Murder at the Mill

By C. E. Davis

Orphaned as a small child, Cathy is raised by her paternal uncle and already has an ex-husband by the age of twenty-eight.

Cathy runs her online crystals and essential oil business, from her small cottage in Green Valley, in the Northwest of England.

A letter from a solicitor changes Cathy's life and introduces her to the enchanted m

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kate Davis
• Release date: Mar 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9781915889294

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Solicitors

Cathy was at the solicitors, in Green Valley, for the reading of her grandmothers will. She had not really known either of her grandmothers, but this one was on her maternal grandmother. Her mother June, and father, Kenneth Collins, had left the area when Cathy was an infant. Visits to the area, had been rare. When she had received the letter about the reading of the will, she did not even know that her Grandma Sally had died. So, she had in fact, missed her own grandmother’s funeral.

Cathy’s own parents had been tragically killed in a skiing accident when she was a toddler and she had been raised by her father’s brother. Uncle John Collins. He was a quiet man, a confirmed bachelor, lacking some emotional skills, but he had taken in the orphan toddler and raised her in his own way – fed, watered, and educated. Cathy left her Uncle John to go off to university. Where she met and married her ex-husband whilst only twenty-two. Cathy thought back to her own parents and realised that Sally would now be with them in the family vault - she must go back and visit soon.

Cathy was as surprised to be sat around the table, as were the other people sat there. After introductions she realised, she had an elderly aunt and uncle and a much older cousin. They did not seem that pleased to see her.

Cathy sat and daydreamed about her inheritance. What would she receive – money, a ring? Or more likely a duck ornament or such like. Eventually the very stuffy solicitor coughed and brought her attention back into the room. Catherine, your grandmother has bequest to you, her lock up storage unit at the local business centre. The goods left inside are yours to do as you will with. If you decide to retain the unit then the rent has been paid for the next couple of years, so that should not be a financial worry to you.

The other three people in the room sniggered between themselves. Less for us to deal with, murmured the elderly Aunt.

Cathy sat and listened to the rest of the reading of the will. She did not know these people and they certainly had not helped with her upbringing after her parents died.  One of them must be her mother’s sibling – but which one? Uncle John her father’s brother had brought her parents bodies back from Switzerland after the skiing accident and arranged the funeral. In fact, Cathy could not recall these three people or of having ever met them in her life. The cousin had been bequeathed the tiny house her grandmother had lived in and was already googling how much money she would receive from selling it. The aunt and uncle jointly received what bit of money there was – nothing to write home about.

She let herself daydream again about what was in the lock up storage unit – an old painting or antique she could get some cash from. Cathy was not short of money, she ran her own online business, but no one would turn down a bit extra – would they?  Or maybe, it was just a trick to let her remove all the rubbish at her expense, ever optimistic Cathy thought.  At least she may have somewhere to store her stock for her crystal jewellery business, as her small cottage was getting a bit cramped.

When the will had been overseen and everyone knew their share, the solicitor seems to soften and be more approachable. He handed her a parcel, which looked like a book, or a photo album?  He handed her the keys to the unit and told her the location. He then added that the parcel could only be opened once she had gone inside the storage unit, and that it would all be explained then. "How mysterious" she thought to herself.

The obligatory cup of tea and biscuits were brought out, and Cathy had a chance to talk to the three relatives she was with. It turned out that the woman was her mothers, much older sister, Aunt Audrey and her husband, Uncle Charles and the daughter was Cousin Elizabeth. They had noses stuck that far in the air, that one could see right up the nostril. Oh, please do keep in touch darling Catherine her aunt stumbled to say to her, and they then left the office.

Cathy, The solicitor called her back. Please call me Roger. There is something I must tell you about your grandmother before you leave.  Now Cathy was very confused; a family so close she never knew; a storage unit to clean up; what would she learn now?

Your grandmother left you an unbelievably valuable part of her estate, one that few people know about. She knows that you will take things a day at a time, learning the skills necessary to follow her. If you need anything, and I mean anything, please give me a call. It will be a new and interesting journey for you, but your grandmother has every faith that you will succeed. She wanted me to tell you that she has watched you growing up and kept a keen interest in your life. Your Uncle John was not all stiff collars and cufflinks, he knew this day would arrive sometime. I cannot say any more at this time. You will need to go to the lock up unit at your earliest convenience and things will become clearer, although if I do say, stranger for you!  And with that he gave her his business card with his personal phone number and email on and showed her the door.

Cathy’s cottage was near to the solicitor’s office, and she had walked there. She walked back slowly to her own small cottage, her mind overflowing with all this added information she was trying to understand. A chilly wind blew past her making her shiver. She quickened her pace, looking up at the moors and hills of her beloved Green Valley. The area had been formed, from a glacier sliding through the valley, thousands of years before.  The name Green Valley was so appropriate, as at this time of year everything was in bloom and so lush.

She decided a strong coffee, feet up and laptop were her best plans for the present, as it was late afternoon by the time, she reached her house.

Cathy checked her laptop and emails. Any orders for her online business could wait until morning Business was good, but the couple of orders waiting would wait for tomorrows post. She decided a long hot bath and early night would be best for her, and a clear head for tomorrow, for when she goes to check out her inheritance. Fluffy, her large scruffy ginger tomcat meowed in agreement.

Chapter 2

The Mill

Cathy did not get much sleep; her night was spent tossing and turning, and she had some very weird dreams about wizards and witches. She felt sure she had heard her grandmother tell her in her dreams that the world would be fine now, but to be aware that not all people are as they seem.

If only she was still married to Martin Bradbury; at least she would have had someone to discuss all this with, but he was on a cruise with his latest fling. That made her smile and realised if she was suddenly wealthy, that man would no longer have access to her money. It made her glad she was actually divorced. It was a shock at the time that he had married her thinking she was loaded with her Uncle John’s money and her parents’ insurance money, but what he hadn’t known, was that the money was in trust for her own children for some reason, and that she only got a generous allowance. 

This allowance had allowed her to set her up online business, and Martin was not very happy that he had to go out to work and earn his own money, hence he was on the cruise with his latest rich conquest. Although this was the second since they had divorced. If only I could show him, I was not useless. The insults he had called her made her cringe inside.  It had taken a while to get over him, and she was still only twenty-eight!!   Well at least he was unaware of her inheritance now and would not be in her life anymore to belittle and expect a lazy life through her!

First though, she knew she must check to see if any orders or messages for her shop Cathy’s Crystal Cave, She had always been obsessed with crystals and essential oils throughout her life. Uncle John was a geologist and had a collection of rocks at home, that was where her love of stones and nature came from. He had been kind and explained what all the rocks were, and where they were from in the world. She had started collecting at an early age. Then eventually after studying business studies herself at university, Cathy decided she wanted her own independence and created her online store.

Eventually she had seen quite a success with the shop, but instead of giving the money to the idle ex, she put the profits back into the business, expanding from crystals to making crystal jewellery. When the ex-left for someone with money, Cathy held her crystal and essential oil even closer to her to help the hurt and betrayal. It was only over two years since he had left her for a rich woman from out of town. But Cathy was getting over things slowly. Not that she had replaced him, it would take a long time to regain the trust of someone new. She wanted someone to love her, not the thought of the money she was linked to. They had sold their house they had bought together, and so she rented a small cottage, which came with Fluffy the cat already installed. She had not minded the cat, as it was very friendly, and she felt he protected her already.

After, finally checking the orders, messages and getting showered and dressed, she thought she had better go and check out the mysterious lock up. Fluffy the cat tried to get into her bag to go with her. What are you doing you daft cat, I won’t be long. He looked up at her with his huge eyes, but he was to stay at home.

Cathy knew the area well and the old textile mill was near the large lake she used to go walking around, not that she had ever been to the mill itself. She drove across the old rickety bridge, and saw the heron stood in the river, waiting for its lunch. She parked in the car park with the sign Visitors to the mill only. She smiled to herself and thought that a lot of people would park here to go walking around the area. A river flowed by the car park and the old mill pond was further around on the old mill rough road, towards the back of the building, The mill itself was an imposing building; parts of it were built back in the 1850’s and had been built on many times since. She would have to do some research into this place; it was amazing.  Walking up the mill drive, and following the reception signs, Cathy saw a row of old workers cottages; twelve small terraced and two larger houses, which she assumed would have been the manager’s houses. The imposing office block came in front of her, she thought to herself; it would make a fabulous living accommodation.

Cathy hesitated. She had no idea where she would find the lockup that was now hers, it was unit 3.  She knew she would have to go into the reception to ask. She did not know why she felt so hesitant though.  Going through the huge white doors she arrived back in time; the reception area was still in 1920s décor, with mahogany-boarded panelling on the walls with three doors off it and a huge staircase leading upstairs.

One of the doors had a sign for the reception so she opened it and found herself at a small counter and rang the bell for attention. She need not have bothered, as all eyes in the room where on her, which made her feel even more uncomfortable. It was as though they all knew who she was, yet she knew none of them. A young girl came over and asked if she could help Cathy. Oh yes please she said, I am looking for unit 3 and have no idea where to go.  At that moment, a door opened, and a very distinguished older gentleman walked in, and the office staff all looked down at the computer keyboards as if they had been caught cheating.

Welcome Catherine, I am Harold, the owner of this fabulous building. The ladies should have told me that you had arrived. Follow me this way please. He led her into the room he had come from. What an amazing room; the board room had a huge table down the middle and walled panelling like the entrance hall, but the atmosphere in it felt out of this world.

Take a seat Catherine, I need to explain a few things to you. Harold said to her. "My name, as I have said is Harold. I was a close friend of your grandma Sally. I will show you to her unit myself. The mill is not like other buildings in the area, some parts are off limits to many people. As you get used to the mill itself, I will show you around and explain where you can and cannot go, but to start with, the cellars are totally restricted to a few members of staff only.

Your grandmother was one of our first tenants when we turned the textile mill into the business centre. The top story of the mill is now apartments. Quite a few of the tenants are reclusive, so you may not come across them. The ground floor and first floor are made up of small business and storage units. Your grandmother’s unit is at the other end of the building, one of the, shall we say, exceptional units. I think it will be better to chat once we get inside Sally’s unit".

With that, Harold stood up and they left the board room through a door that led back to the entrance hall. Harold led the way down a rabbit warren of small units. She smiled to herself as she imagined all the people behind the closed doors working away, or whatever they were doing. She could hear the odd radio blaring from some units. Harold walked with her, talking about why the textile mill had stopped production and the history of then being turned into storage units and small workspaces. The mill had been built next to the Dove Stone River and was a woollen mill to start with, and then changing to a cotton mill in the 1940s. The main customers had been tyre manufacturers in the midlands, until 2001, when the mill ceased production, as the Chinese import market made things difficult.  Then the business centre had been created.

Cathy felt that he was quite excited to be taking her himself to the mysterious lock up. She looked over at Harold and was surprised he only looked to be in his mid-sixties, yet her grandmother had been in her late eighties when she passed away. There was something in the water that flowed by the mill. She could not help wondering why her grandmother’s unit was so different that she had a personal showing by the mill owner. She was beginning to feel excited to be finding out, she just hoped she would not be disappointed and find herself lots of work that she did not really need. She clutched the parcel the solicitor had given to her, and her mind wondered to what was in it. She did hope it was a photograph album or family tree, something to show her ancestry.

They had reached the end of a long corridor, lit by fluorescent lights, no windows, just doors to the units. In front was a fire door, with a sign for Emergency use only. Harold opened this door and at the side you could see a smaller door, which was almost hidden away from them, and in front the emergency exit to the main car park outside. Harold took the keys from Cathy and unlocked the hidden door. This opened into a bright corridor; not much in the corridor, just a long white tunnel that seemed to lead to nowhere. They eventually stopped outside of another semi hidden door. Cathy felt a rush of chilly air swish through her; she had felt something like that in her dreams last night too.

Harold paused; he seemed lost for words. Err, he mumbled to himself rather than to Cathy, you didn’t know much about your grandmother, did you? 

Cathy shook her head. Why, is there a problem with the inheritance and the contents of the storage space? I had hoped to get it emptied and sorted out as soon as I could if, I am honest.

Right, hesitantly Harold then saw she was carrying the parcel from the solicitor. Let’s get this started, get inside and put the kettle on and have a cuppa. Cathy was surprised that this unit would have a kettle, let alone a