The Death Planner (Storage Ghost Murders Book 6)

by Gillian Larkin

  Before she went to bed that night, Grace made a long list of questions for Jenny. Maybe she could find out who killed her before the end of tomorrow. Grace knew she was being optimistic, she had a feeling that she wouldn’t be solving this murder any time soon.

  Chapter 9

  The shop was closed on Sundays. Grace had an excuse ready for Frankie as to why she was there when she stepped through the shop door the next morning.

  Her excuse was that she wanted to see how Frankie’s evening had gone. True, she could have sent him a text but she wanted to see him in person. Grace pulled a face as she walked towards the kitchen. He’d know she was lying.

  Pearl was leaning against the kitchen sink, arms folded, when Grace walked in. Pearl’s lips curled in disgust when Grace asked if Frankie had been downstairs yet.

  “The dirty stop-out hasn’t been home! He’s out with that hussy of a woman from the jewellers! They only met yesterday.” Pearl tutted three times in a row. “I don’t understand young people today. Why are they in such a rush? In my day, we’d court for three months before we even thought of holding hands.” She tutted again. “I blame the Internet. And video games.”

  Grace checked her phone. “I haven’t heard anything from him since last night. Shall I text him?”

  Pearl moved away from the sink. “I’d disown him if I were you. Anyway, enough about him, let’s talk about young Jenny. What have you found out about her? Anything juicy?”

  Grace moved towards the kettle. “Where is Jenny? What did you two do when I left you last night?”

  Pearl let out a small chuckle. “She sorted out those ghosts for me. She’s very good at organising things. She made a list of everyone, and their problems, and then sorted them out in order of importance. She told them all to be patient and, for some reason, they listened to her.”

  Grace filled the kettle up and then switched it on. “What problems are these ghosts having? I’m sure I can help them.”

  Pearl turned her face away from Grace and said, “Don’t give them a second thought, they’re not your concern.”

  Grace frowned. Pearl was hiding something. She knew better than to push her.

  “Good morning!” Jenny appeared at her side causing Grace to drop the cup she was holding. The cup landed on the carpet without breaking. “Sorry!” Jenny said with a laugh. She hugged her clipboard to her chest and said, “It’s so good to be working again! I’ve missed it. Pearl, is there anything else you want me to do? Grace, how about you?”

  Grace picked the cup up and looked at the happy expression on Jenny’s face. She felt terrible about all the questions she had ready for her. Talking about her murder was surely going to make her lose that smile.

  Grace made herself a cup of tea and sat at the kitchen table. Pearl sat at her side, tapped the table and said, “Sit yourself down, Jenny. We’ve got things to talk about. Thanks for sorting those idiot ghosts out, they’ve been driving me mad for weeks.”

  “Weeks? Pearl, why didn’t you tell me …” Grace began.

  Pearl held a hand up. “Now’s not the time, Grace.” Jenny’s smile faltered as she sat at Grace’s other side. Pearl carried on, “Grace, tell us what you’ve found out.”

  Grace started with the details of Jenny’s death including the date. Jenny nodded slowly and said, “I think it’s coming back to me now. But wait, you said 2010. What year is it now?”

  “2015,” Grace said.

  “Really? Did I miss the Olympics?”

  “You did. And a royal wedding, and two royal births,” Grace informed her.

  Jenny’s smile had completely gone. “Oh. That’s so sad. Have I been in that storage unit all this time? For five years? Why can’t I remember that?”

  Pearl said softly, “Our minds protect us, don’t worry about your time in the unit. It wasn’t time for you to appear to Grace until yesterday.”

  “Why did I appear to Grace?”

  Pearl explained, “I think that whoever murdered you is likely to murder again. If Grace can find out who killed you then she might be able to prevent the next murder.”

  Jenny’s hands flew to her mouth. “Will it be someone I know? A friend?”

  Grace picked that moment to mention the possible sister. She’d picked up the shop laptop on the way through to the kitchen. She now opened it up and found the image of Jenny and the woman who looked like her. She showed the image to Pearl and Jenny.

  A tear ran down Jenny’s face. “It’s Elsa, my younger sister.” More tears flowed. “I’d forgotten about her. My only sister and I couldn’t remember a thing about her! What does that say about me?”

  Pearl patted Jenny on the arm. “This is how it works sometimes. Your memories have been dormant for a long time, they’re coming back to you now. Tell us about your sister. Elsa’s a lovely name.”

  Jenny nodded and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “Grace, did you find my website? I left everything to Elsa in my will, she must be running it now.”

  Grace said, “Your website isn’t live any more. Maybe Elsa set one up on her own, in her own name. I’ll check.” A few minutes later she said, “No, sorry, I can’t find anything for Elsa Lorrimer. She could have got married, or set up a site in a completely different name.”

  Jenny frowned. “That’s possible, although, how can I put this politely? Elsa isn’t the most intelligent …”

  “Three sandwiches short of a picnic?” Pearl added helpfully. “Not the sharpest knife in the drawer? Fell out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down?”

  Jenny winced. “She’s not that bad. She’s very trusting, and gullible. She’s got a heart of gold and I love her to pieces.” She hesitated. “Despite forgetting about her until now.”

  Grace said, “Did she work with you?”

  Jenny nodded. “When I finished university, I got a job with a top party planner, or event coordinator as she liked to be known, in Manchester. We had some amazing clients, they had a lot of money to spend. One client spent a million pounds on his wedding! That was quite a day.”

  Pearl sniffed in disgust. “More money than sense.”

  Jenny went on, “Elsa didn’t go to university. She loved working with flowers and got a job at a local floristry. She was happy there.” Jenny looked down at the table. “Then something terrible happened. My parents died in a car accident.”

  A tiny gasp escaped from Grace but she didn’t say anything.

  Jenny’s head shot up. She studied Grace for a moment, her look softened. “Oh, Grace, I’m sorry. The same thing happened to you, didn’t it?”

  Grace nodded, unable to speak.

  Jenny said, “I had to leave Manchester, I had to look after Elsa. She was only eighteen when Mum and Dad died. I didn’t mind. I had some good references by then and it didn’t take me long to set up my own business. And I convinced Elsa to work with me. The owner of the florist shop wasn’t paying much. Elsa didn’t mind but I did.” Jenny smiled. “It was wonderful, us two working together. Elsa had a magic touch when it came to the floral designs.”

  “Where could Elsa be now?” Grace said. “Do you think she went back to work for the florist?”

  “It’s possible. I …” Jenny froze as Frankie came into the kitchen.

  Frankie beamed at Grace. “What a night!”

  Pearl muttered an obscenity.

  Grace held her hand up. “I don’t want the details.”

  Frankie grinned. “Good, because I’m not going to tell you. Have we got any flowers hanging about?”

  “No, why?”

  “I’m meeting Beth for lunch. I wanted to get her some flowers. That’s what you do, isn’t it?” He looked around the kitchen. “Are you sure we haven’t got any? Have you got some at home?”

  “Flowers don’t just magically appear,” Grace pointed out. She stood up. “But I shall go out and buy some for you.”

  “Really? Thanks Grace.” Frankie lifted his arm and sniffed his armpit. “I could do with a quick
shower. Get some roses, that’s what women like. Ta.” He left the kitchen, humming to himself.

  “That boy …” Pearl began, waving her fist towards the door.

  Grace said, “Going out for flowers gives me a good excuse to start looking for Elsa. Jenny, do you want to come with me? If you do, I’ll need the headset.”

  “Of course. I can remember where the florist is.” She stood up and started writing something on her clipboard.

  Pearl stood up and followed Grace over to the cleaning cupboard. Pearl quietly said, “Do you think Elsa might have killed Jenny?”

  Grace whispered, “It’s a possibility.” She reached for the headset and closed the cupboard back up.

  Pearl touched Grace’s arm. A warmth travelled through Grace. Pearl was the only ghost who sent warmth through Grace when she touched her. Pearl said, “Be careful. I’ve got a feeling that the murderer is close to hand. If they find out that you’re looking into Jenny’s death, they might come after you.”

  Grace put a smile on her face and tried to feel brave. “I’m sure I’ll be alright.”

  Chapter 10

  As they drove towards the florist Grace tentatively brought up the subject of the vision that they’d experienced the previous day. She asked if Jenny could remember the couple she’d seen talking to each other, the couple that had upset her.

  Jenny shook her head. “I can’t quite get them into focus, it’s like they’re shadows, but I’m sure I know them. Do you think I’ll remember soon? Do you think we should try going into another vision?”

  “Perhaps.” Following Jenny’s directions, Grace parked in a small car park opposite a parade of shops.

  Jenny floated out of Grace’s car. Grace opened the door and followed Jenny across the road towards the parade of shops.

  Jenny called out, “The florist is right in the middle, next to the sandwich shop.”

  Grace stood in front of the shops and looked left and right. Despite it being Sunday, some of the shops were open. Grace checked that no one was close enough to hear her talking before she spoke. “Where exactly? I can’t see a florist.”

  Jenny floated off the ground and shot from one side of the parade to the other. She came back to Grace, her face twisted in anguish. “It’s gone! The florist shop has gone! What do we do now? We have to find Elsa!”

  Grace merely nodded. She couldn’t talk to Jenny as a couple of women were walking along the pavement towards her. Grace took her phone out and pretended to have a phone conversation. “Jenny, it’s okay. We’ll find her, somehow. I’m heading back to my car now. Bye.”

  Jenny came to Grace’s side and said, “Where will we look first? Shall we try the Internet again?”

  Grace crossed the road and headed back to the car park. Something caught her eye at the rear of the car park. There was no one nearby so Grace said, “Jenny, look over there. Can you see that van at the back? It looks like a mobile florist’s. Do you think…?”

  Jenny didn’t hesitate. She whizzed over to the van, shooting high above the parked vehicles. She returned a minute later with a big smile on her face. “It’s Elsa! It’s my Elsa! Come on, Grace!” Jenny flew back towards the van.

  Grace wished she had the power of flight as she made her way through the parked vehicles. What was she even going to say to Elsa? She didn’t like to tell people that she could see ghosts. People acted in different ways to that information. Most people thought she was mad.

  Grace approached the van. Elsa was standing next to a display of flowers. The flowers were arranged in buckets on the ground. There were some arrangements hanging from baskets hooked around the van. Grace felt as if she had just stepped into a beautiful garden. Despite the smell of nearby cars, Grace caught the floral aroma of the plants in front of her. It instantly made her smile.

  “Hello, can I help you?” Elsa asked with a big smile on her face. The smile matched the one that her deceased sister was also wearing. Jenny stood at Elsa’s side, love shining in her eyes. Grace felt a small pang as she looked at them both. In the photograph that she’d seen on the Internet, Jenny had looked older than Elsa. Now, it was the other way round. Grace noticed that Elsa looked tired. She quickly took in the hole in her oversized jumper, and the dirt on her scruffy boots.

  Grace stepped closer. “Hello there. I almost didn’t spot you at the back here. I’m looking for some flowers for my brother. Well, for my brother to give to his new girlfriend.” Grace rolled her eyes and added, “He’s only just met her but he wants to impress her. He was thinking of roses but I’m not sure about his choice.”

  Elsa continued to smile. “Roses are lovely but I’ve got something better.” She then talked about different flowers and how their fragrance would last longer. Grace nodded but it was hard to pay attention when Jenny was talking at the same time.

  “Grace, ask her why she didn’t keep the website running. Ask her where all the money went, has she put it somewhere safe? Grace! Look at her clothes! Ask her why she’s dressed like that!”

  Grace gave a small shake of her head. She could hardly ask Elsa those questions all at once. Grace picked another question. “I used to go to the florist shop over the road but I see it’s a shoe shop now. When did the florist shop close down?”

  Elsa’s smile faltered slightly. “About four years ago. I used to work there, but I like working from my van better.”

  Jenny flew to Elsa’s other side. “How can she like working in this van? She’s lying! She’s covering something up!”

  Elsa offered Grace a variety of bouquets. They all looked beautiful. Grace bought one bouquet for Frankie and one for herself as a treat. She looked at the hanging baskets and was tempted to buy one of those too.

  Grace paid Elsa and then asked her another question. “Do you ever do work for weddings and that sort of thing? I’ve got a party coming up soon and I’d love to have some flower arrangements there.”

  Elsa’s hand shook as she gave Grace her change. “No. I don’t do things like that.”

  “Do you know anyone who might do it?” Grace forced a laugh. She hated lying to Elsa but she didn’t have a choice at the moment. “It’s taking me forever to organise the party! I could do with someone to sort it all out for me, like a party planner or something. Do you know anyone like that?”

  Elsa pressed her lips together and shook her head. Grace saw the sheen of tears welling up in her eyes. Grace pulled the bouquets closer and said, “Those hanging baskets look wonderful. Could I take that one at the end, the one with those blue and purple flowers flowing out? Thank you.”

  Elsa took down the basket and gave Grace instructions on how to care for it. Grace made small talk about flowers and the problems she had in her small garden. Elsa brightened up and was happy to give Grace advice on slugs and other uninvited creatures.

  Grace thanked her and asked if Elsa had a business card. Elsa shook her head and said, “No, I’m not organised enough for that. Not like …” She blinked and quickly looked away.

  Grace said, “Well, I know where to find you. Thank you again for your help, it’s been lovely to meet you.”

  Elsa turned back and gave Grace a small smile. It was full of sadness and Grace hated to leave her, but she had to. She headed back to her car, her arms full of scented flowers.

  Jenny flew at Grace’s side. “Don’t leave her! She looks so sad! Find out what’s happened to her! Please!”

  Grace opened the boot of her car and carefully placed the flowers inside. She turned to Jenny and said, “It’s obvious that she doesn’t want to talk about her past. I will speak to her some more, just not at the moment.”

  Jenny twisted her hands together. “When will you talk to her? You heard what Pearl said about another murder!”

  Grace shot a look back towards the van. “Jenny, was Elsa at the last wedding? The one where you died?”

  Jenny nodded. “Why?”

  “She might have seen something, or someone.” Grace didn’t add that Elsa could be a suspect. Jen
ny didn’t need to hear that. “I’ll speak to Elsa again soon, very soon.” A plan was forming in Grace’s head. All she had to do now was to find the courage to proceed with her plan.

  Chapter 11

  Pearl was pacing up and down the kitchen floor when Grace and Jenny returned to the shop.

  “Pearl, are you okay? You look agitated,” Grace said. She laid the flowers for Frankie on the kitchen table.

  Pearl gestured towards the ceiling. “Your brother! Humph! He’s driving me mad. He’s been on the phone ages with that bit of fluff he’s calling his girlfriend! You should hear what he’s been saying! Going on about his feelings and how he can’t believe his luck in finding her. Pah! What a load of tripe! It turned my stomach listening to him gushing on and on.”

  Grace’s mouth twitched but she didn’t let her smile escape. “You didn’t have to listen to him. You could have disappeared.”

  “What? And miss what he was saying? No chance.” Pearl let out a cackle of a laugh. “He went into great detail about what they had done last night. Do you want to know what he said?”

  Grace held a hand up. “I certainly do not! What time is he going out again?”

  Frankie walked into the kitchen, his phone clamped to his ear. If he noticed Grace apparently talking to herself he didn’t say anything. Grace could see that his attention was elsewhere. He crooned into the phone, “Beth, babe, I can’t wait to see you either. I’m on my way.” He laughed. “No, you say bye first.” Another laugh. “No, you.”

  He walked towards the flowers, picked them up and left the kitchen without a look or a word for Grace.

  Grace folded her arms and gave him a hard stare hoping that he would catch her annoyed look.

  Pearl whooshed over to Frankie’s retreating back and yelled, “You selfish idiot! Grace! Throw something at him! Quick!”