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

saw when I looked through the boxes here.   We were going to execute it this morning
anyway,” Robert replied.   He left
before Janet could point out what a big help she and Joan had been in turning
the box over to him.
    “I am really
sorry I spoiled your date,” Janet said to Joan after Robert was gone.   “I didn’t intend to.”
    “It’s okay,”
Joan replied after a moment.   “It
was getting a little bit awkward, anyway.”
    “But you had
fun?   Are you going to go out with
him again?”
    “I did have
fun and if he asks, I will go out with him again,” Joan told her.   “But he might not ask.”
    “Of course he
will,” Janet insisted.   “You’re
wonderful and he’s just about smart enough to have noticed.”
    “After lunch
we need to talk about getting the bed and breakfast up and running,” Joan told
her sister as Janet headed up to her room to curl up with a book.
    Janet made a
face at no one.   She wasn’t in any
hurry to start their business.   If
they had guests now, she certainly wouldn’t be able to just curl up with a book
all morning.
    Lunch was over
far too quickly for Janet’s liking.
    “Let’s sit in
the sitting room and talk,” Joan suggested.  
    Janet followed
her and sank down on a couch.   A
moment later the doorbell rang.
    “Ah, Michael,
what a lovely surprise,” Janet exclaimed, ushering the man into the house,
feeling as if just about anyone would have been welcome just then.
    “I just
stopped over to thank your sister for a lovely evening,” he told Janet.   “That is, thank you,” he said to Joan
with a small bow in her direction.
    Joan
flushed.   “I should be thanking
you,” she replied.   “Dinner was wonderful.”
    “I understand
the police have arrested Gavin,” Michael said.   “Apparently he was behind a rather large
car theft ring.   I can’t quite
believe it.   Nothing that exciting
ever happens in Doveby Dale.”
    “Margaret
Appleton died suddenly,” Janet said.   “Surely that was a little bit exciting.”
    “But she
didn’t die in Doveby Dale,” Michael told her.
    “She didn’t?”
Janet asked.   “Do you know what
happened to her, then?”
    Michael looked
at each sister in turn.   “You didn’t
hear the story?” he asked.
    “No, no one
seems to know the story,” Janet said in frustration.
    Michael
chuckled.   “Well, I know the story,
but I suppose that’s because I know the gentleman she was with when it happened.   I didn’t realise it wasn’t more widely known.”
    “What
gentleman?   What happened to
Margaret Appleton?” Janet took a deep breath to stop herself from shouting.   “Sorry, but we’ve
been wondering what happened to her since we bought the house, but no one seems
to know.”
    “It was a
tragic accident,” Michael told her.   “She was in Ibiza with a gentleman friend.   I won’t give his name, as it isn’t
relevant to the story, but he is somewhat younger than Margaret was.”
    “We don’t need
to know his name,” Joan said.   Janet
just resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at her sister.   She wanted to know who the man was, even
if Joan didn’t.
    “So what
happened?” she prompted the man.
    “They were at
a nightclub just after they arrived in Ibiza.   Margaret was dancing on a raised
platform in six-inch heels.   When
the foam party started, the platform got very slippery and she fell off and
landed on her head.   I understand
she died instantly.”
    “I’m sorry,
but how old was Margaret Appleton?” Joan demanded.
    “Sixty-four,”
Michael told her.
    “Foam party?”
Janet said faintly.
    “Six-inch
heels?” Joan murmured.

 
    * * * * * * * * * *
    So you see, dear Bessie, Margaret Appleton
wasn’t murdered at all, but Gavin was mixed up in something rather criminal
anyway.   I’ve taken to calling our
little adventure “The Appleton Case,” which seems to annoy Joan for some
reason.
    As for the foam party and the high heels,
Joan and I have agreed