Aunt Bessie Invites (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 9)

by Diana Xarissa

  Doona laughed. “We’ll bring something with us,” she assured her friend. “John and I will be there at six. I’m not sure if Hugh’s coming as well or not. He might already have plans.”

  “I hope he does,” Bessie said. “I’d love to see him, but he needs to be spending time with Grace. She’s going to give up on him if he doesn’t get around to proposing before too much longer.”

  “I’m keeping my mouth shut on that matter,” Doona said firmly. “I’ve made such a mess of my own personal life, I don’t feel as if I should comment on anyone else’s.”

  Bessie laughed. “As a middle-aged spinster, I probably shouldn’t comment, either. But they do seem so very well-suited.”

  “They do,” Doona agreed.

  The conversation and the plans made Bessie feel better. John was coming over, but she hadn’t actually invited him. Of course, she’d have to share what she’d learned with him, but at least Doona, and maybe Hugh, would be there as well.

  With nothing to do but wait, Bessie took a short stroll down the beach. It was cold and growing dark, but it was dry, which was about all you could hope for on the island in late November. Very occasionally Bessie thought back to the long, cold, and snowy winters of her childhood in Ohio. Somehow it always made Christmas feel more special when there was a fluffy white layer of sparkling snow covering the outdoors.

  Of course, it was hard work for her parents, but Bessie had never been asked to help with the shoveling or tried to drive on snow-covered roads. Now she couldn’t help but feel as if a light dusting would make her Thanksgiving feast even more special. She’d checked the forecast, though, and Saturday was meant to be cool and rainy, typical Manx winter weather.

  She arrived back at her cottage at the same time as John’s car pulled into the parking area. “Goodness, I was enjoying my walk so much I almost missed you,” she laughed as John and Doona got out of the car.

  “We’d have waited for you,” John assured her. “Or come looking.”

  Bessie unlocked her cottage and the trio went inside. “No Hugh, then?” Bessie asked after switching on the lights.

  John started opening food containers as Doona found plates and cutlery. “He’s on his way,” he replied. “I sent him to pick up pudding.”

  The words were barely out of his mouth when someone knocked on the door. Bessie opened it and greeted Hugh with a hug.

  “Come in out of the cold,” she instructed him.

  He handed Bessie a bakery box and removed his coat. “I couldn’t decide what would be best,” he said in an apologetic voice. “So I got a little of everything.”

  “That sounds about right,” Doona told him, laughing.

  They all fixed plates and then settled in at the kitchen table. While they ate, they chatted about the weather and the plans for Saturday. Bessie was very aware that everyone was avoiding the very topic that they’d come to discuss.

  After Doona cleared away the plates, Hugh put the bakery box in the centre of the table. He opened the lid and everyone looked inside.

  “You weren’t kidding,” Bessie said happily.

  Inside the box were chocolate and vanilla fairy cakes, thick and gooey brownies, a selection of cream cakes and a handful of tiny fruit tarts.

  “I can’t believe they fit it all into one box,” Doona said.

  “I’m not sure we’ll be able to get anything out,” John remarked. “There isn’t an inch of space left.”

  They ended up taking the box apart in order to get to the treats inside.

  “We’ll just have to start with the things on the outside and eat our way into the centre,” Hugh said, grinning widely.

  “Maybe we should just attack it with forks,” Doona suggested.

  Bessie tutted her disapproval. “I shall give you all plates and you shall put what you want on them,” she said sternly. “There’s more than enough to go around, even with Hugh here.”

  As everyone dug into his or her own favourite, Bessie looked at John. He was nibbling at his fairy cake, but seemed distracted.

  “Is it time to talk, then?” she asked with a sigh.

  “I think so,” John told her. “I have to go and see Fenella and Eoin later and I’d like to talk everything through with you before I go.”

  “I was going to ring you, anyway,” Bessie told him. “I spent an hour at the farm this afternoon and had an interesting conversation with Fenella on the drive home. She was here when Eoin rang to tell her about her father.”

  John sighed. “I wish the circumstances were different,” he said. “I’m sure they aren’t going to want to talk to me.”

  “What do you mean?” Bessie asked.

  “Anna spent an hour with Niall this afternoon,” John told her. “She questioned him extensively and she’s convinced that he confessed to killing Jacob Conover. She wasn’t able to work out a motive, but she’s prepared to close the case with him on record as having confessed.”

  “He wasn’t in his right mind,” Bessie argued.

  “His doctor was with him the entire time. He said that he thought Niall was more lucid than he’s been in years,” John replied.

  “Please don’t tell me that Anna gave the poor man a heart attack,” Bessie exclaimed as the idea crossed her mind.

  “According to Anna, he was fine when she left,” John said. “Apparently, a short time later his heart simply stopped.”

  “Maybe, having confessed, he was finally at peace,” Doona suggested.

  “What did he say, exactly?” Bessie demanded.

  John shook his head. “I haven’t seen Anna’s report yet. She’s submitted it directly to the Chief Constable and he’s going to rule on whether the confession is valid or not.”

  “Poor Fenella,” Bessie said.

  “But what happened at the farm today?” John asked. “Did Nicholas remember Jacob?”

  “He claimed he didn’t, at least not really,” Bessie replied. “But I think he was lying. Perhaps, now that Niall is dead, everyone up there will start being more honest.”

  “They all think Niall killed him, then?” John asked.

  “Fenella does,” Bessie said, feeling sad. “She even supplied a motive.”

  “Did she now?” John pulled out his notebook. “Go on.”

  “You know how Jane Harris said that her brother was looking for a wife? Apparently he was planning on taking Fenella back with him,” Bessie said. “He was going to collect her at the farm after he left the pub, but he never arrived.”

  “And her father knew about it?” Hugh wanted to know.

  “Yes. She said he was very upset.”

  “Maybe just upset enough to get into a fight with the man,” Doona suggested. “Maybe he killed him accidently in a fight.”

  “I don’t think we’ll ever know exactly what happened that night,” John said. “But I like that scenario better than cold-blooded murder.”

  “Fenella doesn’t want anyone to know about her and Jacob,” Bessie said. “She doesn’t want to upset Eoin. He isn’t well.”

  “I’m not sure how we can keep that a secret,” John said. “But maybe, with Niall dead, it doesn’t really matter.”

  “If he did confess, and the confession is valid, then maybe everything else can be kept quiet,” Bessie suggested.

  “I’ll make sure I talk to Eoin and Fenella separately,” John told her. “I can try not to mention motives to Eoin.”

  “I’m having a hard time with this,” Bessie said. “I knew Niall for a great many years. I can’t see him killing anyone.”

  “Jacob was going to take away his precious daughter,” Doona said. “And maybe he didn’t trust the man to actually marry Fenella.”

  “That’s an interesting point,” Bessie mused. “If he did want to marry Fenella, why couldn’t they get married here, before they went across?”

  “Would it have been a huge scandal?” Hugh asked. “If she’d run off with him and they’d not ended up getting married?”

  “Oh, yes,” B
essie replied. “Girls didn’t travel unaccompanied with men in those days. Fenella would have been taking a huge risk, going with him like that. If he’d ended up casting her aside later, goodness knows what might have happened to her.”

  “Surely she would have just come home,” Hugh said.

  “If her father would have let her,” Bessie said. “Some parents would disown daughters that behaved in such a immoral way. She may have been too embarrassed to try, though, as well. She might have ended up alone somewhere across, maybe even pregnant. It could have been a very sad situation.”

  “I’m glad those sorts of attitudes have changed,” Doona said.

  “It seems like a valid motive to me,” John said. “Whatever Niall told Anna, this certainly increases the case against him.”

  “So what happens now?” Bessie asked.

  “The Chief Constable is going to go over Anna’s report and make a decision about the confession. I’ll have to add my report after I’ve spoken to Fenella later tonight, but it seems likely, if she confirms what you’ve told me, that the Chief Constable will accept Niall’s confession and close the case.”

  Bessie nodded. “I suppose that’s for the best,” she said, “especially if you can close the case without mentioning Fenella’s relationship with Jacob to anyone.”

  “I can’t believe she kept it a secret in a village as small as Laxey,” Doona remarked. “It seems like every time I do anything everyone on my street knows about it.”

  “The farm was far enough out of town that they were able to meet without being seen,” Bessie said. “And Jacob did take out just about every other girl in town. If he had been seen out with Fenella, we all probably would have just assumed that she was his latest passing fancy, not that there was anything serious going on.”

  “I would like to know just how serious it really was,” Hugh said. “Did he seem like the type to get married and settle down?”

  Bessie thought for a moment. “I don’t know,” she said eventually. “The man I remember was loud and flashy and had a different woman on his arm every night. But his sister claims he was definitely looking for a wife, and she knew him much better than I did. Fenella certainly believes that he was serious about marrying her, anyway.”

  “I’d better get up to the Clague farm and get my interviews done,” John said after he’d glanced at the clock. “I want to have my report to the boss before midday tomorrow.”

  “I’m not sure Fenella will be up to answering questions,” Bessie said. “She was very upset when she left here.”

  “I have to try,” John told her. “Fenella has already told Anna that she isn’t welcome on the farm again. I believe Fenella blames Anna for her father’s sudden death.”

  “As well she might,” Bessie said. “I know murder is a terrible thing, but I do rather feel as if Inspector Lambert pushed poor Niall too far.”

  “That’s another matter for the Chief Constable,” John replied. “I’m just keeping my focus on doing my own job.”

  After John left, taking Doona to drop off at her home before heading to the farm, Hugh helped Bessie with the dishes and tidying.

  “You must take all the extra cakes and things,” Bessie told Hugh. “Take them over to Grace’s tomorrow evening or something.”

  “I will,” Hugh said. “Unless I eat them myself tonight.”

  Bessie laughed. “Will you ever stop being hungry all the time?” she asked the man.

  “I hope so,” Hugh replied. “But it hasn’t happened yet.”

  Bessie let him out and watched as he drove away. She was tempted to take another walk, as her mind was feeling unsettled again, but the cold and dark night felt unwelcoming. As Hugh’s taillights disappeared up the hill, a heavy rain began to fall.

  “I suppose I won’t take a walk,” Bessie muttered to herself as she shut the door tightly. She locked it and then wandered into her sitting room. Her latest half-finished novel held no appeal. After a while, she decided to head to bed with little hope of actually sleeping.

  Her sleep was restless as Bessie tossed and turned, unable to direct her thoughts away from Jacob Conover. By five o’clock, she gave up on sleep and took a long shower. It didn’t help much, but three cups of coffee seemed to take the edge off of her exhaustion. All of the caffeine left her feeling restless though, so she quickly headed out for her morning walk somewhat earlier than normal.

  The beach was dark, cold, and deserted as Bessie made her way past the holiday cottages. She’d brought a torch with her, and now she used it to help her avoid tripping over driftwood and rocks. She walked as far as Thie ny Traie and then leaned against the cliff and stared out at the sea. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn’t see Niall killing anyone. Sighing deeply, she turned and headed for home. She had to go and talk to Eoin and Fenella again; she had no choice.

  It was far too early to go visiting or even ring the farm, so Bessie busied herself with little chores around her cottage. When she found that she was cleaning her bathroom mirror with furniture polish, she decided that she’d be better off just sitting still until she was able to make the phone call she needed to make. She flipped through a magazine she’d already read, staring at the pages without seeing anything, until nine.

  “Ah, good morning,” she said as brightly as she could. “This is Bessie Cubbon. I was just ringing to make sure that everyone is okay,” she said when the phone was answered at the farm.

  “Oh, hello, Bessie. This is Sarah. We’re all doing as well as can be expected, I suppose,” was the reply.

  “I thought maybe I’d come and visit. I could bring some food or something,” Bessie said.

  “Oh, you don’t need to bring anything, but you’re welcome to come over,” Sarah told her. “I think Fenella would probably like to see you. She’s taken the news very hard.”

  “I’ll be there in about an hour,” Bessie promised.

  She quickly rang for a taxi and then wondered what to take. When the car arrived, with her favourite driver behind the wheel, Bessie instructed him to take her into the village centre first.

  “I need to pick up some sandwiches and snacks,” she told Dave.

  The little café by the police station had the order Bessie had placed by phone all ready for her. A few moments later, she was on her way to the Clague farm. Sarah answered her knock.

  “I’ve brought some sandwiches and salads,” Bessie explained, handing the woman one of the boxes. “Everything can go in the refrigerator and people can just nibble when they have an appetite.”

  “How incredibly thoughtful of you,” Sarah said. “That’s exactly what we need. Please come in.”

  Bessie followed the woman into the kitchen, carrying the other box of food. Together they managed to fit everything into the refrigerator.

  “That was very kind of you,” Sarah said.

  “Do you think Fenella would like to see me?” Bessie asked.

  “I can go and see,” Sarah offered.

  Bessie sat down at the table while she waited. She didn’t want to upset Fenella any further, but she also didn’t want the wrong person blamed for murder. A moment later, the door behind Bessie swung open.

  “Oh, I didn’t know you were here,” Eoin said from the doorway.

  Bessie turned and gave him a sympathetic smile. “How are you?” she asked.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “Niall was like a second father to me, you know. I’m going to miss him, although he’s been gone a long time already, really.”

  Bessie nodded. “It’s such a shame his health was so bad these last few years,” she said.

  “Aye, it was hard on Fenella, going to see him and him not remembering her,” Eoin replied.

  “And that made it hard for you, because you love her,” Bessie said.

  “I do,” Eoin nodded. “I’ve loved her since the first time I laid eyes on her, when she was only about twelve and I shouldn’t have been looking at her.”

  Bessie smiled. “You had to wait a long t
ime before you could tell her, then,” she suggested.

  “I did,” Eoin nodded. “I waited until she was eighteen to start courting her properly and it took me nearly two years to win her heart. It was worth it all, though.”

  “You would have been devastated to lose her,” Bessie said softly. “If she’d found another man before you’d spoken up, for example.”

  Eoin sat down next to Bessie at the table. “I knew you’d worked it all out,” he told her. “But you mustn’t tell Fen. I’ll be dead soon. It can all come out after I’m gone. It won’t hurt anything, waiting a little bit, will it?”

  Bessie stared at the man, feeling an uncomfortable mix of anger and compassion. “You killed Jacob Conover,” she said softly.

  “He was going to take her away,” Eoin replied softly. “She was my whole world, even if she didn’t know it then. I had everything planned out. We were going to get married and have a dozen kids and run the farm and look after Niall. It was going to be perfect.”

  “And then Jacob came along and swept Fenella off her feet.”

  “That man,” Eoin said bitterly. “He didn’t really care about her. He just wanted a hard worker to help run his father’s farm. All while he was filling her head with nonsense, he was going around with every other girl in Laxey. I tried to warn Fenella about him, and I warned Niall, too, but neither of them paid any attention.”

  “How did you know about them? Fenella thought no one knew.”

  “He used to sneak up here every night, or nearly every night,” Eoin said. “They would meet in different places and sit and talk about their plans. I was nursing a sick cow one night in the cattle barn. They didn’t even know I was there.”

  “And you told Niall?” Bessie asked.

  “Not right away. I started watching Fenella more closely after that. It had never occurred to me that she might meet someone else, but now I realised that I needed to keep a close eye on her. It was almost like a game, watching her and trying to work out where she might meet the man next. They had a sort of routine, anyway, and Fenella always had chores to do as well, so that made it easier to work out where they might be.”