No sooner had Alexandra put the phone down, having seen Hamish’s Citroën coming up the drive, than Abbie had a call from Lucy Lint. Lucy was crying and gulping down the phone and saying she’d got home from her therapist to find someone had broken into her house and stolen her photographs of Ned and her address book and diary.
‘What else did they steal?’ asked Abbie.
‘Nothing,’ said Lucy. ‘Isn’t that enough? To steal what’s nearest and dearest to me, at a time like this.’
‘Are there signs of a break-in?’ asked Abbie.
‘Nothing,’ said Lucy. ‘That’s what’s so weird. Just Marmalade acting peculiar, miaowing and rubbing up against me. I’m sure he’s trying to tell me something. You know Ned gave me Marmalade? He’s all I have left of him. No, that’s wrong. His spirit is with me. He’s in my heart, in my being. Leah said today she felt his presence in me very clearly.’
‘That’s nice,’ said Abbie. ‘Are you sure you didn’t just put the books somewhere else? It’s the kind of thing one does. And you’ve been so upset. You could have taken down the photos yourself. Have you looked everywhere?’
‘The books were on the table when I left,’ said Lucy. ‘I’ll swear they were. But I suppose I could be wrong.’
‘Or perhaps you took them with you in the car,’ said Abbie. ’And if they were on your lap or something, and when you got out at Bristol they might have fallen out. That once happened to me with my Filofax.’
‘I suppose it could be,’ said Lucy. ‘And I do rotate the photographs, it’s true. I could have taken them down and not put the others up. I’m so upset I don’t know what I’m doing any more. The air in my lovely little house was all shaky from spite and malice, I’m sure it was. You don’t think Alexandra got in? She is such a hating person. Why should she live and Ned die? There’s no justice in the world at all.’
‘Now, Lucy,’ said Abbie, ‘all this is total paranoia. It’s guilt speaking, because you used to snoop around in The Cottage from time to time. Ned was Alexandra’s, after all. He isn’t really yours to mourn. She was his wife.’
‘How dare you say such a thing!’ cried Lucy Lint. ‘Leah says Ned and I were married in heaven: we were old souls reunited at last in this life. Leah realised that the moment she met Ned. She says Alexandra was the cross Ned had to bear: Dave was my cross. Apparently we all have them. What have I got to be guilty about? Nothing! Why are you all so horrid to me? You used to be on my side.’
‘Lucy,’ said Abbie. ‘Now calm down. I think perhaps you tend to remember what you’d like to remember, not what really happened. You must be careful what you say. We don’t want anyone to be more upset than they are already.’
‘Don’t we?’ shrieked Lucy Lint. ‘Well perhaps I’m sick of bearing things alone. Perhaps I’m tired of being the one good person round here. If I don’t get my address book and diary back I’m going to pull the plug on Alexandra Ludd. Stuck-up bitch!’