Agatha Raisin and The Walkers of Dembley ar-4

by M C Beaton

  "Right," said James. "What time? Sixish?"

  "That'll be fine."

  James returned in triumph to the garden. "I think you're on again, Agatha," he said. "We're going to Barfield House for drinks at six."

  "What! This evening? I've hardly sobered up from lunchtime."

  "Then drink mineral water."

  James looked at Bill. "Why no stern admonitions to keep out of it?"

  Bill grinned. "Because the police are baffled. I can't see the pair of you getting into much trouble over a few drinks with Sir Charles Fraith. He's hardly likely to poison you when he's under suspicion."

  Agatha looked at her watch. "It's five!" she said. "I'd better go and repair myself." She looked at James shyly. "What should I wear?"

  "I don't know," said James. "We're going on business, so wear anything that's comfortable. I'll drive."

  It was a different Agatha who was driven up the drive to Barfield House by James. She felt armoured by James. At first she had rehearsed how to explain her outburst but then decided a dignified silence on the subject would be the better policy.

  Gustav opened the door to them. His eyes flicked up and down Agatha, making her feel that a plain green wool dress was not at all the thing to wear, and then led them to the sitting-room.

  Sir Charles nodded to Agatha and welcomed James enthusiastically.

  Gustav served drinks - Agatha stuck to mineral water - and then Sir Charles began. "We seemed to get off on the wrong foot," he said to Agatha.

  "Waste of time, if you ask me," said Gustav to the panelled wall.

  James's head jerked round. "Leave us alone, Gustav," he said sharply. "This is too important a discussion to be interrupted by your cheeky comments."

  Gustav looked at Sir Charles, who nodded, and he left the room.

  "How can you put up with that man?" asked James.

  "What's up with him?"

  "He has a reputation for insolence."

  "I haven't noticed," said Sir Charles, "and since he's my man, it's got bugger-all to do with you."

  "Well, your problem." James shrugged. "Now, tell me how you got into this mess."

  Agatha, now able to relax - it was just a house, after all, and Sir Charles just a man - nonetheless studied the baronet closely while he talked.

  It all seemed very believable this time, now that she no longer found either him, or her circumstances, threatening. He explained at length how Gustav, returning from a visit to the keeper's cottage, had reported seeing Jessica approaching the field. Confident of soothing her, he had gone out to meet her. How had he known who she was? Deborah had described her quite accurately. When he had seen her jumping and trampling around with her great boots, he had lost his rag. He had called her a silly little girl and that had seemed to get up her nose no end, said Sir Charles with a certain amount of remembered satisfaction. Had he threatened her in any way?

  For the first time Sir Charles looked uncomfortable. "There was something so arrogant, so unpleasant about her that I told her I was going to get my shotgun and blast her if she didn't get off my land. I didn't tell the police that."

  "Why did you lie? Why did you say you were in London?" asked James.

  "We're a very close-knit community at Barfield, the keepers, the estate workers, the farm workers - didn't know about the horrible Noakes, he was taken on recently - and I didn't brief them, I just expected them to go along with my story."

  "That seems a bit naive," commented James.

  "It does now. Now I'm in a mess, and with the police looking in my direction, they aren't likely to do their job properly, which is finding out the real murderer. I've been thinking," he said earnestly, leaning back in a winged chair and cradling his glass in both hands against his chest, "I'm an easygoing sort of bod, and yet look how she riled me up. I think that lover of hers, what's-his-name, did for her. Anyway, how are you going to find out anything the police can't?"

  "For a start," said Agatha, speaking for the first time, "James and I could move to Dembley, take a flat, pose as man and wife and join the Dembley Walkers. What better way is there to get to know them?"

  James showed signs of alarm, but Sir Charles said enthusiastically, "What a good idea. I've some property in Dembley and I think there's a furnished flat vacant. Wait there. I'll call up my man and find out."

  He went out of the room. "Agatha," said James, "you should have asked me first if I could spare the time to move to Dembley and if I wanted to pretend to be your husband."

  "If you don't want to do it, don't," said Agatha.

  "I didn't say that," said James. "It's just it's a big thing to do."

  Agatha forced herself to remain calm. "As I said," she remarked in as even a tone as she could manage, "I'm quite prepared to go ahead on my own."

  Sir Charles came back. "That's settled, then. There's a jolly nice apartment in Sheep Street, bang in the centre of Dembley. You can move in as soon as you like."

  There was a little silence. Agatha held her breath.

  "All right," said James. "I'm not getting on very far with the writing anyway."

  "What are you writing?" Sir Charles asked.

  "Military history."

  "Which period?"

  "Napoleonic wars."

  "My father was a great history buff. Gustav put a lot of his books up in one of the attics. Would you like to have a rummage?"

  James's eyes shone. "I'd love that."

  "I'll take you up. Want to stay here, Mrs Raisin?"

  But Agatha was appalled at the idea of being left in a room which Gustav might enter, and eagerly volunteered to go with them.

  When James and Agatha finally drove off together, James clutching a pile of old books, Agatha tried not to listen to his enthusiastic descriptions of the treasures he had found and how he was dying to get started writing again.

  For a brief period she was to be Mrs Lacey, albeit in name only.

  But who knew what delights that could lead to!

  Five

  "That's an odd couple," said Jeffrey Benson a week later. It was the day after the weekly meeting of the Dembley Walkers. He was referring to a certain Mr and Mrs James Lacey, who had turned up and said they were eager to join the walkers. Jeffrey and the others were in the Grapes at lunchtime, a somewhat more relaxed group than they had been in previous days. All were getting used to frequent interrogations and diggings into their past by the police. Kelvin was feeling quite euphoric because the police had not discovered Jessica's visit to him or the subsequent row, and Jeffrey was beginning to feel at ease because he had not heard a word about entertaining any Irishmen.

  "Bourgeois," said Alice, heaving her great bottom on the imitation medieval chair in the lounge bar. "They've got money. That was a Gucci handbag she was carrying."

  "There's something a bit common about her, really," said Deborah, who secretly, thanks to several warm telephone calls from Sir Charles, felt she was becoming an authority on the upper classes. "He's all right, though." She giggled. "Quite attractive, I think."

  "But dae we want them with us?" demanded Kelvin. "We can hardly fight the good fight wi' a couple o' Tories tagging along."

  Gemma said uneasily, "Do you mean we're still going to have to face up to angry landowners, even though Jessica's dead?"

  "Why not?" demanded Alice. "Jessica was a bit of a bully, but when you look at it, she had the right idea."

  Deborah stared into her glass of orange juice. She suddenly did not want to be part of a group that went in for confrontations. And yet, the walkers had meant friendship and a cause. What if Sir Charles did not call her any more or want to see her? Then everything would have been for nothing, she thought sadly, and she would be alone again. She found it hard to make friends, considering the quieter, milder teachers, the ones who might be considered her own sort, not glamorous enough.

  Peter Hatfield and Terry Brice unexpectedly came to Gemma's defence. "I think it's Gemma who has the right idea," said Terry. "We could have lovely walks..
."

  "Lovely walks," echoed Peter plaintively.

  "...if only we just settled down to enjoy the countryside."

  Jeffrey stretched and yawned. "Oh, this Saturday should be mild enough. There's a pretty walk listed in one of the books. Most of it goes through farmland and the book says that it's well signposted."

  "What year was the book published?" demanded Alice suspiciously.

  "Nineteen thirties. But they update these publications, for God's sake, or it wouldn't still be on sale. It's quite a long walk. Do we take the cars out to the beginning of it?"

  But the rest decided they were proper ramblers and should walk the whole distance. They agreed to meet outside the Grapes at nine in the morning on Saturday.

  "We'd better tell the Laceys," suggested Deborah.

  "Where do they live?" asked Peter Hatfield.

  "Got a flat in Sheep Street," said Terry. "Here" - he fished out a notebook - "I wrote it down with their phone number. That James Lacey was ever so nice to me. I'll phone him."

  "Oh, suit yourself," said Peter sulkily.

  It was Agatha who took the phone call later that day. She wrote down the meeting-place and the time and then went happily back to preparing a special dinner for James.

  To her initial disappointment, the flat had proved to be much larger than she had anticipated, having three bedrooms. She had fantasized about there being only one bedroom. James would sleep on a cot-bed on the floor. "God, this thing's uncomfortable," he would moan. "I wish I had that nice double bed to sleep on." And Agatha would say huskily, "Why not join me?" And he would, and then, and then...

  But all that had happened was that he took one bedroom, she had another, and there was the third bedroom in between. Also, for the first few days, she had seen little of James, for he kept remembering things he should have brought and running back to Carsely to get them. But tonight they would have dinner together.

  Agatha had bought ready-made food from Marks & Spencer, removing it from the foil dishes and putting the contents into pretty oven dishes to make it look as if she had cooked everything herself. She had candles on the table. Candlelight might be corny, but it hid the signs of ageing. How maddening that middle-aged men did not need to bother about wrinkles, or did not seem to. She had good breasts and had invested in a silk blouse with a plunging neckline and a black silk skirt which was very flattering to her still somewhat thickened figure.

  As she busied herself polishing the wineglasses until they shone, she realized with a guilty little jolt that so far she had not really been doing her job properly, and that was finding out all she could about the walkers. James had gone to the local library to look through the national press files for articles on Greenham Common and see if Jessica's name had been mentioned. She, Agatha, should have been with Deborah or some of the other walkers instead of polishing wineglasses and losing herself in fantasy. Well, just this one evening. Tomorrow she would get down to work.

  James was getting weary of searching the files. He had found a mention of Jessica's being arrested after cutting the wire of the perimeter fence at Greenham Common, but among the names of the other women he could not find one of any of the other walkers. He had hoped that if someone had been part of Jessica's past, there might be something there to tie her in with the murder. He sighed. It was all very far-fetched.

  "We'll soon be closing up," said a voice at his elbow.

  He looked up and saw a pretty young librarian standing there. She had long straight blonde hair and a doll-like face. She was wearing a very short, very tight skirt and high heels. Must cause chaos when she goes up on the ladders, he thought.

  "I'll leave it," said James. "I could do with a drink."

  "So could I," said the librarian.

  The invitation came automatically. "Like to join me?" asked James.

  She held out a hand. "My name's Mary Sprott."

  "James Lacey. Where would you like to go?"

  "There's a pub next door. I'll get my coat."

  To do James justice, had Agatha said anything about a special dinner and that she expected him home at a certain time, he would have been there. But the last exchange with Agatha had been of the 'See you this evening' variety. So, wondering in an amused way whether he looked like a dirty old man, he escorted Mary Sprott to the pub.

  "I haven't seen you around Dembley before," she said. "Are you new to the town?"

  "Recently arrived."

  "In business?"

  "No, I'm retired."

  She batted her eyelashes at him. "You look ever so young to be a retired gentleman."

  "Why, thank you," said James. "What would you like to drink?"

  "Rum and Coke, please."

  "Right, back in a moment."

  As James stood at the bar waiting for his order of drinks, he saw the walkers seated at a round table in the far corner. He waved to them. Peter and Terry raised limp hands. The rest just stared. Oh, dear, thought James. We're not going to get very far with that lot if they've taken a dislike to us. He wondered whether to buy them all a drink to ingratiate himself, but decided against it. He was beginning to get a feeling that he and Agatha were floundering about in an investigation which the police could do so much better with all their records and files. If Jessica had known any of them before her arrival in Dembley, then the police would soon trace it.

  As he returned to Mary carrying the drinks, he saw looks of cynical amusement on the faces of the walkers and realized with a jolt that he was supposed to be a married man.

  "Thanks ever so," said Mary. She leaned towards him and whispered, "You see that bunch over at that table?"

  "Yes."

  "That's them ramblers. It was in the papers. One of their lot was killed."

  "Do you know any of them?" asked James.

  "I know some of them by sight. They use the library. Weird lot. I doubt if one of them ever takes a bath."

  "So what about you?" asked James. "It must be a lovely job, working in a library, all those books."

  She shrugged. "It's a job. Gets a bit boring."

  "I suppose it does," said James, thinking she must be only in her early twenties. "Who are your favourite authors?"

  "I don't read much. I prefer the telly."

  James tried to hide his shock. "But my dear girl, what's the point of becoming a librarian if you have no interest in books?"

  "Mum said it was a good job," said Mary. "It's like this: I've got ever such a good memory, so I did well at school. Mum said being a librarian was nicer than working in a shop. With a memory like mine, I'm good at it. I can remember where everything is."

  "But don't some of the people who come in ask your advice on what books to read?"

  "I turn them over to old Miss Briggs. She reads everything, but she can't remember where the books are, so we make a good team."

  "So what would you like to do?" asked James, becoming bored.

  "I'd like to be an air hostess. See a bit of the world."

  "Another drink?" asked James.

  "Yes, please. I'm ever so hungry."

  For the first time, James thought uneasily of Agatha. "Do they do food here?"

  "They do a good steak-and-kidney pie."

  "All right. I'll make a phone call first." James went and dialled the flat but there was no reply. Agatha was probably out investigating. He returned to the table. He might as well have something to eat. Then he might get rid of her and go and join the walkers. That's what Agatha would do.

  "I still say there's something odd about the Laceys," said Alice. "That's the girl from the library he's with, and I'll tell you something else. He doesn't look married. Do you think they could be police infiltrating our group in order to spy on us?"

  "Oh, that's ridiculous," said Deborah. She suddenly wanted to go home. Charles might be calling her. In her mind, it was no longer Sir Charles. She was unnerved by the conversation about the 'Laceys'. What if they were challenged by the group and confessed that it was she who had brought the v
ipers into their midst? A thin film of sweat formed on her upper lip. Kelvin thumped another drink down in front of her and she groaned inwardly. As soon as she had finished it, she would make her escape.

  Agatha stood outside the library. But it was firmly closed for the night. Where could James be? She turned and looked about her. There was a pub across the road called the Grapes. She registered in her mind that that was where they were to gather on the Saturday for their ramble and then wondered if James had gone there for a drink.

  She walked across the road to the pub and pushed open the door of the lounge bar. The first sight that met her eyes was that of James sitting with a pretty blonde. Both were eating steak-and-kidney pie. The blonde threw back her head and laughed at something James was saying. Her short skirt had ridden right up. Black rage boiled up in Agatha. She was to reflect ruefully afterwards that she must have gone insane. For in that moment, she became Mrs Lacey.

  "What the hell do you think you're doing here, James?" she demanded in a loud voice. There was a silence in the pub.

  "Oh, hello, dear," said James, his face flaming. "This is Miss Sprott, the librarian. Miss Sprott, my wife."

  Determined to get revenge on James and hating every inch of Mary Sprott, from her long legs to her blonde hair, Agatha departed into the realms of fantasy.

  "Have you forgotten our anniversary?" she demanded. "I prepared a special dinner. I slaved all day over it, and what do I find? You sitting here having ghastly pub grub with some tart."

  "How dare you, you old bat?" screeched Mary.

  Agatha's bearlike eyes bored into Mary's. "Just get this straight, sweetie," she said. "This is my husband, so you keep your grubby little hands off him."

  Mary burst into tears, scrabbled for her handbag on the floor beside her chair, seized it, and fled the pub.

  "Let's get out of here," said James, his face grim. "No, not another word, Agatha. You're a disgrace."

  The walkers, open-mouthed, watched them go.

  "Well," marvelled Kelvin, "if they're no' married, then I'm a Dutchman's uncle."

  "Poor bugger," said Jeffrey. "Let's be nice to him on Saturday."