Read Online Murder in Bloom by Lesley Cookman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lesley Cookman
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time so it won’t bother him.’
‘Ri-ight,’ said Adam. ‘Well, if you’re sure. Will it be all right if I come over today? I can get the bus.’
‘I’ll come and pick you up if you like,’ said Libby, wanting something to do. All right, she could clean the house, something she usually neglected until the dust forced itself to her notice, but right now she just wanted to get out and do something.
‘Are you sure? It would be a help with all the stuff I’ve got.’
Libby’s heart sank. Just how much stuff?
‘That’s fine, darling,’ she said bravely. ‘Tell me where Mog’s house is and I’ll be over in about an hour, if that’s all right.’
‘Leave it a bit longer, Ma, if you don’t mind. I’ve got to pack.’
That, too, sounded ominous, thought Libby, as she switched off the phone. What had she let herself in for? Still, you always had to provide a home for your children, didn’t you? And the deserting Derek and his pneumatic Marion were hardly the father and stepmother to do that.
Adam’s stuff wasn’t as bad as she had expected, extending merely to two large rucksacks and a couple of boxes. Mog helped get them into the boot, and Fiona, heavily pregnant, stood around smiling helpfully and holding her back. Libby thanked them both for looking after Adam, and Mog apologised gruffly for the unexpected lack of work. Adam said cheerfully it didn’t matter, just to let him know when there was some.
‘So what will you do now?’ asked Libby, as they drove out of Canterbury. She saw Adam’s shrug out of the corner of her eye, and set her mouth firmly. ‘You’ve got to do something, Ad,’ she said. ‘You can’t just sit around waiting for something to turn up.’
Adam sighed heavily. ‘If you’re going to start lecturing before I’ve moved in, Ma, then I’ve changed my mind.’
‘For goodness’ sake, Adam, don’t be so pathetic,’ she said with some asperity. ‘I’m entitled to say anything I want to you, you’re my son.’
Adam lapsed into a silence that lasted almost until the bend in the road took them into Steeple Martin.
‘Actually, I was going to do some work for Lewis,’ he said in a small voice. ‘But it looks as though that’s not on, now.’
Libby risked a quick look at his profile, while she waited to turn right into Allhallow’s Lane.
‘Why? Just because he’s being interviewed by the police? That doesn’t mean he has anything to do with this body, or the murder of Tony West.’
‘But his career’ll be down the tubes, won’t it?’ Adam sighed again.
Libby pulled the car over onto the bit of green opposite her cottage. ‘I don’t know, and neither do you. Just wait until you hear from him.’
‘Or you do,’ said Adam, getting out and going to open the boot. ‘I bet he calls you.’
The answerphone light was winking when they struggled through the narrow door of number 17.
‘Go on,’ said Adam, nodding towards it. ‘I bet it’s him.’
And he was right.
‘Could you give me a call, Libby? Sorry to bother you. And tell Ad I’m sorry.’
Adam pulled down the corners of his mouth. ‘Hmm,’ he said, before lugging one of the rucksacks upstairs.
Libby went and put the kettle on and dug around for biscuits. Somewhere she had some of the homemade ginger ones Belinda had taught her to make, containing lethal amounts of golden syrup. When Adam came back down he immediately took two from the plate, his good temper restored.
‘Have you phoned him yet?’ he asked.
‘No, I thought I’d wait until you were here,’ said Libby. ‘Do you want to take the tea into the garden? It’s a lovely day.’
When they were settled at the slightly unstable table under the cherry tree, Libby keyed in Lewis’s number. He answered almost instantly.
‘Libby, I’m sorry about this,’ he said, his voice sounding strained.
‘Where are you?’
‘At home. They let me go.’ He gave a short laugh. ‘I suppose you heard?’
‘About Tony West?
‘Ri-ight,’ said Adam. ‘Well, if you’re sure. Will it be all right if I come over today? I can get the bus.’
‘I’ll come and pick you up if you like,’ said Libby, wanting something to do. All right, she could clean the house, something she usually neglected until the dust forced itself to her notice, but right now she just wanted to get out and do something.
‘Are you sure? It would be a help with all the stuff I’ve got.’
Libby’s heart sank. Just how much stuff?
‘That’s fine, darling,’ she said bravely. ‘Tell me where Mog’s house is and I’ll be over in about an hour, if that’s all right.’
‘Leave it a bit longer, Ma, if you don’t mind. I’ve got to pack.’
That, too, sounded ominous, thought Libby, as she switched off the phone. What had she let herself in for? Still, you always had to provide a home for your children, didn’t you? And the deserting Derek and his pneumatic Marion were hardly the father and stepmother to do that.
Adam’s stuff wasn’t as bad as she had expected, extending merely to two large rucksacks and a couple of boxes. Mog helped get them into the boot, and Fiona, heavily pregnant, stood around smiling helpfully and holding her back. Libby thanked them both for looking after Adam, and Mog apologised gruffly for the unexpected lack of work. Adam said cheerfully it didn’t matter, just to let him know when there was some.
‘So what will you do now?’ asked Libby, as they drove out of Canterbury. She saw Adam’s shrug out of the corner of her eye, and set her mouth firmly. ‘You’ve got to do something, Ad,’ she said. ‘You can’t just sit around waiting for something to turn up.’
Adam sighed heavily. ‘If you’re going to start lecturing before I’ve moved in, Ma, then I’ve changed my mind.’
‘For goodness’ sake, Adam, don’t be so pathetic,’ she said with some asperity. ‘I’m entitled to say anything I want to you, you’re my son.’
Adam lapsed into a silence that lasted almost until the bend in the road took them into Steeple Martin.
‘Actually, I was going to do some work for Lewis,’ he said in a small voice. ‘But it looks as though that’s not on, now.’
Libby risked a quick look at his profile, while she waited to turn right into Allhallow’s Lane.
‘Why? Just because he’s being interviewed by the police? That doesn’t mean he has anything to do with this body, or the murder of Tony West.’
‘But his career’ll be down the tubes, won’t it?’ Adam sighed again.
Libby pulled the car over onto the bit of green opposite her cottage. ‘I don’t know, and neither do you. Just wait until you hear from him.’
‘Or you do,’ said Adam, getting out and going to open the boot. ‘I bet he calls you.’
The answerphone light was winking when they struggled through the narrow door of number 17.
‘Go on,’ said Adam, nodding towards it. ‘I bet it’s him.’
And he was right.
‘Could you give me a call, Libby? Sorry to bother you. And tell Ad I’m sorry.’
Adam pulled down the corners of his mouth. ‘Hmm,’ he said, before lugging one of the rucksacks upstairs.
Libby went and put the kettle on and dug around for biscuits. Somewhere she had some of the homemade ginger ones Belinda had taught her to make, containing lethal amounts of golden syrup. When Adam came back down he immediately took two from the plate, his good temper restored.
‘Have you phoned him yet?’ he asked.
‘No, I thought I’d wait until you were here,’ said Libby. ‘Do you want to take the tea into the garden? It’s a lovely day.’
When they were settled at the slightly unstable table under the cherry tree, Libby keyed in Lewis’s number. He answered almost instantly.
‘Libby, I’m sorry about this,’ he said, his voice sounding strained.
‘Where are you?’
‘At home. They let me go.’ He gave a short laugh. ‘I suppose you heard?’
‘About Tony West?
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