Ghostly Secrets

by K. E. O'Connor

  “But you are,” whispered Juliette.

  “I’m not doing it to be nosy,” I said. “It’s just that, well, I have some concerns.”

  “Concerns about what?” asked Juliette.

  “It’s about Archie,” I said.

  Juliette raised her gaze to meet mine, and I saw tears in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t think Archie’s death was an accident,” I said.

  “Exactly what are you saying?”

  “I think your husband was murdered,” I said.

  “What nonsense.” Juliette’s voice wobbled as she spoke. “He was thrown from his horse.”

  “That’s just it,” I said. “I don’t think he was. I believe his death was made to look like an accident.”

  “It can’t have been.” Juliette’s hand went to her mouth. “I mean, I had my doubts when he was discovered. But the verdict was accidental death.”

  “I hate to ask this,” I said to Juliette. “But did you kill Archie?”

  Chapter 15

  Juliette staggered backwards and hit the wall behind her. “You think I killed my husband?”

  I hurried towards Juliette and grabbed hold of her arms; she was on the verge of collapse. “I don’t know for certain, but I believe someone killed him.”

  “And you’re happy enough to accuse me of such a thing.” Juliette managed to keep standing, a tear trickling down one cheek as her breath came out in ragged gasps. “Why do you think I had anything to do with his death?”

  “Because of the papers you’re holding,” I said. “And Dexter told me they were planning to liquidate Archie’s assets to stop you getting them in the divorce.”

  “That man is a snake,” said Juliette. “Dexter was nothing but a bad influence on Archie. I tried to keep them apart as much as possible, but it was no good. Archie seemed bewitched by Dexter and all of his lies.”

  “Why don’t we take a seat?” I was concerned that Juliette was about to fall down at any second; her whole body was shaking.

  Juliette nodded and allowed me to lead her to a chair, and we both sat at the table. She took several deep breaths. “What do you know that makes you think Archie was killed?”

  “I know nothing for sure,” I said. “But the more I learn about Archie, the more I think that what happened to him was no accident. He has a lot of people who would benefit greatly from him being dead.”

  “Dexter being one of them.” Juliette looked down at Flipper as he rested his head in her lap. He always knew when a person needed comforting. And what was better than a beguiling dog’s head that needed a stroke?

  “But he’s not the only one. There’s also you, and Ben, and possibly Archie’s sister,” I said.

  “Well, yes, we would benefit,” said Juliette slowly. “But I’m no killer. And my late husband was found dead by his horse.”

  “But Archie was an experienced horse rider, and he knew how to handle Brutus,” I said.

  “The manner of his death was a strange one,” said Juliette. “I never expected to discover him dead from a fall like that. And the police questioned me for some time over it. But the evidence was clear. He was found outside near a large jump. The horse was nearby as well, saddled up, and had been ridden.”

  “Are you sure Brutus had been ridden?”

  “Brutus was sweating and anxious, as if he’d been left out on his own for a long time.”

  “Could somebody else have ridden Brutus?” I asked. “Fleur is able to handle him.”

  “You’ve been to the stables?” asked Juliette.

  “Fleur took me there the other day to introduce me to Brutus and show off Archie’s riding achievements.”

  Juliette smiled. “Archie did like to collect his trophies and medals. He was so proud of anything he could collect and own.”

  I wondered if that included wives of a certain social class. “Fleur did say she was the only one who deals with Brutus now Archie has gone.”

  “Fleur could have ridden him. She was staying with us when the accident happened. I know she has taken the horse out in the past. No one else likes to touch Brutus. And to begin with, I wanted him put to sleep. But I realized it wasn’t his fault. If something scared Brutus when they were out riding, he only acted naturally. It was Archie’s fault for not holding on properly.”

  “But what if he wasn’t even riding Brutus?” I asked. “What if Archie wasn’t even killed outside?” I recalled Archie’s belief that a fall down the stairs was the real cause of his death.

  “Where else would he have been killed?”

  “He could have fallen down the stairs.” I wanted to see how Juliette would react to this revelation. If she had pushed Archie, and I just revealed that I knew how he really died, things could be about to turn nasty.

  Juliette turned her fearful gaze in the direction of the staircase. “You think he died in this house?”

  “A fall down those stairs would easily break his neck.”

  Juliette gave a groan and hid her face in her hands. “It doesn’t bear thinking about. It can’t be true.”

  “You have to admit; things don’t add up regarding your husband’s death. He knew how to handle his horse, he had enemies, and he’d have benefited a lot of people by dying.”

  Juliette sagged into her seat. “I always did find it odd that Archie went out riding so early.”

  “That wasn’t his usual routine?”

  Juliette shook her head. “He was not a morning person. Archie would work late, often traveling back from London on one of the last trains. When he got in, he’d continue working, or drinking, depending on his mood. So, to discover he’d gone out for a ride before I woke up surprised me.”

  “Did the police investigate this, since it was so out of character?”

  “They asked a lot of questions.” Juliette focused her damp eyes on me. “Almost as many as you are.”

  I gave a gentle shrug, not able to reveal the true source of my information. “I can’t explain it, but I have a knack for picking up when something is wrong.”

  “You’re not going to tell me you’re psychic?”

  “Nothing like that,” I said. “I’m just curious and don’t like it when a puzzle doesn’t fit together as it should.”

  Juliette continued to stare at me. “If Archie’s death wasn’t an accident, it wouldn’t have surprised me. He found it easier to make enemies than friends.”

  “The two of you didn’t get along?” Since Juliette was happy to keep talking, I was determined to keep asking questions.

  “In the early days of our marriage, he was kind to me,” said Juliette. “But he didn’t like it when I stood up for myself. In all honesty, he was something of a bully. He was older than me, and I quickly realized he only wanted a trophy wife with money and a name. When I wouldn’t agree to the things he wanted to do, his kindness soon evaporated, and I discovered the true Archie. He could be cruel.”

  “Cruel enough for you to want to kill him?”

  Juliette’s gaze shifted to the closed door that led to the staircase in the hallway. “No. As you can see from the papers you discovered, I was intending to get rid of Archie in a different way. A way that would keep both of us alive and sane.”

  “Do you think Archie would have agreed to a divorce?”

  “He found out what I was going to do, but refused to let me go,” said Juliette. “I decided to go ahead with the divorce proceedings anyway. He said I’d get nothing because I’d signed away my rights to any of his assets when I started seeing Ben.”

  I blinked in surprise. “You and Ben were seeing each other behind Archie’s back?”

  “It’s not such a scandal,” said Juliette. “Archie had numerous women when we were together, and he wasn’t good at hiding the evidence. It disgusted me, but I felt trapped and didn’t know what to do. I shouldn’t tell you this, but he used the cottage you’re living in for his sordid trysts.”

  I resisted the urge to grimace as the image of Archie cre
eping into the cottage with another woman passed through my mind.

  “But then I met Ben at a charity event. He was so different to any of the men in my social circle. He listened when I talked and asked me questions. He was interested in my life and what I wanted to do. It was a breath of fresh air. I finally felt I found someone who I could connect with.”

  “Archie was unhappy you were moving on?”

  “He was furious,” said Juliette. “At first, my relationship with Ben was purely based on friendship. We would meet at these charity events and discuss our interests. I enjoyed it but didn’t take it seriously. After all, Ben is younger than me, and I assumed he was taking pity on me. But then one evening, we’d both had a few drinks, and he confessed he was fond of me. He knew I was married, and he thought I wouldn’t do anything about it. But I refused to miss my chance at happiness. I’d been lonely for such a long time. Being in a marriage doesn’t always guarantee you a happy life and a partner you can share things with. My marriage felt more like a gilded prison.”

  I nodded. “After you found Ben, Archie still wouldn’t accept your request for a divorce?”

  “Absolutely not,” said Juliette. “He was intending to fight me all the way.”

  “That must have been frustrating,” I said.

  Juliette’s eyes widened. “Of course it was. But that still doesn’t mean I killed him. I was going ahead with a divorce, but he had plans to put in his own divorce proceedings and accuse me of infidelity. It was going to be a messy process, but I was determined to go through with it. I wanted to be with Ben. I knew I’d be happy with him. The house and money mean nothing to me. You can have all the material goods in the world, but if you’re lonely, they don’t keep you warm at night.”

  I found Juliette’s argument convincing. There was no love left between her and Archie, but she’d been shocked at the revelation about his death.

  “Do you think anybody else would kill Archie and be able to stage it as an accident?” I asked. “It would need to be someone who knows your estate well. And someone who can handle Brutus and slip in and out of the house without being noticed.”

  “I’m still amazed you think Archie was killed,” said Juliette. “I don’t think he could have fallen down the stairs. I’d have heard it. I’m a light sleeper.”

  “Haven’t you been taking medication for your headaches? They can make you drowsy. If you’d taken a pill on the night of Archie’s death, you could have slept through any noise.”

  Juliette tapped her fingers on the divorce paperwork. “Well, yes, I do tend to pass out after I’ve taken one of those pills. I keep thinking it’s time I came off them. I’m sure they’re not doing me any good.”

  “It’s not a bad idea,” I said. “Those sorts of pills can have nasty side effects.”

  “It is time I pulled myself together,” said Juliette. “The stress of losing Archie and then unpicking the mess he’d left the estate in has been trying. And Ben has dropped a couple of hints about wanting a baby.”

  “That would be wonderful.”

  Juliette smiled shyly at me. “I’m too old for all of that.”

  “You’re not! My gran had my mum when she was almost fifty,” I said. “To begin with, she thought she was going through an early menopause.”

  “Really? Well, I’m not quite at menopausal age just yet.” Juliette smiled. “And I do like the idea of having someone young in the house, someone innocent, who hasn’t been tainted by Archie.”

  “It’s a great idea,” I said. “You and Ben will make brilliant parents.”

  Juliette nodded. “That is something for the future. How are your nannying skills?”

  I gulped and looked at Flipper. “I do okay with my dog.”

  Juliette laughed softly. “I think you should stick with the skills you have. You're very good at what you do.”

  I blew out a sigh of relief. I was not yet ready for sleepless nights and nappies. I had enough problems with fur balls and restless ghosts. “Any other thoughts on who may be involved in Archie’s death?”

  “Archie Musgrave was not a good man. Maybe this is karma. He did harm to others, so someone finally decided to hurt him.”

  A loud crash in the hallway had as both jumping to our feet and Flipper started to bark. We hurried to the door and discovered Meredith had dropped the tea tray right outside.

  “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Musgrave. I lost my balance and tipped over.” Meredith dropped to her knees and began picking up the broken shards of pot and cups. “I was bringing you some refreshments.”

  “You didn’t hurt yourself?” Juliette moved to assist Meredith.

  “I’m fine. Must be getting clumsy in my old age,” said Meredith. “But there’s no need for you to help. I can clear up my own mess.” She waved away Juliette.

  “Well, if you’re sure,” said Juliette. “I was going for a lie down, but I think I’ll get some fresh air instead. I have a lot to consider.” She looked over at me and nodded.

  I could imagine Juliette did have a lot to consider. After our discussion, I didn’t think she was involved in Archie’s death. Juliette had her own plans to get Archie out of her life, and she was looking forward to happier times with Ben and maybe a new baby.

  “I’ll get back to my work,” I said to Juliette.

  “Yes, thank you,” said Juliette. “I am glad we had our discussion.”

  So was I. And as I walked back to my desk, I ticked Juliette off my list of suspects.

  Chapter 16

  I didn’t see Juliette for the rest of the day, and was still pondering over who Archie's killer might be, as I walked back to the cottage with Flipper. I met Helen at the entrance, her arms full of dresses.

  “Thought I’d bring some work home with me tonight,” said Helen as we walked through the doorway. “Juliette is rather taken with my embroidery skills and wants me to alter a number of the hems on her dresses and add some fancy stitching to them.”

  “That will keep you busy,” I said to her.

  “It’s my favorite hobby, and I’m getting paid to do it!” Helen placed the dresses on the table. “How was your day?”

  “Well, I accused Juliette of killing Archie.”

  Helen grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the sofa. “You did what? Tell me everything.”

  “I didn’t mean to do it,” I said. “But I was looking through her private cabinet for any information about the divorce. I discovered the divorce papers, and she was planning to divorce Archie. But Juliette caught me looking and demanded to know what I was up to. I decided to come clean and ask her about her involvement in Archie’s death.”

  “I’m amazed she didn’t fire you on the spot,” said Helen.

  “She was angry at first,” I said. “But then I threw out the line about her being Archie’s killer, and she sort of collapsed on me.”

  “What did Juliette have to say about your accusation?”

  “She admitted that she found the way Archie died strange. Juliette even told me that she’d met Ben and was seeing him before she left Archie. And Archie knew about their relationship and wasn’t happy about it.”

  “I can imagine,” said Helen. “But did she confess to being the killer?”

  “No. And she convinced me that she isn’t involved,” I said. “Juliette also said Archie never rode early in the day, and she’d always thought it odd he was out that morning. It was out of character for him, which makes me think it was a set up, and Archie didn't fall off his horse and break his neck.”

  “Are you sure Juliette’s not just a good liar?” asked Helen.

  “I’m certain it wasn’t her,” I said. “Juliette admitted that Archie wasn’t a nice man to be married to and had bullied her. She was planning to get rid of him, but not by doing him in. She wanted to get rid of everything that was associated with Archie.”

  A cold swirl of wind passed by me, and Flipper gave a loud bark and pawed the ground by my feet.

  “Looks like we can ask Archie what
he thinks about the divorce,” said Helen. “If that cold air is anything to go by, he’s on his way, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, he’s about to make his presence felt,” I said. “He’d better not get angry and start rattling the windows like he usually does.”

  Archie appeared in front of me, a frown on his face. He jabbed his finger at me and then shook his head.

  “He’s not looking happy,” I said to Helen. I focused on Archie. “Did you hear me talking to Juliette about the divorce she intended to serve you?”

  Archie’s frown deepened and he nodded.

  “It sounds as if Juliette has good grounds for divorcing you,” I said to him.

  Archie shook his head, but then shrugged. He drifted over to the cabinet by the log burner and knocked over a framed picture. This seemed to be his favorite way of communicating with me.

  I stood and lifted the photo back into its correct position. “There’s no need to start breaking things.”

  Archie pointed at the photo several times and raised his eyebrows at me.

  I looked at the photo. It was of him and Dexter, standing on a sun drenched yacht, both holding large cigars. “What’s so special about this picture?”

  He pointed to the back of it, and I eased the photo out of its frame. Scribbled on the other side of the photograph were a dozen different phone numbers for women, their names raggedly printed next to the numbers, plus a score out of ten.

  “I’m guessing these were your conquests when you were married to Juliette?” I passed the photo to Helen. “Archie is definitely not innocent in all of this.”

  Helen wrinkled her nose as she scanned through the names, scores, and telephone numbers. “That’s a sleazy thing to do, Archie. You should be ashamed of yourself. And you’ve given your conquests marks out of ten. That’s disgraceful.”

  Archie gave another shrug. He didn’t seem to think seeing other women when he was married was such a terrible thing to do.

  “Your foul behavior with your mistresses aside,” I said, “I’m convinced Juliette’s not involved in your death. Are you still focused on Dexter as the most likely suspect in your murder?”