Free Aunt Bessie Invites (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 9) by Diana Xarissa

a long pause before the man spoke
again.   “Really, I don’t,” he
said.   “I’ve been thinking about it
since yesterday.   There seem to be
almost too many possibilities, but none of them seem likely, really.   People do come and go from the island a
great deal, but it seems odd that no one missed this man.”
    Bessie nodded and then caught herself.   “Yes, that’s exactly it,” she
replied.   “I don’t envy the police
their job.”
    “I never do,” Doncan told her.   “I understand that the watch they found
with the body is quite distinctive.   I heard that the Chief Constable has agreed to put it on the front page
of the local paper today to see if anyone recognises it.”
    “I hope they find out who he is soon,”
Bessie said.   “And what happened to
him.”
    After fixing herself another cup of tea, she
picked up the phone again and read down the list of people she needed to ring
back.   She didn’t really feel like
talking to any of them.   The sun was
shining outside the window and Bessie thought seriously about taking another
walk.   A glance at her calendar
reminded her that there was a lecture at the Manx Museum that afternoon that
she had been thinking about attending.  
    William Corlett, a young researcher who was
one of the driving forces behind the creation of a new Manx History Institute,
was speaking about fifteenth-century pottery finds on the island.   Her own fascination with the island’s
history tended to focus on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but she
enjoyed learning everything she could about the island she called home.  
    More to avoid returning any more phone calls
than anything else, Bessie rang and requested a taxi.   The driver took her into Douglas and
left her in front of one of her favourite restaurants.   She ate lunch with a book for company
and then headed up to the Manx Museum to hear what William had to say.
    Some parts of the lecture were fairly
incomprehensible to Bessie, who knew very little about pottery, but she enjoyed
hearing where the various pieces that had been found around the island came
from.   When the talk was over, she
found herself having tea and biscuits with a large group of friends from Manx
National Heritage, the organisation responsible for preserving, protecting and
promoting the island’s unique history and culture.
    “Bessie, thank you for coming,” William said
when they came face-to-face in the crowd.
    “I enjoyed it very much,” Bessie told
him.   “Although some of it went over
my head, of course.”
    “I tried to make it as clear as possible,”
William said with a frown.   “Perhaps, if you have a few minutes, we could go through the talk
together and you could point out what you didn’t understand.   I’m hoping to get this talk published
and I would like it to be interesting and enjoyable for readers of all
backgrounds.”
    Bessie nodded.   “Why don’t you give me a printed copy
and I’ll make some notes for you,” she suggested.
    “I’ll do that,” he agreed.   “And thank you very much.”
    “It’s no problem,” Bessie assured him.
    “If it isn’t a bother, I’ll bring the copy
to Thanksgiving dinner,” he said.   “And thank you so much for inviting me, by the way.”
    “It’s no bother at all,” Bessie
replied.   “As long as you don’t
expect me to read it during the meal.”
    William laughed.   “I’d be hugely grateful if you could get
your comments to me early in the new year ,” he
said.   “And I feel rather demanding
asking for that.”
    “I should be able to have it back to you
before Christmas,” Bessie said.   “I’ve
very little else going on right now.”
    “Except Thanksgiving,” William replied.
    “Except that,” Bessie agreed.   “Are you bringing a guest?   I can’t remember what you said when you
replied.”
    “I probably said that I was bringing a
guest,” he told her.   “But now I’m
not so sure.”
    Bessie waved a hand.