Read Online A Jane Austen Encounter by Donna Fletcher Crow - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Donna Fletcher Crow
Ads: Link
the plaza and sat at a small table in the sun. Elizabeth chose the prawn Marie Rose sandwich and just sat, smiling at her companion. A busker near the Abbey played “Scarborough Fair” on the violin, and nearer them, a circle of tourists clapped for a young man and woman doing a juggling act with plates, balls, and spangled batons. This was what their second honeymoon was supposed to be like—time just to enjoy each other and their surroundings. No worries.
“There you two are.” Elizabeth jumped at the abrupt, hectoring voice breaking in on her idyll.
Richard came slowly to his feet, not hiding his reluctance very well. “Dr. Greystone, won’t you join us?”
“No, no. Had my lunch, thanks. Just thought I should tell you. The police are looking for you.”
Chapter 7
BACK IN THE DIRECTOR’S office at the Jane Austen Centre, Richard ran his fingers through his dark hair, exhibiting the streaks of grey at his temples. “No, Officer, I don’t have any idea who could have stolen the letter.” He looked at the uniformed police officer sitting across the table from him. “Wait a minute. The letter was still here after the break-in. Arthur and I didn’t find it until the next morning.” He was struggling to recall the order of recent events. “You mean there’s been another burglary?”
“That’s how it appears.” Police Constable Bill Weston’s clear blue eyes didn’t blink.
“I thought Robert Sheldrake was sending it to the British Library or something.”
“That’s right. Mr. Sheldrake says he had put the letter in the top desk drawer. But when he came in for it just before lunch to send it to London, it was gone.” He cleared his throat. “I understand you were at the Centre this morning?”
“Yes. We stopped in briefly to buy some maps.” Richard pulled them from his pocket and held them out as evidence.
“And you didn’t go up to the first floor at all?”
“No. Wait a minute. You don’t think I—” Richard’s voice rose.
“What I mean, sir, is, you didn’t see anything suspicious? Anyone who shouldn’t have been here?”
“How would I know who should be here? Robert would be the one to ask. Or Arthur—wasn’t he working here this morning?”
“Arthur Langton? He’s the one who helped Mr. Sheldrake search the office, in case the letter had been misplaced.”
“Surely that’s exactly what happened,” Richard insisted.
“So he thought at first, but it doesn’t seem to be here. Nor any of the others.”
“Others? There were more? I only saw one letter. Lots of other stuff, but I only noticed one letter.”
“Miss Cholmley recalls seeing a packet of small brown envelopes before she was attacked.”
“Oh, so that must be what the intruder was after. Must have grabbed the stack, but dropped one in his haste.”
“And when you found Miss Cholmley, did you notice a dropped letter?”
Richard thought back. “No. Arthur and I found it still in the box with the other donated items the next morning.”
“But it was alone? You didn’t see a packet of letters?”
“No. I would have noticed. We went through everything, Arthur and I. We didn’t begin to get everything read, but we did finish sorting it all. Claire had only made a start. When I found the letter, I got rather excited and went to tell Elizabeth about it. Arthur stayed to work on the papers and returned to do more this morning. I’m afraid that’s all I know.”
The constable looked back over his notes. “So you and Mr. Langton sorted through everything in the box and you didn’t see any more letters?”
“That’s right. It’s what I said.” Richard frowned. He was sure he’d been clear in his statement.
“Well, you see, there’s a bit of a problem, sir, because Miss Hammersley says she saw them when she visited Mr. Langton here the afternoon before the robbery. She suggested perhaps you took them for further study.”
“Me? That’s insane. I don’t know what she thinks she saw, but
“There you two are.” Elizabeth jumped at the abrupt, hectoring voice breaking in on her idyll.
Richard came slowly to his feet, not hiding his reluctance very well. “Dr. Greystone, won’t you join us?”
“No, no. Had my lunch, thanks. Just thought I should tell you. The police are looking for you.”
Chapter 7
BACK IN THE DIRECTOR’S office at the Jane Austen Centre, Richard ran his fingers through his dark hair, exhibiting the streaks of grey at his temples. “No, Officer, I don’t have any idea who could have stolen the letter.” He looked at the uniformed police officer sitting across the table from him. “Wait a minute. The letter was still here after the break-in. Arthur and I didn’t find it until the next morning.” He was struggling to recall the order of recent events. “You mean there’s been another burglary?”
“That’s how it appears.” Police Constable Bill Weston’s clear blue eyes didn’t blink.
“I thought Robert Sheldrake was sending it to the British Library or something.”
“That’s right. Mr. Sheldrake says he had put the letter in the top desk drawer. But when he came in for it just before lunch to send it to London, it was gone.” He cleared his throat. “I understand you were at the Centre this morning?”
“Yes. We stopped in briefly to buy some maps.” Richard pulled them from his pocket and held them out as evidence.
“And you didn’t go up to the first floor at all?”
“No. Wait a minute. You don’t think I—” Richard’s voice rose.
“What I mean, sir, is, you didn’t see anything suspicious? Anyone who shouldn’t have been here?”
“How would I know who should be here? Robert would be the one to ask. Or Arthur—wasn’t he working here this morning?”
“Arthur Langton? He’s the one who helped Mr. Sheldrake search the office, in case the letter had been misplaced.”
“Surely that’s exactly what happened,” Richard insisted.
“So he thought at first, but it doesn’t seem to be here. Nor any of the others.”
“Others? There were more? I only saw one letter. Lots of other stuff, but I only noticed one letter.”
“Miss Cholmley recalls seeing a packet of small brown envelopes before she was attacked.”
“Oh, so that must be what the intruder was after. Must have grabbed the stack, but dropped one in his haste.”
“And when you found Miss Cholmley, did you notice a dropped letter?”
Richard thought back. “No. Arthur and I found it still in the box with the other donated items the next morning.”
“But it was alone? You didn’t see a packet of letters?”
“No. I would have noticed. We went through everything, Arthur and I. We didn’t begin to get everything read, but we did finish sorting it all. Claire had only made a start. When I found the letter, I got rather excited and went to tell Elizabeth about it. Arthur stayed to work on the papers and returned to do more this morning. I’m afraid that’s all I know.”
The constable looked back over his notes. “So you and Mr. Langton sorted through everything in the box and you didn’t see any more letters?”
“That’s right. It’s what I said.” Richard frowned. He was sure he’d been clear in his statement.
“Well, you see, there’s a bit of a problem, sir, because Miss Hammersley says she saw them when she visited Mr. Langton here the afternoon before the robbery. She suggested perhaps you took them for further study.”
“Me? That’s insane. I don’t know what she thinks she saw, but
Similar Books
