A Killer Ball at Honeychurch Hall (10 page)

“Nothing!” Mum and I chorused.

“I'll lay up the table. You dish up the pie.”

Ten minutes later we were all tucking into Mum's fish pie. Alfred hadn't said another word and the atmosphere was tense. I wracked my brain for something to say.

“This pie is delicious,” I said.

“These peas are like bullets,” Mum grumbled.

“You boil yours to death.”

Mum turned to Alfred. “Remember Kat's old boyfriend, David?”

“The bloke with the fancy shoes?”

“Mum—”

“He went back to his wife,” she said. “They renewed their vows under the Hawaiian sun.”

“That journalist lassie?” Alfred exclaimed. “The one who looks like she'd kill a few puppies?”

“That's the one. Cruella,” said Mum. “Kat's finished with him for good now.”

“I never liked him,” said Alfred.

“Nor did I,” Mum agreed.

“Bit full of himself.”

I got up from the table. “Okay, excuse me. Whilst you discuss my love life I'm going upstairs.”

“It's only nine o' clock,” Mum cried. “What are you going to do up there? You're not getting maudlin are you?”

“I'm fine!” I shouted from the doorway.

“You've upset her now, Iris.”

“She's so serious all the time.”

I didn't hear the rest as I climbed the stairs to my bedroom.

Mum was right. It
was
only nine in the evening. I was so bored. Is this what my life had come to? Perched on the bed I saw the old steamer trunk full of dressing-up clothes that my mother had made. When I was little, the costumes had been far too big for me to wear but I had never thought why.

I'd taken a look in the trunk before when Mum had broken her hand and couldn't wear any clothing with buttons or zips. We'd dug out a purple harem outfit that now took on a more sinister meaning. Digging a little deeper, I pulled out exactly seven brightly colored veils, a brocade bra with tassels and a wrap sewn with little bells. It was fairground style—gaudy, brash and very tacky and without doubt, the outfit used for the Dance of the Seven Veils.

I delved deeper and retrieved a short blue dress with zigzag-shaped epaulettes. Down at the bottom was an extraordinary wig with the white hair lacquered to within an inch of its life, standing upright. I found fake glittered eyelashes that had to be a half-inch long and a long cord with a huge three-pronged plug. This had to be Electra's, the 27,000 Volts Girl.

I started to laugh. Really, it was all so ridiculous. Mum accused me of being too serious. We'd soon see about that!

I tried on the harem outfit and gasped. I really had piled on some pounds. So I changed into Electra—wig, eyelashes, the lot—and trooped downstairs feeling very pleased with myself.

I burst into the kitchen. “Ta-dah!—Oh! Shawn, hello.”

Three pairs of eyes swiveled in my direction. I was mortified. Shawn's jaw dropped. Alfred cackled with glee but Mum looked absolutely horrified.

“Oh, darling,” she groaned.

I stood there feeling rather cold and silly.

“That's just
not
a good look for you.”

“I was just going through that old trunk,” I said lamely.

Shawn was grinning from ear to ear. “Well, well, well,” he said. “I was just telling Iris that we've found out that the clothing Pandora wore the night she died was actually a fancy dress costume.” He took in my appearance. “Isn't that fancy dress?”

“I hope so,” I said. “It's not something I'd usually wear to the pub. Mum's very good with the needle. She made all my dressing-up clothes.”

“How interesting,” Shawn said. “We've learned that the theme for that year's ball was Cleopatra. Pandora Haslam-Grimley had been dressed as Cleopatra.”

“Ah, the wig,” I said, recalling the beaded black wig.

“Did you make any costumes for the midsummer ball, Iris?”

“No!” said Mum quickly. “Why?”

Shawn's jaw hardened. “Look, Iris. I know you are holding something back from me or…” He turned to stare at Alfred who stared defiantly back. “Perhaps you are protecting someone else…?”

“Don't look at me,” Alfred protested. “I don't know anything.”

“Would you like to continue this conversation down at the station?”

“Am I under
arrest
?” Mum gasped.

“No,” said Shawn. “But with the discovery of the book in the double-hide—”

“What book?” Alfred demanded.

Shawn turned pink.
“Lady Chatterley's Lover.”

“Lady Chatterley's Lover
?
”
Alfred's eyes widened. “What's that
filth
got to do with my Iris?”

“I'm being framed,” said Mum quickly. “The book isn't mine.”

I felt as if I was in the middle of a farce.

“Iris is certainly—shall we say—a person of
interest
.”

Alfred got to his feet. Despite his small size, he looked menacing. “I know her rights and unless you've got anything concrete to link her with the crime, you can't arrest her.”

“Thank you for telling me my job,” said Shawn tightly. He turned to me. “I only came by to let Kat know that she is free to return to the King's Parlor and remove the drawings.”

“Thank you,” I said. “What about the old tools?”

“His lordship is ninety-nine percent positive that they were the tools used for the Honeychurch mint.”

For a moment, Shawn's eyes shone with boyish excitement but then he scowled. “But we haven't finished with you yet, Iris.”

“I have absolutely nothing to hide.” Mum flashed a smile. “Kat will see you to your car. Do go through the carriageway. We're using that as the main entrance now.”

I ushered Shawn out but he paused and gallantly gestured for me to go ahead. I waved him on, very conscious of what I must look like from the rear in Mum's old Electra costume. He then waved
me
on. We both stepped forward and collided in the doorway.

“Sorry,” he said.

I darted ahead.

“Kat, wait!”

I turned and was startled to find Shawn right behind me. Without my shoes, he towered above me. I felt surprisingly vulnerable. I also felt an unexpected rush of what I can only describe as electricity. Perhaps it was Mum's costume!

I waited expectantly for Shawn to say something. He looked into my eyes and my stomach did a peculiar somersault. For heaven's sake, Kat, get a grip. I was years older—or was I? I'd always dated much older men. Maybe the age difference between us wasn't as big as I thought. Five years? Seven?

“This is awkward.” He took a deep breath. “I don't know what is going on but my grandmother told me that Iris made the Cleopatra costume for the midsummer ball.”

“What?” I whispered as all romantic thoughts vanished. “I don't understand. Why would she make it for Pandora?”

“It wasn't for Pandora,” Shawn said bluntly. “It was made especially for the dowager countess to wear to her birthday ball.”

“Are you
sure
?” But of course, I knew he was. Mum had known about it but in typical fashion, had decided not to tell me.

“And there is something else,” said Shawn. “Gran told me that she saw Iris and Pandora arguing out on the terrace on the night of the ball.”

“Oh.”

“The terrace was out of bounds apparently to everyone except the help they hired from the village.”

“I really don't know what to say,” I said miserably.

“Look, I just want to get to the bottom of it,” said Shawn. “The problem is that we can't keep quiet on this one. In a matter of days this story is going to be all over the newspapers. You and I both know that your mother is hiding something.”

“I'll talk to her,” I said.

“Please do. Good night.”

As I watched Shawn get into his car, I suddenly realized exactly what this could mean. It wasn't just about Pandora's murder being exposed, it was much, much more. Mum's alter ego as Krystalle Storm was bound to come out, too. Her carefully groomed persona, which was splashed all over her website, included owning a Devon manor house, an Italian villa and a Pekinese called Truly Scrumptious. None of which were true.

Mum also claimed that my father had been an international diplomat who had died in a plane crash and not a tax inspector for HM Revenue & Customs. This could trigger an investigation into her substantial earnings that she had given Alfred to manage and that were currently stashed in an offshore account in Jersey.

I didn't care about myself—after years in the public eye, I was used to it—but such revelations could really damage my mother.

It was time to have a heart-to-heart chat. But first, I had to get out of this ridiculous costume.

 

Chapter Nine

“Yes, I did make Edith's costume for her birthday,” Mum said hotly. “What is this? The Spanish Inquisition?”

“Where is Alfred?”

“Gone home,” said Mum. “Police officers make him nervous.”

“They should make you nervous, too!”

“I've done nothing wrong.” Mum poured herself another gin and tonic. “If anyone is making me nervous, it's you. Sit down.”

So I did.

“You looked quite fetching in that little blue Electra dress,” Mum mused. “You should have seen Shawn's eyes pop out. Why did you take it off?”

“Because I'm cold and the wig was heavy—and don't change the subject. Come on, Mum, I'm just asking.”

“Very well.” Mum frowned. “You have to understand this happened donkey's years ago. Memories can be funny things. What I remember as one thing can be seen in a completely different light to someone else.”

“Let's just start with your memories and go from there.”

“I spent weeks making that beaded headdress. Everything was sewn by hand, of course—and a beautiful toga that was threaded through with gold. I stole the material from the
Arabian Nights
sideshow and got into awful trouble with Aunt June.”

“Go on.”

“I sewed tiny sequins along the hem, sleeves and neckline,” Mum continued. “Alfred knew a trapeze artiste from the circus that had set up in Plymouth. She gave them to me. It was a beautiful costume.”

“What about the jewelry?”

“I borrowed the bracelets—”

“And the heart-shaped pendant?”

“I know nothing about that,” said Mum hastily. “Her ladyship looked stunning. She said I was very gifted.”

“You are.”

“The next thing I know is that Pandora is wearing my Cleopatra costume. I was furious. I couldn't understand why she was wearing it and not her ladyship. I'd worked my fingers to the bone and it had all been for nothing.”

I thought of Shawn's grandmother seeing my mother and Pandora arguing. “And you confronted her?”

“You bet I did,” said Mum. “I waited until she walked out on the terrace. I followed her into the topiary garden. There was a topiary maze back then. She was obviously planning on meeting someone, having some kind of
tryst
because the moment she saw me she said, ‘Oh, I was expecting someone else.'”

“What else did she say?”

“She pretended she didn't know what I was talking about and when I told her I'd made the costume for her ladyship, she said her ladyship didn't like it so she'd given it to her.”

“I don't blame you for feeling upset.”

“Of course her ladyship didn't do that! She wouldn't. She'd even had a fitting that morning. If Joan were still compos mentis,
she
would back me up.
She
was there.
She
heard her ladyship praise my work.”

“You mean Joan at Sunny Hill Lodge?”

Mum nodded. “Of course, she didn't like me much, either, because she had this obsession with Bryan—”

“And he was just interested in you.”

Mum gave a mischievous grin. “I can't help it if I'm naturally alluring.”

“Yes, you certainly are.”

“It was all so childish. There was Pandora wanting Alfred, then she wanted Bryan—who was dressed as a slave in a loincloth, I may add; Joan pining for Bryan but of course he wasn't interested in anyone except for me.”

“That must have made you popular,” I said dryly.

“I admit I did kiss Bryan once,” said Mum. “It was horrible. Rather like being washed by a cat.”

“Ugh!”

“And speaking of cats…” A shadow crossed Mum's features. “Women can be cats. They can say the most horrible things. Things I will never repeat.”

I reached out and touched Mum's hand. It couldn't have been easy growing up on the road. “I know, Mum.”

“But I found a way to get my revenge,” said Mum briskly. “Madame Z's Psychic Touch! Women can be so gullible. You just tell them what they want to hear.”

I thought for a moment. “What was Edith wearing?”

“Just an evening gown—gray-green satin and taffeta,” said Mum.

“Didn't you ask Edith why Pandora was wearing her costume?”

“No. Because Pandora told me that her ladyship had given it to her,” Mum said. “I was only fifteen, remember, and a bit in awe of the toffs. So, no, I let it go.”

I nodded in sympathy but in the back of my mind was the word “motive” that just wouldn't go away.

“Oh, I know what you're thinking,” said Mum. “I did Pandora in. The last time I saw her was when they started to play that game of squashed sardines—”

“Rupert calls it Smee,” I said mildly.

“Whatever it's called. Hide-and-seek in reverse, you know what I'm talking about.”

“I thought you weren't allowed in the Hall.”

“I told you, Alfred and I used to sneak up into the minstrels' gallery and spy on everyone.”