Then There Were ... Two Murders? by P.C. James

Author:P.C. James [James, P.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: James Gang Publishing
Published: 2021-08-06T22:00:00+00:00

20

WINNING OVER INSPECTOR PRINGLE?

“Inspector Pringle,” Pauline said, as she was shown into his office at the Morpeth headquarters after leaving Poppy. “I hope you don’t mind me dropping in like this after what you said last time I was here, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the deaths of those two elderly ladies, particularly that of Mrs. Elliott, who requested my help.”

Pringle’s expression was as unwelcoming as she’d expected but he asked her to sit down, and Pauline felt that was a good start. He hadn’t thrown her out without listening, after all.

“What is it you wanted to say, Miss Riddell,” he said, when she was seated.

“Well,” Pauline began, “it’s like this. I can’t believe Mrs. Elliott committed suicide and that leads me to wonder who benefits. There’s only her daughter and husband. I wondered if you’d considered this?”

“We have to consider all possibilities, Miss Riddell, and we have considered them,” he said, “including the unlikely ones you are continually raising.”

“Is it so unlikely though?” Pauline persisted. “They’re not rich and coming into Mrs. Elliott’s estate sooner rather than later must have been blessing for them, don’t you think?”

“But they weren’t really poor either, Miss Riddell,” Pringle replied, “and very few people murder their parent to get an inheritance early.”

“But you have looked into it?” Pauline asked.

“We looked into the possibility, yes,” Pringle said. “They were together, at their home, at the time Mrs. Elliott died and there’s nothing in their backgrounds that would suggest murderous tendencies.”

“I am glad,” Pauline said. “That will save me a lot of work.”

“You shouldn’t be doing any ‘work’ on this, Miss Riddell. It’s a police matter.”

“She was my client, Inspector. I can’t let her death release me of all responsibility toward her.”

“She was not your client Miss Riddell. You have no need to do anything on her behalf. She is beyond your help now,” Pringle said severely.

“Are you so convinced it was suicide, Inspector?” Pauline asked, deciding not to correct his mistaken understanding of what she considered a contract.

“I was skeptical at first, I admit,” Pringle said, “but with every passing day I become surer it was suicide, however unusual the circumstances.”

“Is your look into the background of the beneficiaries part of that growing belief, Inspector?”

“Miss Riddell,” he said firmly now, “I’m not going to tell you private details of their lives any more than I would tell them about your private life. Suffice to say, they are both what they seem. Ordinary, decent people struggling with life as it is in the aftermath of a horrific war. There’s nothing to suggest anything more. Now, good day. I have work to do.”

Pauline left the building and headed back to her car, parked opposite the building. She was pleased with the results of her first effort. It didn’t entirely convince her that her two suspects were innocent but there didn’t seem to be a large dark secret waiting to be revealed for it sounded like the police hadn’t found one. But her continued pressing would surely keep the police looking too.

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.