Murder at an English Séance by Jessica Ellicott

Author:Jessica Ellicott [Ellicott, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2024-03-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

“You know we are going to have to speak to Minnie about what happened, don’t you?” Beryl asked. She knew that such conversations were difficult for Edwina. She never liked to think the worst of any of the other residents of her beloved village, especially not women who were as long-suffering as Minnie Mumford. After all, it would be very awkward to interrogate someone while sampling their delicious scones and thickly clotted cream. Even Beryl, who had a less refined taste for any sort of nourishment besides cocktails and coffee, could see how her friend would not be eager to have a rift with Minnie, considering the high regard for her edible offerings.

“Yes, I’m afraid that we are,” Edwina said, slowing her pace as they came alongside Alma’s House of Beauty. The proprietress knocked on the front window of her shop and beckoned them toward her. They entered, and Alma bustled toward them, locking the door behind them, and flipping the sign on the door to CLOSED.

She waved them over toward the row of seats placed below the hair dryers and indicated they should make themselves at home.

“I’ve been waiting for a chance to speak to the two of you privately,” Alma said.

“What is this about?” Edwina asked.

“Why, Hazel’s murder, of course. I wondered if you had any suspects in the case,” Alma said.

“There are one or two that have come up,” Beryl said.

“I suppose you’re questioning Minnie, and I thought I saw you coming out of the cinema, so that must mean that Clarence is also on the list,” she said.

It wasn’t that Alma was a gossip. She just happened to be in a position to hear a lot of goings-on from other women in the village. After all, the relationship between a hairdresser and her clientele was quite an intimate one. There was something about putting oneself in the hands of another that led to the sharing of confidences. Alma could be a useful source, in any case, but in one where there was so little to go on, she might prove especially valuable.

“I’m sure you understand that we cannot go into specifics, considering it’s early in the investigation and we wouldn’t want to cast aspersions on anyone who later turned out to be completely innocent,” Beryl said.

It would never do to get on the bad side of the only hairdresser in town. While she was not opposed to the notion of taking the motorcar on a jaunt up to London, she did not want to have to do so every time she wished to have her hair washed and set. Nor was she eager for Edwina to feel she had to head out of the village in order to keep her modern bob neatly trimmed. She was so much happier since she had shed her long locks in favor of an up-to-date hairstyle.

“I understand completely. There are many things that I hear in the course of my workday that I don’t share with anyone either. But I did think I might be able to offer some assistance, as it is my civic duty.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.