“As to shooting Manon Vinet, of course she could have done. Anyone who could wield a shotgun as she could, could certainly manage a handgun. I’d say she saw the Vinet woman at the hotel and for old times’ sake had a little drink with her, then suggested a little walk. Shot her on the beach.”

Tom grunted. “That’s possible. But then what about Moira Quinn? She was only the Summerstons’ maid. I suppose pregnant maid, as it turns out.”

“Eleanor was so convinced of her husband’s egalitarianism, and she knew of his special fondness for maids, maybe she suspected …”

“That doesn’t sound likely, though,” said Tom.

“And she was there at the same time Manon Vinet was there. Lady Summerston could have feared that she’d discovered that relationship.”

Tom shook his head. “Aren’t both of you ignoring the obvious?”

Jury and Plant exchanged looks. “Such as?”

“The white swan. Flora Flood.”

When both of them just stared at him, Tom said, “Flora Flood was the one holding the gun, after all. Wouldn’t she have had even more reason than Eleanor Summerston to kill Tony Servino? She adored Gerald and hated Tony for leaving her for Daisy. Flora is not a person to accept rejection.”

“But the second shot—” said Melrose.

“She takes a few steps back toward the French door and fires the gun again and then claims an “intruder.”

“But Bryher? Why didn’t police suspect her?”

“For what reason? What was her motive for shooting Manon Vinet? What it was, of course, was the baby; but police had no knowledge of that. She feared that Manon would expose Gerald Summerston, and Flora couldn’t have that any more than could her aunt.”

“And you think,” said Jury, “she also shot Moira Quinn?”

“Yes. She probably knew that Summerston was Moira Quinn’s lover, too.”

“But he was a sick man in his seventies,” said Melrose.

Tom’s laugh was a short bark. “How sick do you have to be and since when has age ever stopped a man as sexually obsessed as Gerald Summerston? How many women did Summerston seduce? By her own admission, Eleanor Summerston had to let a maid go because she showed too much interest in Gerald, and Betsy Quinn seconded that. And those were only two they knew about. How many over the years could there have been that Eleanor didn’t know about? He was a man of unquenchable thirst and no more control over it than a raging alcoholic. A sex addict. No woman was out of bounds.”

“Including Flora Flood?”

“Absolutely including Flora Flood. I think she was in love with Summerston and I think Eleanor suspected it and it put her in a hell of a bind. After all, she could fire the maids and the kitchen help; but she could hardly throw out her own niece. Also, she was probably never sure about Flora.”