Kate Kingsbury - Wedding Rows

“Something nasty if you don’t shut up wailing,” Jimmy said harshly.

Florrie whimpered again.

Jimmy held her hands behind her back, while Robbie dragged the ladder over to the ledge. “Get up there,” Jimmy ordered, giving her a shove. “Maybe your mate can keep you quiet.”

“I still don’t think we should have brought her back here,” Robbie said, as Florrie started crawling up the ladder. “Stan ain’t going to like it one bit.”

“What else was I supposed to do with her?” Jimmy demanded. “Bury her in the woods?”

Florrie squealed and scrambled up the ladder with surprising agility.

Incensed at their treatment of the fragile woman, Nellie glared down at them. “Where is Stan, anyhow? Where is my grub?”

“He’s bringing it on his bicycle,” Robbie said, as he dragged the ladder away from the ledge again. “He couldn’t very well go into the High Street in a Jeep, now, could he.”

Nellie was about to answer when one of the doors creaked open a few inches and Stan slipped through the crack. He carried a satchel in his hand, and Nellie prayed he had something to eat and drink in there.

“I thought I told you to wait for me in the woods,” he said, scowling at his companions. “I had to bike all the way across that field.”

“We couldn’t,” Jimmy said gruffly. “We ran into a bit of trouble.”

Stan swore and dropped the satchel to the ground. “What happened?”

Jimmy jerked a thumb up at the ledge. “That.”

Florrie drew back as Stan stared up at them. “Where the hell did she come from?”

“She popped up out of nowhere. We almost ran over her. Then when she saw us she went bananas. Said she knew we’d got Nellie.” Jimmy jerked his thumb again. “That’s the name of the other one.”

Stan lifted both hands and raked them through his hair. “And you brought her back here? Are you bleeding stupid? Now we have to get rid of two of them.”

Nellie’s stomach turned over. She heard a thump behind her and looked over her shoulder. Florrie was on the floor in a dead faint.

By the time Elizabeth arrived back in Sitting Marsh it was almost two o’clock. Having missed lunch, which she knew would not sit well with Violet, she decided to stop in Bessie’s Tea Shop and enjoy a pot of tea and sandwiches before paying Fiona a visit at Priscilla’s flat.

She wasn’t too happy to find members of the Housewives League occupying some of the tables when she walked in. Judging from the noise level, something important had happened. Praying that they had found Nellie safe and sound, she resisted the urge to slip out again unnoticed and approached Rita’s chair. Just in time to hear the abominable woman make a nasty remark about her relationship with Earl.

She was about to announce her presence, which had already been noticed by Marjorie Gunther, when Rita had the audacity to declare that Elizabeth made no contribution to the war effort.

Ignoring Marge’s stuttered greeting, Elizabeth said quietly, “How nice to know the future of our country is in such capable hands. I wonder if Mr. Churchill is aware of Rita Crumm’s magnificent contributions to such a worthy cause.”

Marge and a few of the others giggled, while Rita had the grace to look embarrassed, though she covered it well. “Lady Elizabeth,” she said, rising from her chair. “We were just talking about you.”

“So I heard.” Elizabeth nodded at the rest of the group. “Please don’t get up. I’m only here for a moment. I was wondering if Nellie has been found. I don’t see her here.”

“Not only has Nellie not turned up, your ladyship,” Marge said, earning a scowl from Rita, “but now Florrie’s missing, too.”

Elizabeth stared at her in alarm. “Great heavens! Are you sure?”

“Quite sure, m’m,” Marge assured her. “I was with her when she disappeared.”

Elizabeth listened as Marge gave a hurried account of how she’d lost Florrie.

“We’re waiting for the rest of them to come back,” Rita added when she was finished. “We’re hoping she ran into them and is coming back with them.”

“Here they come now,” Marge said, nodding at the door.

The group of women filing in through the door looked hot and weary, though they all managed a smile for Elizabeth. Much to her dismay, however, no one had seen any sign of Florrie, and had no idea she was even missing.

“Now what do we do?” Marge demanded, looking hopefully at Elizabeth.

“I’ll report Florrie’s disappearance to the constables,” Elizabeth said, trying to sound calm. Inside she felt anything but calm. Two missing women and a murdered man on her hands. The whole situation was fast reaching disaster proportions. “I’ll tell George to let the inspector know what’s happening and ask him for help in searching for them. The rest of you start going door to door. Perhaps someone saw or heard something helpful. Report back to me if you hear anything at all. I’ll be at Priscilla’s flat for a while, or you can ring me up at the manor from the police station.”

To Elizabeth’s surprise, Rita didn’t offer one protest at having matters taken out of her hands. In fact, she seemed almost relieved that she was no longer in charge and responsible for her missing members. She did find the nerve to dismiss her crew with a terse, “All right, you lot. You heard her ladyship. Get going!”

The women scrambled to obey, and as they hurried out the door, Rita added, “I’ll ask around the tables here, if you like, Lady Elizabeth.”

“That’s a good idea, Rita. Thank you.” Elizabeth left her to her task, thankful that the dratted woman hadn’t made a scene for once.

It took her no more than a minute or two to reach the police station, and she hopped off her motorcycle with less attention than usual to her skirt, which tended to ride up over her knees in a most unbecoming manner when she was in a rush.

Hurrying into the police station, she was rather annoyed to see George lounging back in his chair, one hand holding a sugary Banbury cake, while the other propped up the daily newspaper.

He dropped the cake onto the newspaper when she entered and hastily got to his feet. “Good afternoon, your ladyship. Nice surprise to see you down here. I was just having a spot of afternoon tea.”

Sid’s voice floated in from the back office. “Caught in the act again, George?”

George scowled. “Shut your mouth, Sid.”

Elizabeth let out her breath in exasperation. “I was rather expecting you to be out searching for Nellie Smith,” she said, a trifle crossly. “She’s been missing for seventeen hours. The Housewives League has been out all morning looking for her.”

“I was establishing headquarters here,” George said huffily, “to direct operations. If anyone should be out there searching, it should be that lazy bugger in the back room.”

“I heard that!” Sid called out. “You told me to stay here and not get in the way.”

George cleared his throat. “I take it the young lady has not been found?”

“Not only has Nellie not been found, but Florrie is now missing.” Elizabeth looked up at the clock above his head. “I would not like another night to pass before we find them.”

George clicked his tongue. “Now how on earth did Florrie go and get lost? Not very considerate of her, when we already have to take care of a murder and one missing person.”

“I’m sure she didn’t lose herself on purpose, George. I need you to notify the inspector right away and ask for volunteers to help search for the women. Up until now the musketeers have been content with causing damage to property, but things have taken a very nasty turn. We have to assume the worst and act accordingly.”