Troubled Waters by Elizabeth Lemarchand

Author:Elizabeth Lemarchand [Lemarchand, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781913028084
Publisher: Sapere Books
Published: 2019-04-13T04:00:00+00:00

On the way back to Littlechester Pollard found himself thinking more about the Fordyces than the clearly eccentric Mrs Rawlings. By now he felt quite certain that James Fordyce had had no previous plan to go into Littlechester that day. He had simply seized on a pretext to avoid being interviewed at home. Did this mean not only that he was aware of his wife’s curiosity but also that he had something highly confidential to say about Edward Tuke? Then there was that odd little gasp of astonishment she had given on hearing of his intentions. Was it just surprise, or could it have been dismay at the prospect of the police coming to the house yet again? It was difficult to see how she herself could in any way be involved in Tuke’s death, but she might be anxious on her husband’s account. Or was she just a silly little ass who overreacted emotionally to everything that happened? Sooner or later she would have to be interviewed herself as Tuke had actually come to the house and met her, however briefly, on two separate occasions. But after James Fordyce, the vital person on the list was, of course, Mrs Kenway-Potter, and how long were they going to be held up for the medicos to give the all clear?

‘I suppose there couldn’t be anything in that old bag’s rigmarole,’ Toye said suddenly. ‘About Tuke and the longstone, and Bolling and the notice.’

‘Not possibly, you know, as far as Tuke goes because of the timing. After Mrs Rawlings cleared off he went to see the room he was having that night. Then he drove into Littlechester — say a good half-hour as he didn’t know the road. He probably had a stroll round before going into the Cathedral, and then that quite lengthy chat with Canon Allbright before starting for Woodcombe again. He was back at the Green Man at a quarter to five, Tom Wonnacott’s statement says. So any excavating up at the longstone before he saw Fordyce is out. And I refuse to believe that he tackled it and got the stone down afterwards, still allowing enough time to get to the Manor at seven, presumably having cleaned up first. And we agree that the state Bolling was in when he got back rules him out, although I admit we’ve no absolute proof that he didn’t somehow get along to the notice and pull it up... Curious type, Mrs Rawlings. I can see her as a sort of rabble-rouser, making impossible things sound quite plausible.’

‘Do you think she believes that old yarn about the stone having a face?’

‘Could be. Wasn’t it the White Queen in Alice Through The Looking Glass who believed six impossible things before breakfast? We’ll be in in five minutes, and we’ll damn well have some elevenses before we ring the place where Fordyce is working — or says he is.’

This programme was satisfactorily carried out, and half an hour later James Fordyce was announced by a constable.

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