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Authors: That Way Murder Lies
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outsiders. When Toby said he knew you personally, Daddy jumped at the idea you should come today.You’re a policeman but not the usual sort. You’ve got Toby to vouch for you, do you see? It’s like you’re part of the company. One of us, as Daddy would put it. Daddy liked everything to run smoothly in any company he was in charge of. I bet working for him was hell. He likes everything to run smoothly in family life, too. No problems and no bloody backchat. Just get on and do it. That’s Daddy’s attitude.’
There was bitterness in her voice. There had been rows in the past, Meredith thought. What about? Perhaps about the school she’d been sent to? That was a common cause of dissent. Or the friends she’d associated with? A career she’d chosen but which wasn’t to his taste?
Markby said quietly, ‘I’m not part of the company. I’m a police officer, just like Inspector Winter at Bamford. Senior in rank to him, perhaps, but just the same. Your father and Toby Smythe will both have to accept that.’
Seeking to defuse some of the tension which now crackled inside the car’s confines, Meredith said, ‘Your father is very worried and that makes him touchy, perhaps. People do get a bit brusque when they’re upset.’
Fiona dismissed this with another sniff. ‘You mean he’s worried about Alison, I suppose? Alison will cope with it. Daddy likes to think Alison is a frail little woman who needs protecting but, believe me, Alison is as tough as old boots!’
She had opened the door almost before she’d finished speaking and jumped out. The door slammed. She gave them a farewell wave and set off back towards the house.
‘Well,’ Markby observed, as he let in the clutch and they rolled forwards again. ‘What do you make of that?’
‘She doesn’t like Alison,’ Meredith said promptly. ‘She didn’t come out and say so but it was pretty clear. She knows better than to let her father see it, orToby. But it seems to me this business of the poison pen letters is going to shake a few more family secrets out of the closet.’
‘And what do you make of the girl herself?’
Meredith considered her answer carefully. ‘She’s very attractive but stroppy. Perhaps she’s just a chip off the old block. She wouldn’t like anyone to say she’s like her father but I fancy she is. This poison pen business has upset things in the family circle.’ Meredith frowned. ‘I hope Toby hasn’t really fallen for her.’
‘Why?’ There was a touch of asperity in Markby’s voice. ‘He’s well able to handle his own love life.’ Steering the BMW between
potholes, he added peevishly, ‘I don’t know if this lane is a private stretch of road. If so, I wish Jenner would use some of his money to have it resurfaced.’
‘Perhaps,’ said Meredith, ‘he wants to discourage casual visitors or people just driving by.’
He glanced at her. ‘That’s a very shrewd observation.’
‘Thank you, but, like Alison, I am still in possession of most of my marbles!’ she retorted. ‘And as regards Toby, he can fall in love with anyone he likes, but Fiona will chew him up and spit him out. Besides, she’s a cousin of sorts.’
‘Only distantly.’
‘She’s very young. Toby’s in his late thirties.’
‘Sounds young to me! You’re in your late thirties and you don’t think you’re old, surely? I’m in my mid forties and determined to cling to what little of my youth I have left!’ Markby chuckled. ‘But we all believe ourselves to be young,’ he added. ‘The outside changes but the inside doesn’t, isn’t that it?’
‘This is metaphysical meander I don’t want to follow. What I meant about the difference in age between Toby and Fiona is that it might not be obvious now, but it will become obvious later.’
‘I don’t think it matters a jot. Look at Jeremy and Alison. He’s got to be at least twenty years older than his wife. Lots of couples cope with a wide age-difference and the marriages
There was bitterness in her voice. There had been rows in the past, Meredith thought. What about? Perhaps about the school she’d been sent to? That was a common cause of dissent. Or the friends she’d associated with? A career she’d chosen but which wasn’t to his taste?
Markby said quietly, ‘I’m not part of the company. I’m a police officer, just like Inspector Winter at Bamford. Senior in rank to him, perhaps, but just the same. Your father and Toby Smythe will both have to accept that.’
Seeking to defuse some of the tension which now crackled inside the car’s confines, Meredith said, ‘Your father is very worried and that makes him touchy, perhaps. People do get a bit brusque when they’re upset.’
Fiona dismissed this with another sniff. ‘You mean he’s worried about Alison, I suppose? Alison will cope with it. Daddy likes to think Alison is a frail little woman who needs protecting but, believe me, Alison is as tough as old boots!’
She had opened the door almost before she’d finished speaking and jumped out. The door slammed. She gave them a farewell wave and set off back towards the house.
‘Well,’ Markby observed, as he let in the clutch and they rolled forwards again. ‘What do you make of that?’
‘She doesn’t like Alison,’ Meredith said promptly. ‘She didn’t come out and say so but it was pretty clear. She knows better than to let her father see it, orToby. But it seems to me this business of the poison pen letters is going to shake a few more family secrets out of the closet.’
‘And what do you make of the girl herself?’
Meredith considered her answer carefully. ‘She’s very attractive but stroppy. Perhaps she’s just a chip off the old block. She wouldn’t like anyone to say she’s like her father but I fancy she is. This poison pen business has upset things in the family circle.’ Meredith frowned. ‘I hope Toby hasn’t really fallen for her.’
‘Why?’ There was a touch of asperity in Markby’s voice. ‘He’s well able to handle his own love life.’ Steering the BMW between
potholes, he added peevishly, ‘I don’t know if this lane is a private stretch of road. If so, I wish Jenner would use some of his money to have it resurfaced.’
‘Perhaps,’ said Meredith, ‘he wants to discourage casual visitors or people just driving by.’
He glanced at her. ‘That’s a very shrewd observation.’
‘Thank you, but, like Alison, I am still in possession of most of my marbles!’ she retorted. ‘And as regards Toby, he can fall in love with anyone he likes, but Fiona will chew him up and spit him out. Besides, she’s a cousin of sorts.’
‘Only distantly.’
‘She’s very young. Toby’s in his late thirties.’
‘Sounds young to me! You’re in your late thirties and you don’t think you’re old, surely? I’m in my mid forties and determined to cling to what little of my youth I have left!’ Markby chuckled. ‘But we all believe ourselves to be young,’ he added. ‘The outside changes but the inside doesn’t, isn’t that it?’
‘This is metaphysical meander I don’t want to follow. What I meant about the difference in age between Toby and Fiona is that it might not be obvious now, but it will become obvious later.’
‘I don’t think it matters a jot. Look at Jeremy and Alison. He’s got to be at least twenty years older than his wife. Lots of couples cope with a wide age-difference and the marriages
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