The Burning Issue of the Day by T E Kinsey

Author:T E Kinsey [Kinsey, T E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781542041157
Published: 2019-04-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

On Monday morning Lady Hardcastle received a telephone call from Dinah Caudle inviting us both to meet her once more at the WSPU shop. She had one or two things to sort out, she said, but she would see us there at ten o’clock.

We arrived shortly after ten and were met by Lady Bickle, Beattie Challenger, and Marisol Rojas. Of Miss Caudle herself, there was no sign.

While we waited for her, we brought Miss Challenger and Señorita Rojas up to date with all the latest news on the case. Lady Bickle recounted the tale of discovering the Honourable Jimmy’s half-alibi and Lady Hardcastle explained that Oswald Crane was in a similar position.

‘So you haven’t managed to speak to the other two again?’ asked Miss Challenger.

‘No,’ I said. ‘There doesn’t seem much point in trying Hinkley again – he’s already said he was working late all that week – and we’ve not yet managed to get an appointment to see Councillor Morefield.’

‘We’re hoping that’s why Miss Caudle asked to meet us,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘She and Armstrong are going to talk to him about a charity do that he’s attending. They’re going to try to establish his whereabouts on the twenty-fifth while they’re at it.’

‘Do you suspect these men?’ asked Marisol.

‘Yes, and no,’ said Lady Hardcastle in Spanish. ‘Mr Brookfield suspected that they were linked to each other and his investigation links them all to him. Whether one or more of them is involved in his death, we have yet to discover.’

‘Thank you,’ said Marisol, still in Spanish.

At that moment, the bell above the door gave its merry tinkle as Dinah Caudle came in.

‘Good morning, ladies,’ she said as she closed the door behind her. ‘Sorry I’m late. My flat was burgled last night and I had to wait in for the police. I thought they’d be quicker.’

‘Goodness,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘Were you there at the time? Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine, thank you. I’d been away for the weekend visiting an old chum in London. My housekeeper doesn’t live in so she was safe, too. Got back this morning to find the lock busted and the door swinging open.’

‘That’s awful,’ said Miss Challenger. ‘Was anything taken?’

‘A few obvious things – a pair of silver candlesticks, a darling little enamelled box with a few sentimental bits and bobs in. It was hard to tell if anything more had gone, though – the place had been thoroughly and messily ransacked. I left a detective fussing about looking for fingerprints while my housekeeper nagged him about the mess he was making. I’ll know more when she’s tidied up.’

‘What about Mr Brookfield’s notebook?’ asked Miss Challenger. ‘That’s not gone, has it?’

‘No, thank goodness,’ said Miss Caudle. ‘I took it with me for something to do on the train. Although I can’t see that a burglar would have taken it even if it had been out on the drawing room table. He’d be more likely to take my jewels. Though if he did, he’d be disappointed – I doubt he’d get five bob for the lot.

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.