Parcels of Doom (Chapel End Mysteries, #1)

by Lown, Anne

  Jenny’s mind spun. She was about to ask him what he meant when the door banged open as a strong gust of wind aided Scott on his dramatic entrance.

  “Missed me, did yer?” The rain was falling in larger blobs, so Scott was wetter than Jenny and Jason had been. He sauntered over to the rest of them and winked at Jenny. Once settled, he picked up the pint she’d slid in front of him and took a long pull from it. “What’s happened?”

  Martin turned his empty glass with his fingers. “Dave’s been arrested for the murders. It seems Paul tried to run off with Tracy, and they fought.”

  “The dirty git,” Scott said, referring to Paul, Jenny assumed.

  Jason picked at his thumbnail. “But what about Emma? Why’d he kill her?”

  “He was having an affair with her, and she wanted to leave him.” A sneer spread across Martin’s face. “It seems you being back changed her affections for him, and he wasn’t happy. He couldn’t have enjoyed her going off like that in the pub. He isn’t one for the word no.”

  Jenny found that bit of Martin’s account strange but couldn’t work out why. There was something her subconscious was telling her, but right that minute it wouldn’t reveal itself. She thought Dave had been out for the evening, but maybe he’d been there after all. The killer had to have been if that was the reason for her death. Dave couldn’t have seen it unless he’d been there, so that would mean he’d lied about his whereabouts and no one would know any different. She knew they had to talk to Ben again—he must know more than he wanted to say, and with Dave now in custody, there was more of a chance of getting information out of him if that was who he was scared of.

  “I don’t get it, it doesn’t make sense.” Jenny spoke the words before she looked up.

  Martin glared at her now. Now she could see what had made Tracy scurry off like she had. He could be rather intimidating for an affable man.

  “When’re you coming back to work, Martin?” Scott had changed the conversation. He didn’t like being left out.

  Martin straightened himself and stretched his back. “Not for another month, at least. This slipped disc is a killer. Doc says I can’t move anything heavy or stand for too long. Got to milk it while you can, right?” He winked in Scott’s direction, and the two men laughed conspiratorially.

  “Just don’t leave it too long or you’ll be looking for another job. I hear once you hit a year off work they let you go.”

  Martin nodded in return. “Heard that, too. Don’t worry, I’m keeping a close eye on it.”

  Jason joined in, a smile plastered to his face. “Got a job for me there, too?”

  Scott snorted into his beer. “Can just see you walking the streets with your hair blowing in the wind. That hairstyle wouldn’t be like that for long.”

  Jason’s hands shot up to tend to his hair, and everyone laughed. Scott’s jovial comment seemed to break the tension that had been there when he’d arrived, and it was a welcome relief.

  The evening relaxed into a pleasant one and passed all too quickly. No one else entered the pub on such a wet and windy night, not that Jenny had expected anyone other than the diehard drinkers to turn out no matter what. She’d been waiting to see if Ben showed at all, but it wasn’t to be. They’d have to track him down again, but only Jenny and Scott, to make sure he’d talk freely. The sooner they did it the better.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Jenny woke to a nicer day than the night before. The sun was out, and puddles from the rain were long gone. It was a busy day dropping off the door-to-door leaflets in with the mail, but it helped to keep her mind occupied while she walked around the village.

  After work, she drove to Scott’s house. Jenny glided to a halt outside and beeped once. She kept her gaze on the front door, waiting for it to open. He’d promised he’d be ready. She needed him with her when she went back to Chapel End. They were going to Manor House on her way home. It was their chance to catch Ben where he couldn’t run off like he had when they’d cornered him. She’d decided to be careful this time. If he damaged her car, it’d hinder her ability to get to work, and that she couldn’t allow.

  She was relieved when Scott opened the front door, coat in one hand and a slice of toast in the other. He waved it at her, a salute as if arriving for duty. She laughed. He liked to keep his humour no matter what was happening. The journey passed in a rush. She kept her attention on the road, but it would’ve been better if someone else drove.

  Dawn answered the intercom when they got to the gate. She was her cheery self—that was until her daughter appeared out of who knew where and distracted her mother. “Ellie-Mae, get back here. What did I tell you about muddy shoes in the house?”

  Jenny waited while the woman sorted out her daughter and returned before speaking. It didn’t take long. “Is Sarah home? It’s Jenny and Scott again.”

  “Why, yes, I’ll let her know you’re here.”

  The gate clicked to signify it was unlocked, but this time Scott stayed in the car giving Jenny an ‘I can’t be bothered’ look. That left her to deal with both the gates and driving the car through to the other side. She shook her head when she got back in but didn’t say anything. Jenny eased into gear and crunched the tyres over the gravel until she reached the house.

  The front door opened in the time she’d rounded the trees, and Ellie-Mae skipped out to greet them. Her dungarees were smudged in dirt—they weren’t much cleaner than the shoes on her feet. The child called out, “I’ve been helping Ben with the flowers.” She held up a few dying weeds in her hand.

  “Please come this way,” Dawn said.

  She led them down the corridor to the living room where they’d met Sarah before.

  Sarah was back in her wheelchair and reading a book next to the open French windows, making the most of the late afternoon sun. She looked up from the page to greet them. “Hello again.” The smile on her lips appeared genuine and grew when she saw Scott. Wheeling herself slowly and with great effort, she tried to join them in the seating area of the room.

  Scott jumped to her aid and took hold of the handles at the back. “Let me help you with that.”

  Jenny would’ve glowered at him for his sudden ability to be helpful when he’d refused to move out of his seat on the way in, but her affection for Sarah was growing, and she understood why he’d done it. Sarah seemed exhausted from minimum effort, and she slumped in the wheelchair, relief reflected in her expression.

  “Hope you don’t mind me asking, but what’s put you in the wheelchair?” Jenny asked.

  It was Scott’s turn to glower at her. He clearly thought she’d overstepped a boundary and was letting her know it.

  “No, I don’t mind,” she said. “I have M.E., often referred to as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.”

  “So that makes you really tired, right?”

  Sarah smiled. “It’s a lot more than that. It’s a multi-systemic illness, and there’s barely any research into curing it, but that’s starting to get better.”

  “You don’t mind my asking?”

  “Not at all. As long as people aren’t telling me about how I can cure myself like some far-off friend or relative who did this one amazing trick I should try. It’s just not that simple.”

  Scott shifted his position behind the wheelchair. He gave Jenny a hard stare before speaking. “We need to catch Ben again. Is he around? That little girl said she’s helping him.”

  “Yes, he’s here. I’m afraid he’s still upset about Emma, but that’s to be expected. Go easy on him, won’t you?”

  Jenny had already sat and was making herself comfortable in the plush seating. It was far more luxurious than her own, and she felt she could nod off to sleep quite happily given the chance. “Have you heard about the pub landlord, Dave? He’s been arrested for the murders.”

  “What? Not Dave, surely? He always seems such a pleasant man, but I suppose even the quiet one’s can fool you.”

  “You think he’s pleasant?”

  “Why
yes. I know he was having an affair with Emma, Ben told me so, but I couldn’t see him killing someone, let alone two people. He was in love with Emma.”

  “From what we know, she was going to leave him. She had a thing for Jason and became obsessed when he arrived in the village. It’s supposed that Dave didn’t want to lose her.”

  “That’s not right. It’s Emma who wanted to get married. Dave was thinking of leaving Tracy for her.”

  “Then why would he have tried to stop Tracy from leaving him for Paul?” Jenny was getting more confused by the minute.

  “Dave said he wouldn’t let her run off with any man who’s abusive. He didn’t like it that Paul had already bruised her, so that’s why they fought. He still cares for Tracy even if he no longer loves her.”

  Jenny couldn’t believe the differences in the stories. What they’d heard from Martin and now from Sarah didn’t add up. Only one of them could be right, but both could be wrong. They needed to speak to Ben again. He’d have the real insight into what had been going on between Emma and Dave. If only Tracy would talk, too.

  Maybe I should speak to Tracy alone, woman to woman. She might open up.

  Jenny shuddered at the memory of the look Martin had given her—the same one he’d given Tracy. If Martin wasn’t present, then she might find out if something was going on between the two of them. She had an idea.

  “Sarah, how well do you know Tracy?”

  “Not as well as Dave, but we do get on.”

  “I was thinking you could help me to have a chat with her. Maybe here, away from the pub and prying ears.”

  Sarah thought for a moment. She seemed to be debating something, maybe how to get Tracy to come around, some pretence or other. “I could invite her for tea, find out when she’s free and let you know.”

  “That’d be great.”

  Scott pulled a sulking face. “Don’t you want me there?”

  Jenny sighed. He just didn’t get it. “She might feel more inclined to talk if it’s just a couple of women. She knows Sarah so should feel more at ease.”

  Dawn came back into the room. “Ben’s almost finished for the day. You’ll have to be quick if you want to catch him.”

  “Thank you,” Sarah said. “Leave your number with Dawn, and I’ll call you when I know.”

  Jenny and Scott said their farewells. Sarah was growing on Jenny. She seemed like an interesting woman, someone Jenny would like to be friends with. It would be nice to have someone in the village other than Jason and Carmie that she got on with.

  Ben was kicking off his work boots by his shed at the side of the house. He was busy putting his things away and didn’t look up at who was coming towards him. He might have thought it was Dawn and Ellie-Mae if they were the most frequent visitors to his shed.

  Scott called out, “Hiya, Ben.”

  He didn’t appear angry like the other day. Maybe the shock was wearing off a bit. Jenny hoped so.

  When they got closer, it was Scott who dove into the conversation. “Listen, mate, we don’t mean to upset you, but we need to ask a few questions.”

  Ben turned his back on them. “You’re not the police. I don’t need to talk to you.”

  Before Scott could give him a list of reasons he presumed were vital, Jenny interrupted, “Ben, I know Emma got a voodoo doll before she died.”

  “So what if she did?”

  “I got one, too. Yesterday, at the shop. I’m scared I’m next.”

  “What!” Scott’s mouth hung open—now it was his turn to be shocked. “When were you going to tell me?”

  “I tried to yesterday,” she said, “but I couldn’t find you. Then we were all in the pub, and I didn’t want to say it in front of the others.”

  Scott’s shock turned to anger. He bared his teeth when he asked, “Does Jason know?”

  “Well, yes, he came in when I was crumpled on the floor and got Carmie to call the police, but they don’t take it seriously.”

  The new information had an effect on Ben. “What do you need to know?”

  Jenny pulled herself together while Scott was still reeling from the news.

  “Was Emma going to marry Dave?”

  “Yes, she was in love with him. He’s going to divorce Tracy; they’d already all talked about it.”

  “Then why was she going mad over Jason? Did him turning up change her mind?”

  “Not at all, she hated him. All that drama the other night was just for show. She wouldn’t tell me why she was doing it.”

  Jenny considered what he was saying. It didn’t match up with what they already knew. “Wasn’t it Dave who made her do it?”

  Ben shook his head. “Not a chance, he loved her. He didn’t know who Jason was until he heard gossip at the pub. Not even Emma told him what’d happened to poor Annalise Jessop.”

  As usual, Scott didn’t like being left out of the conversation. “Why’d she engage Paul to investigate Annalise’s death?”

  Ben looked perplexed. “She didn’t. That’s all a very long time ago, and they were only casual friends, like girls are at that age. It upset her at the time, we all were, but she was long over it.”

  “So why did you help her in the pub when she challenged Jason?”

  “Quite frankly, she was scared. She’d asked me to, and I didn’t want anything happening to her. That’s why I went into the men’s, so I could get her out when I thought it’d gone too far. I took her home. I would’ve stayed, but she said she’d be fine and would call me the next day.” Ben looked pained when he spoke the last few words. It aged him.

  Jenny felt sorry for him. He’d regret not staying with her for the rest of his life, but he wasn’t to know she’d die that night. It wasn’t his fault. She felt terrible needing to ask him if he thought Emma’s death was really suicide.

  “Not a chance. She was terrified of someone, she just wouldn’t tell me who.”

  THE JOURNEY HOME, ALTHOUGH short, was filled with angry silence. Scott was fuming that she hadn’t told him about the doll. It hurt his pride that another man had been there for her in her hour of need and it had taken her more than a day to tell him.

  “Look,” Jenny said, “there’s a lot going on. I got the shock of my life yesterday and I did try to find you. If you weren’t off out somewhere getting high, it would’ve been different.”

  Instead of diffusing the situation, her comment served to anger him more. The truth stung, and Scott refused to talk. He demanded being dropped at his house, so he could get ready for his night shift. It was a relief when she left him. They hadn’t even got to his street when he was opening the car door to get out, wanting to walk the final distance himself. She gave in to his request and watched him slump off down the road.

  Back in Chapel End, Jenny reversed into a parking space. Her mobile was ringing in her pocket, and she only just grabbed it before it stopped.

  “I’ve been trying to get hold of you. Good job you picked up the phone. I was about to give up.”

  The caller was Sarah. She’d managed to get hold of Tracy and had persuaded her into going to Manor House in the next twenty minutes. Jenny restarted the engine. So much for going home, it’d have to wait until later. She got there a good ten minutes before Tracy who she knew had to make sure the staff at the pub were all right before she left.

  “I wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon,” Jenny said. “I feel flustered after the last couple of days. I’m not sure I’m really up to it.”

  “Of course you are. I’ll help you.” Sarah was reclining on the sofa under a large blanket. She looked exhausted from the social interaction that day. Her face, now pale and clammy, made her appear feverish.

  Jenny felt concerned for her new friend. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, it’s normal life for me. Thanks for asking.”

  They were distracted by a gentle knock on the living room door. It opened, and Dawn led Tracy into the room. The woman’s gaze flitted between Jenny and Sarah. She didn’t seem to be able to
look either in the eye. Jenny’s body stiffened. She found Tracy’s behaviour strange but decided to give her a chance. After all, she’d come to blab about the people she was supposed to care about.

  Sarah was the first to speak. “Hi, Tracy, this is Jenny. I think you might’ve met her in the pub.”

  Tracy sat in one of the armchairs and kept her gaze on Sarah. She didn’t seem to want to acknowledge Jenny. “I thought it was going to be just us two.”

  “I hoped you wouldn’t mind, but Jenny needs some help. She got one of those voodoo dolls at the charity shop and is frightened she’s next.”

  “How the hell do you know that?” Jenny was shocked at the information Sarah had been able to get her hands on.

  “Ben told me. He’s really worried about you.”

  Both women waited for Tracy to join in the conversation or at least show her shock for Jenny’s situation, but nothing came. She sat there staring at her hands in her lap.

  “Please, Tracy,” Jenny said. “Anything you might know or might’ve heard could possibly help to save my life. I’m so scared right now.”

  Tracy sighed like she was relenting when she didn’t really want to. “What do you want to know?”

  “Why did Dave attack Paul?”

  “He thought Paul hurt me...the bruise on my arm.”

  “Who did give you the bruise?”

  “It was Martin. I’ve been having an affair with him for some time, and when Paul turned up, I knew I didn’t love Martin. I still had feelings for Paul.”

  Sarah and Jenny glanced at each other. This was news to Jenny. She remembered the look Martin had given Tracy, but even still, it wasn’t proof he’d hurt her.

  “Why did Dave think Paul was abusing you?”

  “He jumps to conclusions, he’s always getting jealous. He didn’t want me, but he didn’t want anyone else to have me either.”

  Jenny could see Sarah was mulling something over. “So, where does Emma fit into this with Jason, if she was going to marry Dave?”