Read Online ONCE UPON A LIE (A Fitzjohn Mystery) by Jill Paterson - Free Book Online
Authors: Jill Paterson
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out.’
‘Have you heard , Esme?’
‘About Michael? Yes, on the news early this morning.’ Esme took a small handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her nose. Charlotte put her arms around Esme’s diminutive frame.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.’ As Charlotte spoke, the sound of voices came from upstairs.
‘ Who’s up there, Esme?’
‘ It’s the police, dear. I think they call themselves SOCOs. Short for Scene of Crime Officers. They’re gathering evidence.’
Charlotte ’s brow furrowed. ‘For what?’
‘It’s b ecause of last night’s break-in. Come through to the kitchen and I’ll tell you all about it.’
‘Esme?’ Charlotte shot a look up the stairwell before following Esme through the house. ‘You did say break-in, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, I did. It was just after two o’clock this morning.’ Esme filled the kettle with water, put it down on the stove, and turned on the gas. ‘The police are here to try to establish whether there’s any connection between the break-in and Michael’s... and what happened to Michael. He was here last night, you see.’
Charlotte sat down heavily at the kitchen table and looked aghast at Esme. ‘How can you be so cool about this, Esme?’
‘ I’m not cool. I just look cool,’ answered Esme. ‘Actually, I’m a mess. And I need a cup of tea.’
‘I’ll make it,’ said Charlotte , jumping up. ‘You sit down.’
‘ So, Michael came here last night,’ continued Charlotte bringing the tea to the table.
‘Yes, he dropped in around six. When he left, he said he was going over to see you. Didn’t he do that?’
‘I don’t know. I didn’t close the bookshop till nine, so it was quite late by the time I got home.’
‘Oh, that’s unfortunate. I had hoped he might have told you wh y he was looking for letters in your mother’s study.’
‘You’ve lost me Esme, ’ said Charlotte, sitting down again at the table.
‘ It’s what Michael came here for. At least that’s what he said. To finds some letters in your mother’s study.’ Esme took a sip of her tea. ‘The intruder was in there too. I know because I saw him coming out of that room. And that’s why I was out this morning. I went to Kings Cross Police Station to see the detective who’s in charge of the investigation. Detective Chief Inspector Fitzjohn’s his name. A very fine man. Reminded me a bit of my cousin, Selwyn.’
Charlotte looked in disbelief at Esme. ‘How did you get to Kings Cross?’
‘ On the train,’ said Esme between sips of her tea. ‘I thought it’d be the best mode of transport, and it was other than the fact the train from Town Hall didn’t have any air conditioning. I was a bit parched by the time I got to the police station.’
‘Oh, Esme. I wish you’d phoned me. I could have driven you there.’
‘ I suppose you could. I never thought. It was one of those spur of the moment things.’ Esme sat thoughtfully. ‘Poor Michael. What a dreadful thing to have happen to him.’ They both sat for a few moments in silence.
‘ I can’t understand why Michael came back from the winery early,’ said Charlotte, at last. ‘He told me on Friday morning that he planned to spend the whole weekend there.’
‘ Really? Well, that’s unusual in itself, isn’t it. He never liked spending more than a day at a time at the winery. He said the place reminded him of your mother.’
‘I t did, but this weekend he had a specific purpose in mind,’ said Charlotte. ‘He was having Five Oaks Winery listed on the property market.’
‘ Selling the winery ?’ Esme slumped back in her chair. ‘And were you happy about that, Charlotte? After all, the place is half yours.’
‘No , I wasn’t, but I couldn’t afford to buy Michael out so I didn’t have any choice but to go along with it. He wanted the money to finance the take-over of his
‘Have you heard , Esme?’
‘About Michael? Yes, on the news early this morning.’ Esme took a small handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her nose. Charlotte put her arms around Esme’s diminutive frame.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.’ As Charlotte spoke, the sound of voices came from upstairs.
‘ Who’s up there, Esme?’
‘ It’s the police, dear. I think they call themselves SOCOs. Short for Scene of Crime Officers. They’re gathering evidence.’
Charlotte ’s brow furrowed. ‘For what?’
‘It’s b ecause of last night’s break-in. Come through to the kitchen and I’ll tell you all about it.’
‘Esme?’ Charlotte shot a look up the stairwell before following Esme through the house. ‘You did say break-in, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, I did. It was just after two o’clock this morning.’ Esme filled the kettle with water, put it down on the stove, and turned on the gas. ‘The police are here to try to establish whether there’s any connection between the break-in and Michael’s... and what happened to Michael. He was here last night, you see.’
Charlotte sat down heavily at the kitchen table and looked aghast at Esme. ‘How can you be so cool about this, Esme?’
‘ I’m not cool. I just look cool,’ answered Esme. ‘Actually, I’m a mess. And I need a cup of tea.’
‘I’ll make it,’ said Charlotte , jumping up. ‘You sit down.’
‘ So, Michael came here last night,’ continued Charlotte bringing the tea to the table.
‘Yes, he dropped in around six. When he left, he said he was going over to see you. Didn’t he do that?’
‘I don’t know. I didn’t close the bookshop till nine, so it was quite late by the time I got home.’
‘Oh, that’s unfortunate. I had hoped he might have told you wh y he was looking for letters in your mother’s study.’
‘You’ve lost me Esme, ’ said Charlotte, sitting down again at the table.
‘ It’s what Michael came here for. At least that’s what he said. To finds some letters in your mother’s study.’ Esme took a sip of her tea. ‘The intruder was in there too. I know because I saw him coming out of that room. And that’s why I was out this morning. I went to Kings Cross Police Station to see the detective who’s in charge of the investigation. Detective Chief Inspector Fitzjohn’s his name. A very fine man. Reminded me a bit of my cousin, Selwyn.’
Charlotte looked in disbelief at Esme. ‘How did you get to Kings Cross?’
‘ On the train,’ said Esme between sips of her tea. ‘I thought it’d be the best mode of transport, and it was other than the fact the train from Town Hall didn’t have any air conditioning. I was a bit parched by the time I got to the police station.’
‘Oh, Esme. I wish you’d phoned me. I could have driven you there.’
‘ I suppose you could. I never thought. It was one of those spur of the moment things.’ Esme sat thoughtfully. ‘Poor Michael. What a dreadful thing to have happen to him.’ They both sat for a few moments in silence.
‘ I can’t understand why Michael came back from the winery early,’ said Charlotte, at last. ‘He told me on Friday morning that he planned to spend the whole weekend there.’
‘ Really? Well, that’s unusual in itself, isn’t it. He never liked spending more than a day at a time at the winery. He said the place reminded him of your mother.’
‘I t did, but this weekend he had a specific purpose in mind,’ said Charlotte. ‘He was having Five Oaks Winery listed on the property market.’
‘ Selling the winery ?’ Esme slumped back in her chair. ‘And were you happy about that, Charlotte? After all, the place is half yours.’
‘No , I wasn’t, but I couldn’t afford to buy Michael out so I didn’t have any choice but to go along with it. He wanted the money to finance the take-over of his
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