Curiosity Killed Dolly Kendall (A Butterworth Mystery Book 2) Read online

  Connie gave her an admiring look. “You have put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?”

  “It’s better than staring at four walls. Drink up. I want to see what Dolly’s daughter is like. I’ve got a list of questions for her. I’ll go over them in the car with you.”

  “Oh, that reminds me.” Connie reached into her pocket again. “You’ll be needing these back.”

  “My spare car keys! That little magpie. I’d forgotten these were in my bag. I think I might start a criminal mug-shot folder. Megan’s angelic face can go on page one.”

  Chapter 6

  A while later, Connie and Sable stopped outside the home of Dolly’s daughter, Bianca Simpson.

  Connie stared at the large, detached house. “It’s like a palace. What a contrast between this house and Dolly’s. Are you sure we’ve got the right address?”

  “We have. Don’t be impressed by a house. It’s only a pile of bricks and mortar.”

  “I wish I had a pile of bricks and mortar like that.”

  “You don’t need it. Your house is a proper home. And it’s always full of people. Right, who’s going to fire questions at Bianca?”

  Connie said, “She’s just lost her mum. We need to be gentle with her.”

  “You’d better do it then. I’ll jump in if you forget any of the questions.”

  They got out of the car and walked up the long pebble driveway to the imposing front door.

  Connie knocked on it. “Do you think a butler will open it?”

  “I hope so. I’ve never met a butler before.”

  The door wasn’t opened by a butler. It was opened by a tall, thin woman in her late thirties. She was wearing a white fitted blouse over white linen trousers. Her hair was perfectly styled with not one hair out of place. Her make-up was expertly applied.

  Connie frowned. Surely this couldn’t be Bianca? This wasn’t the mother of an energetic four-year-old who loved chocolate biscuits. And if it was Bianca, there were no signs of grief on her face, unless she’d covered them up.

  “Yes?” the woman asked.

  Connie put a smile on her face. “Hello there. Sorry to trouble you. I’m looking for Bianca Simpson.”

  “That’s me.” She inspected Connie from foot to head. “Are you collecting for charity? I don’t have anything at the moment, but you could come back next week.”

  “No, I’m not collecting for charity.” Connie kept the smile on her face. “I’m Megan’s grandma.”

  “Megan?”

  “She plays with your Tallulah.”

  For a moment, Connie was worried Bianca was going to ask who Tallulah was.

  Bianca said, “Tallulah’s never mentioned her. Or perhaps she has. She prattles on incessantly about nothing in particular most of the time. She’s given me a migraine on more than one occasion. I tend to block her out when she starts nattering. What was your child’s name again?”

  Connie was finding it harder to keep smiling. She could feel the irritation coming from Sable at her side. “Megan. And she’s my granddaughter. Megan and Tallulah were at the play gym recently. Megan took Tallulah’s necklace by mistake, and I’d like to return it to you.” She held out the necklace.

  Bianca took it and gave it a cursory glance. “I don’t recognise it, but if you say it’s Tallulah’s, then I’ll take your word for it. Tallulah has a lot of jewellery. Was there anything else?”

  “Yes. I wanted to say how sorry we are about Dolly.”

  “Who?”

  Sable burst out, “Your mother! Don’t you know her name?”

  Bianca flinched. “Of course I know her name. Why are you sorry?”

  A cold feeling washed over Connie. Didn’t Bianca know about her mum? Hadn’t the police been in touch yet?

  Connie said, “I’m very sorry to have to tell you this, but Dolly passed away yesterday.”

  Bianca snapped, “I know that. I had the police here yesterday. I had to let them into my house. It was very irritating to have them here. Was there anything else?”

  Through clenched teeth, Sable said, “Yes, there was. You don’t seem upset at your mother passing away.”

  Bianca looked down at the necklace in her hands. “She cared more for her cats than she did for me.” She looked back up. “No, that’s a lie. She did care for Tallulah. She looked after her a few days a week which saved me from having to employ a full-time nanny. I suppose I’ll have to change that now. What a nuisance.”

  Connie noticed Sable’s hands clenching into fists, and gently nudged her to one side. Connie said to Bianca, “We were the ones who found your mum. Did the police tell you Dolly’s cats had gone missing?”

  “Yes. Good riddance. I hated the days when Tallulah would be with her grandma. She’d return home stinking of those disgusting creatures. And there would be matted fur all over her clothes. I made her change her clothes on the doorstep and then got the maid to throw them in the wash. Cats are disgusting creatures.”

  Connie felt her own hands curling. “Did the police tell you about those horrible letters Dolly had received?”

  “Yes. They did say something. It’s not surprising my mother attracted that sort of attention. She wasn’t quite right in the head. All she could think about was cats. Was there anything else? I’ve got a nail appointment booked.”

  “One more thing,” Connie said. “This might sound strange, but we think someone drove your mum to take her life. Do you have any idea who that could be?”

  Bianca shrugged. “Absolutely not. I didn’t get myself involved in Mother’s life. That’s how I liked it.”

  Connie heard Sable breathing heavily. She sounded like an angry bull ready to charge.

  Connie said, “Who will get Dolly’s house now?”

  Bianca’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you need to know that?”

  “Oh, you know. In case any of the missing cats come back. The new owners should be made aware of that. If the house is to be sold, that is.”

  “If you must know, the house will be sold, and all the proceeds are going to that cat charity Mother supported. All her life savings are going there too. According to her will, everything’s going to the charity.”

  “Hasn’t she left you anything at all?” Connie asked.

  Bianca smirked. “Look at where I live. I don’t need anything from Mother. She left a few worthless trinkets for Tallulah, but that’s all.” She looked from one woman to the other. “If you don’t believe me, you can speak to her financial man, Milo Transome. He dealt with all Mother’s affairs.”

  Sable abruptly said, “That’s precisely what we’ll do. You don’t need to waste any more of our time. Come on, Connie.” She turned on her heel and walked away; her head held high.

  Connie took one look at Bianca’s surprised face and did the same. She’d made it a short way down the drive before looking over her shoulder and saying, “Thank you for your time.”

  Chapter 7

  Sable’s knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel.

  Connie put on her seat belt and said, “I can hear your teeth grinding. Will you be all right to drive?”

  “That woman! That cold-hearted woman!” Sable exploded. “How could she talk about her mother like that?”

  “To be fair, we don’t know the full story between Dolly and her daughter. Dolly could have felt the same way about Bianca.”

  “You knew Dolly, and you spoke to her often. Did you get the impression she’d treated her daughter in the same cold-hearted manner?”

  Connie thought about her conversations with Dolly. “She didn’t talk about Bianca much, but when she did, it was with pride.”

  “Which is more than can be said for that ice maiden. It wouldn’t surprise me if Bianca sent those letters. She looks the type. And you heard how she talked about Dolly’s cats.”

  “Yes, but I don’t think she’d want to push her mum towards suicide. She wouldn’t want to deprive Tallulah of her grandmother. And, the more I think about it, I don’t thin
k Dolly would have taken her own life. She doted on Tallulah. They had a wonderful relationship.”

  Sable loosened her grip. “Poor Dolly. We have to do something to clear up this mystery. No one else is going to look into it. Certainly not Miss Frosty-knickers back there. Let’s go and see Milo Transome. I’ve dealt with him in the past, and I know where his office is.”

  Connie fiddled with the radio dial until she came across some cheerful music. She turned it up and began to sing along.

  Sable smiled at her. “You’ve got a terrible singing voice.”

  “I know. But it’s not the quality; it’s the quantity.” Connie sang even louder and shuffled from side to side in her seat.

  Sable started up the car, pulled away from the kerb, and began to sing along too.

  By the time they reached Arthur Transome’s office, they were in high spirits.

  Sable looked at the Georgian detached house which was set back from the main high street. “This is an excellent position for an office. Years ago, when I started in the life insurance business, we used to get many policies through Transome’s Brokers. They had a good reputation in this town, and almost everyone used them. Not just for life insurance, but for other kinds of insurance, and for financial advice too.”

  They got out of the car and walked up the stone steps to the front door.

  There was a note on the door telling them to enter. They did so and came into a light-coloured reception area. A smiling woman behind a desk greeted them.

  “Good morning. Who are you here to see?”

  Connie and Sable walked closer. Connie noticed a small board on the wall behind the woman. There were a handful of company names on it.

  Sable said, “We’re here to see Arthur Transome. We don’t have an appointment.”

  The woman nodded and looked down at a book in front of her. “Mr Transome is in at the moment, and he hasn’t told me he doesn’t want to be disturbed, so I’ll give him a ring.”

  Connie pointed to the small board. “Do those other companies have offices here?”

  “They do. I believe this building used to accommodate Transome employees only, but now Mr Transome has the bottom office. The rest of the offices are rented out to other companies.”

  “And who do you work for?” Connie asked.

  The woman replied, “For all of them. They all pay for my services. They give me their appointment books for the week, and if anyone calls in or phones up, I’ll know whether they can be contacted. And if they’re in meetings and don’t want to be disturbed, I can take messages. I can also take deliveries. For an extra fee, I can take on typing work.”

  Connie nodded. “That sounds a perfect system. We’re looking for an office and something like this would suit us. What do you think, Sable?”

  Sable looked around her. “This does look perfect. What are the individual offices like?”

  “They’re all a decent size, and each one has a kitchenette. There’s a bigger kitchen too over there to your left. And there are toilets on each floor. There are three floors altogether. The rates are very reasonable considering we’re in the middle of town. There’s a lot of passing trade.” She reached for a card and handed it to Connie. “There aren’t any available offices here, but I’ve got some more available elsewhere. My website is listed on my card.”

  Connie took the card. “Do you own this building?”

  The woman gave them a modest smile. “I do. And I own those other buildings too. I’ve got a team of admin personnel working for me. It’s taken me a while to build my business up, but it’s been worth it. More people are working online at home now, but it can be lonely for them. Coming to an office for a few hours a day helps people connect with others.” She stood up and extended her hand across the desk. “Bridget Hadley.”

  Connie and Sable shook hands and introduced themselves.

  Bridget said, “Private investigators? Wow. That sounds exciting. Are you on a case right now?”

  “We are,” Sable said. “And that’s why we’d like to talk to Arthur. We’re hoping he can give us some information about our case.”

  Bridget sat back down. “And here I am chatting away as if you’ve got all the time in the world. I’ll put that call through.”

  Sable said, “I’m glad you did chat to us. This office space, or something like it, is just what we need. We’ll be having a look at your site later on today.”

  “Thank you. Please, take a seat.” Bridget picked up the phone.

  Sable and Connie had only been waiting a few minutes when a small, bald man in a brown suit approached them.

  He blinked at them from behind his round spectacles and gave them a small smile. “Ah, I know who you two are. And I know why you’re here.”

  Chapter 8

  Connie and Sable followed Arthur through to his office. It was a spacious, corner office with large windows on two sides.

  Arthur walked over to the kitchenette area. “Take a seat. Would you like some coffee? I’ve just this minute brewed it.”

  “Yes, please,” Connie and Sable said in unison. They sat in the comfy seats in front of a large, wooden desk.

  Sable nudged Connie and whispered, “This is precisely what we’re looking for. Isn’t this space wonderful?”

  Connie nodded in reply.

  Arthur brought over two cups and placed them on coasters in front of them. He pushed his spectacles up his nose and said, “You must be Connie, and you’re the infamous Sable Butterworth. Have I got that right?”

  Sable said, “You’ve got our names right. I’m not sure about the infamous part.”

  Arthur chuckled and shuffled round to the other side of the desk. He carefully lowered himself into a padded chair. “I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I often came across your name in correspondence. You were always brief and to the point. And I heard about those insurance claims you dealt with. You never stopped until you got your man or woman. I spoke to someone at your old office last week, and they told me you’d gone into the detective business with your sister-in-law. They still talk about you in reverent tones. You were a legend there.”

  Sable flapped a hand at him. “I was doing my job. I do remember dealing with your company. I spoke to your dad a few times. I was sorry to hear about his passing.”

  “Thank you.” He glanced around the office. “This was where Dad worked. I don’t know what he’d think of his company now. There’s only me working here. And I’m not exactly rushed off my feet. People don’t need brokers nowadays. You can do everything online now. And, what’s that expression they use on the adverts? Ah, yes. You can cut out the middle man. Which is all well and good unless you’re the middle man.” He smiled. “I shall stop feeling sorry for myself immediately. We have to change with the times, or we’ll get left behind.”

  Connie picked up her cup and said, “We’re here to talk to you about Dolly Kendall.”

  “I know.” Arthur pointed to Connie’s cup. “That’s why I’ve given you that cup and those coasters. They were presents from Dolly.”

  Connie looked at the kitten image on the cup. A sad feeling settled in her stomach.

  Arthur continued, “I had a phone call from Dolly’s daughter yesterday. She wanted me to confirm the details of Dolly’s will. More precisely, she wanted to know what was in it for her. Dolly’s already told her daughter that, so there was no harm in reiterating Dolly’s wishes. Her daughter wasn’t at all pleased. But there again, Bianca Simpson is never pleased about anything.” He hesitated. “I shouldn’t tell you this next bit. It’s nothing but gossip.”

  Connie leant forward. “We like a bit of gossip. Everyone does.”

  “I called at Dolly’s home now and again to save her the bother of coming to see me. And one time, her granddaughter was there. Tallulah, she’s called. I was in the kitchen with Dolly and Tallulah when there was this incessant beeping coming from outside. It was Bianca. She was there to pick her daughter up. She didn’t have the decency to come inside and have a frien
dly word with her mum. I thought it was incredibly rude.”

  “She’s an extremely rude woman,” Sable noted. “We spoke to her this morning.”

  Arthur nodded. “I know. She phoned me to say you were on your way. She ordered me to keep Dolly’s details private. But like I said to her on the phone, she isn’t my client, and I don’t take orders from her. I’m happy to confirm the details of Dolly’s will with you.” He pulled out a piece of paper from a file in front of him. “The majority of her estate goes to a local cat charity and shelter. She did a lot of work for them. And an amount of money is going into trust for Tallulah. There are some family heirlooms that are going to Tallulah too.”

  Connie took a sip of her coffee and placed it back on the coaster. She said, “When you were round at Dolly’s, did you see her cats?”

  “Oh, yes. There was one watching me from the window when I arrived. There were two outside in the yard, and three in the kitchen. I believe Tallulah was drawing a picture of one of them. Cats don’t bother me at all. I usually had one on my knee when I was talking to Dolly.”

  “When did you last see her at home?” Connie asked.

  “About three, maybe four weeks ago. Dolly was one of my best clients. She organised most of her financial affairs through me, including finding a firm to deal with her will.” He took his spectacles off and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe I won’t see her again. It’s so sad. And who will look after those cats of hers?”

  Sable was studying Dolly’s will so Connie said, “Is it possible that Bianca could contest the will?”

  “It’s possible. She did mention getting a solicitor involved. But the company who wrote the will are a reputable one, and it’s unlikely she’ll get anywhere.” Arthur shook his head sadly. “It’s a shame there was so much animosity between them. I suspect it was more on Bianca’s part than Dolly’s. I think Dolly hoped to reconcile matters between them.”