Read Online Fate Worse Than Death by Sheila Radley - Free Book Online Page B

wanted to talk to you about while you’re here. I’ve an awful lot of furniture, you see. Some of it’s modern, but there are quite a few antiques and some of them are really good pieces. I’ll have to get rid of most of it, and I want you to have first choice. Look it over during the week, and take whatever you want. Make sure you have the best antiques, and enough of the rest to furnish your house when you get married.’
    She spoke so urgently that Martin was completely taken aback. It seemed such a strange offer. As his aunt knew, he lived at present in a furnished flat; and now that Alison had turned down his suggestion that they should live together – had turned him down for good, as far as he could tell – he saw no point in moving to a larger place. So what would he do with a houseful of furniture? He had no intention of paying for it to be kept in store. He rather liked some of his aunt’s antiques, but in general her taste in furniture was not his. By the time he was ready to marry, Con might not be alive; and in that event he’d be able to afford to go out and buy whatever he wanted.
    He thanked her with all his charm. ‘That’s very generous of you, Aunt Con. Don’t think me ungrateful, will you – but quite honestly I can’t see myself needing to furnish a house. Detective work and marriage don’t mix, and I’m a career detective. A confirmed bachelor.’
    For the first time that afternoon, Con smiled her delightfully lop-sided smile. ‘Phooey!’ she retorted. ‘D’you want to bet on it?’
    Martin had the grace to laugh. ‘Well, that’s how I feel at the moment, anyway. I may change my mind, I suppose, but not until I’m established in senior rank. Really, it’s very sweet of you, but I’m reluctant to accept your offer. Even if your new house isn’t very big, you’re still going to need to furnish it. You can’t give everything away.’
    â€˜But there’s the furniture from my property in the Horkey road, too,’ said Con. ‘Don’t you remember that pretty, derelict cottage I bought a few years ago? I’ve been letting it to summer holidaymakers since I restored it. It’s empty at the moment, because I agreed that a local couple could rent it cheaply for a few weeks when they married, only the marriage never took place. The girl – my neighbour Beryl’s daughter – disappeared.’
    Tait’s sharp nose twitched with professional interest. ‘Disappeared?’
    â€˜Well, bolted. I can’t say that I blame her – I don’t think she would have been at all happy with Desmond Flood – but it’s too bad of her not to have been in touch with her mother before now.’
    â€˜Do the local police know about this?’
    â€˜Oh yes. Such a pleasant young woman detective came over from Breckham Market to make enquiries. But then Beryl discovered that Sandra had taken a lot of her clothes with her, so obviously her disappearance was deliberate. She’s twenty-two, after all, and entitled to do as she likes. The only niggling worry is that she’s usually a considerate girl. But then, she probably felt so frightfully embarrassed about messing up the wedding arrangements that she simply wanted to keep out of the way for a bit.’
    Martin relaxed. ‘Hardly surprising,’ he agreed. ‘Who was the woman detective, Aunt Con? A sergeant? Hilary Lloyd?’
    â€˜Oh lord, I don’t know! Beryl did introduce me – the detective wanted to look round the Horkey road cottage, so of course I went with them – but I can’t remember. My head’s like a sieve these days. I can never be sure –’
    But Martin, alert again, was sniffing the air. ‘Could something be burning?’
    Con frowned a denial. Then she jumped to her feet, slapping the crown of her greying head in vexed self-reprimand. ‘Oh