by Adele Abbott
“I’ve never hit anyone who didn’t deserve it. Anyway, I told you that Billy was there when Killer and I discussed him returning.”
“That’s not what Billy says.”
“What?”
“I spoke to him yesterday and he’s adamant that he never heard the two of you discussing Killer’s return.”
“He’s lying.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I have no idea. Maybe it’s his way of getting back at you for what you did to him. He was pretty embarrassed.”
“How does him lying harm me? If anything, you’re the one who’s damaged by his failing to corroborate what you said.”
“Who knows how Billy’s mind works.”
“Isn’t the truth that you went over to Wash-on-Wheels that day to try and persuade Killer to re-join Loose Chippings, and that he turned you down flat?”
“Is a vivid imagination a prerequisite in your job?”
“When he refused your offer, you lost your temper and struck out.”
Slugger mopped up the remains of his tomato juice with a sausage, popped it into his mouth, and stood up. “It’s been a blast, Jill, but I really do have to go. My old Mum is expecting me.”
“I’m going to find the evidence I need to prove you did this, and when I do, the police will be knocking at your door.”
“I won’t hold my breath.”
***
“How was the full English?” Jack asked when I got back to the old watermill.
“I didn’t have time for one, so I had to settle for—”
“Muesli?”
“I reckon if you asked for that in Big Bessie’s, you’d be lynched. Actually, I just had a couple of slices of toast.”
“How did it go?”
“It didn’t. Slugger is still sticking to his story that he and the murder victim had reconciled their differences. I’m just not sure I believe him.” I glanced around. “Where’s Florence? On caterpillar watch?”
“No. She’s over at Donna’s house.”
“How come?”
“Donna came over about an hour ago to tell us that the dance class had been cancelled. They’ve got a burst water pipe at the village hall, so they’ve had to cancel all activities this weekend. Donna said she was planning to take Wendy into town later, and she asked if Florence wanted to spend the day with them. Needless to say, Florence was all for it. That means we have the whole day to ourselves. What are we going to do, sexy?” He gave me that look of his, which I’m pretty sure was supposed to be alluring, but he actually looked as though he was about to sneeze.
“Before I do anything, I have to go and see Grandma.”
“Can’t that wait?”
“No, it can’t. I’ve already waited too long.”
“Okay, what about afterwards?”
“Afterwards, you can treat me to lunch at The Middle.”
“Okay, but what about after that?”
“That’ll depend how nice you are to me between now and then.”
***
As soon as Verity spotted me, she began to shake her head, which I took as a bad sign.
“I’m really sorry, Jill, but your grandmother is in a meeting at the moment, and she gave strict instructions that she was not to be disturbed under any circumstances.”
“Did you tell her that I was coming over this morning, and that it was urgent?”
“I did, but she didn’t seem very interested. Sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, but this can’t wait, so I’m going in there.”
“Please, Jill, will you at least wait here while I go and have a word with her? I don’t want to lose this job.”
“Sure, but tell her that I’m not going to take no for an answer.”
“I’ll be as quick as I can.”
Five minutes later, Grandma came charging into reception with a face like thunder. A terrified looking Verity was trailing in her wake.
“This had better be good!” Grandma exploded. “You’ve just dragged me out of a very important meeting.”
“It is, but we can’t talk here. I need to speak to you in private.”
“Oh, very well. Follow me.” She led the way into a small office just off reception where Mr Ivers was tapping away on a computer.
He looked up. “Hello, Jill.”
“Out!” Grandma barked at him.
“I haven’t saved—”
“Out!”
“Of course.” He scooted out of the room.
“You didn’t have to be so rude to him,” I said.
“You didn’t have to interrupt my meeting, but you did it anyway. What’s this all about?”
“You have to tell all of your guests to pack their bags immediately and return to Candlefield.”
“That’s very funny.” She laughed in my face.
“I’m deadly serious, Grandma.”
“Oh? In that case, I’ll go straight out there and tell everyone to leave.”
“You will?”
“Of course not. Are you insane?”
“Listen, Grandma, there are government agents in Middle Tweaking from DOPA.”
“And?”
“Aren’t you going to ask who DOPA are?”
“I know who they are.”
“You do? I’d never heard of them until yesterday.”
“I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you come and sit in on my meeting?”
“There isn’t time for that. We have to get everyone out of the hotel.”
“Relax. I have it all in hand. Now, come with me.”
This was madness, but Grandma was adamant that I should follow her. Seated around the circular table were three men, all dressed in grey suits.
“Gentlemen, I apologise for the interruption. This is my assistant manager, Vanessa, I hope you don’t mind if she sits in on our meeting.”
“Not at all,” the tallest of the three said. “I’m Arthur, this is John, and that’s Charlie.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m sure.” I managed through gritted teeth. What was Grandma playing at?
“Gentlemen, would you mind telling Vanessa where you’re from?”
“We’re from DOPA. You probably won’t have heard of it.”
Oh bum! “I can’t say I have.”
“It stands for the Department of Paranormal Activity.”
“But surely there’s no such thing as the paranormal.”
“Of course not, but our department is tasked with checking any reports of such activity. Just to be on the safe side, you understand.”
“I see. What brings you to Middle Tweaking?”
“There have been multiple reports of paranormal activity centred on this village, and on this hotel in particular.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“The reports were very convincing, but having looked around the village and the hotel, we’re happy there’s no substance to them.”
“There isn’t? I mean, of course there isn’t.”
“Mirabel has been quite accommodating. She has allowed us to look around the hotel and to speak to all the guests, and it’s clear there’s nothing amiss within these four walls.”
When the meeting concluded, Grandma showed the three DOPA agents out while I waited in her office.
“How did you manage that?” I said when she returned.
“What you have to remember, Jill, is that fundamentally, most humans are stupid. Those three charged in here all guns blazing, but a little magic soon slowed them down.”
“What about when your spell wears off? Won’t they be back?”
“I doubt it. Not for a few years at least. I may have accidentally poured a slow-acting potion into their tea. How did you hear about the dopes, anyway?”
“Daze came to see me. She was really worried.”
“That young woman worries far too much. You should get Annabel to teach her meditation. Anyway, on to more important matters. What’s happening with the lido?”
“What do you know about
blue stones?”
“Why are you talking in riddles? What does that have to do with the lido?”
I told Grandma about my stakeout at the office building, the funny little creatures, and the blue stones.
“Long nose, big ears and huge feet, you say?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re sure it wasn’t a mirror you were looking at?”
“You’re so not funny. Do you know what they are?”
“It sounds like the Bogdars.”
“Never heard of them.”
“There’s no reason you should have. They live underground most of the time: in caves, sewers, that kind of thing. Are you sure the stones were blue? It must have been dark in there.”
“Positive. The Bog-thingies were covered in blue dust.”
“If you’re right about the colour, it sounds like Candle Blue.”
“What’s that?”
“A semi-precious stone. Have you ever heard of Blue John?”
“Who’s he?”
“Sometimes, Jill, I despair at your lack of general knowledge. Blue John isn’t a he. It’s a mineral found in Castleton, Derbyshire.”
“Now you mention it, I think I have seen jewellery made from it.”
“Candle Blue is a similar thing. It’s actually illegal to mine it because it’s so rare.”
“Are you trying to tell me that Reptile Holdings are buying up land so that they can mine underneath it? That doesn’t make any sense. Why go to the expense of building an office block on there?”
“To hide what they’re up to. My guess is that the interior of the building is just a shell. And as for the cost, that will pale into insignificance compared to what the stone is likely to fetch.”
“But if it’s illegal to mine it, how can they sell it?”
“They won’t be able to sell it in Candlefield, but if they bring it over to the human world, they’ll have no problem moving it. There’s one sure way to prove that’s what they’re up to.”
“What’s that?”
“Check the geology of the plots of land they’ve taken over. I’ll bet my best broom they all have Candle Blue deposits below them.”
“Can you arrange that?”
“Certainly not. I have a hotel to run. You’ll have to do it.”
“I’m busy too, you know.”
“You’re so funny sometimes, Jill.”
***
“I’m starving,” Jack said, as we walked to The Middle.
“Me too.”
“I’m not surprised if the only thing you’ve had all morning is a slice of toast.”
“I think I’m going to have a steak with all the trimmings.”
“I might have the same. It’s ages since I had one.”
“And sticky toffee pudding for afters.”
“Yummy.”
“Hi, guys.” Arthur Spraggs was fiddling with the cash register. “They installed this new POS system yesterday, and I’m still trying to make sense of it.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going all hi-tech on us,” I said.
“It wasn’t my idea. The brewery insisted we upgrade. Ah, that’s it. Sorry about that. What can I get you?”
“I’ll have a pint of lager,” Jack said.
“Just a Coke for me, please. And we’d both like a steak.”
“Slight problem there, I’m afraid. The oven and grill are on the blink, so we’re only doing sandwiches at the moment. Hopefully, it’ll be repaired in time for tonight.”
My heart sank. “What sandwiches do you have?”
“Cheese. Ham. And cheese and ham.”
Somewhat deflated, Jack and I were munching on our sandwiches.
“Not exactly steak, is it?” I said. “I think I should have had the ham.”
“Hello, there. It’s Jill, isn’t it?”
It took me a moment to place the man, but then the penny dropped. “Mr Peep.”
“Joe, please.”
“Hello, Joe. This is my husband, Jack.”
“Good to meet you, Jack.”
“Is Flo with you, Joe?” I asked.
“No, she’s visiting her mother.”
“Joe and Flo were interested in buying Tweaking Tea Rooms, Jack. Before Miss Drinkwater’s sad demise, that is.”
“We may still do it,” Joe said. “In fact, that’s why I’m here today. I’ve just been talking to the solicitors handling the estate. Fingers crossed, it’s looking very promising, but we don’t want to get our hopes up, just in case.”
“That’s great news. I hope everything works out.”
“Me too. Anyway, I’ll let you get on with your snack. I only popped in for a quick word with Arthur.”
“Joe seems nice,” Jack said.
“They both are, but I should warn you they’re train nuts.”
“Speaking of which, I wonder how Mr Hosey is doing.”
“The last time I saw him, he was working behind the bar in Bar Loco. Didn’t I mention it to you?”
“I don’t think so.” Jack brushed the crumbs off his clothes. “So, are you ready for afters?”
“I don’t think I’m bothered about a dessert to be honest.”
“I wasn’t talking about desserts.”
“I should have known. You and your one-track mind. Come on, then, let’s go home.”
Chapter 26
“Donna? Florence?”
The two of them were standing on our doorstep. Donna was clearly stressed about something, but Florence looked fine, and was busy looking at the box in her hand.
“I was just about to call you, Jill,” Donna said.
“Is something wrong?”
“It’s Wendy. She started to feel poorly while we were walking around Washbridge. I’ve just dropped her at home with her dad.”
“Is she alright?”
“Yeah, it’s probably one of those twenty-four-hour bugs. I just hope she hasn’t given it to Florence.”
“Do you feel okay, darling?” I said.
“Yes. Look what I’ve got, Mummy.” She held up the box. “It’s a princess’ carriage.”
“It’s a model kit,” Jack said. “Cool. I loved those when I was a kid.”
“I thought it might be a bit too old for her,” Donna said. “But she was really keen on it.”
“You didn’t need to buy her anything.”
“It felt like the least I could do because we’d had to cut the day short.”
“Can I make my model now, Mummy?”
“Of course you can. Daddy will help you, won’t you?”
“Yeah, let’s go inside.” Jack took her in the house.
“I’m really sorry about this, Jill. I hope you and Jack didn’t have anything planned for this afternoon.”
“Nothing special.”
By the time I joined Jack and Florence in the kitchen, they’d emptied the contents of the box onto the table.
“Wow, you’ve got a lot of pieces there,” I said.
“Where do we start, Daddy?” Florence picked up the tube of glue.
“It might be best if you let Daddy glue it together.”
“No, I want to do it.”
“It looks like you’re in for a fun afternoon.” I grinned at Jack.
“Aren’t you going to help us?”
“I’d love to, but I need to go and see a man about some blue stones.”
“Blue stones?”
“I’ll tell you all about it tonight. Have fun.”
***
Aunt Lucy was ironing.
Her tea-towels!
“I’m glad you came over, Jill. I’d love a cup of tea, but I do hate to stop ironing once I’ve started. Will you pop the kettle on, please?”
“Sure. Are they—err—tea-towels that you’re ironing?”
“They are. I do them the second Friday in the month.”
“Right.” I filled the kettle.
“Bedding is the first and third Monday, and handkerchiefs are the third Wednesday. I find it helps to
have systems in place, don’t you?”
“Absolutely, I swear by them.”
“This is just what the doctor ordered.” She took a sip of tea. “I expect you heard that I gave in, and let the twins have the corks?”
“Yes, I was in Cuppy C yesterday.”
“I’ve told the girls that they have to take good care of them.”
“I’m sure they will.” Some chance.
“They should find it easy enough to set up the exhibition because I’ve attached a card to every cork with full details of its origin.”
“That must have taken some time.”
“Hours.”
“The twins are lucky to have you. I popped over because I need to get in contact with a geologist here in Candlefield.”
“Whatever for?”
I told her about Grandma’s theory regarding the Candle Blue.
“It’s a beautiful stone. My great-grandmother had a pendant made from it. That was before mining it was made illegal, obviously. Why don’t you take a look in Candle Pages? There might be something in there.”
I did as she suggested, and to my surprise, I found three geologists listed. The first two said they’d be happy to provide me with a consultation, but they were both booked solid for the next couple of weeks. Who knew that geologists would be in such high demand? I wasn’t particularly optimistic when I tried the last name listed.
A man picked up the call on the first ring. “Walters, Walters and Walters.”
“I’d like to speak to Mr Walters, please.”
“Which one?”
“The geologist.”
“We’re all geologists. I’m William Walters.”
“Hi. My name is Jill Maxwell, and I was—”
“Did you say, Jill Maxwell?”
“That’s right. I was hoping to arrange a consultation. The problem is that I need it really quickly, but I don’t imagine you work at the weekend.”
“I don’t normally, but if you’re happy for me to provide the consultation at my house, I can do it right now.”
“That would be brilliant. If you give me your address, I’ll be straight over.”
“Any luck?” Aunt Lucy said when I re-joined her in the kitchen.
“Yeah. Seems I struck lucky. I can go over there right now.”
