Murder and the Glovemaker's Son

by Lesley Cookman

  ‘So I reported it all to Ian, and about Philip and Johnny of course. And he’s going to look into it. So that’s good, isn’t it?’ She poured out his tea and pushed it over, eyeing him warily.

  ‘Excellent. And what do you think about it?’

  ‘Me?’

  ‘Yes, Lib. You.’ Ben looked at her quizzically, then laughed. ‘Look, I’m sorry if I upset you earlier, but sometimes you do get my goat. I still love you, though.’

  ‘Do you? Really? Only I’m such a rude nosy old cow...’

  ‘But you’re my rude nosy old cow.’

  ‘And people are always making allowances for me -’

  ‘Well, perhaps we’ll have to pull you up a bit more often,’ said Ben, taking her hand in his.

  Libby wisely didn’t mention her chats with Harry or Fran and went round the table to give him a kiss.

  On Tuesday morning, Ben went to open up for the small army of local people who cleaned the theatre and the Manor. A couple went in every morning during performances, but the whole place needed a deep clean after a run like this.

  Libby forced herself to go into the conservatory and do some work on the sadly neglected painting that Guy had wanted for the shop at least two weeks ago. She was just starting to glare at the badly sketched-in cliff line when her phone rang.

  ‘Libby, me duck – do you know what all them police are doing up the road here?’

  ‘Er – not exactly, Una, but I can take a guess.’ Libby sighed and put down her charcoal.

  ‘Go on then. Is it something to do with what you was talking about yesterday?’

  ‘Yes – it’s that shed I asked you about. Although I didn’t know they were going to send a squad up there. Are there many of them?’

  ‘Looks like it. I can’t tell, properly, they’re round the bend, but there’s a couple of police cars and a minivan effort.’ Una sounded excited. ‘And I don’t want to go out and look nosy!’

  Libby laughed. ‘I promise I’ll tell you as soon as I hear anything.’

  She cut the call and phoned Fran.

  ‘So Ian’s taken it seriously,’ said Fran.

  ‘I wonder if that’s because the police have found something suspicious in their background checks,’ said Libby. ‘Or maybe in Russell’s?’

  ‘Would they have checked with Richard if that was the case?’

  ‘I don’t know. In fact, I don’t really know why he’s still here.’

  ‘Who’s got all his father’s papers? Him, or Andrew and Gilbert?’ asked Fran.

  ‘I’ve no idea. They were all looking at them in the Manor dining room, but now Michael’s gone home they seem to have come to a dead stop. And for all I know, Gilbert may have gone home, too.’

  ‘He’d have told you, surely?’

  ‘I would have thought so,’ agreed Libby. ‘I suppose I could ring round and see who’s still here.’

  ‘Will you be having a meal at the caff tomorrow with Patti and Anne?’

  ‘I hadn’t thought of it, no. Why?’

  ‘You could ask all your academics to come for a farewell meal. That’ll give them a hint.’

  ‘Well, yes, but Gilbert’s no trouble – we hardly see him, staying down in Nethergate. And to be honest, Richard isn’t, either, but I suppose we shouldn’t allow him to live rent-free in his hut for much longer when he’s got a perfectly good home to go to. I’ll see what Ben says.’

  In fact, it wasn’t necessary to ask Ben or the academics, as both Richard and Gilbert got in touch with her.

  ‘I’m going home, Libby,’ said Richard, standing uncomfortably on her doorstep. ‘The police appear to have finished with me, and say if they’ve any more questions they know where to find me.’

  ‘Come in for a moment,’ said Libby, holding the door wide. ‘Did they tell you anything else?’

  Richard shook his head. ‘No. They’re still trying to find out who forged the letter, and apparently they’ve managed to track my father down here, where he stayed for a time in touch with Nathan Vine. I suppose that’s relevant.’

  ‘I suppose so,’ said Libby, refraining from saying “I know.” ‘Well, we’ll keep you abreast of any developments as we hear of them, although I don’t suppose there’ll be much now. Unless they find the murderer.’

  ‘Or murderers,’ said Richard. ‘Well, I hope they do.’ He bent and kissed her cheek. ‘Thanks for your hospitality, Libby, and I’m delighted to have met you.’

  ‘Drive safely,’ said Libby, watching him cross the road and climb into his old sports car.

  She had barely closed the door behind him when the phone rang again.

  ‘Libby, it’s Andrew.’

  ‘Oh! I was going to ring you to ask if you and Gilbert fancied coming for a sort of farewell meal at Harry’s?’

  ‘Two minds with but a single and all that,’ said Andrew, ‘but Gilbert’s going home today. He feels he’s trespassed long enough on my hospitality, and now Richard’s taken all his father’s papers back home with him -’

  ‘Has he?’ Libby was surprised. ‘He didn’t tell me that.’

  ‘Yes.’ Andrew sounded faintly annoyed. ‘He just turned up here out of the blue yesterday afternoon and asked for them all back.’

  ‘How did he know where you lived?’

  ‘Oh, he had my address, and presumably he’s got satnav. Everybody has these days, haven’t they?’

  ‘Or an app on their phone,’ said Libby. ‘That is, everyone except me.’

  ‘Oh, well, there you are,’ said Andrew with a sigh. ‘And I know Michael’s gone, too – he called to say goodbye. I gather he and Gilbert will be getting together in London. They said something about going through the V&A paperwork.’

  ‘Oh, that’s a good idea,’ said Libby. ‘And they’ll let us know, won’t they?’

  ‘I expect the police have already done it,’ said Andrew, ‘but yes of course they will. And Edward will be in touch, too, I expect, won’t he?’

  ‘Oh, yes, I’d forgotten Edward,’ said Libby. ‘What a lot of academics.’

  Andrew laughed. ‘I’m taking Gilbert to the station here shortly and he can link up with the main line at Canterbury. And I was wondering, do you still meet for a meal on Wednesdays sometimes?’

  ‘Why, yes -’

  ‘Well, how about tomorrow, then? I know Patti and Anne go too, but they wouldn’t mind, would they?’

  ‘No, of course not, and in fact, I was going to suggest it myself,’ said Libby. ‘I’ll book it with Harry.’

  She ended the call, thought for a moment and then called Ben.

  ‘And I wonder why he wants to come up?’ she said. ‘After all, he’s seen us quite a lot over the last week or so.’

  ‘Normality?’ suggested Ben. ‘After all, it’s all been a bit odd recently, hasn’t it? And however exciting it’s been, it’s also been stressful, and the older you get the more that takes it out of you.’

  ‘How would you know?’ laughed Libby. ‘You’re nowhere near Andrew’s age.’

  ‘Thank you, kind lady. And now get on and phone Harry. Oh, and you’d better phone Guy and Fran, too. And Patti and Anne to warn them.’

  ‘It’s on,’ said Libby to Fran, ‘but only Andrew. All the others have gone voluntarily. So, do you want to come up?’

  ‘Yes, and I think it’s Guy’s turn to drive. How I wish we had a train line between us.’

  ‘There is a bus,’ said Libby.

  ‘Twice a day and takes hours,’ said Fran.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  By the time Libby had warned Patti about the invasion and booked a table with Harry it was time for lunch and while she was dithering about what to have Ben called with an invitation from Hetty.

  ‘She’s made an enormous tuna salad which she says won’t keep, so can we help her eat it. I think it’s an excuse to find out what’s going on.’

  Libby happily abandoned her easel for her latest basket and set off for the Manor.

  ‘Golly!’ she said surveying the
huge bowl of salad sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. ‘We’ll never get through that lot.’

  ‘Give it a try, gal,’ said Hetty. ‘Want a drop of wine with it?’

  ‘I’d better not,’ said Libby. ‘or I’ll never get anything done this afternoon.’

  ‘Right, Mum. What did you want to ask us?’ Ben fixed his mother with a shrewd eye.

  ‘Had Una on the phone,’ said Hetty, completely unruffled. ‘About the police.’

  ‘Ah,’ said Libby. ‘Yes, she called me, too, but I don’t know anything about it.’

  Hetty nodded and forked up a mouthful of tuna. Ben and Libby waited.

  ‘Just wondered if it had anything to do with that Richard.’

  ‘Richard?’ echoed Libby and Ben.

  ‘Why he went so sudden, like.’

  ‘Did he?’ Libby looked at Ben, who shrugged.

  ‘Don’t ask me. He just appeared in the theatre foyer earlier and said thank you for the hospitality and he thought he ought to get back.’

  ‘He came to see me and said the same thing,’ said Libby. ‘So he didn’t explain it to any of us? And now Gilbert’s gone too.’

  ‘Funny, if you ask me,’ said Hetty. ‘All of ’em going at once.’

  ‘I think Michael going was the catalyst,’ said Libby. ‘Andrew said he called to say goodbye this morning, and I suppose Gilbert thought there was no point in staying. They’re going to get together in London, anyway. Oh – and Richard took all his father’s papers back.’

  ‘Did he?’ Ben looked at Hetty. ‘Did you know, Mum?’

  Hetty shook her head.

  ‘Technically, of course, they’re my papers now,’ said Ben. ‘They belong to the house.’

  ‘But you’ve never wanted them before,’ said Libby.

  ‘Well, no, but they’re rather important now, aren’t they?’

  Libby gave him a dubious look. ‘They were Greg’s to give away – technically.’ She turned to Hetty. ‘Did he know about the police in Steeple Lane?’

  ‘No idea, gal.’

  ‘I didn’t tell him anything about the shed,’ said Ben. ‘Or about seeing Philip Jacobs last night.’

  ‘So he won’t know, then.’ Libby frowned down at her plate. ‘Can’t have been that, then.’

  ‘And why would it have been, anyway?’ said Ben. ‘According to him, he knew nothing about his father’s jaunts down here. He only knew about his interest in the history of the house when he was older.’

  ‘Oh, I know,’ said Libby with a sigh. ‘It was just Hetty wondering...’

  ‘Sorry, gal.’ Hetty looked up and gave her a tight smile.

  ‘And how would he have known about the police in Steeple Lane, come to think of it,’ said Libby, ‘unless one of us told him. He doesn’t know Una, and the police wouldn’t have told him.’

  ‘Just had enough, then,’ said Ben.

  ‘Hmm,’ said Libby.

  After lunch she was tempted to wander up Steeple Lane and see what was going on, but decided to curb her curiosity until she could ask Ian.

  “And when that’ll be, heaven knows,” she told herself.

  On Wednesday morning, giving in to temptation, Libby called Una and asked if the police were still there.

  ‘No, me duck. I saw all the police cars drive away last night, and I toddled up the road meself this morning. They’ve left some of that stripy tape you see on the telly across the gate and the fence at the side, but no people.’

  Police tape! That meant a crime scene, thought Libby. Aloud, she said, ‘Oh, that’s all right then, isn’t it? We haven’t heard anything, so probably nothing to do with our business.’

  And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything.

  ‘Bit of a coincidence though, innit?’ said Una thoughtfully.

  ‘Certainly is,’ agreed Libby. ‘OK, Una, look after yourself. I’ll see you soon.’

  She ended the call and phoned Fran.

  ‘Crime scene! Can’t believe it. No police presence, though.’

  ‘How odd.’ Fran sounded as though she was frowning. ‘An old one, do you think?’

  ‘From when Nathan lived there? Maybe. Do you think Ian will come to the pub tonight?’

  ‘So that you can grill him?’ said Fran. ‘If he’s got any sense he’ll stay away.’

  ‘Johnny Darling might know,’ said Libby. ‘I told Ian about him, so he’s bound to have asked him, isn’t he?’

  ‘I would have thought so, but honestly, Lib, you can’t just go and ask him.’

  ‘Can’t I? Oh, no, I suppose I can’t. Oh, how annoying it is being on the outside.’

  ‘You aren’t exactly on the outside,’ said Fran.

  ‘I know,’ said Libby. ‘I’m going to take Jeff-dog for a walk. He’s good at sniffing out things.’

  ‘He can’t go into Farm Cottage, Lib, you know that. And they might have had dogs up there already.’

  ‘I’m still going to,’ said Libby.

  ‘You’ll look suspicious,’ said Fran.

  ‘Who to? Una? She wants to know what’s going on anyway.’

  Hetty was so suspicious when Libby turned up wanting to take Jeff-dog out she refused to let them go unless she went with them.

  Libby sighed. ‘I’m going up Steeple Lane,’ she said.

  ‘Thought so,’ said Hetty. ‘Good excuse to see Una, then. Come on.’

  She put Jeff-dog’s smart red leather collar on and clipped on his lead. Apart from looking rather puzzled when he was led down the Manor drive rather than the other way over the fields, he seemed happy enough, and Libby congratulated herself on having found and adopted such an amenable dog.

  ‘What you looking for, then?’ asked Hetty as they walked down the drive. ‘Nothing to see, wouldn’t have thought.’

  ‘No, I know, and as Fran said I won’t be able to go inside the gate like I did the other day.’

  ‘What we going for, then?’

  ‘I don’t know. Sheer nosiness,’ admitted Libby. ‘You didn’t have to come.’

  ‘Stop you getting into trouble,’ said Hetty gruffly. Libby grinned.

  To her surprise, when they reached Una’s cottage, Hetty carried on walking.

  ‘I thought you said you were going to see Una.’

  ‘Will after. Want to see Farm Cottage. We tried to buy it.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Libby, sending her a curious look. ‘Is he dead now? The owner?’

  ‘Terrance, yes.’

  ‘I thought he must be.’ Libby nodded.

  They rounded the bend and came up to the cottage. Police tape fluttered along the fence and across the gate in front, and across the door and side access inside the fence.

  ‘I’m going round the back,’ said Libby, handing the dog lead to Hetty. Neither side of the cottage looked particularly accessible, but one side looked slightly less impeded than the other, so, glad she was wearing jeans and trainers rather than sandals, she tackled that side. However, once she was there she found more fencing and more tape, and although it would have been fairly simple to climb over it, she decided not to. Not because she was scared, she told herself, but because it was the right thing to do.

  She clambered back to Hetty and Jeff-dog waiting patiently in the lane.

  ‘Can’t see anything,’ she said, and bent down to stroke Jeff-dog’s head. ‘Do you know, he’s the most laid-back dog I have ever met.’

  They turned and walked back to Una’s cottage.

  ‘Well, hello, me ducks!’ she said with a delighted smile as she opened the door. ‘What a lovely surprise! Come on in.’

  ‘Gal’s been snooping,’ said Hetty. ‘Can I bring the dog in?’

  ‘Course you can. Never seen such a well-behaved dog.’

  ‘That’s what I just said.’ Libby smiled a proud smile.

  When Una had provided tea, she asked why Libby had wanted to look.

  ‘I thought I might get an idea of what the police found.’ Libby heaved a disappointed sigh. ‘But nothing. Can’t understa
nd why there’s no police presence if there’s something worth protecting there.’

  ‘Well, I told you, I didn’t even know there was a shed there,’ said Una. D’you reckon it’s something they found in the shed worth protecting?’

  ‘Must be,’ said Hetty. ‘Cottage is all open.’

  ‘I wonder if Johnny knows what it is?’ said Libby.

  ‘Don’t you go pokin’ your nose in,’ said Hetty. ‘Leave him be.’

  ‘That’s what Fran said.’

  ‘Sensible woman, that Fran.’ Hetty nodded pointedly.

  ‘I know, I know.’ Libby sighed. ‘Well, if there’s nothing more to see, I should probably go home.’ She stood up.

  ‘I’ll stay here a bit,’ said Hetty. ‘You go on.’

  ‘All right. Thanks for the tea, Una.’

  ‘Well,’ she said to herself out loud once she was back in the lane, ‘that was a bit pointless.’

  She began walking back down the lane when she suddenly became aware of someone behind her. At the same time she became aware just how isolated it was up here. The cottage next door to Una’s was empty, Steeple Farm, a little way along, was also empty, there was nothing else between there and the high street and nothing except woodland and the dewpond on the other side. She swung round to confront her follower.

  ‘I bet you bin up to look at the cottage, too, ain’t yer?’ Johnny Darling was grinning at her and Libby felt herself sag with relief.

  ‘Yes, Hetty and I were out with the dog.’ Libby stood and waited for him to catch up. ‘She’s gone in to see Una now.’

  ‘Course she has. Thick as thieves all our oldies.’

  ‘Yes, well, I suppose they’d be like that in any community,’ said Libby. ‘Johnny, we were wondering why the police have put police tape round Farm Cottage. Do you know? Did they come and see you yesterday?’

  ‘Certainly did. Asked me what was in the shed when I put it up.’

  ‘And what was?’ asked Libby.

  ‘Nothing except shelves. All metal they was, like the shed itself. They had me put these concealed air bricks in, too. Well, they wasn’t bricks exactly, more vents, like.’

  ‘They?’

  ‘That Vine and his mate. Both went to the Chess Club.’

  ‘Russell Wilde?’

  ‘I dunno his name – never did. He weren’t local, like, although he stayed for a bit down Lendle Lane. Old Mrs Evans’s place. I never saw him much, and he’d gone by the time Vine went.’