The Quinn File (The Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mysteries Book 17) by Diana Xarissa

Author:Diana Xarissa [Xarissa, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-10-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

Both men looked at Bessie. She flushed.

“Sorry. I’m part of a cold case unit, and when I heard that Flora and Clara were missing, I began to worry about them,” she explained.

“Clara is missing, too?” Dale asked.

Bessie shrugged. “I believe so.”

Jack pulled out his mobile and sent a text. He stared at the screen for a minute and then sighed. “She might just be busy. Or sleeping. Or something.”

“We both finish at five,” Dale said. “We can go straight from here to Flora’s flat. I don’t know that we’ll find anything, but we can knock on the door, anyway.”

“Do you mind if I bring a friend?” Bessie asked.

The two men exchanged glances.

“If people truly are going missing, I think the more people who know about it, the better,” Jack said. “You said that you’re part of a cold case unit. Does that mean you’re with the police?”

Bessie shook her head. “I’m a civilian member, but some of the other members of the unit are with the police, just not the London police.”

Dale frowned. “So they can’t arrest anyone in London?”

“I’m not entirely certain how it works,” Bessie said. “I was going to invite my friend who is also just a civilian to join us, though.”

“There’s safety in numbers,” Dale said.

“Exactly,” Bessie said.

“We can meet in the lobby at five,” Jack said. “I’ll pop over to the shop on my break and get some flowers for Flora. I’m going to remain optimistic that she’s just laid up with a cold or something.”

Bessie nodded. “I’ll meet you in the lobby at five, with or without my friend.”

“And now I’d better see to your shower,” Jack said, turning around.

“How do you get involved in a cold case unit?” Dale asked.

“I believe most of them are made up of police officers,” Bessie said. “I just happened to meet a retired Scotland Yard inspector who later decided to start a very unconventional cold case unit.”

“What sort of cases do you investigate?”

“We don’t actually investigate anything. We simply read back through the case files for a particular case and then make suggestions for different avenues that might be explored by the team currently investigating the case.”

“That sounds boring.”

Bessie laughed. “It can be boring. It can also be frustrating, because we’re always waiting for someone else to go and ask the necessary questions. It can be very satisfying, though, when we manage to solve a case.”

“Are you talking about murders?”

“Usually, although we have also looked into a few missing person cases.”

“And do you always solve the case?”

“We don’t talk about our success rate,” Bessie said. “But we have solved at least some of the cases we’ve looked at.”

“Now I understand why you want to come with us to Flora’s flat,” Jack said as he rejoined them. “You’re dying to investigate a case for yourself.”

“There might be some truth to that,” Bessie admitted. “But I suspect we’re merely going to knock on her door and find no one at home.”

“I hope not. I’m taking her flowers,” Jack said.

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