Shadow of Reality (Book One in the Elizabeth and Richard Mystery Series) by Crow Donna Fletcher

Author:Crow, Donna Fletcher [Crow, Donna Fletcher]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Published: 2010-05-31T05:00:00+00:00

A questioner from the back called out, “Did she give any indication what these expectations were?”

Millie shook her head, then shrugged. “She said as ’ow she‘‘ad an insurance policy buried in the family vault.”

“And what did you make of that?”

“I didn’t make nothin’. Just what she said—she must ’ave some inooity or somethin’ in the bank.”

“Is ‘buried in the family vault’ an English expression for ‘in the bank’?” a player called out.

“No, Guv’nor, I took it to mean more like safe as ’ouses, as you might say.”

“Well, ‘safe as houses’ isn’t something I might say, but I take your meaning. Thank you, Millie.” The questioner sat down and Stark relaxed his grip on the now-quiet Nigel. The agent returned to his seat, straightening his cravat with an air of defiance.

Elizabeth glanced over her notes as the questioning went on. Most of the information she wanted had been covered, but one area seemed to have been overlooked by everyone. She hesitated before raising her hand— if it was important, she would be giving the clue to all the teams, but there was really no other way to follow up on her idea because Stark’s rules forbade collaring a suspect and questioning them privately. She raised her hand, then waved it when she was overlooked. “Yes, Mum?” Millie pointed to her.

“Your sister told you she could write a better story than Linden Leigh. Do you know if she ever actually wrote one?”

“Oh, yes, Mum, she did. And it were ever so good, too.”

“Do you mean you read it?” Elizabeth tried to find her notes on Millie’s first interview. She thought she remembered Millie saying she never read anything.

“Well, no, Mum. Not exactly read it.” Millie shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. “But I saw it, I did.”

Elizabeth was curious that Millie suddenly seemed so embarrassed. “You saw the manuscript? But you didn’t read it? Is that correct? Will you please explain that to us?”

“Well,” Millie twisted her hands together. “I don’t mean no disrespect to my sister, ’er bein’ dead and all, but I don’t care much for reading. I mean, when I gets a chance to sit down, a nice spot of the wireless is whot I enjoy. But Vicky did give me a copy to read—in ’er own ’and writin’—and I valued it, I really did. And I’m not a careless person. I been well trained to look after Miss Gloria’s jools and all, and I never ’ad no complaints against me, but, well, not to put too fine a point on it, I lost it…” She finished with her head down.

“You lost your sister’s original, handwritten, manuscript? She must have been terribly upset!” Elizabeth and Millie were uninterrupted in their dialogue, while all the players took notes.

“No, Mum. By then she were in ’ospital…” Millie took a moment to compose herself. “I wouldn’t want you to think I was arguin’ with the Almighty, but it do seem unfair, ’er bein’ the one with all the education and all, to die so young.

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.