The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  “Don’t look like that,” May said.

  “Like what?” Nora asked, trying to sound innocent.

  “Like you think I’m a fool for believing in Lucy’s innocence,” May replied. “Honestly, Nora, sometimes I think you’ve become a tad too cynical since you started solving all your crimes. The world isn’t filled with evil folks- and even if it is, Lucy isn’t one of them.”

  “The world isn’t filled with evil folks, just a lot of weak folks,” Nora said. “Anyone can be a murderer if they’re pushed to it. Maybe Lucy stored up all her anger, and released it on one unfortunate night, when she’d been pushed to the wall by Mrs. Hanes.”

  “I can’t believe you’d say that!” May Almand stamped her foot, her eyes sparking fire. “You don’t know Lucy like I do.”

  “May, I’m not-”

  “No. It’s fine. If you don’t believe me, I’ll just have to try and solve the case myself!”

  “May, I’ll help you with solving the murder,” Nora said. “I just can’t promise that Lucy hasn’t done it. You have to keep an open mind.”

  “An open mind is well and good, but it shouldn’t be so open that your brains fall out,” May said. “I’ll eat that Chevy whole if Lucy did it.”

  *****

  Chapter 4

  The Car At Midnight

  “Everyone’s talking about Mrs. Hanes today,” Tina said, as she wiped the counters the next morning. Nora, who was busy in the kitchen prepping the day’s meals, couldn’t get a reply out before Angela had butted in.

  “She was a really mean, old woman,” Angela said. “But now everyone’s talking about her like she was a saint. They’re going on and on about her charity drives and her sense of community. Pooh. I wish people would speak the truth about the dead. It cheapens their lives when you make them out to be saints.”

  “Ah, to be young and full of righteous energy,” Tina sighed, earning a look of contempt from Angela. “For your information, Angela dearest, when we talk well about someone who is deceased, it’s more for our own sake than theirs. We draw hope from their lives any way we can, in order to say, ‘it wasn’t all in vain.’”

  “Twilight and evening bell,

  And after that the dark!

  And may there be no sadness of farewell,

  When I embark.”

  Angela and Tina both looked up, startled, as Nora came out of the kitchen.

  “Quoting Tennyson so early in the morning?” Tina asked. “You’re in a morbid mood, aren’t you?”

  Nora grinned. “I’m just saying that I agree with both of you, in a way,” Nora said. “The dead are gone, it’s the living we must concern ourselves with. Like Lucy Dobbs.”

  “Oooh, she definitely killed Mrs. Hanes,” Angela said. “I don’t even blame her. She totally deserved to win that Chevy and Mrs. Hanes got her on a technicality!”

  The bell over the door tinkled, and a young man with swept back hair and a baseball jacket walked in. He came right to the counter, and Nora noticed that Angela was suddenly pretending to be very busy. She raised an eyebrow at Tina, who gave her a twinkling smile, and turned to the youngster, who was pretending to read the menu while secretly gazing at Angela.

  “Hello there,” Tina said. “Can we get you anything?”

  “Oh… yeah. Just some coffee for now,” the man said.

  “Coffee. Oh, look, Angela’s near the coffee pot. Angela, serve this handsome young lad some coffee, would you?”

  Angela was turning red from the tip of her ears to the tip of her nose. Nora held back a snort of laughter and pushed Tina into the kitchen. “You have got to stop playing matchmaker,” she said. “You’re absolutely terrible at it.”

  “Me? Terrible? Au contraire, you silly thing,” Tina replied. “They’ll be locked in a passionate embrace by the time we get back out there.” She made a motion to leave, and Nora grabbed the back of her apron, suddenly overcome by giggles.

  “You’ll embarrass Angela,” She said.

  “Well, that’s the point, isn’t it!” Tina exclaimed. “I still have to get back at her for spoiling my Game Of Thrones last week. I can’t believe Jon Snow-”

  Nora put a finger up and peeked out. Angela was laughing at something the boy was saying. “Who is that, anyway?” She asked.

  “Norman Carter,” Tina said- and as soon as the words left her lips, all the lightness went out of Nora’s body, replaced instead with a sudden gravity.

  “You ok?”

  “Yeah. I actually need to ask him something.” Nora stepped outside and headed to the counter, where a surprised Angela looked up at her questioningly. Norman looked up, too, but his eyes flicked back almost immediately towards Angela.

  “Hey, Norman,” Nora said. “You won the car last night, didn’t you? At Bingo?”

  Norman grimaced. “Yeah. I was so happy about it, but now it just seems like bad luck. Poor Mrs. Hanes!”

  “Poor Mrs. Hanes is right,” Nora agreed. “But poor you, too. I guess you won’t get the car for a while, until the police are done with it.”

  “Right,” Norman sighed. “I’m not even sure I want it, you know… considering. I’ll probably just sell it off.”

  “Sorry if I’m being inquisitive- but I was wondering how come you didn’t drive off with it last night, after you’d won?” Nora asked. “I mean, it was still parked outside the hall, right?”

  Norman nodded. “Yeah. I was pretty excited to win it, but Mrs. Hanes wouldn’t handover the keys.”

  “She wouldn’t?” Nora raised an eyebrow.

  “Nope. She said we could do it tomorrow. Well, today, I guess.” Norman looked up at Nora with narrowed eyes. “Why do you ask?”

  Angela, impatient to get Norman’s attention again, chimed in, “Well, you know Nora’s the unofficial town detective. Asking questions is her business.”

  The corner of Norman’s mouth lifted up a little as he locked eyes with Angela. “Well, doesn’t look like there’s much to solve here, does it? Lucy Dobbs got mad that Mrs. Hanes didn’t want to give her the car, and...” He slid a finger across his throat.

  Angela shivered. “She must have gone temporarily mad. That’s what I think! But you should thank your stars that you didn’t drive off with the car after all, Norm. Maybe Mrs. Dobbs would have come after you instead!”

  Norman puffed his chest out a little. “I can handle myself.”

  “I’m glad she’s behind bars,” Angela said. She shuddered again and patted Norman’s hand. “I guess you can forget all about it as soon as you’ve sold the car.”

  But Nora knew she wouldn’t forget about it so easily. Why hadn’t Mrs. Hanes handed the car over to Norman? Why had she been out there in the middle of the night? Sooner or later, Nora thought, someone needed to answer those questions. And perhaps Lucy Dobbs was the only person who could.

  *****

  Chapter 5

  Lucy Dobbs Speaks

  Lucy Dobbs lived in a small three-roomed house at the very end of a tree-lined street. Small as it was, the house was well maintained, with a neatly manicured lawn, a smart maroon trim that complemented the dull gray walls, and three little ceramic gnomes standing by a big cedar tree.

  “She’s asleep inside. Poor Lucy’s still in shock, I think,” May Almand said, as she greeted Nora at the door. “We just posted bail two hours ago. Can you imagine- Sean wanted to keep her in jail! I argued that she wasn’t a flight risk. I mean, Lucy’s lived here in Milburn all her life. Where would she run off to? Preposterous! The judge agreed, luckily. So here we are.”

  “You’re a loyal friend, May,” Nora said. She pushed forward a covered casserole dish but May wouldn’t accept it.

  “I’m a good judge of character, is what I am,” May corrected. “Besides, poor Lucy doesn’t have any family. And the rest of the town is being horrid to her. Everyone seems to have made up their mind that she did it. You included, I might add.”

  “I haven’t decided anything yet. Open mind, remember?” Nora said. Whe
n May still gave her a bitter look, Nora shrugged. “Shall I keep the dish in the fridge?” Nora asked. “It’s potatoes, sausage and baked beans with some cheddar and breadcrumbs. Hearty food and it will last a while. I figured poor Mrs. Dobbs would be in no mood to cook.”

  “That’s rather nice of you.” May softened a little. “Are you here to talk to her, Nora? Maybe you could help clear up some things? She really doesn’t have much of an alibi.”

  Nora nodded. “Could you bring her out? I don’t want to disturb her if she’s asleep.”

  “We’ll meet you in the living room,” May said. “I’ll try and leave the two of you alone.”

  The living room was cozy, with two fanback arm-chairs flanking a fireplace, and a plush sofa pushed up against a wall. On the mantelpiece stood an old clock, a bronze vase with John Dobbs, 1936-2008 inscribed on it, and a photo of a young Mrs. Dobbs in a bride’s dress with her hair flying and her arm around a smiling man in a tuxedo. On the wall was another framed photo- this one more recent, of Mrs. Dobbs on stage, hosting the annual bingo night a few years ago. Nora felt a pang of sorrow, as she looked at it- her old best friend Raquel was in the front of the crowd, laughing as she waved a piece of paper.

  “I should take that photo down,” Mrs. Dobbs said, as she entered the room. “I was so proud of founding it, but the ladies club has nothing but bad memories for me, now.” In the space of a day, Mrs. Dobbs seemed to have aged a decade. Her streaked hair, which had been neatly under a hat last night, was now tied in a rough ponytail that let wisps fly about. Her face seemed lined and heavy. And even her choice of clothes, old sweatpants and a green cardigan, were oddly mismatched.

  “May told me you think I’ve done it, too,” Mrs. Dobbs said. Fragile as she looked, her voice was powerful and her chin was turned up. “But I didn’t. They can hang me if they like, but I’ll go to my death protesting my innocence!”

  “I don’t think anyone’s about to be hung just yet.” Nora put out her hands in a calming gesture.

  Mrs. Dobbs just grimaced and said, “We’ll see! Everyone seems to be against me right now! This town can be a wicked place sometimes. But of course… maybe it’s my fault too.” Her shoulders stooped. “I’ve never quite had the knack of making friends or keeping them. My John used to do all of that for me- we had quite the social life together! He was the one who encouraged me to start the ladies’ club in the first place. Poor John. His heart gave out from all the love he spread. Nearly ten years ago now. He must be rolling in his grave!”

  “I’m sure he’s watching over you somehow,” Nora smiled sadly.

  Mrs. Dobbs wiped a tear from her eye. “Well, if he was, he’d say, ‘Now’s not the time to be weak, Lucy!’”

  “I agree.” Nora nodded. “Now’s the time to tell the truth, Mrs. Dobbs. All of it. Then, maybe we can put our heads together and figure out who really killed Mrs. Hanes.”

  “So you do believe me?” Mrs. Dobbs looked up at Nora, hope reigniting her eyes.

  Nora bit her lip, unable to lie. “Perhaps I’ll believe you when you tell me your story.”

  “Sean didn’t believe me. I hope you do,” Mrs. Dobbs said.

  Once again, preferring not to make promises she couldn’t keep, Nora stayed silent. Mrs Dobbs settled into one of the armchairs, and turned her head away from Nora. She was looking out the front window, clearly agitated. Nora turned to follow her gaze.

  “That’s where I saw her last night,” Mrs. Dobbs said.

  “Saw who?”

  “Anna. Mrs. Hanes,” Mrs. Dobbs said. “She was standing at my window, peering in!”

  “Good heavens!” Nora exclaimed. “When was this?”

  “Near midnight,” Mrs. Dobbs replied.

  “Wait… where were you?”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” Mrs. Dobbs said. “As you might guess, I was still fuming with anger about everything that had happened earlier in the day. I picked up Sparky and sat right here, with him in my lap. Eventually, I grew drowsy and switched off the lamp.” Mrs. Dobbs extended a hand towards her side table, and demonstrated, flicking the lamp off and on. “I must have fallen asleep in the armchair around 11. A little while later, I woke with a start. Sparky was growling softly.”

  “Sparky? Is that your dog?”

  “That’s right,” Mrs. Dobbs nodded. “He’s with Claudia James right now. She offered to take care of him while I was in jail. In fact, I must go get him and bring him back home. He’s my precious little beagle. Sweetest dog you’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen him growl in my life. But he was staring at the window, and the hair on the back of his neck was spiked up. I got such a scare. The first thing I saw was Mrs. Hanes, with her face peering in through the window! I froze. I was still sleepy and part of me thought that maybe she was here for revenge. By the time my brain started working, she’d already turned away and gone off!”

  “That sounds pretty scary,” Nora said.

  “It was very scary,” Mrs. Dobbs agreed. “Of course, Anna lives…lived…right across the street from me. So it wasn’t completely unfeasible.”

  Nora got up, dusting her jeans. Her mind was racing. “Why would she come here?” Nora wondered. “What did she want from you?”

  “I don’t know,” Mrs. Dobbs sighed.

  “Well, it should be easy enough to prove anyway.” Nora opened the door, went down the stairs and into the garden. She tried to figure out the spot Mrs. Hanes might have stood at. Sure enough, there were footprints in the garden. Nora smiled triumphantly. “Right! There’s proof you’re telling the truth. Sean should be happy with this!” She beamed up at Mrs. Dobbs, whose face was emotionless. Almost immediately, Nora figured out what she - and Sean - were thinking. “It’s not good,” Nora said, almost to herself. “If anything, it’s just further proof against you. Mrs. Hanes was in your garden at midnight- that’s all these footprints prove. They don’t prove that you didn’t kill her.”

  “Exactly,” Mrs. Dobbs agreed. “I hurried to the door, but Anna was already gone. She was cycling off towards the hall. Well, my blood was heated by now. I decided I’d follow her and confront her, if possible. I left Sparky behind, got into some decent clothes and headed off.”

  “How did you know where to go?” Nora asked. “She must have been out of sight by the time you gave chase.”

  Mrs. Dobbs shrugged. “Easy. There was a light rain last night, and her cycle’s tires were muddy. I had a clear trail to follow. Besides, I had a hunch she was going to the hall.”

  “So, you reached the hall. What then?”

  “I...” Her composure broke. Mrs. Dobbs’ face contorted with unhappiness. “I honestly don’t remember!” Her eyes welled with tears. “It’s like my mind has blocked out the memories. I remember that I cycled to the hall. I remember leaning my cycle against a wall. I remember thinking it was strange that Anna Hanes was sitting in the car and then...” Mrs. Dobbs started shivering. “I opened the door and I couldn’t stop screaming. She was already dead. I grabbed the knife out of her back instinctively…I think. Then I fainted.”

  Nora bit her lip. Despite all her cynicism, despite knowing that a murderer could also be a coldblooded liar, Nora simply couldn’t believe that Mrs. Dobbs was one anymore. The lady’s face shone with fear, and also with the simple truthfulness of one who has nothing to gain from lying.

  “I do remember one thing, though,” Mrs. Dobbs said. “A yellow rain poncho. One of those cheap plasticky looking ones. I saw someone running away. Man or woman- I couldn’t tell you. But they must be the murderer!” Mrs. Dobbs was becoming hysterical. “You have to believe me, Nora. The murderer is still out there. And you have to do something to find him or her…or else… I’m afraid they might strike again.”

  “Come now, Lucy.” May Almand appeared, as if from thin air, and Nora realized that she’d probably been listening to them all along. “The doctor said your nerves are shot to pieces. Let’s get you back to bed.”

  Mrs. Dobbs ignored her and clutched Nora’s wrist, her h
ands squeezing with surprising strength. “You believe me, don’t you? Say you do!”

  “I believe you,” Nora said, keeping her voice calm, even as her wrists hurt. “But May is right. You need to rest, Mrs. Dobbs. You’ve got a long legal battle ahead of you.”

  “It’s the ladies’ club,” Mrs. Dobbs said suddenly. “One of them has done her in. Anna Hanes was a nasty woman, but I can’t think of who would want to kill her- or why. It’s tied in to that missing money in the club. It has to be!”

  “What missing money?” Nora asked.

  “The money they accused me of stealing,” Mrs. Dobbs replied. “Anna and I were both responsible for the treasury. Ask Claudia James if you don’t believe me. She’ll tell you all about it. Whoever framed me must be the one that killed Anna!”

  *****

  Chapter 6

  The Witness

  Claudia held the door open a crack and looked reluctant to let Nora inside her home. The cheerful, bubbly host of yesterday seemed to have vanished, and been replaced with an irritable, red-eyed woman. Nevertheless, she looked as though she were about to head out. Her hair was up in a sleek bun and she wore an olive-paneled dress with navy blue peep-toes, looking very business like.

  “I’m sorry,” Nora said. “I know that you were close to Mrs. Hanes. I was wondering if I could come in.”

  “I’m afraid not,” Claudia said. “Is this about the payments?”

  “Payments?” Only then did Nora remember that with Mrs. Hanes gone, she’d need to contact someone else at the Ladies’ Club about her catering charges. “Well, not exactly. I was actually hoping to just talk…”

  Claudia didn’t seem to buy this. “Sure. Look, Nora, we’re all in a bit of shock at the moment. You’ll get your money, believe me. It’s just going to take some time while we figure it out. As a matter of fact, I’m on my way to the club now. Jane Strathclyde called an emergency meeting.” Claudia looked down at her watch, and muttered something to herself.