Read Online Murder in Style by Veronica Heley - Free Book Online Page B

knew. Oh yes. She’d prayed that there might be some solution found to the Cordover problem, never thinking that He would bung her straight back into it. Bother. Oh well.
    â€˜There’s a really good boutique called The Magpie in the Avenue. It’s run by a sympathetic woman. I’m just wondering if they might have something to suit you. Tomorrow’s Saturday and you’ve no need to be in college, so shall we go shopping in the morning?’
    Susan struggled with her better self, but shook her head. ‘No, it’s tempting, isn’t it? I can’t make waves just before the wedding. It was nice of Lesley to ask me and I should just put up with being laughed at, for her sake. It’s not the end of the world.’
    Upon which, the doorbell rang. Once. Sharply.
    â€˜Lesley?’ said Ellie, round the last of the biscuit.
    Susan shot off back to the larder. ‘Don’t tell her what I said! I’ve got to finish cleaning the larder.’
    It was Lesley. Ellie let her in, trying to assess her friend’s mood. ‘I thought you were tied up with a particularly nasty case and wouldn’t have time to visit.’
    â€˜A witness went AWOL and we got a confession. Surprised all of us. What happened at the Cordovers?’
    â€˜Would you like some tea, coffee?’
    Lesley shook her head. ‘You went to the funeral? I’d have liked to go, if I’d been free.’
    Ellie led the way to the sitting room. ‘Have a seat. The service at the crematorium was cheap, rushed, meaningless. The deceased’s husband and daughter were anxious to get to the reading of the will, from which they expected great things … only to be disappointed. Poppy and Juno made their wills when they set up The Magpie partnership, leaving everything to one another, which means Juno cops the lot. Not that she’s ecstatic about it. She’s a pretty sick woman, and …’ Ellie considered what else and added, somewhat to her own surprise, ‘And, I think she’s frightened.’
    Lesley pounced. ‘Of what?’
    Ellie lifted her hands and let them fall. ‘I don’t understand what’s going on. There’s cross-currents everywhere. Gerald and Marika seem, on the surface, to be straightforward. They set the girls up in business and kept an eye on their progress. Their solicitor did all the girls’ work. So why didn’t they ensure the girls updated their wills? Did they just forget? No. Gerald’s a good businessman. I bet he updates his own will every year or so. What’s more, the solicitor inserted the usual clause to the effect that if both sisters die prematurely, the lot goes back to … guess whom? To the father, who doesn’t need it.’
    â€˜Yes, they say he’s worth a bit.’
    â€˜Has that been checked? I know he seems to have doted on the girls, but he could well have had some reverses which might make him eye the girls’ fortunes? No? No. That’s not right. He’s genuinely fond of the girls. But I did happen to notice that Marika wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. Did he ever make an honest woman of her? Is their wedding something they’ve overlooked as time went on?’
    â€˜She’s Polish. They wear their wedding rings on the other hand.’
    â€˜Do they? Oh, well, that explains it.’
    â€˜You don’t really think he could be a suspect?’
    â€˜No. Not really. Now: Trixie. Trixie seems to think more about going into films than about losing her mother. Although, to be honest, I think she might well have what it takes to go before the cameras, not as a clothes model, but … Oh, what do I know about such things?’
    â€˜And Clemmie?’
    â€˜She’s treated as a servant. She’s not Gordon’s daughter, is she? So whose daughter is she and how …? Oh, this whole thing is making my head ache.’
    â€˜Why should it make your head ache?’