Knitting And Murder (Julia Blake Cozy Mystery Book 9) Read online

  Blanche said, “Your father is a lovely man. He’s so attentive to whomever he speaks to. Your mother’s a lucky woman.”

  “I’m not sure she’d agree with you sometimes.” Julia frowned down at her tangled wool. “I’m not having much success. How about you?”

  Blanche gave a quiet chuckle and said, “I’ve given up. I’m just bashing my needles together. There isn’t even any yarn on them. It’s wonderful to have so many people here. I’m afraid I’m too busy looking at everyone to concentrate on my knitting. Tell me more about yourself, Julia. How did you get into the cleaning business?”

  Julia put her needles down. “It sounds a bit weird but I’ve always loved cleaning. I find it therapeutic. I started working part-time when my children were at school. When they got older, I expanded my business and it started to take off. I employed Cain last year. That’s the reason why I’m here tonight.” She quickly told Blanche about Cain’s attraction to Kayla. At the mention of Kayla’s name, she could have sworn she saw a hardness come into Blanche’s eyes. It was gone in a flash.

  Blanche waved a hand around the drawing room. “I do the cleaning here. It used to take me a full day to do the whole house. Now it takes me a week and I know I’m not doing a thorough job! I haven’t got the energy anymore. Father always insisted we do our own cleaning. He didn’t want strangers coming into our home and poking their noses into our private affairs. Those were his words. We do employ a gardener though. He’s a trifle doddery but he gets the job done.” Blanche gave Julia a bright smile. “I do apologise. I’m sure you don’t want to hear my troubles.”

  “I don’t mind at all,” Julia reassured her. It was on the tip of her tongue to offer her own cleaning services when a loud laugh from across the room made everyone jump.

  The laugh came from Denise Kemp. She waved an empty wine glass in front of the woman at her side and said, “You know I can’t tell you that!” She laughed again. “Well, maybe I can. A bit of gossip won’t hurt.” She held up a finger and looked around the room. “But what I’m about to say doesn’t leave this room. I don’t want my clients to find out I’ve been talking about them.”

  Julia heard some mutters of agreement around the room. She took in the eager looks of the knitters as they moved to the end of their seats. Apart from Kayla and Cain, who were now talking more easily to each other. And Dad was still deep in conversation with Henrietta.

  Denise said, “You won’t believe what I’m about to tell you.”

  Blanche spoke quietly at Julia’s side, “I can’t listen to gossip. I find it upsetting. Please excuse me. I’ll go and get the refreshments ready.” She put her needles in her bag and stood up.

  Julia looked at Denise, and then she looked at Cain and Kayla. She was torn. Part of her wanted to hear the gossip that was spilling from Denise’s lips, and part of her wanted to keep on eye on Cain and Kayla. But no, Blanche was right. Gossip could be upsetting. Julia got to her feet and followed Blanche out of the room. She caught up with her in the hall and said, “Would you like a hand with the refreshments?”

  “That would be wonderful. Thank you. The kitchen’s just down here. I must warn you before we go in, Julia. The kitchen isn’t what you’ll be expecting.”

  Excitement rose in Julia. Was she going to go back in time and see the original kitchen? That would be amazing. Would it be rude to ask Blanche if she could take some photographs to show Ivy?

  Blanche opened the kitchen door and stood to one side. She smiled at Julia and said, “After you.”

  Chapter 8

  Julia didn’t know whether she was amazed or disappointed. She looked around the kitchen again. Yes, it was definitely amazing. And, yet, it was disappointing.

  Blanche let out a small laugh at her side. “From the expression on your face, I’m not sure if you like our kitchen or not.”

  Julia said, “It’s utterly amazing. I feel like I’ve stepped on to some alien spaceship. Everything’s so new, and silver, and shiny. But I was expecting something that would be more in keeping with the rest of the house.”

  Blanche gave her a wry smile. “You wouldn’t believe the battle I had with my sister over this kitchen. The original kitchen was beautiful, as you would expect. But it was useless! There was only one socket in here, and that never worked properly. I had five kettles blow up on me. I spend the most time in here and I wanted something more modern but Henrietta argued against it. She said I would ruin the character of the house. I told her there was more than enough character in the rest of the house. I really had to put my foot down with her. I told her I had some money put by and I would buy the new kitchen.”

  “What did she say when she saw it?”

  “She complained at first, but then she begrudgingly agreed it was better than the old kitchen. She was quietly impressed with the ice cube dispenser on the fridge.” Blanche sighed. “I haven’t admitted this to Henrietta, but I find some of these items confusing. There are so many buttons, and they have too many functions. I don’t understand it all. Still, it does help me with my cleaning duties because the surfaces only need a quick wipe down.”

  “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but do you struggle to keep up with the cleaning work?”

  Blanche closed the kitchen door and said, “Yes. Very much so. But I can’t tell Henrietta that. She’d feel obliged to do it. She already does enough for us. She’s the one who goes out every day and deals with bills and the shopping. She’s so much more capable than me.”

  “What would you think about hiring a cleaner?” Julia asked with some trepidation. “Perhaps you could think about hiring me?”

  Blanche clasped her hands together. “Oh! I was hoping you’d say that. When I heard about your occupation, I thought immediately that you could be the person I’m looking for. And, as soon as I met you, I knew you’d be perfect for the job. But I’ve heard from your father that you’re very busy. Would you be able to fit me in?”

  “I could do an hour a couple of times a week. I wouldn’t be able to do the whole house at once, but I could do the main rooms. How does that sound? And I can give you a discount.”

  Blanche said, “I wouldn’t hear of taking a discount. Let’s get all business-like and discuss rates. Do you think you could keep this a secret from Henrietta, just for now? I don’t want her to know I’m struggling.”

  “Of course.”

  Julia and Blanche sat at the table and discussed a suitable timetable. They agreed on an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays because those were the days Henrietta took Blanche out for lunch.

  Blanche said, “She does look after me. She insists on me having a nightcap every evening. She gives me some of her homemade wine and it sends me straight to sleep.” She stood up. “Now, Julia, I insist on paying you for the next month. In cash, if that’s okay?” She walked over to the fridge and opened the door. She pulled out a plastic tub and took the lid out. She counted out a number of notes and returned to the table. “This should be enough. Just check it for me, please.”

  Julia pointed to the fridge. “Why do you keep your money in the fridge?”

  “I always have. Father was the same. He said a potential thief wouldn’t look in the fridge for money. I do keep most of it in the bank but I like to have some cash to hand.” She returned to the fridge and put the box back.

  “You could pay me online in the future,” Julia said.

  Blanche frowned. “Online?”

  “Yes. On the Internet. Lots of my clients do that.”

  Blanche shivered. “I do not like the sound of the Internet. I’ve heard horror stories about people getting viruses and being chased by trolls. And it must be expensive with all those email things that people send to each other.”

  “Expensive? Why?”

  Blanche held her hands out. “Because of all the stamps you need to send the emails. The price of stamps nowadays is so high.”

  Julia gave Blanche a fond look. “You don’t need a stamp. Although, if you did, I’m sure I wouldn’t ge
t half as much SPAM.”

  “SPAM?”

  Julia wasn’t sure how to explain that last comment. Luckily, she didn’t need to because the kitchen door opened and Cain walked in.

  “Julia, I think your dad …” he stopped and stared. “Wow! Look at this kitchen! Wow! Look at that freezer!”

  “Cain, what were you saying about Dad?” Julia asked.

  “What? Oh, yes. I think you need to take him home. He’s drunk too much elderflower wine and his cheeks are all red.”

  Julia stood up. “Is he singing?”

  “Yep. And he’s started to dance too. Wow! Look at that microwave!”

  Julia dragged Cain out of the kitchen. Blanche followed them as they returned to the drawing room. The room was considerably noisier than when Julia had left it fifteen minutes ago.

  With Cain’s help, she managed to get Dad into her car. There were many loud farewells before Julia was able to get herself into the driver’s seat. Cain said Kayla had offered to drive him home. Julia gave him a stern look and told him to behave himself. Cain seemed affronted by her implied suggestion and his cheeks coloured yet again. Before she drove away, Julia shared a smile with Blanche Cartwright. What a lovely woman she was.

  Chapter 9

  Cain started chatting as soon as Julia picked him up the next morning. He got into the passenger seat and said, “You remember Ethel from Kirkgate Market, don’t you? That’s where I get all my wool from. She turned up with lots of free wool for us all last night.”

  “Free? Why?” Julia set off driving.

  Cain paused for a moment. From the corner of her eye, Julia saw his skinny chest puff out. In a proud voice, he said, “For Kayla. You’ll never guess what she’s been doing. She is such an amazing person. She’s so thoughtful. So kind.”

  “Cain, do you think you can just get on with it? We’ll be at Mrs Robinson’s house in five minutes.”

  “Okay. Kayla’s been knitting baby clothes and blankets for a local hospital. Her older sister, Chantelle, had a baby last year. Chantelle was in a bad way financially and so didn’t have much money for baby clothes. Kayla did what she could but she was struggling to buy things too. The kind nurses at the hospital gave Chantelle lots of baby clothes. It was all second-hand stuff but it was in good condition. So Kayla’s been knitting some baby clothes and blankets as a thank you for the hospital.”

  “That’s a kind thing to do. What’s that got to do with Ethel?”

  “Ethel had heard what Kayla was doing from someone in the market. She also found out that Kayla couldn’t afford to buy a lot of baby wool so Ethel decided to donate some to our knitting class. Ethel also brought some baby knitting patterns for us too. I’ve already made a bonnet and a cardigan. I’m going to give them to Kayla later this week.” He yawned. “Those baby clothes are very fiddly but I’m going to make some more tonight.”

  “Don’t you be overdoing things.”

  “I won’t. Everyone else in the knitting class said they would make things too. Kayla was embarrassed and said people shouldn’t go to any trouble on her account. But Denise said that’s what friends do for each other. Kayla couldn’t stop talking about it on the way home. She couldn’t believe how generous people were.”

  “When are you seeing her again?”

  Cain cleared his throat. “We’re meeting for a coffee on Friday afternoon. I said I’d bring my knitted baby clothes with me. And I told other people from the knitting class that I’d take theirs too. We are still finishing early on Friday, aren’t we? If not, I can cancel my meeting with Kayla.”

  “Meeting? It sounds more like a date. I would never stand in the way of true love. Let me know if you need a lift.”

  “Thanks, Julia. I can’t wait for Friday! I’ve sent your dad a text about the baby clothes but he hasn’t replied yet. Was he alright last night?”

  “No. I don’t know how much wine he had, but it knocked him out. He fell asleep on the way home. I managed to wake him up and drag him to the front door. As soon as Mum opened the door, Dad fell through and landed face down on the carpet. He started snoring so Mum left him there. We had a cup of tea and talked about the Cartwright sisters. Mum wants me to take photos of the house when we go back today.” She smiled to herself and waited for Cain’s reaction.

  It didn’t take long. “What? What do you mean, go back?”

  “You have to keep this a secret but we’re going to do a bit of cleaning there today. I arranged it with Blanche.”

  Cain’s hand shot up. “Can I do the kitchen? Please?”

  Julia laughed. “Of course you can. We’re going to do the kitchen, the sisters’ bedrooms and the drawing room. We’re due there at 12. They won’t be in. They go out for lunch on Tuesdays.” She noticed Cain rubbing his tummy. “What’s wrong?”

  “This is too exciting. First, I’ve got this meeting with Kayla coming up, and now I get to clean that awesome kitchen.”

  “You can wait in the car if it’s all too much for you.”

  Cain grinned at her. “No chance.”

  Julia soon wished she hadn’t told Cain about the Cartwright cleaning job so early in the day. In between talking about how wonderful Kayla was, he kept going on about all the modern technology he’d spotted in the kitchen. Julia was quite exhausted when they arrived at Cartwright Manor.

  She parked on the road outside and let them in using the key Blanche had given her. Cain pushed past her and raced towards the kitchen. Julia remembered about the photo requests from Mum and Ivy. She hadn’t had a chance to ask Blanche for her permission. Julia thought about it for a moment and decided to take the photos anyway. She would show them to Blanche later and ask if she could share them with Mum and Ivy. It was a bit of a cheeky thing to do and Julia hoped that Blanche would understand.

  Julia took some photos of the magnificent hall and stairs. She went upstairs and towards the bedrooms. Blanche had already explained which bedroom was hers so Julia headed to that one first. She went in and took a photo of the beautiful four-poster bed. Guilt washed over her and she lowered her phone. She shouldn’t be taking these photos without Blanche knowing. Mum and Ivy would have to wait until she spoke to Blanche. She put her phone in her pocket.

  Julia left the bedroom, went back downstairs and headed towards the drawing room.

  She entered the room and stopped. Someone was sprawled on one of the antique sofas. And that someone wasn’t moving. An aroma of lily-of-the-valley hung in the air.

  Fear shot down Julia’s back. She walked closer to the sofa. Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked down at the dead body of Blanche Cartwright.

  Chapter 10

  Julia brushed her tears away and tried to compose herself. She turned away from the lifeless body of Blanche Cartwright and walked out of the drawing room. It was obvious from the injuries on Blanche’s body that she’d been murdered. Julia shivered at the image. Did the killer have to stab Blanche with her own knitting needles? That seemed particularly cruel.

  Julia froze. Cain! He was cleaning the kitchen. He could be destroying vital evidence. She called out, “Cain!” Her voice cracked so she tried again, “Cain! CAIN! Come here!” Julia felt light-headed and leant against the doorframe. She’d seen dead bodies before but it was always a shock.

  Cain came jogging towards her, a big smile on his face. “You should see what that snazzy microwave does.” His steps faltered and the smile fell from his face. “Julia? What’s wrong?”

  She indicated her head in the direction of the drawing room. “It’s Blanche.” She swallowed. “She’s lying on a settee. She’s dead. Cain, she’s been murdered.”

  The blood drained from Cain’s face. “No! Not Blanche! Who would want to do that to her?” He took a step forward and looked into the room. “Are those knitting needles in her chest?”

  “Yes.” Julia took a deep breath and removed her hand from the door frame. She reached for her phone and made a call to the police.

  Cain came to her side. “You’ve gone very pa
le. Let’s get you outside.” He put a hand under her elbow and led her out of the house. “Sit down on these steps. I’ll get you some water from the car.”

  Julia sat on the stone steps and took some deep breaths. She’d parked on the main road again as it hadn’t felt right to park on the manor’s drive. She was glad she had because there would be room for the police cars now. Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks.

  “Are you the chair lady?” a male voice boomed out.

  Julia jumped and looked over at an elderly man who was walking along the grass towards her. He was wearing a flat cap and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up. A glass of clear liquid was in one hand, and a garden shovel was in the other. He wobbled slightly as he made his way towards her. Julia remembered Blanche’s comments about the gardener. She’d said he was a bit doddery. That description suited the man who now gave her a gummy smile.

  He spoke again, “Are you the chair lady?” He stopped and let out a wheezy guffaw. “Chair lady? I meant charlady. I saw Miss Blanche this morning and she said she’d hired someone to do a bit of light housework. I’m not to tell Miss Henrietta though.” He took a sip from the glass and then smacked his lips together. “This is grand stuff. Miss Henrietta always leaves some pop out for me. I wasn’t sure about this elderflower pop. It tasted a bit sour when I first took a sip but I’ve got used to it. This is my second glass. Hee hee!”

  Julia looked closer at the old man. Blanche had said he was doddery but he was now wobbling from side to side, and he seemed unaware of it. She looked at the glass in his hand. Was he drinking the elderflower wine by mistake? Julia’s thoughts were confirmed when the old man suddenly burped and then started laughing uncontrollably.

  After a minute, he took control of himself and wobbled closer. “I won’t tell Miss Henrietta about you being here. Miss Blanche told me it was a secret. I can keep secrets. I’m always keeping secrets with this family.” He gave her another gummy grin. “I’m George, by the way. People call me Old George. They’ve been calling me that since I was twenty-five. I’ve just got one of those faces. Hee hee!” He took another drink. “What’s your name, charlady?”