A few moments later, Gerald wiped his mouth on his paper napkin. “I’m sorry, my dear, but I really must go,” he told Nancy. “I need to catch a train in Derby in an hour.”
“I hope you have a successful trip,” Nancy said.
“I’m expecting it to be quite successful for both of us,” Gerald told her. “You should be planning how you’re going to spend your windfall.”
Nancy smiled. “I have so many little things that need doing around my house, the extra money won’t last long.”
“Well, if I’m right, there’ll be more where this came from,” Gerald said. He stood up from the table and then sat back down. “I hope you’ll miss me, just a little bit,” he whispered to Nancy.
She blushed and then giggled. “Of course I will,” she said in a whisper that Janet could only just hear.
Gerald took her hand and pressed it to his chest. “I’ll be thinking about you,” he told her. Before Nancy could reply, he let go of her hand and turned and left the café.
Janet sat back in her seat and watched him go. What on earth was that all about, she wondered. As Nancy picked up her fork and continued eating, Janet went back to her book. She was interrupted again a few minutes later.
“Are you all finished?” Ted asked Nancy.
“Oh, yes, thank you,” Nancy replied.
“I’ll just leave this with you,” Ted told her.
Nancy shook her head. “But Gerald said he’d pay for lunch,” she said.
“Maybe he forgot,” Ted suggested.
“That must be it,” Nancy agreed. Janet watched as the woman dug around in her handbag for the money to pay the bill. As Nancy got up to leave, Janet stared hard at the book in front of her. The next time she looked up, the café’s door was closing behind Nancy.
Janet was eager to get home and discuss the whole matter with Joan, but of course, Joan was out with Michael. As Janet paced around the empty house, she chatted to Aggie.
“What could Gerald have been talking about?” she asked her furry friend.
Aggie stared at her and then blinked.
“I hope he isn’t cheating Nancy in some way,” Janet said. “There was definitely something odd about the man.”
“Merrow,” Aggie told her.
“He didn’t seem like the type to settle in Doveby Dale. He looked as if he’d be much happier in London or another big city.”
Aggie left her perch on top of a table and walked over to Janet. She wound her way through Janet’s legs, demanding attention.
“You win,” Janet said with a laugh. “Let’s go in the library and have a cuddle.”
Janet sank down into the house’s most comfortable chair and Aggie quickly jumped up into her lap. “You’ll miss Paul this weekend,” Janet told the kitten. “I’ll have to remember to give you extra love.”
Aggie purred under her hand. Janet sat back in the chair and sighed. Talking with Aggie hadn’t helped much. She really wanted to share what she’d overheard with Joan. Failing that, with just about anyone, really.
When her mobile rang, Janet jumped up. Aggie gave her a disgusted look and raced away to chase her tail or a shadow for a while.
“Janet? I’ve been trying to find time to ring you for weeks,” Edward Bennett’s voice came down the line. “Things are a bit crazy here. I’m not sure if you’ve been following the news in, oh, but never mind. I’d much rather talk about you, anyway.”
Edward Bennett had been the sisters’ first paying guest, having turned up on their doorstep unannounced, claiming to have been friends with the previous owner, Maggie Appleton. Janet had found herself attracted to the man, even though she didn’t entirely trust him. Before he’d left he’d told Janet that he worked for the government in some sort of secret capacity. Although technically retired, he still travelled around the world doing things he couldn’t discuss. Since his stay, he’d bought Janet an expensive painting that she’d admired, sent his sister to stay at Doveby House, and surprised Janet with a kitten.
“Before we talk about anything else, thank you, I think, for Aggie,” Janet replied.
“Aggie?” Edward echoed.
“I’ve named the kitten you gave me Agatha Christie,” Janet explained.
Edward chuckled. “That shouldn’t surprise me, should it?” he asked. “I hope you like her.”
“Most of the time,” Janet replied. “She wakes me up too early, but otherwise she’s great fun. Joan isn’t as fond of her as I am, of course.”
“She isn’t Joan’s kitten,” Edward replied.
“No, and doesn’t she know it,” Janet laughed.
“So tell me all about everything that’s happening in Doveby Dale,” Edward suggested.
“There isn’t much to tell,” Janet said. She mentioned the new owner of the local garage and a few other bits of local gossip before telling Edward about the Doveby Dale Ladies’ Club meeting and what she’d overheard at lunch.
“Interesting,” Edward said, his voice thoughtful.
“Joan is out, so I can’t discuss it all with her,” Janet said. “But something seems odd to me.”
“I don’t suppose you know anything more than Gerald’s Christian name,” Edward replied.
“I don’t,” Janet said. “I’m sure I’ll find out on Friday, though.”
“I’m sure that’s soon enough,” Edward said. “Even if he is up to something, it sounds as if he’s planning to be around for a while.”
“I just worry about Nancy.”
“If she’s a particularly good friend, you might want to try to find a way to warn her,” Edward suggested. “I can’t imagine how you’d do it without letting her know you overheard her conversation in the café, but it might be worth considering.”
“She isn’t a good friend,” Janet replied. “But I still don’t want to see her heart broken or her money stolen.”
“At this point it might be best to wait a little while and see what happens next,” Edward told her. “Gerald might be completely harmless. You’re probably better off not getting involved at this stage.”
Joan didn’t agree with Edward’s advice when Janet talked with her that evening.
“I think you should ring Nancy and tell her that you’re worried by what you heard,” Joan said. “Goodness knows what the man is planning, but it doesn’t sound good.”
“I should have made sure that Nancy knew I was there,” Janet said. “She would have introduced me to the man and then Edward could investigate him properly.”
“But you didn’t,” Joan replied. “Now you have to work out how to help your friend. Maybe you should ring Robert and tell him about it.”
“I’d hate to bother Robert with something that might be nothing,” Janet said pensively.
She was still thinking about what to do when she went to bed. She didn’t want Nancy to know that she’d overheard the conversation in the café, but she did feel as if she should say something to the woman about her suspicions.
“You don’t know how lucky you are,” she told Aggie as they snuggled under the duvet. “Cats don’t have these problems.”
Aggie meowed softly and then began licking her paws. “It isn’t bath time,” Janet said. “It’s time for sleep.”
Aggie just looked at her and carried on. Janet sighed and switched off the light. She shut her eyes, but she could still feel the covers moving as the kitten moved around, cleaning herself.
“Go to sleep,” Janet said tiredly.
“Merrrowwwww,” Aggie replied.
Chapter Five
Janet still hadn’t decided what to do by Monday morning. Joan kept giving her pointed hints, but Janet was quite happy to simply ignore them. Paul had arrived back at Doveby House sometime after midnight, so he was a bit blurry-eyed over breakfast.
“I think I need more coffee,” he told Joan as she prepared his meal.
“I can start another pot,” Janet offered. She’d already eaten and fed Aggie. If she could keep busy, she wouldn’t have to think ab
out Nancy.
“I’ll be back by six,” Paul told Aggie as he rubbed her tummy and scratched her ears. “Make sure you get lots of rest today so you’ll be ready to play when I get here.”
Janet laughed. “She’ll be ready,” she said.
Joan and Janet were still clearing away the breakfast dishes when the telephone rang.
“Hello?” Janet said.
“Janet? It’s William Chalmers. How are you?”
Janet blushed and nearly dropped the receiver. William owned the small antiques and collectables shop where Paul worked. The sisters had disliked the man when they’d first met him, but over time they’d become friendlier towards him. In recent weeks, he begun to hint that he might like to be more than just friends with Janet, asking her have dinner with him on more than one occasion. As Janet wasn’t sure what she wanted to do about the man, she tended to try to avoid him. If Edward hadn’t been in the picture, she would probably have already agreed to at least one dinner.
“What can I do for you?” she asked now, hoping that he was ringing about something else altogether.
“I have to drive down to Derby today,” he said. “A shop there has a piece that I’ve been trying to find for a client. As it’s a lovely day, I thought I might stop for lunch on the way back. I was hoping you might like to join me?”
“For lunch?” Janet asked, feeling confused.
“You keep finding excuses when I ask you to have dinner with me,” William said. “I thought lunch might feel less worrying.”
Janet thought about that for a moment. “It does, rather,” she finally admitted.
“So I’ll collect you in half an hour,” William replied. He disconnected before Janet could object.
“I’m having lunch with William,” Janet told Joan, feeling a bit dazed.
“That’s nice,” Joan replied.
“I hope it will be,” Janet said.
She didn’t have much time to get ready, so she didn’t bother to do much more than change her comfortable trousers for a dressier pair and apply a bit of makeup.
“You won’t tell Edward, will you?” she asked Aggie as the kitten watched her brush on a layer of powder.
Aggie stared at her for a moment and then winked, leaving Janet feeling as if the animal understood far too much of what was said to her. Shaking her head, she headed down to watch for William’s car.
“It’s very nice today, for February,” she said politely as William pointed the car towards Derby.
“It is,” William agreed. “That’s why I decided to make the trip to Derby today. I need to do it one day this week and I’d rather not drive that far when it’s raining.”
“Very sensible,” Janet agreed.
They talked about the weather and William’s shop for a while before the conversation turned to Paul.
“He’s such a very nice young man,” Janet said.
“And he’s proving very good at his job,” William told her. “It took him some time to settle in, but he’s worked very hard to learn everything he can about the business. I’ll be sorry to see him go next month.”
“Must he go?” Janet asked.
“I’d keep him on, if I could,” William replied. “His being here makes my life much easier. Before he came, I was at the shop all day, every day. Now we can split the hours between us and I can have a day off now and again or even drive into Derby and have a nice lunch with a friend.”
Janet felt herself blushing as he glanced over at her. “Aggie is very fond of Paul, as well,” Janet said.
“Unfortunately, the shop simply doesn’t do enough business to support two people,” William told her, looking slightly sheepish. “If I’m honest, it barely does enough to cover the cost of renting the space some months. We did better over Christmas, but now things have gone rather quiet. Paul’s father has been supporting Paul while he’s been here, but he’s given him until the end of April and then he wants him back in London.”
“I suppose that’s better for Paul,” Janet said with a sigh. “Surely he’ll have much better job prospects there.”
“Oh, he’ll go back to work for his father,” William said. “His father has a chain of shops around the country. Paul grew up in the lap of luxury and never had to work for a living. Sending him up here was his father’s way of giving him a shock. He wanted Paul to appreciate what life is like for more ordinary people.”
“Well, you can’t get much more ordinary than me and Joan,” Janet laughed.
“I don’t know,” William said softly. “I think you’re quite extraordinary.”
Janet blushed and looked out the side window. She was too embarrassed to speak for some miles. It was only when William pulled into the car park at the large warehouse-type building that she spoke.
“Why are we here, again?” she asked.
“I have a client who’s looking for a very particular piece of old Edwardian jewellery,” he replied. “And they think they have exactly what she wants here.”
Janet followed the man through the large doors at the front of the building. As they walked in, Janet gasped.
“How can they find anything in here?” she asked, looking around at the huge space that was jam packed with everything from furniture to what looked like car parts and even a motorbike.
“Stanley, the owner, knows exactly what he has and exactly where it is,” William assured her. “I’ve bought a great deal from him over the last three months and every single client I’ve purchased something for has been thrilled.”
“Ah, William, nice of you to drop in,” a loud voice called from somewhere behind a long row of wardrobes.
Janet watched as a heavyset man in his fifties made his way towards them. He had to keep changing direction as he moved in and out around sofas and tables and bookcases, but he moved nimbly and quickly through the space. Clearly he’d had a great deal of practice at it.
“Good morning,” the man said to Janet. “Are you the lovely lady who’s interested in the jewellery?”
“This is a friend of mine who came along for the ride,” William corrected him. “Janet, this is Stanley Moore, Stanley, meet Janet Markham.”
“It’s a real pleasure,” Stanley said, offering his hand. When Janet took it, he turned his and lifted her hand to his lips.
Janet was annoyed with herself when she realised she was blushing.
“Any friend of William’s is a friend of mine,” he said in what Janet could only assume he thought was a sexy voice.
“Hmm,” she murmured, pulling her hand away as soon as she could do so politely.
“What do you have for me, then?” William asked.
“Follow me,” Stanley said. He turned and led the pair through the maze and into a small room near the back that was full of glass display cases. While William and Stanley talked, Janet went from case to case, enchanted by the beautiful jewellery displayed there.
“Can I show you anything?” a young woman asked after several minutes.
“Oh, no,” Janet said firmly. “I’m just enjoying looking.”
The girl nodded and then went back to cleaning the tops of the cases with glass cleaner. Janet tucked her hands into her pockets so that she wasn’t tempted to touch anything. She didn’t want to make more work for the poor girl.
“Do you see anything you like?” William asked a few minutes later.
“Everything and nothing,” Janet answered with a laugh. “I don’t wear much jewellery, really, but some of it is lovely.”
“I do like the necklace you’re wearing,” William told her.
Janet touched the silver filigree chain around her neck. She’d found it inside a hollowed-out book in the library at Doveby House and she’d worn it ever since.
“I could get you a few quid for that, if you ever want to sell it,” Stanley said.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t sell it,” Janet said quickly. “I’m very fond of it.”
Stanley nodded. “My wife is like that,” he said. “She comes in here all
the time and takes half a dozen pieces home with her. I never can get her to part with them once she’s taken them home, either. I keep telling her she needs to grow another head so she’ll have an extra neck and two more ears so she can start wearing more of the jewellery she’s taken.”
Janet laughed and then turned to William. “Are we all done here?” she asked.
“We are,” he confirmed. “Unless you want to look around?”
“Actually, I’d love to,” Janet told him.
Stanley slowly walked them through the entire warehouse, stopping to point out some of the most interesting pieces he had.
“That looks just like the wardrobe in my bedroom,” Janet exclaimed at one point.
“If it is the same, it’s a really nice one,” Stanley told her.
Janet glanced at the price tag on the wardrobe and her eyes went wide. “Maybe mine is a cheap copy,” she muttered.
“I take it you inherited it?” Stanley asked.
“Sort of,” Janet replied. “We purchased our home fully furnished, and it came with the house.”
“Not Doveby House?” Stanley asked.
“Yes, Doveby House,” Janet told him. “My sister Joan and I bought it and are running the bed and breakfast now.”
“Maggie Appleton was one of my best customers,” Stanley told her. “You should have quite a lot of extra insurance on the furniture in that house. There are some very valuable antiques there, including your wardrobe.”
“Oh, dear,” Janet said. “Joan handles such things. I’ll have to remember to mention it to her.”
With the tour over, William and Janet made their way back to the car.
“So, what sounds good for lunch?” William asked after they were both buckled in.
“I don’t know much about this part of Derby,” Janet said. “Or any part of Derby, for that matter. If you come up here often, you are more than welcome to choose.”
William nodded. “There’s an excellent traditional British pub not far away and there’s also an excellent Chinese restaurant. Which one sounds better to you?”
“Oh, British pub,” Janet said. “But that’s just a random choice. If you’d prefer Chinese, we can do that.”
“No, I quite fancy cottage pie, or a something similar,” William replied. “Crown and Cow, here we come.”
The Green Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 7) Page 4
