THE SECRET OF BAGNETT HALL an absolutely gripping murder mystery full of twists (The Oldminster Mysteries Book 3) by NORMAN RUSSELL

Author:NORMAN RUSSELL [RUSSELL, NORMAN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thriller and mystery
Published: 2022-07-04T23:00:00+00:00

9. Lance Middleton Comes to Dinner

Noel Greenspan looked at the man sitting opposite him in the office of Greenspan and McArthur. Gregory Baldwin was a strong man in his thirties, whose every move spoke of barely contained anger and grief, striving not to burst out into some violent act of vengeance against the world. Late on the previous afternoon, a hand-delivered note had arrived from DI French, alerting him to the fact that Gregory Baldwin, until recently a suspect in the murder of Janet Baxter, would be coming to see him. ‘Listen to him, and accept his commission if you want to do so, but remember that he is a con artist who has done time, and is unlikely to reform. Be wary of him and make sure you take payment in advance. You can consult his rap sheet at any time here at Jubilee House.’

‘What can I do for you, Mr Baldwin?’ asked Noel Greenspan. ‘This lady is my partner, Mrs Chloe McArthur. Would you like a cup of coffee?’

Greg looked at him as though he was a stranger. He scarcely acknowledged Chloe’s presence in the room. He was evidently in no mood for either coffee or civilities. A caged tiger, likely to spring at any moment . . .

‘Inspector French said that I could trust you,’ said Baldwin. ‘I want you to find out what you can about a woman called Bridget Messiter, who seemed to have been a friend of my ex-girlfriend Janet Baxter, who was murdered here, in this town, on 25 June. Who was this Bridget Messiter, and why did Janet throw in her lot with her? How did this Bridget die? I went down to the godforsaken place in Lincolnshire where she lived, and saw what I thought was Janet’s grave. She died twice for me, Mr Greenspan, first when I saw that grave, and now here, in Oldminster. I saw her body yesterday, in the police morgue. I promised her that I’d track down her killer, one way or another. I’ll leave the foot-slogging to that man French and his posse of cops, while you two delve into this Bridget, and find out what she and Janet were planning to do together.’

‘Mr Baldwin,’ said Chloe McArthur, ‘I was getting to know Janet Baxter quite well, and had visited her at her house in Cathedral Green. I knew her as Bridget Messiter, of course, and she told me that her friend Janet had written a book on haunted Britain, so I went and bought a copy. I guess she either thought I wouldn’t seek it out, or had forgotten her author photograph would be on it.’

Baldwin had transferred all his attention to Chloe, even though he had scarcely noticed her when he had first come into the office. But she was now the woman who had been a friend of his dead ex-girlfriend.

‘And now,’ said Noel Greenspan, ‘I need a few facts. What was the name of this house in Lincolnshire that you visited,

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