The Chalmers Case by Diana Xarissa

Author:Diana Xarissa [Xarissa, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, British Detectives, Cozy, Traditional Detectives
Amazon: B015GAH2WC
Published: 2015-12-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Janet sat up slowly, her brain struggling to process the sound. She glanced at the clock and frowned. Two o’clock in the morning. For the past several months, whenever the moon was full, she’d been woken up by the screaming of one of the house’s resident ghosts, but the moon wasn’t full tonight. Switching on her bedside lamp, she looked around the room and then shook her head. On the bedside table, her mobile phone was buzzing insistently.

“You really should recognise your own ringtone,” she said loudly, hoping to wake up her vocal cords before she answered. She’d recognised the number immediately and she knew she was being silly with not wanting the caller to know she’d been asleep, but she was often silly when it came to dealing with Edward Bennett.

“Hello?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you so late,” Edward said in a soft voice. “But I just now found five spare minutes and I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather spend them with.”

“It’s two in the morning,” Janet pointed out.

“I know, and I am sorry,” Edward said, sounding not sorry at all. “But how are you?”

“I’m fine,” Janet replied automatically. “How are you?”

Edward chuckled. “You mustn’t just reply without thinking,” he told her. “I genuinely want to know how you are.”

Janet thought for a moment. “I’m rather tired,” she said.

“Oh, dear, and now I’ve woken you. I’ll let you go, shall I?”

“No,” Janet replied. “It’s nice to hear your voice.”

Edward had been their first paying guest, and Janet had been rather overwhelmed by his sophisticated charm. He’d only stayed a few days, telling her when he departed that he worked for the government in some secret capacity.

He’d told her he had been sent to Doveby House to find some paperwork relating to his ties to Maggie Appleton, who’d let him use the bed and breakfast as a safe house on occasion. Janet wasn’t entirely sure what to believe about the man, but she found herself attracted to him and she was enjoying their long-distance flirtation.

“Ah, thank you, my dear,” he said now. “But I’d rather hear yours. Tell me what’s going on in your world.”

“William Chalmers has opened his antique shop,” Janet began. She told him about the shop and the painting she quite liked. “It’s out of my budget, but it’s lovely,” she concluded. “But I have much more interesting news than that. We have guests. In fact, we’re full up with guests.”

“Do tell,” Edward encouraged her.

Janet spent several minutes telling Edward all about the disagreeable Harold and Mildred and the rather more charming George and Nancy. He asked several questions about both couples that left Janet curious.

“Did you know about our guests before you rang?” she demanded.

“Why would I?”

“I don’t know. You just seem very curious about them, that’s all.”

“I worry about you and Joan,” he explained. “This is all new to you and I worry that you’ll end up with the wrong sort of guests. There are a lot of unscrupulous people in the world and I don’t want any of them to take advantage of you and your sister.

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