Daisy Dalrymple 12 - Die Laughing by Carola Dunn

Author:Carola Dunn [Dunn, Carola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Historical
ISBN: 1849017077
Google: llbCa-1twEwC
Amazon: B0057O36NM
Goodreads: 677161
Publisher: Robinson
Published: 2002-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

14

She’s right, darling, don’t you think?” Daisy led the way downstairs. From above, her shingled head looked like a bronze chrysanthemum, Alec thought. He recalled how she had jammed her hat down over her head when she had her hair cut short, for fear he’d hate it. Her next words, however, were of a kind to dispel tender memories:”If Major Walker discovered his wife was having an affaire with Raymond Talmadge, he’d burst a blood vessel. At least, I’ve only met him a couple of times, but he struck me as a bit of a fire-eater.”

“You’re assuming Gwen Walker is the woman in question. All we have is an unsubstantiated and unattributed rumour provided by a noted scandalmonger, and an address Mrs. Talmadge herself admits she may have misread.”

“But they coincide.”

“I shall have to go and see her,” Alec conceded with a sigh. “No sign of Creighton?” he asked Mackinnon as they reached the hall.

“I reckon he’s stuck in traffic, sir. Likely he’s not the sort to take the Tube.”

“Most unlikely,” said Daisy. “Well, that clears up one puzzle, at least.”

Though Alec recognized a tactic intended to lead to a discussion of her theories of the crime, he asked, “What puzzle is that?”

“I’ve been wondering why, when she so obviously didn’t want people to know about the gas-sniffing, she led me right to the surgery.”

“That’s a good point. What’s the answer?”

“She was so distraught after saying good-bye to Lord Henry forever, she just wasn’t thinking clearly. Of course, that’s assuming she actually did tell him it was all over.”

“You still suspect she made it up?”

“I don’t know about that, but I’ll tell you something I’m quite sure she made up. I don’t believe for a moment that she and Lord Henry spent well over an hour sitting on a bench in Regent’s Park, with or without umbrellas!”

“No,” Alec agreed.

“We might find the taxi man who brought her home, sir,” said Mackinnon. “Then we’d know where he picked her up, and if there was a gentleman with her then.”

“It’s worth a try. Get on to it when we finish here, will you? But I can’t help thinking that if they were murdering Raymond Talmadge, both together or either with the other’s knowledge, they would have done a better job coordinating alibis! I wonder what they were doing?”

“I bet they were—” Mackinnon cut himself off, his face turning scarlet as he glanced shamefacedly at Daisy.

“You could be right, Sergeant,” she said. “It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they went to a hotel for a final fling.”

Mackinnon gazed at Daisy with mingled embarrassment and awe. Apparently she had read his mind.

The last thing Alec needed was another detective officer who believed Daisy to be infallible! Suppressing a groan, he said, “I suppose it would explain why neither of them wants to admit where they were. And even if it’s not true, the possibility gives me a point of attack when Creighton gets here. You don’t mind walking home, do you, Daisy? Your umbrella’s in the car.

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