Read Online LS 13 - Murder in a Different Place by Lesley Cookman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lesley Cookman
Ads: Link
that?’
‘Because he’s the only one Matthew might have told.’
‘But he died, Hal said.’
‘No, he said he might have died. Matthew just stopped talking about him.’
‘Sounds like the end of the affair, to me,’ said Guy. ‘If this man had died, Matthew would have told Harry, surely. Everyone wants a shoulder to cry on.’
Peter nodded. ‘So do we look for him or the scandal?’
‘I don’t see how we can possibly find anything out about Lucifer,’ said Libby, ‘so we’ll have to start with the scandal. Do you think any of the people at the funeral knew about it?’
‘Well, one did,’ said Harry, joining them on the deck. ‘Because that’s where he saw me, obviously.’ He sat down on the edge of one of the loungers and looked round at them all. ‘Now you know about my sordid past, what do you all think?’
‘I think you need to know about your parents,’ said Fran. ‘Matthew should have told you the whole story.’
‘But he was protecting someone from this scandal,’ said Libby. ‘And trying to protect Harry, too.’
‘So how do we find out about the scandal, which was obviously about my parents?’ Harry leant back on the lounger and swung his feet up. ‘Ask the sisters? Because they must know, surely.’
‘It doesn’t seem as though they do,’ said Fran. ‘If Matthew wouldn’t introduce you to them, there was a reason. Perhaps they would have seen a family resemblance, or something?’
‘They haven’t noticed it now,’ Libby pointed out.
‘And someone is still concealing that scandal,’ said Peter. ‘Although why you should be a threat when you don’t even know what it is, I have no idea.’
‘Perhaps they’re watching me to make sure I don’t know.’ Harry sighed. ‘Perhaps when we leave the Island, they’ll heave a sigh of relief and forget all about it.’ He swung his legs off the lounger and stood up. ‘And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything. Eggs Benedict for breakfast, anyone?’
Chapter Nine
‘Is there any way we could get to meet the funeral guests?’ Libby wiped her plate to get at the last remnants of breakfast.
‘I don’t see how. We don’t know any of them,’ said Harry, pouring coffee.
‘The sisters do,’ said Peter. He seemed happier this morning, Libby thought. Probably because Harry had now told him the whole – rather garbled and improbable – story.
‘We talked about that earlier,’ said Fran. ‘I wish we could talk to them separately, but we can’t really.’
‘Why don’t you two go up on spec and just talk to whoever you find? They can’t be together all the time. Someone will have to go shopping, or do the gardening. Or something.’ Guy looked from Fran to Libby to see how his suggestion had gone down.
Fran looked at Libby. ‘I suppose we could.’
‘Of course we could. And they asked us into all this – they can’t object.’
‘Amelia can,’ said Harry.
‘Oh, it seems to me Amelia can object to anything,’ laughed Peter.
‘Let’s go up now,’ said Libby, standing up.
‘And avoid the washing-up?’ said Ben.
‘Loading the dishwasher you mean,’ grinned Fran, pushing her chair back. ‘I’ll just go and clean my teeth.’
‘You don’t think we’re too early?’ said Libby ten minutes later as they climbed towards the top of the cliff.
‘It’s nine thirty. I suppose it is a bit early.’ Fran stopped. ‘But don’t old people get up very early?’
‘I think that’s a myth. My mother didn’t.’
‘But I often see our old ladies in Nethergate off to do their shopping at nine. I’m not usually dressed by then.’
‘Well, it’s no use speculating. We’re on our way now.’ Libby started off up the path again. ‘And we’ve been seen, anyway.’
Amelia was waving from outside the little house.
‘Hello! Did you want to see us?’
‘Yes, please,’ puffed Libby. ‘No wonder you’re fit, if you have to keep going up and down that path!’
‘Oh, we hardly ever go
‘Because he’s the only one Matthew might have told.’
‘But he died, Hal said.’
‘No, he said he might have died. Matthew just stopped talking about him.’
‘Sounds like the end of the affair, to me,’ said Guy. ‘If this man had died, Matthew would have told Harry, surely. Everyone wants a shoulder to cry on.’
Peter nodded. ‘So do we look for him or the scandal?’
‘I don’t see how we can possibly find anything out about Lucifer,’ said Libby, ‘so we’ll have to start with the scandal. Do you think any of the people at the funeral knew about it?’
‘Well, one did,’ said Harry, joining them on the deck. ‘Because that’s where he saw me, obviously.’ He sat down on the edge of one of the loungers and looked round at them all. ‘Now you know about my sordid past, what do you all think?’
‘I think you need to know about your parents,’ said Fran. ‘Matthew should have told you the whole story.’
‘But he was protecting someone from this scandal,’ said Libby. ‘And trying to protect Harry, too.’
‘So how do we find out about the scandal, which was obviously about my parents?’ Harry leant back on the lounger and swung his feet up. ‘Ask the sisters? Because they must know, surely.’
‘It doesn’t seem as though they do,’ said Fran. ‘If Matthew wouldn’t introduce you to them, there was a reason. Perhaps they would have seen a family resemblance, or something?’
‘They haven’t noticed it now,’ Libby pointed out.
‘And someone is still concealing that scandal,’ said Peter. ‘Although why you should be a threat when you don’t even know what it is, I have no idea.’
‘Perhaps they’re watching me to make sure I don’t know.’ Harry sighed. ‘Perhaps when we leave the Island, they’ll heave a sigh of relief and forget all about it.’ He swung his legs off the lounger and stood up. ‘And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything. Eggs Benedict for breakfast, anyone?’
Chapter Nine
‘Is there any way we could get to meet the funeral guests?’ Libby wiped her plate to get at the last remnants of breakfast.
‘I don’t see how. We don’t know any of them,’ said Harry, pouring coffee.
‘The sisters do,’ said Peter. He seemed happier this morning, Libby thought. Probably because Harry had now told him the whole – rather garbled and improbable – story.
‘We talked about that earlier,’ said Fran. ‘I wish we could talk to them separately, but we can’t really.’
‘Why don’t you two go up on spec and just talk to whoever you find? They can’t be together all the time. Someone will have to go shopping, or do the gardening. Or something.’ Guy looked from Fran to Libby to see how his suggestion had gone down.
Fran looked at Libby. ‘I suppose we could.’
‘Of course we could. And they asked us into all this – they can’t object.’
‘Amelia can,’ said Harry.
‘Oh, it seems to me Amelia can object to anything,’ laughed Peter.
‘Let’s go up now,’ said Libby, standing up.
‘And avoid the washing-up?’ said Ben.
‘Loading the dishwasher you mean,’ grinned Fran, pushing her chair back. ‘I’ll just go and clean my teeth.’
‘You don’t think we’re too early?’ said Libby ten minutes later as they climbed towards the top of the cliff.
‘It’s nine thirty. I suppose it is a bit early.’ Fran stopped. ‘But don’t old people get up very early?’
‘I think that’s a myth. My mother didn’t.’
‘But I often see our old ladies in Nethergate off to do their shopping at nine. I’m not usually dressed by then.’
‘Well, it’s no use speculating. We’re on our way now.’ Libby started off up the path again. ‘And we’ve been seen, anyway.’
Amelia was waving from outside the little house.
‘Hello! Did you want to see us?’
‘Yes, please,’ puffed Libby. ‘No wonder you’re fit, if you have to keep going up and down that path!’
‘Oh, we hardly ever go
Similar Books
