“I feel guilty eating these,” Shelly said as she took a second one. “The extra food was meant to go to the homeless shelter. I’m sure they would have loved these.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I was kidding about them being left in my boot. I bought them at the bakery near the station on my way here,” Daniel told her.
“It makes me feel so much better, I might have to have a third,” Shelly laughed.
Everyone pitched in to help with the dishes and tidying the kitchen. When they were done, Shelly glanced at Fenella.
“You haven’t been to the pub in ages,” she said.
“I haven’t, have I?” Fenella grinned.
“Neither have I,” Daniel said. “And I think it might be exactly what I need tonight.”
“I know it’s what I need,” Peter said.
“Give me two minutes to fix my hair and makeup and give Smokey some dinner,” Shelly said. “I’ll be right back.” She dashed out.
Fenella made sure that Katie had full dishes before she ran a brush through her hair and reapplied her lipstick. “That’s good enough,” she told her reflection.
“Pull your hair up and powder your nose,” Mona said softly from behind her.
“I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard,” Fenella protested as she dug around for a rubber band or something for her hair.
“Just twist it once and pin it in place with the clip in the bottom drawer,” Mona suggested.
“What clip?” Fenella asked. She pulled open the bottom drawer and found a large gold-colored clip that she would swear she’d never seen before. A moment later it was holding her hair in a casual twist that Fenella thought made her look casually glamorous, if there was such a thing. She patted some powder onto her nose and then added a touch of shimmery eye shadow and a darker lipstick to her face.
“That’s much better,” Mona said happily.
Fenella had to admit that her aunt was right. The extra bit of effort had made a huge difference, not only to her appearance, but also to how she felt. An ordinary visit to her local pub now felt like a Saturday night out.
“You look great,” Peter said when she rejoined the men a moment later.
Daniel had been looking out the window. He turned around and smiled warmly at Fenella. “I like your hair like that,” he said softly.
Fenella felt herself blush as she grabbed her handbag. Shelly’s return saved her from having to reply.
“You’ve found Mona’s magic hair clip,” she said when she saw Fenella.
“Magic?” Fenella echoed.
“I used to call it that because whenever Mona used it, her hair stayed perfectly in place all night long. But actually, no matter what Mona did with her hair and makeup, they always stayed perfect, even when we were caught in the rain or high winds. Maybe it was just Mona who was magic.”
Fenella glanced over at her aunt, but the woman was looking at the books on the nearby bookshelf and seemingly hadn’t heard Shelly’s comments.
“No doubt my hair will start falling out of the clip before we get to the pub,” Fenella laughed. “But at least I tried.”
The foursome headed out, chatting easily amongst themselves about nothing much at all. The pub was only a short distance away. Fenella took deep breaths of the warm June sea-scented air as they walked.
“Gordon rang while I was getting changed,” Shelly said in the doorway. “I hope no one minds, but I invited him to join us.”
“Of course we don’t mind,” Fenella answered. She took a few steps inside the building and then stopped to look around the large room. It had been several days since she’d been there and she was delighted to be back.
The Tale and Tail had once been the private library in what had been a seaside mansion on the promenade. When the wealthy owners sold the property, the bulk of the mansion had been turned into a luxury hotel. The library, however, was kept more or less intact. The space had been turned into an incredible pub, with books lining the walls and with a handful of resident cats occupying quiet corners.
Tonight the pub was busier than Fenella had ever seen it before. The lines of customers at the bar were several people deep.
“Maybe we should go upstairs,” Shelly suggested. “Once we’ve managed to get some drinks, if we can.”
The large bar in the center of the room was the only place drinks were served. The upper level held only clusters of tables and comfortable chairs.
“I wonder why it’s so busy,” Peter said as the foursome made their way further into the room.
“Ever since that article about the place appeared in the local paper, it’s been getting busier,” Shelly replied. “And it is Saturday night. Everyone goes out on a Saturday night.”
They got as close as they could to the bar. “I suppose we’ll have to wait here for a small opening in the crowd to appear,” Peter said, shrugging.
The door behind them swung open again. Fenella sighed as Donald Donaldson walked into the pub. She’d been looking forward to a quiet evening with Daniel and her other friends. Donald was a complication.
As the man made his way through the room, several people turned to greet him. When he reached Fenella and her friends, the crowd around them moved apart, leaving Donald a clear path to the bar. He smiled at Fenella. “What can I get you all?” he asked.
“How did he do that?” Shelly whispered to Fenella as Donald ordered their drinks.
“I’ve no idea. I suppose he’s just that important,” Fenella replied, feeling slightly annoyed with the whole situation.
Drinks in hand, the little group moved away from the bar. “Should we try upstairs?” Peter asked.
“It’s probably full,” Shelly replied.
“I’m sure we can find a few seats together,” Donald said confidently. He strode across the room to the winding staircase that led to the upper level. By the time Fenella and the others had followed, he’d somehow located several unoccupied couches and chairs and arranged them around a small table. Fenella sank onto one of the couches and ran a hand over the nearest bookshelf. As much as she enjoyed the company of her friends, she wouldn’t be at all disappointed if they all left her there for an hour or two.
Donald sat down next to her and slid an arm around her shoulders. “You look wonderful tonight,” he whispered in her ear. “Wearing your hair that way suits you.”
“Thank you,” Fenella replied, sipping wine to avoid having to say anything further.
The others had taken seats around the table and Gordon found them there only a moment later.
“I gave up on getting a drink,” he said as he sat next to Shelly. “The queues at the bar are unbelievable.”
“It won’t take long for people to get tired of this place,” Peter predicted. “As soon as the papers do another feature on some other pub, most of this crowd will move on.”
“I’m in no hurry to see them go,” Donald said. “But I own several of the pub’s suppliers. All those lovely people down there are putting money in my pocket.”
“Sorry, but I hope they move on quickly,” Fenella told him. “I don’t like the place nearly as much when it’s really crowded. You probably have enough money already, anyway.”
Donald laughed. “You may be right,” he said. “Help me get rid of a bit more of it, won’t you? I’ll get the next round.”
Peter and Daniel both protested, but Donald insisted. He was only gone for a few minutes before he came back carrying a large tray full of drinks.
“I should have gone with you to help you carry everything,” Shelly said.
“I didn’t even think about that,” Fenella sighed.
“They have trays behind the bar for just that reason,” Donald replied. He put the tray in the middle of the table and sat back down next to Fenella.
“I’m afraid I must drink this quickly and then go,” he said to her. “Phoebe has arranged for me to fly back tonight so that I can accompany her to a party.”
“Aren’t you going to be rather late?”
she asked him.
“It’s only seven,” he replied. “I’ll be at the airport by half seven and in London before nine. The party won’t have started by then, and Phoebe likes to be fashionably late anyway.”
“You should be pleased that your daughter wants to spend time with you.”
“I am, but I was hoping to spend time with you tonight,” he replied. “Anyway, she’s only invited me because someone else backed out at the last minute and it isn’t the sort of party that you walk into on your own.”
Fenella wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but she simply smiled and took another sip of her wine. After a minute, he finished his drink and stood up.
“I’m afraid I have to go,” he said. He handed Peter a slip of paper. “That’s the bartender’s mobile number,” he explained. “Text him when you’re ready for your next round and he’ll get the drinks together on a tray. Someone will just have to go down and collect them.” Before anyone could do much more than say a quick thanks, Donald disappeared into the crowd.
Fenella sat back and sipped her wine, trying not to analyze what she was feeling. Daniel caught her eye and smiled. When she returned the smile, he moved over and sat where Donald had been.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
“I’m fine,” she replied. “I think my very odd week is catching up to me, that’s all. I’d only just got back from my trip across when I acquired first one and then two dogs to look after.” She shook her head. “I’m just all discombobulated.”
“That’s understandable, under the circumstances,” he told her. “I’m feeling much the same way, trying to get ready for this course. I want to take an active role in the current investigations, but I keep getting sidelined as I’m going away soon. Gloria is trying to keep me up to date on what she’s doing, but Ramsey CID prefers to keep their investigation to themselves.”
Fenella could see frustration in the man’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she told him. “Has the coroner made any final ruling on the cause of death yet?”
He shook his head. “I still think it was murder,” he admitted. “But it’s not my case.”
“Walter seems to be the only person with any motive,” Fenella said thoughtfully. “Although his motive may not have existed when Mortimer was alive.”
“Walter seems like the type to lose his temper and lash out,” Daniel said. “I can’t see him thinking clearly enough to try to hide the body.”
“I can’t help but feel that Harvey is the key to all of this,” Fenella said. “If he could remember what happened to him, I think you’d know what happened to Mortimer.”
Daniel nodded. “Gloria has interviewed him multiple times. As far as we’re aware, his memory loss is genuine.”
“What could have happened to him?” Fenella asked. “He had to be somewhere for all those days. He didn’t look like he’d been living on a park bench when I saw him.”
“No, someone had to have been looking after him,” Daniel said. “He was well-fed and clean when he suddenly appeared on the promenade.”
“But he doesn’t remember anything at all?”
“Not a thing. I have to wonder if he was drugged in some way, but I can’t imagine how or why.”
“Drugged? Who would drug an old man and take him away for several days?” Fenella asked. “What possible reason would anyone have for doing such a thing?”
“Gloria found a case in America on the internet where a doctor ran someone over while drunk driving. He took the man home and nursed him back to health and then dropped him off at the nearest shopping mall once he was recovered,” Daniel told her.
“And the man didn’t remember anything about his ordeal?”
“He remembered just enough to get the doctor arrested and put into prison, actually. He remembered crossing the road and a car coming towards him. If the doctor hadn’t had a specialist number plate, he might have managed to get away with it. As it was, the first thing the man remembered was that the car that hit him said ‘1DOC’ across the front.”
“But Harvey doesn’t even remember that much,” Fenella sighed.
“No, he doesn’t, at least not yet.”
“Do you think he’ll remember more over time?”
“He might. We’re hoping he will. Of course, whoever was behind the disappearance must be hoping he won’t.”
“Maybe there’s an innocent explanation,” Fenella suggested. “Maybe someone helped him and just doesn’t want any credit for their kindness.”
“It’s possible, but if you happened across an elderly man who didn’t know his name or where he lived, what would you do?”
“Call you,” Fenella said promptly.
Daniel laughed. “You’d ring the police, at least. I can’t imagine anyone taking him and looking after him and not ringing us.”
Fenella nodded. “You’re right, of course. I just hope he’s not still in any danger. Maybe he wandered away from his captors and they want him back.”
“We’re doing our best to keep an eye on him,” Daniel told her. “But you can’t repeat that. Leonora’s disappearance has complicated things, of course.”
“You think the same person has her?”
“I don’t know what to think. Gloria works missing person cases all the time, and this one has her puzzled as well. The three cases might be linked or they might not. Mortimer might have been murdered, but he might not. Harvey might be in danger, but he might not.” He sat back in his seat and took a sip of his drink.
Fenella took his other hand. “I wish I could help you work out what’s going on,” she said.
“I don’t want you getting involved,” he replied. “With so many unanswered questions, I have no idea how dangerous the person behind Harvey’s disappearance actually is. He or she might have killed Mortimer and he or she might still have Leonora. Please just stay far away from the whole mess.”
She opened her mouth to object, but a loud buzzing noise stopped her. Daniel frowned and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his mobile and glanced at the display. “I have to take this,” he told her in an apologetic tone.
“I hope that isn’t bad news,” Shelly said as Daniel walked away, his phone to his ear.
“Me, too,” Fenella replied.
“It can’t be easy, being in a relationship with a policeman,” Gordon remarked. “I don’t suppose he’s ever able to just relax and have fun.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to go,” Daniel said a moment later, as he stopped at their table.
“Is everything okay?” Shelly asked.
“No,” he replied brusquely. He walked away before anyone could ask him any more questions.
“I need another drink,” Peter announced.
“I think we could do with another round,” Shelly said. “It must be my turn to pay. Text the bartender and then I’ll go down and collect the drinks.”
She was back a few minutes later with the full tray. “Donald left his credit card and strict instructions that all of our drinks were on him tonight,” she told the others as she sat down. “The bartender wouldn’t even let me give him a tip.”
“That was nice of him,” Gordon remarked as he took his drink from the tray.
“Yeah, swell,” Fenella muttered, feeling annoyed with Donald and his penchant for such gestures.
“I suggest we drinks loads,” Shelly giggled. “If he wants to pay, we should enjoy ourselves.”
Fenella didn’t object to another round. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had four drinks in a single evening, but once she stopped worrying about Daniel, she began to enjoy the company of her friends. Gordon was even nicer than she’d first thought and Shelly glowed every time he spoke to her, which made Fenella happy. Peter told them several stories about his travels over the years, and while Fenella doubted that they were all completely true, they were certainly all interesting. As the evening wore on and the drinks continued to flow, some of Gordon’s friends arrived. Fenella found herself sitting between two attr
active men in their late forties who seemed to be vying for her attention.
“How long have you been on the island?” one asked.
“About four months,” Fenella replied after thinking carefully.
“I’d love to show you some of the island’s hidden treasure,” the man said, putting his hand on her knee.
Fenella laughed and pushed his hand away as the man on the opposite side of her spoke.
“Don’t pay any attention to Joe,” the other man suggested. “He’s been living with his partner for five years now and one of these days he’s going to marry her. He just loves to try to pull other women for the practice.”
Fenella struggled to work out what the man meant, finally remembering that “pull” meant “pick up” or something like that. “Thanks for the warning,” she said.
“I’m single,” the man continued, winking at her.
“I hope you like kids,” the first man said in a loud voice. “Stan over there has six of them and weekend custody. The little one, she’s three, and she broke his last girlfriend’s nose.”
Fenella raised an eyebrow. “It was an accident,” the man said stoutly. “And I only have the kids every other weekend, mostly.”
“My partner and I are separating soon,” the first man said in a confiding tone. “We’ve grown apart and we’re both ready to move on. She just has to find somewhere to go, that’s all.”
Fenella decided that she’d had quite enough. She stood up suddenly, nearly causing the two men, both of whom were leaning toward her, to crack their heads together. That would have been satisfying, she thought to herself as she put her empty glass on the nearest table. Shelly and Gordon were together in a quiet corner, so Fenella crossed to them.
“I’m going home,” she told them.
Shelly looked up. “I’ll come as well. You shouldn’t be walking home alone.”
“It’s not far enough for you to worry,” Fenella told her. “You’re having fun with Gordon. You stay here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Where’s Peter gone?” Shelly asked.
Fenella glanced around. “He’s over there, with that blonde that Gordon introduced him to.”
“Oh, Stella,” Gordon said. “She won’t want him to get away. She’s looking for another husband and Peter is exactly her type.”
An Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Collection - DEF Page 20
