the
way,” he added. “I’m not looking
for an official statement, just your thoughts and ideas.”
Bessie shrugged. “Don’t they always say that it’s the
person closest to us whom we have to fear most? Most of the people I’ve talked to think
the widow had the best motive.”
Inspector Rockwell
nodded. “But they’d only been
married a few days,” he reminded Bessie. “Surely she could have put up with him for a little bit longer before
getting rid of him.”
“Maybe he had already figured
out that she was only interested in his money, so she had to act fast,” Doona
suggested.
A slightly awkward silence
greeted that idea before Inspector Rockwell changed the subject.
“What do you think of the
idea that it was drug related?” he asked Bessie.
“A few years ago I would have
said ‘no way,’” she replied. “But
the world is changing and even Laxey is changing. The world of drugs and dealers and that
sort of thing is something that I only know about through fiction. All I can tell you is that I’ve never
seen anyone on Laxey Beach doing anything that I thought was related to illegal
drugs.”
Rockwell nodded slowly. “We have a lot of avenues to explore,”
he told her and the others. “Sometimes we get the most important clue through unconventional means. Obviously, a murder investigation is no
place for a random civilian, but you’re something of an institution in
Laxey. If anyone is going to hear
that little bit of information that we need, it’s you. I would be extremely grateful if you
would pass along anything and everything that you hear to me.”
Bessie shrugged. “Hugh is staying with me at the moment,”
she told the man. “He seems to
think I need protecting. I’m happy
to share the things I hear with him every night.”
Rockwell frowned and opened
and closed his mouth several times before finally speaking. “That would be great,” he said in a
choked tone.
He stood up quickly, draining
the last of his tea once on his feet. “Thank you kindly for the tea and biscuits,” he told Bessie with a
smile. “I can see why you love your
little cottage. It really is
something special.”
Bessie rose to see him out,
but Rockwell waved her back into her chair. “Hugh can see me out,” he told them
all. “Thank you again.”
Hugh jumped up and quickly
walked to the door behind his boss. The two disappeared outside. It was several minutes later when Hugh returned, just as Bessie was
trying to figure out how she might eavesdrop on the conversation
taking place on her doorstep.
“Oh, I do hope you aren’t in
any trouble,” Doona told the man once he had sunk back into his seat, a
slightly dazed look on his face.
“I don’t reckon I am,” Hugh
said after a moment.
“So what happened?” Bessie
demanded impatiently.
Hugh ran a hand over his face
and then shook his head. “He
actually congratulated me on being here. Said it was a smart move. Said that protecting you was probably a good idea and that you were the
perfect person to hear anything if people started talking. Oh, he wasn’t really happy that you said
you’d tell me what you heard rather than him, but he got me to promise that I’d
pass everything along as soon as I got it, which I would have done anyway.”
“So he wasn’t upset to find
us here?” Doona checked.
“He did remind me that I’m
supposed to be getting information from Bessie, not giving information to her,”
Hugh grinned. “But he didn’t seem
too worried.”
“Did he say anything about
not talking to Inspector Kelly about all of this?” Bessie asked, suddenly
suspicious.
“Not exactly,” Hugh
answered. “He said something about
not bothering Inspector Kelly with the bits of gossip and innuendo that I might
pick up from Bessie,” Hugh told her. “I guess he’s hoping that Bessie’s contacts will help him solve the
murder before
way,” he added. “I’m not looking
for an official statement, just your thoughts and ideas.”
Bessie shrugged. “Don’t they always say that it’s the
person closest to us whom we have to fear most? Most of the people I’ve talked to think
the widow had the best motive.”
Inspector Rockwell
nodded. “But they’d only been
married a few days,” he reminded Bessie. “Surely she could have put up with him for a little bit longer before
getting rid of him.”
“Maybe he had already figured
out that she was only interested in his money, so she had to act fast,” Doona
suggested.
A slightly awkward silence
greeted that idea before Inspector Rockwell changed the subject.
“What do you think of the
idea that it was drug related?” he asked Bessie.
“A few years ago I would have
said ‘no way,’” she replied. “But
the world is changing and even Laxey is changing. The world of drugs and dealers and that
sort of thing is something that I only know about through fiction. All I can tell you is that I’ve never
seen anyone on Laxey Beach doing anything that I thought was related to illegal
drugs.”
Rockwell nodded slowly. “We have a lot of avenues to explore,”
he told her and the others. “Sometimes we get the most important clue through unconventional means. Obviously, a murder investigation is no
place for a random civilian, but you’re something of an institution in
Laxey. If anyone is going to hear
that little bit of information that we need, it’s you. I would be extremely grateful if you
would pass along anything and everything that you hear to me.”
Bessie shrugged. “Hugh is staying with me at the moment,”
she told the man. “He seems to
think I need protecting. I’m happy
to share the things I hear with him every night.”
Rockwell frowned and opened
and closed his mouth several times before finally speaking. “That would be great,” he said in a
choked tone.
He stood up quickly, draining
the last of his tea once on his feet. “Thank you kindly for the tea and biscuits,” he told Bessie with a
smile. “I can see why you love your
little cottage. It really is
something special.”
Bessie rose to see him out,
but Rockwell waved her back into her chair. “Hugh can see me out,” he told them
all. “Thank you again.”
Hugh jumped up and quickly
walked to the door behind his boss. The two disappeared outside. It was several minutes later when Hugh returned, just as Bessie was
trying to figure out how she might eavesdrop on the conversation
taking place on her doorstep.
“Oh, I do hope you aren’t in
any trouble,” Doona told the man once he had sunk back into his seat, a
slightly dazed look on his face.
“I don’t reckon I am,” Hugh
said after a moment.
“So what happened?” Bessie
demanded impatiently.
Hugh ran a hand over his face
and then shook his head. “He
actually congratulated me on being here. Said it was a smart move. Said that protecting you was probably a good idea and that you were the
perfect person to hear anything if people started talking. Oh, he wasn’t really happy that you said
you’d tell me what you heard rather than him, but he got me to promise that I’d
pass everything along as soon as I got it, which I would have done anyway.”
“So he wasn’t upset to find
us here?” Doona checked.
“He did remind me that I’m
supposed to be getting information from Bessie, not giving information to her,”
Hugh grinned. “But he didn’t seem
too worried.”
“Did he say anything about
not talking to Inspector Kelly about all of this?” Bessie asked, suddenly
suspicious.
“Not exactly,” Hugh
answered. “He said something about
not bothering Inspector Kelly with the bits of gossip and innuendo that I might
pick up from Bessie,” Hugh told her. “I guess he’s hoping that Bessie’s contacts will help him solve the
murder before
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