Read Online Murder at Swann's Lake by Sally Spencer - Free Book Online Page B

that’s where they usually went. They didn’t have to, of course. Her men always had enough money to pay for a nice hotel somewhere. But she liked doin’ it there – because it was just another way of rubbin’ Dad’s nose in it.”
    She stopped speaking, flushed and exhausted by her outburst.
    â€œYou don’t like your sister very much, do you?” Woodend asked quietly.
    â€œI love her,” Jenny said. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m blind to how she’s been carryin’ on, and what an effect it’s had on Dad.”
    â€œIf it’s not too painful, I’d like you to tell me about the night your dad died,” Woodend said. “You were all in the club, weren’t you? The whole family?”
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œIs that normal?”
    â€œWell, Terry’s always there. He’s the sort of assistant manager. Mum and Dad usually looked in at the weekends. Dad liked to do a bit of entertainin’, and Mum likes a natter with her friends. You never know when Annabel’s goin’ to turn up. It’s just as the mood takes her.”
    â€œWhat about your brother-in-law, Michael?”
    â€œHe doesn’t come very often.”
    â€œSo it was just a coincidence he and Annabel were there on the same night?”
    â€œI suppose so.”
    â€œYour husband and Michael got into a bit of an argument, didn’t they?” Woodend asked.
    â€œI saw them talkin’ by the door,” Jenny admitted, “but I wouldn’t say they were arguin’.”
    â€œOh, so you were close enough to hear what they sayin’?”
    â€œNo,” Jenny confessed. “It just didn’t
look
serious, that’s all.”
    â€œDo they often spend a lot of time talkin’?”
    Jenny twisted the hem of her pinafore. “You’ve got to understand, Michael’s very different from the rest of us,” she said. “He’s educated. Been to teacher trainin’ college. Him and Terry don’t have much in common any more.”
    â€œThey had enough in common to carry on their conversation outside,” Woodend said.
    â€œAnnabel!” Jenny hissed. “She’s the one who told you that!”
    â€œWell, it’s the truth, isn’t it?”
    â€œYes, it’s the truth. But they weren’t gone long.”
    â€œAccordin’ to your sister – and I’m sure I can get other witnesses to confirm it if I really try – they left while your dad was still on stage, an’ they didn’t come back until about the time the body was found.”
    The implications of where this line of questioning was leading finally hit her. “You’re . . . you’re not sayin’ that you think Terry an’ Michael killed Dad, are you?” she gasped.
    â€œI’m investigatin’ every possibility,” Woodend said evenly.
    â€œBut they couldn’t. They just couldn’t. I mean, Terry’s a bit of a rough diamond, but he got on really well with Dad. An’ as for Michael, if you’d met him—”
    â€œWhich I intend to do very shortly.”
    â€œ. . . you’d know there’s not a violent bone in his body.”
    â€œAll right, let’s assume for the time bein’ that they didn’t kill your dad,” Woodend said. “We’re still left with an interestin’ question, aren’t we? Just what were two brothers – who you’ve admitted have absolutely nothin’ in common – doin’ outside all that time?”
    â€œI have absolutely no idea,” Jenny said – and Woodend knew for sure that she was lying.
    Maria groaned and opened her eyes. A series of pink blobs were floating around in front of her, blobs which gradually solidified and became faces.
    â€œAre you all right?” asked a voice which she recognised as belonging to Javier, one of her friends from the