‘Wine downtime,’ I announced as we got out of the car and Toby made a dash into the house to check on dinner.
The kitchen smelt as delicious as his arms looked when they tensed under the weight of the cast-iron pot he was lifting out of the oven.
‘Yummee!’ I exclaimed. Then, just as I turned to go upstairs, in need of a pee, Lucy’s landline rang.
‘Hello?’
‘Susie dear?’
‘Oh, hi Daniel.’
‘I hope I’m not disturbing you?’
‘No, not at all.’ I looked at Toby. He was staring straight through me, his inscrutable face suggesting he might be a teeny-weeny bit jealous of Daniel’s communication with me.
‘I wanted to thank you for making me confess.’ Daniel sounded full of glee. ‘I’m no longer a key suspect.’
‘That’s great news, I’m so pleased for you.’
‘Have you heard?’ he said.
‘Heard what?’ I asked knowing it was indiscreet of me to be talking down Lucy’s telephone like this, but she wasn’t here so, for the time being, it was safe enough.
‘The investigators found a blond hair on the lampshade in Hailey’s room so that’s narrowed it down to Archie or Primrose apparently.’
‘Archie or Primrose?’ I exclaimed. ‘I’m very surprised they told you that.’
‘Archie told me. He was called to the station on account of his hair colour and as I’m fortunately not blond I’m no longer a key suspect.’
‘I see,’ I said with the thought that Daniel was wasting my time. I had blonde hair and no one had called me in.
‘I tell you Susie, it wasn’t Archie.’
‘You think it was Primrose?’ I retaliated.
‘I like to presume Hailey died of natural causes and that the hair is a false lead, although a most mysterious revelation.’
‘Daniel,’ I said, responsibility having got the better of me, ‘I think I should give you my mobile number for future calls. This telephone belongs to the girl I’m lodging with.’
‘I’m awfully sorry about that. Archie told me where you were staying so I looked up the number in the book. I never presumed you weren’t in your own digs. Not to worry though, I’m leaving Norfolk, off on a trip to Sicily at the end of the week so you won’t be hearing from me again.’
‘Never?’ I said sarcastically.
‘Never say never! But farewell for now.’
He hung up, leaving no time for me to say goodbye or work out why on earth he’d stayed at Fontaburn so long. Blimey, I thought, perhaps Archie and Daniel really are more than just good friends.
‘That’s a hotline to you,’ said Toby as I replaced the receiver.
‘It was Daniel again.’
‘What did he want?’
‘He told me a blond hair had been found on Hailey’s lampshade and therefore Archie and Primrose are now the only key suspects.’
‘And you?’ he said without missing a beat. ‘On account of the hair colour?’
‘It’s absurd.’ I pulled a chair out from the table and sat down. ‘I reckon he just wanted to tell me again that Archie didn’t do it.’
‘I reckon this investigation is going to end up driving you nuts.’
‘But why did Daniel ring me?’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Toby rested his hand on my shoulder, ‘I hate to see it having a negative effect on you. Please don’t let Daniel get inside your head, he sounds like a pain.’
I looked up, as nice as Toby’s words were they didn’t stop my mind racing.
‘Maybe Archie was in Hailey’s room and if he was then it must have been Stanley who set off the alarm. But, why?’
‘Come on, let’s have a nice evening and stop this getting the better of you. It’s not your responsibility to solve it.’
I stood up, Toby’s hand withdrew, and I did my very best to reassure him. ‘I’ll stop tying myself in knots and put it out of my mind.’
It was insincere of me to say this as, deep down inside, I knew I had to keep all the clues in the forefront of my mind if I was going to solve Hailey’s murder.
When I scampered upstairs saying ‘I’m just nipping to the loo,’ I had every intention of shutting myself in my bedroom and telephoning Sergeant Ayari.
‘Thanks for calling, Susie,’ came Sergeant Ayari’s mellifluous tone. ‘I’m still in the office and will be for a long time yet.’
‘I thought I should tell you that I spoke to Daniel today.’ I wanted my feigned honesty to strengthen her trust in me.
‘That’s very good of you to ring and tell me.’
‘He told me the investigators found a blond hair on the lampshade in Hailey’s room.’
‘Mr Furr Egrant is absolutely right, but it hasn’t ruled out any individuals thus far.’
‘But I have blonde hair…’ Sergeant Ayari didn’t know me nearly well enough to see through the panic in my voice. It had the desired effect, her discretion was compromised and she reassured me, ‘The hair had Mr Wellingham’s and Mrs Gerald’s DNA on it.’
‘How strange.’
‘Not if Mrs Gerald ruffled Mr Wellingham’s hair at any point over the course of the evening, or vice versa. However, the main focus of our investigation is on the concentration of oxalate in Miss Dune’s system. Only once we get to the heart of this might supplementary information such as a stray hair come into play.’ Sergeant Ayari’s fine manner of outer professionalism and inner friendliness brought our conversation to a natural end.
I hung up and went to join my wine glass and Toby on the bench outside. He’d kicked off his shoes and his bare feet were tickling Red-Rum’s tummy. It made me happy to see how at ease he was.
‘Don’t you just love an English summer?’ he said. ‘It’s the perfect temperature at this time of night.’
‘Isn’t it?’ I smiled, glad he hadn’t asked why I’d taken my time. ‘Were you born in the West Country?’
‘Yup, so I haven’t moved far.’
‘Well you have no need to move, it’s a beautiful part of the world. I grew up in London but never wanted to settle there.’
‘You say that, but sometimes I wonder if I’m missing out on a change of scene. I dream of quitting my job and moving abroad for a bit.’
‘Oh,’ I said with a shortness of breath. This wasn’t good news for our potential relationship. ‘Anywhere in particular?’
‘Europe maybe or America, I’ve never been there.’
‘Do you speak another language?’
‘Nope so I guess America would be a good option.’
I smiled and my thoughts drifted to a conversation I’d had with Hailey about moving abroad. I still couldn’t believe she’d quit her law training to come to London and find an English husband.
‘American girls love English men,’ said Toby smugly. ‘I’d have a fine time in their country.’
‘You’d have to love them too,’ I joked.
‘Only for a bit, I think I could do that.’
I gave him a reproachful look.
‘You could come too,’ he said.
‘Is that an offer?’
‘It’d be fun. We’d get a Winnebago, you’d bring your paints and I’d drive us across the continent. Think of the wonders we would see.’
‘The Kentucky Derby.’
‘The Bonneville Salt Flats.’
‘Grand Canyon.’
And so it went on, Toby and I travelling across America in our minds…
‘Hoover Dam.’
‘Death Valley.’
‘Golden Gate Bridge!’ we both exclaimed.
‘How could you refuse?’
‘I’m in,’ I said wishing it were true.
‘Oh God!’ Toby jumped up and dashed into the kitchen, Red-Rum scampering after him. ‘Bugger! Bugger! Bugger!’
He reappeared with a wine bottle in his hand and a grubby tea towel over his shoulder. ‘I’ve overcooked the rice. It’s a mushy mess with a burnt bottom.’
I consoled him, ‘It’s too hot for rice anyway,’ and stood up offering to make a green salad instead. As I pushed past him, he didn’t even try to move out of the way. It was as if he wanted our bodies to touch – and the sensation was electrifying. Maybe tonight would be our night…