by Adele Abbott
Jack had just made it downstairs when there was a knock at the door.
“Sarah, come in.” I took her coat. “We really appreciate you doing this at short notice.”
“No problem. I love babysitting, and the extra money comes in handy.”
“You’re still at school, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I’m doing my A levels, and I’m hoping to go to nursing college after that.” She glanced around. “Is Florence still up?”
“No, her bedtime is at seven. She’s probably not asleep yet, but I wouldn’t go up there unless she shouts.”
“Okay. I’ve brought some homework with me, so I’ve got plenty to do.”
“There are snacks in the cupboard, and pop in the fridge. Help yourself to anything you like.”
“Thank you. Are you two going anywhere nice?”
“We’re just nipping down to The Middle.”
“We often go there for Sunday lunch; the food is very good. How do you like your new house?”
“We absolutely adore it.”
“My mum has always said she wished she could live here. She told me that you’re a private investigator.”
“That’s right. I am.”
“That must be really exciting.”
“It has its moments.” I checked my watch. “We’d better get going. You’ve got our numbers if you need us, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, they’re in my phone.”
“Okay then, we’ll see you later.”
“Sarah seems really nice,” Jack said, as we walked through the village to the pub.
“She’s lovely. I just hope that Florence doesn’t decide to play her up. You know what that little madam can be like. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was listening at the bedroom door and shouted to Sarah as soon as we’d left.”
The pub was very quiet; there couldn’t have been more than a dozen people in there altogether. The middle-aged man behind the bar had a round, ruddy face.
“Good evening. Aren’t you the newbies who moved into the old watermill?”
“We are. I’m Jill and this is Jack.”
“Jack and Jill? You two were clearly made for one another. I’m Arthur Spraggs. What can I get for you to drink?”
“I’ll have a medium white wine, please.”
“And you, Jack?”
“A glass of your best beer, please.”
“White wine and a beer coming up. Will you be eating with us tonight?”
“We most certainly will.”
“In that case, why don’t you grab a table, and I’ll bring your drinks over. You’ll find menus on the table.”
Ten minutes later, Arthur had brought over the drinks and taken our food order.
“I hear you intentionally put yourself in harm’s way today.” Jack frowned.
“Who told you?”
“I called one of my old mates at the station, to find out what had happened. He said you walked straight up to the gunman.”
“Someone had to do something. The man was clearly deranged, and he’d threatened to start shooting people.”
“You should have let the police deal with it.”
“By the time they’d got through the door, he could have killed half a dozen people. Anyway, I had magic on my side, so I wasn’t really at risk.”
“What did you do exactly?”
“I cast the ‘sleep’ spell on him, and he dozed off and dropped the gun.”
“How on Earth did you explain that away to the police?”
“I said that he must have passed out.”
“And they believed you?”
“Why wouldn’t they? They were hardly going to suspect me of using magic, were they?”
“You scare me sometimes, Jill.”
“There’s really no need to worry. You should know that by now. What else did your friend tell you about the robbery?”
“Apparently, two men had robbed the bank. The police arrived just as they left the building. One man made a run for the coffee shop, and the other guy got away with the money.”
“I only saw the one guy.”
“Apparently, they have one of them on CCTV in the bank and leaving the building.”
“Only one?”
“Yeah. Your guy. The gunman in the coffee shop.”
“What about the other man? How come he wasn’t caught on CCTV?”
“I’ve no idea. He seems to have disappeared into thin air. With all the money.”
“I assume the police are still looking for him?”
“Yeah, in Washbridge and the surrounding area, but so far no luck. What about Kathy? Was she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. That reminds me, is there something you forgot to tell me?”
“I don’t think so.”
“About the ski lodge?”
“Ski—? Oh, right, you mean the play.”
“The play you signed us up to see without consulting with me.”
“It might be good.”
“And you’re basing that on what, exactly? Have you ever seen a good amdram production?”
“Well, I—err—”
“I rest my case.”
Arthur appeared at the table with our food. “There you go, Jill, chicken and chips for you. And scampi and chips for you, Jack. Enjoy.”
“This looks nice,” Jack said.
“Mmm, it does. I’m ready for this. I’m starving.”
“That thing Florence said earlier was a bit worrying, wasn’t it?” Jack popped a chip into his mouth.
“About the girl at school who ripped her skirt?”
“Yeah. Florence obviously thought about using magic to repair it.”
“But she didn’t, and that’s what matters. She remembered what we’d told her about having to keep magic a secret.”
“This time, yeah, but who knows what will happen next time?”
“There’s no point in worrying about it, Jack. We’ll just have to cross that bridge if and when we come to it.”
“All of this is your grandmother’s fault.”
“We’re not going over that old ground again, are we?”
“But it’s true, Jill. You know it is. You and I had decided not to tell Florence that she was a witch until she was older.”
“I know what we’d agreed. You don’t need to remind me.”
“But then, along comes your grandmother, and without a word to you, she unilaterally decides to tell Florence she’s a witch. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, she starts to teach her spells.”
“You’re telling me this as though I don’t already know. I’m well aware of what she did. If you recall, she and I fell out over it, and we didn’t speak for a couple of months. But what’s done is done, and we can’t put the clock back. We just have to deal with it, and make sure that Florence keeps her magic under wraps. Now, can we please just enjoy this evening? It’s ages since the two of us went out alone.”
“Sorry. You’re right.” He leaned over and gave me a scampi-kiss.
We’d just finished our meal when a man, wearing a flat cap and a sports jacket, came over to our table. For reasons I didn’t understand at the time, Jack suddenly started to act nervously.
“Hello again, Jack. How are you?”
“Hi, Stewart. Fine, thanks.”
“And this beautiful lady must be your wife.”
“Err, yeah, this is Jill. Jill, this is Stewart.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Jill.” He made a show of kissing my hand. “You must be really looking forward to meeting Buddy.”
“Who’s Buddy?”
“Jack must have told you how cute he is.”
I shot Jack a quizzical look.
“Actually, Stewart,” Jack piped up. “I haven’t got around to telling Jill about Buddy yet.”
“Oh? I’m sorry.” Stewart stepped back from the table. “I didn’t mean to spoil the surprise. I’d best leave you two to it. Give me a call tomorrow, Jack, and we’ll sort out the details. It was nice to mee
t you, Jill.”
“Likewise.” I waited until he’d moved away and then I turned to Jack. “Is there anything you’d like to tell me, buddy?”
“It’s a really funny story. You’ll laugh when I tell you.”
“Try me.”
“Okay. I was in the greengrocer’s when I happened to spot a notice in the window.” He hesitated.
“A notice about?”
“Someone was looking to rehome a dog.”
“No! No way.”
“Hear me out. While I was looking at the notice, who should walk in but Stewart. And guess what?”
“He bought some turnips?”
“It turned out that he was the one who’d put the notice in the window. How about that for fate?”
“We are not having a dog.”
“Don’t you think it would be nice for Florence to have a pet?”
“She’s too young.”
“No, she isn’t. I had one at her age. She’s always been a little nervous around dogs, having one of her own will help her to get over that fear.”
“I’m not sure. What if she’s scared of it?”
“It’s only a really small dog.”
“How small is small?”
“It’s a Chihuahua.”
“That’s not a dog; it’s a rat. How come it needs rehoming anyway? What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing. Stewart is going to live in Australia with his brother, and he can’t take the dog with him.”
“So you agreed to take it?”
“He’s such a lovely little thing. I’ve got a photo. Would you like to see it?”
“No. You do realise that if we take this rat in, he’ll be your responsibility, don’t you? You’re the one who will have to take him for walks and go out in the garden to clean up after him. I’m definitely not going to do it.”
“That’s okay. I’m at home all day, so it won’t be a problem.”
Five years ago, Jack had started a website for ten-pin bowling enthusiasts. At the time, it had been no more than a hobby. The website had quickly grown in popularity until the number of regular visitors had become quite significant. At some point, he’d decided to monetize those visitors, and he’d started to sell a range of bowling clothes and accessories. Eventually, he’d decided to take the plunge, give up his job with the police force, and to work on the website full-time.
At the time, I’d been very nervous, but it was what he wanted to do because he’d grown tired of all the politics that went with his job. Fortunately, the gamble had paid off, and now Jack was making almost as much money as he used to earn when he was working full-time. The added bonus was that he could work his own hours from home.
“Have you already told Florence about the dog?” I said.
“No, of course not. I didn’t want to do that until you were on board. Look, Jill, if you really are against the idea, I can tell Stewart that we won’t be able to take the dog.”
“It’s okay. You’re right. It’ll be good for Florence to have something to be responsible for. You’ll need to explain to her that she’ll have to take the dog for walks with you. And that she’ll have to feed him.”
“No problem. I think she’ll love the idea.”
“She will at first, but you know what kids are like. She’ll soon get tired of him.”
“I’ll tell her first thing in the morning.”
Arthur came to take away our plates.
“How was the grub, folks?”
“Delicious.” Jack nodded his approval.
“Lovely,” I agreed. “We’ll definitely be dining here again.”
“That’s good to hear. We have a regular pub quiz on a Wednesday night, and there’s an open mic on Fridays. Can either of you sing?”
“Jack can,” I said. “He has a great voice.”
“No, I don’t, Arthur.” Jack shot me a look. “Take no notice of her.”
“It looks like you two won’t be the only newbies in the village soon.”
“How come? Is someone else moving in?”
“Haven’t you seen the work they’re doing on that large property on the left as you come into the village from the north?”
“Yeah, didn’t it used to be a hotel or something?”
“That’s right. It was the Marples Hotel; it’s been empty for five years now. It needed a lot of renovation work.”
“It’ll make a big house for someone,” I said. “Do you know who’s bought it?”
“I spoke to the workmen. They didn’t know who the buyer was, but they reckon it’s going to open as a hotel again. The only thing they could tell me about the new owner is that they’re from out of town.”
Chapter 4
It seemed silly to drive to the office, only to have to then come all the way back again, so I decided to head straight to Tweaking Manor. I’d been pleased to get out of the house because Jack had made the mistake of telling Florence about the dog. I’d warned him not to say anything before she went to school, but he just couldn’t help himself. Of course, once she knew, she wanted to stay home, to be there for Buddy’s arrival. When I’d left, Jack was still desperately trying to persuade her that the dog wouldn’t come unless she went to school.
It wasn’t going well.
Tweaking Manor, which was located approximately halfway between Lower and Middle Tweaking, was best described as a minor stately home. The high wall that surrounded the property was in a terrible state of disrepair: Most of the bricks were flaking, and the iron railings that ran across the top of the wall were rusted, and completely missing in parts. The double gates were open. One of them was hanging off its hinges, and both were rusty and in desperate need of painting.
I drove up the uneven driveway and parked at the side of the property. The house too was showing its age: The brickwork needed pointing, most of the window frames needed replacing, and the guttering had come loose in several sections. The front garden was also in a bad way: The lawn was overgrown, and the flower beds had long since gone to weed.
I rang the doorbell, and moments later, an elderly man with grey hair, dressed in a butler’s uniform, answered the door.
“Mrs Maxwell, I presume.”
“That’s right. You must be Mulgrave.”
“Indeed I am, madam. Her ladyship is expecting you.”
He led the way into a huge hall, which looked even bigger because it was practically empty. The only furniture was a coat stand to the left of the door, and a badly worn leather sofa against the wall to my right. The walls were all bare except for a cracked mirror above the sofa. Directly in front of me, the double staircase must once have looked magnificent, but was now rather sad and neglected with its threadbare carpet. The room was incredibly cold, and I half expected to be able to see my breath.
“Would you care for a drink, madam?”
“A cup of tea would be nice.” If only to warm my hands on.
“Milk and sugar?”
“No sugar and just a drop of milk, please.” Life was so much easier since I’d stopped taking sugar. I no longer had to give people lessons in fractions.
“As you wish, madam.” He led the way across the wooden floor, which looked as though it hadn’t seen a mop in a long time. “This is the dining room; her ladyship is waiting for you in here.” He held open the door and I stepped into a room which was much warmer, thanks to the fire that was blazing in the large fireplace.
Caroline, who had a cream-coloured Persian cat on her lap, was seated at the head of a long dining table; she beckoned me to join her.
“Good morning, Jill. This is Olivia.”
“Nice to meet you, Olivia.” I held out my hand to stroke the cat, but she hissed at me.
“I’m afraid Olivia is rather anti-social. I must apologise for the state of this old place, I’m afraid our finances aren’t in the best shape at the moment, so we’ve been unable to carry out a lot of the repairs that need to be done.”
“It must be very expensive to run a house like this.�
�
“Far too expensive, unfortunately. I can only afford to heat a handful of the rooms. Is Mulgrave getting you a drink?”
“Yes, he’s making me a cup of tea. I noticed that he refers to you as your ladyship.”
“I’ve given up trying to stop him. I think he prefers to think he’s working for nobility.” She smiled. “After you’ve finished your tea, I’ll get him to show you the games room where the goblet was kept.”
“Will I be able to see the rest of the house too?”
“If you wish, but a lot of it has been sealed off to reduce costs.”
“I hope you don’t mind my asking, but is there a ‘Lord Tweaking’? Are you married?”
“Rupert died over ten years ago. His ticker.”
“Heart attack? I’m sorry.”
“No, his heart was fine. Strong as an ox. He died when the grandfather clock fell on top of him. I’d been telling him to get rid of that monstrosity for years, but he was too attached to it to let it go. The silly old goat was trying to move it when it toppled over and crushed him.”
“I’m so sorry. That must have been terrible for you.”
“Not really. He was an awful man. I should have listened when my parents warned me to stay clear of him. Anyway, back to the matter in hand. After I left your office yesterday, I had something of a brainwave.”
“Oh?”
“It occurred to me that my family are scattered to all corners of the land, so it seems silly to ask you to travel up and down the country just to talk to them.”
“I don’t mind. That’s what you’re paying me for.”
“Precisely. I don’t see why I should have to cover that cost when they could just as easily come to Tweaking Manor. I’ve been in touch with all of them and told them that’s what they must do.”
“Are they all okay with that?”
“They’ll do as I tell them.” She grinned. “I’ve drawn up a list of when each of them will be here.” She handed me a sheet of paper. “If this works for you, you’ll be able to talk to all of them within the next three to four days.”
