by Adele Abbott
“And does he always dress like that?”
“He does actually. Will you show him in?”
“Hi, Jill.” Blaze had a huge smile on his face. He was sporting a luminous pink catsuit.
“Does Daze know you’re wearing that?”
“No. You won’t tell her, will you?”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
Daze didn’t approve of luminous colours, so Blaze only wore them when she wasn’t around.
“What brings you here? Is Daze okay?”
“That’s why I’ve come to see you.”
“There’s nothing wrong, is there?”
“No, nothing’s wrong. At least, she isn’t ill or injured. She’s just a bit grumpy; a bit down in the dumps.”
“Any idea why?”
“I know precisely why. It’s ages since she’s had a date. Decades, in fact.”
“But surely Daze isn’t that old?”
“Much older than she looks, but then we’re sup-sups, remember. We age like witches do. She’d never admit it, but I think she gets quite lonely at times.”
Curiously, I’d never pictured Daze in a relationship, but I suppose everybody needs someone.
“Why did you come to see me?”
“I’m here for some advice. I’d really value your opinion.”
“On what?”
“There’s another Rogue Retriever, who I know Daze fancies, but she’s way too shy to do anything about it.”
“Daze? Shy? Are we talking about the same person?”
“I know she comes across as confident and even brash, but that’s only in her professional life. When it comes to relationships, she’s really very shy. There’s no way she would ever make the first move.”
“That surprises me. But I still don’t know what you want me to do.”
“I’ve got a feeling that Haze likes her too, so I was just wondering if I should play Cupid?”
“Hold on a minute! Haze? Is that really his name?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Daze and Haze?” I laughed.
“Huh?” Blaze looked blank.
“Never mind.”
“So do you think I should play matchmaker?”
“You’re on very dangerous ground. I mean, what if you’re wrong? What if he doesn’t like her? Guess who’ll get the blame if it all goes pear-shaped?”
“You’re probably right, but you know what? I’m going to go for it, anyway.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah, I’m going to do it right now.”
“Okay, good luck. Don’t forget to change your catsuit before Daze sees you.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got a spare one in my bag. Catch you later.”
***
Jack Maxwell had called to check that I was still okay to be his dance partner at the policemen’s ball. If I’d had an ounce of sense, I would have come clean and told him I didn’t know the first thing about ballroom dancing. But as you have probably worked out by now—I don’t. I did however, use the situation to my advantage. I said that as I was doing him a favour, he should spare me a few minutes to discuss the colonel’s murder.
He wasn’t very enthusiastic, but agreed to give me ten minutes, so I shot over to the police station, and we met in our usual interview room.
“Have you interviewed Sergeant?” I said.
“Sergeant Sergeant? Yes, one of my people has already spoken to him.”
“Did you know that he works for Western Security?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“The Bugle ran an article on them—they’ve been employing ex-cons. The managing director is on record as saying that they are going to double-check the backgrounds of all current employees.”
“I’m still not seeing the relevance.”
“Sergeant must have been worried that his employer would speak to the colonel, and find out about his dodgy dealing in the army. You know about him stealing arms I assume?”
“As far as I’m aware, he doesn’t have a criminal record.”
“Only because the army kept a lid on it. Sergeant obviously had a motive to keep the colonel quiet.”
“I’ll have someone take a look at it.”
“When?”
“As soon as I can. We have several other lines of enquiry, you know.”
“What about Hare?”
“What about him?”
“Did you know one of his crossbows is missing?”
“Yes, we’re aware of that.”
“Don’t you think that’s rather a coincidence?”
“Maybe, maybe not. Like I said, we’re following a number of leads. You have to let us do our job.”
Typical police. Everything moved at a glacial pace.
The rest of the meeting was pretty much the same. When we’d finished, and I was about to leave, he said,
“I’m really looking forward to the policemen’s ball.”
“Me too. Can’t wait.”
***
I’d no sooner got back to my desk than Grandma appeared in the doorway.
“Hello young lady. I can see you’re not busy as usual.”
“I’m actually working on—”
“Save your flannel for someone who cares. The reason I’m here is that I’ve decided to let you help me with a makeover.”
I laughed, but immediately realised that was the wrong response.
“Why do you need a makeover?” Apart from the obvious.
“For the Glamorous Grandmother competition, of course, why else? And I have to admit, you do have a certain style.”
“Thank you.” Was that actually a compliment?
“Don’t let it go to your head. I mean, the only other people I can turn to are Lucy and the twins. And let’s be honest, none of them has any fashion sense whatsoever. So that just leaves me with you.”
“When did you want to do this?”
“Right now. I thought we could start by picking a dress.” She made for the door. “Come on. What are you waiting for? Let’s get going.”
As we left, I noticed that Winky was hiding under the sofa; it was his go-to place whenever Grandma was around.
Our first stop was Lulu’s, which was a small, but expensive boutique not far from my office.
“What size are you, Grandma?
“Ten.”
I nearly choked. “Pardon?”
“Size ten.”
She was no more a size ten than I was Santa Claus. She was a size fourteen if she was an inch.
“Are you sure?”
“Can’t you tell?”
I looked her up and down. “Yeah—I guess.”
She picked out a couple of dresses. One was bright yellow, the other a strange shade of green.
“Are you sure about the colour? Wouldn’t you like something a little more—err—conservative?”
“I’m beginning to think I made a mistake asking you to help me. I thought you understood fashion.”
“Sorry.”
“Hey, Jill!” A familiar voice called my name.
Daze rushed over so quickly that I thought she was going to knock me over.
“Steady on, Daze. Are you okay?”
“I’m great, thanks.”
She really did look great; she was absolutely glowing. I’d never seen her look so happy, or have such a bounce in her step.
“What’s going on?” I asked. “Why are you looking so pleased with life?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Me? Of course—what is it?”
“You mustn’t tell anyone, but I’ve got a date. It’s the first one I’ve had in ages.”
“That’s fantastic. Who’s the lucky man?”
“Haze. He’s another Rogue Retriever.”
“Daze and Haze—sounds like a match made in heaven.”
“Oh yeah. That hadn’t occurred to me.”
Huh?
“He asked me out, completely out of the blue. I’m
still in shock.”
“I’m really pleased for you.”
“Whatever you do, don’t tell Blaze, will you?”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Jill!” Grandma yelled across the shop. “Come on, I need to try these on.”
“You want me to go in the changing room with you?”
“Yes, I want you to tell me what you think.”
Daze gave me a sympathetic smile, and went on her way. It seemed that Blaze had been as good as his word.
I tried my best to avert my eyes as Grandma struggled to get into the first dress. She’d barely got it over her backside when I heard a horrible tearing sound.
“This dress obviously has the wrong size label in it.” Grandma threw it to the floor.
While she wasn’t watching, I cast the ‘take it back’ spell, and within moments it was back to its original state. She had the same problem with the second dress, but at least this time she had the good sense not to force it.
“We’re not going to get anything from this shop,” she said. “They obviously have all of the sizes mixed up. Let’s try somewhere else.”
Four shops later, Grandma picked out a floral mini-dress. It was hideous.
“What do you think, Jill?”
“Err—I’m not sure it’s really you.”
She checked the mirror. “Look! It shows off my legs.”
That was the problem; it did show off her legs. And trust me, that was not a good thing.
“I’ll take this one,” she said to the bemused young woman behind the counter.
I managed to catch a word with the assistant as Grandma was leaving the shop. “Excuse me, what size is that dress?”
“Well.” She glanced at Grandma. “It’s actually a fourteen, but the lady insists it’s a ten, so I guess it’s a ten.”
Next stop was the shoe shop. I assumed she’d go for some plain, mid heel court shoes, but instead she headed straight for the high heels. The very high heels!
“Are you sure you’ll be able to walk in those? Remember your bunions.”
“I really did overestimate your knowledge of fashion, didn’t I? Which pair do you think? The red or the purple?”
“I’m not really sure either of them will go with that dress.”
“Red it is, then.”
She forced one shoe onto her foot, then the other, and then tried to stand up.
“Here Grandma, take my hand.”
“I don’t need your help.”
Somehow, she managed to get to her feet, and then hobble across the room to the mirror.
“Oh yes. They’re just the ticket. I’ll take these please, young woman.”
I assumed we were done, but I should have known better.
“Now we need to buy make-up,” she said.
Grandma made a beeline for the most expensive product line in the shop. There, she tried to catch the eye of the young woman who was standing behind the counter, wearing a white smock—presumably she was about to perform some kind of laboratory experiment.
“Young lady, I need you to make me beautiful.”
The expression on the poor woman’s face was a picture. The product which would make Grandma beautiful had yet to be invented. Still, I had to give the woman her due, she gave Grandma a full makeover using all manner of creams, lotions and powders. By the time she’d finished, I had to admit it was a vast improvement. Now she was only ugly, as opposed to really, really ugly.
***
I felt sure I was missing something in relation to the colonel’s murder, and I hoped I might find some inspiration by returning to the scene of the crime. When I arrived at the colonel’s house, I parked next to a van with the word ‘Noble’ on the side.
“Hello again, young lady.” Jerry Noble wound down his side-window.
“Mr Noble. Here to buy the jack-in-the-box?”
“I had hoped to, but it’s not to be, I’m afraid.”
“Ben asking too much for it?”
“It’s not the money. The piece has been damaged since I last saw it. The inside of the box has been badly scored, which has effectively rendered it worthless. Shame really, because it was a wonderful piece. Anyway, I must make tracks—I have another appointment in twenty minutes.”
Mrs Burnbridge invited me into the kitchen where she gave me tea and a scone.
“Where’s Peter?” I asked.
“I don’t know, dear. I haven’t seen him yet today.”
“How have things been?”
“It’s been hard. Really hard. I would have preferred to pack my bags and leave, but I thought I owed it to the colonel to keep going until his Will has been read.”
“Do you have any knitting projects planned for when you retire?”
“A few. I thought I might visit that new shop in Washbridge. I forget what it’s called.”
“Do you mean Ever A Wool Moment?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“It’s my grandmother’s shop.”
“Well, well. Someone told me they were selling some strange kind of knitting needles in there.”
“That would be the One-Size Needles. It’s one of Grandma’s inventions. They apparently adjust their size according to the pattern you’re using.”
“How very clever. What will they think of next?”
“She also has Everlasting Wool.”
“What on earth is that?”
“It’s a bit complicated, but essentially, you take out a subscription, and the wool never runs out.”
“Well I never.” She took a sip of her tea. “Ben’s never been away from the house.” I could sense the disapproval in her voice. “He’s always under my feet.”
“Has he told you what his plans are?”
“Oh yes. He was only too eager to let me know that he intends to sell the house and contents as soon as he can. In fact, between you and me, he’s already started to sell a few things. It’s not right. He should have the decency to wait until his father’s Will has been read. In fact, that toy dealer was here just now. I think Ben was showing him the jack-in-the-box.”
“Is it okay if I take a walk through to the toy room?”
“I don’t see why not, dear.”
The toy room was much the same as the last time I’d seen it, but today the toys seemed sad somehow. The whole room had a morbid feel about it. On the table in the corner was the jack-in-the-box. I opened the lid, and could immediately see the score marks which Jerry Noble had mentioned.
“Why are you here, again?”
I hadn’t heard Ben come into the room.
“I’m trying to find anything which might lead to your father’s murderer.”
“Well you won’t find anything here, and I’ve already told you, these matters are best left to the police. Now, if you wouldn’t mind leaving.”
“Mrs Burnbridge said you came to the house a few days ago. Why come when you knew your father would be away?”
“I’ve got nothing else to say to you. Now, please leave before I call the police.”
It was pointless to argue, so I made my way back to my car.
Why wouldn’t Ben tell me about his recent visit to the house? What did he have to hide? According to Mrs Burnbridge he’d stayed over because he was visiting a friend. A man like Ben probably didn’t have too many of those.
But I knew of one, not a million miles away.
Chapter 15
Rupert Hare wasn’t very pleased to see me, but at least he didn’t point a shotgun at me this time.
“What do you want? I’m busy.”
“One question, and then I’ll leave you alone.”
“Hurry up then.”
“You mentioned that you know the colonel’s son.”
“Ben, yeah. I went to school with him. What of it?”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“He came to visit me a few days ago.”
“Had you been expecting him?”
“No. He turned up out of the
blue, but that wasn’t unusual. We had a laugh, and to be honest, I probably drank too much. The next morning, I woke up with one heck of a hangover.”
“What about Ben? Did he drink too much as well?”
“Yeah, but he could always drink me under the table.”
“How long did he stay?”
“He was gone by the time I got up the next morning. I assumed he’d gone back home or to the colonel’s house.”
“Tell me, Mr Hare, when did your crossbow go missing?”
“I’m not sure—a few days ago, maybe.”
“Was it before or after Ben came to visit you?”
“It must have been about the same time, I suppose.” His expression changed. “Hold on! Ben wouldn’t have taken it, if that’s what you’re thinking. He’d never steal from me. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Maybe, maybe not.
***
The door to my office flew open, and Kathy came charging in. I could tell immediately that something was wrong. Her eyes were red from crying, and she could barely speak.
“What’s the matter? Come and sit down.”
I managed to guide her over to the sofa. She was in a terrible state— shaking and crying. I was struggling to get any sense out of her at all.
“What is it?”
“Pete, it’s Pete—”
“What’s happened to him? Is he all right? Is he hurt?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“What then? What’s the matter?”
She took a deep breath. “He’s been arrested. They’re going to charge him with the colonel’s murder.”
“What? Why would they do that?”
“I have no idea. I just got a phone call. They’ve taken him to the police station. You’ve got to help him, Jill. Please help him.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll sort it out. It’s obviously a mistake. Sit tight. I’ll make a phone call.”
I went out to see Mrs V. “Can you make a cup of strong, sweet tea for Kathy?”
“Is she okay?”
“She will be. She’s just had a nasty shock.”
While Mrs V made the tea, I stayed in the outer office and made a call. Much to my surprise, I actually got through to Jack Maxwell first time.
“Jack, what’s going on? Why have you arrested Peter?”
