Death and the Singing Birds by Amy Myers

Author:Amy Myers
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448304516
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2020-07-16T00:00:00+00:00

NINE

‘Are you busy, Nell?’

Her head shot up. The truthful answer would be yes. After all, who wouldn’t be termed busy with merely the sirloin to keep her eye on, the salads to be supervised, the entremets to be finalized and a praline to be made for the soufflés? With Alex standing at the kitchen doorway and her kitchen staff gawping at him, there was only one answer she could give, but it wasn’t ‘yes’ – especially as she had intended to seek him out as soon as her morning’s work was under control. Not only was she bursting to tell him about the meeting with Jean-Paul Girarde last evening, but she was hoping to hear some good news about Mr Briggs, which there must surely be after the dowager’s evidence and Muriel’s pennyworth.

She and Jean-Paul (as, to her mild astonishment, she already thought of him) had talked for some time before she returned to Lady Clarice, who was blissfully unaware that Nell had been away for a good half hour or so. Jean-Paul had told her that he had no objection to talking to the police, but his chief worry was for Freddie. He had suggested she came with him this evening to talk to the Carters as they had appreciated her earlier visit. That was news to her, but she rapidly dismissed any misgivings as to what Alex would think about another visit. This could count as a routine visit to neighbours, and she managed to quell her pangs of doubt.

‘I can spare a few minutes,’ she said graciously, sweeping past Alex to lead the way, no doubt to the accompaniment of many pairs of curious eyes. ‘Come into the Cooking Pot.’

‘That name always makes me feel as if I’m being sized up for a stew.’

‘You are, saith the Cannibal Queen,’ she retorted, waving him to his usual seat, ‘unless you come bearing good news.’

‘Who can judge that in the circumstances? But it’s partly good, at least. Briggs might be released on grounds of insufficient evidence, although—’

‘Might be?’ she broke in, taken aback, ‘even with the evidence that Muriel and Lady Enid have provided?’

‘Despite that, Inspector Farrell has asked for yet more time, and although it’s now my case, I don’t disagree with that. Their doctor is concerned that if Briggs is released but then has to be rearrested, the shock would be too great.’

Reluctantly, she saw the point. ‘You’ll have to pacify Lady Enid. She sees herself as Mr Briggs’s saviour.’

‘No doubt. The problem is that he did confess, and as yet we’ve no clear evidence on any other candidates.’

Pleading would get her nowhere and Nell had to battle with impatience. ‘I’ve a new lead,’ she said firmly. Seeing Alex looking suspicious, she quickly added, ‘And I’m not cooking up new lines of investigation. I really have found a new witness and possible suspect.’

‘You have?’ Alex sighed. ‘Difficult, Nell. Be careful.’

Not another warning! Alex must see that the last thing she wanted was to overstep that wretched boundary line between interrogating witnesses and information she just came across by chance.

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