A Matter of Wife and Death (A Sibyl Potts Cozy Mystery, Book 4) Read online

  A Matter of Wife and Death

  (A Sibyl Potts Cozy Mystery, Book 4)

  Copyright © 2015 by Morgana Best

  All Rights Reserved.

  License Notes.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy from your favorite ebook retailer. Thank you for respecting the author’s hard work.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The personal names have been invented by the author, and any likeness to the name of any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  This book may contain references to specific commercial products, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, specific brand-name products and/or trade names of products, which are trademarks or registered trademarks and/or trade names, and these are property of their respective owners. Morgana Best or her associates, have no association with any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, specific brand-name products and / or trade names of products.

  Table of Contents.

  Chapter 1.

  Chapter 2.

  Chapter 3.

  Chapter 4.

  Chapter 5.

  Chapter 6.

  Chapter 7.

  Chapter 8.

  Chapter 9.

  Chapter 10.

  Chapter 11.

  Chapter 12.

  Chapter 13.

  Chapter 14.

  Chapter 15.

  Chapter 16.

  Chapter 17.

  Chapter 18.

  Chapter 19.

  Chapter 20.

  Connect with Morgana.

  Next Book in this Series.

  Other books by Morgana Best.

  About Morgana Best.

  Chapter 1.

  “How are you with scrambled eggs?” Cressida asked, as soon as I answered my phone.

  “Scrambled eggs?” I was bewildered.

  “I need your help.”

  “I just woke up.” I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. I’d had a long day of dog grooming clients the previous day, and had been up late grooming toy poodles for an important dog show.

  “Dorothy had a run-in with Lisa, the new boarder, last night.”

  I groaned. “Let me guess, Lisa said something about her cooking?” I could feel a headache coming on. Dorothy, the cook, had never read How to Win Friends and Influence People.

  “Yes,” Cressida’s voice boomed, “and I need to have a nice breakfast for Lisa and her husband, what with them being honeymooners and all. Oh, don’t worry, Mr. Buttons is here now. He can help me with breakfast.” And with that, she hung up.

  I snuggled back down into my blankets, and drifted off for what seemed like only seconds, before I was jerked from sleep once more.

  I reached out and then knocked my phone to the floor, thankful that it didn’t fall on Sandy, my yellow Labrador, who was sleeping in her usual spot next to my bed. I snatched up the phone, slid my thumb across the screen, and held it to my ear.

  “Hello?” I put on my best no-I-didn’t-just-wake-up voice.

  “Get up here fast,” Cressida said, in a hushed voice.

  “Mr. Buttons made a mess of the breakfast?” I guessed.

  I wasn’t sure what Cressida said next, as every atom in my body froze in shock, but I did catch the words, death, and back yard.

  I was at once wide awake, the words Cressida had spoken causing adrenaline to course through my system. I jumped out of bed and pulled on jeans, then threw on a sweatshirt. I ran to the back door and flung it open so Sandy could go outside when she woke up. At my front door, I tugged on some sneakers without socks, and then I was outside.

  Death. That word hung in the air, as I ran toward the boarding house and the unknown.

  The scene in the back yard at the boarding house made my blood run cold. Strewn over the green grass and purple and red geraniums of the garden were large pieces of metal and concrete. Lying amongst the rubble was Lisa. Her husband, Greg, was on his knees next to her, weeping loudly.

  “I was out here having a cigarette and looking at the garden while talking to Lisa,” he sobbed. “All of a sudden, without warning, the railing gave way, and Lisa fell.”

  I looked up at the balcony directly above me, and saw that the Juliet balustrade was missing.

  Chapter 2.

  I stood with Cressida in the foyer, and accepted a cup of English Breakfast tea from Mr. Buttons.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “Of course, my dear.”

  Cressida accepted her cup of tea from Mr. Buttons. “Is Greg up in his room?”

  “Yes, I managed to pry him away from his poor wife,” Mr. Buttons said.

  I shook my head. “This is horrible. Were you out in the garden when it happened, Mr. Buttons?”

  Mr. Buttons shook his head. “No, it was too early. I heard a scream, and by the time I got out there, the woman was already lying on the ground motionless and her husband was trying to revive her.”

  “Why us all the time?” Cressida asked, and although the question could certainly come off as self involved, I knew she had a point. Deaths, murders, and mysteries followed those at the boarding house, and it had only happened since I had moved there.

  Before anyone could answer, Blake burst through the door, accompanied by Constable Andrews.

  “Is everyone okay?” Blake asked as he stopped in front of the three of us.

  “Woman dead in the back yard, I’m afraid,” Mr. Buttons said. “Newlywed.”

  “Husband is here?” Blake barked.

  Mr. Buttons pointed up the stairs. “Yes, in his room.”

  “Good, keep him there. I’m going to check out the crime scene with Constable Andrews. Will you three stay here?”

  “How do you know it’s a crime scene?” I asked.

  Blake smiled a grim smile. “With you guys, it’s always a crime scene.”

  I had no answer to that, and I watched as Blake walked toward the back of the house. Cressida, Mr. Buttons, and I stood in silence, sipping our tea, until Blake returned.

  “Okay, what happened?” he said, pulling off his hat and rubbing his eyes.

  “Her husband called out and woke up the whole house, about half an hour ago,” Cressida said. “We all rushed out, and there she was.”

  Blake frowned. “He was the only one out there?”

  “Yes,” Cressida said. “He said he usually smokes on the Juliet balcony, but this morning he went out into the back yard to smoke. Lisa was on the balcony, and they were talking when it collapsed.”

  Blake was writing down everything Cressida said in a small notebook he had pulled out of his breast pocket. “And he’s still upstairs now?”

  Cressida nodded. “Yes.”

  “Okay, I’m going to speak with him. You three are to stay put. Make sure no one leaves, and no one goes out back. Constable Andrews is doing some work there.”

  “All right,” Cressida said.

  When Blake reached the top of the stairs, I turned to Cressida and Mr. Buttons. “This one can’t be a murder, right? It’s just an accident, surely.”

  “If it’s an accident, it’s my fault,” Cressida said, her voice breaking.

  “It’s no
t your fault,” Mr. Buttons said, patting Cressida on the back. “Sometimes accidents happen.”

  “She was so young,” Cressida said, holding the sleeve of her pajama shirt to her eyes as she began to cry. “Just married.”

  “Let’s sit down,” Mr. Buttons suggested, and we moved to the side of the wall, where a padded love seat sat next to a small table upon which was a vase of fake flowers. Mr. Buttons indicated that Cressida should sit. “Do you need anything, Cressida?” he asked.

  “No,” she sniffled, and appeared to be about to say something, when Constable Andrews rushed through the door.

  “Where’s Sergeant Wessley?” he asked.

  “Talking with the husband,” I said. “Why?”

  Before he could answer, Blake appeared at the top of the stairs.

  “Sergeant, it looks like the balcony was made to fall,” Constable Andrews called out. “It’s missing the bolts; it looks like someone removed them.”

  “Let’s talk in private,” Blake snapped.

  “Right, sorry.” Constable Andrews hurried up the stairs to Blake, with the three of us on his heels. Blake and Constable Andrews walked back into the room. The door was open, but beyond there was nothing but air. The balcony had fallen away completely; there was nothing remaining.

  “Look here,” Constable Andrews said, crouching by the balcony and pointing. Blake crouched next to him. From my position at the doorway, I was unable to see what they were looking at.

  “What is it?” Cressida asked me, peering over my shoulder.

  “You’re right,” Blake said to Constable Andrews. “The bolts have been cleanly removed. If the balustrade had simply collapsed, part of the bolts would have remained. The weight of anyone would be enough to make the balustrade collapse; it was just sitting there, completely unsupported.”

  “Wouldn’t someone have been aware of someone taking all the time to remove the bolts?” Mr. Buttons asked.

  Blake shrugged. “That’s one of the questions Constable Andrews and I will have to answer,” he said before turning to focus his attention on me. “Constable Andrews and I. Understood? Not you? Or any of you.”

  I held up my hands. “All right,” I said, meaning what I said.

  Greg appeared from behind the door. For a moment, I’d forgotten he was there.

  The man didn’t speak, but looked off into the distance before rubbing his eyes and bursting into a fresh flood of tears. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he said between sobs. “I didn’t hear her call my name or anything before it happened. There was a strange sound, like a gate opening or something, and when I turned around, I saw her fall. I was helpless to save her.” His voice rose an octave. “That should’ve been me! I always smoke up on the balcony every morning, but for some reason, today I wanted to look at the garden close up.”

  “Why?” Mr. Buttons blurted out.

  “There are protesters who are giving my company a lot of grief,” Greg said. “After dealing with that sort of thing lately, I felt the need to take a minute and appreciate nature. I guess I wanted to look at the garden and be reassured that my work in town won’t be detrimental to what truly matters in the world. How ironic, eh?” He looked off into the distance. “I lost my wife while focusing on things that mattered less.”

  I wondered why Blake was staring fixedly at Greg, but then Blake turned to me and gave me his police officer look. I stepped into the corridor, followed by Cressida and Mr. Buttons.

  The three of us exchanged glances as Blake and Constable Andrews walked into the corridor behind us. “Cressida, you’ll need to find Mr. Summers another room. This room is a crime scene.”

  “A crime scene?” Greg gasped, as his hand flew to this throat. “My wife fell from there.” He pointed to the balcony. “I was down there smoking and saw it happen. The railing gave way. No one pushed her!”

  Constable Andrews held out his hand. In it were bolts and screws. “No one pushed her,” he said, “but these have been unscrewed.”

  “Andrews!” Blake barked, and then jerked his head toward the front door. “Outside!”

  Constable Andrews hurried off, while Mr. Buttons took Greg by the arm. “Come with me. I’ll make you a nice cup of tea,” he said, picking some lint from Greg’s shirt.

  Chapter 3.

  It had been a long day. Cressida had invited me to dinner, and Dorothy was in her usual, unpleasant mood. As soon as Dorothy had deposited the plates of Thai green curry in front of everyone and left, Mr. Buttons leaned over to me. “I’m sure the murderer is Dorothy this time,” he muttered. “She had a terrible fight with the victim the night before.”

  I sighed. “Mr. Buttons, a lot of people have had terrible fights with Dorothy. She hasn’t murdered any of them, though.”

  “As far as we know,” he hissed.

  Eric Jefferies, one of the boarders, spoke up. “The cops gave me the third degree,” he said. “I told them about the guy across the hall from where I’m staying.”

  “Peter Steele?” Cressida said. “He never comes to dinner, but that doesn’t make him a homicidal maniac.”

  I raised my eyebrows and shot Mr. Buttons a helpless look. He simply shrugged and pursed his lips.

  “Yes, him,” Eric said, after swallowing a mouthful of rice. “The other day, I was walking back to my room. I saw Peter Steele struggling to unlock his door while talking away on his cell. I didn’t hear much, but I heard enough to make me do some googling. The guy seemed irritated, and said something like, ‘The millionaire land developer who’s tearing down the wilderness is staying at the same boarding house I am.’ I wasn’t sure what he meant, so I googled it. It’s pretty intriguing.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  Eric smiled. “I found that various environmental groups who are unhappy with the destruction of the wilderness areas have threatened Greg Summers. The cops were real interested when I told them that. Greg Summers is a big shot. He owns a commercial property development company. He’s in town to destroy the wilderness area just over west of here. There are tons of protesters coming out of the woodwork, apparently. They held a rally in Tamworth recently, according to one of the sites I came across.”

  Eric leaned across the table. “You know what I think? I think one of those protesters was trying to kill Greg Summers, and accidentally killed his wife instead.”

  “Trying to kill Greg?” I asked, confused.

  “Maybe they weren’t targeting Lisa.” Eric paused for a moment, before continuing. “Greg told me that he usually smokes up on the balcony, but for the first time since staying here, he decided to go out into the garden this time to have a cigarette. What if Lisa wasn’t the one who was supposed to fall to her death?”

  “No, Greg’s poor wife, Lisa, was the intended victim,” Cressida insisted. “Lord Farringdon told me that this afternoon.”

  Eric looked taken aback. I wondered if he knew that Lord Farringdon was Cressida’s fat, tabby and white cat. At any rate, he did not comment on that, but pressed on. “What if the murderer was Peter Steele? He had the motive, and he had the opportunity. Greg Summers himself told me only a few hours ago that he always leaned over the railing every morning to smoke a cigarette.”

  “I think the kid’s onto something,” Dorothy said, and everyone jumped. I shrieked, and my fork flew out of my hand. I had no idea she’d come into the room.

  Dorothy glared at me, and continued talking. “The bolts were removed and tossed onto the ground. Greg, the husband, has admitted that his daily routine included standing on that very balcony, and now we have a possible motive. I think it’s safe to surmise that someone might be trying to kill Mr. Summers.” With that, she picked up the fork and waved it at me in a belligerent manner, before hurrying out of the room.

  “That’s the most Dorothy’s ever said at one time,” Mr. Buttons said in a stage whisper. “She’s trying to throw suspicion off herself.”

  “You’re all wrong,” Cressida said in a petulant voice. “Lord Farringdon said
that Lisa was the intended victim, I tell you!”

  I sighed, and rubbed my temples.

  I hadn’t even finished my Thai green curry, when there was a loud bang on the front door followed by the bell ringing incessantly. Cressida jumped to her feet and headed for the front door, with me hard on her heels.

  Cressida opened the front door to reveal a short, portly man, who was sporting an enormous, uneven, walrus-like mustache made out of brown and gray, bristly hairs.

  “Are you the owner?” the man with the mustache asked in a brusque tone.

  “Yes,” Cressida said. “What can I do for you?”

  “Franklin Greer, from the Little Tatterford and Shire Council,” the man said.

  “What is this about?” Mr. Buttons asked. He stepped forward, and then took both edges of the man’s mustache in his hands, and leveled it.

  The man’s jaw fell open, and he stood silent for a moment. “We got a call about a fallen balcony,” he said after an interval. “I believe someone has died, have they not?”

  “Yes,” Cressida said again.

  “I have a duty of care to all persons in workplaces, including workers and volunteers, contractors and their workers, visitors and the general public. I have to make decisions about health and safety.” Franklin Greer puffed out his chest. “The Little Tatterford and Shire Council has an obligation to ensure that people are not exposed to hazards or damage. I need to see this balcony.”

  “It’s a crime scene,” I said. “It looks like someone made it collapse on purpose.”

  “Well, the authorities and I will decide that,” the man said, a rather smug look upon his face as he curled his plump lips into a slimy smile. “But as of right now, we need everyone up and out of the boarding house.”

  “Why?” Cressida demanded.

  The man looked her right in the eye. “Because this place is going to be shut down. It’s unsafe.”

  “It’s not unsafe,” I said. “The police are treating it as a crime scene, so what does the council have to do with anything?”

  “Let me assure you, madam,” Franklin Greer said, his eyes narrowing, “I know my job quite well, and I know what’s going on. I assume you don’t know my job as well as I do, so if you please, prepare everyone to leave the boarding house.”