Aunt Bessie Invites (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 9) (14 page)

“What about Karen Corlett?” Bessie asked.

“Did he go out with Karen?” Mona
replied.
 
She sat back in her chair,
a thoughtful look on her face.
 
“I
simply don’t remember,” she said after a minute.
 
“I wouldn’t be surprised, as Karen was
beautiful and sweet, but I don’t recall hearing about them as a couple.
 
Then again, he went through women so
quickly, I’m sure I didn’t hear about most of them.”

“Who can you remember him going out with?”
Bessie asked.

Mona thought for another minute and then
mentioned a few names.
 
Everyone she
could recall was already on Bessie’s list.
 

“I don’t think I’m much help,” Mona said as
she poured more tea for them both.

“Tell me about Jacob,” Bessie invited
her.
 
“I only spoke to him once or
twice and only for a moment.
 
What
was he like?”

Mona nibbled her way through a custard cream
before she answered.
 
“He seemed
quite sophisticated to me, especially considering I’d never been off the
island.
 
I don’t know where his
money came from, but he certainly seemed to have plenty of it and he didn’t
mind spending it, either.
 
He took
me out for nice meals and brought me flowers, as well.”

“Someone suggested that he tried to persuade
one of the women he went out with to move across with him,” Bessie said.

“When we were together, he made it clear
that he wasn’t looking for a serious relationship,” Mona replied.
 
“But maybe he found someone else that he
did get serious about.”

“Who might have killed him?” Bessie asked.

Mona shook her head.
 
“I’ve been wondering that ever since I
saw the photo in the paper,” she said.
 
“I was at the pub the night before he was meant to be going home.
 
Everyone who was there seemed quite sad
that he was going.
 
But
he was going, that was certain
.
 
I can’t imagine why anyone would have
killed him when he was leaving anyway.”

“That’s certainly one question the police
have to answer.”

“I said he had plenty of money,” Mona said
thoughtfully.
 
“Maybe someone hit
him over the head to steal his money and then found that they’d killed him by
mistake.”

“Surely, if that were the case, they’d have
taken the watch as well?”

“Maybe they thought the watch was too
distinctive,” Mona suggested.
 
“Considering how many people recognised it even after all these years,
they were probably right, if that’s what happened.”

“So what connects him to the Clague farm?”
was Bessie’s next question.

“I haven’t a clue,” Mona replied.
 
“He may well have taken Fenella out, of
course.
 
She’d have been the right
age.
 
But beyond that, I can’t think
of anything to connect him to the farm.”

“Did he make any male friends while he was
here?” Bessie asked as the thought crossed her mind.

“I don’t think he had time for other men,”
Mona told her.
 
“Anyway, most of the
local lads resented the fact that Jacob took out just about every single woman
in the village.”

“Did any of them resent it enough to start a
fight about it?” Bessie asked.

“Not that I recall.
 
Certainly not during
the gathering at the pub.
 
Jacob was buying the drinks, after all.
 
Anyway, he was leaving.
 
Even if some of the locals didn’t like
him, he was getting on the ferry the very next day.”

“You never saw him spending any time with
Niall Clague or Eoin Faragher?” Bessie asked.

“I’m sure they were both at the pub that
last night,” Mona replied.
 
“Just
about the entire village was there, at least for a few minutes.
 
But I don’t remember Jacob spending any
time talking with either of them.
 
While I was there, he was walking around talking to everyone for a few
minutes and then moving on.
 
Of
course, I was only there for an hour or so.
 
I remember hearing that Jacob and a few
of the others didn’t leave until last orders.”

“I don’t suppose you can remember hearing who
was with Jacob at the end of the night?”

“It was so long ago,” Mona protested.
 
She sipped her tea, her eyes gazing into
the distance.
 
After a few minutes
she shook her head.
 
“I’m sorry,”
she told Bessie.
 
“I don’t
remember.
 
I’m sure it was a few of
the men who drank at the pub on a regular basis, though.
 
I think I’d recall if I’d heard anything
unexpected or unusual about that night.”

Bessie sighed.
 
“I appreciate your help,” she told the
woman.
 
“And the tea and biscuits.”

“It was nice to see you again,” Mona
replied.
 
“We should do this more
often.
 
I love living down here, but
I do feel a bit isolated sometimes.
 
I don’t really know anyone here.”

“Let’s meet in the middle next time,” Bessie
suggested.
 
“We can have lunch in
Douglas or something.”

“Oh, I’d like that,” Mona agreed
quickly.
 
“Maybe one day next week?”

Bessie was surprised at the woman’s enthusiasm,
but she quickly checked her calendar.
 
After a moment, the pair had agreed to meet for lunch at one of Bessie’s
favourite Douglas eateries in a fortnight’s time.

“I do hope the police will have everything
wrapped up with regard to Jacob Conover by then,” Bessie said as Mona walked
her to the door.

“Oh, me, too,” Mona replied.
 
“I hate thinking that someone I know
might have had a hand in his death.”

“Maybe by the time we meet again, you’ll
have a chapter or two written,” Bessie said in the doorway.
 
“I’d be happy to read it as you go
along.
 
I adore Agatha Christie.”

Mona flushed.
 
“I don’t think, that is, well, we’ll
see,” she muttered.

Bessie grinned and then turned and walked
down the corridor.
 
It was time to
visit some other friends.
 
While she
was looking forward to seeing Mike and Sarah Combe, they wouldn’t be able to
help with the investigation into Jacob’s death.
 
Mike hadn’t grown up in Laxey and Sarah
was too young to have interested the man.
 
Still, the last several times she’d seen Sarah had been under very sad
circumstances.
 
Today was just a
friendly visit.
 
She quickly rang
John to reassure him of her safety just before she knocked.

“Ah, Bessie, you’re looking wonderful,” Mike
said when he opened the door to their flat.

Bessie smiled and followed him into the
kitchen, where Sarah was just filling the kettle.

“Bessie,” she exclaimed.
 
She put the kettle down on the counter
and rushed over to hug Bessie.
 
“I’m
so pleased that you stopped in,” she said.
 
“Mike and I have been talking about trying to arrange a chance to see
you, but we’ve both been so busy.”

“You’re looking well,” she told the woman,
pleased that her words were truthful.
 
In July, Sarah had lost her mother, and not long after that she’d found
out that her brother, long believed to have
emigrated
to Australia, was dead.
 
The events
had taken a toll on the woman, but today she looked as if she was sleeping and
eating properly again.

“I’m feeling better,” Sarah told her.
 
“Mike’s been wonderful.
 
He’s really looked after me and spoiled
me.
 
I think I’m starting to get
back to normal now, although I still miss mum more than I should, considering
how difficult our relationship was.”

Bessie nodded.
 
“I know what you mean,” she said.
 
“I find that I’m missing a great many
old friends, especially this time of year.”

“Did my mum used to go to your Thanksgiving
dinners?” Sarah asked.

“No,” Bessie replied.
 
“When they first started, I kept them
very small, and if I had invited your mother, I would have had to invite all of
the Raspberry Jam Ladies.
 
It’s only
in the last few years that I’ve started having larger gatherings, but I never
felt as if I should include the Jam Ladies.”

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Mike
told her as Sarah poured the tea.
 
“Even if I’m unlikely to know anyone else.”

Bessie ran through her guest list in her
head.
 
“You might not know anyone at
that,” she said after a moment.
 
“Although I have invited Spencer.
 
I’m sure you’ve met him.”
 
Spencer Cannon was another child of one of the Raspberry Jam
Ladies.
 
He and Sarah had grown up
together, although he’d moved off the island in adulthood.
 
He was back now after Bessie had helped
him locate a job on the island, and he was hugely grateful to her.

“I did meet Spencer at, um, well, Adam’s
service,” Mike said.
 
“He and Sarah
are trying to get together at least once a month, just to chat about old times,
so I’ve seen him once or twice since as well.”

“I didn’t care for him when we were
younger,” Sarah said.
 
“But then, I
didn’t care much for boys in general.
 
But he’s turned into a really nice man and his girlfriend, Beverly, is
great fun.”

The trio sipped tea and ate biscuits while
they chatted.
 
It was over an hour
later when Bessie glanced at her watch.

“Oh, goodness,” she exclaimed.
 
“I really must be going.
 
I do hope I won’t have too much trouble
getting a taxi.”

“Let us run you home,” Sarah suggested.
 
“Mike’s been promising me dinner at
La Terrazza
for months.”

“I don’t want to inconvenience you,” Bessie
said.

“It’s no problem,” Mike told her.
 
“I keep making excuses not to drive to
Laxey.
 
This way, we’re already
there, so we may as well have dinner.”

Bessie laughed.
 
“The food is excellent there,” she told
the couple.
 
“You won’t be sorry.”

“Would you like to join us?” Sarah asked.

“Oh, no, but thank you very much,” Bessie
said.
 
“I’m far too full of biscuits
and tea to enjoy myself.
 
Besides,
you two should have a romantic dinner together.
 
I’m told it helps keep marriages
strong.”

Sarah and Mike exchanged glances.
 
“After everything we’ve been through
lately, a nice romantic dinner together is probably just what we need,” Sarah
said.

“And I enjoy treating the woman I love to
something special,” Mike said, taking Sarah’s hand in his.
 

Bessie smiled at the pair, happy that they
were coming through their rough times together.

“I do hope you aren’t too involved in what’s
going on at the Clague farm,” Sarah said she they made their way to Mike’s car.

“I’m trying to help the police gather some
background, but that’s all,” Bessie told her.
 
“I don’t suppose you remember anything
about Jacob Conover?”

Sarah shook her head.
 
“I have a vague recollection of his
being talked about by my parents,” she told Bessie.
 
“But he was an adult, so not at all
interesting to me at the time.”

“That sounds about right,” Bessie laughed.

The journey back to Laxey felt short to
Bessie as the trio chatted about everything and nothing.
 
At Bessie’s cottage, Mike insisted on
walking Bessie to her door and escorting her inside.

“It gets dark so early now,” he commented as
he helped Bessie from the car.

“It does,” Bessie agreed.
 
“But I’m quite capable of getting myself
inside anyway.”

“Thank you again for taking the time to
visit,” he said at her door.
 
“We’ll
see you at Thanksgiving dinner.”

Bessie locked the door behind him and
sighed.
 
It was time for her evening
meal, but she felt completely full after having tea with cakes and biscuits
twice.
 
Nothing sounded good, so she
decided to read for a little while before fixing
herself
something.
 
She’d just found her
place in her book when her phone rang.
 
As long as she’d been interrupted, she decided to answer the call.