He just wanted to talk about old times. He wasn’t to know. He has hopes
to start the county cricket team up again.”
Clara understood. Before the
war Tommy had been a champion cricketer, it had even been said he could play
for a national team. There had been debate whether Tommy would continue his
academic studies or try his hand at playing for England. But the war had ended
that debate.
“He was so eager to pick my
brains.” Tommy snorted, “And tell me all about his problems finding enough
able-bodied men willing to play. If Annie hadn’t returned at that point I think
I might have socked him one right in his smiling face.”
Tommy fingered his useless
legs, legs that had once carried him across the green grass of a cricket pitch
and now could barely carry him from his bed to his wheelchair.
“It was ill-manners on Eric’s
part, I don’t suppose he thought how it would affect you.”
“No one does.” Tommy wrapped
his head back in his hands, “Some days it’s like the war never happened and
everyone is trying too hard to behave as if everything is normal, but it’s not
normal. I will never be normal again.”
“On that I don’t agree with
you.” Clara walked to him and gently stroked his hair, “Now come on, we’ve
worried Annie long enough.”
“Poor Annie.” Tommy woke
momentarily from his slump, then he sank again, “I wonder she puts up with an
old crock like me.”
“It must be love.” Clara said
lightly enough, but Tommy’s head shot up.
“What do you mean?”
“Well she hardly puts up with
you for the pittance I can afford to pay her.”
That did the trick. Tommy was
too distracted to continue moping about his own woes. Clara decided to maintain
the diversions.
“So, are you ready to hear my
news?”
Tommy glanced at her.
“What news?”
“There was no strychnine in
the sherry. Augustus was not poisoned that way.”
“Actually, I am quite
relieved. It has been on my mind that we all came very close to a nasty end,
but now we know it wasn’t just good fortune that kept us alive.”
“Yes, but it leaves us no
closer to an answer.” Clara sighed, “I was thinking…”
A knock on the door
interrupted her. A head appeared.
“I thought it sounded calmer.”
Annie edged nervously around the door, “Are you better Tommy?”
“Course Annie.” Tommy pulled
out a big smile for her, “You must take no notice of me when I have these silly
moods.”
Annie merely nodded.
“I’ll get dinner on then.” She
curtseyed and vanished.
“She’s still upset.” Tommy
sighed.
“She will get over that too.”
Clara assured him.
Tommy drifted into thought
again, then roused himself visibly.
“You were saying?”
“I am thinking I need to
spread my net wider, as the saying goes, and see what suspects I can catch.
I’ve asked the inspector to get information for me on that old case Mrs Greengage
was involved in, but I wouldn’t mind a trip to her old neighbourhood in
Eastbourne to make some enquires.”
“You think that will help?”
“I don’t know, but in my
experience a good neighbour, and by that I mean one who is dreadfully nosy,
often knows far more about a person than any policeman can discover. Besides, I
don’t trust the inspector to tell me everything.”
Tommy looked at her curiously,
and she felt expected to explain.
“He thinks I am just a woman
who is too bored to do anything else but sniff around in his business.”
“Then he’s a fool.”
“Yes, but he is the fool who
is in authority. Trust me Tommy when I say I know what it is like to feel
useless and left out.”
Tommy looked mildly abashed.
“Hope I never caused you to
feel that way, old thing.”
“Oh Tommy, of course you have,
but you couldn’t help it, you’re just a man and society teaches you how to
treat women.”
“Well this last year or so has
taught me that a lot of things in this life are not as they ought to be. I have
faith that you can solve this case and anything
to start the county cricket team up again.”
Clara understood. Before the
war Tommy had been a champion cricketer, it had even been said he could play
for a national team. There had been debate whether Tommy would continue his
academic studies or try his hand at playing for England. But the war had ended
that debate.
“He was so eager to pick my
brains.” Tommy snorted, “And tell me all about his problems finding enough
able-bodied men willing to play. If Annie hadn’t returned at that point I think
I might have socked him one right in his smiling face.”
Tommy fingered his useless
legs, legs that had once carried him across the green grass of a cricket pitch
and now could barely carry him from his bed to his wheelchair.
“It was ill-manners on Eric’s
part, I don’t suppose he thought how it would affect you.”
“No one does.” Tommy wrapped
his head back in his hands, “Some days it’s like the war never happened and
everyone is trying too hard to behave as if everything is normal, but it’s not
normal. I will never be normal again.”
“On that I don’t agree with
you.” Clara walked to him and gently stroked his hair, “Now come on, we’ve
worried Annie long enough.”
“Poor Annie.” Tommy woke
momentarily from his slump, then he sank again, “I wonder she puts up with an
old crock like me.”
“It must be love.” Clara said
lightly enough, but Tommy’s head shot up.
“What do you mean?”
“Well she hardly puts up with
you for the pittance I can afford to pay her.”
That did the trick. Tommy was
too distracted to continue moping about his own woes. Clara decided to maintain
the diversions.
“So, are you ready to hear my
news?”
Tommy glanced at her.
“What news?”
“There was no strychnine in
the sherry. Augustus was not poisoned that way.”
“Actually, I am quite
relieved. It has been on my mind that we all came very close to a nasty end,
but now we know it wasn’t just good fortune that kept us alive.”
“Yes, but it leaves us no
closer to an answer.” Clara sighed, “I was thinking…”
A knock on the door
interrupted her. A head appeared.
“I thought it sounded calmer.”
Annie edged nervously around the door, “Are you better Tommy?”
“Course Annie.” Tommy pulled
out a big smile for her, “You must take no notice of me when I have these silly
moods.”
Annie merely nodded.
“I’ll get dinner on then.” She
curtseyed and vanished.
“She’s still upset.” Tommy
sighed.
“She will get over that too.”
Clara assured him.
Tommy drifted into thought
again, then roused himself visibly.
“You were saying?”
“I am thinking I need to
spread my net wider, as the saying goes, and see what suspects I can catch.
I’ve asked the inspector to get information for me on that old case Mrs Greengage
was involved in, but I wouldn’t mind a trip to her old neighbourhood in
Eastbourne to make some enquires.”
“You think that will help?”
“I don’t know, but in my
experience a good neighbour, and by that I mean one who is dreadfully nosy,
often knows far more about a person than any policeman can discover. Besides, I
don’t trust the inspector to tell me everything.”
Tommy looked at her curiously,
and she felt expected to explain.
“He thinks I am just a woman
who is too bored to do anything else but sniff around in his business.”
“Then he’s a fool.”
“Yes, but he is the fool who
is in authority. Trust me Tommy when I say I know what it is like to feel
useless and left out.”
Tommy looked mildly abashed.
“Hope I never caused you to
feel that way, old thing.”
“Oh Tommy, of course you have,
but you couldn’t help it, you’re just a man and society teaches you how to
treat women.”
“Well this last year or so has
taught me that a lot of things in this life are not as they ought to be. I have
faith that you can solve this case and anything
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