‘Maybe,’ Barney Poulton insinuated, ‘the police will only take action if someone tells them there’s a suspicion of foul play …?’

‘Some public-spirited local resident?’

Unaware of the sarcasm in Jude’s voice, the Sage of Fethering replied, ‘Yes. Exactly.’

He and Frankie looked at each other intently. Jude reckoned they were assessing which one of them would take on the role of ‘public-spirited local resident’.

But Frankie hadn’t yet finished with her condemnation. She looked firmly at Jude, as if she had already won Carole round to her way of thinking. ‘And do you know why I’m sure that Malee arranged Bill’s death?’

‘No. And I would like to know, because all the arguments you’ve come up with so far have been—’

‘I’ll tell you why I know,’ Frankie interrupted.

‘Why?’

‘Because, when she saw Bill’s body in the workshop … she didn’t shed a single tear.’

TWELVE

‘Who is this?’

Since she’d phoned Adrian’s mobile, she’d expected him to answer it, so was surprised to hear a female voice.

‘Oh, is that Gwyneth?’

‘Yes.’

‘It’s Carole Seddon.’

Was there a slight hesitation before the ‘Hello’?

‘I wanted to speak to Adrian.’

‘Yes, of course. Well, he’s not here at the moment. He’s doing some shopping for me. And left his phone at home again. I’m afraid Adrian has never really bonded properly with mobiles.’

‘They still don’t feel entirely natural to our generation, do they?’

‘Certainly not to his generation.’ There was a sharpness in the response. Gwyneth’s disability had blinded Carole to the age difference, but when she thought about it, she realized that Adrian could be as much as fifteen years older than his wife.

‘Well, if you could just ask him to give me a call …’

‘Of course.’

‘On the landline would be best. He’s got both my numbers.’

‘I’m sure he has,’ said Gwyneth.

Which, after she’d finished the call, Carole thought was rather an odd thing to say.

Adrian didn’t get back to her that day, and her going to Starbucks the following morning had, she told herself firmly, nothing to do with the possibility of seeing him. She was, nonetheless, quite gratified when he did appear at the table where, only a few minutes before, she’d sat down with her Americano.

‘Hello, stranger,’ he said. ‘May I join you?’

‘Of course,’ she said. ‘And less of the “Hello, stranger”. You’re the one who’s been proving elusive.’

His brow furrowed in puzzlement. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean you didn’t return my call.’

‘What call?’

‘Oh? Didn’t Gwyneth tell you?’

‘You rang Gwyneth? On the landline?’

‘No, I rang your mobile and she answered it.’