The Green Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 7) Page 6

  “What’s in your box?” Joan asked.

  Janet glanced at the box at her feet. “Let’s see,” she said. “I hope it isn’t anything to sort.”

  It wasn’t. Inside the box was a small wooden rocking chair and in the chair there was a small teddy bear. The bear was wearing a black hat and Janet turned it over carefully in her hands. “I think it’s handmade,” she said.

  “I doubt it’s valuable,” Joan replied.

  “I didn’t say it was valuable,” Janet said. “But it’s really lovely.”

  “If you like that sort of thing,” Joan said dismissively.

  “I like it quite a lot,” Janet told her. “If you don’t, then I’ll put her in my room.”

  “You’re welcome to her,” Joan said.

  Janet smiled and picked up the bear and its chair. Aggie sniffed at them, but didn’t object.

  “I’ll take the box of books and we can come back for the papers later,” Joan said.

  Janet nodded and led the way out of the building. She stopped just outside the door when she heard voices.

  Chapter Seven

  There was a low wall that ran along the back of the property, and as Janet’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, she spotted two people sitting on the wall. She could hear them talking, but couldn’t make out what they were saying.

  “What’s going on?” Joan demanded from the doorway behind her.

  “There’s a couple sitting on the wall,” Janet explained, gesturing.

  “Should we ring Robert?”

  “I can’t imagine why. They aren’t doing any harm.”

  “But why are they here?” Joan demanded.

  “The weather is nice, maybe they were out walking and stopped to rest,” Janet suggested.

  “I don’t like it,” Joan said. “I think I’d feel better if we asked Robert to drive by.”

  “We can, if you like,” Janet said, feeling sorry for the pair that she suspected were teenagers or young adults just looking for some time alone together.

  Joan quickly shut the carriage door, causing a loud creaking noise to shatter the silence. At the bottom of the garden, the couple jumped and then quickly began to walk away. While Joan locked up the building, Janet watched their visitors. As they passed under a streetlight, she gasped.

  “Now what?” Joan asked.

  “That was Nancy,” Janet said.

  “What was she doing here?”

  “I’ve no idea,” Janet replied. “Anyway, I’d much rather know what she was doing with the man who was having lunch with Edna this afternoon.”

  Joan stared at her. “That was the same man?”

  “Yes, I’m certain of it,” Janet said. “He was even wearing the same clothes.” She stood and watched for a moment longer, hoping the couple might come back, but all was quiet.

  “Do you think I should ring Robert?” Janet asked as she and Joan headed back to the house.

  “I think you should stay out of it,” Joan told her. “Whatever is going on has nothing to do with you.”

  Janet thought about that while she sorted through the pile of books that Joan had carried into the house. It didn’t take long, as most of them were old textbooks from someone’s nursing studies in the nineteen-twenties.

  “I wonder if they have any historical value,” Janet said as she packed them all back into the box.

  “I can’t imagine that they do,” Joan told her. “But you can take them to William and have him check.”

  “I think he’s a bit cross with me,” Janet said. “Maybe you can take them to him.”

  “Maybe we should wait and see what else we find as we go through the carriage house,” Joan said. “I’d rather take him several things at once than make multiple trips.”

  Janet nodded. “I think Aggie and I will head upstairs now,” she said. “I think she’s a bit worn out from her trip to the carriage house.”

  Joan looked at the kitten that was busy chasing after a scrap of paper that had fallen out of one of the books. Janet cleared her throat and Aggie glanced up. She looked at Janet and then plopped down on the floor with a tired-sounding “merow.”

  “I’m not sure how you taught her that,” Joan said. “But you go on up and read. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Janet collected the book she was in the middle of and headed for the stairs. In her room, she locked her door and looked at Aggie.

  “She forgot all about that horrid box of papers,” she whispered to the animal. “I know she’ll remember at some point, but I think we got away with it for tonight.”

  Aggie nodded and then jumped up on Janet’s bed and settled on one of the pillows. Janet joined her as quickly as she could and the two passed a contented evening together.

  The next day was uneventful and Janet was thrilled when Michael invited Joan out for the evening.

  “You could do some work in the carriage house yourself,” Joan suggested as she left for dinner.

  “I could, “Janet replied after the door was firmly shut behind Joan. “But I won’t. I’m going to eat something I shouldn’t and watch mindless telly.”

  She did exactly that, laughing her way through some old American sitcoms that she knew she’d seen before but didn’t really remember, while munching her way through microwave popcorn and far too many biscuits. Paul had gone out for the evening as well, so Aggie settled in Janet’s lap for a change.

  On Wednesday, Joan sent Janet to the large supermarket some distance away. The small, local shop was convenient, but it didn’t always have the best selection and it never had the best prices. At least one of the sisters made the trip to the larger chain store on a weekly basis.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” Joan said as she gave Janet the shopping list. “But I was hoping to get all of the bedding washed today before our guests arrive on Friday.”

  “I don’t mind,” Janet assured her. She quite liked visiting the large store and she especially liked going when Joan was busy.

  “Don’t come back with things that aren’t on the list,” Joan called as Janet headed out.

  Janet made a face as she walked to the car. Getting things that weren’t on the list was the whole point of her going shopping.

  As she pushed her trolley through the aisles, Janet wondered about her friends. She could hardly wait for Friday to arrive so that she could get a proper look at the two men. When she’d finished her shopping, she waited patiently for the woman in front of her to find her wallet in the bottom of her enormous handbag.

  There was a small café at the front of the store, and as the woman counted out pennies, Janet looked at the people who were patronising it. When she recognised Martha in the crowd, she smiled to herself. As soon as her groceries were bagged, she’d have to stop and say hello, she decided.

  A few minutes later, she was ready to do just that. She pushed her trolley towards the café, a bright smile on her face. She stopped when a man sat down across from Martha. Janet only got a quick glimpse of him, but she couldn’t help but think he looked a lot like Gerald, Nancy’s friend. But Gerald was meant to be in London, so it couldn’t be him, she reminded herself.

  Unwilling to interrupt the couple, Janet turned and headed for the car park. She drove home on autopilot, her mind racing. By the time she’d parked outside Doveby House, she’d just about convinced herself that she was mistaken. Whoever the man was, it simply couldn’t have been Gerald.

  Thursday was uneventful, and Janet felt as if she spent much of the day waiting for Friday to arrive. Nancy rang early on Friday morning to confirm the arrangements for the evening.

  “My friend who is interested in joining will be there,” Nancy told her. “And Edna is also bringing a male friend. I’ve told Martha, and I’ll tell you as well, that you are more than welcome to invite a guest if you’d like.”

  “I don’t think so,” Janet said. “But I’ll give it some thought.”

  “I did think that you might like to invite William Chalmers,” Nancy said. “I know
you two are friends and I wondered if he might like to join a local group like ours. When you have a small business, it’s always good to be involved in the your community.”

  After she’d disconnected, Janet gave the idea some thought. Nancy was right that small local business owners needed to be involved in the community. That was why Janet had joined the club, after all, but she wasn’t sure that the Doveby Dale Ladies’ Club had been in any way helpful to the bed and breakfast. Of course, if they were welcoming new members and expanding the group, it might be more useful in the future than it had in the past. Janet sighed. Maybe she should invite William. Perhaps he would take that as the apology she felt she owed him.

  “Hi, Paul, can I have a minute of William’s time?” she asked when the phone at WTC Antiques was answered.

  “He’s with a customer, but I’ll have him ring you back,” Paul told her. “Unless it’s something I might be able to help with?”

  “Sorry, in this case it really isn’t,” Janet told him. “Please ask him to ring me as soon as he can. It isn’t an emergency, but it involves plans for tonight.”

  “I’ll tell him,” Paul promised.

  Whatever Paul told William, it was some hours before he rang. Janet was just putting the finishing touches on her makeup when Joan knocked on her door.

  “William is on the line for you,” she said.

  “Sorry, I didn’t even hear it ring,” Janet said. “I must have been drying my hair.”

  She picked up the extension in her bedroom, but waited until Joan had left the room and shut the door before she spoke. “Hello?”

  “Janet? Sorry I didn’t ring back sooner, but it’s been very busy this afternoon here.”

  “Busy is always good,” Janet replied.

  “It is,” William agreed. “Even if most of the people were simply looking.”

  “But maybe they’ll find they can’t live without a piece and come back,” Janet said. “I know I would have come back for my painting eventually, if it hadn’t been given to me.”

  “Well, let’s hope so. But what can I do for you?”

  “I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned the Doveby Dale Ladies’ Club to you,” Janet said.

  “I think you may have,” William replied. “Isn’t that Nancy Johnson’s group? She comes in once in a while to tell me how much nicer all of her furniture is than what I have for sale.”

  Janet laughed. “That sounds like Nancy,” she said. “And yes, it’s her group. I joined a few months ago, trying to be more involved in the community and whatnot. There are only five of us and we meet for dinner once a month or so. Anyway, one of the members suggested opening up the membership to men.”

  “I assume you’d rename the group if you do so,” William said.

  “I don’t know,” Janet replied. “But tonight we’re meeting as a group with a few of the men who might be interested in joining. Nancy suggested that you might be another interested party.”

  “Why?” he asked bluntly.

  “She said something about your wanting to get more involved in the community,” Janet said.

  “I suppose there’s some truth in that,” William replied, sounding thoughtful. “But I already belong to a few other organisations that I’m pretty sure are more beneficial that the Ladies’ Club would be, no offense.”

  “Oh, none taken,” Janet assured him. “I don’t think I’ll ever see any real benefit to the bed and breakfast from belonging, but the ladies are nice enough and it’s only once a month.”

  “I should think the other members should be able to send a few customers your way, at least once in a while,” William said. “I wonder if they’d send any to me?”

  “I’ve no idea,” Janet told him. “But if you’re interested, you can join us at the café for dinner in half an hour.”

  “Unfortunately, I’m stuck here for at least two hours,” William said. “But maybe I’ll try to stop into the café when I’m finished. If nothing else, I wouldn’t mind seeing you.”

  Janet blushed. “So I can apologise again for my behaviour at lunch.”

  “Not at all. That lunch is ancient history. I won’t hear another word about it.”

  “Thank you,” Janet said sincerely. “Hopefully, I’ll see you later then.”

  “I’ll plan on it,” William said.

  Janet disconnected and looked over at Aggie, who was sitting on her bed, staring at her.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked the kitten.

  “Meerrroooowww,” Aggie replied.

  “It isn’t like I’m having dinner with him,” Janet said defensively. “I’ve just invited him to see if he’d like to join the group.”

  Aggie rolled over and waved her paws in the air. Janet walked over and scratched her tummy. “I’m not above bribing you,” she told the kitten. “I’ll scratch your tummy if you promise not to mention William to Edward when you meet him.”

  Aggie squeezed her eyes shut and didn’t reply. Janet glanced at the clock on her chest of drawers and sighed. She needed to finish getting ready for her evening ahead. Janet and Aggie headed downstairs a short time later. Paul was already in place in front of the telly and Aggie was quick to join him.

  “I thought you might be working late. William said he is,” Janet said.

  “He has some people coming back to look at one of the wardrobes,” Paul explained. “There was no point in both of us staying, and he volunteered. He said he was going to do some painting while he waited.”

  Janet was just heading for the coat closet when someone knocked.

  “Robert, what can I do for you?” she asked the young constable on her doorstep.

  “I wanted to talk to you about the men we were discussing the other day,” he said.

  “I’m just meant to be going to meet them, along with the rest of the group, for dinner at the café,” Janet told him.

  “Really? Maybe it’s time for me to get some dinner as well,” Robert said.

  “Nancy did say that I could bring a guest if I wanted to,” Janet said. “But I’m not sure anyone would believe that you’re interested in joining the group.”

  Robert laughed. “I think I’ll just ask Ted for a table near yours,” he said. “I’m sure he’ll be accommodating.”

  Janet nodded. No doubt Ted would do his best to make their local constable feel welcome.

  “I’ll just go on ahead,” Robert said. “I’d rather be in place before your group gets there. I can give Ted some very specific instructions that way.”

  “I would be surprised if Nancy isn’t already there,” Janet said. “She’s always early for everything.”

  Robert nodded. “I’ll see you shortly, but I won’t speak to you,” he said.

  “It’s almost like going undercover,” Janet said to Joan as she shut the door behind the man. “I hope I don’t accidently blurt out who he is.”

  “As Nancy, Martha, Harriet and Edna all know him, I can’t imagine it would matter,” Joan replied.

  Janet shrugged. “I wonder what Robert wanted to ask me about the men,” she said. “I should have asked before he left.”

  “He was rather eager to get to the café before everyone else,” Joan replied. “I’m sure you’ll find out eventually.”

  Janet took her coat from the closet and slipped it on. “I don’t think I’ll be terribly late,” she said. “I thought Peter and Paula would be here by now.”

  “Peter rang. Paula was tied up at the office, but they should be here soon.”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing them again,” Janet said. “They’re our first repeat customers.”

  With that she headed out, curiously excited about what the evening ahead might hold.

  Chapter Eight

  The car park for the café was only about half full. Janet found a spot under a streetlight, the way she’d been taught when she was young. She felt excited and apprehensive as she approached the door. Inside, she looked around and then smiled. Nancy was sitting at a large table on he
r own. At the table next to her was a couple sitting side by side with their backs to the room. Janet was certain that the couple was Robert and Susan.

  “Ah, you’re early this time,” Nancy said as Janet joined her.

  “I usually am,” Janet replied as she deliberately chose a seat as far from Robert and Susan as she could.

  “If you say so,” Nancy said with doubt in her voice.

  “But where is everyone else?” Janet asked.

  “I imagine they’re all just running late,” Nancy said. “I know Gerald is.”

  “Gerald? Is that the man who wants to join the group?” Janet asked, hoping she sounded as if she’d just heard the name for the first time.

  “Yes, Gerald Butler-Smythe,” Nancy said, rolling the name off her tongue as if she were speaking of royalty.

  “And is he from Doveby Dale or has he just moved here?”

  “He’s just moved up from London for a change of scenery. He still does a great deal of business in the city, though, and that’s why he’s late tonight. He was in London all week and his train into Derby was late.”

  “Has he bought a house here, then? I didn’t think there was very much on the market at the moment.”

  Nancy shrugged. “I’m not entirely certain,” she said. “That isn’t the sort of thing we’ve discussed.”

  Janet had dozens more questions she wanted to ask, but she was interrupted by Martha’s arrival.

  “Good evening,” she said brightly as she joined them. “But does this mean your friend has had a change of heart and decided he doesn’t want to join us after all?” she asked Nancy.

  “Oh, goodness, no,” Nancy said with a small laugh. “He’s just been held up, that’s all. He should be here very soon.”

  Martha nodded and took a seat next to Janet. “And how are you?” she asked her.

  “I’m fine. How are you?”

  “Oh, just fine, really,” Martha said. “I saw you at the supermarket the other day…” She was interrupted by another new arrival.

  “Well, I came,” Harriet announced. “But where are the all of the men?”