Cars and Cold Cases

by Diana Xarissa

  “This is Mona Kelly’s niece,” Carl told her. “She inherited Mona’s estate.”

  “Really? Have you given her your card?” Sophia asked.

  “I have, yes,” Carl said. “But as she’s new to the island, maybe you can share some insider knowledge about the best restaurants and shops and things,” he suggested.

  Sophia stared at him for a minute and then looked at Fenella again.

  “Ah, I must go and speak to Herman,” Carl said, walking quickly away.

  “That dress must have been one of Mona’s,” Sophia said after a minute.

  “It was, yes,” Fenella admitted.

  “It’s one of Timothy’s,” Sophia sighed. “I used to throw money at the man, but he never could make me anything that suited me the way the dresses he made for Mona worked on her. There was something magical between the two of them.”

  “It’s a wonderful dress,” Fenella said, feeling stupid.

  “It suits you,” Sophia told her. “If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it had been made for you.”

  “Your dress fits you perfectly,” Fenella replied. “I’d be afraid to move in that dress.”

  Sophia stared at her for a moment and then began to laugh. “You’re direct, like your aunt was,” she said when she stopped. “That’s good. Are you single?”

  “I am.”

  “To whom shall I introduce you?” Sophia asked. She studied Fenella again. “Donald would be good for you, but he isn’t here. Maybe Nathan, if he turns up later. What are you looking for in a man?”

  “I’m not looking,” Fenella told her. “I’ve only just ended a long-term relationship. I’m quite happy on my own for now.”

  “Nonsense. Women need to have a man in their lives. They’re useful for so many things, like paying for everything.”

  “Are you married?” Fenella asked. Sophia had no way of knowing that Fenella already knew the answer to her question.

  “No, I’m not,” Sophia said. “But I don’t lack for male company, either.”

  “But did you say something about your husband being murdered?” Fenella tried playing dumb again.

  “He was, yes,” Sophia replied. She raised a hand to her eye, as if wiping away a tear. “It was such a very long time ago, but it still hurts, of course,” she said softly.

  “Long ago? And the police are still asking questions?”

  “Christopher died nearly thirty years ago,” Sophia told her. “Now there’s a new police inspector in Douglas and he’s decided to start investigating the case all over again. I don’t know what he thinks he’ll be able to accomplish.”

  “Maybe some new information will come to light,” Fenella suggested.

  “I think I’m the only one who remembers Christopher after all these years,” Sophia said. “Even his own brother seems to have forgotten about him.”

  “That would be Carl?”

  “Yes, he was two years younger than Christopher, but now he’s grown old, and poor Christopher is forever thirty-one in my heart.” Sophia did the tear-wiping thing again, but Fenella couldn’t see any signs of actual tears in the woman’s eyes.

  “I’m surprised you never remarried,” Fenella said. “I would have thought you would have had your choice of suitors.”

  “I did,” Sophia agreed. “But it just never felt right. I was Christopher’s wife, and I couldn’t possibly be anyone else’s.”

  “Are you hoping the police can solve the case now?”

  Sophia shrugged. “I don’t think they’ll be able to get anywhere,” she said. “It’s been too long. No one, other than myself, even talks about Christopher anymore. Carl’s wife wasn’t even born when Christopher died. Everyone has moved on, aside from me, of course.”

  “I can’t believe they didn’t solve the case thirty years ago,” Fenella said. “Surely there weren’t many people who could have done it?”

  “Anyone could have done it,” Sophia said, waving a hand. “Someone clubbed him over the head and then put him in his car and sent the car over a cliff. I’m sure the killer thought the car would explode and catch fire or at least be dragged away by the sea. Instead, it just sat there until it was found.”

  “But who could have had a motive for killing the man?”

  “That’s a better question,” Sophia told her. “Unfortunately, the police had a rather long list of people who fit that bill.”

  “Really?” Fenella was beginning to get tired of playing dumb, but Sophia seemed to be enjoying the conversation.

  “Oh, yes, starting with Carl and moving on from there,” she said.

  “Carl? They thought his own brother killed him? But that’s awful.”

  “He couldn’t prove he didn’t do it,” Sophia said. “It’s driven something of a wedge between us, really. I’ve never felt as if I can fully trust the man ever since.”

  “That’s very sad,” Fenella said.

  “But it wasn’t just Carl who was on the list,” Sophia told her. “At one stage, they even suspected me.”

  “You? I can’t believe that. You were clearly devoted to him. I can tell that much just from what you’ve said tonight.”

  Sophia nodded. “Devoted. That’s the right word. I was devoted to him. We’d been married for six years when he died. Oh, I’d had my flirtations and so had he, but we were devoted to each other, really. I was looking forward to our having a long life together.”

  “Surely you must have had your suspicions about who killed him,” Fenella said. “You knew him better than anyone, after all.”

  “Of course I did,” Sophia said. “The police always suspected one of his former employees, a man called Roger Starr, but they could never prove he’d done it. He hasn’t had a proper job since Christopher let him go, and I suppose if I had to name the most likely of all the suspects, it would be him.”

  “I suppose the police simply never found enough evidence to prove he’d done it,” Fenella said.

  “Yes, well, they won’t find any more now,” Sophia said. “Maybe they’re hoping that Roger will confess. Maybe he’ll want to clear his conscience now that he’s outlived his victim by thirty years.”

  “You two seem to be getting along very well,” a smooth voice said. Fenella turned and smiled at Herman Clucas.

  “Ah, Herman, meet my new friend Fenella,” Sophia said. “She’s Mona Kelly’s niece and she’s the lucky one who inherited all of Mona’s gorgeous clothes.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Herman said, offering his hand.

  Fenella took it, forcing herself to keep smiling as he held it for a moment too long. “It’s nice to meet you, as well,” she said.

  “Herman was Christopher’s closest friend,” Sophia told Fenella. “Maybe he’ll be able to help the police with their inquiries.”

  “I hardly think so,” Herman said, frowning. “I mean, of course I’ll talk to them again and tell them everything I remember, but if they couldn’t solve the case thirty years ago, I can’t see them solving it now. But why are you talking about such an unpleasant topic? This is a party, after all.”

  “Oh, it just came up,” Sophia said vaguely. “And Fenella didn’t know anything about Christopher, as she’s only just arrived on the island.”

  “What do you think of the island so far, then?” Herman asked.

  “It’s lovely,” Fenella said. “Very different from Buffalo, New York, but it already feels like home.”

  “Have you had a chance to see much of it?” was Herman’s next question.

  “Not really. I haven’t quite managed to master driving on the other side of the road yet, so I haven’t been able to get very far. At least my apartment is within walking distance of Douglas. I can get food and other necessities.”

  The man nodded and then pulled a card out of his pocket. “I’d love to show you a few sights,” he told her. “Ring me if you’re interested.”

  Fenella put the card in her handbag as she wondered about the invitation. Shelly had said that
Herman was faithful to his wife, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been flirting with her.

  “Have you met Jennifer?” Sophia asked as Herman walked away.

  “I have, yes.”

  “Then you’ll understand why Herman is eager to make new friends,” Sophia laughed. “He’s usually considerably more discreet. I’m surprised he gave you his card in front of me. Of course, I know all about his indiscretions, and he knows I won’t say anything to Jennifer, but he usually likes to pretend, in public at least, that he’s a devoted husband.”

  “Well, I’m not looking to get involved with a married man,” Fenella said firmly.

  “He will be disappointed. New women of an appropriate age don’t arrive on the island every day.”

  “My goodness, what have you two been talking about all this time?” Carl asked as he rejoined the pair. “Sophia, you’re meant to be mingling with all of our clients, not just talking to Fenella, you know.”

  “Yes, I know,” Sophia rolled her eyes. “I’d better go and mingle, then,” she told Fenella. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “Likewise,” Fenella said.

  “I can’t imagine what you and Sophia found to talk about for such a long time,” Carl said.

  Fenella smiled at the indirect question. As he hadn’t asked outright, she didn’t feel the need to answer. “Do you always get such a large crowd for these parties?” she asked him instead.

  He glanced around. “This is fairly typical,” he told her. “My company has a large client base, and everyone is welcome to bring a friend or two, as well. This is the one night a year that I get to thank everyone for using my services. I would love it if every single client I’d ever had made an appearance.”

  “Shelly speaks very highly of you,” she said. “I haven’t really given any thought about where to invest my inheritance, but she told me that she’s been with your company since your brother founded it.”

  “Yes, she and John were some of Christopher’s earliest clients,” Carl said. “After Christopher’s untimely death, most of his clients stayed on with me.”

  “Sophia told me that he was murdered and that the police still don’t know who killed him.”

  “I don’t think that’s entirely true,” Carl said. “I’m fairly certain they know who did it; they simply can’t prove it.”

  “Sophia seemed to think the killer was some man who used to work with Christopher,” Fenella said casually.

  “Yes, we’ve all always thought that Roger Starr killed him,” Carl said. “But I’m not sure why you’re so interested.”

  “Sorry,” Fenella blushed. “I’ve been caught up in a few murder investigations since I moved to the island. The entire subject just fascinates me now.”

  “I see,” he said, frowning. “Sophia often gets upset when talking about Christopher’s death. I’d rather the subject didn’t come up again tonight.”

  Fenella felt like she’d been warned, and she sighed as the man walked away without waiting for her reply. She hadn’t wanted to upset anyone. Besides, Sophia was the one who’d brought up the matter.

  Shelly was still chatting with Gordon on the other side of the room, so Fenella helped herself to another plate of food, with a glass of champagne to wash it all down. Feeling as if she ought to be mingling herself, she looked around the room, trying to find a familiar face. When her eyes met Sandy Manderly’s, the other woman stared blatantly at her. That was all the invitation she needed to make her way over to Sandy’s corner.

  “I’m sorry, do I know you?” she asked the woman with a polite smile.

  “No,” Sandy said, staring over Fenella’s shoulder at something on the ceiling.

  “I’m Fenella Woods.”

  “Sandy,” the woman said.

  “Sandy?”

  “Sandy Manderly,” she said with a sigh. “Carl’s wife.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Fenella told her.

  “Hmm.”

  “Sandy, do you think I can sneak out yet?” the young man whom Shelly had identified as Carl’s son Christopher asked.

  “Only if you take me with you,” Sandy replied.

  “Oh, yeah, dad would love that,” Christopher laughed.

  “Doug’s here,” Sandy said flatly.

  Fenella turned her head to look at the man who had just walked into the room. Surely this must be Douglas Richards, the man who had hated Christopher Manderly, she thought. He was short with a round tummy that was not quite disguised by his expensive suit. His hair was silver and he was carrying a cane that seemed to be more decorative than useful. The woman on his arm looked about ten years younger than her escort, but Fenella was only guessing from a distance.

  “Dad will be thrilled,” Christopher muttered. “Especially now, with Uncle Christopher’s murder on everyone’s mind.”

  “I have a headache,” Sandy said.

  “But you can’t leave now. Not with Doug here,” Christopher told her firmly.

  On the other side of the room, Herman was embracing the new arrival. They spoke for several minutes before Carl joined them. Fenella found herself wanting to inch closer to try to overhear the conversation. She turned back to Sandy and found the woman having a whispered conversation with Christopher. Shrugging, she began to make her way closer to the trio that was still standing near the door.

  “…never thought that, you know.” Carl was saying when Fenella finally got within earshot.

  “Why are the police dragging this back up now, anyway?” Herman demanded. “Sophia is very upset. She’s going around telling everyone that she’s always thought Roger did it.”

  “Poor Roger,” Douglas said. “Although I suppose he’s as likely as anyone to have been the culprit.”

  Fenella mindlessly began to fill another plate from the table that was nearest to the group.

  “That’s Douglas Richards,” Sophia said loudly as she joined Fenella. “He doesn’t speak to me because my husband was terrible to him in school.”

  “Now, Sophia, you know that isn’t true,” Douglas said, taking a few steps over to join her and Fenella. “Christopher and I were working through our difficult past when he died. You know I’ve long since forgiven him.”

  “Or that’s what you want the police to believe, anyway,” Sophia snapped. “Anything to disguise your motive for murder, right?”

  “I didn’t have a motive for killing Christopher,” Douglas said calmly. “And I didn’t have anything to do with his death.”

  “Isn’t it strange that Christopher never mentioned that you and he were working through anything in the weeks before he died?” Sophia asked. “It’s almost as if you made that up after he was dead.”

  Douglas smiled tightly. “I didn’t come here tonight to be accused of murder,” he said.

  “No, you came to see your good friends, Carl and Herman,” Sophia said mockingly. “They fawn all over you because you’ve managed to make yourself a lovely little fortune. Of course you invested your wealth with Carl, the younger brother of a man you hated, but that’s for you to explain to the police, not me.”

  “Carl is very good at what he does,” Douglas replied. “Nearly everyone on the island invests through him. Whatever difficulties I may have had with his older brother, it would foolish of me to turn down the opportunity to make smart investments.”

  “And, of course, your company does a great deal of business with Herman, doesn’t it? In spite of the fact that Herman was just as horrid to you as Christopher was back in the day. You seem to have recovered from your traumatic childhood as soon as Christopher was murdered.”

  Several people throughout the room gasped. Douglas looked around and frowned. To Fenella, it appeared that everyone in the room was watching his exchange with Sophia.

  “I think that’s enough,” Carl said firmly. He stepped between Sophia and Douglas and turned his back on his sister-in-law. “Douglas, come and get something to eat,” he said, leading the man across the room to one of the other
tables of food. The woman who’d come in with Douglas followed.

  Herman walked over to Sophia. “You need to stop,” he hissed at her.

  “Stop what?” she asked innocently.

  “You came dangerously close to accusing Douglas of murder,” Herman said. “That’s a line you don’t want to cross.”

  Sophia shrugged. “Maybe he did kill Christopher,” she said. “Someone did, and the police haven’t worked it out yet. Maybe it was Douglas.”

  “I don’t think we want to have this conversation here,” Herman said. “Let’s leave the whole thing up to the police, shall we?”

  “Because they’ve done such a good job with the case so far,” Sophia said sarcastically.

  Herman shook his head. Before he could speak again, Jennifer walked over. “I’m bored,” she announced. “I’m ready to go home.”

  Herman looked over at Douglas and Carl and then glanced at his wife. “I need to stay,” he said.

  “And if I leave, you’ll end up leaving with some other woman,” Jennifer said softly.

  “Don’t be stupid,” Herman snapped. “Go home if you’re tired. I’ll see you there later.”

  Jennifer looked over at Fenella, who was steadily eating her way through yet another plate of food. “I’ll recognize your perfume, if you take my husband to bed,” she said.

  Fenella nearly choked on an onion tart. “I have no intention of taking your husband anywhere,” she said after a coughing fit.

  Jennifer stared at her and Fenella wondered if she was trying to give her a warning look or a cold stare. The entire effect was lost as the woman’s face simply didn’t move. After a minute, Jennifer spun on her heel and stormed out of the room.

  “I am sorry,” Herman said to Fenella. He took a few steps closer to her and leaned in to talk. “She hasn’t been the same since her last surgery. The doctor has her on anti-depressants, but they don’t seem to be helping. I don’t think our marriage is going to last much longer.” He put his hand on Fenella’s arm and gazed into her eyes.

  “The poor woman,” Fenella said. “I hope you’re doing everything you can to support her. Depression is a serious medical condition. If the medication the doctor has given her isn’t working, you should be making sure she tries something else. It can take a while to find the right combination of drugs to help, but modern medicine can do a great deal. I wish you both luck.”