Mystery at Farfield Castle: An addictive and unputdownable cozy mystery novel (An Eve Mallow Mystery Book 10) by Clare Chase

Author:Clare Chase [Chase, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781803149387
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2023-05-04T16:00:00+00:00

27

The atmosphere the following morning was tense. Eve was still reliving her interview with DI Palmer, who’d pushed and probed. He seemed to think she and Luke might be in cahoots because they were both journalists. Or at least that Luke might have confided in her. He ended the interview by warning her off any amateur sleuthing. Eve thought of the request she’d put to Portia Coldwell for information on Luke, and said nothing. She’d mastered the art of nodding and smiling at Palmer. However hard she had to clench her fists while doing it.

Now, she, Nate, Freya, Bonnie and Julian were in the dining room eating breakfast. The latest development had laid their true situation bare. Eve couldn’t be expected to write a decent review of Farfield any more. Not with Luke missing and a fresh batch of reporters gathered outside the castle gates. Julian had let rip in front of her more than once. Now, Nate was doing his best to stop him saying too much to the press.

‘I believe you’re right.’ He had his work cut out, trying to hold Julian’s attention. ‘Luke might be guilty. But think about what you’re doing! I’m no lawyer, but what happens when he’s caught if you’ve spoken against him publicly? What if his representatives say we prejudiced the trial or something?’

Julian thumped the table. ‘The press are already talking about him as a “person of interest” without my input.’

It was true. Eve had seen the first online reports of Luke’s disappearance at around eight that morning. Someone had leaked the information. Maybe the reporter had a contact on the force. Or maybe Julian had done it.

‘We have to find him,’ Julian said. ‘I’m going to hire a boat. Go and look myself. We can’t wait.’

He was red-faced and twitched in his seat.

‘How did he look when he wandered towards the creek, Bonnie?’ Eve lifted her coffee cup. ‘Were you close enough to see his face?’ She wanted to know where she’d been.

‘No. I was stuck in blasted reception all afternoon.’ She shot a look at Freya. ‘I happened to see him through the window. And thinking back, he looked furtive. I suppose that’s why I carried on watching. He skirted the edge of the gardens before he cut towards the creek.’

‘There you are then!’ Julian said.

But if they wanted to pin the blame on Luke it was in all their interests to tell that story.

‘I wish I’d seen him,’ Julian growled. ‘The muse picked the wrong moment to seize me. I wrote a thousand words yesterday afternoon, but I’d sacrifice every one to have stopped my wife’s killer.’

What dedication. Eve saw the pain in Nate’s eyes. ‘You didn’t see him?’ she asked.

The financier shook his head. ‘I was on the phone to my office in London all afternoon. It feels horrible now. The wrong priorities. But one of the juniors on my team needed support.’

Eve thought of Julian’s talk of the Marchant social conscience. Nate came across as a decent man.

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