![[Wexford 01] From Doon & Death](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/551488/thumbs/152x264/wexford-01-from-doon-death.jpg)
Read Online [Wexford 01] From Doon & Death by Ruth Rendell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ruth Rendell
Ads: Link
Missal followed him and, looking to either side of him to make sure there was no one about, hissed in an angry half-whisper: 'You can take that heap of scrap metal off my drive-in. If s causing an obstruction ’
Chapter 6
Who was her father?
Who was her mother?
Had she a sister?
Had she a brother?
Or, was there a dearer one
Still, and a nearer one
Yet , than all other?
Thomas Hood ,
The Bridge of Sighs
The murder books had been taken away and the top shelf of the bookcase was empty. If Parsons was innocent, a truly bereaved husband. Burden thought, how dreadfully their covers must have screamed at him when he came into the shabby dining-room this morning. Or had he removed them because they had served their purpose?
'Chief Inspector ’ Parsons said, ‘I must know. Was she ... ? Had she ... ? Was she just strangled or was there anything else?' He had aged in the past days or else he was a consummate actor.
'You can set your mind at rest on that score ’ Wexford said quickly. 'Your wife was certainly strangled, but I can assure you she wasn't interfered with in any other way ’ He stared at the dull green curtains, the lino that was frayed at the skirting board, and said impersonally, "There was no sexual assault.'
"Thank God!' Parsons spoke as if he thought there was still a God in some nonconformist heaven and as if he was really thanking Him. ‘I couldn't bear it if there had been. I couldn't go on living. It would just about have killed Margaret' He realized what he had said and put his head in his hands.
Wexford waited until the hands came down and the tearless eyes were once more fixed on his own.
'Mr Parsons, I can tell you that as far as we know mere was no struggle. It looks as if your wife was sleeping until just before she was killed. There would have been just a momentary shock, a second's pain -and then nothing.'
Parson's mumbled, turning away his face so that they could catch only the last words,'... For though they be punished in the sight of man, yet is their hope full of immortality.'
Wexford got up and went over to the bookcase. He didn't say anything about the missing library of crime, but he took a book out of one of the lower shelves.
‘I see this is a guide to the Kingsmarkham district.' He opened it and Burden glimpsed a coloured photograph of the market place. 'It isn't a new book.'
'My wife lived here - well, not here. In Flagford it was - for a couple of years after the end of the war. Her uncle was stationed with the R.A.F. at Flagford and her aunt had a cottage in the village.'
Tell me about your wife's life.'
'She was born in Balham ’ Parsons said. He winced, avoiding the Christian name. 'Her mother and father died when she was a child and she went to live with this aunt. When she was about sixteen she came to live in Flagford, but she didn't like it Her uncle died - he wasn't killed or anything - he died of heart disease, and her aunt went back to
Balham. My wife went to college in London and started teaching. Then we got married. That's all.'
'Mr Parsons, you told me on Wednesday your wife would have taken her front-door key with her. How many keys did you have between you?'
‘J ust the two.' Parsons took a plain Yale key from his pocket and held it up to Wexford. 'Mine and -and Margaret's. She kept hers on a ring. The ring has a silver chain with a horseshoe charm on the end of it' He added simply in a calm voice: ‘I gave it to her when we came here. The purse is a brown one, brown plastic with a gilt clip.'
‘I want to know if your wife was in the habit of going to Prewett’ s farm. Did you know the Prewetts or any of the farm workers? There's a girl there called Dorothy Sweeting. Did your wife ever mention her?'
But Parsons had never even heard of the farm until his wife's body had been found there. She hadn't cared much for the country or for country walks and the name Sweeting meant nothing.
‘I )o you know anyone called Missal?'
'Missal? No, I don't
Chapter 6
Who was her father?
Who was her mother?
Had she a sister?
Had she a brother?
Or, was there a dearer one
Still, and a nearer one
Yet , than all other?
Thomas Hood ,
The Bridge of Sighs
The murder books had been taken away and the top shelf of the bookcase was empty. If Parsons was innocent, a truly bereaved husband. Burden thought, how dreadfully their covers must have screamed at him when he came into the shabby dining-room this morning. Or had he removed them because they had served their purpose?
'Chief Inspector ’ Parsons said, ‘I must know. Was she ... ? Had she ... ? Was she just strangled or was there anything else?' He had aged in the past days or else he was a consummate actor.
'You can set your mind at rest on that score ’ Wexford said quickly. 'Your wife was certainly strangled, but I can assure you she wasn't interfered with in any other way ’ He stared at the dull green curtains, the lino that was frayed at the skirting board, and said impersonally, "There was no sexual assault.'
"Thank God!' Parsons spoke as if he thought there was still a God in some nonconformist heaven and as if he was really thanking Him. ‘I couldn't bear it if there had been. I couldn't go on living. It would just about have killed Margaret' He realized what he had said and put his head in his hands.
Wexford waited until the hands came down and the tearless eyes were once more fixed on his own.
'Mr Parsons, I can tell you that as far as we know mere was no struggle. It looks as if your wife was sleeping until just before she was killed. There would have been just a momentary shock, a second's pain -and then nothing.'
Parson's mumbled, turning away his face so that they could catch only the last words,'... For though they be punished in the sight of man, yet is their hope full of immortality.'
Wexford got up and went over to the bookcase. He didn't say anything about the missing library of crime, but he took a book out of one of the lower shelves.
‘I see this is a guide to the Kingsmarkham district.' He opened it and Burden glimpsed a coloured photograph of the market place. 'It isn't a new book.'
'My wife lived here - well, not here. In Flagford it was - for a couple of years after the end of the war. Her uncle was stationed with the R.A.F. at Flagford and her aunt had a cottage in the village.'
Tell me about your wife's life.'
'She was born in Balham ’ Parsons said. He winced, avoiding the Christian name. 'Her mother and father died when she was a child and she went to live with this aunt. When she was about sixteen she came to live in Flagford, but she didn't like it Her uncle died - he wasn't killed or anything - he died of heart disease, and her aunt went back to
Balham. My wife went to college in London and started teaching. Then we got married. That's all.'
'Mr Parsons, you told me on Wednesday your wife would have taken her front-door key with her. How many keys did you have between you?'
‘J ust the two.' Parsons took a plain Yale key from his pocket and held it up to Wexford. 'Mine and -and Margaret's. She kept hers on a ring. The ring has a silver chain with a horseshoe charm on the end of it' He added simply in a calm voice: ‘I gave it to her when we came here. The purse is a brown one, brown plastic with a gilt clip.'
‘I want to know if your wife was in the habit of going to Prewett’ s farm. Did you know the Prewetts or any of the farm workers? There's a girl there called Dorothy Sweeting. Did your wife ever mention her?'
But Parsons had never even heard of the farm until his wife's body had been found there. She hadn't cared much for the country or for country walks and the name Sweeting meant nothing.
‘I )o you know anyone called Missal?'
'Missal? No, I don't
Similar Books
