Read Online Murder in the Dark - A Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery (Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery Series) by Lesley Cookman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lesley Cookman
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Dominic.
‘Anyway,’ said Adelaide, her voice sounding stronger, ‘Carl and Edward said if I leave the house, he could try and maintain that I abandoned him and decide I couldn’t have half the value.’
‘I don’t think he could do that,’ said Libby, ‘but he might try and prevent you going back to it. When did you speak to Carl and Edward about it?’
‘After you left Carl’s yesterday afternoon. And Edward called me this morning.’
‘Where’s Roland now?’
Adelaide sighed. ‘He had to go back to the station to give an amended statement. I think they’re trying to break his alibi.’
‘I’m not surprised,’ said Libby.
‘You didn’t like him,’ stated Adelaide.
‘No,’ said Libby. ‘Do you?’
There was a pause. Then ‘No,’ said Adelaide in a surprised voice. ‘I don’t. I thought I loved him still, but even that’s not true any more.’
‘I should start making plans,’ said Libby. ‘You have every reason to leave him. Have you got a solicitor?’
‘Only the one who did the conveyancing on this house. I could ask her.’
‘More to the point, what about this treasure Roland said he knew about? Has he said any more?’
‘No. That was what Edward wanted to ask, but Roland said he wasn’t going to let a – well – a black man in to the house.’
‘You could,’ said Libby slowly, ‘tell him to leave. You’d be entitled to, I should think. Is the house in joint names?’
‘Oh, yes. The solicitor made sure we knew all about tenants in common and joint tenants. She got quite firm with Roland.’
‘I bet.’ Libby grinned. ‘She sounds like the one for you, then. See what the legal position is. It might be that he will refuse to leave his own house, and of course, who could blame him, but you could always insist that you ask whoever you like into it.’
Adelaide sighed. ‘I’ll try, but I’ve never been good at standing up to him.’
‘Meanwhile, do you think Edward would talk to me? I’m really interested in his research, and if we’re going to help look for this treasure, or whatever it is – if Roland lets us, of course – I need to know more about it.’
‘I’m sure he would. May I give him your phone number?’
‘Good idea. And listen Adelaide, ring me if you need to, just be aware I can’t always come immediately.’
‘I know.’ Adelaide sounded defeated. ‘You have a life.’
‘So do you, so chin up. I’ll speak to you soon, and keep me up to date.’
Libby relayed this conversation to Fran immediately she stopped speaking to Adelaide.
‘If Edward agrees to meet you, I want to be there, too,’ said Fran. ‘I’ve got a feeling I might be of use in this search, if there is one.’
‘I wasn’t thinking of meeting him, just a phone call.’
‘No, we must meet him. We need to know if he’s a suspect as well as everything else.’
‘We–ell,’ said Libby, ‘I might slobber all over him, but you know best. And he is a suspect, we know that.’
‘I mean a suspect to us, not the police. And you will not slobber.’
Libby decided she’d better do a supermarket run to stock up on things not for sale in the village. As the nearest supermarket was either the small one in Nethergate or a choice of larger ones in Canterbury, this was not something done regularly and usually ended up in confusion, Libby being unable to resist a bargain.
Coming home laden with bulk buy toilet rolls and several packets of cereal on the buy one get one free basis, Libby saw the red light flashing on the answerphone.
‘Give us a chance,’ she grumbled, as Sidney streaked through her legs and out the front door.
Finally unloaded, and having found places for most of her purchases, Libby made herself a cup of tea and listened to the message.
‘It’s Edward Hall, here, Mrs Sarjeant. I’d like to talk to you – and your friend. Mrs Wolfe, is it? Would you ring me back?’
Libby punched in the number he gave.
‘We’d like to talk to you,
‘Anyway,’ said Adelaide, her voice sounding stronger, ‘Carl and Edward said if I leave the house, he could try and maintain that I abandoned him and decide I couldn’t have half the value.’
‘I don’t think he could do that,’ said Libby, ‘but he might try and prevent you going back to it. When did you speak to Carl and Edward about it?’
‘After you left Carl’s yesterday afternoon. And Edward called me this morning.’
‘Where’s Roland now?’
Adelaide sighed. ‘He had to go back to the station to give an amended statement. I think they’re trying to break his alibi.’
‘I’m not surprised,’ said Libby.
‘You didn’t like him,’ stated Adelaide.
‘No,’ said Libby. ‘Do you?’
There was a pause. Then ‘No,’ said Adelaide in a surprised voice. ‘I don’t. I thought I loved him still, but even that’s not true any more.’
‘I should start making plans,’ said Libby. ‘You have every reason to leave him. Have you got a solicitor?’
‘Only the one who did the conveyancing on this house. I could ask her.’
‘More to the point, what about this treasure Roland said he knew about? Has he said any more?’
‘No. That was what Edward wanted to ask, but Roland said he wasn’t going to let a – well – a black man in to the house.’
‘You could,’ said Libby slowly, ‘tell him to leave. You’d be entitled to, I should think. Is the house in joint names?’
‘Oh, yes. The solicitor made sure we knew all about tenants in common and joint tenants. She got quite firm with Roland.’
‘I bet.’ Libby grinned. ‘She sounds like the one for you, then. See what the legal position is. It might be that he will refuse to leave his own house, and of course, who could blame him, but you could always insist that you ask whoever you like into it.’
Adelaide sighed. ‘I’ll try, but I’ve never been good at standing up to him.’
‘Meanwhile, do you think Edward would talk to me? I’m really interested in his research, and if we’re going to help look for this treasure, or whatever it is – if Roland lets us, of course – I need to know more about it.’
‘I’m sure he would. May I give him your phone number?’
‘Good idea. And listen Adelaide, ring me if you need to, just be aware I can’t always come immediately.’
‘I know.’ Adelaide sounded defeated. ‘You have a life.’
‘So do you, so chin up. I’ll speak to you soon, and keep me up to date.’
Libby relayed this conversation to Fran immediately she stopped speaking to Adelaide.
‘If Edward agrees to meet you, I want to be there, too,’ said Fran. ‘I’ve got a feeling I might be of use in this search, if there is one.’
‘I wasn’t thinking of meeting him, just a phone call.’
‘No, we must meet him. We need to know if he’s a suspect as well as everything else.’
‘We–ell,’ said Libby, ‘I might slobber all over him, but you know best. And he is a suspect, we know that.’
‘I mean a suspect to us, not the police. And you will not slobber.’
Libby decided she’d better do a supermarket run to stock up on things not for sale in the village. As the nearest supermarket was either the small one in Nethergate or a choice of larger ones in Canterbury, this was not something done regularly and usually ended up in confusion, Libby being unable to resist a bargain.
Coming home laden with bulk buy toilet rolls and several packets of cereal on the buy one get one free basis, Libby saw the red light flashing on the answerphone.
‘Give us a chance,’ she grumbled, as Sidney streaked through her legs and out the front door.
Finally unloaded, and having found places for most of her purchases, Libby made herself a cup of tea and listened to the message.
‘It’s Edward Hall, here, Mrs Sarjeant. I’d like to talk to you – and your friend. Mrs Wolfe, is it? Would you ring me back?’
Libby punched in the number he gave.
‘We’d like to talk to you,
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