Lois Meade 14 - Suspicion at Seven (17 page)

L
ois had spent most of yesterday in a kind of loop of thoughts. She would have to stand by her promise to report to Cowgill. What should she tell him without all hell breaking loose in the police station? Her new friendship with Gloria, if she could call it that, would alarm him, no doubt. But Lois was convinced it could be productive. Already she had had a call from Gloria. Not particularly friendly, but very interesting.

The doorbell had interrupted her thoughts, and Gran had admitted Douglas with his two children, saying he was father and mother today as Susie had wanted to go alone to visit her sick sister.

They had stayed for lunch and tea, and then, after they had gone, Lois began to think again. The loop had finally ended when she fell asleep, but as it was still there when she awoke, she decided she would get to see Cowgill first thing, and be back in time for the team meeting at noon.

Now, fortified by one of Gran’s working-day breakfasts, she dialled his number, and was pleased to hear him.

“My Lois, you must have been up with the lark, whose voice, though sweet, is not as sweet as yours. To my ear, anyway!”

“Cut the rubbish, please. Can you see me in about half an hour’s time? I need your help in deciding what to do. I can’t come to the station, so could we meet somewhere private?”

“Lois! Are you serious?”

Lois was losing patience. “Of course I am. It is to do with Aurora Black, and her unlovely husband.”

“Ten thirty. I’ll be waiting for you in our usual café, but ask them to show you to a back room. Mention my name.”

“Fine. I’ll be there. Oh, and actually I do have a reasonably acceptable singing voice. Back row in the sopranos in the Tresham Choral Society.”

“Good heavens, is there no end to your skills, my clever Lois?”

*   *   *

Lois arrived at the café as the Town Hall clock struck half past ten, and as she came up to the counter, the girl manning the till hailed her in a loud voice.

“Morning, Mrs. Meade! The inspector is here already. Come this way, please.”

So much for a private assignation, thought Lois. She shrugged, and hoped that Gloria or one of her friends had not seen her disappearing into a back room that smelt strongly of fish.

“Ugh! What a disgusting pong,” she said, sitting perched on the edge of a plastic folding chair that threatened to collapse beneath her.

“Can’t be too choosy in this job,” said Cowgill. “Let’s get out of here as soon as possible. Meanwhile, what’s new?”

“It’s to do with Aurora. Apparently, Donald Black was an even nastier character than we already thought. Almost as soon as they moved here, he began what can only be called the humiliation of Aurora Black, with his public assignations with other women. Sylvia Fountain was the only one at first, and was, so far as I know, the longest survivor.”

“Are you telling me he killed other women and Sylvia was the last of the line?”

“No. I am only telling you what I know. I can’t tell you my source. But Donald made no attempt to hide his affairs from Aurora. Sylvia idiotically fell for him, and she would do anything he asked. It must have been an awful time for Aurora. I wonder if this is why they moved here. But, of course, the problem moved with them. She must have been permanently on edge, with customers coming into the shop with knowing smiles. You know what gossips are like.”

She was silent, and finally he said, “Is that it, then? You haven’t risked being asphyxiated by fish pong to tell me only that?”

“No. This is the important bit. Linked to that. I am assured that the reading of the last will and testament of Donald Black will be a big step forward in our investigations. And no, I haven’t told Derek or Mum that I was coming here. I must get back home now. Team meeting at noon.”

“Of course. Now, come with me and I’ll show you the back way out of here. And thank you, Lois. I can only say how very grateful I am. This thing about the will is important, and I will act straightaway.”

*   *   *

On the way home, Lois wondered how exactly Cowgill was going to act. She supposed the police would be allowed to look at wills, even before the beneficiaries. Something to check.

She arrived home as Dot Nimmo was parking outside, ready for the meeting.

“Morning, Dot! Unlike you to be first.”

Dot frowned. She knew that she was usually the last, but this morning she had a piece of news for Mrs. M, a private and important piece of news, she hoped.

Lois looked at her watch. It was a quarter to twelve, and she ushered Dot into her study. “I need to go upstairs,” she said. “Shan’t be long.”

“Can it wait?” said Dot. “Please. I’ve got something to tell you before the others get here.”

“Fine. Carry on, Dottie.”

“Well, my friend who works at the Mill said she didn’t want to be mixed up with the police. Her husband would kill her, she said. So I promised not to mention her name. Anyway, she said she was working late the night Sylvia Black was killed. She passed by her bedroom door, and heard sounds of a struggle. That’s how she put it.”

“Is she reliable?”

Dot nodded. “I’d trust her from here to Jerusalem,” she said.

“I’ll tell Cowgill, Dottie. Thanks.”

“Well, she don’t want nothing to do with it. Leastways, not unless it’s something to help you, Mrs. M. I know you really like Aurora Black and would like to help clear up the whole business.”

*   *   *

Floss was the next to arrive, and then Sheila and the others in a bunch. Hazel was last, apologising for being late, but saying she was interviewing a new client.

“Recommended by Mrs. Prentise,” she said. “Another well-off widow from those posh houses in millionaire’s row in Fletching.”

“Sounds good,” said Lois. “Thanks, Hazel. Now, shall we start with reports? Do you want to begin, Floss? How’s it going with the Prentises?”

“Very well. Mrs. P has stopped following me around, which is nice. I think she trusts me now. Coffee’s real and good, and I wash my hands with gorgeous soap from Covent Garden! I think that’s about it. Oh no, I did actually meet the daughter, Gloria, again. I admired the little silver heart locket she was wearing, and she said she bought it from Mrs. Weedon at the agricultural show. I’d love to see who she’s hiding in there!”

“So would I, Floss. So would I,” said Lois.

The rest of the meeting went smoothly, and before they all started to move out, she asked them to sit down again as she wanted to ask a favour. “Of you all,” she said

“Fire away,” said Andrew. He had begun his decorating job in the Mill, and began to feel he knew the local environs well. He had spoken several times to Milly Black, and felt really sorry for her because she was clearly very worried about her mother.

“Well,” said Lois, “it’s like this. You must all be aware of the disappearance of Mrs. Black from the bakery. I would be most grateful if you could all keep eyes and ears open for any possible leads to finding her. Any mention of her or her husband. Or of Milly, come to that. The smallest thing may be useful. If you do hear or see anything, don’t wait until next Monday meeting. Give me a ring straightaway. I have this odd feeling that there’s something quite close to home that we haven’t noticed.”

“I might hear something at the Prentises,” said Floss. “Mrs. P is always on the phone. Will that help?”

“Exactly that. Thanks, Floss. Anyone else?”

Andrew cleared his throat. “Um, well, I don’t know if this has anything to do with Aurora’s disappearance, but I have noticed in the hotel that the bedroom where the woman was strangled is permanently locked. I asked for a key, as I wanted to include it in my plan, but they said it had been locked, and they did not have a duplicate. The police, I suppose. All the other bedrooms have duplicate keys, and I know where they are kept. And that friend of Dot’s was in there cleaning around. She’s not exactly a ghostly sylph!”

Dot Nimmo laughed, and Lois joined in the general amusement.

“Perhaps they’ve got Aurora Black locked up in the bathroom,” said Andrew.

“We’re getting a bit wild here, I’m afraid,” said Lois.

“I think it’s probably got a bad-luck jinx on it now,” said Hazel. “People coming in to the office in Tresham have mentioned the case a lot lately. They know our farm spreads quite a long way towards Brigham, and are curious to hear about the deaths there. I don’t say much, but if I hear anything, I’ll certainly pass it on, Mrs. M.”

Sheila Stratford, whose husband was a retired farmworker, said that she would ask him if he’d heard any gossip in the pub, as he spent quite a long lunchtime there most days. Sheila was the one who was most willing to work over lunch hours, and had given him permission to meet his friends.

“You know I shall ask around the seamier sides of town,” said Dot. “I think I know the right questions and the right people to ask. I hope you don’t mind, Mrs. M, but I do have a hunch about something. I’d like to follow up a possible sighting of Aurora. I am not at all sure, but I think I caught a quick flash of the back of her outside the bakery, down a little alley at the side of the house, after she was supposed to have gone missing. I haven’t reported it to the police, because I could not swear it was her, and anyway, they never believe a word I say. I can just hear old Cowgill: ‘Don’t waste our time, Mrs. Nimmo.’”

“I would like to know more about that, Dot. I’ll see if anyone else has caught sight of her. That’s the most optimistic thing we’ve heard.”

“I’ll go carefully, though. I’ll let you know if I can find out more. Is that okay?”

“Keep in touch, promise? I’d rather you told us; then we can all help if it goes wrong.”

“Don’t forget I’m a Nimmo, will you? Nimmos hunt alone, like the dreaded panther.”

This was so ridiculous that they all laughed, but kindly, and after that left in good order.

L
ois decided to collect bread and buns after lunch, and to have a chat with Milly. When she told her mother this, Gran frowned disapproval.

“Why don’t you come to the Women’s Institute with me and Joan this afternoon, Lois?” said Gran, as she cleared the dishes from the table. There had been only she and her daughter having lunch, and Gran had thought Lois looked exhausted. She was surprised, as usually the team’s meeting bucked her up, and after the girls and Andrew had all gone, Lois would often seem fired up and ready for anything. Today, all she looked ready for was bed.

“Thanks, but no thanks, Mum. I plan to go and stock up on bread and buns from Milly at the bakery.”

“Oh, Lois, why don’t you let Cowgill and his henchmen find Aurora? They’re professionals, and it’s only a hobby for you. A ridiculous hobby, as I’ve said many times. But I might as well save my breath.” She put her arm round Lois’s shoulders, and kissed the top of her head.

This was such an unaccustomed gesture that Lois looked at her mother’s concerned face, and said she was very sorry for causing her worry, but she felt they were close to the end now, and she would take a long break from ferretin’ after that.

“Don’t stay over at Brigham too long then. Joan is coming to tea, and I know she’d like to see you. She’s been dropping hints!”

“I’m always pleased to see Joan. Are you cooking up some other scheme?”

“Not necessarily. But we are a bit like you and your ferretin’, my dear. Our intentions are good, but we seldom keep to them.”

“True. Well, I know everyone enjoyed the last party, so maybe we can muster the troops and do it as a combined effort.”

Gran nodded. “We hoped you’d say that. Well done, Lois. Your father would be proud of you.”

“So where are you planning to have it?”

“At Mrs. Prentise’s house. She’s offered. She even said she would love to help and knew that all her rich friends would enjoy a gossip and the opportunity to buy.”

“Does Floss know about this? She didn’t mention it at the meeting.”

“No, nobody else, except Joan and you and me. We’ll get more supplies from our jeweller friends in Tresham, and second time round, we shall find it much easier. Correct the mistakes we made as beginners.”

“Next stop a boutique in London’s West End, I suppose?”

“Why not? Now, you go to Brigham and I’ll go to the Women’s Institute with Joan. And could you ask Milly to put this notice up in the shop?”

“Mum! You’ve been plotting this for days! And who did this notice for you?”

“Joan, of course. She’s a whiz on the computer. Do you think I should get one? If she can master it, I’m sure I could do the same.”

“Heaven preserve us! You’d have it on the muck heap before one week was out! Stay as sweet as you are, as the old song says. Now I must be off. See you at teatime.”

*   *   *

The sky was grey and promised rain, but the narrow road to Brigham was empty of traffic, and Lois drove along slowly, appreciating time to get her thoughts straight. She could not ignore Dot’s uncertain report that she might have seen Aurora, though she thought it well nigh impossible, and if she had, she might well be walking into some kind of trap. Her phone would not have stopped ringing if the poor woman had come home. So now she had to think of a way of asking Milly if she too had seen her mother.

The bakery had a closed sign in the window, and Lois rang the house bell. After a long interval, she tried again. She heard steps from the bakehouse, and then felt a soft hand on her arm.

“Mrs. Meade, how lovely to see you.” It was Milly and she was outside, standing behind Lois, who quickly turned around.

“Hello, Milly! I came over hoping you’d have some bread left.”

“Yes, and currant buns? I know Meades love currant buns. I came out here thinking I heard footsteps in the backyard. Ours is an old house, and we do have noises with no explanation. Anyway, enough of that. Come on in, and let’s have a chat.”

As they walked into the shop, Lois could now hear scuffling noises coming from the bakehouse. As Milly led the way through, Lois was astonished to hear her yell, one single high-pitched yell, and then see her crumple to the floor.

She rushed to help her, and in the space of a few seconds, Milly regained consciousness and sat up. She tried to say something, but only croaked one word, pointing to the oven.

“Mum!” she said again, and a figure stepped out of the shadows and rushed over to Milly.

“Aurora!” said Lois. “For God’s sake, woman, where have you been?”