The Fatal Flying Affair (A Lady Hardcastle Mystery) by T E Kinsey

Author:T E Kinsey [Kinsey, T E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2020-12-02T16:00:00+00:00

‘I say. My compliments to the chefs,’ said Harry. ‘This is delicious.’

We were sitting at the rotting table in the rotting chairs and enjoying a meal in the summer evening sunshine.

‘Wine’s not bad, either,’ he continued. ‘Local vintner? Or do you have it sent down from London?’

‘We use a local firm,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘Bristol’s a port, dear. It has a long and illustrious reputation for importing wines and spirits. Why would we send to London when we have some of the best wine merchants in the country right here on our doorstep?’

‘You must give me their address. I’m not above having a case or two shipped across the country if it’s as good as this.’

‘Take a couple of bottles with you. I’m sure Lavinia would love it.’

‘Very kind. Thank you.’

‘Always a pleasure,’ she said. ‘And now that you have us suitably relaxed with our own splendid wine, what horrible additional imposition do you wish to impose upon us?’

Harry laughed. ‘Nothing more than you’re paid for, old thing,’ he said. ‘You remember the business at Weston last year?’

‘I’m not likely to forget, dear. I still bear the scars.’

She bore no scars, but I didn’t correct her.

‘Do you?’ he said. ‘Where?’

‘Never you mind.’

‘Right you are. But we tried a little ruse on that job that we’d like to repeat. Not a new trick, but a useful one. We’d like to plant some false information and see where it ends up.’

‘Like putting dye in the water,’ I said.

‘Exactly like that, Strongarm. Exactly like that.’

‘Where do we come in?’ asked Lady Hardcastle.

‘As always, I’m a bit short-handed and I rather thought you might keep an eye on a potential meet for me.’

‘Hmm,’ she said. ‘What if we’re spotted? Won’t that make the rest of the mission somewhat problematic? We’re going to struggle to carry on posing as potential purchasers of aeroplanes if we’ve already tipped our hand and revealed that we were working for you all along.’

‘Then don’t get spotted. I thought you were good at this sort of thing. And you’re only in there to trace the leak, anyway. Once we know who’s blabbing, your work at Bristol Aviation will be done.’

‘We’re looking into the murder as well.’

‘Potential manslaughter,’ he corrected. ‘Chances are it’s the same chap – selling secrets and setting Bristol Aviation back while others steal the march. Or catch up, at least.’

‘Hmm,’ she said again. ‘We’d be putting a lot of faith in your hunch, though, wouldn’t we? Once we’ve burned our bridges there, the investigation into the murder stops. If your leaker and your parachute-mangler aren’t the same man, the murderer goes free.’

‘It might just be involuntary manslaughter,’ I said. ‘The test was supposed to be with a dummy, remember? Myrtle Matthews told us. The wrecker might only have intended to spoil the test, not kill anyone.’

‘Even so,’ she said.

‘I take your point, sis,’ said Harry. ‘But if I’m faced with the choice between the safety of the country and catching a killer who might or might not

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