MURDER BY SUSPICION a completely unputdownable cozy mystery by VERONICA HELEY

Author:VERONICA HELEY [HELEY, VERONICA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books cozy mysteries and crime
Published: 2024-08-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Friday evening

Supper was over. It had been tasty and digestible, and Rose was glowing with pleasure.

Mikey had popped in while Ellie was out and had left Rose a multicoloured lollipop, which she alternatively admired and sucked. Second childhood, thought Ellie, and then had a sneaky thought that perhaps she would have liked to have one, too. The lollipop was all the colours of the rainbow, and Rose said it tasted as good as it looked.

Susan had settled in, and all was right with the world.

Except, someone was pounding on the door AND leaning on the doorbell. Not Diana, who rang but didn’t pound. So . . . Ambrose?

Oh dear.

Ellie let him in. He was in a towering rage, claws ready to strike. Well, not actually, of course, but that’s the impression he was giving.

‘What,’ he thundered, ‘have you done with Liddy? How dare you encourage her to run away!’

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake. Come in and calm down.’

‘You cannot deceive me! Dolores has told me ALL!’

‘Dolores,’ said Ellie, ‘is so afraid of you that she’d accuse her own mother of murder rather than risk your wrath.’

‘What do you know about Dolores’ mother?’

‘Nothing. Only—’

‘You’re lying!’

Ellie contemplated the uselessness of saying, ‘No, I’m not!’ to be followed by him saying, ‘Yes, you are!’ That puerile exchange could go on for hours.

Meantime, Susan and Rose had come out from the kitchen to see what all the noise was about. Rose, bright-eyed, was still sucking her lollipop.

Ellie said, ‘Ambrose, we have an audience.’

Susan, being the niece of a serving police officer, knew what to do. ‘Shall I call the police?’

‘No, no. He’ll calm down in a minute. Ambrose, shall we go into the sitting room and discuss this matter? Would you like some tea or coffee?’

‘I don’t allow caffeine into my body.’

‘Silly of me. It pollutes the kidneys or something, doesn’t it? Susan, do you think you could bring us both a cup of peppermint tea?’ Ellie led the way into the sitting room without waiting to see if he would follow. Which he did.

The phone rang in the hall. Susan answered it and called out, ‘Mrs Quicke, it’s my aunt for you. She says it’s urgent.’

‘Tell her I’ll ring her back in ten minutes. Now, Mr Ambrose, I don’t know what Dolores has said to you, but—’

‘Don’t you dare deny it! You have encouraged one of my flock to abscond, to return to the den of iniquity from which I rescued her! More, you have stolen monies due to me.’

‘Dolores has a vivid imagination.’

‘Dolores would not lie to me!’

‘Of course she would. She’s terrified of you, and so, apparently, is Liddy. Dolores told me that Liddy needed treatment for toothache—’

‘All in the mind!’

‘Pardon me, but for most people toothache is not “all in the mind”. I observe you have perfect teeth. Perhaps you have never even needed a filling? Dolores told me that Liddy is not so blessed. She was in so much pain that, in fear and trembling, she risked your displeasure in order to visit a dentist.

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