Elizabeth Duncan - A Killer's Christmas in Wales

“I’d better go,” she said. “Huw will be wanting me to help him close up. But please call me. I’d love to go sketching with your group.”

Penny assured her she would and then turned her attention to the dance floor. The difference in the dancers’ confidence and ability in just two hours was amazing. They smiled at their partners, held their heads high, and seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

“Now then,” Harry was saying, “Evelyn and I have a little surprise for you. Over the next few weeks we’re going to work on our dancing skills and then on New Year’s Eve, we’ll have a wonderful, old-fashioned evening of dancing. Best bib and tucker!”

Mrs. Lloyd beamed as the dancers broke into applause.

“Now next week, we’re off to sunny Argentina to learn how to tango. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves tonight and that you’ll be back next week. And tell your friends!”

Penny smiled as Victoria made her way over to her.

“Well, that went well,” Penny said. “You danced all evening with Philip.”

“It was fun. He’s a surprisingly good dancer.” Victoria smiled. “You don’t expect that from an undertaker.”

“No, I guess you don’t,” Penny agreed, “although I’ve always thought he’s a lovely man.”

“Yes, he is and I think he rather fancied you, at one point.” She lowered her voice. “But honestly, what do you think of Mrs. Lloyd and that dancing instructor? She seems really taken with him. Do you think he’s all right?”

“I don’t know, but what I can’t figure out is what he’s doing here. What would bring someone like him to this small town?”

Victoria gave her an ironic smile.

“The same thing that brought you?” And as an afterthought she added, “And me, too, I guess.”

Penny nodded.

“So I wonder what he’s running away from.”

“Or who.”

As usual, Glynnis and Huw Bowen were the last to leave the community centre.

“Well, I think that went well, all things considered,” Huw said as he checked to make sure the door was locked behind them. “But he might have consulted me about that New Year’s dance before making his big announcement. Now I suppose we’ll have to go and I was looking forward to watching it on telly.”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, Huw,” his wife replied. “I’m sure we could manage without you for one night.”

“‘We’? You don’t mean you’d come without me, do you?”

“Yes, I think that’s exactly what I meant.” She let out a bored, tired sigh. “Oh, I don’t know what I meant. Never mind.”

Mrs. Lloyd said good night to Harry on her doorstep. She had decided not to invite him in as she was tired and anxious to clean her face, slather on the expensive apple-serum rejuvenating moisturizer she had just bought, and slip into her nice, warm bed. The dancing had definitely tired her out.

She held her face up and he kissed her cheek.

Then, putting her key in the lock, she let herself into the still, dark house and stood there for a moment before tugging one by one at the fingers of her gloves.

“Had a good time, did you then?” came a voice out of the dark silence.

“Oh! Really, Florence, you scared the life out of me. What on earth do you mean by creeping up on me like that?”

Mrs. Lloyd switched on the hall light to discover Florence in her tattered dark green dressing gown with large red dragons winding around the sleeves.

“Sorry, I’m sure,” Florence said. “Only when I heard you come in and realized you were alone, I thought I’d just see if you wanted anything. Cup of tea before you head up?”

“Well, now that you mention it, that might just hit the spot, if you’re making one anyway,” Mrs. Lloyd agreed. “I’ll get my coat off while you get the kettle on.”

A few minutes later, settled on the sofa lifting a cup of tea to her lips, Mrs. Lloyd beamed at her companion.

“Oh, Florence, I do wish you’d come,” she said. “We all had such a wonderful time and everyone had such high praise for Harry. It wasn’t any time at all until everyone was waltzing away and having the time of their lives.”

She sat back against the plump cushions, waving away the biscuits Florence held out to her.

“No, Florence, and you must not tempt me again. I am determined to lose at least half a stone before the grand opening of the new spa. And that reminds me”-she leaned forward and set her teacup down-“I’ve decided that we’re going to give a little party of our own. We’ll talk about the date tomorrow, but I’d like to have a few friends and neighbours in for a Christmas drink one afternoon. Just a few mince pies and a glass of sherry. Nothing too complicated, but it is, after all, the season of goodwill, and we’re going to show some.”

She stood up.

“And now I must be off to my bed. Thank you for the tea. Don’t worry about the cups tonight. You can tidy up in the morning.”

Florence dropped a little curtsey to Mrs. Lloyd’s disappearing back.

“Yes ma’am,” she muttered. “Whatever you say.”

“You know, Penny, when he took me in his arms, I could have danced all night!”

“You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself, Mrs. Lloyd,” Penny said as she leaned forward to apply a base coat to her client’s nails.

“Well, it wasn’t just me enjoying myself, Penny, in case you didn’t notice. Everyone was.”

“Yes, they certainly seemed to.”

Penny had barely been able to contain her astonishment when Mrs. Lloyd entered the salon for her standing Thursday afternoon manicure. Penny had quickly caught Eirlys’s eye and given a quick shake of her head. Following her lead, Eirlys returned to her client after giving Mrs. Lloyd a quick smile and, beyond the expected polite, cheery hello, said nothing.

Gone was Mrs. Lloyd’s rigidly permed, iron-grey hair, replaced by loose chestnut curls. At first, Penny had thought she was wearing a wig, but when she caught a glimpse of pink scalp, she realized Mrs. Lloyd must have spent hours that morning at the hair salon. With the dieting, hair colour, and softer hairstyle, Mrs. Lloyd was in full makeover mode. Soon would come wardrobe changes. She’s got it bad, Penny thought. If she had been married, her husband would have huge cause for concern. She was displaying all the classic symptoms.

“I’m going into Llandudno tomorrow to get some new clothes,” Mrs. Lloyd was saying, as if she had just read Penny’s mind. “Normally, Angharad Roberts makes my dresses, and a very good job she does, too, but I think I’ll go for something off the rack. I’m so tired of just about everything in my wardrobe. It all seems so frumpy and dated, and we need something new every now and then to perk ourselves up, don’t you think?”

“Yes, Mrs. Lloyd, we certainly do,” Penny agreed. “What are you thinking you might get?’

“Something a bit more youthful. A flirty skirt! A stylish top! Both!”

Penny grinned. “Go for it, Mrs. Lloyd! Why not?”

“Why not indeed. And that reminds me. I’ve decided that Florence and I are going to hold a little holiday open house, so you might want to mark your calendar. It’ll be from two to four in the afternoon and you and Victoria should both come. Oh, and of course bring that policeman of yours, too, if he’s a mind to come. That’s if he’s not too busy with, what did you call it, major crime.” Mrs. Lloyd gave Penny the date. “We chose the day so it wouldn’t conflict with your grand opening. But between the two of us, we’re all going to have a very busy holiday season this year. I always say Christmas will be here before we know it, and every year it just creeps up on us and proves me right.”