The Death Planner (Storage Ghost Murders Book 6) Page 12

  The second that Derek entered the kitchen Pearl appeared. Her hands flew to her chest. “Derek! You look even more handsome today.”

  Derek cocked his head. “Did someone just call my name?”

  Grace’s eyebrows rose. “That was Pearl. Did you hear her?”

  Derek looked to his left. “I think I did. Is she standing here?”

  Pearl looked straight back at him and said, “I am, you lovely man.”

  A spot of colour appeared in Derek’s cheeks. “I definitely heard that.”

  Grace said to Pearl, “You’d better be careful what you say from now on.”

  Pearl said nothing as she gazed at Derek. Grace asked Derek to sit down. She sat opposite him, a cup of tea still in her hand. Jenny floated over to Pearl.

  Derek opened his notebook and said, “Shall I make a start? Or do you need to update me on the case?”

  “I’d like to hear about what you found out yesterday too, Grace,” Pearl said. “It looks like me and Derek are on the same wavelength.”

  Grace ignored the longing in Pearl’s eyes. It was making her feel uncomfortable. She quickly told Derek and Pearl about her visit to Letty and Giles’ house the previous evening. Grace could see that Pearl was dying to voice some colourful opinions on the pair, her lips were so tightly clamped together that they had disappeared.

  Derek shook his head and tutted. “What a dreadful carry on. If that young girl, Elsa, needs any financial help, tell her to ring me. I don’t know if you remember, but I used to work in a bank.” He tutted again. “The things that people do for money. Do you think Letty or Giles killed Jenny?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I need to find out more about them. I could have another search for photos from the wedding day, see if I can find them. Some people have the time noted on their photos. Anyway, tell me what you’ve found out.”

  Derek looked at his notebook. “Alwyn and Green are specialist caterers. They supply food for people with allergies and special diets.”

  Jenny began to nod her head vigorously. “The food! Yes! The food had to be right. The food!”

  Derek raised one eyebrow. “Did I just hear another voice then? Was it Jenny?” When Grace nodded, he chuckled and said, “Blooming heck! I’m starting to hear ghosts! Isn’t that exciting?”

  “Sometimes,” Grace said. “What have Alwyn and Green to do with Jenny?”

  “Ah, I asked them that. They’ve got a shop in Leeds so I called in. I bought myself some gluten-free bread.” He patted his tummy. “I always feel a bit funny after eating white bread. They’ve got a lot of things in that shop, stuff I hadn’t even heard of. Have you ever heard of quinoa? I told them I was making enquiries about the wedding where Jenny died. The young chap I spoke to started talking straight away. I could hardly get a word in! He knew about the wedding, and Jenny. She’d ordered something special for that wedding.” He paused and looked at Grace. “She’d ordered the exact same thing at two previous weddings.”

  Grace looked over at Jenny. Jenny’s hand was over her mouth, her eyes were wide. Grace said, “Jenny? What is it?”

  Jenny lowered her hand. “The wedding guest! The special food! It was the wedding guest! The one with the secret! I found out what the secret was! Oh! My neck!”

  A red mark appeared around Jenny’s neck. Her hands flew towards it and she screamed. Pearl grabbed Jenny and pulled her close. They both promptly disappeared.

  Chapter 32

  Derek looked around the kitchen. “Did something just happen? I felt something happening, I’m not sure what though. Is Pearl still here?”

  Grace shook her head and told Derek what had happened. “Did that man at Alwyn and Green tell you what Jenny had ordered?”

  Derek reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He passed it to Grace. “There were some items Jenny needed that had to be nut-free and gluten-free. There’s also some specially made items that she needed, some desserts and cake. The last items appear on the three weddings that Jenny was involved with, including the last one that she attended. Grace, I’ve had a think about this on the way over. I think the same guest must have appeared at the same weddings. I’ve got the names of the people who got married. And, from what just happened, I think that guest had a secret that Jenny discovered.”

  Grace nodded along. “And it was a secret big enough to kill for. All we have to do now is work out who that guest was.”

  “Any ideas on how we’re going to do that?”

  Grace took a drink of her tea and then put the cup down. “When I found Jenny in that storage unit I also found some of her files. She could have the name of all her clients in there.” She held up a finger. “She could have the name of the guest with the peculiar allergy. What was it in particular that this person had to avoid?”

  Derek’s mouth lifted at one corner. “Mangoes.”

  “Mangoes?”

  “Mangoes. I had to ask him to check his records, but it was definitely mangoes. Apparently, that fruit is used more than you’d think. Alwyn and Green had to supply alternatives to the desserts just in case a tiny bit of mango made its sneaky way into the wedding cake or other treats. They even supplied the wine for this one guest.” Derek shook his head. “It’s a funny old world. I’m sure these allergies weren’t around in my day.”

  Grace stood up. “That’s quite a specific allergy, it shouldn’t take us too long to track it down. I’ll get the files, we can have a look at them now.”

  Derek stood up. “Ah, I’m sorry but I have to be somewhere else. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment that I can’t cancel. But I could cancel it if you really need me!”

  Grace waved his offer away. “Absolutely not! You’ve done more than enough for me. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

  Derek chuckled. “Just a check-up. Would you ring me later? Let me know how you get on? I’ve had a great time following up this lead! If that’s the right expression. It’s made me feel useful again. Have you got my number?”

  “I have, thank you. Of course I’ll let you know. Thank you for this information. I’m not ruling Letty and Giles out but I’ll have to look into this new suspect. Let me see you out.”

  “No need. I can find a door on my own. Take care as you go. Cheerio!” Derek looked around the kitchen again. “Cheerio Pearl and Jenny! If you’re still there.”

  Derek headed towards the shop and Grace headed towards the cleaning cupboard. She pulled the files out and opened them up. She grimaced. There was a lot of information here.

  “Grace!” Frankie called out. “Come and give us a hand!”

  Grace sighed and shoved the files back. She was never going to get to the bottom of this mystery! She pressed her lips together. No! She wasn’t going to be at Frankie’s beck and call today. She pulled the files back out and picked them up. She quickly collected her belongings and walked into the shop. Three customers were standing in front of Frankie. He was hardly overrun. Before her resolved weakened, she declared, “I’ve got something to do! Bye!” She sped up and almost ran out of the shop and towards her car. She ignored Frankie’s call behind her.

  As soon as she got home she sat on the living room floor and spread the files out. She called out for Jenny but she didn’t appear.

  She checked the paper that Derek had given her. It had three names on it, each a bride and groom. Grace gave thanks for that small mercy. At least she wouldn’t have to go through each wedding now to find the special request.

  The first names were Thomas Walton and Libby Russet. Grace looked through Jenny’s files until she found their names. She jumped as Jenny appeared at her side.

  Jenny smiled and said, “Sorry for earlier. I always seem to be saying sorry. What are you doing?”

  Grace explained about the mango allergy. Jenny frowned. “That vaguely rings a bell. The wedding you’re looking at now is that big one in Manchester, the one that cost over a million pounds.”

  Grace looked through the list of guests. She sighed. “There’s hundreds of
them. I don’t suppose any of them sound familiar?”

  Jenny looked at the list and shook her head. “I remember making that list of dietary requirements but I don’t think I had names of who they referred to. Sorry.”

  “I’m going to look on the Internet for images. A wedding that big must have plenty of photos online.”

  “What are you hoping to see?”

  “I’m hoping that you’ll see a face that you recognise. A face that you saw at another two weddings. It’s worth a try.” Grace reached for her laptop and opened it up. She typed in the name of the couple and hit the search button.

  Grace and Jenny stared at the first page that came up. Jenny said, “Well, I wasn’t expecting that.”

  Chapter 33

  Grace read the details. “Poor chap. Killed less than one year after his own wedding.”

  “You hear about boating accidents but never expect it to be someone you know,” Jenny added. She sighed. “Look at his widow, all dressed in black, even the veil covering her face. The last time I saw her she was in white, she was so happy.”

  A sudden memory came to Grace. “Do you remember that website where we found those photos of that last wedding you went to? There was a comment at the bottom of the page. I was going to read it but then I logged off. Let me get it back up.”

  She did so and then scrolled through all the photos again until she came to the comment at the bottom. Grace read out the comment.

  Jenny gasped. “No!”

  Grace nodded. “The groom at the last wedding you went to, the one where you died, he died shortly after his wedding too.” Grace searched the Internet and soon found out how he died. “Accidental food poisoning this time.”

  “The guest at the wedding in Manchester also went to my last wedding, going by the list of dietary requirements. That’s more than a coincidence.”

  Grace nodded. She looked at the paper that Derek had given her. “The other wedding where you requested this particular food was for a couple called Paul Clarkson and Belinda Skipton. Do you remember them?”

  “I do. It was a few years after the Manchester one. I had more conversations with the groom than the bride. I believe she was working abroad a lot at the time. In fact, I never saw the bride.” Jenny paused, her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me that he died too?”

  Grace performed a quick search. She slowly nodded. “A skiing accident this time. Six months after his wedding.” She looked at Jenny as she processed the information. “This same person has appeared at all these weddings, they’ve requested special food for the celebrations. And at each wedding the groom has died shortly afterwards. We’re assuming it is the same person. For all we know, this could be a coincidence.”

  Jenny began to wring her hands together. “I don’t like the sound of this. All these husbands are dying. Do you think …” she swallowed, “do you think it could be the wife that needed the special food? And do you think that it’s the wife who killed the husband in each case?”

  Grace gave her a slow nod. “I’m getting an icy feeling running up and down my back. I think we’re getting closer to the truth. Can you remember what the bride looked like at each wedding?”

  Jenny started rubbing at her neck. The red mark had come back. “I don’t feel well. I feel scared, like something terrible is going to happen.”

  “Please, Jenny, try to stay calm. Try to think about the bride’s face. Was there anything in particular that you remember?”

  Jenny rubbed at her neck more vigorously. “I’m trying! I really am! I think …”

  There was a loud knock at the door. Jenny screamed and vanished.

  “Great!” Grace mumbled to herself. “If that’s Frankie trying to drag me back to the shop, I’m going to wring his neck.” She got to her feet and immediately felt bad about using such an expression in front of Jenny. If Jenny was still around.

  It wasn’t Frankie, it was Beth. She stood on the doorstep with a shy smile on her face. She held out a basket to Grace. “I hope you don’t mind me turning up unannounced. Frankie told me that you’d left the shop abruptly. I asked him if you were poorly but he didn’t seem to know.” She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Men! Anyway, I thought I’d pop by and see if you were okay. I’ve brought you some fruit.”

  Grace was touched by her kindness. She took the basket and opened the door wider. Beth stepped in and closed the door behind her.

  Grace looked down at the basket. It was full of a variety of delicious-looking fruit, not just apples and grapes. “Thank you. I’ll cut some up now. Would you like some?”

  Jenny appeared at Grace’s shoulder. Her voice shook as she said, “The bride! I remember now. She had a friendly-looking face and kind eyes. Her front teeth were a bit wonky.” Jenny looked over at Beth.

  Beth smiled at Grace and said, “Thank you. But no. I have to be careful around fruit.” She held her gloved hands up. “You’ll find this weird, I’m allergic to mangoes.”

  Chapter 34

  Beth moved forward and snatched the basket from Grace. “Grace! Are you alright? You’ve gone very white and your hands are shaking.”

  Grace swallowed and tried to speak. It was hard to collect her thoughts as Jenny was screaming in her ear, “It’s her! It’s the bride! I remember her!”

  Beth put the basket on a nearby table. She put her hand on Grace’s elbow and said, “You need to sit down. Is this the way to your living room? I’ll make you a cup of tea, you look like you need one.”

  Grace managed to smile, and she managed not to wince as Beth touched her. It couldn’t be Beth! Beth just couldn’t be the bride, she just couldn’t. Jenny must have made a mistake.

  Beth steered Grace into the living room and towards the sofa. She sat her down and then sat next to her. Jenny flew around the living room, her hands in the air, warning Grace to get away from Beth.

  Beth smiled and looked around. “I do like how you’ve decorated your home.” Her glance landed on the files and papers scattered on the carpet. “Oh, what’s all that? Are you working on something?”

  Grace leapt out of her seat. She couldn’t let Beth see Jenny’s files. She knocked her handbag off the side of the sofa in her haste. The contents scattered on to the floor. Grace’s heart missed a beat as the headset rested at her feet. She hoped against hope that Beth wouldn’t see it.

  Beth pointed at the headset. Her voice was calm as she spoke, “Grace, what’s that? May I have a look at it?”

  Jenny shrieked, “Don’t give it to her! She’ll strangle you with it! Just like she strangled me!”

  Grace slowly picked the headset up and turned towards Beth. Beth took the headset and smiled. “I think I’ve seen something like this before, a long time ago. Where did you get it?”

  “I found it in a locker, at an auction.” Grace could hardly speak. There was a strange buzzing noise in her head and she couldn’t think clearly.

  Beth studied the headset, still smiling. She looked at the files again. “What exactly are you working on? May I have a look?”

  Grace could only nod. She glanced towards the living room door. If she suddenly made a run for it could she make it out before Beth? Jenny came to Grace’s side. “You’ve got to phone the police! You’ve got to get out of here!”

  Beth knelt on the carpet and looked at the files. Her smile stayed firmly in place as she read the contents. She pulled Grace’s laptop closer and looked at the pages that Grace had open. She was still smiling but the atmosphere in the room had changed. Grace’s heart was racing so much that she felt like it would explode. She took a tiny step backwards.

  Beth looked her way, still smiling. “Grace, you have been busy. Have you worked it all out?” She laughed. “Of course you have, I can tell from the terror on your face. Why don’t you sit down and we can talk about this.” Beth returned to the sofa and patted the seat next to her. It hadn’t escaped Grace’s notice that Beth was still holding the headset in her gloved hand.

  Part of Grace still hoped that it was all
a mistake. She sat on the sofa, but as far away from Beth as she could.

  Beth indicated her head towards the files. “What have you found out about me?” She grinned and held up the headset. “And do you know what this has got to do with me? It’s like some sort of quiz, isn’t it? Come on, Grace, talk to me.”

  Grace cleared her throat. “I think that you’re the bride on all those website pages. The files, and the headset belonged to Jenny Lorrimer. She was murdered at a wedding five years ago.” Grace cleared her throat again, her words didn’t want to come out. “I think you killed Jenny. I think she found out something about you.”

  Beth laughed. She curled the lead of the headset between her fingers. “Very good. What else have you found out? What’s that list for? The one from Alwyn and Green?”

  “Jenny used them to supply particular food at certain weddings.”

  Beth nodded. “Of course. That would be me and my mango allergy. You’d be amazed how much food has it in, particularly cakes and desserts. I have to be very careful.” She laughed again. “I met Jenny at my first wedding, it was in Manchester. But you probably know that. It was such a lavish affair! Thomas spent so much money on it. I was fond of Thomas but I didn’t love him. I married him for money. There’s no need to look so shocked, Grace, a lot of people marry for money.”

  “Thomas died a short while after your wedding. Did you …?”

  “Kill him? Of course I did. I had to make it look like an accident. It was easy.” Beth tutted. “He lied to me about his money. He spent all that money on the wedding but none of it belonged to him. He’d had to borrow it. As soon as the wedding was over he told me that he was broke, and that he was in massive debt. I couldn’t have that! I had to get rid of him.” She gave Grace a direct look. “It’s incredibly easy to kill someone and to get away with it.”

  Jenny sat on the carpet next to Grace’s side of the sofa. “You have to leave, I don’t like the look in her eyes.”

  Beth said, “I had to leave Manchester. People started to spread rumours about me being a gold-digger. I came to Leeds and soon got involved with another rich man. Paul Clarkson.” She shivered. “Not much to look at, but plenty of money. I had to keep away from the organising of the wedding because I recognised Jenny from the initial meeting that she had with Paul. I nearly walked in on them and gave my identity away! Jenny was there at the wedding but I made sure our paths never crossed. Wedding veils come in very useful! It was sort of fun.” She smiled at the memory. “I had to get rid of Paul quickly, he was getting on my nerves. So I came up with another way of killing someone. Again, it was so easy. I could write a book on it.”