‘I think I will be the judge of that, sir.’
Jack sat straight in his chair. ‘No, Inspector Gardner, this is my call. The items belong to my wife and you will have to get a warrant if you want to take them away like you did the other box. Which reminds me, when are we getting those items back?’ There was no possibility of that on Christmas Eve and certainly not before next Tuesday, the day after Boxing Day.
‘Would you permit me to look through them if they remain in your possession?’
‘Yes, but that won’t be until tonight. For heaven’s sake, it’s Christmas Day tomorrow. Why don’t you leave it until after the break? I hardly think there’s anything in there that will help your enquiries.’
‘I don’t like loose ends. Does this place shut down over the festive period?’ Jack shook his head. ‘I thought not. And neither does the police force. There’s a murderer to catch and until we’ve done so none of my team will have more than a few hours at home.’
Jack gestured to the pile of paperwork scattered across his desk. ‘Like you I’ve got a lot of things to do. If there’s nothing else, I want to get on with it.’
His visitor took the hint and stood up, carefully folding up the chair and replacing it against the wall. ‘If you have a chance to examine the contents of that trunk and find anything that might be interesting could I ask you to ring the station? If I’m not there then I’ll get back to you. It’s a damned nuisance your telephone hasn’t been installed yet – it would make things so much easier.’
Jack didn’t envy whoever had to inform the Earl of Silchester that his estranged daughter had been murdered. He smiled wryly at his error. Mary’s father would have been dead a long time ago and there would be someone else holding the title – possibly not even a close relative of hers.
He wasn’t sure their theory about her adopted son could be right. He might not even know he was adopted and if he did, he certainly wouldn’t know who his birth mother was or that she was actually the daughter of an earl and had inherited a vast fortune. Wasn’t it more likely an actual member of her aristocratic family had found her and decided to knock her off?
He pushed thoughts of the puzzle to one side and returned to his duties. The only time he left his seat was to pull the blackouts. The girl from the office arrived with a small package for him and a much-needed cup of tea.
‘Here you are, Jack love, this has just come.’
‘Thanks, I hope it’s my spectacles. I could really do with them as all this reading and writing give me a headache.’
‘Drink your tea whilst it’s hot. There’s a couple of ginger nuts to go with it.’
His intention had been to be waiting for Ellie when she arrived so they could get off quickly but instead he was engrossed in his final file when she appeared at the door.
‘Sorry, almost done. Then we’ve got two whole days to spend together.’
‘I hope we’ve got enough food as neither of us has done any shopping at all. At least we know we have plenty of chicken and vegetables even if there’s little else.’
He stamped the last page of the last folder and sat back with a sigh. ‘Finished. I’ll get my coat on and then we can drop these in the office on the way past. Don’t forget we’ve got the coffee, chocolate and butter to add to whatever’s in the pantry.’
*
There’d been no need to worry as there were two freshly baked loaves, a massive plump cockerel ready for the oven, and all the vegetable boxes were brimming with garden produce.
‘There’s some sort of stew simmering away,’ she said as she lifted the lid of the saucepan and sniffed appreciatively. ‘I’m going to change out of my uniform. Much as I love it, it will be bliss to wear normal clothes for two days.’
He turned to follow her. ‘No, stay where you are. You’ve got that wicked glint in your eyes.’ She dodged past him and he heard her running up the stairs laughing. With any luck they wouldn’t be interrupted by the police for the next two days and they could forget about the war raging outside their house.
‘I think that might have been rabbit, but it tasted delicious whatever it was.’ She pushed her empty plate aside. ‘If you put the dirty plates and things to soak in the scullery then I’ll make the coffee. We might as well finish off the cake.’
He’d been waiting all evening for her to comment on his spectacles and was amused that she didn’t seem to have noticed. The lens over his good eye was plain glass but the other had dramatically improved his vision and he could now make out details instead of blurred shapes.
He took them off and waited to see if she commented. The wonderful aroma of brewing coffee drifted in from the kitchen. ‘I’ll take the cake, if you bring the tray with the rest.’
‘Do they help? They make you look very studious.’
‘They do – but I don’t need to wear them all the time. I only kept them on for you to comment.’
‘And I didn’t say anything deliberately just to see how long it took you to mention them.’
They were comfortably settled on the sofa in front of the log fire when they heard someone coming in through the back door. He was on his feet with the poker in his hand before she could react.
‘Cooee, it’s only us, Stan and Liza. We’ve got what you asked us to find, Mr Reynolds.’
Ellie was now up looking at him for an explanation. ‘Why don’t they come in? What did you ask them to bring?’
He shook his head. ‘Haven’t the foggiest. We’d better go and see.’
*
‘Golly, where did you find those?’ Ellie was aghast. Eliza was holding an enormous ginger tomcat in her arms and Stan was hanging onto the collar of the biggest dog she’d ever seen in her life.
‘Mr Reynolds asked me and the missus to find you a fine cat and a dog. I reckon you’re a mite surprised at the size of them.’
That was putting it mildly. She exchanged a worried glance with Jack but he was laughing. ‘Where did you find these handsome fellows?’
He snapped his fingers and the dog bounded forward. To her astonishment he didn’t jump up but sat at Jack’s feet and wagged his long, plumy tail. The cat wriggled free from Eliza’s arms and came to wind itself around her feet purring like a sewing machine.
‘They ain’t got no vermin, neither of them. The cat’s Ginger and the dog’s Grey.’
This was stating the obvious but then she realised he was telling her their names. She leant down and picked up the cat. His purring got louder and he patted her face with his paws.
‘Well, Ginger, I can see you’ve decided to stay.’ She tickled him under his chin.
Jack was equally entranced with the massive dog. He was on his knees beside him and the dog had his huge, hairy head on his shoulder.
‘Where did you find them?’
Eliza answered. ‘They were abandoned when the family moved away, me and Stan have been taking care of them these past three weeks. I’m ever so grateful you and Mr Reynolds are prepared to take them.’ She smiled at the animals. ‘They were lucky not to be put down at the start of the war like so many poor creatures were.’
‘Thank you for bringing them. I hope they’re both housetrained.’ The thought of clearing up after Grey wasn’t a happy one.
‘Not a single accident, not one, from either of them. I reckon if you leave the scullery window open Ginger will come in and out that way. Grey is ever so obedient, comes when you call and don’t run off at all.’
Jack regained his feet but the dog remained glued to his legs. Ellie had put the cat down but he too was remaining close to her.
‘It seems we’ve got our Christmas presents. By the way, thank you for the lovely suppers you’ve left us these past few days.’
‘I enjoy cooking and it’s a treat to do it in your kitchen. We’ll be getting along now. Merry Christmas to you both. When do you want me to come in again, Mrs Reynolds?’
‘Whenever is convenient, but not before we go back to work on the twenty-seventh. Merry Christmas to
you both.’
That night she heard the church bells ring for the first time since the outbreak of war. She was sad about Mary but apart from that this was the best Christmas ever. She was married to the most wonderful man in the world and living in the perfect house. The icing on the cake, if they were allowed to have any, were the new members of the family, Ginger and Grey, who were sleeping peacefully downstairs as if they belonged there.
Seventeen
The Sunday after Christmas Ellie and Jack had been invited to lunch with Amanda and Nigel.
‘I’m a bit concerned about leaving Grey on his own in the house. He could be a dog that chews everything. Ginger has already made himself at home. There were three dead mice in a neat row in the pantry this morning,’ Ellie said.
‘Why don’t we take him with us?’
‘I don’t think he’d be a welcome guest, especially with Nigel. It’s a shame we haven’t seen more of them since we moved here but the last time I visited she didn’t seem very pleased to see me.’
‘Nigel’s a bit tight-lipped about the joys of parenthood. Do you think we’ll be like them?’
‘No need to even think about it as it’s doubtful we’ll ever have children. We couldn’t take Grey into the house but I seem to remember there’s a big porch at the front. Maybe he would be fine there.’
‘He stayed with me when I did the chickens and made no attempt to chase them. I think it’s more that he’s adopted us than the other way around.’
‘Then he’ll come. It’s a good thing he’s got a collar so you can tie a bit of rope around and lead him safely.’
‘I thought I could use a leather belt – I’ve got one upstairs.’ He laughed. ‘I can’t lead him. I might be clever but cycling no hands is beyond me.’
‘I’m not doing it. He’d probably pull me off the bicycle. He can run along beside us. There won’t be any traffic the day after Christmas.’
As her bicycle, one meant for a man, had a cross bar, she’d no alternative but to wear slacks. Trying to get on it in a skirt was impossible. She doublechecked that everything the cat might like to eat was in the meat safe and was ready to leave.
Half a dozen aircraft had landed and taken off already at the ferry pool – so it was business as usual there. The weather was still mild, the winter sunshine and blue skies would make flying perfect. They’d carefully avoided talking about Mary or the war, but it was inevitable both would be brought up over lunch.
The dog ran beside Jack and made no attempt to dash off into the fields or the road. ‘I hope he doesn’t howl when you leave him in the porch. Do you think he’ll be warm enough?’
‘He’s got a thick coat. He’ll be fine. What did we buy Elizabeth for Christmas?’
‘A teddy bear. It’s not new, but in excellent condition. I’m glad we decided not to exchange gifts with adults this year as there was nothing in the shops. Next leave I expect we’ll be going to St Albans to welcome Fiona’s second child.’
‘I hope Fred and Mabel are there; it seems ages since we saw them or visited the farm.’
‘We’ve just got to put up with it until Hitler’s defeated. It can’t be long now and after that we’ll be able to travel freely. I was thinking that next time we go we could drive back in your Austin Seven.’
‘There’s no petrol available for civilians and I wouldn’t be comfortable using Fred’s tractor allowance. We’ll get it at the end of the war – it’s safely under a tarpaulin in the barn.’
They left their bicycles propped against the front porch and then knocked. Ellie hoped Amanda and Nigel wouldn’t be too upset about the uninvited canine. The door opened and Amanda stood smiling at them looking very festive in a bright red pinny.
‘Merry Christmas. Good heavens – does that monster belong to you?’
Jack grinned. ‘He does. He joined our family on Christmas Eve. Don’t worry, we’re not bringing him in. He can stay here and guard the bikes.’
Grey wagged his long, feathery tail and stared at Amanda as if waiting for her answer. She smiled and held out her hand. The dog looked for permission to move and then nudged it.
‘What’s his name? He must have wolfhound in him and perhaps some retriever. He’s absolutely gorgeous. I’m not having him freeze to death out here. He’s also a very welcome guest.’
‘What about Nigel?’ Ellie asked.
‘What about me?’ He appeared with the baby on his hip. ‘Good God! When did you get that magnificent animal? We are thinking of getting a dog but not one quite as big as that.’
Grey followed them in and flopped on the kitchen tiles out of the way. Elizabeth was fascinated by the dog and burbled and laughed in his direction.
‘We are eating in here – hope you don’t mind. So much easier and warmer than the dining room.’
The talk was mainly about the baby and her progress – which was, in the opinion of her devoted parents, exceptional. Something had changed since the last visit and Ellie was pleased that her friend was now content.
It wasn’t until the baby went upstairs for her nap that the conversation turned to the murder. ‘We didn’t want to talk about it in front of Elizabeth,’ Amanda said, ‘but we were sorry that your housekeeper met such a horrible end. I know it’s only a few days since it happened and I’m surprised you’re both so buoyant, considering.’
‘It’s not knowing why she was killed, or who did it, that’s frustrating. Mary wasn’t a person who would want us to mope about, and although we lived under the same roof, we didn’t know her very well.’
‘We’ve talked about it a lot,’ Nigel said. ‘It’s usually to do with money, don’t you think? It’s unlikely to be anything to do with her peculiar hobby as nobody around here took it very seriously.’
Ellie looked at Jack and he shrugged and nodded. ‘This won’t be a secret for much longer so we might as well tell you what we found out.’ When she’d finished explaining and all Mary’s secrets were revealed, they were stunned.
‘An aristocrat? How extraordinary. Someone at church said she moved here about twenty years ago and was never a member of the congregation which did offend quite a few locals.’
‘Jack and I don’t go and have no intention of pretending to believe something when we don’t.’
‘You’re not atheists, are you?’ Nigel asked as if suggesting they might be members of the Communist Party.
‘No, more agnostic. I’ve certainly sent up a quick prayer when I thought I was about to go for a Burton,’ Jack said with a smile.
‘Same here. We’re waiting to hear from the detective in charge of the case how things are progressing. I don’t expect that will be until after Boxing Day.’
‘Don’t you think it odd that your Mary didn’t claim her inheritance, and was prepared to sell the house she lived in for twenty years because she was behind with the mortgage?’
‘Nigel’s right, Jack, there must have been something really dreadful about her family for her not to be prepared to let them know where she was by contacting the solicitors and getting her inheritance.’
‘I expect we’ll hear all about it soon enough. Once the papers get hold of the story it will be plastered everywhere. Everyone likes a murder and a juicy scandal especially if it involves the toffs,’ he replied.
‘You didn’t say, have you had a chance to look through the papers in the trunk?’
‘To tell you the truth we just wanted to enjoy our first Christmas together, Nigel, we’re going to do it this evening.’
The conversation was abruptly interrupted by Grey leaping to his feet and rushing to the front door where he barked sharply. He then glanced over his shoulder, turned to face the door and barked once more.
‘I didn’t hear anybody knock. That dog’s trying to tell us there’s somebody out there,’ Ellie said.
Nigel stepped around the dog and opened the door. Ginger stalked in with his tail erect purring so loudly she could hear him at the end of the hall. The cat rubbed himself against the dog and
received several sloppy licks in return.
‘Sorry about this, no idea he would follow us.’
‘We’ve got mice in the attic, Jack. Do you think your cat would catch them for us whilst he’s here?’
Ginger followed her upstairs and as soon as Amanda opened the door that led to the uppermost floor the cat’s demeanour changed from friendly to business-like. There was no need to take him any further as he shot up the stairs on his own.
Amanda checked on her daughter who was still fast asleep with her bottom in the air. The baby was holding the teddy bear.
‘Does she sleep for long?’
‘All through the night now, and I put her down twice during the day as well. First few weeks were hard but since then it’s been tickety-boo.’
‘We might as well leave Ginger to get on with it. From the squeaking and banging about up there he’s already caught at least one.’
‘I don’t know how his original family could part with either of them. They’ve only been living with us a couple of days and I would be devastated if we lost them.’
‘I’d imagine it was the size of both of them. If the family were moving to a smaller property that would account for it.’
‘There were three children, the mother and grandmother – the man of the house is a prisoner of war somewhere in Germany. Come to think of it, I’m surprised they kept them as long as they did. The dog eats a prodigious amount but fortunately the cat catches most of his own meals.’
The remainder of the afternoon was most enjoyable, the animals behaved impeccably and Ginger caught more than a dozen mice – and ate four of them. Ellie promised to call in more often in future.
‘I’m impressed that Nigel’s so involved with Elizabeth. Have you got him to change a nappy yet?’
‘Heavens no. I wouldn’t dream of asking him as that’s a woman’s job.’
Ellie embraced her friend whilst the men shook hands. The cat was prowling around the garden and the dog was with him. They’d left it a bit late and it was going to be completely dark before they got home. There was no earthly reason to be nervous at being out in the dark as whoever had killed Mary couldn’t possibly want to hurt either her or Jack.
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