The Corpse with the Granite Heart by Cathy Ace

Author:Cathy Ace [Ace, Cathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Women sleuths, British crime, Welsh crime, International mystery and crime, Murder fiction
ISBN: 9781999223090
Publisher: Four Tails Publishing Ltd.
Published: 2021-11-01T07:00:00+00:00

“…richer in your thoughts than on his tomb…”

Once Worthington had left, I caught Bud’s eye and said, “He’s telling us Sasha’s death wasn’t a suicide, but that he can do nothing about it, right?”

John and Bud exchanged a glance. They both nodded.

“Don’t mind me out here,” called Vinnie, “I’m just the kitchen skivvy I know, I know…but don’t go making any plans without your boy here being brought in on the case.”

Bud moved to my side and hugged me. “We need to…” We drew apart as Renata presented herself.

I said, “I think your tea’s cold, by now, Renata. Sorry. I poured it, not realizing you’d be away so long.”

She cleared her throat. “A call came through while I was in the bathroom. Private. Confidential. I took it there. Cold tea will be acceptable.” She spotted the mug I’d perched on a side table, and took the seat beside it.

Charles and Felicity were chattering as they made their way down the stairs; I was amazed the two of them always managed to find something to giggle about.

“Ah, Renata, were we expecting you?” Charles’s greeting wasn’t as pointed as the one he’d given Bud and me earlier on, but it was hardly hearty.

“Piers needs some paperwork,” replied Renata, and she picked up her mug.

“And what Piers wants, Piers shall get,” said Felicity. “But why are you here, not his girl?”

“She’s poorly. Head cold,” replied Renata.

“Lucky thing,” remarked Felicity. “She’s well out of all this mess. I bet you don’t mind though, do you, dear? What will you do now Sasha’s gone? You’ve been with her a long time, haven’t you?”

“She took me to Tavistock and Tavistock from Townsends. I’ve been Sasha’s PA since before she and Piers were even a couple, let alone business partners. They shared me after the start-up, then I was hers alone again.” Matter of fact. No anger. No sense of loss. Odd.

Spotting a point of connection I said, “As I mentioned last evening, I used to work at Townsends, too. When exactly did you join?” I had no recollection of Renata at all.

“After you’d left. Sasha spoke of you sometimes.” Renata looked up at me, over her mug of cold tea. “She wasn’t very pleased when you threatened to sue one of her clients. She thought it was personal – they were difficult clients at the best of times, but were incandescent when they discovered you used to work for Alistair Townsend. They fired the agency not long after that. Which turned out to be a good thing for Sasha, because that was when she realized she had a real chance to pick up some of his clients for herself. So, for her, that was the chance for a new beginning.”

I wanted to say so much – but realized I, too, had found a new start because of the actions of that newspaper; no migration to Canada would have meant no Bud and me. So there was that…which is everything. I looked at Bud, and bit my tongue.

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