Cold Coffin by Nancy Buckingham Page A

instance, though, she found their flippancy hard to take. She had met Sir Noah socially, and she had liked what she’d seen. He’d impressed her by his dignified bearing, by his somewhat old-fashioned charm as a host, by his obvious devotion to his wife. Now, she had to make an effort to appear calm and detached, for any sign of emotion on her part would be regarded as feminine weakness.
    Dr. Meddowes remarked morosely, “He’s going to take hours to thaw out enough for a post-mortem to be performed.”
    “We could always pop him in a microwave,” a Scenes of Crime man quipped over his shoulder. “Set it to Defrost.”
    As soon as Kate felt able, she left the scene. Her next task was to obtain authority to enlarge her murder squad to cope with this second killing. With Superintendent Joliffe away for the day, this entailed contacting the Assistant Chief Constable. She then had a conference with the office manager of the Incident Room to get things set in motion. She was glad to have Inspector Frank Massey working with her again. A former colleague on Wye division, Frank was thoroughly capable and reliable, with the necessary streak of toughness running through his mild manner. Unambitious for further promotion himself, he bore no resentment of Kate’s senior rank. In that, he was damn nearly a one-off policeman.
    Just as she was due to leave for Radlett to break the news to Lady Kimberley, a call came through from London. Sir Noah’s nephew, Aidan Kimberley, was asking to speak to her.
    She picked up the phone. “Good morning, Mr. Kimberley. I expect you’re calling me because Lady Kimberley told you I’d be wanting to speak to you. Is that right?”
    “Yes. I was talking to her last evening and she told me the shocking news about Dr. Gavin Trent’s death. Murder, she said. Can that be true?”
    “That is what we believe.”
    “It’s quite appalling, especially coming on top of my uncle’s disappearance. My wife and I feel we should be with my aunt at this distressing time, and of course there is Croptech to be considered. I’ll get away as soon as I possibly can, but I’ve been abroad for the past month and—”
    “Mr. Kimberley,” Kate cut in, “you had better come at once. I am afraid there has been a further development.”
    “A further development,” he echoed faintly. “How do you mean?”
    “I am sorry to have to tell you that your uncle, too, is dead.”
    There was a shocked silence. Then, “You are presuming he’s dead, I take it you mean, now that so many days have passed without news?”
    “No, I don’t mean that. Sir Noah’s body has been found. This morning.”
    “His body? But ... but where? How?”
    “I won’t go into that on the phone,” she said. “I’m just this minute setting out to break the news to Lady Kimberley. I think it’s important that you should be with her as soon as possible.”
    “Yes, of course. Of course. I’m at my office, but I’ll collect my wife and we’ll drive down right away. But you must tell me, Chief Inspector, how did my uncle die? When?”
    “Those facts are still to be established. I must go now. I’ll be in touch later.”
    Fortunately, Kate still reached Lady Kimberley before anyone else had got to her with news of her husband’s death. That was evident from Mrs. Byworth’s demeanour.
    “Oh yes, Dame Vanessa is in. She’s hardly left the house these last few days, poor thing. She’s still hoping the phone will ring and it will be Sir Noah. Oh dear, I wonder if it ever will be.”
    Kate made no comment.
    “She’s got Lord Balmayne with her just now,” the little woman went on. “Oh, he’s been such a comfort to her in her hour of need. He’s a good friend, always has been, and now he’s rallying round something wonderful. I’ll just go and tell Dame Vanessa that you’re here, Chief Inspector.”
    Kate wasn’t left to wait in the hall for more than a few seconds before the statuesque figure of Vanessa Kimberley appeared