Twice in a Blue Moon by Patricia Moyes

Author:Patricia Moyes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Felony & Mayhem Press
Published: 2021-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“WHAT DID OUR friend Pargeter want, Susan? I shouldn’t have thought he was one of your regulars.” Henry sounded amused.

“He wanted to buy this place at a knock-down price,” I said.

“Did he, indeed? That’s interesting.” Henry sat down next to Emmy. “Hello, darling. Had a good day?”

“Not bad,” said Emmy. “I went for a long walk this morning and then had tea with Isobel Thompson. I did my best to get a bit more out of her, but I think she’s told us all she knows. How did you get on?”

“Susan will have told you about Prothero, I expect,” Henry said. “As for Tredgold…well, let’s have a drink first.”

Soon the four of us were all sitting at the table, with a bottle of wine between us, and Henry said to Reynolds, “What did you think of Mr. Tredgold, Derek?”

“Not much at all, if I’m to be frank.” Reynolds sipped his wine. “I don’t believe he kept this place on just to help his old superior officer. I think he’s got about as much generosity in him as an electronic calculator.”

“I thought he was rather nice,” I said.

“Well, forgive me for saying so, Miss Susan, but in the force we may have a bit more experience in judging people than you have.”

“We get quite good at it in the hotel business too.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Susan. I didn’t mean to—”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, drop the ‘Miss.’ My name is Susan.” I turned to Henry. “What did you think?”

Henry said, “I agree with Derek. I think he protested too much.”

“And he must have been lying, Henry,” said Emmy.

Henry grinned at her. “You spotted that, did you, darling?”

“Well, I didn’t spot anything,” I admitted. “And Emmy wasn’t there when you interviewed him. Did Mrs. Thompson…?”

“You tell her,” said Henry. He sat back and took a drink of wine.

“It’s very simple,” said Emmy. “You told us, Susan, that Mr. Tredgold had taken on the lease of The Blue Moon when he heard that his old army friend had fallen on hard times. But in fact, he took over almost immediately after Mrs. Gardiner’s death, when your uncle was still a rich man.”

I wrinkled my brow, trying to remember. “Actually,” I said, “I don’t believe that’s quite what he said. James may remember better than I do, but I think he said that he had kept on the lease after Uncle Sebastian lost his money, not that he had taken it on.”

Henry and Emmy exchanged disappointed glances. “Ah, well,” said Henry, “so much for a nice little theory. But I’d still like to know why he decided to run a pub, when his real interest was a textile factory in the Midlands.”

“Oh, I remember now. Of course. He said he was semi-retired and had his house in Medenham, and he felt sorry for Great-uncle Sebastian, losing his wife and Pargeter walking out on him. And The Blue Moon was doing quite well then.”

“I still don’t think he was telling the truth,” Reynolds said stubbornly.

“Perhaps not. But that doesn’t make him a murderer.

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