The Ellsworth Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 5) Read Free Page B

with five bedrooms, each decorated in a different colour .   All
five rooms had floral curtains, and all of the curtains were different, garish
and awful patterns, weren’t they?”
    “I remember going to stay with her at
Christmas one year.   I must have
been about six or seven and she put me in the room with the mauve and yellow
curtains.   I had a bad dream one
night and woke up crying.   Our
parents were too far away to hear me, and I remember lying there for hours,
staring at those curtains and sobbing to myself.”
    “You poor dear,” Joan said softly.   “I don’t remember you ever telling me
about that before.”
    Janet shook her head.   “I never told anyone,” she said.   “It was so awful that I didn’t want to
talk about it.   Now, nearly sixty
years later, it just seems silly, but at the time, the pattern on the curtain
seemed almost to move and I was terrified.”
    “No wonder you don’t like floral prints,”
Joan replied.
    Janet looked at her and then sighed.   “You know what?   I feel a lot better for having told you
that story.   I guess I never quite recovered
from the experience.   I must
remember not to automatically dislike women who wear floral dresses,
though.   It is quite unfair to
them.”
    “I didn’t like her, either,” Joan said.   “And I don’t have any irrational
prejudices to overcome.”
    Janet grinned.   “She was just a bit odd, wasn’t
she?   And she and William seemed
awfully cosy considering they just met a few days
ago.”
    “I’m sure William is flattered by the
attentions of a younger woman,” Joan said.   “Men usually are.”
    Janet had to agree.   Neither sister had ever married, but
Janet had dated a great deal in her youth.   Regardless, both sisters were keen observers of the world around them
and they usually agreed with one another when it came to issues about human
nature.
    “But what is she after?” Janet asked.
    “Hopefully nothing,” Joan said.   “But I think we should keep an eye on
the situation.   We don’t want to
stick our noses in where they aren’t welcome, but it bothers me that he didn’t
want her to know about his paintings.”
    “I suggest we stop back in to see him again
tomorrow.   We’ll have to find some
sort of excuse, but I’m sure we’ll come up with something,” Janet said.
    They had arrived back at Doveby House now and Janet pulled the car into their car park.   Another car was already parked there.
    “Isn’t that Robert’s car?” Joan asked as
they shut their car doors.
    “I think it is,” Janet replied, wondering
what their local police constable could possibly want.
    “Do you suppose he’s checking up on us
again?” Joan asked with an indulgent smile.
    “I do wish he wouldn’t worry about us so
much,” Janet said.   “We can take
care of ourselves, after all.”
    “Maybe we should have a word with him about
Karen Holmes,” Joan suggested.   “I
wouldn’t mind if the police took a little look at her.”
    “You think she’s some sort of criminal?”
Janet asked in surprise.
    Joan sighed.   “Not really,” she admitted.   “But a lot of strange things have been
going on around here since we arrived.   I guess I’m suspicious of everyone now.”
    Janet thought back over the last few months
and then nodded.   “Things have
definitely been different from our teaching days, haven’t they?”
    Joan nodded.   “In both good and bad ways.”
    The pair walked around to their front
door.   Robert Parsons was sitting on
one of the cushioned chairs they had recently added to the small front
porch.   His brown hair needed a cut
and his brown eyes looked worried.   He was only in his mid-twenties and he was responsible for policing both Doveby Dale and Little Burton.   Janet often thought it was a heavy
burden for such a young man, although she also thought he did an excellent job
of it.   He quickly rose to his feet.   Janet was always surprised that he
wasn’t