“So that's it then, I guess,” Bessie said. “Donny and Jack get locked up and the rest of us get on with our lives.”
“I'm going to feel a little less safe here than I used to,” Doona said sadly.
“You shouldn't,” Rockwell told her firmly. “The island is a wonderful and very safe place and you shouldn't let bad behaviour by one or two people change how you feel about it.”
Doona smiled at him. “I'll try to remember that,” she said.
“I talked to the Chief Constable last night,” the inspector told the others. There are going to be a few changes at the station after everything that’s happened.”
“Oh no,” Doona exclaimed. “You're not firing me, are you? I mean, I probably broke a dozen rules, but I love my job and....”
Inspector Rockwell held up his hand to stop Doona's outburst.
“No one is getting fired,” he said.
Bessie grinned as both Doona and Hugh sat back with relieved expressions on their faces.
“However, Inspector Kelly is moving to the Ramsey headquarters building. He'll be taking over responsibility for the drugs and alcohol division for the north of the island.”
“That should please him,” Doona smiled.
“In the short term, I'll be taking over the day-to-day running of the Laxey station,” Inspector Rockwell continued. “I'll still have CID responsibilities as well, but primarily for investigations here or in Lonan.”
“Is that a promotion?” Bessie asked, blushing slightly at the nosiness of the question.
Rockwell grinned. “I'd call it more of a sideways move,” he told her. “But not one I'm unhappy about. I've become quite fond of Laxey in the last week. I'm looking forward to spending more time here.”
“You'll be doing lots of driving up and down the coast road,” Doona remarked.
“Maybe,” Rockwell shrugged and changed the subject. “One of the things I'm going to do, once I get settled in, is start some formal CID training up here for a few of the young constables.”
Hugh raised his eyebrows.
Inspector Rockwell gave him a grin. “Are you interested in some more intensive training into criminal investigations?” he asked Hugh.
“Yes sir,” Hugh said smartly. “Very interested.”
Rockwell nodded. “I'll keep that in mind,” he told him.
“Meanwhile,” Doona grinned, “maybe one of you would like to take a beginner’s Manx language class with Bessie and me? It starts right after Easter.”
Both men laughed.
“I learned a little bit in primary school,” Hugh said. I can just about remember ‘moghrey mie’ and that's it. It was hard work when I was eight and I'm sure it would be even harder now.”
Doona looked at Inspector Rockwell.
“Oh, now, don't look at me,” the man laughed. “I'm not even sure how much longer I'm going to be here. Scotland Yard might make me an offer I can't refuse.”
“You'd refuse,” Bessie said keenly. “You're hooked on the island now, I can tell. You'll be staying here for good. The island doesn't take everyone that way, but sometimes, for some people, it's just the only place that ever feels like home.”
The foursome ate the rest of the pastries and drank another pot of tea. The conversation wandered aimlessly through topics of local interest. Just before nine Doona, Hugh and the inspector headed into the station to begin their working day.
Along the way Doona dropped Bessie off at her doctor's surgery where she was, once again, thoroughly checked over.
“You'll still have some aches and pains for a few days,” the doctor told Bessie. “You'll want to take it easy, but otherwise, you should be fine.”
Bessie walked out of the surgery and looked around at what qualified as "downtown” Laxey. She’d have a short wander around the shops and catch up on the latest skeet. Of course, everyone would probably rather hear what she had to say than tell her anything.
After that, she’d promised that she would pop into the police station and let Doona buy her lunch. Then she would go home and curl up with a good book. She smiled as she slowly walked down the pavement. She so loved her little island home.
Coming July 25, 2014
Aunt Bessie Believes
An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery
Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey Teare is just about the most disagreeable woman she's ever had the misfortune to meet.
Elizabeth Cubbon, (Aunt Bessie to nearly everyone), is somewhere past sixty, and old enough to ignore the rude woman that does her best to ruin the first session of the beginning Manx language class they are both taking. Moirrey's sudden death is harder to ignore.
Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey's death was the result of the heart condition that Moirrey always complained about.
The police investigation, however, suggests that someone switched some of the dead woman's essential medications for something far more deadly.
Aunt Bessie believes that she and her friends can find the killer.
But with Doona suspended from work and spending all of her time with the dead woman's long-lost brother, Hugh caught up in a brand new romance and Inspector Rockwell chasing after a man that might not even exist, Bessie finds herself believing that someone might just get away with murder.
Summer Dreams
A Short Story Collection
Edited by Alan Seeger
(with the first ever Aunt Bessie short story)
Summer. It's the time when we take vacations, go swimming, and generally veg out. Many people like to find some light summer reading for the long, lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. If that's you, you've come to the right place.
This collection offers up fifteen stories by a dozen authors. Some are brief, and some are pleasant. Others are lengthy, and a couple of them are downright disturbing. They're all going to stay with you for a while.
Contains stories by: Lynne Cantwell, Deborah Carney, Alesha Cary, Shawn Inmon, Chris James, M.M. Roethig, Carla Sarett, Alan Seeger, Tabitha Ormiston-Smith, Catherine L. Vickers, Ashton-Kate Wilson and Diana Xarissa.
Island Inheritance
An Isle of Man Romance
By Diana Xarissa
Carly thinks her life is just about perfect. She recently bought an adorable little house in her hometown in Pennsylvania. She has a job she loves, teaching first grade at the same elementary school she once attended. And she has the same boyfriend that she fell in love with in that very school, when they were both in third grade. He'll get around to proposing one day, she's just sure of it. Carly doesn't want to change anything in her life.
Doncan thinks his life is just about perfect. He's followed in his father's and his grandfather's footsteps and is an advocate (lawyer) on the Isle of Man dealing mostly with estates and trusts. This earns him a generous income that allows him to drive a luxury car and live in a fabulous penthouse apartment. He's never short of female company and he doesn't want to change anything in his life.
When Carly's grandmother inherits a cottage on the Isle of Man, Carly makes the journey to the Island to settle the estate. Doncan wants the paperwork signed and the cottage safely sold to his cousin who is ready to tear it down and build luxury apartments in its place. Carly falls in love with the old cottage and the beautiful Island, while Doncan tries hard to keep her happy so she will sign on the dotted line. Suddenly both of their lives are changing in ways neither of them ever imagined.
Island Escape
An Isle of Man Romance
By Diana Xarissa
Katie's life changes dramatically only a few months before her planned wedding. With the wedding cancelled, an unexpected opportunity to do some research on the picturesque Isle of Man seems the perfect escape. She can get away from all the sympathetic looks and gossipy remarks and focus on her career while nursing her broken heart.
Finlo Quayle is the gorgeous owner of the island's only charter airline. William Corlett is the intelligent and sexy man who runs the Institute that is funding Katie's
research. Katie finds herself being fought over by two very different men, both of whom attract her in very different ways.
Now the only thing Katie is sure of is that she isn't going to let a ghost make any decisions about her love life for her.
About the Author:
Diana Xarissa lived on the glorious Isle of Man for more than ten years before returning to the United States with her family. Now living near Buffalo, New York, she enjoys having the opportunity to write about the island that she loves so much. It truly is an amazing and magical place.
Diana also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future under the pen name “Diana X. Dunn” and fantasy/adventure books for middle grade readers under the pen name “D.X. Dunn.”
She would be delighted to know what you think of her work and can be contacted through Facebook, Goodreads or on her website at www.dianaxarissa.com.
Aunt Bessie Assumes: An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Page 23
