Murder in the Dark - A Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery (Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery Series) by Lesley Cookman
Authors: Lesley Cookman
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anything about it.’
‘Maybe she doesn’t know?’
‘How,’ said Ian testily, ‘can you live in a house and not know there’s a cellar?’
‘She doesn’t like the house. Never has. I don’t suppose she’s bothered to get to know much about it except for paying for constant updates and renovations.’
‘Well, I think I’m going to suggest that she allows us to have a thorough search with a buildings expert. Lewis, perhaps, as he knows the house? You said he was going to be in on the original search.’
‘Shall I ask? Or will you?’ asked Libby. ‘And will we still be allowed to join in?’
‘I think so,’ said Ian slowly. ‘I think I want to hear if Fran senses anything.’
‘Do you know she said herself she felt she might be of use. And she had that dream about being in the grotto.’
‘Right. I’ll make an official approach to Lewis – have I got his up-to-date contact details?’ Libby recited them. ‘Then you can make the follow-up call. Meanwhile, I’ll get someone to call Adelaide to see if she wants to see you.’
‘Not sure I want to see her,’ grumbled Libby.
‘Just for me, Libby, just for me,’ said Ian with a smile in his voice, and rang off.
Adelaide did want to see her.
‘I just don’t know who to turn to,’ she complained. ‘None of my London friends want to come down here.’
‘Have you asked them?’
‘Well, no. But I know they wouldn’t.’
What you mean is, thought Libby, you don’t really know them that well. Fair-weather friends, probably.
‘What about your sons?’
‘Julian’s here, staying in the hotel, but I can’t really – well, I just can’t. Not about Ramani and everything.’
‘Well, I’ll come over if you want me to,’ said Libby reluctantly, ‘but I can’t stay too long.’
‘That’s fine. I felt so much better after talking to you and Fran the other day. Will she come too?’
‘I can ask her,’ said Libby. ‘One or both of us will be with you this afternoon.’
Libby rang off and called Fran.
‘Of course I’ll come. How did she sound?’
‘Petulant and irritated. How on earth those two stayed married I shall never know. I suppose we ought to ask her about the search. Ian will have been on to Lewis by now.’
They agreed to meet at the hotel in Canterbury at two o’clock and Libby rang Lewis.
‘Yeah, I just got a message from your mate Ian. I’m free from tomorrow, so anytime after that. What about Adelaide?’
‘Fran and I are going to see her this afternoon.’
‘Give her my best and say all the right things, won’t you?’ Libby heard him sigh. ‘Can’t say he sounded like a great bloke to me. D’you know much about what’s going on?’
‘A bit. We’ll tell you when we do the house search. Ian wants Fran’s reactions.’
Just after two o’clock that afternoon, Fran and Libby found Adelaide in an anonymous room in a city centre hotel.
‘I can’t stand this,’ she said. ‘It’s like being in prison.’
‘It’s not the nicest hotel,’ said Libby. ‘There are much nicer ones, and a couple of lovely ones just outside Canterbury. Wouldn’t you prefer to be in one of those?’
Adelaide shuddered. ‘No. I never want to live in the country again.’
Libby and Fran exchanged a look.
‘What about the house?’ asked Fran. ‘Won’t your boys want it?’
‘No. They were away at school all the time we lived there. It was never home to them.’
‘Where was home?’ asked Libby. ‘In the beginning?’
‘Oh, London. South London.’ Adelaide smiled sadly and reminiscently. ‘I always dreamed of being able to live in one of the big houses on the edge of the common.’ She brightened. ‘I can now! Roland can’t stop me selling the house, and I can live where I want. I’ll stay in the flat until I find the right place.’
‘Why can’t you go back to the flat now?’ asked Fran. ‘Do the police need you to stay here?’
Adelaide shrugged. ‘Well, of course they do. I’m a
‘Maybe she doesn’t know?’
‘How,’ said Ian testily, ‘can you live in a house and not know there’s a cellar?’
‘She doesn’t like the house. Never has. I don’t suppose she’s bothered to get to know much about it except for paying for constant updates and renovations.’
‘Well, I think I’m going to suggest that she allows us to have a thorough search with a buildings expert. Lewis, perhaps, as he knows the house? You said he was going to be in on the original search.’
‘Shall I ask? Or will you?’ asked Libby. ‘And will we still be allowed to join in?’
‘I think so,’ said Ian slowly. ‘I think I want to hear if Fran senses anything.’
‘Do you know she said herself she felt she might be of use. And she had that dream about being in the grotto.’
‘Right. I’ll make an official approach to Lewis – have I got his up-to-date contact details?’ Libby recited them. ‘Then you can make the follow-up call. Meanwhile, I’ll get someone to call Adelaide to see if she wants to see you.’
‘Not sure I want to see her,’ grumbled Libby.
‘Just for me, Libby, just for me,’ said Ian with a smile in his voice, and rang off.
Adelaide did want to see her.
‘I just don’t know who to turn to,’ she complained. ‘None of my London friends want to come down here.’
‘Have you asked them?’
‘Well, no. But I know they wouldn’t.’
What you mean is, thought Libby, you don’t really know them that well. Fair-weather friends, probably.
‘What about your sons?’
‘Julian’s here, staying in the hotel, but I can’t really – well, I just can’t. Not about Ramani and everything.’
‘Well, I’ll come over if you want me to,’ said Libby reluctantly, ‘but I can’t stay too long.’
‘That’s fine. I felt so much better after talking to you and Fran the other day. Will she come too?’
‘I can ask her,’ said Libby. ‘One or both of us will be with you this afternoon.’
Libby rang off and called Fran.
‘Of course I’ll come. How did she sound?’
‘Petulant and irritated. How on earth those two stayed married I shall never know. I suppose we ought to ask her about the search. Ian will have been on to Lewis by now.’
They agreed to meet at the hotel in Canterbury at two o’clock and Libby rang Lewis.
‘Yeah, I just got a message from your mate Ian. I’m free from tomorrow, so anytime after that. What about Adelaide?’
‘Fran and I are going to see her this afternoon.’
‘Give her my best and say all the right things, won’t you?’ Libby heard him sigh. ‘Can’t say he sounded like a great bloke to me. D’you know much about what’s going on?’
‘A bit. We’ll tell you when we do the house search. Ian wants Fran’s reactions.’
Just after two o’clock that afternoon, Fran and Libby found Adelaide in an anonymous room in a city centre hotel.
‘I can’t stand this,’ she said. ‘It’s like being in prison.’
‘It’s not the nicest hotel,’ said Libby. ‘There are much nicer ones, and a couple of lovely ones just outside Canterbury. Wouldn’t you prefer to be in one of those?’
Adelaide shuddered. ‘No. I never want to live in the country again.’
Libby and Fran exchanged a look.
‘What about the house?’ asked Fran. ‘Won’t your boys want it?’
‘No. They were away at school all the time we lived there. It was never home to them.’
‘Where was home?’ asked Libby. ‘In the beginning?’
‘Oh, London. South London.’ Adelaide smiled sadly and reminiscently. ‘I always dreamed of being able to live in one of the big houses on the edge of the common.’ She brightened. ‘I can now! Roland can’t stop me selling the house, and I can live where I want. I’ll stay in the flat until I find the right place.’
‘Why can’t you go back to the flat now?’ asked Fran. ‘Do the police need you to stay here?’
Adelaide shrugged. ‘Well, of course they do. I’m a
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