The Ellsworth Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 5)

by Diana Xarissa

  As it happened, the station was only just big enough for the crowd inside it. Janet stopped in the doorway and looked around. Susan was sitting behind the reception desk, but there were at least a dozen people spread throughout the space between the door and the desk. When the door shut behind the sisters, a buzzer sounded. Susan looked up and then waved at them.

  “I’ll come to you,” she shouted over the confusion.

  Janet and Joan watched as the woman pushed her way through the crowd, most of whom were talking to one another or on mobile phones. None of them seemed to have noticed the Markhams.

  “What can I do for you?” Susan asked in a loud voice that Janet could just about hear over the many other voices.

  “We sold a blanket,” Janet shouted back. She reached in her handbag and pulled out the stack of notes.

  “I do hope they’re all good ones,” Susan said, glancing through the small pile.

  “Can you tell?” Janet asked.

  “Not really,” Susan replied. “I knew the first serial number by heart, but now we’ve had notes turning up with all different numbers. They’re all very good fakes, too. Much better than what we usually see.”

  “And no one knows where they’re coming from?” Janet asked. She flushed. “That was a dumb question, wasn’t it?”

  Susan laughed. “Well, if we knew where they were coming from, we wouldn’t have a station full of people, that’s for sure.”

  “Who are they all?” Joan asked.

  “Investigators from different places and different governmental departments,” Susan told her. “They’re all meant to be working together to try to figure things out. So far all I’ve seen them do is argue, but you never know.”

  “So they think the money is coming from Doveby Dale?” Janet asked.

  Susan shrugged. “We’ve suddenly seen a handful of notes, just as they’ve stopped turning up in Derby, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. I understand they found some in Little Burton yesterday. I wish everyone would rush off there to investigate, but their station is even smaller than this one, so this is serving as the command centre for both areas.”

  “We’d better get out of your way, then,” Janet said reluctantly.

  “I’ll let you know if any of these notes turn out to be counterfeit,” Susan promised. “But I won’t hold you responsible for them.”

  “We can figure that out if it becomes an issue,” Joan said.

  Susan looked as if she was going to reply, but just then someone shouted from a corner. “I think we should start the meeting!” he yelled.

  Suddenly the room fell silent. It seemed as if everyone in the small space turned at once and looked at Janet and Joan.

  “See you soon,” Janet said to Susan as the sisters took their leave.

  Chapter Six

  Back at Doveby House, the sisters unpacked the shopping.

  “What are you planning to do with the rest of the day?” Joan asked Janet when they were done.

  “I suppose I’ll get to work in the library,” Janet replied. “I’m ready to start cataloguing the books.”

  “Would you like any help?” Joan asked.

  Janet quickly shook her head. “I’m happy to do it by myself,” she said. “I’m sure you have other things to do, anyway.”

  “I think I’ll bake a cake,” Joan answered. “Maybe a Victoria sponge.”

  “That sounds lovely,” Janet said. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  In the library, Janet looked at the long shelves crammed full of books and sighed. While she wanted to be the one who sorted them all out, it suddenly felt like an overwhelming task. The first job was to figure out exactly what genres were represented and how many books fit into each category. She started on the wall by the door, pulling down the entire row of books and stacking them on the desk.

  Janet was surprised and a little worried when she realised that the twenty-five books on that single shelf represented sixteen different genres or sub-genres. She hadn’t paid much attention to the various book titles while she’d been cleaning, but now she found that fiction and non-fiction were all mixed up with one another. Really, there seemed to be a little bit of everything, from romance to mystery to children’s books in the fiction titles. The non-fiction seemed to be focussed on the two World Wars, but perhaps that was just this shelf. Janet sighed again. This was going to be a very large task.

  Her mobile, tucked into her pocket, rang before she could start on the next shelf. She smiled at it as she answered the call.

  “Ah, Janet, I do hope I haven’t reached you at a bad time,” Edward Bennett’s voice came down the line.

  Janet sank into the corner chair. “Not at all,” she replied. “I was just working on organising the library, which will be an endless task, I’m afraid.”

  Edward laughed. Janet sat back and pictured him sitting in the library a few months earlier, telling her that he worked for the government in some sort of secret capacity. She still wasn’t certain that she believed that he was a spy, but she couldn’t deny that she was attracted to the man. He rang occasionally, usually when she least expected it, and just last month, after she’d mentioned a painting she’d liked in William Chalmers’ shop, he’d purchased it and had it sent to her. Now she realised she’d never thanked him for it. She’d had the conversation in her head a million times, but she actually hadn’t spoken to him since the painting has been delivered.

  “Before I forget,” she said quickly, “thank you for the painting, but I really can’t accept such an expensive present from you.” Well, that was what Joan had said, anyway.

  Edward laughed again. “William gave me a great price,” he assured her. “If it makes you happy, I insist you keep it.”

  “It makes me very happy,” Janet admitted. “It looks perfect in my room.”

  “Excellent, that’s that sorted then,” Edward said. “But how are you?”

  “I’m fine,” Janet told him. “Busy with guests, but otherwise fine. How are you?”

  “Busy with too much,” Edward replied. “I retired last year and I think I’m working more now than I did when I was working.”

  “I hope you’re getting paid exorbitant rates as a consultant, then.”

  “I am, rather,” Edward said. “But I’d quite like a few days off now and again. I’m getting too old for this sort of work.”

  “Oh,” Janet exclaimed. “I nearly forgot. You gave us the wrong combination for the safe in the library.”

  “I did?” Edward sounded surprised. “I was certain, well, but, I am sorry. I’ll have to dig into my files on Maggie to find the right combination. I’ll have it for you the next time I ring, if that’s okay.”

  “I’d appreciate that. Obviously we’re anxious to see what’s in there and also to have use of the safe.”

  “Indeed. But how are all of the guests working out? Have you had anyone especially interesting to stay?”

  Janet thought for a moment. “Not really. Not since the Stones and the Harrisons, really. They weren’t so much interesting as criminal, both pairs.”

  “Do you have guests now?”

  “We do. Two couples, actually, so we’re full up,” Janet said.

  “Well, tell me all about them, then. I’m interested in whatever is going on in your life.”

  Janet wasn’t sure she believed the man. Was he interested in her life or was there something suspicious about one or the other of their pairs of guests? “Charles and Lynne Walters are a nice couple in their sixties,” she told him. “They’re just here from Derby, apparently, but then so are our other guests, Peter and Paula Ellsworth. They’re quite a bit younger.”

  “But they’re both just perfectly ordinary couples, are they?”

  “Well, they don’t seem exceptional in any way,” Janet replied. “Peter and Paula both appear to be under some sort of stress, but hopefully their holiday will sort them out. They had a bit of a row when they first arrived, but they seemed to have relaxed a little bit by
the time they came down for breakfast this morning.”

  “And Charles and Lynne Walters? Were they happy at breakfast?”

  Janet considered the question. She hadn’t paid all that much attention to their guests at breakfast; she’d just kept them supplied with toast and coffee. “Actually, there was some tension between them this morning,” she said after a minute. “I think Lynne was upset about something, but I’m not sure. She only said about three words at breakfast, but Charles made up for it by boring Peter and Paula with stories about his travels.”

  “Charles travels a lot, does he?”

  “I gather it was all related to his work,” Janet replied. “It didn’t seem as if he’d ever taken Lynne with him, at any rate. Most of the stories were about various small towns in the US. I don’t know what he does for a living, but it seems to require him to visit a lot of places I’d never heard of.”

  “Interesting,” Edward said. “Have you made any new friends lately in Doveby Dale?”

  Janet laughed. “Aside from our guests, there’s never anyone new in Doveby Dale,” she said.

  “William Chalmers is a fairly recent addition,” Edward pointed out.

  “He is,” Janet conceded “And he appears to have a new girlfriend, but I certainly wouldn’t consider her a friend of mine.”

  “See, there is someone new to Doveby Dale,” Edward said with a laugh.

  “She isn’t, though,” Janet disagreed. “She’s just visiting.”

  “Tell me all about her,” Edward suggested.

  “Her name is Karen Holmes and she’s a widow, from what she says. She’s probably in her early forties somewhere, and William seems quite taken with her.”

  “Where is she staying, if she isn’t staying with you?”

  “She said something about a hotel in Derby,” Janet replied. “We’re the only bed and breakfast in Doveby Dale and there are no hotels. Maybe now that she’s seeing William she’ll move somewhere closer.”

  “Are there other places closer than Derby?” Edward asked.

  “There are two houses that do bed and breakfast in Little Burton,” Janet replied. “They each have three guest rooms and their prices are similar to ours. We’re hoping that Joan’s cooking will give us an edge if we ever have to compete with them. For now, we seem to have plenty of guests, more than I’d like, if I’m honest.”

  “And does Joan know how you feel?”

  “Oh, I’m pretty sure she knows I’m not as happy taking in guests as she is,” Janet said. “And I don’t mind it as much as I thought I might, anyway. It’s just strange and different, that’s all. I suppose I shall get used to it.”

  “Or perhaps Joan will change her mind and you’ll be off on a new adventure elsewhere.”

  Janet laughed. “This bed and breakfast is the only adventurous thing that Joan has ever even considered, and I’m pretty sure we never would have done it if I hadn’t agreed. I can’t see Joan coming up with any new escapades for us.”

  “Maybe it’s time for you to come up with a new idea,” Edward suggested.

  Janet sighed. “I’m quite happy here, really,” she said after a moment. “I love Doveby House. It’s so much more wonderful than any house I thought I’d ever own. Having to take in guests now and then seems a small price to pay for having such a beautiful home. It all just feels like hard work sometimes, that’s all. You have to be nice to the guests, even if they don’t bother to tell you when they decide to lie in or come in drunk at midnight or whatever. It’s just all so new to me, that’s all.”

  “What you need is a holiday,” Edward told her. “I’d love to take you away somewhere in the new year. Where would you like to go?”

  “Oh, good heavens,” Janet exclaimed. “We couldn’t, that is, I couldn’t, I mean, what an idea.”

  “I wasn’t suggesting anything improper,” Edward said, his voice somewhat cool. “I thought you might like to get away, that’s all.”

  “You just took me by surprise,” Janet replied, not wanting to argue with the man. “But you must remember that we barely know one another.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” Edward said. “So instead of going away together, I must come and visit you again, mustn’t I? I shall have to look at my schedule and see when I can get away.”

  “You know you’re more than welcome,” Janet said. “I mean, we’re taking guests regularly anyway,” she added quickly, not wanting to sound too eager.

  “So what else is happening at Doveby House?” Edward asked.

  “Not a lot,” Janet said. “We did find a few hidden panels built into the bookshelves in the library. Inside one was a ceramic piggy bank that had a key and some coins in it. We think the coins might have some value.”

  “Make sure you take them somewhere reputable to get them checked,” Edward cautioned her. “I’m not sure I would trust William Chalmers to value them properly.”

  “We’re going to take them into Derby. William has recommended a coin dealer there, and we thought we start with him, and then find another dealer for a second opinion.”

  “You’ve thought it all through, then, excellent. Did you find anything else behind the other panels?”

  “We can’t even get one of them opened,” Janet told him. “Maybe you can help us figure out the trick to it when you’re next here.”

  “It’s probably just stuck,” Edward replied. “I believe those panels are original to the house.”

  “There was a beautiful oak tantalus behind another one,” Janet said. “Oh, and I completely forgot. William found the key inside one of the decanters, but I wouldn’t let him open the little drawers in the centre. I wanted to wait until Joan was home, but then I forgot all about it.”

  “I suppose I should let you go, then,” Edward said. “You’ll be eager to check out those drawers.”

  “I am, rather,” Janet admitted. “But I do enjoy talking to you,” she added impulsively.

  “I’m very glad to hear that,” Edward replied. “Ringing you is a special treat for me.”

  “Do let me know if you’re coming to visit. I do hope we aren’t booked when you finally get some time off.”

  “I can always stay in Little Burton, I suppose,” Edward said.

  Janet laughed. “You might like it better there.”

  “No chance of that.”

  After Janet put her phone back in her pocket, she hurried to the kitchen. “William found the key to the tantalus,” she told Joan, who was just pulling a cake from the oven. “I wouldn’t let him open the drawers, and I can’t believe I forgot all about it when I was telling you about the visit because I was so caught up in wondering about the notes Karen had given me. Anyway, I’m dying to see what’s inside those drawers.”

  “Let’s take a look, then,” Joan suggested, pulling off her oven gloves.

  In the sitting room, the tantalus was exactly where Janet had left it on the side table. Janet dug the key out of her pocket and carefully turned it in the lock. Joan leaned forward as Janet slowly pulled out the top drawer. It was empty. Janet sighed and then tried the next one. It was also empty.

  “Third time lucky,” she muttered as she pulled open the bottom drawer.

  “Empty,” Joan said softly.

  “Never mind, the tantalus itself is probably worth something,” Janet said, trying to cheer herself up.

  “I’m sure it is,” Joan agreed.

  “Maybe we should take it to Derby and have it valued as well, when we take the coins,” Janet suggested.

  “I wouldn’t want to part with it,” Joan said. She shook her head. “I don’t know why. It isn’t like me, but there’s something about it that I really like. I can’t imagine selling it.”

  “I don’t want to sell it, either,” Janet agreed. “So I suppose we don’t need to know what it’s worth. We’ll have to find somewhere special to put it, though. I’m not sure I want it in here. I’d be really upset if a guest accidently damaged it.”

  “It wouldn’t be fair to
put it in either of our bedrooms,” Joan said thoughtfully. “We could keep it in the library for now, as we aren’t allowing guests in there, but eventually we’ll have to move it.”

  “It will look wonderful on the desk in there,” Janet said. “As you say, at least for now.”

  “How is the classifying and sorting going?” Joan asked.

  “I was interrupted. Edward rang.”

  “And what did Edward want?”

  Janet frowned. “I’m not entirely sure,” she admitted. “But he did seem interested in learning all about our guests again.”

  “Maybe he’s working on the counterfeiting case,” Joan suggested.

  “You know, he never once mentioned that at all,” Janet replied thoughtfully.

  Chapter Seven

  Joan made a fairly light evening meal and both sisters enjoyed a generous serving of Victoria sponge.

  “Are you going to see Michael tonight?” Janet asked as she finished the washing up.

  “He has a meeting in Derby,” Joan replied. “He’s actually staying the night there, as it won’t finish until late.”

  “So shall we pop some popcorn and watch some telly?” Janet suggested.

  “I’m not sure we should have popcorn after all that cake,” Joan protested.

  “Popcorn is mostly air,” Janet retorted.

  A knock on the front door interrupted the discussion.

  “Robert? This is a nice surprise,” Janet said as she let the young policeman into the house. “I do hope none of the notes we gave Susan were counterfeit.”

  “No, no, not at all,” Robert replied. “They all checked out just fine and Susan was delighted to have made a sale, as well.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Janet told home. “To what do we owe this pleasure, then?”

  “I was just in the neighbourhood and I thought I would check in with you,” Robert replied.

  “And I just baked a cake,” Joan said from the doorway. “Do come and have a piece before Janet and I eat the whole thing ourselves.”

  Janet nearly laughed out loud when she saw how happy the young man looked at Joan’s words. He cleared his throat. “Oh, I don’t want to impose,” he began.