around to the other side of the bar. Holding out his hand, he helped Charlotte onto a stool. “There, you settled? You comfortable? Good. Now, what can I get you? First drink to all new friends is on the house. Courtesy of Big Al.” He pointed to himself with his thumbs. “That’s me, in case you hadn’t guessed.” He chuckled all the way back to behind the bar, where he leaned over and stared intently at Nathan and Charlotte.