The Appleton Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 1) by Diana Xarissa

home?” Michael suggested.
    Janet smiled
at him.   “I’ll drive myself
home.   You two can finish your
date.   I’m awfully sorry I interrupted
it.”
    “It’s fine,”
Michael assured her.   “At least I
got a front row seat for the most exciting thing that’s happened in Doveby Dale for years.”
    Janet walked
over to her car and climbed in.   She
sat behind the wheel for a minute, gathering her thoughts.   It was all she could do to start the
engine and drive sedately away.   What she really wanted to do was open the boot and dig out her custard
creams.
    Back at Doveby House, Janet carried her groceries into the kitchen
and unpacked the bags, suddenly grateful that she’d resisted the urge to add
that tub of ice cream to her selections.   Joan wouldn’t have been understanding if they’d
needed to clean up melted ice cream from the boot of their car.
    Now that she
was so close to her treat, Janet dragged out the anticipation just a little bit
longer.   She fixed herself a cup of
tea and then sat down at the table with it and three biscuits on a plate.   Her first bite was interrupted by Joan’s
arrival.
    “The kettle’s
just boiled,” she told Joan before her sister could speak.
    “Lovely,” Joan
replied.   “And we appear to have
quite a few snacks to enjoy with the tea now.”
    “That’s why I
went out,” Janet explained, hoping that her sister wasn’t as angry as she
seemed.   She hated when Joan was too
calm.   “I wanted some custard
creams, you see.”
    “And you
didn’t think it was rather late to be out shopping for biscuits?”
    “It was, but I
just couldn’t get them out of my mind,” Janet said.
    Joan
nodded.   “Well, I hope Constable
Parsons likes that excuse when you talk to him tomorrow.”
    Janet
frowned.   Maybe she’d better come up
with something better, she thought, even though it was the truth.  
    The sisters
sipped their tea and Janet ate her biscuits in silence.   Janet knew her sister was mad and she
didn’t really blame her.
    “How was
dinner?” she asked as she ran the water for washing up.
    “It was very
nice,” Joan replied.   “Michael is a
very nice man who was very understanding when our evening was so rudely
interrupted.”
    “I’m glad,”
Janet said, blushing.   “And I’m very
sorry as well,” she added.
    “We’ll talk
tomorrow,” Joan told her.   “I’m
tired and no doubt you are as well after your ordeal.”
    Janet was sure
she could hear sarcasm in her sister’s tone, but before she could answer, Joan
left the room.   Janet finished the
washing up and headed to bed.  
    It was a much
later night than normal for both sisters and Janet found herself scrambling the
next morning in order to be ready when Robert Parsons arrived.   She barely had time to say much more
than “good morning” to her sister before she heard the knock on the door.
    “Ah, good
morning,” the young policeman said tiredly when Janet opened the door.
    “Do come in,”
Janet said.   “Would you like some
tea or coffee?”
    “I’d love some
coffee if you have it,” the man replied.   “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
    Joan already
had coffee brewing when Janet showed Robert into the kitchen.   She’d also put out a plate full of
biscuits and cakes, and the young man looked delighted when he saw it.   Joan handed him a small plate and he
quickly filled it with a little of everything.
    “Sorry, I
didn’t get any breakfast, either.   Things are quite busy at the station this morning,” he explained.
    Joan handed
him a cup full of coffee and he added a splash of milk before taking a
sip.  
    “Ah, that’s
wonderful,” he said with a sigh.
    Janet poured
herself a cup of tea and then sat down at the table with him.   Joan handed Janet a plate for biscuits
before fixing her own tea and sitting down as well.
    “The first
thing I have to make perfectly clear is that you were in great danger last
night,” Robert said to Janet.