to…er….’ he trailed off, not quite sure how to put it.
‘She solved the murders for you, you mean?’ Vee cut through the waffle ruthlessly, and Bishop, defeated, mumbled something vaguely affirmative.
‘Splendid,’ Lady Vee breathed with relief, the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach happily subsiding. In fact, she positively beamed. The next instant, she reached for a bell rope and pulled, and Bishop cast his sergeant an anxious look.
Now what?
A moment later Meecham promptly appeared, was asked to fetch Miss Starling at once, and promptly disappeared again.
‘What can you tell us about Miss Simmons, sir?’ the Inspector asked, feeling a trickle of sweat run down his back. Murder at the castle was bad enough, but to have the infamous Jenny Starling in attendance as well. What had hedone to deserve
that
?
He knew that his colleagues in Gloucester, namely an Inspector Mollineaux, thought very highly of the woman indeed, but he himself shared the view of the majority at his station. Amateurs were a pain in the—
‘Well, she’s only been with us about a month,’ his lordship fortuitously interrupted his musings. ‘Her first name’s Ava, I believe. Her father owns the Giselle Gallery in Bicester; you may know it. She was brought in to teach Roberta, well, a little more refinement,’ he explained. And the indulgent twinkle in his eye as he contemplated his wayward granddaughter left neither policeman in any doubt that the little girl was the apple of his eye. ‘She was in her early thirties, I imagine. Quiet, competent. I liked her well enough. What else can I say?’
‘Did she have a boyfriend?’ Bishop probed delicately, but it was Lady Vee who answered. No doubt, because she knew that her husband wouldn’t have had a clue.
‘No, I don’t think so, Inspector. She kept herself very much to herself. Not that she was unattractive, of course,’ she added hastily. ‘But if she had a sweetheart, she was very discreet about it.’
‘I see,’ the inspector said gloomily. In many cases where young women were killed, it was usually a man friend who was responsible. Jealous, or drunk, normally.
‘Could anyone else have gained access to the castle, my lord? This afternoon, I mean?’ Myers put in a question of his own.
Lord Avonsleigh scratched his head, and shrugged. ‘I imagine so, Inspector. There’s the gardening staff, and some of the local women who come in from the village to help Janice with the heavy work. We have tourists in, during the summer, so there’s always lots of entrances and exits leftopen. But it’s not a visitors’ day today,’ he added, making the policemen fairly wilt in relief. ‘The doors are never locked during the day though, but even so, I rather doubt that anyone could have just wandered in, stabbed our governess and wandered out again, do you? Not without being seen by
somebody
.’
Bishop secretly agreed with him. Still, you couldn’t rule anything out.
Just then there was a discreet tap on the door and Meecham walked in, followed by a tall woman with an extremely curvaceous figure who looked around with wary, but quite lovely, blue eyes.
Miss Jenny Starling herself.
Bishop felt his heart sink.
‘Thank you, Meecham,’ his lordship said, sensing his butler’s heartfelt desire to flee.
He fled.
‘Ah, Miss Starling.’ Lady Vee beamed. ‘Inspector Bishop here has just been telling us of your exploits.’
‘Oh?’ Jenny said warily. She knew that something was wrong. The kitchen had been deserted all afternoon. And there had been a strange atmosphere. As a consequence, her shoulders were quite tense. Now the police were here. What on earth was going on? And what had the police been telling Lady Vee, exactly? Nothing good, that was for sure, she thought, pursing her lips grimly.
‘I’m afraid we’ve lost our governess, Miss Starling,’ his lordship said, trying to break it to her gently.
Jenny blinked. Lost? Lost her where?
‘Someone’s
‘She solved the murders for you, you mean?’ Vee cut through the waffle ruthlessly, and Bishop, defeated, mumbled something vaguely affirmative.
‘Splendid,’ Lady Vee breathed with relief, the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach happily subsiding. In fact, she positively beamed. The next instant, she reached for a bell rope and pulled, and Bishop cast his sergeant an anxious look.
Now what?
A moment later Meecham promptly appeared, was asked to fetch Miss Starling at once, and promptly disappeared again.
‘What can you tell us about Miss Simmons, sir?’ the Inspector asked, feeling a trickle of sweat run down his back. Murder at the castle was bad enough, but to have the infamous Jenny Starling in attendance as well. What had hedone to deserve
that
?
He knew that his colleagues in Gloucester, namely an Inspector Mollineaux, thought very highly of the woman indeed, but he himself shared the view of the majority at his station. Amateurs were a pain in the—
‘Well, she’s only been with us about a month,’ his lordship fortuitously interrupted his musings. ‘Her first name’s Ava, I believe. Her father owns the Giselle Gallery in Bicester; you may know it. She was brought in to teach Roberta, well, a little more refinement,’ he explained. And the indulgent twinkle in his eye as he contemplated his wayward granddaughter left neither policeman in any doubt that the little girl was the apple of his eye. ‘She was in her early thirties, I imagine. Quiet, competent. I liked her well enough. What else can I say?’
‘Did she have a boyfriend?’ Bishop probed delicately, but it was Lady Vee who answered. No doubt, because she knew that her husband wouldn’t have had a clue.
‘No, I don’t think so, Inspector. She kept herself very much to herself. Not that she was unattractive, of course,’ she added hastily. ‘But if she had a sweetheart, she was very discreet about it.’
‘I see,’ the inspector said gloomily. In many cases where young women were killed, it was usually a man friend who was responsible. Jealous, or drunk, normally.
‘Could anyone else have gained access to the castle, my lord? This afternoon, I mean?’ Myers put in a question of his own.
Lord Avonsleigh scratched his head, and shrugged. ‘I imagine so, Inspector. There’s the gardening staff, and some of the local women who come in from the village to help Janice with the heavy work. We have tourists in, during the summer, so there’s always lots of entrances and exits leftopen. But it’s not a visitors’ day today,’ he added, making the policemen fairly wilt in relief. ‘The doors are never locked during the day though, but even so, I rather doubt that anyone could have just wandered in, stabbed our governess and wandered out again, do you? Not without being seen by
somebody
.’
Bishop secretly agreed with him. Still, you couldn’t rule anything out.
Just then there was a discreet tap on the door and Meecham walked in, followed by a tall woman with an extremely curvaceous figure who looked around with wary, but quite lovely, blue eyes.
Miss Jenny Starling herself.
Bishop felt his heart sink.
‘Thank you, Meecham,’ his lordship said, sensing his butler’s heartfelt desire to flee.
He fled.
‘Ah, Miss Starling.’ Lady Vee beamed. ‘Inspector Bishop here has just been telling us of your exploits.’
‘Oh?’ Jenny said warily. She knew that something was wrong. The kitchen had been deserted all afternoon. And there had been a strange atmosphere. As a consequence, her shoulders were quite tense. Now the police were here. What on earth was going on? And what had the police been telling Lady Vee, exactly? Nothing good, that was for sure, she thought, pursing her lips grimly.
‘I’m afraid we’ve lost our governess, Miss Starling,’ his lordship said, trying to break it to her gently.
Jenny blinked. Lost? Lost her where?
‘Someone’s
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