Aunt Bessie Knows

by Diana Xarissa

  “We were all just worried about Hugh,” Bessie said, blushing.

  “I have very high expectations for the men and women who work under me,” Anna said. “Mr. Watterson is going to have start working a lot harder if he wants to earn my respect. Having said that, I never thought he killed Gennifer, but by suggesting I did, I was able to get everyone to let their guard down, at least a little bit.”

  Bessie pressed her lips together before she said something she’d regret later. Poor Hugh had suffered a great deal from being seen as the chief suspect in the case. While the tactic had paid off in the end, the price that Hugh had paid was a large one.

  “I need to get down to the station and start questioning my suspect,” Anna said. “John, did you want to come and observe?”

  “I would, rather,” John answered.

  “Let’s go, then,” Anna said.

  Bessie watched the pair as they walked away. Anna stopped and had a word with one of the uniformed constables in the corridor and then she and John continued on their way.

  “If you’d like to come with me,” the constable said to Bessie, “I’m going to make an announcement and then everyone can go home.”

  Bessie nodded and followed the young man back to the great room. The constable stopped in the doorway and let Bessie into the room. She looked at her friends, who were all watching anxiously to see what might happen next.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, Inspector Lambert has asked me to thank you all once more for your participation tonight. Mr. Lee, the inspector would appreciate it if you’d come down to the station now to amend your statement.”

  Jeremy frowned and shook his head. “It’s late and I want to go to bed,” he complained. “I’ll do it in the morning.”

  “I’m afraid the inspector didn’t offer me any options,” the man told him. “Constable Clucas will take you down now, please.”

  Jeremy stood up as another constable approached him. “I don’t have a choice, then?”

  “No, sir,” the man replied.

  “I want my solicitor,” Jeremy snapped.

  “You’re welcome to ring him once you arrive at the station. I’m not sure how long you might have to wait for him to join you, but I’m sure he or she will get here eventually.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong,” Jeremy insisted. “I’m being treated like a criminal.”

  No one spoke as the man and his escort left the room.

  “May I ring for a local advocate for him?” Mary asked. “He should have someone on his side at the station.”

  “You may,” the constable replied.

  “You might want to get someone for Emma as well,” Bessie said, frowning as everyone turned to stare at her. “She’s been taken to the station as well,” Bessie explained.

  “Has she?” Mary demanded. “Emma?”

  “Yes, she has,” the constable confirmed.

  The room was quiet as Mary made a phone call. Bessie knew that she’d be ringing Doncan Quayle, who was the best advocate on the island, at least in Bessie’s opinion. He didn’t do much criminal work, but he would be able to find the right person to help both Jeremy and Emma, at least until their own solicitors arrived from London. After Mary disconnected, everyone turned back to the young man in the doorway expectantly.

  “Ah, yes, well, as I said, the inspector thanks you all for your cooperation. Everyone is free to leave. A great deal of new information was gathered tonight and we’re confident that we’ll have the case wrapped up very quickly. Someone will be interviewing each of you in light of the new information received, but that will take place over the course of the next several days. Thank you again and good night.”

  Of course, no one was happy with that. The constable did his best to deal with the onslaught of questions he was faced with, but he’d apparently been told to say nothing about the case at all so after a short while he was forced to resort to saying “no comment” repeatedly.

  “Bessie, you must know something,” Elizabeth said after a few minutes. “What’s going on? Don’t tell me Emma killed Gennifer. That simply isn’t possible.”

  Bessie shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t comment, either,” she said. Although she hadn’t been told not to repeat what she’d heard, she didn’t think Anna Lambert would appreciate her talking. “I’m sure it will be all over the news tomorrow,” was all that Bessie would say.

  The room slowly began to empty as George’s business associates and their wives gave up on finding out more and headed for home. They left with a great deal of unhappy muttering, but slowly the room began to clear. Elizabeth and those of her friends who were still left all went and sat in a circle. Bessie could see confusion on all of their faces.

  “I know you can’t tell me anything, but do the police know what happened?” Liz asked Bessie as she and Bill headed for the door.

  “I think they have a pretty good idea,” Bessie told her. “The investigation should all be over in a day or two.”

  Liz nodded and patted her tummy. “I shall sleep better tonight,” she told Bessie. “Assuming baby lets me.”

  Bessie smiled at her. “I thought they were only hard work once they arrived,” she said.

  “Oh, good heavens, no,” Liz laughed. “I don’t sleep at all well when I’m pregnant. If babies weren’t so darn adorable, I’d have never had more than one.”

  Bessie gave her friend a hug and watched as Liz and Bill walked away, his arm around her shoulders.

  “So, what’s going on?” Doona demanded when she joined Bessie.

  Bessie sighed. “I’ll tell you when we get back to my cottage,” she told her friend. “Grace, you and Hugh should come, too,” she called to the couple who were sitting near one another but not speaking.

  “But what happened?” Mary asked as she crossed the room.

  “I don’t know what I’m allowed to talk about and what I can’t say,” Bessie replied.

  “But the police have arrested Emma?” Mary queried.

  “I don’t think she’s been arrested,” Bessie replied. “She’s just been taken down for questioning.”

  “The same as Jeremy,” George said as he joined them. “Do the police think one of them killed Gennifer?”

  Bessie was saved from answering by a strange and loud sound.

  “I think that’s your mobile,” Doona told her.

  Bessie flushed. “I changed the sounds on it again so I could be sure I would recognise it. Clearly, that didn’t work.” She dug the phone out of her bag and glanced at the display. It was John. The conversation wasn’t a very long one, and when she hung up she smiled at everyone.

  “Okay, I’ve been given permission to share some news,” she said.

  Elizabeth and her friends crossed the room quickly, and Grace and Hugh weren’t far behind.

  “Emma has just confessed to killing Gennifer,” Bessie told them all.

  “Emma? But why?” Elizabeth asked.

  “She’s said it was because she saw Gennifer with Jeremy and felt that Nigel deserved better,” Bessie reported.

  “Or maybe she just really wanted Nigel for herself,” Sarah said sadly.

  “I’m sure her father will get her declared mentally unstable and she’ll spend the rest of her life in a posh mental facility,” Bruce said.

  “At least she won’t be out on the streets,” Elizabeth replied.

  “She killed Gennifer over me?” Nigel asked, his face drained of colour.

  “I knew she was obsessed with you, but that does take things a bit far,” Sarah said. “I mean, I’m pretty hung up on Bruce, but I wouldn’t kill for him.”

  “That’s good to know,” Bruce commented dryly.

  “So, are we all free to go home?” Howard asked.

  “The police want one last conversation with each of you,” Bessie replied. “But I should think they’ll be able to do that tomorrow.”

  “I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed again,” Sarah said.

  “I’m never coming back
to this island again,” Howard declared.

  “Gee, thanks,” Elizabeth snapped.

  Bessie turned away from the drama and looked at Hugh. He was staring straight ahead, a strange look on his face.

  “Hugh? Are you okay?” she asked gently.

  Hugh blinked a few times and then smiled at Bessie. “I’m fine,” he told her. He turned around and looked at Grace, who glanced at him and then looked away.

  “This is all wrong,” Hugh said loudly. “I planned this for months and months and it wasn’t anything like this, but I can’t wait any longer.”

  Bessie and Doona exchanged smiles as they realised what was coming. Hugh took a step towards Grace and then dropped to one knee.

  “Grace Christian, I’ve messed this up a dozen or more times, but the thing is, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please, will you marry me?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Grace blushed and looked at Hugh, a stunned expression on her face. After a very awkward minute, she gasped. “Oh, but, that is, I…” she trailed off and then shook her head.

  Hugh’s face fell and Bessie felt a huge rush of sympathy for the young man.

  “Oh, no,” Grace exclaimed. “I didn’t mean to shake my head. I’m just so overwhelmed. Of course I’ll marry you. You know that.”

  Everyone cheered as Grace and Hugh hugged and then shared a passionate kiss. Around them, everyone was hugging everyone else, and Bessie noticed that Bruce was the one hugging Sarah, rather than the other way around.

  “Champagne,” George called, and a moment later several members of his staff were distributing glasses of the ice-cold bubbly drink.

  “Congratulations,” Bessie told Hugh when the excitement had died down a little.

  “Thank you,” Hugh replied. He was holding onto Grace so tightly that Bessie wondered if it hurt, but Grace wasn’t complaining. “I want to get married next week,” Hugh told Bessie. “Do you think that’s enough time to plan a wedding?”

  Bessie shook her head. “I think you’d better ask Grace,” she said. “I’m sure she has her own ideas about your wedding.”

  Bessie was exhausted an hour later when Doona finally dropped her off at her cottage. Her friend insisted on coming inside to make sure everything was okay.

  “I’m too tired to care,” Bessie complained as she opened the door. “Just let me get to bed.”

  “I’ll be two minutes,” Doona promised. Bessie stood in the kitchen, staring at the blinking light on her answering machine as she listened to Doona walking around the upstairs. By the time Doona came back to the kitchen, Bessie had decided to ignore the messages for now.

  “I’ll ring you in the morning,” Doona said. “Hopefully, I’ll be back at work in Laxey tomorrow.”

  “You and John both,” Bessie told her. “And Hugh.”

  Bessie slept until seven, which left her feeling slightly disorientated and still quite tired the next morning. Doona rang not long after eight.

  “John, Hugh and I have all been reassigned to our old positions,” she told Bessie. “If you’re feeling up to it, we’ll be over around six with dinner and pudding so we can talk it all through.”

  “I’ll be here,” Bessie told her.

  If her friends had asked her when they arrived how she’d spent the day, Bessie might have struggled to remember. She moved through it in a bit of a fog, simply marking time until six.

  “Bessie, you look tired,” Doona greeted her.

  “I am, but I’ll have an early night,” Bessie replied. “I’ll sleep better once I know that everything is all wrapped up.”

  “It is,” John assured her as he unpacked cartons of food. “Emma has given a full confession in the presence of her solicitor. Her father is demanding that she be transferred to a hospital for the mentally ill, and it looks as if he’s going to get his way.”

  “Is she mentally ill?” Bessie asked.

  “I watched Anna question her,” John said. “Her grasp on reality seemed quite shaky. She kept telling Anna that Nigel was going to come and get her and they were going to get married and live happily ever after. I think she might actually believe that.”

  “The poor girl,” Doona murmured.

  “Apparently she had a breakdown a few years ago over some other man with whom she was obsessed,” John said. “She was treated and released and her family thought she was fine.”

  “Poor Gennifer,” Bessie said. “She didn’t deserve to die.”

  “What about Jeremy?” Doona asked. “Is he facing any charges?”

  “I don’t think there’s any point in pressing charges against him,” John said. “He lied in his statement, but even if he’d told the truth, nothing he knew would have helped solve the murder. I think he’ll be in enough trouble with his fiancé anyway. Apparently, Nigel rang her up while he was at the station last night.”

  “I thought Jeremy said no one knew about her?” Bessie asked.

  “I understand Bruce knows all about her,” John said. “I got the impression that he enjoys poking into his friends’ private lives.”

  They settled in to eat their dinner, with chocolate fairy cakes for pudding.

  “So, Grace and I have set a date for the wedding,” Hugh announced after his second fairy cake.

  “That was fast,” Doona said.

  “Yes, well, I wasted too much time waiting to ask her at just the right moment,” Hugh said, blushing. “Now neither of us wants to wait at all.”

  “So what date have you chosen?” Bessie asked.

  “Valentine’s Day,” Hugh said.

  “This year?” Bessie asked.

  “Yes, this year,” Hugh laughed. “I know it’s only about six weeks away, but we don’t want to wait.”

  “You’re sure Grace is okay with marrying so quickly?” Doona asked. “People will talk.”

  “I don’t care what people say,” Hugh replied. “Grace and I are doing what we want to do.”

  “Good for you,” Bessie said. “I just hope that’s enough time for Grace to get everything organised.”

  “I’m going to help as much as I can,” Hugh said. “It won’t be a big wedding. Her parents can’t afford much and neither can I.”

  “Small weddings usually lead to happier marriages,” Bessie told him. “At least you’re focussed on what really matters, the getting married part, rather than on the big fancy ceremony.”

  “Yes, well, as her family is all in Douglas, we’ll be having the ceremony and the reception there,” Hugh said. “But you’ll all be there, right?”

  “Of course we will,” John said.

  “I shall need a new hat,” Bessie said happily.

  “Oh, maybe I’ll wear one, too, if you’re going to,” Doona said. “I’ve always wanted to wear a hat to a wedding, but no one really does anymore.”

  “I shall be wearing one,” Bessie told her. “And you should wear one as well. It’s the proper thing to do.”

  With that pronouncement, the foursome happily discussed weddings and happily ever afters for the rest of the evening, putting all of the unfortunate events of the past week firmly out of their minds.

  Glossary of Terms

  Manx to English

  fastyr mie

  good afternoon

  kys t’ou

  how are you?

  moghry mie

  good morning

  ta mee braew

  I’m fine

  House Names – Manx to English

  Thie yn Traie

  Beach House

  Treoghe Bwaaue

  Widow’s Cottage

  English to American Terms

  advocate

  Manx title for a lawyer (solicitor)

  aye

  yes

  biscuits

  cookies

  car park

  parking lot

  chemist

  pharmacist

  crisps

  potato chips

  cuddly toy

  s
tuffed animal

  cuppa

  cup of tea (informally)

  estate agent

  real estate agent (realtor)

  fairy cakes

  cupcakes

  holiday

  vacation

  loo

  restroom

  midday

  noon

  mince

  ground beef (hamburger)

  pavement

  sidewalk

  pudding

  dessert

  starters

  appetizers

  supply teacher

  substitute teacher

  telly

  television

  trolley

  shopping cart

  uni

  university

  Other Notes

  CID is the Criminal Investigation Department of the Isle of Man Constabulary (Police Force).

  When talking about time, the English say, for example, “half seven” to mean “seven-thirty.”

  With regard to Bessie’s age: UK (and IOM) residents get a free bus pass at the age of 60. Bessie is somewhere between that age and the age at which she will get a birthday card from the Queen. British citizens used to receive telegrams from the ruling monarch on the occasion of their one-hundredth birthday. Cards replaced the telegrams in 1982, but the special greeting is still widely referred to as a telegram.

  When island residents talk about someone being from “across,” they mean that the person is from somewhere in the United Kingdom (across the water).

  Plain chocolate in the UK is (more or less) semi-sweet chocolate in the US.

  In the UK, rather than use measuring cups for dry ingredients, they use scales and measure the ingredients in ounces or grams.