Elizabeth Duncan - A Killer's Christmas in Wales

At precisely five minutes to two, Florence would place all the trays on the table and the party would begin. She was happy to look after the food and drink, leaving Mrs. Lloyd to circulate and socialize. Florence not only knew her place but liked it very much. It was definitely starting to feel like home.

And now, there was nothing to do but wait for the guests to arrive and the party to start.

As Florence set the last platter on the dining room table the sound of ambient chatter began to fill the adjacent living room.

“Oh, Penny, of course you already know my friend Harry, but, Harry, I don’t think you’ve met Penny’s friend Inspector Gareth Davies.” Saunders seemed momentarily taken aback but recovered his composure quickly and held out his hand. Davies shook it and casually asked Saunders where he was staying.

“Oh, an old friend of mine has a place not too far from here, farther up the valley,” Saunders replied. “He’s in the States for a few months and said I could use it while he’s away.”

“And how long will you be staying with us, do you think?” Davies asked.

Saunders let out something that might have been a wheezy chuckle and turned to Mrs. Lloyd.

“Does he give all your guests the third degree or is it just me?”

Davies’ eyes narrowed slightly and he smiled at Penny who gave an eloquent, apologetic shrug.

“Now, Inspector,” said Mrs. Lloyd, “I was telling Penny just the other day that you should get out and about and have more fun. Come to the dancing classes with us, why don’t you! But for today, you’re off duty and among friends so we’ll have no more of your questions. Just enjoy yourself. And now,” she said, turning to him and touching Saunders gently on the arm, “you and I need to circulate amongst our guests. There are others who would like to meet you. Oh, look, there’s Huw and Glynnis Bowen. And Bronwyn and Thomas Evans. Such a good turnout.”

The room had filled up as they’d been speaking. Penny waved to the rector and his wife who had just arrived. Davies’ eyes followed Saunders and Mrs. Lloyd into the living room. Keeping his eyes on them, he inclined his head toward Penny.

“Later, I want you to tell me everything you know about him.”

“Do you know this inspector well, Evelyn?” Saunders was saying.

“No, not really,” Evelyn replied as she led him to the food table, where they admired Florence’s spread. “I hear he’s very taken with Penny Brannigan. Now, I’d like you to come over here, Harry, and meet Bunny, an old friend of mine. We go way back.” Catching herself, she added, “Well, not that far back, of course.”

Saunders examined the table and seemed to focus on a tray of hot nibbles that Florence had just brought out of the kitchen.

“And this Penny, now, is she…?”

“Penny?” Mrs. Lloyd gave him a quizzical look. “Oh, Penny, she’s just the person who does my nails.”

Saunders helped himself to a stuffed mushroom, which he balanced on a red paper napkin, and then gave Mrs. Lloyd his best smile.

“Introduce me to Bunny, why don’t you. I’m dying to meet her.”

As the last of the guests departed, Mrs. Lloyd sank gratefully into a comfortable chair and, with a sigh, slipped off her shoes and rubbed the toes of one foot against the toes of the other.

“Oh, that was wonderful,” she said. “I enjoyed myself enormously and I think all our guests did, too.” Saunders lowered his eyes and watched Florence as she picked up several used paper napkins and stuffed them into an empty glass. She loaded several glasses onto a large tray, added the plates of leftover food, and then disappeared into the kitchen. They soon heard the sound of running water followed by the closing of the kitchen door. A few seconds later, the doorknob turned silently and the door opened an imperceptible crack.

Saunders sat on the couch and patted the seat beside him. “Come on over here, Evelyn,” he said. “I’ve got something to ask you.”

With a surprisingly shy smile, Mrs. Lloyd did as he asked. “Yes, Harry? What is it?” After a quick glance at the kitchen door, he leaned toward Mrs. Lloyd and put his arm around her.

“I thought you looked especially lovely this afternoon, Evelyn,” he said softly. “In fact, ever since I met you, you’ve been getting more beautiful in my eyes.”

“Perhaps that’s because you bring out the best in me, Harry.” Mrs. Lloyd smiled at him. “You make me feel alive again. I feel younger when I’m with you.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’s anything to do with me at all. You’re a very special woman, Evelyn.” He gave her hand a friendly, reassuring squeeze and cleared his throat. Although she was bursting to hear whatever it was he wanted to ask her, Mrs. Lloyd waited.

“As you know, my dear, over the past few weeks we’ve become rather close and I was wondering what you would think about us becoming partners.”

“Partners?” exclaimed Mrs. Lloyd. “What do you mean exactly, by partners?”

“Well, we’re bridge partners and dancing partners and I’ve got something else in mind.”

“Oh, Harry, really?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’m offering you the chance to make a lot of money. I thought you might like to consider becoming one of my investment partners.”

As a look of profound disappointment crossed her face, Mrs. Lloyd gazed down at her hands and twirled her wedding ring. Harry raised an eyebrow and nodded at her.

“Well, I say business partners, but I do hope that it might one day be more than that,” he went on. “You mean a lot to me, Evelyn, even though we haven’t known each other very long, and I think, well, at least I hope, that you feel something for me, too.”

“Oh, I do, Harry, I do!”

“Well, perhaps we could, um”-he glanced again at the kitchen door and spoke softly-“I guess it might be a little awkward if I were to stay over, what with Florence and all, much as I would want to.” His voice trailed off.

“She’ll be off to spend the weekend with her sister in Liverpool,” Evelyn said eagerly. “Oh, what are we like? Planning to spend a weekend together as if we were a couple of kids and having to wait until the grown-ups leave so we can have the house all to ourselves.” A thought seemed to cross her mind and she became serious. “If I’d known I was going to meet you, Harry, and how we would come to feel about each other, I never would have asked Florence to stay. You’re right. It does make things awkward for us, having her here.”

Harry gave her a quizzical look and lowered his voice.

“Does it have to? After all, this is your house and surely you decide who you want to have here with you.”

Mrs. Lloyd was about to reply when the kitchen door opened and Florence emerged carrying a tray full of clean glasses. She gave the couple a little nod.

“Don’t mind me. I’ve just got to put these best glasses back in the sideboard before they get broken.”

Mrs. Lloyd and Saunders remained silent as Florence lined up the glasses on the sideboard shelf. They made a soft scraping sound as she slid them into place.

“Well, give some thought to what I said, Evelyn,” Saunders said as Florence disappeared back into the kitchen.

“I will, Harry,” Mrs. Lloyd replied. “What exactly do you mean by business partner? What would I have to do?”

Harry waited for the sound of the kitchen door closing before he spoke.

“Well, I run an exclusive syndicate of carefully chosen investors. We pool our money equally so we have more to invest. We buy hedge funds on margin and derivatives when they’re down and then we sell them when the market rebounds. All in U.S. dollars, of course. Sound as a bell. So far I’ve made quite a bit of money for the investors, I can tell you. As for you and me, we’d just need to set up a joint account at the bank, we contribute equally to it, and then I take care of everything,” he said. “And then a few weeks later, I give you a nice cheque. Your original investment back, plus a tidy profit.”