Dying for a Garden Party

by V L McBeath

  Eliza chuckled. “I imagine they’ll be practising taking afternoon tea and talking about the cricket. I don’t think they take it too seriously.”

  “Dr Thomson does.”

  “Exactly, which is why he’s better than most of them. He’s too competitive for his own good sometimes.” Eliza stared across at the pavilion but when she saw nothing of interest, she turned her attention back to the path ahead. “Is that Mrs Petty?” She pointed towards a small woman who wore a large hat and was limping from the post office with an elaborate walking stick.

  “I can’t see her face, but it certainly looks like one of her hats. What’s she done?”

  Without a word to each other, Eliza and Connie increased their pace and caught up with the woman.

  “Mrs Petty, what on earth have you been doing?” Connie said. “We’ve been worried about you since we didn’t see you in church.”

  A sheepish grin spread across the old woman’s face. “I had a bit of an accident and my neighbour took pity on me and invited me to stay with her for the day.”

  “What sort of accident? Why didn’t you call to see Dr Thomson?” Eliza said.

  “Oh, it’s nothing really, just a sprained ankle.” She lowered her voice and leaned in towards them. “I fell off my stepladders.”

  Eliza’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my goodness. What were you doing on your stepladders? You need to get someone in to help you.”

  “I don’t think they could have helped me with this.”

  Eliza raised an eyebrow and Mrs Petty continued. “I was testing a theory. I was interested in the garden party and so I wondered if I could see the visitors from my back garden.”

  “Your garden doesn’t go anywhere near Oak House,” Connie said.

  “Maybe not, but I had the idea that if I put the steps at the end of the garden, I’d be able to see over the hedges.”

  The corners of Eliza’s mouth curled up. “But you fell off.”

  Mrs Petty sighed. “I did, but not before I confirmed that I could indeed see the gates of Oak House. Not that it was of any use. The only people I saw were Sergeant Cooper and that young constable.

  Eliza shook her head. “Well, I suggest it’s about time you put your stepladders away. If you’d been in church on Sunday morning, we’d have been able to tell you what had happened.”

  Mrs Petty looked over both shoulders. “I heard there was a death; is it true?”

  “How on earth did you know that?” Connie stared at her. “You might have good hearing, but even you can’t hear what happened in a garden that far away.”

  Mrs Petty chuckled. “I’ve just been into the post office and Mr Pitt told me. So what happened?”

  “It was murder!” A smug grin sat on Connie’s face.

  “Murder!” Mrs Petty’s eyes were wide. “Who of?”

  “I don’t think it’s a secret any more, but it was the man of the house, Mr Hartley,” Eliza said. “He was shot with a handgun.”

  “Good grief, I don’t remember ever seeing him around the village,” Mrs Petty said. “Have they caught the killer yet?”

  “Well, that’s the thing.” It was Eliza’s turn to glance over both shoulders. “The chief suspect has just been found dead in the woods behind the church.”

  Mrs Petty put a hand to her mouth. “Good gracious, what’s this place coming to? That’ll teach me to play the fool, climbing ladders. I like a walk around the churchyard of an afternoon. If I hadn’t had this bad ankle, I may have seen what had happened.”

  “Well, it’s a good job you weren’t. You could have been hurt as well.”

  Mrs Petty pouted. “I suppose so. How annoying to miss everything though.”

  “So I don’t suppose you’ve seen anything unusual?” Eliza asked.

  Mrs Petty shook her head. “No, nothing I can think of.”

  “Well, if you do think of anything, you know where to find me or Mrs Appleton. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I need to send a telegram. I’ll call in later in the week.”

  Eliza watched as Mrs Petty used her stick to help her move away but as she turned to go into the post office Mrs Petty called her back.

  “Now I think about it, I did see something different the other day; on Saturday it would have been. It’s probably of little relevance but there was a young man in the shop I hadn’t seen before.”

  “What did he look like?” Connie asked.

  Mrs Petty paused. “He was quite tall and very thin, and he had a head of the reddest hair you’ve ever seen.”

  Eliza smiled. “That would be Benjamin Dalton, Mr Hartley’s stepson. He’s not new to the village, but he didn’t get out much when Mr Hartley was alive. Can you remember what time you saw him?”

  “It was turned two o’clock, I remember that because I was in a hurry to get home and test my theory about the view.”

  “That would fit with Benjamin’s alibi. He said he’d been in the shop at about ten past two.”

  Mrs Petty nodded. “Yes, it would have been about then. He seemed like a nice boy, he bought his sweets and then went into the church. You don’t see many young men doing that on a Saturday afternoon.”

  “No, you don’t, now if you’ll excuse me, I really need to send this telegram.”

  Eliza didn’t wait for Mrs Petty to leave and pushed open the door to the post office. “I don’t know about Benjamin going to church, he was probably going for a walk along the river to stay out of the house for as long as possible.”

  Connie nodded. “It seems such a shame that he’s lived here for over a year and it’s only now that he’s finding out about the village. At least he’ll be free to come and go as he pleases now.”

  Once the telegram was sent, and they’d passed the time with Mr Pitt, Eliza and Connie stepped back out into the sunshine.

  “Home?” Eliza said.

  “I think so, I’m exhausted. It’ll be nice to have a sit-down in the shade of the tree.”

  Eliza began walking but stopped abruptly and glanced back to the church. “Oh goodness, I’m so sorry but I need to go back. I’ve just thought of something.”

  Connie’s shoulders sagged.

  “You don’t have to come with me, Archie should still be there.”

  “Don’t be silly, I always want to know what you’re up to.”

  “All right, come along then, but we need to hurry.”

  By the time they reached the scene of the crime, Archie had found himself a seat on an old tree stump.

  “Have you come to relieve me?” he asked. “I could do with a cup of tea myself.”

  “Sadly not, we haven’t had one ourselves. We met Mrs Petty at the post office and she gave me an idea.” Eliza stopped and glanced around. “Have Sergeant Cooper and Constable Jenkins not arrived?”

  “I’ve not seen them. It’s been pretty peaceful sitting here to tell you the truth.”

  Eliza shook her head. “What are they playing at?” She resumed her walk until she reached the path hidden in the trees. “I might be wrong, but I’ve a feeling this isn’t an animal track. The wood wraps around the back of the village and I think this may be the remains of a path that takes you all the way around.” Eliza pulled her skirt close to her legs and pushed her way through the branches.

  “You can’t go down there on your own.” Archie was on his feet.

  “I won’t be on my own, Connie will be with me.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Well, you come too then. I want to see where it goes.”

  At Archie’s insistence, he led the way, forcing a wider path through the tightly packed trees. He snapped back as many branches as he could but within yards the pathway opened up and became more visible.

  “Where do you think it goes?” Connie asked once they could walk without too much concentration.

  “Behind the police station and the Golden Eagle and if I’m not mistaken, it’ll end up behind Oak House.”

  “And you think you can walk all the way around?”

/>   “That’s what I’m not sure of. When we lived here, there was a fence around the boundary of our land. It seemed so high when I was a child, but it may not be as impassable as I’d thought.”

  “So you think someone could have come into the house this way?”

  “It’s a possibility although if that’s the case it could be any of the men in the village.”

  They’d been walking for about ten minutes when Archie stopped. “The path splits here. Which way do you want me to go?”

  Eliza put a finger to her lips as she surveyed the surroundings. “I’ve got a feeling we want to keep left but let me see what’s down here. I don’t think we’re at Oak House yet.”

  “Allow me.” Archie held back a couple of branches as he took the right-hand path, which they discovered led towards the back of the Golden Eagle.

  “I didn’t realise you could get into the wood from here,” Connie said.

  “I don’t suppose you’ve had much need to look,” Eliza said. “Is that a footpath through to the road? It’s not very obvious.”

  Eliza peered down the track but froze at the sound of branches being broken underfoot. She glanced at Archie and Connie, who were standing beside her. “What’s that noise?”

  Connie grabbed her arm. “I-I don’t know, it sounds like…”

  Archie stepped forward to put himself between Eliza and the noise. “Who’s there?”

  Eliza’s heart thumped against her chest as the sound increased but a second later she breathed a sigh of relief.

  “What are you doing here?” Henry’s brow was creased as he appeared from the narrow walkway.

  Eliza flicked at his arm. “I think it’s more to the point to ask what you’re doing here. You frightened the life out of us.”

  “I told you I was meeting Benjamin here for a drink and when he left, I offered to make up a foursome in a game of cards. I was just leaving when I heard your voices. Are you going to tell me why you’re here?”

  Eliza told him of James’ death.

  “Blimey, and here was me thinking you lived in a sleepy backwater. So, why are you here if he was murdered by the church?”

  “It’s just a hunch I have but we need to be quick. If you want to know any more, you’ll either have to wait until dinner tonight or come with us.”

  Not needing another invitation, Henry followed Archie back to the original path where they turned right and continued on their journey. It took a further five minutes for them to pick their way to the weather-worn fence surrounding Oak House.

  “There it is,” Eliza said, as they arrived. “Just as I remember it. It’s still quite tall but I’m sure I would have loved to peer over the top if I’d known about stepladders.”

  Archie grimaced. “Thank goodness you didn’t then.”

  Eliza stood on her tiptoes to take a good look at the wood that had once been her playground.

  “Mother used to hate me coming out here. She said it was no place for a young lady to grow up. According to her, I should have been in the library reading.”

  “Well, you took her advice eventually then.”

  “I did, but I loved it out here.” A frown crossed her face and she pointed to her left. “What’s that over there?”

  Squeezing down a path between the fence and the trees, she came to a break in the boundary. “That’s convenient, some of the wooden pales are missing. It looks like anyone who wanted to get in and out of Oak House could have done so. Unseen as well.”

  Connie’s eyes lit up. “So Maria Hartley wasn’t necessarily a prisoner in her own home?”

  “Or, if she had a fancy man, he could easily have visited her.” Henry’s eyes glinted.

  “Henry!”

  “What? Think about it. Mr Hartley wasn’t going to find her out here, was he? I wonder if they had a secret hideaway.”

  Henry ducked through the opening and held out his hand as Eliza followed him.

  She stood up and straightened her skirt. “So, this is it.”

  “I wish I’d had a garden like this when I was young,” Henry said as Connie and Archie joined them. “It would have beaten playing out on the streets.”

  “You’ve always said you don’t like the country.”

  “If I’d had all this in my garden, it might have been different.” He walked forward. “How far does it go?”

  “I’m not sure. I used to think it went on forever, but it may not be that far after all. Just wait while I get my bearings.” She raised her eyes to the tree line as she concentrated on her surroundings. “There it is: the large oak tree. That was always my favourite. It’s a lot bigger now than it was but even then I had a swing tied to one of the branches. It wasn’t far from the main lawn and so if we’re going to go any further, I would say that should be our boundary.”

  Henry hurried on ahead while Eliza and Connie picked their way through the brambles and other weeds that clung to their skirts. Within minutes, he was back.

  “Come and look at this. I think I’ve found something.” He led them to the base of the oak tree and pointed to a large crack in the trunk.

  “That never used to be there,” Eliza said. “It must be getting old.”

  “It doesn’t look much but can you believe that you can squeeze inside it? I wonder if this is where Mrs Hartley meets her admirer.” Henry disappeared from their view before reappearing moments later.

  A bead of perspiration ran down Eliza’s temple. She shouldn’t be having conversations like this with her son.

  “Let me look.” Eliza stepped forward and squeezed into the tree. It was dark and musty inside and she felt the three sides of the tree closing in around her. It might be a good hiding place if you’re as thin as Henry but there certainly isn’t enough room for two people. I’ve got to get out. She turned to leave and shuddered at the sound of crunching beneath her feet. Aargh! What was that? And there was something else: that smell. What is it? A second later it dawned on her and she froze. Oh my goodness.

  Fear and excitement gripped her in equal measure and she scrambled to get out of the gap. As she did, her left foot caught something that had been leaning against the inside of the tree and it fell onto her skirt. She reached down to brush it away but her fingers scratched on its rough exterior.

  “Archie, here.”

  From the strip of light shining in through the crack, it looked like a branch and she grabbed hold of it and pushed it outside, jabbing Henry in the arm.

  “Ow! What are you giving me this for?” Henry took the two-foot length of wood from her and gazed at the rope hanging from one end.

  Eliza climbed from the tree as Connie shrieked and put her hands to her mouth. “Oh my goodness.”

  “What’s the matter?” Henry gazed at his mother as Archie took hold of the wood and examined it.

  “Eliza, my dear–” Archie turned to face her “–I think you’ve found our murder weapon.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Eliza paused only to pull something hard from the sole of her shoe and with a glance over her shoulder she headed back the way she had come.

  “We have to get out of here.”

  Without waiting for a response she prayed the others would follow before it was too late. Reaching the hole in the fence, she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Connie rounding the bend with Archie and Henry close behind.

  “Quickly, we’ve no time to lose.”

  She ducked through the fence and raced back along the path to the place it split off towards the Golden Eagle.

  “Down here.” Her breathing was laboured as she hurried and it was only when she stepped onto the pavement outside the public house that she paused for breath.

  “What on earth’s the matter?” Archie said when he caught up with her. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

  Tears welled up in Eliza’s eyes and she angrily brushed them away. “I know who the killer is … or at least I’m fairly certain.”

  “Do you think they were in the woods?” Conn
ie asked.

  “I’m not sure but they might have been. We can’t go back in there again. Not until they’re caught.”

  “So what will you do now?” Henry asked.

  Eliza rubbed a hand over her face as she peered towards the bowling green. “I need to speak to Inspector Adams and tell him he has the wrong man. Then I’ve a few things to check.” She turned back to Henry. “I’ll have to speak to you as well.”

  “Me. What do I know?”

  “Perhaps more than you think. Can you go home and I’ll talk to you when I get in?”

  Henry scowled. “How long will that be?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I want to speak to a few other people first but please be waiting for me.”

  “I must get back to the church,” Archie said. “We don’t want anyone interfering with the body.”

  Eliza shook her head. “You can’t go to the churchyard on your own. What if the killer followed us and goes back to the spot?”

  Archie tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. “Stop worrying, I’ll be careful … and hopefully the police officers should be there looking for this.” He held up the branch.

  Eliza’s heart was pounding, and she took a deep breath. “You’re right. Give me that and I’ll take it to Inspector Adams as evidence.”

  “Dr Thomson.” Connie hesitated as Archie turned towards her. “While you’re there, will you tell Sergeant Cooper they can stop looking?”

  A shadow crossed Eliza’s face. “You can tell them to stop looking but don’t let them leave you on your own. You said yourself how peaceful it was…”

  “All right, stop panicking. I’ll ask one of them to stay with me and send the other one back.”

  “Please send Constable Jenkins back.” Eliza’s eyes held Archie’s gaze. “I wouldn’t like to think he was responsible for your safety.”

  Archie shook his head. “I’m sure you’re worrying unnecessarily, but if it makes you feel any better…” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you later.”