The Hampton Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 8)

by Diana Xarissa

  Janet nodded. Edward’s thoughts mirrored her own. And Aggie had identified Clifton and Cynthia, hadn’t she?

  As the two waiters cleared away empty plates, Edward excused himself. “I just need to ring someone,” he told Janet. She watched as he walked away, his mobile in his hand. At the next table, Cynthia was waving away the sweet menu.

  “I never eat such things,” she told the waiter.

  Clifton took a menu, however. As he studied it, Cynthia took it from his hand. “Oh, get the sticky toffee pudding and I’ll have a bite or two,” she told him after she’d read through it.

  “With custard or cream?” he asked.

  “Custard,” Cynthia replied.

  When the waiter came back, Clifton ordered pudding with two forks.

  Janet and Edward had already ordered their sweets at the beginning of the meal. They arrived before Edward was back from making his call.

  Janet thought about waiting politely for Edward to return, but her hot chocolate soufflé really needed to be eaten immediately. Or at least that’s what she told herself and Edward when he returned.

  “Lucky for me my Victoria sponge is more patient,” Edward said with a laugh.

  As the waiter delivered the sticky toffee pudding to Clifton, Edward leaned in close to Janet.

  “Robert is going to stop Clifton at the corner as soon as he pulls out,” he whispered. “He’ll be able to arrest him for driving while intoxicated, if nothing else.”

  “I don’t suppose he can arrest Cynthia for anything,” Janet said with a sigh.

  “Robert will be investigating them both thoroughly. From what we’ve heard, it seems likely that they were involved in the fire.”

  “What about Little Burton?” Cynthia asked.

  “What about it?” Clifton replied.

  “Why not tonight?” Cynthia suggested.

  “It’s too soon,” Clifton told her. “Anyway, we might be being watched.”

  “Watched?” Cynthia repeated. She looked around the restaurant. “You think the police can afford to eat here?”

  “No, of course not,” Clifton said. “But they might be following one of us.”

  “Now you tell me,” Cynthia snapped. “The last thing I want to do is be seen with you.”

  “Thanks,” Clifton replied.

  “You know what I mean,” Cynthia said. “I’m meant to be devoted to Simon right up until the day I file for divorce. If you and I are seen together, that might spoil everything.”

  “It’s fine,” Clifton assured her. “I’m Simon’s assistant. It’s perfectly reasonable for me to be having dinner with you.”

  “I think that excuse is getting old,” Cynthia told him. “And I’m not sure the police will believe it.”

  “The police don’t care about your personal life. They just want to work out who set that fire.”

  “And we don’t know anything about that,” Cynthia said firmly.

  “I’ve told the police to look at Peter, the man that Simon let go a few months ago. I’m sure you met him at the Derby office at some point,” Clifton said.

  Cynthia shook her head. “I haven’t been into the office in months. You told the police about him?”

  “Yes. They asked if Simon had any enemies, and he was the only one who came to mind. Well, aside from his string of ex-lovers and ex-wives,” Clifton said.

  Cynthia nodded. “I wonder where Peter is now,” she said. “It can’t be easy finding work if you’ve been let go from your previous job.”

  “I’ll give him a ring one of these days and check in on him,” Clifton said.

  “That’s nice of you,” Cynthia said. She finished off the last of Clifton’s pudding and then pushed the plate towards him. “It’s late,” she said. “I think I need to get home.”

  “I’ll take you,” Clifton offered, getting to his feet. He swayed slightly and then grabbed the back of his chair to steady himself.

  “I’m not sure you’re safe to ride with,” Cynthia replied. She stood up and stared at the man. “Maybe I’ll get a taxi.”

  “I’m fine,” Clifton said firmly. “And we still have things to discuss.”

  Cynthia hesitated for a moment longer and then nodded. “Let’s go,” she said.

  Janet watched the pair walk out of the restaurant. “I think you need to tell Robert about this Peter person,” she said to Edward.

  “I will,” he replied. “I suspect he may well be the hired hand that set the fire. Towards the end of the conversation it seemed that Clifton was doing what he could to suggest that Peter was the guilty party.”

  “It was a strange conversation,” Janet said.

  “Maybe all his talk about being watched spooked him into it,” Edward suggested. “Perhaps he realised that he and Cynthia were talking in public about things they shouldn’t have been discussing. Or maybe he was just starting to feel a bit paranoid about the whole thing.”

  “He did drink an awful lot,” Janet said.

  “Yes, he did,” Edward agreed. Edward had limited himself to a single glass of wine, which meant that Janet had drunk a good deal more than she normally did. When they stood up to leave, she found herself swaying slightly, much to her embarrassment.

  Edward offered his arm without saying a word. Janet held it tightly as they walked back through the restaurant and out into the street. The valet returned Edward’s car to them, and Edward drove slowly back towards Doveby Dale. They’d only gone as far as around the corner when Janet spotted the police car. Its lights were flashing, and Janet grinned at Edward when she saw that it was Clifton Price’s car that had been pulled over.

  Chapter Ten

  When they were back at Doveby House, Edward rang Robert. Janet listened as Edward recounted what Clifton had said about Peter. When he disconnected, he smiled at Janet.

  “Well, that gives Robert something else to discuss with Clifton and Cynthia,” he told her.

  “He has them both in custody?”

  “They’re both at the station. I’m not sure of their exact status.”

  “I’d like to be a fly on the wall right now,” Janet said.

  “You’ll have to wait for tomorrow,” Edward told her.

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Robert is going to come over in the morning to let us know what’s happened,” Edward explained. “He’s meant to be here before I have to leave.”

  “What time is that?” Janet asked.

  “Oh, probably eleven,” Edward said. “I’m just waiting for a phone call to confirm that.”

  Janet nodded, swallowing her disappointment and turning to the stairs. “I suppose I’ll see you in the morning, then,” she said, her voice low.

  “Yes, you definitely will,” Edward told her. He followed her to the stairs and waited with her as Aggie climbed up. Outside her door, he touched her arm.

  “I wish I didn’t have to go so soon,” he told her. Janet felt herself melting as he pulled her into his arms. The kiss seemed to go on forever, or maybe it would have, except Janet gradually became aware of something bouncing up and down on her feet.

  “Aggie?” she said, looking down at the kitten. “What do you want?”

  “Merrooww,” Aggie said, staring at her.

  Janet opened her bedroom door and watched as Aggie raced into the room and jumped up on the bed. She batted her pillow into shape and then curled up and settled in to stare at Janet and Edward, who were still in the doorway.

  “I think Aggie is ready for bed,” Edward said with a chuckle. “I’d better let you go.”

  “Good night,” Janet said softly.

  “Good night, my darling,” Edward replied.

  Janet expected to toss and turn all night, but once she got into bed, she slept soundly. Her alarm startled her the next morning.

  “We have a guest,” she reminded Aggie as the kitten complained loudly about the noise. “If only for today,” she added sadly.

  Joan was in the kitchen making breakfast when Janet went down. “How
was your dinner?” she asked Janet.

  “The food was excellent,” Janet said. “But Clifton Price and Cynthia Hampton were at the next table, so Edward and I didn’t get to talk much.”

  “You eavesdropped on them?” Joan demanded.

  “We did,” Janet admitted. “And by the time they left the restaurant, we were both convinced that they had something to do with the fire.”

  “Goodness,” Joan said. “I hope you rang Robert about it all.”

  “Edward did,” Janet told her. “He’s supposed to come by to tell us what happened sometime this morning.”

  “He should be here soon,” Edward announced as he walked in. “He just texted me that he’s on his way.”

  “I’ll make an extra breakfast,” Joan said. “No doubt he’ll be hungry.”

  “I think he’s been up all night,” Edward told her. “He’d probably really appreciate coffee as well.”

  Janet filled the coffee maker while Joan worked on breakfast. When Robert knocked a short time later, Joan was piling food onto four plates.

  “You’re just in time for breakfast and coffee,” Janet told the exhausted-looking constable when she’d opened the door.

  “Really? I’d be hugely grateful,” he replied. He followed her through the house and into the kitchen where Joan was filling a coffee mug. She handed it to Robert and he took a sip. “I need this,” he said.

  “Sit down,” Joan told him. She put a plate with a full English breakfast in front of the man and his eyes lit up.

  “I can’t thank you enough,” he said.

  “Don’t try. Just eat,” Joan told him.

  The other three took seats with their own plates and for several minutes the kitchen was quiet as they all ate.

  Robert finished first and Joan was quick to refill his coffee mug when he emptied that. “Thank you so much,” he said as he sat back in his seat. “I never made it to bed last night, although I may go home and try to sleep once I leave here.”

  “Should you be driving?” Edward asked.

  “I’m okay,” Robert said. “I only live a short distance away. I have to go home and have a shower anyway. I might take a nap first.”

  “I assume something interesting came out of your conversations with Cynthia and Clifton, then?” Janet asked.

  “Actually, neither one of them would admit to anything,” Robert replied. “We have Clifton for driving while intoxicated, of course. And Cynthia tried to run away when we stopped the car. She got a bit nasty with one of the constables when he chased her, so we’ve booked her for resisting arrest, but that’s all we have at the moment.”

  “That’s disappointing,” Janet said. “I was hoping we’d solved the case for you.”

  “I think you have,” Robert said. “Because we managed to track down Peter.”

  “And?” Edward asked.

  “And he’s more than happy to talk,” Robert said. “The head of the fire investigation unit is going to be releasing a statement this morning. He’ll be identifying Peter. The man has confessed to setting the fire.”

  “Confessed?” Joan repeated.

  “Yes, the fire inspector will also be saying that the investigation will be continuing,” Robert said. “We have reason to believe that Peter was hired to set the fire and we will be working hard to identify those that were actually behind it.”

  “Clifton and Cynthia,” Janet said.

  “That’s certainly one possibility,” Robert said. “I’ll just say that it’s a possibility that we’re taking very seriously.”

  “Why would they want to burn down the Doveby Dale supermarket?” Joan asked.

  “I suspect that Cynthia thought it might help her in some way as she gets ready to divorce Simon,” Edward said.

  “I don’t understand,” Janet said.

  “The fire will generate a huge insurance payout to Simon,” Edward told her. “She could argue in court for some part of that payout. Cash in hand is always better than being given part ownership in some of Simon’s businesses. Alternatively, they may simply have been trying to hurt Simon.”

  “Poor Simon,” Joan said.

  “Oh, he’ll be fine,” Edward assured her. “And if his wife gets charged with anything, he’ll probably walk away from the divorce with his fortune intact.”

  “Where does Clifton fit into all of this?” Joan asked.

  “He and Cynthia have been friends for a long time,” Robert said. “Clifton has a long and varied criminal record, but Cynthia persuaded Simon to hire him anyway. She has a few things in her own past that she doesn’t talk about. It’s possible that Clifton blackmailed her into getting Simon to hire him, but that’s just one possibility.”

  “I’m surprised Simon was willing to take him on,” Janet commented.

  “As I understand it, he was crazy about Cynthia when they first met,” Robert said. “She probably didn’t have to work too hard to persuade him.”

  Robert’s phone buzzed and he made a face. When he answered the call, he made another and then stood up and walked out of the room. He was back a moment later.

  “I need to get back to the station in Derby,” he said. “Things are getting interesting over there.”

  “What’s happened?” Edward asked.

  “Apparently Cynthia started talking and she’s putting all of the blame on Clifton. When it was suggested to him that she was talking, he told his version, which, of course, puts the blame on Cynthia. We’re going to need weeks to sort out who is telling the truth.”

  “Janet will have to let me know what happens,” Edward said. “I’m leaving this morning.”

  “It was good to see you again,” Robert said. He and Edward shook hands and then Janet and Edward walked Robert to the door.

  “Thank you for telling us the news,” Janet said. “I can’t wait to hear the whole story.”

  “I’ll stop back when I know more,” Robert promised.

  When Janet had locked up behind Robert, Edward took her hand and led her to the library.

  “I know this is your favourite room in the house,” he said. “I want you to associate it with me, so every time you come in here, you’ll think of me.”

  I already think of you far too often, Janet thought.

  “I’m working on actually retiring,” he told Janet. “If that doesn’t work, and it might not in the short term, I’ve suggested reassigning me to the north of England. I’d probably have to work out of Leeds or Manchester, but I’d be a lot closer and might be able to sneak away for long weekends in Doveby Dale now and again.”

  “That would be nice,” Janet said.

  “Would it?” Edward asked.

  Janet looked at him in surprise. “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “You have a wonderful, settled life here,” he said. “I don’t know that I’ll ever be more than a temporary distraction on odd occasions. I know you’ve spent some time with William Chalmers and I’m sure there will be other men who will come along and recognise what a wonderful woman you are. I don’t want you sitting around waiting for me and missing out on anything.”

  Janet stared at him for a moment and then leaned forward and kissed him. When the room stopped spinning and she could breathe again, she smiled. “I’d like to see you more often, but I’ll take whatever I can get. If another man comes along whose kisses make me feel like yours do, I’ll let you know.”

  Edward chuckled. “That sounds like a good plan.”

  He kissed her this time, and when he stopped, she nearly found herself begging him to stay.

  “There is another option,” he told her.

  “Is there?”

  “You could come with me,” he suggested.

  “Come with you?”

  “Come back to London with me. I have a large flat there. You could have your own suite of rooms until you felt ready to share with me. I do travel a lot, but when I’m not travelling, that’s where I am. We’d certainly see more of each other than we do now.”

  �
�I don’t think so,” Janet replied. “I love my life in Doveby Dale.” And I’m not ready to live with a man I barely know, she added to herself.

  “I don’t blame you. I’d love to retire here one day,” he told her. “Maybe some day I’ll get that chance.”

  “I thought you were already retired,” Janet said.

  “So did I,” he replied dryly.

  There was nothing left for Janet to do but wait while he packed up his bags. She sat in the sitting room and pretended to read a book until he came down. Aggie was curled up on her lap and Janet knew that the kitten could tell that something was upsetting her.

  “Don’t get up,” Edward said when he walked into the room. “I don’t want you to disturb Aggie.”

  “She’s fine,” Janet said, lifting Aggie to the floor before she rose. “I can’t say good-bye from a chair.”

  Edward pulled her into an embrace that Janet would have been embarrassed for Joan to see. When he finally lifted his head, Janet found herself wondering what life in London with the man would be like.

  “Ah, are you leaving now?” Joan asked from the doorway to the kitchen.

  “Yes, I need to get back and deal with a few things,” Edward said.

  Janet had jumped backwards when she’d heard her sister voice. She knew she was blushing and she couldn’t bring herself to look at Joan.

  “It was nice having you here again,” Joan said. “I hope you’ll be back soon.”

  “I hope so as well,” Edward told her. “I’m planning to take some time off in the summer, and I can’t imagine anywhere I’d rather spend my free time.”

  “Excellent,” Joan said. “I’m expecting to be busy in the summer, so the sooner you can give us dates, the better.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Edward promised. “And I’ll send you the safe combination,” he added. “I’m awfully sorry I forgot about that this time.”

  “We’d appreciate that,” Joan said. She looked at Janet and then back at Edward. “I’ll just say my good-byes and get out of your way,” she told the man.

  Edward gave her a hug and then Joan disappeared into the kitchen. The hug he gave Janet lasted a bit longer.