After she switched the kettle on, she stood near a window with views of the road behind the house. Sure enough, just a few minutes later the taxi roared past at a dangerous speed. When she heard the siren a moment later, she wondered if it were connected to her taxi driver. After she’d eaten her lunch, she got her answer.
“I’m here,” Doona said when Bessie opened the door to her knock. “I had planned to be here not long after midday. I thought we could chat before the memorial service, but it didn’t work out that way.”
“What happened?” Bessie asked.
“John was following me down here. He wanted another chance to warn you about being careful today.”
“I’ll have to be careful. You’re going to be with me, after all,” Bessie pointed out.
“Yes, I know, but John was just being John. Anyway, he was right behind me, waiting to turn down the hill, when a taxi suddenly shot out from the road and nearly hit me. The taxi driver was driving far too quickly, and then he actually honked at me as if I were at fault.”
“Was the driver around sixty with grey hair and a grey moustache?”
“Yes.”
“He drove me home from Douglas. I hope John gave him a dozen tickets.”
Doona laughed. “I don’t think it was a dozen, but it was more than one, that’s for sure. He was speeding. He hadn’t indicated. He had a broken headlamp. He wasn’t wearing his seatbelt. There might have been more as well.”
“He’s also misogynistic, small minded, and rude.”
“I noticed that, actually. When John stopped him, he tried to blame everything on me, saying that I was blocking the road and that he’d had to speed up to avoid hitting me. John very nearly laughed at him, but of course he’s too professional to do that.”
“I paid him a good deal more than he deserved for getting me home, so I suppose it’s my money the police will be getting, not his.”
“Speeding tickets are costly,” Doona replied. Bessie gasped when Doona told her how much the fine would be.
“I was hoping he would get lost on his way back to Douglas, but even I wasn’t wishing that much misfortune on him. Perhaps he’ll give up and go back across. Everything was much better there, anyway.”
“Yes, he said as much to John when he tried to convince John to take a hundred pounds and forget he’d seen anything wrong. Apparently, that used to work for him back where he’d been in the UK.”
“Let’s hope he goes back, then, and quickly.”
“Anyway, I stayed to give John a witness statement in case he needs one. The man did seem the type to argue about the tickets.”
“I hope no one questions your relationship with John if it comes to a court battle.”
“John took statements from three other witnesses, actually. He didn’t need mine, except mine was the car that was nearly struck. If the taxi driver is smart, he’ll pay the fines and then stay out of Laxey.”
“I won’t get into a car with him again, anyway.”
“What were you doing in Douglas?” Doona asked.
Bessie sighed. “I had this idea that someone should investigate The Liliana Fund, but only unofficially. I went to see Dan Ross to suggest it to him.”
“You went to see Dan Ross voluntarily?”
“It was miserable, and I won’t make that mistake again.”
“What did he say about your idea?”
“That he’d conduct an investigation if I gave him an interview about finding murder victims or hearing people confess to murder.”
“He’s not a nice man.”
“No, he’s not. He did give me the name of the woman who covers good causes, though. She wasn’t in her office, but I left her a note. Maybe she can do an article about The Liliana Fund.”
“You don’t really think they’re doing anything illegal, do you?”
“I’m not sure what I think. I’m probably adding two and two and getting five. Phillip’s parents said something about Phillip trying to track down grant recipients when he went across, but they said that he’d actually found one, too. Madison said a few things about Oliver that seemed off, but that may just have been my impression. Considering he’d ended things with her rather badly, her comments are suspect anyway.”
Doona nodded. “But you have good instincts for these things. You should tell John.”
“I’ve told him everything that I know. If I am reaching untenable conclusions, well, I’d rather not share them with him.”
“I still think you should tell him, but we’ll argue about that later. We have a memorial service to attend now.”
Bessie glanced at the clock. It was getting late and they still had to drive to Port Erin. “I’ll be as quick as I can,” she said as she headed for the stairs.
She changed into a black skirt and a dark grey jumper. No other colours would do for a memorial service, at least in her mind. Sliding into black flats, she glanced in the mirror. A bit of lipstick and some powder on her nose were as much effort as she ever made. With her hair neatly combed, she went back down to the kitchen.
“Ready when you are,” she told Doona.
“John’s going to be there,” Doona said as Bessie locked the door to Treoghe Bwaane.
“That’s good, although people might be less likely to speak to me if he’s with us.”
They climbed into the car and Doona headed out of Laxey.
“He’s going to stay in the back of the room and just observe. He wants you to have every opportunity to speak to everyone,” she said once they were underway.
Bessie grinned. “As long as I’m careful.”
“Well, yes. No sneaking away with one of the suspects to chat together in the graveyard or the basement. Why do people insist on doing that in murder mysteries?”
“I don’t know. I suppose I can understand it in the first in a series. We weren’t terribly smart the first time we were caught up in a murder investigation, after all.”
Doona shuddered. “I try not to think about that.”
“I do as well, but the important thing is that we learned from our mistake. I know better now than to meet suspects in dark alleys or in empty holiday cottages. The protagonists in some series books never seem to learn from their mistakes.”
“Too bad Phillip didn’t know better than to meet someone in an empty holiday cottage.”
Bessie frowned. “Yes, truly. I have to wonder whom he would have trusted.”
“I believe just about everyone who falls into that category will be at the service.”
“Yes, and I want to speak with each and every one of them.”
Chapter 10
The church car park was already nearly full when Doona turned into it a short time later.
“Quite the turnout,” she remarked as she pulled into a parking space.
“I wonder how many people came just because Phillip was murdered,” Bessie said softly.
“I hope not many. The family don’t deserve to have to deal with curiosity seekers today.”
“Speaking of curiosity seekers,” Bessie said, nodding towards the man who was climbing out of a car on the other side of the car park.
“Dan Ross,” Doona sighed. “I still can’t quite believe you went to see him voluntarily.”
“I must have taken leave of my senses.”
Doona shrugged. “Maybe he’ll learn something interesting if he does investigate.”
“He won’t investigate though, not since I refused to do an interview with him. I’ll talk to John about my thoughts, though. I’m sure John will investigate at some point, but he’s awfully busy at the moment.”
The pair got out of the car and walked into the small church. It was nearly full to capacity, with some people already standing along the walls at the side. Doona frowned and then pushed her way through the people at the back to find somewhere for Bessie to sit. About halfway up the aisle there was a pew with some room near the centre. Bessie and Doona stopped at the end of the pew. An older woman who was a stranger
to Bessie glanced at her and then sighed deeply before sliding over a few inches to give Bessie a tiny bit of space.
“Would you rather we climb over you?” Bessie asked. She didn’t mind sitting in the centre if the woman preferred to be on the aisle.
“I believe the people on the other side are holding those seats for someone,” she was told.
“Well, that’s too bad,” Doona said. “We’ll climb over.”
She began to do just that, when Bessie heard her name.
“Miss Cubbon? Come and sit with us,” a soft voice said.
Bessie smiled at Madison Tyler. “I’m not family.”
“No, but you’re a genuine mourner, not like most of these people, who didn’t even know Phillip,” Madison replied.
The woman in the pew harrumphed under her breath.
“There’s room for you and your friend in the pew behind mine,” Madison continued. “Please.”
“If you’re certain,” Bessie said. She didn’t feel right sitting with the family, but she didn’t fancy climbing over the difficult woman in the pew, either.
Madison led Bessie and Doona to the front of the church. They slid into seats, nodding greetings at Rebecca and Peter. Madison sat back down next to her parents, with Luke on her other side. As they waited for the service to start, Bessie identified everyone for Doona.
“The man at the very end of this pew is Harry Holt, Phillip’s closest friend,” she whispered.
“The one who stopped speaking to him when he moved across?”
“Yes. Oliver Preston is next, and then Dylan Collins.”
“The Liliana Fund people.”
“Exactly. I’m not sure who the man next to me is,” Bessie concluded.
He chuckled. “I’m Paul Harris. Phillip and were friends in primary school. We hadn’t seen one another for ten years or more, but I still felt as if I had to come and honour his memory. He used to share his biscuits with me every day. His mum used to give him loads, and my mother rarely gave me anything but fruit for pudding.”
Rebecca obviously overheard. She turned around in her seat. “Phillip asked me to give him extra every day so that he could share with his friends. I always wondered whether he really did share or simply ate the extras himself.”
“He shared generously. It wasn’t just me who benefited,” Paul told her. “There were three or four of us who used to fight over who got to sit next to Phillip in the lunchroom. Some days, Phillip would end up giving away all of his biscuits, rather than eating any himself. I asked him about it once, and he said that he didn’t mind because he knew he’d have more tomorrow.”
Rebecca blinked hard. “Thank you for sharing that memory.”
A moment later the vicar appeared and cleared his throat. When everyone was quiet, he began the service. It was a simple service and a fairly short one. Peter got up and said a few words about Phillip and then invited others to do the same.
“Phillip was my older brother. He was always a part of my life, from the day I was born, and I can’t imagine how I’m going to live without him,” Madison said. She looked as if she wanted to say more, but after a moment she dissolved into tears and returned to her seat where Luke pulled her close.
“I met Phillip on the ferry,” Harry said. “We were both heading to uni for the first time. I was terrified, travelling on my own, which I’d never done before. Phillip was sitting there reading a book, completely at ease while I kept going through my notes, wondering how I was going to find my way into a taxi, and worrying about, well, everything. I was sure, before I spoke to him, that he was several years older than me. We became close friends before the ferry docked and I have many wonderful memories of our university years. I deeply regret that I argued with him when he decided to leave the island. If I could turn back the clock, I wouldn’t make that mistake again.” He stopped and then wiped angrily at his eyes. After a few deep breaths, he shook his head and walked back to his seat.
“Phillip was a dedicated, hard-working man who did a lot of very good things for The Liliana Fund during the years he was employed there,” Oliver said. “I’m grateful that I was able to work with him and for all that he did for my cause.”
A few other people spoke, including Paul, who repeated what he’d told Rebecca about the biscuits at primary school. When everyone was finished, the vicar spoke again.
“The family would like to invite everyone who knew Phillip to join them for tea and biscuits in the church hall,” he said.
Bessie exchanged glances with Doona. The invitation had been carefully worded, presumably designed to discourage the simply nosy from the genuine mourners.
“I wonder if they’ll have someone at the door asking everyone how they knew Phillip,” Doona whispered as people began to get to their feet.
“I wouldn’t blame them if they did,” Bessie replied.
When they walked into the church hall a moment later, Bessie grinned. The family had put a book of condolences right inside the door. The vicar and another man were standing next to it, encouraging everyone to write something before they went any further. Madison was a few steps away, watching everyone as they entered.
“Such a tragic loss,” the vicar said to Bessie a moment later. “How did you know young Phillip?”
“Bessie’s okay,” Madison said. She winked at Bessie. “Having the vicar at the door seems to have discouraged a few people, anyway.”
After Bessie had signed the book, she glanced around the room. Madison was right. The vicar did seem to be keeping the crowds away. There were only a dozen or so people in the hall, and Bessie was fairly certain she knew all of them.
“I feel as if I shouldn’t be here,” Doona muttered as she and Bessie made their way across the room.
“At least you aren’t just here to be nosy,” Bessie countered, nodding towards Dan Ross, who was filling a plate with biscuits.
“It looks as if he’s just here to get fed,” Doona replied.
Bessie crossed to Peter and Rebecca, who were standing together in one corner. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said when she reached them.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Rebecca told her. “I keep thinking that I’m going to wake up and this will all have been just a bad dream. Sometimes I tell myself that Phillip is just across, busy working, and that he’ll ring soon. Sometimes I almost believe it, because that’s less painful that believing anything else.”
“Whatever helps you cope,” Bessie replied.
“I think we’ll both feel better when whoever did this to Phillip is behind bars,” Peter said gruffly. “How are the police getting on with that, then?”
Bessie opened her mouth to reply, but John Rockwell, who’d come up behind her unseen, interrupted her.
“I can assure you that we’re working on the case as hard as we can,” he said. “I want Phillip’s killer caught as much as you do.”
Peter made a face that suggested that he didn’t believe John’s words. Rebecca shook her head.
“We’re getting desperate,” she said with tears in her eyes. “We need to know what happened to Phillip, why he was killed, why he was on the island, even.”
John nodded. He opened his mouth to reply, but Madison’s voice cut him off.
“Get out,” the girl said angrily.
Bessie spun around and stared at the woman Madison had addressed. She was tall and thin, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She’d obviously been crying, but her makeup had been expertly applied and hadn’t smudged or run in spite of the tears.
“Madison, it’s been a while,” the woman said. “I was sorry we didn’t stay in touch after, well, after.”
“I wasn’t,” Madison said tightly. “You aren’t welcome here. Please leave.”
“Ah, but I wanted to pay my respects,” the blonde replied. “No, that isn’t right. I needed to pay my respects. Phillip was the only man I ever truly loved. I lost him due to my own foolishness, but I never stopped believing that we’d be reunited one day.”
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br /> “That wasn’t going to happen. Phillip wouldn’t even come back to the island to visit his family because he didn’t want to see you. There was no way he’d have ever given you another chance,” Madison said bitterly.
“If I’d asked him, begged him, he’d have forgiven me,” the other woman said confidently.
Bessie glanced at Rebecca. Her face was pale and she was leaning heavily on Peter’s arm. When her eyes met Bessie’s she whispered, “Nicole.”
“You’re married,” Madison said.
“A technicality,” Nicole replied with a wave of her hand. “One that I would have cleared away in a heartbeat at Phillip’s request.”
“That’s good to know,” another voice cut through the room. The man who emerged from the corner was scowling. He looked to be of a similar age to Nicole, with dark hair and eyes.
“Liam,” Nicole said, putting her hand to her chest. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“Clearly,” he retorted.
“You told me you had work today,” Nicole replied.
“I was at work, and then I started to wonder how the service was going to go. Poor old Phillip was such a dull and ordinary man. I still can’t imagine how he managed to get himself murdered. I decided to come down and see for myself how many people could be bothered to turn up to pay their respects.”
“The church was full,” Nicole told him. “I arrived too late to get a seat and had to stand at the back. As it appears I’m not welcome, perhaps that was for the best.”
“Did you really think you’d be welcome?” Rebecca demanded. “You broke Phillip’s heart and drove him away from his home and the people who loved him. Because of you, he had to start all over again in a strange place. He was alone and friendless and it was all your fault.”
“I never meant to hurt him,” Nicole protested. “We never said we weren’t going to see other people. I would have agreed, if he’d asked, though, because I loved him.”
“No one here is going to believe any of your lies,” Peter said. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re as responsible for Phillip’s death as whoever wielded the knife. That’s assuming it wasn’t you holding the knife, of course.”
Aunt Bessie Understands Page 15
