“You knew Harvey, then?”
“Of course. He used to holiday on the island when he was younger. He was friendly with several prominent local families. If one were having a celebration, Harvey was often able to provide first-class entertainment. He managed some of the biggest bands of the seventies and eighties, you know.”
“Shelly said something about that,” Fenella replied.
“He’s a charming man, as well,” Mona continued. “We got to be quite good friends over the years. I dare say I may have influenced his decision to retire to the island.”
“Really? How good of friends?” Fenella asked. Mona’s past was something of a mystery to Fenella, although she’d heard a great many stories about the woman. The building that now housed Fenella’s apartment had once been a grand hotel, and as Fenella understood it, Mona had once lived in one of the hotel’s luxurious suites. The woman had had no visible means of support, which had led to a great deal of speculation and gossip. When the hotel was converted into luxury apartments, Mona had either purchased or been given the largest apartment in the building. Fenella hadn’t known any of this when she’d inherited that apartment.
“We were very close,” Mona said, waving a hand. “He had a good deal of money and he spent it lavishly. He often took groups of people to see his bands perform at venues around the world.”
“How exciting,” Fenella said, slightly jealous of her aunt’s incredible life.
“It was exciting,” Mona agreed. “Harvey and I often reminisced about such things when we had dinner together once he’d retired.”
“So you were still friends?”
“My dear, I never lost a friend in my life,” Mona said. “Harvey was good company and we had a shared history. We used to have dinner together at least once or twice a month. I often ate with him at his flat, as that way he didn’t have to worry about leaving Winston at home alone.”
Fenella glanced at the dog when Mona said his name, but he appeared to still be fast asleep. “Do you have any idea what might have happened to him?” she asked her aunt.
“None at all, and I’m quite worried. He was a very independent person, never marrying and rarely staying in a relationship for terribly long, but once he found Winston, he changed a great deal. He and Winston were inseparable, and actually I’m terribly worried about him.”
“There isn’t any way you can check to see if he’s okay, is there?” Fenella asked, feeling foolish and fully expecting her aunt to laugh at the idea.
“I truly wish there were,” Mona replied. “I’d love to be able to check on the poor man. If he has passed, then you could work on finding a good home for Winston. Unfortunately, I don’t know any more than you do at this point.”
Clearly Mona was more worried than she’d realized, Fenella thought. Her aunt rarely gave up an opportunity to tease Fenella about how things worked in the afterlife. “Hopefully, Daniel will be able to find Harvey quickly,” she said.
“Except he’s going to turn the case over to Gloria Hunt,” Mona said. “Which isn’t a bad thing, actually.”
“Who is Gloria Hunt?” Fenella asked, feeling confused.
“Inspector Gloria Hunt is the head of the missing persons department in Douglas,” Mona explained. “That probably isn’t her proper title, but that’s what she does. She finds people who have been reported missing and she has a very high success rate.”
“That’s good to hear. Maybe I won’t be stuck with Winston forever.”
“Woof,” Winston said from his spot in the sun.
“There’s no need to hurt the poor animal’s feelings,” Mona said. “It isn’t his fault that Harvey’s gone missing.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings,” Fenella replied. “I’m just not looking for another pet, at least not right now.”
“I’m sure Winston isn’t looking for another owner, either. But he’s stuck with you.”
Winston got to his feet slowly, stepping carefully so as not to disturb Katie. He walked over to Fenella and rubbed his head against her leg.
Fenella petted him gently. “I don’t mind keeping you for a short while,” she said as he gazed at her with sad eyes. “But I really hope Harvey is found quickly.”
“I do as well, although I do think Winston makes the flat feel cozier,” Mona said. “Maybe, once Harvey is found, you should consider adopting a dog from the animal shelter.”
“I don’t think I need another pet,” Fenella countered. “Katie is enough hard work.”
Mona nodded. “She’s a good kitten, though, and she’s been kind and welcoming to poor Winston.”
“She has. I must give her some extra treats to thank her.”
Katie suddenly sat up and blinked several times. She jumped up and raced to the kitchen, shouting loudly.
“I believe she’d like some of those treats now,” Mona said with a chuckle.
“I think you’re right.” Fenella gave the tiny animal a handful of her favorite treats and then gave both animals some fresh water and their midday meal. While she was in the kitchen, she made herself a bowl of soup and some toast, which was about all she could manage until Shelly returned with the shopping. She’d only just finished eating when someone knocked on her door.
Winston raced to the door and began to bark loudly as Fenella crossed the room. “Do hush,” she told the dog as she opened the door to Shelly and Peter.
“He’s a bit noisy when he’s excited,” Shelly remarked as she carried several bags of shopping into Fenella’s kitchen.
“I won’t be popular with the neighbors, will I?” Fenella asked.
“As I live on one side and Peter lives on the other, you might just be okay,” Shelly replied with a laugh.
“I won’t be complaining,” Peter told her as he piled more shopping bags on her counter. “And I can take the beast off your hands for a break once in a while if you need me to, as well.”
“I’m hoping he won’t be here long enough for me to need a break,” Fenella said. Everyone pitched in and helped Fenella unpack and put away the shopping.
“There seems to be a good deal more here than I had on my list,” she commented as she filled her refrigerator.
“I didn’t think you had enough time to make a proper list, so I added in a few things I thought you’d probably want but hadn’t thought of,” Shelly told her.
“How much do I owe you?” Fenella asked.
“Peter paid for everything. You’ll have to take that up with him,” Shelly replied.
“Is that the time?” Peter asked. “I really must get back to the office.” He disappeared through the apartment’s front door before Fenella could speak.
“It’s a good thing I know where he lives,” Fenella muttered as the door swung shut behind the man.
Shelly laughed. “We’re both hugely grateful to you for looking after Winston,” she said. “Harvey is a good person, and we all know how much he loves that animal. He’ll be devastated if he gets back and finds out that Winston ended up in a shelter, feeling alone and unloved.”
“I wouldn’t want that to happen,” Fenella said.
“It’s a shame Harvey is too old for you,” Mona said from where she was sitting in the living room. “If you married him, we could keep Winston.”
Fenella opened her mouth to reply and then remembered that Shelly couldn’t see or hear the other woman. She snapped her mouth shut and settled for rolling her eyes at Mona. Fenella had been involved with Jack for over ten years, although the relationship hadn’t been what Fenella would have called a particularly happy or romantic one. When she’d moved to the island, she’d broken up with the man, although he seemed to be struggling to accept that fact even now. Mona seemed eager for Fenella to get involved with another man, even though Fenella favored taking things slowly. Suggesting that Fenella marry someone who was eighty-three was a bit too much, even for Mona, though.
Winston had been wandering back and forth around the room; now he stared out the wind
ow and began to bark.
“What’s wrong?” Fenella asked, looking out to see what he could see. There were a few people walking along the promenade and others on the beach, but Fenella couldn’t spot anything that looked like it might have upset the dog.
“Maybe he thinks he sees Harvey,” Shelly suggested, joining Fenella and Winston at the window. She peered out. “I don’t see anyone that looks anything like him, though.”
“I wonder if he’s just lonely or sad,” Fenella said.
“Maybe he needs to go out to do what dogs do,” Mona suggested.
Fenella flushed. She hadn’t thought of that. “Maybe he needs to, um, go outside,” she said to Shelly.
“Oh, yes, of course,” Shelly agreed. “We’ll need a bag to clean up after him.”
Fenella had even more reason to be glad that her friends had gone shopping for her, as she grabbed a plastic bag from the neat pile Shelly had made as they’d unpacked the groceries.
“I’m not sure about this,” Fenella said as she, Shelly and Winston rode the elevator down to the lobby. “I’ve never cleaned up after a dog before.”
“Jeff gave me some pointers,” Shelly said. “And a small plastic spade.”
“Thank you, Jeff,” Fenella muttered as the trio crossed the road to the beach with Winston firmly clipped to the leash that Shelly had borrowed.
Once Winston had taken care of business and Shelly had sorted out the resulting mess, it became clear that the dog was in no hurry to get back to his temporary home. He pulled on the leash, struggling to get closer to the sea.
“I think he needs some exercise,” Fenella said after a moment. “I’m going to have to walk him for a while, aren’t I?”
“I think so,” Shelly replied. “He has far too much energy to just go back up to the flat.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have let him nap,” Fenella muttered to herself as the trio turned and began a brisk walk down the promenade. Winston pulled at the leash whenever they passed stairs that led down to the beach, but Fenella had already had to clean herself up after his last trip into the sand. She didn’t want to have to do that again. They walked to the end of the promenade and back again. Winston finally began to show signs of settling down when they were only a few yards away from home.
“Do you think he’s tired enough?” Fenella asked.
“I certainly hope so,” Shelly replied. “I’m exhausted, especially after our walk this morning.”
“Yes, I’ve had quite enough sea air and exercise for today,” Fenella agreed. “But I’ll bet Winston will want at least one more walk this evening.”
“He will,” Shelly agreed. “But maybe Peter would like an outing.”
Fenella nodded. “Let’s hope so,” she said.
They walked back into their building, across the lobby, and into the nearest elevator. When its doors opened on the sixth floor, Daniel was standing in front of them.
“Ah, there you are,” he said.
“We had to take Winston out for a walk,” Fenella explained.
“I should have thought of that,” Daniel said.
“Do you have any news for us?” Shelly asked anxiously.
“I haven’t found Harvey,” Daniel told her. “I’d like you to speak to Inspector Hunt. You should file an official missing person report.”
3
“Okay,” Shelly said, sounding doubtful.
Winston barked as someone walked out of one of the other apartments on the floor. Fenella knew she’d met the man, but she couldn’t remember his name or anything about him.
“What a huge dog,” the man remarked as he walked toward them. “He looks like Harvey’s Winston.”
“He is Harvey’s Winston,” Shelly said.
“Then what is he doing with you? Harvey never lets Winston out of his sight,” the man replied.
“Harvey is missing,” Shelly said. “We’re going to file a police report about it.”
“At least if you’re looking after him, Winston is in good hands,” the man said. He stood there for a moment and then grinned. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get on the lift?”
Everyone chuckled and then Daniel stepped back to let Fenella, Shelly, and Winston out of the elevator. They headed toward Fenella’s apartment as the man boarded the now empty car.
“I couldn’t for the life of me remember his name,” Fenella whispered to Shelly as the doors closed behind the man.
“That’s George Steele,” Shelly replied. “I’m sure I introduced you to him a while back. He lives across the hall from me.”
“You did introduce me, but I completely forgot his name,” Fenella said with a sigh. “I used to be good at remembering people. Maybe I’m getting old.”
“I suspect the problem is more that you’re in a strange place, meeting a great many new people all of the time,” Daniel said. “I have the same problem at the moment, although I get to take notes on everyone connected with my cases, which helps.”
Fenella smiled at him as she opened her door. She wasn’t sure he was right, but he’d made her feel better, anyway.
“George is a lovely man,” Shelly continued. “He and his wife have a large house somewhere in Onchan, but apparently they have a difficult relationship. He comes and stays in his flat here whenever she’s angry with him, which is just about every other day, from what I’ve seen.”
“Have you ever met her?” Fenella asked.
“I have, and she’s lovely too,” Shelly said. “I can’t begin to imagine what they find to fight about, really. They both seem far too nice to argue about anything.”
“Perhaps they’re both very different when they’re at home together,” Daniel suggested.
“They must be,” Shelly said with a shrug.
Inside the apartment, Fenella unclipped Winston’s leash. The dog immediately made his way into the kitchen.
“He probably wants more water,” Fenella said, following the animal. She refilled both water bowls and added a bit more food to both food dishes as well. That should keep both of them happy for a few minutes, she thought as she rejoined Daniel and Shelly.
“I’ll ring Inspector Hunt and see if she can join us here,” Daniel said. “I’d rather not make you go down to the station to file the report.”
“Are you sure it won’t be a problem for the inspector?” Shelly asked. “I don’t want special treatment just because we’re friends.”
“Would you rather go down to the station?” Daniel asked.
“Oh, no,” Shelly replied. “But I also don’t want to inconvenience anyone.”
“Gloria spends a lot of her time in the field,” Daniel explained. “She’ll probably be happy to talk to you here. The interview rooms at the station are dark and depressing.”
He pulled out his mobile and turned his back on the two women. Shelly walked over to the nearest chair and dropped into it. Fenella took a seat on the couch next to her.
“Are you okay?” she asked Shelly.
“I think so,” Shelly replied. “Talking to Daniel wasn’t a big deal, but filing an official missing person report feels, well, rather more serious. And I’m starting to really worry about Harvey, as well. When we first found Winston, I assumed we’d hear from Harvey within a few minutes, but it’s been hours and he’s still missing.”
“All the more reason to talk to Inspector Hunt,” Fenella said. “I’ve heard she’s very good at her job.”
“From whom?” Shelly asked.
Fenella opened her mouth and then shut it again when she remembered that it was Mona who’d told her about the woman. She couldn’t very well tell Shelly that. “I can’t recall,” she muttered after a moment. “Probably Daniel.”
Shelly nodded. “I hope he’s right. I really want Harvey found quickly.”
“So do I,” Fenella said, glancing into the kitchen where Winston was sprawled across the floor.
“I am sorry about saddling you with him,” Shelly said. “If you would rather, you can have Smokey a
nd I’ll have Winston.”
“He’s fine for now,” Fenella said. “But don’t be surprised if I take you up on that offer before too much longer.”
Daniel dropped his phone into a pocket. “Gloria will be here in a few minutes,” he said. “She’ll take your statement and then she and I will visit Harvey’s flat together.”
“Would you like some tea or coffee while we wait?” Fenella asked, getting to her feet.
“I’d love a cup of tea,” Shelly said quickly.
Fenella put the kettle on and poured a box of chocolate-covered cookies onto a plate. She put the plate on the counter in front of Daniel and Shelly, who’d taken seats at the bar stools there.
“These are good,” Shelly remarked after she’d eaten one of the sweet treats.
“As you or Peter selected them and Peter paid for them, I can’t take any of the credit,” Fenella laughed.
The knock on the door sounded at the same moment the kettle boiled.
“I can get the door, if you would like,” Shelly offered.
“Thanks,” Fenella said. “I’ll have your tea ready when you get back.”
Winston barked twice at the new arrival before he let her scratch him behind the ears. Fenella poured tea for everyone as the inspector and Shelly made their way to the kitchen.
Daniel performed the introductions as Fenella inspected the new arrival. Gloria Hunt was a pretty brunette with green eyes. She was petite, probably not much over five feet tall, and slender. Fenella would have guessed her age at around forty. The woman’s smile as she shook Fenella’s hand was warm and friendly.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “Please call me Gloria. I’m sorry to hear that your friend is missing.”
“He’s Shelly’s friend,” Fenella clarified. “I’ve never actually met the man.”
“And this is his dog?” Gloria asked as Winston rubbed against her.
“Yes, he’s very affectionate with everyone he meets,” Fenella said.
“He must be well-treated to be so trusting,” Gloria commented.
An Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Collection - DEF Page 4
