Aunt Bessie Finds (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 6) (12 page)

“I don’t know all the details,” Mary said with a shrug.
 
“But the first I heard about the idea
was when Mack had lunch with George and Grant the day of his lecture.”

“Mack had lunch with George and Mr. Robertson the day of his
lecture?” Bessie asked.

Mary laughed.
 
“Yes, but
I don’t know why or what was discussed.
 
The three of them ate in the small dining room and I wasn’t invited to
join them.”

Bessie frowned.
 
“Is
that normal?” she asked and then flushed.
 
“Sorry, that was a rude question,” she said, sipping the last of her tea
to hide her discomfort.

“It’s fine,” Mary answered.
 
The waiter appeared at Bessie’s elbow, offering more tea, which both
women were happy to accept.
 
Once
he’d gone, Mary smiled at Bessie.

“Everyone’s marriage is different,” she said after a moment.
 
“George has never involved me in his
work, so yes, it is quite normal for him to have a meal with guests and not
invite me to join them.
 
I assumed
at the time that he and Grant were discussing working with Mack on some project.
 
Once Mack made his big announcement
about Roman finds, I sort of figured that he’d been talking to George and Grant
about that, but I’ve really no idea.”

“That certainly makes sense,” Bessie said, her mind racing.
 

“Sadly, nothing ever came of it, of course,” Mary said.
 

“Indeed,” Bessie replied.

“But that’s enough about George and Grant,” Mary said, picking up
her last tiny biscuit.
 
“What’s this
about you moving to Douglas?”

Bessie smiled at her friend.
 
She’d been waiting for this opportunity.
 
“I don’t know,” she said.
 
“One of my friends lives in the building
on
Seaview
Terrace that Alan Collins took me
around.
 
He’s the agent from Island
Choice Properties.
 
She keeps
talking about all the advantages of living in Douglas.
 
Her building has grocery delivery and
it’s close to everything in Douglas, which makes it seem quite tempting,
really.”

“And you’d be closer to me,” Mary said happily.
 
“But you’d miss your little cottage by
the sea.”

“I would,” Bessie agreed.
 
“That’s why I’m so uncertain as to what to do.”

“It is a huge decision,” Mary agreed.

“I’m afraid I’ll sell my little cottage and buy a flat in Douglas
and then hate it,” Bessie said in a confiding tone.
 
“And by that time some developer will
have torn down my cottage and replaced it with a block of rental cottages or
something.”

Mary shook her head.
 
“They couldn’t tear down your cottage, could they?
 
It’s adorable.”

“And desperately in need of
modernisation
,”
Bessie said with a shrug.
 
“At least
I’m sure that’s what Alan Collins would say, if he got a look inside.
 
I’m pretty sure the land is worth a lot
more than my old cottage.
 
Apparently sea views are a big selling feature.”

“I suppose,” Mary said slowly.
 
“It’s too bad you can’t keep the cottage and simply rent a flat in
Douglas for a while.”

“That’s a thought,” Bessie said, as if the idea had never occurred
to her.
 
“I wonder if the people who
own the flat at
Seaview
Terrace would be interested
in renting it out for a while.”

“You should ask Alan Collins,” Mary suggested.
 
“He should have some way to contact the
owners.”

“I might just have to do that,” Bessie mused.
 

“I’ll talk to George,” Mary offered.
 
“He knows more about the property market
in Douglas than I do.
 
Maybe he’ll
know of some other flats that are available.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Bessie said.
 
“Although, I was really taken with the
one at
Seaview
Terrace.
 
If I am going to buy something, I think
that might be the place for me.”

“I’m sure George can help in some way,” Mary said.
 
“He knows everyone.”

Bessie nodded.
 
Although
he’d only been back on the island for a year or so, it did seem as if George
knew everyone, at least everyone who mattered, from the governor to the members
of the House of Keys and anyone else who had any influence on the island.
 
Sometimes Bessie wasn’t sure why he’d
bothered to become friends with her.

The pair finished their second round of tea with a more general
chat about their lives.
 
Mary was
very excited at the thought of Bessie moving into Douglas and Bessie did her
best to encourage her enthusiasm.
 
While she had no intention of actually moving, she was very interested
in seeing what might would happen if she showed real interest in the
Seaview
Terrace flat.

After tea, Mary drove Bessie home so that she didn’t have to get a
taxi back.
 

“I do love your little cottage,” Mary said as she walked Bessie to
her door.
 
“I suppose I can see why
you’re tempted to stay put.”

Bessie nodded.
 
“Come
and have a walk on the beach with me.
 
You’ll want to stay, too.”

The pair took a short walk on the beach, stopping before they went
too deeply into the crowds from the rental cottages.
 
They returned to the relative quiet
behind Bessie’s cottage, and Bessie settled in on her rock.

“Have a seat,” she suggested.

Mary perched tentatively on the rock and stared out at the
sea.
 
“We’re on the sea as well, of
course,” she remarked.
 
“But on a
cliff above it, so you can’t easily and safely get down to the water.
 
George keeps talking about having steps
put in, but he never gets around to doing it.”

“I love being close to the water,” Bessie told her.
 
“But you do have the most amazing
views.”

Mary laughed lightly.
 
“I think I’m just impossible to please,” she said.
 
“If we were right on the water, I’d
probably complain about that, but since we aren’t, I wish we were.
 
I know I’m very lucky that we have a
large home, but I love your
cosy
little
cottage.”
 
She sighed.
 
“I think I just need more sleep,” she
said after a moment.

“Perhaps your holiday in Portugal will do you some good,” Bessie
suggested.

Mary’s face brightened.
 
“I’m sure it will,” she agreed.
 
“I shall thoroughly enjoy spending time with the grandchildren.
 
They’re wonderful when they’re small and
still want to cuddle and play.
 
All
too soon they grow into teens and then adults and everything changes.”

“Would you like to come in for a cup of tea or coffee or
something?” Bessie asked after a while.

“No, thank you,” Mary replied.
 
“I’ve had quite enough to drink for now.
 
It’s just so very peaceful here on this
rock with the sea whispering in and out.
 
I think I might just sit here for a bit, if you don’t mind.”

Bessie took that as a hint that her friend wanted to be alone.
 
“I’ll leave you here, then,” she told
Mary.
 
“If you change your mind,
just knock whenever.
 
I’ll be home
all night.”

Bessie went into her cottage.
 
She caught up on paying a few bills and then returned a few phone calls
that were of no consequence.
 
When
she next looked out her back window, Mary had gone.

Chapter Six

The next few days passed quietly.
 
Bessie ignored the answering machine
message from Alan Collins, who said he was just checking to make sure she
didn’t have any questions.
 
She
talked to Doona a couple of times, but Doona was working extra hours to help cover
for some of the staff who were taking summer holidays.
 
Spencer rang to let Bessie know that
he’d made the shortlist for one of the jobs he’d been interviewed for, and
Bessie was very pleased for him.
 
By
Friday, she was happy to get into Ramsey for some shopping, as she felt as if
she’d been at home alone rather too much lately.

The feeling only lasted for a few minutes once she was out and
about, of course.
 
It was a rainy
day and after Bessie had been “accidentally” elbowed into a puddle by a large woman
with a huge umbrella, who was determined to walk as close to the shops as
possible, regardless of who might be already in that space, Bessie was longing
for her small, but blessedly empty, cottage.

ShopFast
was quieter than normal, presumably due to the rain, and Bessie collected what
she needed for the week without having to answer more than a few nosy questions
from acquaintances.
 
She’d almost
made it out of the store before Maggie
Shimmin
spotted her.

“Ah, Bessie, there you are,” Maggie’s voice boomed across the front
of the store.

Bessie turned from the frozen foods and gave Maggie a smile.
 
“Hi, Maggie, how are you today?”

“I’m well, but how are you?” the woman replied.
 

“I’m fine,” Bessie replied.

Maggie came around her shopping trolley and took Bessie’s hands in
hers.
 
“No, really, Bessie, how are
you?” she asked intently.

“I’m fine,” Bessie assured her, trying to pull her hands away.

“Bessie, we’re friends as well as
neighbours
,
you can tell me what’s going on,” Maggie said, staring hard at Bessie.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” Bessie replied, feeling
confused.

Maggie sighed deeply.
 
“I guess, if you don’t feel you can talk to me, I mustn’t be pushy,” she
said, letting go of Bessie’s hands and turning away.
 
“I thought we were friends, but you have
to make that decision, I suppose.”

Bessie put her hand on the woman’s shoulder.
 
“Maggie, we are friends,” she said
firmly.
 
“And I have no idea what
you’re talking about.”

Maggie stared at her for a moment.
 
“I heard how you’ve put your house on
the market so you can move into a flat in Douglas with medical staff on call,”
she said after a moment.
 
“I know
you’re a very private person, so I guess I can see that you don’t want to talk
about your health problems.”

Bessie just looked at her for a long time and then she began to
laugh.
 
Maggie was starting to look
offended before Bessie got her laughter under control.

“Sorry,” Bessie said, wiping her eyes.
 
“It’s just so ridiculous that I had to
laugh.”

“What’s ridiculous?” Maggie asked.

“All of it,” Bessie replied, shaking her head.
 
“I have not put my house on the
market.
 
I am not moving into a flat
in Douglas with medical staff on call.
 
And, as far as I know, I’m in perfect health, as well.”

Maggie sighed.
 
“My
sources are impeccable,” she said stiffly.

“Well, in this instance, they’re also wrong,”
Bessie
told her.
 
“Would you like me to
tell you what’s really happening?”

Maggie nodded eagerly.

Bessie hid her grin.
 
“I
am giving some serious thought to moving into Douglas,” she told the woman.
 
“While I love my little cottage, living in
Douglas has many advantages and I’m curious what living there might be
like.
 
Upkeep on
the cottage is costly and time-consuming as well, while a little flat would
make my life much easier.
 
For right
now, I’m thinking about it and exploring different options, but that’s all I’m
doing.”

Maggie didn’t look as if she believed Bessie, but she nodded.
 
“Well, that’s good to hear,” she said.

“I just saw my doctor last month and there’s absolutely nothing
wrong with my health, by the way,” Bessie added.
 
“I have no interest in a flat with
medical staff available.
 
I’m
actually looking at a flat on
Seaview
Terrace.
 
My friend, Bahey
Corlett
,
lives there.”

“I remember Bahey,” Maggie said.
 
“She’s older than I am, of course.
 
She worked for the Pierce family,
right?”

“She did,” Bessie agreed.
 
“Anyway, if I did decide to put my cottage on the market, you’d be the
first to know.”

“Well, thank you for that.
 
I’m glad your health isn’t a problem,” Maggie said.
 
“Now I really must be off.”

Maggie was gone before Bessie managed a reply.
 
Bessie shook her head and then checked
her trolley.
 
She’d completely
forgotten what was on her mental shopping list or even what was already in her
trolley.
 
The chat with Maggie had
amused and upset her in nearly equal measure.
 
She really hated being gossiped about,
but it was worse when the gossips got so much of it wrong.

After grabbing a few more things, almost at random, Bessie headed
to the tills and then out to find her taxi.
 
Back at
home,
she put the shopping away before playing through her answering machine
messages.

“Ah, Bessie, it’s Mary.
 
Can you give me a ring when you have a minute?
 
I have some news for you about that flat
on
Seaview
Terrace.”

Bessie reached for the phone.
 
This should be interesting.

“Mary?
 
It’s Bessie, ringing
you back.”

“Hi, Bessie.
 
I’m sorry
I didn’t ring you sooner, but George has been working a lot lately and I didn’t
get a chance to talk to him until yesterday afternoon.
 
Then he had to talk to Grant, who had to
talk to Alan.”
 
Mary laughed.
 
“I suppose you don’t need all the boring
details, though, do you?
 
You just
want to know what I’ve found out.”

Bessie laughed.
 
“I
don’t mind hearing the whole story,” she assured her friend.
 
“You can tell me whatever you like.”

“Thank you,” Mary said.
 
“George is always telling me to get to the point when I waffle about all
over the place.
 
Anyway, George
talked to Grant, and you’ll never guess what he found out.”

“You don’t really expect me to guess, do you?” Bessie asked.

“Oh, no, you’d never manage it anyway,”
Mary
said with a laugh.
 
“When the poor
old dear who lived in number ten died, her family was rather desperate to get
rid of the flat.
 
They all live
across and didn’t have any island connections, so they just wanted it sold
quickly.
 
To help them out, Island
Choice Properties bought the flat from them at just below market value.”

“Really?” Bessie asked.
 
“Is that typical for estate agencies?
 
I have no idea how they work.”

“I’m not totally sure,” Mary said.
 
“I don’t think it is, really, but I’m
sure Grant bought the place out of his spare change, if you know what I
mean.
 
The freehold on the property
is owned by one of Grant’s companies anyway.
 
If they were willing to sell at below
market value, he probably thought it would be a good chance to make a quick
profit.”

“But now the flat has been sitting on the market for months,”
Bessie said.

“And that’s why they’re happy to let you lease it,” Mary told
her.
 

“Are they indeed?” Bessie asked.

“Apparently George had to twist Grant’s arm a little bit,” Mary
said in a confiding tone.
 
“But you
know George would do anything for you.”

Bessie laughed.
 
“I
rather think that George would do anything for you and he’s doing it for your
benefit.”

“Maybe,” Mary replied.
 
“But regardless, the good news is that you can move in whenever you
like.”

“As quickly as that?” Bessie asked, suddenly quite sure that she
really didn’t want to move at all.

“Shall I arrange a moving truck for you?” Mary asked.
 
“We have an account with Island
Movers.
 
They moved us from
across, not just me and George, but all of the children
as
well.
 
They’re very good and I’m
sure they’ll give you a bargain price.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Bessie said, thinking quickly, “but I’m
sure there are things that have to be arranged first.
 
There must be a lease agreement or something
that I need to sign and other paperwork as well.”

“Oh, I don’t know,”
Mary
said.
 
“I suppose I should have George ring
you.”

“That might be best,” Bessie said, swallowing a sigh.
 

“Of course, your new flat is smaller than your little cottage.
 
You’ll have to choose what furniture you
take with you very carefully,” Mary said thoughtfully.
 
“We have lots of furniture pieces in
storage.
 
If you think you’d like to
have something different, I’d be happy to take you to have a look around.”

“Why do you have things in storage?” Bessie asked, thinking about
the huge mansion that Mary lived in.
 
Surely there was plenty of room for a lot of furniture.

“George likes to redo rooms every so often and when he does, he
clears out everything and starts from scratch.
 
I can’t bring myself to just throw away
perfectly good furniture that’s often only a year or two old, so I put it all
in storage.
 
Sometimes I can sneak a
piece or two back in, in a different room or something, but usually I just
leave it all in storage until I find someone who can use it.
 
The boys have both furnished their
entire houses from our storage units and Elizabeth redoes her rooms every
couple of months or so.
 
You’re more
than welcome to whatever you think you might find useful.”

“Thank you, but I think I have more than enough furniture for that
little flat,” Bessie said, shaking her head.
 
The rich really were completely
different to her.
 

“Well, the offer is certainly open, if you want to reconsider.”

After the call, Bessie spent several minutes just sitting at her
kitchen table, looking out the window.
 
She knew she wasn’t seriously moving, but the whole idea still filled
her with dread.
 
She’s slept in the
bedroom upstairs just about every night for many more years than she was
willing to admit to and she wasn’t sure she was ready to leave it, even if it
was only temporary.
 
She
sighed.
 
This had all started out as
a little
favour
for a friend, but it was turning into
much more than that.
 
She’d been
thinking about a holiday, she reminded herself.
 
She would simply have to think of her
stay in Douglas as just that, a nice holiday.

George rang just after lunch.
 

“Ah, Bessie, Mary asked me to ring,” he said, sounding distracted.

“Thanks for doing so,” Bessie replied.
 
“She said that you’d managed to arrange
for me to lease the flat on
Seaview
Terrace.”

“Yes, I talked to Grant yesterday and he’s fine with you moving in
whenever you want.”

“What about a lease agreement or some sort of legal documentation?”
Bessie asked.

“Oh, I don’t think we need to bother with such things, really.
 
You can get the keys from the building
manager and move in whenever you want.
 
If you decide you want to buy it, let me know.
 
Otherwise, just let me know when you
move out.”

“Oh, but that seems very informal,” Bessie protested.

“It’s all between friends,” George replied.
 
“Must dash.”