Read Online Murder in the Dark - A Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery (Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery Series) by Lesley Cookman - Free Book Online
Authors: Lesley Cookman
Ads: Link
simply.
Libby and Fran looked at each other, taken aback.
‘That’s rather selfish, if you ask me,’ said Fran.
‘Look.’ Adelaide gave a tired sigh. ‘ It was because of this that Carl found out about Roland and Ramani. She was excited about it, and told Carl she’d told Edward.’
‘And I wondered how she knew.’ Carl suddenly leant forward and put his head in his hands. ‘God, I can’t stand all this.’
‘You have no idea why your wife should have been killed, Dr Oxenford?’ said Fran suddenly. ‘Why she had taken the car?’
He looked up. ‘Burglary gone wrong, the police think. They found the car, you know.’
‘They did?’ said Libby. ‘Where?’
‘Somewhere in the woods. Theyʼve taken it in for – well, forensics, I suppose. She must have surprised a burglar.’
‘During the night?’ Libby frowned. ‘She died during the night, didnʼt she?’
‘I – I donʼt know.’ Carl looked bewildered.
‘But she wasnʼt in her nightclothes – she was dressed,’ said Fran, cottoning on.
Carl shook his head. Adelaide and Edward Hall just looked confused.
Libby and Fran both stood up.
‘We shouldn’t be here,’ said Fran. ‘We’ll leave you to it, but Adelaide, don’t forget – tell DCI Connell. If you don’t, we’ll have to.’
They left silence in the room, but just as they were crossing to the car, Adelaide appeared on the steps.
‘Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I couldn’t think what it all had to do with Ramani’s murder.’
‘And didn’t it occur to you that you could authorise Edward’s search just as well as Roland?’
This time the colour fairly flooded Adelaide’s cheeks.
‘I couldn’t. Roland wouldn’t have him in the house.’
‘Are you saying – racist?’ began Libby.
Adelaide bit her lip.
‘But he was having an affair with Ramani,’ said Fran.
‘I know.’ Adelaide now looked thoroughly miserable. ‘It doesn’t make sense, does it?’
‘You say Roland never told you any of this?’ said Fran.
‘How would he have got round looking through the house without you knowing about it?’ said Libby.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, I know,’ said Libby briskly. ‘We can do it. And Lewis will help. He’s good on old buildings.’
‘Not with Roland there,’ said Adelaide, the hunted look coming back.
‘Why ever not?’
‘He wouldn’t allow it.’
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake! He’d told Ramani, and she’d told Edward – and Carl, for that matter, so he must have intended to go through with a search.’
‘What did he mean to do with me, though?’ muttered Adelaide.
‘He would have just told you when it was happening and probably told you not to interfere, wouldn’t he?’ said Fran.
Adelaide nodded.
‘Right. Now, are you going to call DCI Connell, or shall we do it?’
‘Will you do it? Just tell them everything.’ Adelaide turned to go through the door and then said, ‘Why do you think he told Ramani and not me?’
‘That was exactly what I was wondering,’ said Libby, as Fran found a place to turn the car and they left Dark Lane.
‘He told her to impress her, I expect,’ said Fran. ‘If she knew Edward Hall at university, it seems likely that she was a history student, too.’
Chapter Nine
‘Time to recap,’ said Libby, back at number 17. ‘We now have Ramani Oxenford telling her old mate Edward Hall – who’s quite a dish, don’t you think? – about Dark House’s history, which she got from Roland Watson, with whom she’s having an affair.’
‘And both Adelaide and Carl suspected it.’ Fran sighed. ‘Ian’s not going to be pleased, is he?’
‘He will be with us,’ said Libby smugly. ‘But he won’t be very pleased with Adelaide or Carl. And I wonder why the police pulled Edward in?’
‘No idea. Go on, you’re supposed to be calling Ian.’
When Libby had finished telling him what she and Fran had discovered, Ian sighed.
‘I don’t know how you managed
Libby and Fran looked at each other, taken aback.
‘That’s rather selfish, if you ask me,’ said Fran.
‘Look.’ Adelaide gave a tired sigh. ‘ It was because of this that Carl found out about Roland and Ramani. She was excited about it, and told Carl she’d told Edward.’
‘And I wondered how she knew.’ Carl suddenly leant forward and put his head in his hands. ‘God, I can’t stand all this.’
‘You have no idea why your wife should have been killed, Dr Oxenford?’ said Fran suddenly. ‘Why she had taken the car?’
He looked up. ‘Burglary gone wrong, the police think. They found the car, you know.’
‘They did?’ said Libby. ‘Where?’
‘Somewhere in the woods. Theyʼve taken it in for – well, forensics, I suppose. She must have surprised a burglar.’
‘During the night?’ Libby frowned. ‘She died during the night, didnʼt she?’
‘I – I donʼt know.’ Carl looked bewildered.
‘But she wasnʼt in her nightclothes – she was dressed,’ said Fran, cottoning on.
Carl shook his head. Adelaide and Edward Hall just looked confused.
Libby and Fran both stood up.
‘We shouldn’t be here,’ said Fran. ‘We’ll leave you to it, but Adelaide, don’t forget – tell DCI Connell. If you don’t, we’ll have to.’
They left silence in the room, but just as they were crossing to the car, Adelaide appeared on the steps.
‘Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I couldn’t think what it all had to do with Ramani’s murder.’
‘And didn’t it occur to you that you could authorise Edward’s search just as well as Roland?’
This time the colour fairly flooded Adelaide’s cheeks.
‘I couldn’t. Roland wouldn’t have him in the house.’
‘Are you saying – racist?’ began Libby.
Adelaide bit her lip.
‘But he was having an affair with Ramani,’ said Fran.
‘I know.’ Adelaide now looked thoroughly miserable. ‘It doesn’t make sense, does it?’
‘You say Roland never told you any of this?’ said Fran.
‘How would he have got round looking through the house without you knowing about it?’ said Libby.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, I know,’ said Libby briskly. ‘We can do it. And Lewis will help. He’s good on old buildings.’
‘Not with Roland there,’ said Adelaide, the hunted look coming back.
‘Why ever not?’
‘He wouldn’t allow it.’
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake! He’d told Ramani, and she’d told Edward – and Carl, for that matter, so he must have intended to go through with a search.’
‘What did he mean to do with me, though?’ muttered Adelaide.
‘He would have just told you when it was happening and probably told you not to interfere, wouldn’t he?’ said Fran.
Adelaide nodded.
‘Right. Now, are you going to call DCI Connell, or shall we do it?’
‘Will you do it? Just tell them everything.’ Adelaide turned to go through the door and then said, ‘Why do you think he told Ramani and not me?’
‘That was exactly what I was wondering,’ said Libby, as Fran found a place to turn the car and they left Dark Lane.
‘He told her to impress her, I expect,’ said Fran. ‘If she knew Edward Hall at university, it seems likely that she was a history student, too.’
Chapter Nine
‘Time to recap,’ said Libby, back at number 17. ‘We now have Ramani Oxenford telling her old mate Edward Hall – who’s quite a dish, don’t you think? – about Dark House’s history, which she got from Roland Watson, with whom she’s having an affair.’
‘And both Adelaide and Carl suspected it.’ Fran sighed. ‘Ian’s not going to be pleased, is he?’
‘He will be with us,’ said Libby smugly. ‘But he won’t be very pleased with Adelaide or Carl. And I wonder why the police pulled Edward in?’
‘No idea. Go on, you’re supposed to be calling Ian.’
When Libby had finished telling him what she and Fran had discovered, Ian sighed.
‘I don’t know how you managed
Similar Books
