Playing At Murder (A Butterworth Mystery Book 1)

by Gillian Larkin

  Connie could feel her eyes welling up again. “It is. I love ‘Meet Me In St Louis’. Thank you.”

  By the time the film had finished, the train was pulling into Edinburgh station. Connie and Sable collected their things, made their way off the train, up the escalators and out on to the streets of the beautiful city. The faint sounds of bagpipes floated their way.

  Connie’s hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes widened.

  “Connie? What’s wrong?”

  Connie moved her hand. “I’ve just remembered what happened to you the last time we were in Edinburgh!”

  Chapter 9

  Connie started to chuckle. Her chuckle turned into a laugh. Her laugh progressed to a loud guffaw which startled people passing by.

  Sable hissed, “Control yourself! People are staring. What happened to me last time wasn’t the least bit funny.”

  Connie wiped tears from her eyes, and took a moment to calm herself down. “But it was funny, Sable. It was hilarious. Didn’t it happen on this street too?”

  Sable folded her arms. “It might have. We haven’t got time to reminisce. The hotel where Rachel is staying is a five-minute walk away. Let’s get going.”

  “Oh no. Not so fast. I have to relive that moment. When was it? Forty years ago? More? We’d started courting Clive and Ian, and we’d only known each other a short while. I thought you were so prim and proper. You always had your nose in the air as if you were better than anyone else. Until …” she burst into laughter again.

  The corner of Sable’s mouth twitched. “It really wasn’t that funny. Not for me anyway.”

  Connie said, “I still don’t understand why you did it. What possessed you?”

  “I don’t know. There’s always been a mystery about men wearing kilts, and what they wear underneath. Or rather, what they don’t wear. I couldn’t believe the rumour that they wore nothing. It seemed far too ludicrous.” She gave Connie a big smile. “And when we came here all those years ago, curiosity got the better of me.”

  Connie shook her head. “I remember it clearly now. You went up to that poor man who was minding his own business. Tell me again what you said to him?”

  “I asked him very politely what he was wearing under his kilt. He told me in an impolite way to mind my own business.” Sable put her hands on the side of her cheeks. “I still can’t believe what I did next. I’m feeling embarrassed all over again. As soon as he turned his back on me, I reached out and lifted his kilt up. And, well, you know what happened after that.”

  Connie grinned. “I can see him now. He hitched his kilt right up and began chasing you down the street. His obscenities were quite colourful, even if I didn’t know what half of them meant.” She broke into fresh peals of laughter.

  Sable said, “It was so out of character for me to do that. I’m surprised Ian still wanted to see me after that. Anyway, we found out what that particular man was wearing under his kilt. It was a cold day, and I’m surprised he didn’t get frostbite on his particulars.”

  Connie nudged her. “Sable, there’s a young man over there with a splendid kilt on. Go on; I dare you.”

  A twinkle of mischief flashed in Sable’s eyes. “Better not. We’re here on business. Maybe later.”

  The two women headed down the street, smiles still on their faces.

  As they approached the hotel and spa where Rachel’s car had been located, Connie said, “What are we going to say to the person on reception? They wouldn’t give you any information on the phone. They might not give us any information now.”

  Sable said, “Leave that to me. I’ve already thought of something. It involves lying slightly, but I assume you’re okay with that?”

  “Just when I thought you couldn’t surprise me anymore, you do something like this. Yes, I’m all for lying if it helps us with our case.”

  They walked into the hotel lobby. The hotel sign outside had proclaimed it to be a 5-star hotel, and as Connie looked around, she immediately thought it should be upgraded. Everything about the lobby screamed luxury, and she felt underdressed in her jeans, sensible coat and comfy shoes. She glanced at Sable. With her tailored jacket and perfectly pressed trousers, Sable looked as if she belonged here. They made an odd couple.

  Sable marched up to the reception desk and rang the bell even though a uniformed man was standing behind the desk.

  The man checked Sable over before asking, “May I help you?”

  “We will see,” Sable said. “I’m here to speak to Rachel Woods. She’s a guest here. I need to speak to her on an urgent matter.”

  “Is she expecting you?”

  “No. Is that a problem?”

  The man’s mouth moved into a smirk. “If she’s not expecting you, then I can’t help you. You could leave her a message.”

  “No. That’s not going to happen.” Sable’s eyes bored into the young man. “This is a matter of great importance. It’s imperative that I speak to Rachel without delay. If I don’t speak to her, there will be grave consequences.” She glanced at his name tag. “And, Edward, if my meeting with Rachel Woods is delayed, it will be 100% your fault. And I’ll make sure you receive the appropriate reprimand.”

  The colour drained from Edward’s face. Connie felt a rush of sympathy for the poor chap. He’ll be wishing he’d phoned in sick today.

  Sable tapped her fingernails on the marble desk. “Well? What are you waiting for? Every second we delay is going to cause severe problems for Rachel Woods. And for you. My name is Sable Butterworth. Do I need to spell that out for you?”

  Edward’s hand trembled as he picked up the phone. “No. I’ll contact Ms Woods right away.”

  Sable gave him a curt nod and took Connie to one side. Sable said, “How was that? Did I come across too strong?”

  “Yes! That poor lad will be having nightmares about you. You’ve scared him half to death.”

  “He’ll survive. Certain people need to be spoken to in certain ways to get information. That poor young man, as you called him, was on a power trip. Being nice to him wouldn’t have got us anywhere.”

  Connie wasn’t sure about that, and as Edward beckoned them back to the desk, she gave him a friendly smile. Edward didn’t return it.

  He spoke directly to Sable. “Ms Woods is just finishing a spa treatment. She’ll be with you in ten minutes.”

  Sable replied, “Good. We’ll be sitting over there. We’d like coffee bringing over.”

  “Of course.” Edward slightly bowed his head.

  Sable turned on her heel and walked away.

  Connie still felt sorry for Edward and said, “Thank you so much. You’ve been very helpful. So sorry to trouble you.”

  Edward looked her up and down, and his mouth twisted in disgust. “We do have a dress code, madam. And you don’t meet our requirements.”

  Connie took a step back. “Oh! I’m sorry.”

  “Yes, you should be.”

  Connie’s eyes narrowed. She pointed in Sable’s direction and attempted to put a hard note in her voice. “I’m with her. Should I let her know about your requirements?”

  Edward blinked rapidly. “We’ll overlook your attire this time.”

  Connie gave him a curt nod and walked over to Sable.

  She sat opposite Sable and said, “You were right about that young man.”

  “Forget about him. Let’s think about what we’re going to say to Rachel. You know the questions we need to ask. Do you want to take the lead? Rachel might respond better to you.”

  Connie took out her notebook. “Let the interrogation begin.”

  Chapter 10

  Ten minutes later, a worried-looking woman walked towards them wearing a white dressing gown and white slippers. Connie recognised Rachel from the photos she’d seen on Facebook.

  Rachel looked at Connie. “Are you Sable Butterworth?”

  “No, I’m Connie.” She indicated her head in Sable’s direction. “That’s Sable.”

  Rachel pulled her belt tighter an
d sat down. “I knew this would happen. I just knew it. From the second I got that email telling me I’d won, I knew it wasn’t right. I never win anything. But when I phoned this hotel, they told me I was booked in for two weeks. And everything had been paid for in advance. All the treatments. All the food. Everything. I knew it was too good to be true.” She took a breath and looked at Sable and then at Connie. “Shall I pack my bags?”

  Connie said, “We’re not here about the hotel. Did you win a stay here? It’s a lovely place.”

  “It’s amazing. And well beyond my budget. Yes, I did win it. I’m always entering competitions. You don’t have a chance if you don’t enter, do you? I never win. Never. You can imagine my surprise when I got an email last Friday telling me I’d won a luxury stay here! It said in the email I’d have to be here on Sunday if I wanted to claim my prize. Well, I couldn’t turn it down, could I? I sorted things out at home, jumped in my car and zoomed up here. I still can’t believe it!”

  “Where did the email come from? What was the name of the company who sent it?” Connie asked.

  “I can’t remember. I’ll have it somewhere in my inbox. You should see my room. I’ve got a massive four-poster bed. There’s a bath as big as a swimming pool, and a shower with twenty different settings. I’ve only tried two of them. And the treatments I’ve had! I feel like a new woman. I just can’t believe I won. This never, ever happens to me.” She stopped for breath again.

  Connie jumped in quickly before Rachel could say another word. “Did you say everything has already been paid for?”

  “Yes. That’s the first thing I checked when I phoned up. I didn’t want to get here and find out I was supposed to pay for everything. That would be just my luck! Absolutely everything has been paid for. Even this dressing gown I’m wearing. It’s so thick and fluffy. It must have cost a fortune. But it’s mine now. And you should see what else I’ve been given.” She paused and frowned. “If you’re not here about this hotel, what are you here for?”

  With more than a hint of pride in her voice, Connie said, “We’re private investigators. We’ve been hired by Tina Dawson. She reported you as missing.”

  “What? Tina? Missing ?” Rachel’s head swivelled between Connie and Sable. “I don’t understand.”

  Connie explained, “Tina went to your house on Monday morning with her children, as usual, to find you gone. When she couldn’t contact you, and you hadn’t turned up by Wednesday, she got in touch with us.”

  “This doesn’t make any sense at all. I left a message for Tina on Friday, right after I’d got that email telling me I’d won. I told her I’d sort out another childminder for her while I was away. And I did do that. I had someone ready for her on Monday, so I sent her another message on Sunday morning. She must have received it because she replied to both messages. She even sent me a message yesterday saying the children were missing me, and she hoped I was having a good time.”

  “That is strange,” Connie agreed. “She never mentioned any messages to us. Do you have your phone with you? Could you show us the messages, please?”

  Rachel patted her pocket. “I’ve left my phone in my room. I’m trying to keep off it while I’m here. I can go and get it if you want?”

  “If you don’t mind? Thank you.”

  Rachel stood up and walked away.

  Sable leant forward and said, “There’s something very peculiar going on here. Someone is lying. And it looks like it might be Tina Dawson. Has she returned any of your messages yet?”

  “No, she hasn’t. But Tina looked so genuinely worried when we first met her. I can’t believe she would lie to us.”

  “People lie all the time. If you’re going to be a private investigator, you should expect everyone to be a liar.”

  Connie gave her a slow nod. “That’s what Hercule Poirot says.”

  Sable sat back in her seat. “I’m not ruling Mr Dawson out. He might have been the one who sent the texts from Tina’s phone. I can’t think why he’d do that right now, but I’ll come up with something.”

  Rachel returned with her phone and handed it to Connie. “Look. You can see my texts, and Tina’s replies.”

  Connie read the texts. “Does Tina normally text you in this manner? Does she always put an ‘x’ at the end?”

  “Yes.” Rachel sat down. “If Tina didn’t send these texts, then who did? And why?”

  Connie hesitated before saying, “We spoke to Mr Dawson yesterday. It might not be my place to say this, but he has a low opinion of you.”

  Rachel pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. “I don’t like him either. I’ve seen how he treats Tina. He expects her to do everything for him and the children. He never lifts a finger to help. When he picks Tom and Katie up, he stays talking to me for ages. He goes on about how he’s too busy to be collecting the children. I have to put up with him for Tina’s sake. In my opinion, she’d be better off without him.”

  “It is possible that he got hold of Tina’s phone and saw your messages,” Connie said. “And he could have replied to them for some reason. And he never told Tina about your plans.”

  Rachel said, “I wouldn’t put it past him. This is the kind of thing he’d do. And this makes it look like I’ve abandoned Tina and the children. She’ll be looking for a new childminder now. I’d better phone her.” She put her hand out for her phone.

  Sable said, “Tina hasn’t replied to our messages, so she might not be in possession of her phone at present. Somebody else might have it. Why don’t you leave everything to us? We’ll be having a word with Mr and Mrs Dawson when we return home. We’ll go and visit them.”

  “I feel like coming with you,” Rachel said. “I want to give him a piece of my mind.”

  Sable said, “You stay here and enjoy your break. We’ll let Tina know about the other childminder so she can take Tom and Katie there. Connie, can you forward those texts to yourself, so we’ve got a record of them?”

  “Of course.” Connie stared at the phone. “How do I do that?”

  Sable moved to Connie’s side and told her what to do.

  Connie handed the phone back to Rachel and said, “I’m glad we found you. We saw your message on Facebook about going away, and I’m glad we tracked you down.”

  Rachel took her phone. “Facebook? I haven’t been on there for months. I had all sorts of problems a few months back. Someone was sending me nasty comments, so I decided to close my page down.”

  “Oh. I must be mistaken.” Connie let out an uncertain laugh. “You can see how I am with technology. Thank you for your time.”

  “Can you let me know how you get on? And can you tell Tina how sorry I am for the mix-up? Thanks.”

  Sable said, “Leave everything to us.”

  Chapter 11

  The next morning, Sable drove herself and Connie to Tina Dawson’s house.

  Connie said, “I’m so sorry about falling asleep on the train yesterday. It must have been that glass of wine I had. I’m not used to drinking, and not on a train. The movement of the train made me nod off.”

  “The wine was included in the price. Neither of us were driving so it was a lovely treat. When you were asleep I updated our case notes and included the details of those texts.”

  “You’re so efficient. What do you think about Rachel’s comment about Facebook? If she didn’t write that last post, then who did? Mr Dawson? He’s called Graham, by the way.”

  Sable said, “How do you know that?”

  “I asked Tina when I spoke to her this morning. I phoned her on the landline. She’s relieved to know Rachel’s all right. I didn’t give her any more information than that. I said we’d explain everything to her when we see her.”

  “Good. I want to see her face when we tell her. Will her spouse be there?”

  “He will. He’s not well this morning.” Connie said with a smile. “Apparently, he went out with his friends last night and had a dodgy meal. It upset his stomach.”

  “Ha! Serves him
right. I can’t wait to see what his expression is like when we mention Rachel’s texts.” She stopped outside Tina’s house.

  Tina was waiting for them at the back door; Tom in her arms. As soon as Tom saw Sable, he lifted his arms towards her and gave her a chubby-faced grin.

  Sable took him into her arms. “Hello, little man. How’s your day going?”

  Tom babbled something in reply.

  “I see,” Sable said. “My day is going well too. Thank you for asking.”

  Tom put his head against Sable’s chest and smiled.

  Connie said to the bewildered Tina, “She’s like this with all children. Mine included. When they were little, their faces always lit up when they saw Auntie Sable approach. In fact, they still do. How are you today?”

  Tina replied, “I’m much happier knowing that Rachel is okay. Did you say she was in Edinburgh? What’s she doing there?”

  “We’ll explain everything,” Sable informed her. “May we come in? If your husband is around, we’d like him to listen to our explanation too.”

  “Of course. Do come in. I’ll make us a cup of tea. Go through to the living room. Graham’s asleep on the sofa. Feel free to wake him up.”

  “We will,” Sable said.

  Connie followed Sable and Tom into the living room. Graham Dawson wasn’t asleep, but he was lying on the sofa, remote control in hand.

  He shot them a look of annoyance. “Not you two again. What do you want now?”

  Sable said, “First of all, we’d like to take a seat.” She moved to the part of the sofa where Graham’s feet were and lowered herself. Graham moved his feet just in time. “And secondly, we’re delighted to let you know we’ve found Rachel Woods.”

  Graham Dawson pulled himself into a sitting position. He looked away from Sable’s direct stare. “Oh, yeah? Where was she?”

  “Edinburgh.”

  “Edinburgh?”

  “Yes. It’s in Scotland.” Sable looked down at Tom on her lap and gave him a silly smile. He chuckled.