Dalgliesh had no difficulty in remembering what she had said at the end of the interview. He had always had almost complete recall of a conversation and a glance at his notes brought her words clearly to mind:

“I’m probably the only member of the household who expressed dislike of Rhoda Gradwyn. I made it plain to Mr. Chandler-Powell that I thought it undesirable for a journalist of her reputation to be treated at the Manor. People who come here expect not only privacy but absolute discretion. Women like Gradwyn are always on the lookout for stories, preferably scandal, and I have no doubt she would have used her experience here in some way, perhaps to inveigh against private medicine or the waste of a brilliant surgeon on purely cosmetic procedures. With a woman like that, no experience goes unused. She probably expected to recoup the cost of her treatment. I doubt whether the inconsistency that she herself was a private patient would have troubled her. I suppose I was influenced by my disgust at much that appears in our popular press and transferred that revulsion to Gradwyn. However, I didn’t kill her, and I have no idea who did. I would hardly have expressed my dislike of all she stood for so plainly if I’d had murder in mind. I can’t grieve for her; it would be ridiculous to pretend that I could. She was, after all, a stranger. But I do feel a strong resentment against the killer for the harm he will do to the work here. I suppose Gradwyn’s death justifies my warning. It was an ill day for everyone at the Manor when she came here as a patient.”

Mogworthy, whose voice and demeanour had been pitched one degree short of what could reasonably be described as dumb insolence, confirmed his sighting of the car but was unable to remember anything more about the vehicle or its occupants but, when called on by Benton and DC Warren, Mrs. Ada Denton, a plump, comely and unexpectedly young woman, had said that Mr. Mogworthy had indeed shared a supper of haddock and chips, as he did most Friday nights, but had left just after half past eleven to cycle home. She did think it was a sad business that a respectable woman couldn’t share a fish-and-chip supper with her gentleman friend without the police coming round to bother her, a comment which DC Warren thought was intended for Mogworthy’s later benefit rather than out of rancour. Her final smile at Benton as they left had made it clear that he was exonerated from criticism.

It was time to summon Kate and Benton. He arranged more logs on the fire and picked up his mobile.

Chapter 15

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