Aunt Bessie Knows

by Diana Xarissa

  “As they’re all suspects, I don’t like the idea of them visiting you,” John said with a frown.

  Bessie sighed. “You don’t want me to visit Thie yn Traie and you don’t want anyone to visit me here. How are we going to solve Gennifer’s murder if I can’t talk to people?”

  “It’s Anna’s job to solve the murder,” John said quietly.

  “But she’s too busy trying to pin it on Hugh to succeed,” Bessie said. “I told you she told Mr. and Mrs. Carter-Maxwell that Hugh was the chief suspect.”

  “I just don’t want you putting yourself in any danger,” John said.

  “I’ll be fine,” Bessie replied. “Anyway, a little danger, if it will save Hugh, is worth it.”

  John shook his head, but he didn’t argue any further.

  “Where are we then?” Doona asked. “We started with motive. I agree with Bessie that Elizabeth’s friends are the most likely to have had one, although we can’t rule out George’s business associates. Is there anyone else we haven’t considered?”

  “What about the staff?” John asked. “Did they all come from Mary’s Douglas home or did she hire them especially for last night?”

  “I don’t know,” Bessie told him. “But I can certainly find out.”

  “What possible motive would any of the staff have had?” Doona questioned.

  “Depending on where they came from, they might have known the girl elsewhere, or maybe she was just so impossibly demanding that someone snapped and gave her a good push,” Bessie said, speculatively.

  “It seems unlikely, but it needs to be checked,” John said.

  “Oh, speaking of staff, I met a taxi driver today that had some interesting things to say about the guests at Thie yn Traie,” Bessie said. She told John and Doona what Dale had said about his passengers.

  “He should talk to Anna,” John said when Bessie was finished.

  “I told him that, but he doesn’t much like the police,” Bessie said. “I can’t say as I blame him for that, at least where Anna is concerned.”

  “So Gennifer didn’t like the island,” Doona said thoughtfully.

  “I don’t think any of them are very fond of it, at least not now,” Bessie replied.

  “So why was she here?” Doona asked.

  “She came with Nigel,” Bessie said.

  “But why? I mean, when we saw them at the party, she didn’t really seem like she was so in love with the man that she’d follow him anywhere, did she?” Doona queried.

  Bessie thought for a moment. “She didn’t even seem to like him. He was following her around, but mostly she was ignoring him.”

  “When he started making threats, she laughed and asked if he was going to break up with her,” John reminded them. “I’d like to know why didn’t she break up with him.”

  “I need to talk to Elizabeth,” Bessie said. “And probably the others as well, although I’d be happy at this point with just Elizabeth.”

  “Just be discreet,” John said. “If Anna thinks you’re interfering, things could get difficult. And I’d hate to think what would happen if she thinks Doona and I are getting involved.”

  Bessie sighed. “I’m almost sorry you were invited to the party now,” she told John. “At least, if you hadn’t been a guest, you could be in charge of the investigation.”

  “Yes, well, we can’t change that,” John said. “And it’s getting late. Let’s quickly talk about means and opportunity. I want to get out and start looking for Hugh before too much longer.”

  Bessie exchanged a worried look with Doona. Where was Hugh?

  “From what I can remember, everyone had the means to do it,” Bessie said. “I mean, everyone was in and out of the great room all night long. I suppose they just had to find Gennifer, persuade her to step outside, and then give her a push.”

  “There might be more to it than that,” John said. “But I’m still trying to get some clarification from my, um, sources.”

  Doona chuckled. “Maybe I should try my sources,” she suggested. “The constables at the station love working for you, but they’re all a little bit afraid of you as well. They won’t want to tell you anything that they know they shouldn’t, just in case you’re testing them. I’d like to think they’ll talk to me, though. I make them tea and buy the biscuits for the staff room, after all.”

  John nodded. “I’ve been hearing rumours, but I can’t seem to pin anyone down. Maybe you can find out more.” He sighed. “It’s so frustrating, being on the outside.”

  “Especially when none of us have any confidence in Anna Lambert,” Bessie said.

  “That isn’t fair,” John told her. “I think she’s a solid investigator. She just doesn’t know the island or the people very well. We know Hugh didn’t do it, but if I look at it from her perspective, I can see why he’s her top suspect.”

  “It seems like means and opportunity are much the same in this case,” Bessie mused, not wanting to argue more about the inspector she disliked. “Everyone had plenty of opportunity to leave the great room and no one was stopping people from wandering around the entire house.”

  “Mary Quayle didn’t leave the room between the time Gennifer walked out and when we starting searching for her,” John said. “She’s the only person I can say that for with certainty.”

  “If you’re sure about that, you mustn’t have left, either,” Bessie said.

  “I didn’t, but Anna only has my word on that. Mary wasn’t paying attention to who was coming and going. She was supervising the staff, making sure the guests were all mingling, and trying to enjoy the night,” he replied.

  “I wasn’t keeping track of George’s group of business associates,” Bessie said. “Some of them might be in the clear, but I can’t be certain.”

  “Actually, they aren’t and I am certain,” John said.

  “George took them all out to show them something,” Doona said. “I remember one of the wives complaining about it as George insisted on dragging them all away.”

  “I must have missed that,” Bessie said.

  “I didn’t,” John replied. “I’m not sure where they all went, but not long after Gennifer left, he gathered them all up, including their wives, and they all disappeared. They weren’t gone long, but I’m pretty sure they were gone long enough to push someone off a cliff.”

  “But it was raining heavily,” Bessie protested. “Surely people would have noticed if someone came back to the party dripping wet?”

  John shrugged. “If the killer had a raincoat or an umbrella, he or she might have stayed dry enough. I’d love to time it and see how quickly it could have been done. I’m sure that’s something that Anna will be doing.”

  “I certainly hope so,” Bessie said. “Hugh’s already admitted he was out in the rain, of course, and he was gone for quite a long time, really. I wonder if he saw Gennifer or anything interesting while he was walking around.”

  “That’s just one of the things I intend to ask him when I see him,” John told her. “I have quite a list,” he added dryly.

  “And now I have one for Mary,” Bessie said. “I need to ask her where George took all of his friends, for one thing.”

  “And you need to find out where the staff from the party came from,” John reminded her.

  “I think I should be taking notes,” Bessie said. She found a pencil and some scrap paper in a drawer and jotted down the two items. “What else do I need to talk to Mary about?” she asked the other two.

  “You were going to ask Elizabeth why Gennifer came with Nigel,” Doona said.

  “Yes, but maybe I’ll ask Mary first,” Bessie said thoughtfully. “Or maybe I’ll ask Mary to have Elizabeth stop over and visit me.”

  John made a noise that signaled his displeasure with that idea.

  “Or maybe I’ll invite Elizabeth to meet me somewhere for lunch,” Bessie said, hoping that idea might meet with John’s approval.

  “That would probably be better,” John told her.

>   Bessie shook her head. “As if we didn’t have enough obstacles in this investigation,” she muttered.

  John reached over and patted her hand. “I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said softly. “You’ve become rather important to me over the last year.”

  “Has it been a year?” Bessie asked in surprise.

  “Well, almost,” he replied. “You found your first body in March, last year.”

  Bessie nodded slowly. “So much has happened,” she said. “In some ways it feels like just yesterday, but in other ways it seems as if it was a long time ago.”

  “It’s been a very strange year,” Doona said. “We were all shocked when Danny Pierce turned out to have been murdered, but now murder seems all too common on our little island.”

  “It’s still rare,” John said firmly. “And the island is still one of the safest places in the world. We’ve just had a run of, well, unusual events. Keep in mind as well, in many cases the murderer, the victim, or both, have been from across.”

  “Aside from the jam ladies,” Bessie muttered.

  Doona rubbed Bessie’s arm. Bessie knew that Doona understood how much that particular case still upset her.

  “And again this time, the victim is from across and it seems likely the murderer is as well,” John continued. “I’m sure Anna is checking to see if anyone on the island knew Gennifer, but that seems unlikely.”

  “Bill Martin,” Bessie gasped. “I’d forgotten about him.”

  “What about him?” John asked.

  “He and Liz both knew Gennifer. She came over and, well, spoke to him. Liz was very upset,” Bessie said.

  “I noticed that Liz was upset,” Doona said. “But I wasn’t sure why.”

  “Apparently Bill dated Gennifer for a while, some years ago,” Bessie said.

  “I wonder if Anna knows that,” John said.

  “I’m sure Liz and Bill told her when she interviewed them,” Bessie replied.

  “I certainly hope they did,” John said. “I saw that they appeared to be fighting, and I also noticed that they both left the room and didn’t return for longer than most.”

  “Together or separately?” Bessie asked.

  “Separately,” John said.

  Bessie frowned. “I’m sure there’s a simple explanation,” she said. “They’re both such lovely young people, they couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with what happened to Gennifer.”

  “I thought Liz and Bill had been together forever,” Doona said. “Aside from when she went out with Mack Dickinson, very briefly. Isn’t that what she told us?”

  “It is. Maybe his relationship with Gennifer took place before he met Liz, when he was much younger,” Bessie said. “Anyway, I shall have to ring Liz and ask her all about it.” She didn’t have to look at John to know that he was frowning.

  “I think that’s about all we can do tonight,” he said after a moment. “I’d really like to get out there and start looking for Hugh. Any ideas where he might be?”

  “Let me ring a few people and see what I can find out,” Bessie suggested.

  She started by ringing Hugh’s flat, but no one picked up. “He’s either turned his answering machine off or it’s full of messages,” she said after she’d hung up.

  “I left at least half a dozen message,” Doona said. “So it may well be full up.”

  Bessie tried his mobile next, but got the same result.

  “I left a bunch of messages on his mobile as well,” Doona said, a touch sheepishly. “I might have filled up his voice mail.”

  “Let me try his parents’ house, then,” Bessie said.

  “Ah, good evening, Harriet. It’s Bessie Cubbon. I’m just trying to track down young Hugh. He isn’t there by any chance, is he?”

  “No, Bessie, he isn’t,” the woman’s voice came back down the wire. “I haven’t seen him since Christmas. He was going to Grace’s for dinner today. They’re probably still down in Douglas, having a meal and celebrating 1999.”

  “She didn’t sound as if she knew about the murder or that Hugh and Grace have been fighting,” Bessie told her friends after she’d wrapped up the call. “She suggested that he’s down in Douglas with Grace and her family.”

  “That seems unlikely,” John said.

  “It does, but I’ll ring them anyway,” Bessie said.

  No one answered at the Christian family home, however. “Does anyone have a mobile number for Grace?” Bessie asked when she’d given up on a response.

  “I do,” Doona said. “She’s Hugh’s emergency contact at work. I keep all those numbers in my phone in case of, well, emergency. I didn’t feel right ringing her now, though, under the circumstances.”

  Bessie nodded. “But finding Hugh is important,” she said. “Would you rather ring her yourself?”

  Doona shook her head. “You ring,” she said. “I don’t want her to think there’s anything official in our search for Hugh.”

  Bessie dialed the number that Doona gave her. While she listened to it ringing, she found she was holding her breath.

  “Hello?”

  “Grace? It’s Bessie Cubbon.”

  “Oh, Aunt Bessie,” Grace said. Bessie could tell from just those few syllables that the girl was crying.

  “I wanted to see how you were doing,” she said.

  “I’m, well, I’m holding up,” the girl replied, sniffing loudly.

  “Maybe you should come and have tea with me tomorrow,” Bessie suggested. “You sound as if you could use a change of scenery.”

  “I, that is, maybe,” Grace said. “I just don’t know what to do, you see. I had dinner with my parents today, but that was awful because they wanted to know what was going on with Hugh and I couldn’t explain. Every time I tried, I burst into tears.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Bessie could hear her beginning to sob.

  “Now, now,” she said soothingly. “You definitely need to see a friendly face. Why don’t you meet me at the tea shop in Ramsey around two tomorrow and we’ll have tea and cakes and see if I can’t cheer you up.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Grace said after several shaky breaths. “I’m not sure I’m ready to go out in public, but perhaps that would be better than coming to your cottage and simply sobbing.”

  “Ring me if you change your mind,” Bessie said. “Otherwise, I’ll see you there.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Bessie,” Grace said.

  “Oh, before I forget,” Bessie added, trying to sound offhand. “I’ve been ringing Hugh’s flat and he isn’t answering. I don’t suppose you know if he’s at home or not?”

  “But that’s just it,” Grace replied. “He agreed to let me stay with him because the lease on the flat I was sharing ran out today, the first of January. I’m at Hugh’s, but he isn’t here and I have no idea where he is.” She began to cry again, leaving Bessie frowning down the line at her.

  “Now really, Grace,” she said sternly. “Crying won’t help the situation. We all need to work together to help Hugh.”

  “I’m not sure I want to help him,” Grace said between sobs. “I’m still so cross with him that I can’t even think straight.”

  “Yes, well, we’ll talk it all through tomorrow,” Bessie said soothingly. “I’ll ask the manager if we can have the little room in the back so we won’t be disturbed.”

  “That’s probably a good idea. I can’t imagine I’ll be able to talk about Hugh without crying.”

  “Yes, well, we’ll have to see how we get on, won’t we?” Bessie replied. “I’ll see you at two.”

  She disconnected and sighed deeply. “She’s at Hugh’s flat. He’d agreed to let her stay when the lease ran out on the flat she was sharing in Lonan, so she’s there, but he isn’t.”

  “I don’t suppose there’s anyone else you can think of to ring?” John asked.

  Bessie shook her head. “I’m afraid she was my last resort. Doona, was Hugh especially friendly with any of the other constables?”
r />   “Not really,” Doona said. “Especially not since he’s been with Grace.”

  “Where did he used to spend his time, before he met Grace?” John asked.

  “I have no idea,” Bessie replied. “I know he met Grace in Douglas, but I don’t know if he had a regular place he went down there or if it was just a chance meeting.”

  John frowned and got to his feet. “I’m going to start by just driving around Laxey, then. Maybe I’ll spot his car. If either of you can think of any likely places for me to look, please let me know immediately.”

  Bessie and Doona both nodded. Bessie walked John to the door, trying to tell herself not to worry. Hugh was upset, but he wasn’t about to do anything stupid, she assured herself. She opened the door and then gasped. Hugh was standing on the step outside, still in his suit from the previous evening, looking as if he hadn’t slept since she’d last seen him.

  Chapter Seven

  “Hugh,” Bessie gasped. “Where have you been? Are you okay? You look exhausted. Come in out of the cold.”

  John stepped backwards to let Hugh in. Bessie grabbed his arm and gently pulled him into the kitchen.

  “I wasn’t sure, that is, I don’t think,” Hugh sighed and took a deep breath. “I feel as if I’m not really welcome anywhere,” he said, his voice shaky.

  “But Doona rang you a dozen times to invite you to come tonight,” Bessie said. “I’m not sure what else we could have done.”

  “Oh, I haven’t really been checking my phone,” he said apologetically. “That is, I haven’t been back to my flat, and the battery in my mobile died hours ago.”

  “Well, you’re pale and you look exhausted. Come and sit down and I’ll make you some tea,” Bessie told him.

  John took Hugh’s coat from him and then removed his own. They both sat down with Doona while Bessie refilled the kettle.

  “We had Chinese for tea,” Bessie said. “I can warm up whatever you’d like. Or I can just warm it all up,” she added, laughing.

  “I’m not really hungry,” Hugh muttered, staring at his hands, which were folded on the table in front of him.