The Singing Sleuth Takes a Bow

The Singing Sleuth Takes a Bow

D.B. Barton

The Singing Sleuth Takes a Bow

D.B. Barton

Cover by Marv Conn

Smashwords Edition 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

The Singing Sleuth Print Series:

The Singing Sleuth (2005, 2012)

The Singing Sleuth Returns (2007, 2014)

The Singing Sleuth Goes Home (2009, 2017)

The Singing Sleuth Crosses the Pond (2011)

The Singing Sleuth Does Vegas (2013)

The Singing Sleuth Takes a Bow (2016)

The Singing Sleuth Meets his Matches (2019)

The complete series can be ordered directly from

www.singingsleuth.com.

To my former co-workers:

Thanks for giving me

plenty of grist for the mill!

Table of Contents

Pisces Itinerary

PROLOGUE

Chapter 1: Season of the Witch

Chapter 2: Devil with a Blue Dress On

Chapter 3: Let’s Get Together (Get Together)

Chapter 4: Bad Moon Rising

Chapter 5: Undun

Chapter 6: Incense and Peppermints

Chapter 7: Everyday People

Chapter 8: It’s My Life

Chapter 9: You Really Got Me

Chapter 10: Turn, Turn, Turn

Chapter 11: Long Time Gone

Chapter 12: I Can See For Miles

Chapter 13: Five O’Clock World

Chapter 14: Spinning Wheel

Chapter 15: Something in the Air

Chapter 16: Shapes of Things

Chapter 17: Somebody to Love

Chapter 18: Lazy Day

Chapter 19: 19th Nervous Breakdown

Chapter 20: Reflections of My Life

Chapter 21: Crystal Blue Persuasion

EPILOGUE

Copyright Acknowledgements

Pisces Itinerary

Fourteen-Day Repositioning Cruise

From Southampton to Fort Lauderdale

Saturday, 31st of October: Southampton, England

Depart 5:00 PM

Sunday, 1st of November: Paris/Le Havre, France

Arrive 7:00 AM, Depart 8:00 PM

Monday, 2nd of November: At Sea

Tuesday, 3rd of November: Vigo, Spain

Arrive 10:00 AM, Depart 5:00 PM

Wednesday, 4th of November: Lisbon, Portugal

Arrive 8:00 AM, Depart 5:00 PM

Thursday, 5th of November: At Sea

Friday, 6th of November: Ponta Delgada, Azores Islands

Arrive 10:00 AM, Depart 6:00 PM

Saturday, 7th of November: At Sea

Sunday, 8th of November: At Sea

Monday, 9th of November: At Sea

Tuesday, 10th of November: At Sea

Wednesday, 11th of November: West End, Bermuda

Arrive 8:00 AM, Depart 4:00 PM

Thursday, 12th of November: At Sea

Friday, 13th of November: At Sea

Saturday, 14th of November: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Arrive 7:00 AM

PROLOGUE

Thursday Morning

29th of October

11:27 AM GMT

There they are, Alec pointed. My parents are standing in front of Costa Coffee.

Paige too excited to respond to her husband rushed ahead to embrace her father-in-law. Alec was steps behind her, toting a baggage trolley piled high with suitcases of different sizes. While Paige was hugging James DunBarton, Alec gently hugged his mother, Anne, who was leaning heavily on a wooden cane.

After giving Anne a kiss on her wrinkled cheek, Paige asked, Are you still having trouble getting around on your new hip?

Anne frowned. I’m doing much better. I just don’t feel safe in this airport. There are too many people jostling each other and not watching where they’re going. Pausing to give a scathing look at a young man, texting a message on his mobile device, she added, What in the world could be so important. It’s shameful.

James winked at his son congenially. Your mother shouldn’t need her cane once we leave the terminal. The car is parked nearby. Follow me.

On the way out, James asked Paige and Alec about their flight from Miami to London. Alec conveyed with an easy laugh that the trip went smoothly, and they were able to catch a few hours of sleep.

Smiling, Paige added, When the plane landed, we had to separate at border control. It’s a good thing that my Scottish husband was able to find his American wife in baggage reclaim, or you’d be going to the New Forest without me.

James directed the others to his rented car that was parked in the short-stay lot. Alec had some difficulty finding a place to stack their luggage. Alec’s parents had taken up most of the boot with their numerous bags. The remaining suitcases were placed on the backseat between Paige and Anne.

Alec, in the front passenger seat, glanced back at his crumpled-up wife with a grin. Don’t worry, Lass. My father will soon have us on the road, and it will take only an hour and a half to get to Lymington.

Once out of Heathrow’s car park and on the M3 to Southampton, James heaved a sigh of relief. We’re on our way. At junction 13, we need to merge onto the M27 and then head south past Lyndhurst.

As he changed lanes, James remarked to Alec, Thanks again for inviting us to your awards ceremony and, of course, on the cruise. It’s going to be grand. I understand that Flagship Cruise Line is going to honor you along with its top sales’ personnel from New York and London.

Paige, as the cruise consultant on the Pegasus, responded, I wouldn’t get too excited about meeting our Personal Sales Associates. I know they work hard to generate revenue for the company, but I’ve found them quite ruthless. They can be an aggressive bunch with dollar signs instead of hearts. I hope we don’t run into them on the cruise.

Gazing at the fallen brown and gold leaves beside the road, Paige added, I’m really looking forward to visiting Paris and some of the other ports of call in Europe.

Anne, who had been silent, perked up and revealed, I plan to relax at the pool and just watch the world go by.

Not sure that he should bring up the topic, Alec cleared his throat. Since I wrote you last …, I found out that the cruise is going to feature movies and music from the 1960’s. Occasionally, a band might perform rock tunes on the Lido Deck.

There was a pause before Anne, an extremely well-bread English woman, cursed, Bloody Hell!

As the car turned onto the wide, tree-lined drive in front of Flagship Cruise Line’s Sea View Resort, Alec whistled. Instead of seeing some modern monstrosity, Alec was thrilled to behold an elegant country home with ivy climbing up the sides of the three-story estate.

James pulled up to the entrance and signaled a porter to collect their luggage. While Anne and James stayed behind with the car, Alec escorted Paige to the lobby. In the reception area, Alec found the earth-tone colors and floral arrangements welcoming. Transferring his gaze to Paige, Alec winked. I hope our bedroom is equally inviting. We’re still newlyweds and ….

Alec stopped in the middle of his sentence to listen to a guest at the front desk. With a slight British accent, she declared, "I just checked in—Clarice Gardner. The room you gave me is not suitable. I want one facing north and looks out upon the woodland. I require a tranquil place to meditate. Can you take care of it for me?"

While an elderly receptionist saw to her needs, Alec scrutinized her appearance. She was not only beautiful, but also very seductive looking. Her body was sleek and, when she moved her lithe limbs, she looked like a feline stretching, totally at ease with herself and in control of her environment.

It was not until she turned around and eyed Alec that his jaw literally dropped open. With a cryptic smile playing upon her lips and her green eyes glinting with feral delight, she tossed her mane of dark brown hair and set off for the grand staircase.

Alec was told to close his mouth and go up to the next receptionist who had called him to her desk three times. Just as he was showing the woman his paperwork, James joined Alec. Together, the two men registered and were given information about the upcoming events scheduled for the employees of FCL and their guests. Ready to see their rooms and rest awhile, the DunBartons headed to their adjoining suites.

The accommodations met Alec’s expectations. The walls were covered with beige wallpaper, and the drapes and bedspread were cut from the same dusty rose and evergreen-colored chintz material. The polished cherry wood furniture and overstuffed fabric chairs were not overpowering. Each piece was not only functional but also elegant.

Paige called Alec from one of the two over-sized windows. We’re facing the front lawn. It’s so lovely, and the sun is finally out. I was afraid that it was going to be overcast all day.

Moving behind her, Alec slipped his arms around his wife’s waist and whispered in her ear. Let’s try out our bed first and then go for a drive in the New Forest.

Before Paige could answer, a knock sounded at their door. While Alec helped the porter bring in their luggage, Paige took the opportunity to pop into the bathroom to wash away the dirt and grime from their overseas travel.

When she emerged fifteen minutes later, wrapped in a soft bath towel, Alec was stretched out on the bed. His eyes, heavy with sleep, watched her a moment as she unpacked their small suitcase, containing clothes for their two-day stay at the Sea View Resort and Spa.

CHAPTER ONE

Season of the Witch

Words & Music by Donovan Leitch

Donovan, 1966, Scottish

Thursday Afternoon—29th of October

An hour later, Alec was awake and ready for adventure. Despite Paige’s pleas to give his parents more time, Alec knocked loudly on the adjoining door between their two suites. After hearing their lock being turned both ways, Alec was gratified to see his mother dressed to go out. Though petite and on the delicate side, she looked hale and hearty, wearing a tweed suit and a trilby hat.

Alec peeked behind her and saw his dad sitting on the edge of the bed with one shoe in his hand. Grinning, he waved, Come in, son. I guess the drive drained me out more than I thought. What would you like to do today? From what the receptionist told us, I think we’ll have little free time tomorrow.

Wanting to hear Paige’s opinion, Alec called to his wife. Within seconds, she was beside him with her guidebook. Turning to an earmarked section, she said, I think we should visit Minstead, and read aloud:

Minstead is a small village and a civil parish in the New Forest. The area is composed of woodland, heathland, grassland, scrub and valley bog, and it supports a diversity of wildlife. The village pub is called The Trusty Servant and sports an unusual sign of a man with the ears of a donkey, the feet of a stag, and the snout of a pig. The snout has padlocked lips to signify discretion.

The village church is the Church of All Saints. The chancel and nave, which are stone, date back to the 13th century. The rest of the building, in red brick, was constructed during the 18th century. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, is buried under a large oak tree in the churchyard. He was originally interred in a vertical position at his home in Crowborough and was re-buried in Minstead by the family of his deceased first wife after the death of the second wife. Minstead figured prominently in Conan Doyle's historical novel, The White Company.

Taking a much-needed breath, Paige asked, How does that sound?

The DunBartons cheerfully agreed to the outing, deciding to have a quick bite at The Trusty Servant before visiting the gravesite of the prominent writer. Alec was especially keen to pay his respects to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Alec was known as the go-to person on Flagship Cruise Line to investigate suspicious deaths at sea. Though not a professional detective. Alec often drew on the expertise of fictional sleuths—Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Unlike those book characters, Alec had the unique ability to describe his suspects and decipher clues through song lyrics, which often popped into his head at inopportune times.

Echoing Alec’s thoughts, Paige chimed in, Doyle’s characters have managed to survive the test of time. I think Sherlock and Dr. Watson are even more famous now. I’m particularly glad that Watson, on the American TV series, was transformed into a smart and sexy woman. Now, I don’t have to be compared to that crusty old coot who played him in the Basil Rathbone movies.

Alec placed a kiss on Paige’s forehead and confirmed, I also prefer having a female Watson to my Holmes. Eager to get the clan moving, Alec hurried them out of the hotel and into their car.

The drive north to Minstead was very pleasant. It took just twenty-five minutes to get to their destination. While in the car, Paige read a description of the New Forest from her guidebook. Alec was surprised to hear that the land for the New Forest had been set aside in 1079 by William the Conqueror to be royal hunting area for deer. The park, over 900 years old, was hardly new.

When the foursome arrived at The Trusty Servant Inn, they all piled out of the car eager to sample the pub’s fare. Because the temperature had finally reached seventy degrees and there were empty picnic tables in the sun, they decided to eat outside and take in the fresh air.

From the menu, Alec and Paige ordered bangers and mash, and Alec’s parents chose fish and chips, knowing that their son would want to taste some of theirs. While Alec was finishing his mother’s fries, James brought up the conversation he had overheard in the hotel.

With a heavy Scottish brogue, James remarked, I noticed a dark-haired woman at the front desk. She gave me the willies. I think she’s a witch.

Expecting his mother to correct his dad’s politically incorrect statement, Alec was shocked to hear Anne agree, You may be right. I’ve seen women like her before, and they never come to any good.

Mindful that Halloween was just around the corner, Alec sang out:

It’s strange, so strange

You’ve got to pick up every stitch

You’ve got to pick up every stitch

You’ve got to pick up every stitch

Mmm-mm-mmm, must be the season of the witch

Must be the season of the witch, yeah

Must be the season of the witch

Suddenly shuddering, Paige put an end to her husband’s sing-along and pronounced, Enough talk of witches. Let’s visit Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s grave at the church. Sherlock never had to deal with witches. Muttering to herself, she added, I prefer more conventional villains like Professor Moriarty.

The walk to the Church of All Saints took just minutes. Anne, no longer using her cane, was able to easily traverse up the slight hill and through the lychgate to the building’s north porch. Although the church door was locked, the DunBartons were able to pick up nominally-priced pamphlets that were sitting on a shelf in the open entryway. Haven’t yet changed his American notes into British currency, Alec dropped a five-dollar bill into the straw basket.

From the foyer, Anne set off to admire the grounds while Alec and Paige rushed ahead to meet