Episode 25 - Phyllis

Gary found Dorothy's guest bed comfortable and the catering first class. Dorothy told him that her dream of family and children had come to a sad end after her one and only romance had ended with the departure of her young man to foreign parts.

"He promised to send for me," she told him, cracking two eggs into the frying-pan rather viciously. "But he didn't."

"I'm sorry about that, Dorothy."

"Oh! Don't be sorry! When I see what happens to nearly all the marriages I know about, I think I've had a lucky escape."

"You could be right."

"So if you got a rotten deal, get out of it, Gary."

"Wouldn't that be betrayal?"  

"The betrayal has already been, isn't it?"

"I suppose you mean Shirley."

Gary sounded totally miserable.

“She was not an affair, Dorothy. Just a flirt.”

"Well, she's dead now, so snap out of it," Dorothy scolded. "Get your act together and grow up!”

“I’m just worried about my daughter, Dorothy. Her mother has dragged her to Spain to be with her and her lover. I don’t like the guy and I don’t trust him, either. And my wife found that it cramped her style to have a child so I have no idea what will become of Charlie.”

“Get your daughter back, Gary, and get that divorce through!”

Gary reflected that she sounded like his mother might have done, except that his mother would tell him to drag Cleo away from the butcher, even if it was her cottage.

“But…”

“But what, Dorothy?”

“Don’t depend on Cleo for emotional support, Gary,” said Dorothy. “She’s uncertain about Robert, but determined to go through with it.”

“Did she tell you that,” said Gary.

“Not in so many words,” said Dorothy.

“I’ll try not to bother her,” replied Gary meekly. “I did care for my wife once, you know, and the affair with Shirley didn’t happen."

“I think Cleo loves you, but she is not going to leave Robert because she’s grateful-.”

Dorothy put the plate of fried breakfast down in front of Gary and a slice of toast with a fried egg on it where she was planning to sit.

"Now eat up before it gets cold," she bossed. "Cold breakfast grease is not good for you."

But penny lectures are, mused Gary, feeling a warmth about Dorothy that was comforting and reassuring. He had found a friend, he mused; someone he could trust to be truthful and sympathetic.

"I can't thank you enough, Dorothy," he said, after his plate had been wiped clean and several slices of buttered toast had been dispatched. “Can we have a quick hug to seal our friendship?”

“I’d like that,” said Dorothy, wishing she were half her age.

"Get going now,” said Dorothy at the end of the hugging session. “I want to practise the piano. And Gary…"

“Yes?”

“If you love Cleo as much as I think she loves you, you must fight for her, but be discreet and don’t hurry things.”

***

Dorothy had not yet been asked to play the organ for the Sunday service. Dorothy wondered why, as she accompanied Gary to the door.

"I expect you'll be roped in to paint some of Gloria's walls," she told him, "unless you are going home."

"No. I’m going to Cleo’s. She might be glad to see me."

“She will be, even if she has to put on an act before Robert,” said Dorothy. “I like Robert most of the time, but there’s something about him that doesn’t fit in with the jovial butcher image.”

“At least you can’t accuse me of being jovial,” said Gary. “Thanks again for letting me stay and giving me such a sumptuous breakfast.”

Gary would walk to Cleo’s cottage, where he had left his car. He was thoughtful about what Dorothy had said. Cleo did not know how much Dorothy knew about them. Was she afraid that Dorothy would tell Robert? It comforted Gary to know that Dorothy shared their secret and would not divulge it.

***

Gary was being rather cynical, Dorothy thought. As he was leaving, he held the garden gate open for the vicar to surge past, quite obviously in a state. A detective inspector could feel like a small boy when faced with Dorothy's authority. He wondered if the vicar felt like that.

***

"Dorothy, Dorothy. Aren't you coming to play the organ?" the distraught man of God moaned in his best altar voice. He was standing outside the window. Dorothy was already pounding away at the last movement of the Moonlight sonata. She wasn’t in the mood for anything quiet and meditative. It was semiquavers all the way.

Fredrick Parsnip picked up a small stone from the gravel path and tapped it against the window. Dorothy turned round, startled. Her heart sank. She knew what the vicar had come for. A hysterical vicar was all he needed.

Having opened the door for the vicar and heard the vicar’s panicky request several times over, Dorothy managed to get a word in.

"Was I supposed to play? No one asked me."

"I'm asking you now. I'm pleading with you."

Dorothy's intention to send him packing was overridden by the urgency of her friend's plea.

"Drop the drama," she scoffed. "I'll just get my hat and coat on and next time, if there is one, I'll need more notice."

"Yes, Dorothy. Quite right."

***

Since Dorothy had been half expecting to fill in the gap left by Gareth Morgan, even at such short notice, she had definitely been playing hard to get.

***

"Regrettable that Mr Morgan has gone," said the vicar.

"Regrettable that you are so penny-pinching, Frederick," Dorothy retorted.

"He had to go, Dorothy. Edith was starting to get funny ideas."

Life is full of surprises, Dorothy decided. She hadn't realised that Frederick had noticed anything. He was normally an uncommonly unobservant person and he was totally indifferent to his family.

"You could have told him the reason you wanted him to go," she said.

"And lost Edith for ever!" the vicar cried, as if he were about to drop the tablet with the Ten Commandments.

“I didn’t know you were so devoted, Frederick,” said Dorothy. “I thought you just saw the housekeeper in her.”

“But what would people think, Dorothy?”

***

Dorothy was sure that that the Parsnip marriage was all over except for the shouting. His first thought was of keeping up appearances. No thought of Edith. Drat the man.

***

"Rubbish, Frederick. You've probably lost her through this absurd economy of yours. I wouldn't be surprised if she went off to Wales after him."

Dorothy didn't really think that would happen, but something dramatic was needed to get her friend to see sense.

Frederick was horrified.

"Please don't say anything about this to Edith," he begged as they approached the church. “She might get silly ideas.”

"If she doesn’t already have them, Frederick."

"Will you organize me another organist, then?"

"I certainly will," said Dorothy, who had already decided to organize a female of advanced years for him. That way they would all be better off.

***

Cleo, Robert and Dorothy thought it highly unlikely that Gareth had fathered Phyllis's child. Gloria couldn't have cared less. The main thing was to get rid of the woman fast.

When they arrived at the flat there was no sign of Phyllis, but her night things were folded neatly on the bed and her cosmetics were lined up in the bathroom. A pair of tights hung in the shower to dry. It didn't look as if she was planning to leave. Gloria stuffed everything into the overnight bag Phyllis had also left behind. Where had she gone so early on a Sunday?

"You'll have to change the locks, Robert," advised Gary, who had followed everyone to the shop. "I can get someone here now if you like."

"No, Gary. I'd like to be here when she comes back, then I can give her a piece of my mind and send her packing.”

Robert was going to be firm. Cleo was relieved. He was susceptible to soft talk, this bear of a man.

Phyllis did not put in an appearance for ages, which was a nuisance seeing as they all wanted to see the back of her. Her overnight bag was packed and dumped outside the flat door. The bed had been stripped and everything washable was being washed in the washing machine that was part of the mod cons in the flat.

With Gary to help, plastic film covered all the furniture and the floor and the flat was soon sporting a fresh coat of the white paint Robert kept in his storeroom to make sure the shop was always spick and span. After a short break for a snack, Gary volunteered to stay in the flat with Gloria and help her move things round while Robert and Cleo went to Kelly's farm to see Kelly. Gary's presence would have alarmed Kelly, who would surely have stayed hidden if he felt guilty of a crime, so that offer was gratefully accepted.

***

Gloria was glad to have Gary’s company since she did not want to confront Phyllis alone. Gary was glad he did not have to go home yet. He wondered if he could trouble Dorothy to put him up for another night. Dorothy, who had only just returned to her cottage from her tussle with the organ and Frederick, and from consoling Edith, who was sad and dejected that Mr Morgan had left, was delighted when Gary phoned and asked if he could stay another night.

Attempts to find Kelly failed.

"He's hiding out somewhere," said Robert. "Dorothy might know where. Let's leave it for today and Dorothy can try tomorrow or Tuesday."

"But what if he's aware of us, Robert? That might make it dangerous for Dorothy." 

"That lady can look after herself," said Robert. "I don't think we need worry."

"I hope you're right".

As they were approaching Robert’s shop after giving up Kelly, Phyllis was just getting out of a car, which immediately sped off with a roar. They watched her open the house door and climb the stairs to the flat. But now Gloria's key was in the lock on the inside, so Phyllis's key would not turn.

"Forgotten something?" called Robert from the bottom of the stairs.

Phyllis looked as if she had seen a ghost.

She whipped round and shouted "I live here now."

"No you don't," said Robert, climbing the stairs two at a time.

"Yes I do. I've got the house keys, haven't I?"

She knew that Gareth had left, and yet she was upholding the claim to be in a relationship with him.

"From before you jilted poor Mr Morgan," said Cleo, opening the flat door from the inside. Gloria joined her. They were now all standing inside or outside the flat door except for Gary, who was standing further back.

"Let me in," said Phyllis. "This is my flat."

"No it isn't, young lady," replied Gloria, grabbing the woman's arm in a vice grip. The presence of Cleo and Robert gave her confidence, not to mention Gary, who was waiting for the right moment to intervene.

"Make her let go of me," wailed Phyllis. "I'm pregnant."

"So you won't want a fight, will you?" said Gloria, tightening her grip.

"Just hand over the keys and get out of here before I call the police," said Robert. “You’re fired!”

"Not fired please and no police," Phyllis said, handing over the keys." I wasn't doing any harm."

"Breaking and entering with stolen keys is a criminal offence," said Robert.

"I didn't steal the keys," Phyllis wailed.

"You did. You had copies made without my permission," Robert said. "If you didn't want to get into the flat, what did you want to do with them?"

"Gareth was my friend," she whined.

"But you weren't his, were you?" sneered Robert. "You were just using him. Now get on your way, and don't come here again."

"But what about my pay?" said Phyllis, in one last attempt to straighten out her life.

Robert opened his wallet and took out a few notes.

“Thirty. That’s all you’re getting.”

“But I did more work than that.”

“Rubbish. You’ve worked only five days this month.”

“I want more.”

"You’re not getting any more and I might take the thirty back if you don’t get going.”

Robert was not usually so hard-hearted.

“You're fired on the spot," said Robert. "Did you hear me?"

“You can’t do this to me,” wailed Phyllis.

“Oh yes he can, young lady,” said Gary, appearing as if from nowhere and startling Phyllis. She knew who he was. Had they already called the police after her things had been discovered there from the previous night?

"Where shall I go? My new boyfriend finished our relationship this morning."

"I expect you told him it's his baby you're expecting," said Cleo.

"Well, it is," said Phyllis.

"And you told Gareth it was his," Robert reminded her. "You may have a problem there. Do you know who the father is, or will anyone do?"

Phyllis burst into tears. Gary put an end to the scene by escorting a vigorously protesting Phyllis down the stairs and out of the front door, throwing her overnight bag after her.

"It's your decision, Phyllis," he told her. "Go now, and I won't arrest you."

"Bog off, cop," said Phyllis under her breath, and went off up the road.

"What was that, Phyllis?" shouted Gary after her.

"Thank you, Sir," she said, throwing the house keys at him.

“Thank YOU!” said Gary.

***

Phyllis had no argument against being given the sack. She was sure the Hartley woman had been snooping and knew all about her. Better keep a low profile and find someone else to shack up with. She brightened up when she remembered the guy who had often come into the shop and made eyes at her. Now what was his name, for heaven's sake? Verdi? Italian, too. Hadn’t they invented the Kama Sutra?

***

Cleo looked approvingly at Robert. He was learning to be firm and keep to his decisions. Gloria threw her arms round him. What a nice guy Bobby was to have as a son-in-law, she decided. And Gary had enjoyed the little drama even if Phyllis hadn't.

"Now you have an extra set of keys, Gloria," Robert told her as Gary handed them to her. "You can thank the resourceful Phyllis for that."

"And I've done all I can in the way of decorating," said Gary. "I'll cut along now."

"But aren't you staying at Dorothy's?" said Gloria.

"And eating dinner with us?" said Cleo. "Tonight really is Gloria's last night at the cottage."

"Well…"

"Just see it as a reward for all your hard work, if that makes you feel better," said Gloria.

"I'll call Dorothy," added Cleo. "She loves baking and hates cooking for one. She'll be delighted to have another of Robert's dinners."

"I don't know how to thank you all," said Gary.

"Don't even try," said Cleo. "We're friends, Gary. And anyway, it's back to the grindstone tomorrow and you still have a few murders to solve, quite apart from anything else Dorothy told you to do."

It was Robert and Gary’s turn to exchange glances. Damn and blast. Those women were always at least one step ahead.