Chapter Ten

Ellie was exhausted. Dealing with paperwork always did that to her. While her husband had been alive, he’d dealt with business matters while she’d run the house for him and Diana. She’d never had expensive tastes, was no gambler, bought most of her clothes in chain stores, had never learned to drive a car — though she’d tried — and didn’t want to move from her neat little semi in the suburbs. The money dear Frank had left her was far more than she’d ever need, and with Bill’s approval she’d put it into a charitable trust fund.

Kate next door, being something of a financial wizard, had joined the board of the trust, and seemed to know by osmosis which of the many applications for funds was genuine and which were not. The second trustee was the Reverend Gilbert Adams, who’d occupied the vicarage locally till the bishop removed him to a larger parish on the other side of London. He always joked that Kate was the head, Ellie was the heart, and he was the soul of the trust; though his wife said that with his large appetite, he was more like the stomach!

Be that as it may, by the time five o’clock arrived and the last piece of business was put to rest, Ellie was exhausted. Gilbert had to rush off for another meeting but Kate stayed on, saying that her babysitter would be keeping Catriona till six.

Ellie realized that she was probably feeling faint because she hadn’t eaten since breakfast — and that seemed a long time ago. Before the dentist, even!

Before . . . lots of things.

Kate stretched out her length, arms above her head, closing her eyes. Then she sat up, looking alert. ‘Now, Ellie. Let’s get down to business.’

Ellie glared. ‘What have we been doing all afternoon?’

‘Oh, that. Not exactly life or death, was it? I’m talking about this nasty business of the bread rolls.’

Ellie lost her composure. ‘Kate, I have had a very tiring day. I haven’t eaten properly since last night, I’ve had a session at the dentist, tried to deal with the fall-out from Aunt Drusilla’s ill-considered match-making, calmed Felicity down when she thought she’d been poisoned, rushed to collect Frank from school because Diana was late, cleared up when he threw up and tried to get my head round matters of high finance all afternoon . . . and you want to talk about dicey bread rolls?’

Ellie didn’t even begin to mention that she’d got up that morning secure in the belief that she was a much valued and sought after woman in Roy’s estimation, and had learned that she came way below Felicity in his league table. That stung, even though she knew it shouldn’t. She wasn’t really jealous of Felicity, was she? No! But there were other things on her mind . . . including Bill, and Thomas . . . don’t think about Thomas.

‘All right,’ said Kate, dimpling. ‘We won’t talk about bread rolls, yet. I suggest we find something for you to eat, and then we can talk.’

Ellie was working herself up into a temper. ‘You say that so easily. “Find something to eat.” I’m tired of “finding something to eat” for all and sundry. In a minute Roy and Felicity will be descending on me, for “something to eat”. I have nothing suitable in the fridge or the freezer, and I’m not putting myself out to cook for you or anyone this evening, right?’

Kate laughed. ‘Good on you, Ellie! Stick to your guns. How about I get Armand to fetch Catriona from the babysitter — he should be home from school about now — and I’ll take a swing by the chippie. One medium piece of fish and a small portion of chips do you?’

‘Too fatty on an empty stomach,’ snapped Ellie. And then managed to smile. ‘Sorry, Kate. How about some Chinese instead? Easier to digest. I’m worried sick, if the truth be told. We’ve all concentrated so hard on bread rolls that I think we’re missing the bigger picture.’

Kate nodded. ‘You’re thinking what I’m thinking? After you told us what happened at church, I got out the notes I made on the poisoning of the dog at the Kingsley’s last year. No one else seems to have made the connection . . . except you.’

‘Felicity worked it out today. It terrified her, as well it might. Oh, here’s some money. Go and get me some food. If the others want some when they arrive, they can phone for a pizza or something.’

Kate departed. Ellie had meant to defrost some meat from the freezer and cook herself a proper meal that evening, but she was too hungry and too tired for that. She made herself a cuppa and wolfed down several chocolate digestive biscuits. She began to feel marginally better.

She attended to the messages on the answerphone. First was Bill. She’d hardly thought about him all day. She felt guilty that she hadn’t called him as he’d asked her to.

‘Ellie, my dear. I’d hoped to hear from you before now, but . . . I know how difficult it can be when you’re looking after Frank . . . what a little scamp he’s turning out to be—’ Ellie thought that only Bill would think of calling Frank ‘a little scamp’ ‘—and I do think it’s about time Diana made proper provision for him to be looked after outside school hours. But that’s not what I was ringing about. I was racking my brains for a little treat for you. How about tea for two at the Ritz? Normally they’re booked up for months ahead, but they’ve a cancellation early tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll pick you up at one, shall I? You won’t need any lunch beforehand, I gather. We’ll leave the car at the station and go up by tube, right? So, unless I hear from you . . . ?’

Very nice, too, thought Ellie. I’ve never had tea at the Ritz before. What shall I wear?

Next was Thomas. ‘Ellie, I’ve been to see Mrs Rivers . . . well, actually she wasn’t in at first, so I had a chat with her husband, and then she returned.’ A sigh came down the line. ‘I didn’t get your message till I got back. What a muddle. I might drop round and see you this evening, if you’re in.’

That made three people looking for someone to cook their supper for them. Tough!

The doorbell rang. Ellie expected to see Felicity and Roy on the doorstep, but it was an unknown middle-aged couple with paperwork in their hands.

‘Are we too early? Our appointment to view was for six o’clock.’

Ellie said, ‘I never buy at the door,’ and considered slamming the door in their faces. She saw the notice she’d put on the door last night had disappeared. It might be wind that had done it. Or it might be Diana, still trying to sell the house.

The couple looked puzzled. ‘Have we come to the wrong house?’

Ellie told herself it wasn’t their fault that they’d been misled. She said, ‘Sorry, this house is not for sale.’

‘Oh, but—’

‘But me no “buts”,’ said Ellie, exasperated beyond the bounds of normal courtesy. ‘This . . . house . . . is . . . not . . . for . . . sale. Go and sue my daughter for trying to force me to sell, if you wish, but don’t bother me again, right?’

So she did slam the door, only to have the bell rung again a minute later. And this time it was Felicity and Roy, both looking exhausted.

‘Ellie, thank heaven you’re in. What a dreadful day,’ said Felicity.

‘The police are idiots,’ said Roy. ‘We had to wait ages to speak to someone above the person on the front desk, and then they didn’t take us seriously.’

Felicity flopped down on the settee in the living room and eased off her shoes. ‘I’m absolutely hollow. Is there anything to eat?’

‘Tea and biscuits,’ said Ellie. ‘And not too many of them, either. Kate’s just gone to fetch me some Chinese food. I could ring her, ask her to bring some for you as well.’

‘I could murder a steak,’ said Roy. ‘How’s about you and I go down to the Carvery, Flick?’

Felicity closed her eyes. ‘Oh, I couldn’t move. I’m totally whacked out. Chinese would be all right, though.’ She opened her eyes again. ‘Ellie, the police think I’m making it all up. You don’t, though, do you?’

‘No, I don’t. And it may be worse than you think,’ said Ellie.

The doorbell rang. Another couple, both women this time, wanting to look at the house.

Ellie didn’t bother with the niceties this time. She said, ‘It’s been sold, already,’ and would have closed the door in their faces, except that she saw Kate getting out of her car, laden with bundles.

Kate said, ‘I bought enough for four or five, just in case.’ She gave an enquiring look at the would-be viewers of the house.

‘Diana’s trying to sell the house over my head,’ explained Ellie.

Kate nodded, knowing Diana of old.

Ellie took the bundles into the kitchen and laid them out on the table. ‘You are brilliant, Kate. Roy, Felicity: see what Kate’s brought. Everyone dig in.’

The doorbell rang again. ‘I’ll go,’ said Kate, and came back with Thomas.

Ellie didn’t meet Thomas’ eye, but gestured for him to draw up a stool and join them at the table. Everyone tucked in, saying ‘Mmm’ now and then. Midge arrived and squawked till he was fed with left-over scraps.

Ellie dished up ice cream and maple syrup for afters. Kate put on the kettle for coffee.

‘I feel better,’ said Felicity. ‘At least, I would feel better if—’

‘That’s what we’re here to discuss,’ said Ellie. ‘Let’s take coffee into the other room. Hardly any washing up, thank goodness.’

Another trip to answer a couple of would-be buyers at the front door. Diana hadn’t had the grace to show up and turn them away . . . what was Ellie going to do about Diana?

‘I’ll speak first, if I may,’ said Thomas, ‘because I’m due at a meeting at eight.’

The cat Midge jumped on to his knee, and he began stroking him. ‘I went to see Mrs Rivers this morning about the rolls. I was trying not to prejudge her but, not knowing any better, I was pretty sure that we’d found the source of the problem. She was out, and her husband was almost hysterical because he kept getting phone calls from people cancelling their orders. He’s severely disabled and they’re making ends meet with difficulty, but he hasn’t applied for any number of grants that he should be getting. I spent some time talking to him about them and promised to send him the forms. Then Mrs Rivers arrived home. An angry woman. She said she’d managed to offload the rest of her rolls at the retirement home and—’

Felicity clapped both hands over her mouth. ‘Oh, oh! I ought to have phoned to warn them not to . . . and I usually call in there on Wednesday afternoons. What was I thinking of? Oh dear! Oh, this is awful!’

Thomas looked up at the ceiling, and Roy looked down at the floor. They wore identical expressions of concealed amusement. Felicity’s mother was infamous for trying to flirt with male visitors. Midge decided to sit on the coffee table so that he could survey everyone from a central viewpoint.

Thomas patted Felicity’s knee. ‘No harm done, if Mrs Rivers’ rolls are on the up and up. It was a kindly thought of yours to get her to take them there.’

‘Yes, but suppose—’ Felicity was beginning to shake again.

‘Stop it!’ said Ellie, in what even she recognized as a fierce voice. ‘What I mean is,’ she said, more quietly, ‘that we all got in a state and didn’t know which rolls were all right this morning. It was all right to over-react then, but we don’t need to worry about it now. Mrs Rivers is in the clear.’

Everyone looked at Ellie with varying shades of doubt and relief. Ellie said to Thomas, ‘Just to fill you in . . . Felicity received a second batch of rolls this morning, which were definitely not from Mrs Rivers. The postman said they were delivered by a woman on a bicycle. Roy, take it from there.’

Roy put his hand on Felicity’s knee — the opposite knee to the one which Thomas had patted. ‘I phoned the police, they told us to go in and make a statement, and to take the suspect rolls with us. We gathered up a few crusts that were all that was left of Mrs Rivers’ bread, and took both lots in. By this time Felicity was convinced that the same person who’d poisoned her husband’s dog last year was now targeting her . . .’

‘The police didn’t believe me!’ said Felicity, shifting her leg so that Roy’s hand fell off. ‘Yet I’m sure I’m right.’

‘Yes, I think you’re right,’ said Ellie. The doorbell rang again. ‘Kate, tell the others why, while I deal with the door.’

This time there were three people at the door; mother, grandmother and small child. ‘So sorry,’ said Ellie. ‘The house has been sold.’

She went upstairs to Frank’s room. Surely she’d seen some chalks there? Ah. Fine. She chalked a notice on the outside of the front door. S.O.L.D. Perhaps that would deter more visitors.

Back in the living room, Kate was talking about the research she’d done for Ellie on poisons and poisoners: ‘. . . and this Mrs Alexis fitted the bill perfectly. Felicity asked me to help her sort out her husband’s affairs, deal with the tax man, keep an eye on his financial portfolio and the properties he owns. I keep all the records in my study next door, so it wasn’t difficult to trace Mrs Alexis’ descent into poverty.

‘I found her rent book easily enough. The house — that’s the house Felicity is living in now — was rented to a Mr Alexis, some twenty years ago when rents were a lot cheaper. Now, of course, a three-bedroom detached house overlooking the park would be astronomical to rent. The rent book gives their jobs at the time they took on the property; he’s down as being manager of a Greek restaurant, and she as part-time cleaner.’

‘Really?’ said Ellie. ‘Who’d have thought it. Her house wasn’t too clean when I saw it.’

‘Cobbler’s children?’ said Kate. ‘She probably hadn’t enough energy to clean her own place after cleaning other people’s all day. Anyway, the rent was paid promptly right up to the time that he died about ten years ago, and after that . . .’ She threw up her hands.

‘I suppose she simply hadn’t enough coming in to pay regularly. And of course the rent was going up all the time. Somehow she managed to keep going until last year when things came to a head. Sir Arthur lost patience and had one of his staff lay her front garden waste as a horrible warning.’

‘I remember that,’ said Thomas. ‘I called and tried to talk to her about it, but she said she didn’t want any help, that she knew what she was doing.’

‘That’s when I called, too,’ said Ellie. ‘She was very odd. Sort of dingy, living in the past, perhaps? Everything in the house was shoddy, depressing. She was no lover of beauty, that’s for sure. She was . . . preoccupied, I suppose is the best way to describe her manner. She couldn’t wait to get rid of me.’ Midge jumped up on to Ellie’s knee, and she let him settle there.

Kate sighed. ‘I suppose she was one of those people who goes over and over things in her mind, building up a head of steam, justifying their actions and not able to see anyone else’s point of view. She probably convinced herself that Sir Arthur deserved to be punished for treating her so badly, although in law . . .’ Kate shrugged.

‘I thought she tried to kill him with a poisoned pizza and missed,’ said Ellie, ‘but by the time we finally got round to looking at her, she’d done a moonlight flit, leaving no address.’

The doorbell rang again. Ellie gave a little scream of rage. ‘I can’t go. I’ve got the cat!’

‘I’ll go, shall I?’ said Roy, and left the room.

Ellie said, ‘If it is the same woman — and of course we can’t be sure about that — I thought she’d left the neighbourhood for good. Sir Arthur was dead, and there didn’t seem any point in pursuing her for killing his dog. It never occurred to me that she’d try to do something similar again. It didn’t even occur to me when people went down with food poisoning at church . . .’

‘Well, it wouldn’t, since you were being accused of it,’ said Kate. ‘But after a while, thinking about it and trying not to see coincidences where they don’t exist, it began to worry me. I started to poke around to see if I could discover where she’d gone. There’s nobody of that name in the telephone book. She’s not on the electoral register anywhere in the borough; though as she moved last autumn she could easily have slipped through the net on that one. I don’t think she’s old enough for a retirement home, and she’s not registered with any cleaning agency . . . you remember she took cleaning jobs before? But I did find—’

Roy erupted into the room, looking furious. ‘Anyone know where that bitch Diana is hiding out? She’s told someone they can have first refusal of this house—’

‘I’ll deal with it,’ said Thomas, and went out with Roy.

Ellie pressed her hands to her cheeks. ‘What am I going to do with Diana?’

Kate said, ‘Get a restraining order on her. It’s the only thing she’ll understand.’

‘But if she breaks it, she could land up in court.’

‘It might be the only means of convincing her she can’t always have her own way.’

Thomas came back in with Roy. ‘Sorted,’ he said, and resumed his seat.

‘Where was I?’ said Kate. ‘Oh, yes. I did some Googling and paid a visit to the back files of the local paper. There’s a report of a Mr G. Alexis being found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage ten years ago almost to the day. It must be the same one. The verdict was accidental death, owing to the garage door having slammed shut on him while he was drinking wine and working on his car.’

Felicity’s mouth made a soundless ‘Oh! In my garage?’

Roy patted her hand. ‘Remember your garage has been completely rebuilt since those days.’

‘You don’t think she murdered him?’ said Thomas, peaking his eyebrows.

Kate shrugged. ‘What do you think?’

‘No proof,’ said Ellie. ‘Anyway, why should she have killed him? I mean, I can understand why she wanted to get back at Sir Arthur, and in a way I can understand why she might want to hurt Felicity, because Felicity is now living in her home, but why kill her husband, who was the breadwinner of the family? Killing the breadwinner meant she eventually had to lose her home. And why poison people at the church? And what about poor Paddy?’

‘Paddy?’ Felicity went white. ‘I know someone called Paddy. Surely, you don’t mean the Paddy who used to be so helpful around our old house? He’s not dead, surely?’

‘Sorry, sorry, I shouldn’t have come out with it like that,’ said Ellie. ‘Yes, he is, but it may have been natural causes. Put your head between your knees. That’s the way.’ She heaved Midge off her lap, and helped Felicity to put her head down.

‘I’m all right,’ said Felicity, after a moment. ‘It’s just that this is all a bit much to take in.’

Thomas was stroking his beard. ‘Aren’t you taking all this too seriously? So, there have been a number of incidents, accidents, call them what you will, connected with this woman. But I can’t believe that she is a serial murderess. I’m forcibly reminded of Typhoid Mary — before your time — who was a carrier of typhoid. People died all around her and everyone thought she’d murdered them. She was hanged for it, and yet she was innocent.’

‘Yes, I know,’ said Ellie, unhappily. ‘It’s just gossip, and coincidence. Too many accidents. Probably. I’ve got nothing to go on. Except that,’ she steeled herself to face derision, ‘I’ve met the woman and although she looks at first sight like a little brown mouse, I can well believe she’s capable of anything!’

No one laughed, as she’d thought they might.

Kate said, ‘I trust Ellie’s instinct.’

Thomas nodded. ‘I trust her instinct, too. If she’s right, then Felicity really is in danger. On the other hand, even if this Mrs Alexis has put something in the rolls today, it may only be laxatives and that’s not enough to justify us crying “Murder!”’

Felicity threw back her shoulders. ‘It was something stronger than laxatives in the pizza which poisoned Arthur’s dog. I realize it may just be laxatives in the second batch of rolls today. But suppose it’s not? Can we take the risk? Anyway, we’ll know for certain when the police analyse them.’

Everyone nodded. Ellie said, ‘And until then? Felicity, will you stay here with me for a few days?’

‘While we gather as much information as we can,’ said Kate.

The doorbell rang again. And whoever was ringing kept his finger on the bell.

Roy cast up his eyes. ‘I’ll go.’

Ellie began gathering coffee mugs together to take out to the kitchen. Thomas looked at his watch, exclaimed that he was late, and got to his feet. There was a lot of shouting going on in the hall, and Roy returned, looking flushed.

‘It’s a couple who were here earlier, insisting that the house is not sold, and that they have every right to—’

Kate said, ‘This time I’m going to deal with it.’ She went out.

Ellie rubbed her forehead. ‘Is it me going mad, or is Diana orchestrating this from somewhere nearby? Perhaps from her car? So many people calling at regular intervals, and some of them returning? This persecution of hers seems utterly trivial but it’s wearing me down. Sooner or later I’m going to have to let them in, aren’t I?’

Thomas looked at his watch again, and said, ‘Roy, let’s see if we can find Diana and tell her to stop it. If Ellie’s right, she’s parked just down the road somewhere. My meeting can wait.’

Roy agreed, and they went out, looking grim-faced.

Felicity had picked up Midge and was hugging him. For once Midge allowed what he would normally regard as an insult. ‘Ellie, what am I going to do?’

‘Stick it out,’ said Ellie. ‘But take precautions.’

‘What precautions?’

Kate returned, laughing. ‘I’ve called up the cavalry. In other words, my beloved husband is out there now. He can shout louder and knows more threatening language than they do! It comes of being a teacher in a tough secondary school, I suppose. Now, Ellie, I don’t think you should stay here tonight. Move in with us? It’s chaotic, what with Catriona tending to wake up at all hours, but . . .’

‘She can stay with me,’ said Felicity, before Ellie could decide what she wanted to do.

‘Good idea,’ said Kate. ‘Now, shall I help you wash up?’

‘I’ll do it,’ said Felicity, as Midge took a flying leap from her arms to the back of the settee.

‘Then I’ll go and put Catriona to bed. Armand always keeps her up far too late. See you in the morning.’

Ellie said, ‘I don’t want to go anywhere.’ She took the mugs to the kitchen, and began piling dirty cutlery and mugs into the dishwasher.

Felicity followed, wrinkling her brow. ‘That hall window of yours hasn’t been mended yet, and Diana isn’t going to give up easily. Suppose she tries something in the middle of the night? Roy put in a good security system at my place. It really would be better if you came to stay with me until you can get the locks changed here and have the window replaced. And it would keep me sane, if you were with me.’

She started stacking the empty Chinese food containers, to put in the dustbin.

Ellie sighed. ‘I hate being driven out of my home.’

‘I feel the same. But my house is like Fort Knox compared to this place at the moment.’

Ellie could see the logic of it. ‘Very well. I’ll come. Thanks.’

Felicity put her arm around Ellie’s shoulders and gave her a hug. ‘And we’ll both go on a diet and lose a couple of pounds and then go shopping, right?’

The front door banged and Roy returned, without Thomas. ‘Diana was in her car just down the road, just as you said. Frank was on the back seat, playing with a computer game. She was encouraging a couple who’d been here earlier, telling them to try the house again. Thomas read the riot act to them and pointed out that what she was doing was fraudulent misrepresentation. The couple scarpered at once, looking scared. Diana tried to object, and Thomas raised his voice to drown her out. She was clutching a clipboard, which I took off her . . . how she squawked!’

He dumped it on the kitchen table. ‘See, this is a list of the people she’s approached. Trying to interest them in this house. She screamed that I was stealing her property, and Thomas told her what she’s been doing tonight is far worse. I’m going to photocopy everything and let her have it back tomorrow. I told her that if there’s any more trouble, her paperwork goes to the police.’ He laughed. ‘I tried to take her mobile phone off her as well, but she screamed fit to pierce your eardrums and Thomas told me not to.’

‘Good for you and good for Thomas,’ said Ellie.

‘He’s just great, isn’t he!’ said Felicity, rinsing her fingers under the tap. ‘And now, Roy, you be on your way. Ellie is going to lock up here and come home with me, because she can’t stay here with that window inadequately boarded over like that. It’s far too easy to smash it in. I have a bad feeling about Diana — pardon me, Ellie, but I do. I can just see her breaking in tonight and getting hold of more keys or vandalizing the place or something. Oh, I don’t know what she’ll do, but I don’t think you ought to be here when she comes.’

Someone used a key to let himself in. Armand from next door, lugging a carrier bag full of school work and a duvet. ‘Kate thinks you shouldn’t sleep here tonight and I agree. I’ll sleep on your settee, look after the house for you. At least I can get my marking done in peace and quiet.’

Behind him came Thomas, smoothing out a grin. ‘Roy, you will make sure Diana gets her property back tomorrow . . . ?’

And behind him came Bill Weatherspoon, icily not amused. ‘Are you having a party, Ellie? Why haven’t you been answering your phone? Don’t tell me you’ve got yourself mixed up in yet another neighbourhood spat?’

For a moment everyone froze, and Ellie registered that her very good friends and neighbours were not best pleased at Bill’s intrusion. Then everyone spoke at once.

‘So sorry, Bill. I had to go to the dentist and then . . .

‘I must rush . . . the meeting must have started . . .’ Thomas disappeared.

Roy waved the clipboard. ‘Diana’s been at it again. Look!’

‘Ellie’s coming to stay with me . . .’

Armand powered his way through to the kitchen and switched on the kettle. ‘OK if I make myself a cuppa, Ellie? And yes, I’ll remember to feed Midge before I doss down for the night.’ Then to Bill, ‘Who are you? Another of Ellie’s men friends?’

Ellie hastened to smooth over what was developing into an awkward situation. ‘Bill, this is my wonderful neighbour Armand, from next door. Armand, this is my very good friend, who is also my solicitor, Bill Weatherspoon.’

‘What is going on?’ Bill’s mouth turned down. ‘Ellie? I told you I’d deal with Diana.’

‘So you did,’ said Ellie, trying for a meek and mild tone, while part of her wanted to scream at him that they were managing perfectly well without his aid . . . though perhaps they weren’t managing all that well, come to think of it. ‘Everything rather got out of hand, Bill, but it’s all settled down now. I’ll tell you all about it when we meet tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it immensely.’

Bill lightened up, and smiled. ‘So that’s all right, then?’

‘It’s more than all right, Bill.’ She was touched by how little it took to make him smile, and took his arm as she walked him to the front door. ‘Thanks for caring, but we really are coping. Roy, you’re on your way out, aren’t you? Your mother will be worrying about you. I’ll be quite safe with Felicity, now.’

Bill managed a kiss on her cheek. Ellie had the impression that Armand might be making faces at Bill behind his back. He could be such a child sometimes!

She eased Roy and Bill out of the front door, and set her back to it. Felicity and Armand were both doubled up with laughter, and she would have joined them if she hadn’t thought it might be disloyal to Bill.

‘A bit po-faced, isn’t it?’ That was Armand.

Felicity said, ‘I know he’s been awfully good and helpful to you. But Ellie, he’ll make you give up all your old friends if you marry him.’

Ellie hadn’t faced that one, and had to concede that Felicity had a point. But she wasn’t going to slag Bill off behind his back. ‘My life would be a lot quieter without you lot dragging me into trouble. Felicity, it won’t take me a minute to throw a few things into a bag. Armand, that cat’s already had plenty to eat so don’t let him fool you.’

They left Armand settling down to his marking, and drove back to Felicity’s. In the dusk her front garden was full of scent from the honeysuckle and roses. Felicity stopped the car just short of the garage. She fingered the gadget which opened the garage doors, but didn’t operate it. Was she scared of using her garage?

‘You’ve made this front garden delightful,’ said Ellie, in encouraging tones.

‘I’m not going to be driven out of it,’ said Felicity. She operated the switch to open the garage door, and drove in. As she opened the front door and let the way into her house, she said, ‘Do you know, you’re the first person I’ve had to stay here with me? Brand-new duvet on brand-new bed. How about that?’

* * *

Mrs Alexis spoon-fed the frail old man. He’d taken a sudden turn for the worse and needed an arm to get to the bathroom now. His appetite was poor, too, but he liked her homemade soups. His daughter Ruby didn’t seem to care whether he lived or died. Of course, a pillow over his face while he slept would put him out of his misery. Easy as pie. But he was more use to his housekeeper alive than dead, wasn’t he?

In fact, she was getting almost fond of him. He was so pathetically grateful for the little she could do for him and it was nice to be appreciated for a change . . . though of course if she didn’t look after him, they both knew that he’d be at the mercy of whatever carers the council might see fit to provide — or worse, have to be packed off to an old people’s home. And what would Ruby do then? Would she sell up, or keep the house — and the housekeeper — on?

Was the house in his name, or that of his daughter? It might be worth finding out.

The housekeeper was looking forward to the next day, when she’d be getting some good news about that stuck-up Kingsley woman. Perhaps when she’d finished feeding the old man, she’d take a spin on the bicycle round by her old house. It wouldn’t do any harm, would it, and she’d like to see how things were developing.