The Blue Santo Murder Mystery (American Queens of Crime Book 4) by Margaret Armstrong

Author:Margaret Armstrong [Armstrong, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Pepik Books
Published: 2015-10-18T07:00:00+00:00

13

Pierce had felt a little sorry for Steve. He felt ten times as sorry for Rosalie. Bustard evidently shared Pierce’s feeling of compassion. His manner verged on the fatherly, as he said:

“I’m sorry to intrude, ma’am, and I won’t keep you a moment longer’n I can help. Just let me have your name, age and place of residence, and your relationship to the deceased.”

She got through these questions steadily enough. But when Bustard came to more intimate details, her voice shook. It was with an effort that she explained:

“I did not live with my cousin. I only spent the holidays at her house. My parents are dead and, until lately, I have been at boarding school.”

“Were you her guest on this Western trip?”

“Oh yes. I have no money of my own. Cousin Louisa paid for me at St. Timothy’s and gave me a dress allowance, and she never forgot my birthday. I-I was very grateful to her.”

“Were you pleased when she asked you to come West with her?”

“I was delighted. It seemed too marvellous that I was going to see the West at last! Of course – I never imagined – never imagined that our trip would – would end in such a dreadful, dreadful way!”

“It sure was an awful mean way for a lady to come to her death, ma’am. Do you reckon it was the pearls the murderer was after?”

“I suppose so. Though it seems incredible that anybody could be so wicked.”

“There’s plenty bad men around, ma’am, even out here in our great Western country. But more’n likely this feller followed you all from New York. You didn’t notice any suspicious characters hanging about whilst you was travelling, I suppose?”

“I don’t recall anything of the sort. Nobody on the train could have known we had the pearls. They were in my cousin’s jewel case and Marie always carried that herself.”

“Marie?”

“My cousin’s maid, Marie Leclair. She died suddenly, soon after we arrived here, from an overdose of sleeping medicine.”

Bustard nodded. “I remember. Dr Sylvestro phoned us everything was OK and we didn’t need to investigate. What about after you got here? Noticed anyone acting queer here in Tecos?”

“No, except that my cousin had a fright not long ago.” She turned to Pierce. “I told you about that.”

“You had better tell Mr Bustard too,” Pierce said.

So Rosalie described that first strange visit to Governor Dane’s house and her own subsequent search.

“I’ll have a talk with that lot on the off-chance. Now, Miss Colbrook, only one more question: What terms would you say the deceased and her husband was on? Would you say they was a happy couple?”

“Why – I suppose so...” Rosalie hesitated.

“Did you ever hear any spatting?”

“They – they sometimes had arguments,” Rosalie acknowledged.

“The day that Mr Pine arrived here – he didn’t come West with us, but later – something must have happened to annoy him, for he seemed rather cross. But Cousin Louisa wasn’t... Oh, it seems so unkind to say it... but Cousin Louisa wasn’t easy to live with.

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