Although Bella did want to see me today. Can’t see how I could get over there, though, and she’s going back tomorrow.’
‘How about when I come and pick you up tonight we go there first?’ suggested Guy. ‘Then I’d be there to give you an excuse to get away.’
‘Good idea.’ Fran brightened. ‘Although I really don’t know why I’m putting myself out for her.’
‘Neither do I. She isn’t paying you, is she?’
‘No, of course not,’ said Fran. ‘All I needed to do was talk to her once, I suppose, because Inspector Connell suggested it. And I haven’t felt anything that might have helped him with his murder.’
‘So it’s just interest,’ said Guy.
‘Suppose so,’ agreed Fran. ‘I’ll have to think about it. And now I’ve got to go, or Libby will be here and I won’t be ready.’
As Libby drove into Canterbury, Fran told her about her conversations with Bella and Guy.
‘Good idea about the car,’ said Libby. ‘Do you know what you want?’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Fran, ‘I’ve known for some time. I’ve been buying all the car magazines for weeks.’
‘You dark horse you,’ laughed Libby. ‘So no help needed there, then. But what about Bella’s stuff? Do you want me to come with you?’
‘I might. And Guy’s got me wondering about why I’m doing it, so I might need a detached bystander.’
‘It’s got you interested,’ said Libby. ‘You’re beginning to tap into those moments of yours a lot better now, aren’t you?’
‘I think so,’ said Fran. ‘I need to concentrate on picking things up from people or objects.’
‘Or places. You said you got rather a reaction at the old Alexandria yesterday.’
‘Mm, but I think it was from some one rather than some thing .’
‘The body!’ said Libby triumphantly.
‘The body wasn’t there.’
‘But it had been.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said Fran. ‘Let’s change the subject.’
By lunchtime they were both exhausted and made for their favourite little back street pub, where the sparkling barman asked after Harry.
‘He’s fine,’ said Libby. ‘Getting married.’
‘Married?’ squeaked the barman.
‘Well, Civil Partnership, then. I’m Best Woman.’
‘Hmph,’ said the barman and slammed her change on the bar.
‘That went down well,’ said Fran, as they slid onto a bench and stuffed their parcels under the table.
‘Known for my tact,’ nodded Libby, taking a sip of her alcohol-free lager. ‘Yuck. That’s awful.’
‘You should have had an orange juice or something,’ said Fran, taking a large mouthful of white wine.
‘You wait until you’re the driver,’ said Libby grumpily.
‘That’s just it, I can’t wait,’ said Fran. ‘I shall be able to go where I want when I want.’
‘Meanwhile, you can borrow Romeo if necessary. But you said Guy’s going to take you to see Bella this evening?’
‘Yes, because she’s going home tomorrow. To Orrible Andrew.’
‘Why do you call him that?’ Libby looked interested.
‘Because he is. We felt it before, didn’t we? But I know now. It comes off her in waves. He doesn’t like the idea of her having any sort of life of her own, and it’s real rebellion, her coming down here, and especially if she refuses to sell. I just hope she stands up to him.’
‘Could he be anything to do with the body in the theatre?’ asked Libby.
‘I don’t see how. Bella knew nothing about her family until she got the letter from what’s-his-name – Grimshaw. No way Orrible Andrew could have known before she did.’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps he intercepted a previous letter.’
‘If he had, his reaction would have been the same as it is now, wouldn’t it?’ Fran reasoned. ‘Whoopee – sell it and make money.’
‘Oh.’ Libby nodded glumly. ‘Course it would.’ She sat up straight and looked at her friend. ‘So, are you interested in Bella’s family history, or the murder?’
Fran looked startled. ‘I don’t know,’ she said.
‘How about when I come and pick you up tonight we go there first?’ suggested Guy. ‘Then I’d be there to give you an excuse to get away.’
‘Good idea.’ Fran brightened. ‘Although I really don’t know why I’m putting myself out for her.’
‘Neither do I. She isn’t paying you, is she?’
‘No, of course not,’ said Fran. ‘All I needed to do was talk to her once, I suppose, because Inspector Connell suggested it. And I haven’t felt anything that might have helped him with his murder.’
‘So it’s just interest,’ said Guy.
‘Suppose so,’ agreed Fran. ‘I’ll have to think about it. And now I’ve got to go, or Libby will be here and I won’t be ready.’
As Libby drove into Canterbury, Fran told her about her conversations with Bella and Guy.
‘Good idea about the car,’ said Libby. ‘Do you know what you want?’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Fran, ‘I’ve known for some time. I’ve been buying all the car magazines for weeks.’
‘You dark horse you,’ laughed Libby. ‘So no help needed there, then. But what about Bella’s stuff? Do you want me to come with you?’
‘I might. And Guy’s got me wondering about why I’m doing it, so I might need a detached bystander.’
‘It’s got you interested,’ said Libby. ‘You’re beginning to tap into those moments of yours a lot better now, aren’t you?’
‘I think so,’ said Fran. ‘I need to concentrate on picking things up from people or objects.’
‘Or places. You said you got rather a reaction at the old Alexandria yesterday.’
‘Mm, but I think it was from some one rather than some thing .’
‘The body!’ said Libby triumphantly.
‘The body wasn’t there.’
‘But it had been.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said Fran. ‘Let’s change the subject.’
By lunchtime they were both exhausted and made for their favourite little back street pub, where the sparkling barman asked after Harry.
‘He’s fine,’ said Libby. ‘Getting married.’
‘Married?’ squeaked the barman.
‘Well, Civil Partnership, then. I’m Best Woman.’
‘Hmph,’ said the barman and slammed her change on the bar.
‘That went down well,’ said Fran, as they slid onto a bench and stuffed their parcels under the table.
‘Known for my tact,’ nodded Libby, taking a sip of her alcohol-free lager. ‘Yuck. That’s awful.’
‘You should have had an orange juice or something,’ said Fran, taking a large mouthful of white wine.
‘You wait until you’re the driver,’ said Libby grumpily.
‘That’s just it, I can’t wait,’ said Fran. ‘I shall be able to go where I want when I want.’
‘Meanwhile, you can borrow Romeo if necessary. But you said Guy’s going to take you to see Bella this evening?’
‘Yes, because she’s going home tomorrow. To Orrible Andrew.’
‘Why do you call him that?’ Libby looked interested.
‘Because he is. We felt it before, didn’t we? But I know now. It comes off her in waves. He doesn’t like the idea of her having any sort of life of her own, and it’s real rebellion, her coming down here, and especially if she refuses to sell. I just hope she stands up to him.’
‘Could he be anything to do with the body in the theatre?’ asked Libby.
‘I don’t see how. Bella knew nothing about her family until she got the letter from what’s-his-name – Grimshaw. No way Orrible Andrew could have known before she did.’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps he intercepted a previous letter.’
‘If he had, his reaction would have been the same as it is now, wouldn’t it?’ Fran reasoned. ‘Whoopee – sell it and make money.’
‘Oh.’ Libby nodded glumly. ‘Course it would.’ She sat up straight and looked at her friend. ‘So, are you interested in Bella’s family history, or the murder?’
Fran looked startled. ‘I don’t know,’ she said.
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