A Fatal Secret by Faith Martin

Author:Faith Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2019-08-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Whilst Dr Ryder was letting himself out of the kitchen, and contemplating with some satisfaction his meeting with a rather remarkable woman and an even more interesting interview, Trudy was walking down the village lane. She was surrounded by Eddie Proctor’s collection of brothers and sister, but was learning very little for all her careful questions.

Oh, she could tell that the eldest boy felt somehow guilty for not saving his brother from his fate, and was consequently inclined to be rather angry and aggressive with everyone and everything. And she had discerned that the youngest of them hadn’t really understood the concept of death, and still expected to see Eddie sometime soon – perhaps sitting down for his share of the family dinner.

The ones closest to his age knew him and his habits best, but apart from the fact that he was always ‘up at the Hall with Emily’ or playing conkers or cards when it was raining, she could learn little more.

But one thing she had established to her own satisfaction – if Eddie had come into some money recently, he hadn’t shared it with any of his siblings.

Trudy walked them as far as the turn-off to their house and watched as they all rushed up the path, eager for their meal. She was very relieved to see that it was the children’s mother who opened the door to them, but was careful not to let Mrs Proctor see her.

But at least Doreen Proctor was now up and about and had started caring for her large family. That had to count for something, didn’t it? Even if she did look pale and washed out.

Feeling pensive, Trudy turned and made her way back towards the Hall.

*

Two men up on the edge of the woods, taking care to make sure they were concealed by the outer edge of trees, watched her movements through binoculars.

They were the same two individuals who had been sitting, unnoticed and mostly forgotten, at the back of the pub on the day that Trudy and Clement had gone there to chat to the regulars.

One of them meticulously noted her movements down in his notebook, whilst his companion turned his attention back to the Hall. He was just in time to notice Dr Clement Ryder emerge after his interesting chat with the cook.

Like his companion, he duly noted down details of the coroner’s activities in his notebook.

After he’d done so, they watched in silence as the policewoman and the old man met up and began to talk.

‘Do you think these two are going to cause problems?’ one of them asked thoughtfully.

‘I doubt it,’ his companion said shortly. ‘They’re hardly Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, are they?’

*

Down below, Trudy told Clement about her mainly negative findings after talking to Eddie’s brothers and sister, and Clement filled Trudy in on what the cook had been able to tell him.

‘Sounds like you had a more productive time of it,’ she said wryly. ‘So that’s why the villagers all went quiet when we mentioned Martin de Lacey’s wife.

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