Crisis in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope

Author:Rebecca Tope [Rebecca Tope]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780749023775
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2018-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

It was all accomplished by half past eight, and Thea found herself with a mug of coffee, waiting for Drew to go into his office and leave her to her thoughts. She had no more to say to him for the time being. Instead, she wanted to think about Gladwin, Juliet and Clovis Biddulph, although not necessarily in that order. Where Clovis was concerned, she fully intended to give herself a very stern talking to, in light of the heart-to-heart she had enjoyed the previous day with Drew. She was married, and that demanded an exclusive devotion to her husband. To jeopardise their future together in any way at all would be extreme folly.

At least, she mentally amended, in any way that lay within her own control. She could not change her basic nature. She could not quell her inclination to get involved in murder investigations. And, if she had understood him correctly, Drew was never going to ask her to.

So where was Gladwin? How had they left it after the previous day’s rushed visit? How was the investigation proceeding? Despite an assumption that she was useful to the police, she had to concede that she was far from the centre of whatever was going on. She did not even know exactly how Juliet had been killed. She knew almost no details of the woman’s daily life, apart from a self-styled boyfriend and a devastated mother. If she simply let it go, would Gladwin leave her alone, excluding her completely? She had witnessed nothing, after all. Drew was closer to the action than she was – a realisation that she found irritating.

The doorbell came as a welcome interruption. Surely it was Gladwin, or one of her team, back in Broad Campden and wanting her input. She pulled open the door and started to treat the visitor to a wide smile, before observing that it was a woman who she realised was Linda Biddulph, after two or three seconds. Mother of Lawrence, stepmother of Clovis.

‘Oh!’ said Thea. The Biddulphs were not welcome. They were not on that day’s agenda. They had nothing to do with anything and she didn’t want to talk to any of them. ‘You’ll want Drew. Come in and I’ll see if he’s free.’ She didn’t know what Drew was doing, but she had heard him speaking on the phone. She reminded herself that it was perfectly normal for relatives to come and go in the days before a burial – and sometimes they called in afterwards as well. ‘Is it about tomorrow?’ she added.

‘Not exactly. Lawrence tells me he came here yesterday and you were very rude to him.’ Her eyes were large, of a shade between brown and green. They fixed Thea with a very accusing gaze. ‘Didn’t I make it plain that he’s not to be upset? That he’s very vulnerable at the moment, and I’m doing my absolute best to protect him?’

‘You did, yes. To Drew, anyway. He was out when Lawrence came here, and I was preparing a meal for seven people.

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