Murder in Fulbridge Village: A 1920s Mystery (Henry Fleming Investigates) by Jay Gill

Author:Jay Gill [Gill, Jay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Visit www.jaygill.net
Published: 2022-07-23T16:00:00+00:00

The pair sat at a picnic blanket on the tranquil bend of a river. Willow trees draped their branches into the slow-moving water. A grey heron stood motionless in the shallows as it waited for fish to swim too close. A kingfisher flashed low across the water like an electric blue dart. In the distance, boys and girls swung from a rope tied to a branch that overhung the river while, further on, another group jumped from a bridge into the water, daring one another to somersault and flip.

Mrs Olivia Bennett was a handsome woman, although not a natural beauty like Valerie Toussaint. She worked a little harder to accentuate her fine qualities. Her attractiveness was mostly hidden behind a tough veneer and forthright demeanour and was only revealed when the facade slipped and she accidentally smiled.

‘Won’t you have a piece of carrot cake, Henry?’ She slid a large slice in front of him before he had time to answer. ‘You don’t mind me calling you Henry, do you? Mr Fleming seems so formal.’

‘Henry’s absolutely fine. The cake looks delicious. I can manage a little. After all, you went to so much trouble.’ He tasted the cake and made the appropriate appreciative noises. Putting down his cake fork, he said, ‘There’s the possibility that a terrible miscarriage of justice could befall our good friend Lily.’

‘I couldn’t agree more, Henry. How can I help?’

Fleming felt sure Mrs Bennett would skirt around the subject unless he was direct. ‘When did you first become aware of your husband’s infatuation with Valerie Toussaint?’

Olivia hardly flinched. ‘Like most men, Keith’s head is easily turned. It’s happened since the dawn of time. It’s not his fault. She was… Under the circumstances, I’d rather not give my honest opinion. In Keith’s head, he thought it was something more than it was. In his naivety, he actually told her how he felt. The fool was shattered when she rejected him. His male ego crushed underfoot like a cigarette butt.’

‘As painful as it was for him, I’m sure you were equally hurt when you found out?’

‘Of course I was hurt. We made a commitment to one another.’ She needlessly shuffled the cutlery in the picnic basket. ‘His foolish declaration was many months ago. We’re over it now.’

‘How did you find out?’ Fleming asked.

‘She told me.’ Olivia’s lower lip quivered. ‘I cringe when I think of it. For all his failings, I love Keith dearly. I know him better than he knows himself.’

‘How did Keith react to be being turned down?’

‘He didn’t become maniacal and harm her, if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘You know that for certain?’

‘Well… no. But you’ve met the man. He’s harmless. A gentle soul. I’ve often thought Keith’s like a tortoise. When things get stormy or uncertain, he pulls his head in and hides. He retreats into his shell until he senses the coast is clear.’

‘How did he react to her murder? When I met him, he appeared to have put a brave face on things.’

‘That’s Keith, through and through.

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