Murdered by Nature

Author:Roderic Jeffries [Roderic Jeffries]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2012-01-27T16:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

Alvarez left the car and walked up the short path to the front door of Ca’n Llop. He opened the door, stepped inside, called out, a small dog barked. The stone walls of the entrada had been plastered, the floor was tiled, the sloping ceiling was beamed. On a small table was a vase in which was a bunch of roses.

María Patera entered, told the dog to be quiet, closed the door behind herself. Plainly featured, she was dressed in a frock which draped, rather than fitted her. He introduced himself, explained the reason for his visit.

‘I know nothing, but will make much of it.’ She smiled as she quoted a local saying.

Her smile erased the suggestion of bitterness which her face held when in repose, the consequence of the uneasy quality of living which life had given her.

They sat in the central room.

‘You want to talk to me? First, you will have a drink? I have only the wine a friend makes and it is not from Rioja.’ Another quick smile.

‘What is better than the wine from a friend?’

She left, returned with an earthenware jug and two glasses, filled one glass, handed it to him.

He drank. Were an oenophile to describe it, tasting of soil would be his mildest comment.

‘I’d like to hear how you got on with the señor and señora. Were they pleasant to you?’

‘Before I went to work there, which I had to do because such jobs have become difficult to find – I was worried because they were foreigners. They would say, do this, why have you not done that? But the señor was kind – ask Manuel – and the señora speaks to me as if to a friend. Perhaps she is not a true foreigner.’

‘Would you think they were happy together?’

‘How could they not be, living in such a home?’

‘Things can be difficult in a palace.’

‘Until he became ill, what was there to worry them?’

‘Perhaps the difference in their ages.’

‘For them, there was none. I have seen them look at each other as a newly married man looks at his bride.’

‘Did she have friends of her own age?’

‘Many.’

‘The señor never objected?’

‘Why should he?’

‘He might have worried she would become too friendly with one of the young men of around her own age.’

‘You think she would have warmed another man’s bed?’

‘It happens.’

‘You understand nothing. Had you seen her tears when the señor died, you would not suggest such an absurdity.’

‘Do you remember a man was found dead in the bay at the beginning of the month?’

‘You think I have the memory of a flea?’

‘Did you read about the scar on his neck and how we hoped someone would identify him because of it?’

‘Now you think I cannot read?’

Since she was only slightly older than he, that would have been possible; until quite recently, some people could only identify themselves with a thumbprint. ‘Did you ever see the man with such a scar at Son Dragó?’

‘No.’ She went through to the kitchen, returned with a glass into which she poured wine for herself.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.