Murder Is Academic by Christine Poulson Page A

Lawrence. I’m wondering if I should get in first. If it’s going to come out anyway, better he doesn’t hear it from an angry student.’
    Stephen said, ‘I shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to go to Lawrence. From what you said, it’s not clear how much Rebecca knows. And, by the way, Cass, I’d certainly steer clear of saying anything about the letters. If you were ever brought to book over those, and I don’t see how you could be, then you could always claim you were acting within your powers as Margaret’s literary executor.’
    I was surprised and amused by this pragmatism. ‘Is that the solicitor speaking?’
    He put on a look of mock solemnity. ‘My dear, don’t you know you should never do anything without consulting your solicitor? And now, another drink?’
    â€˜Better not. I’ve got to cycle back to college and I’m seeing Merfyn this afternoon. I’ll need all my wits about me for that.’
    â€˜Coffee then.’
    â€˜Not for me, but get me a packet of Benson and Hedges, would you?’
    â€˜Cass!’
    â€˜Just this once. I absolutely must have a fag. Just one. You can keep the rest of the packet for me.’
    He raised his eyebrows in a pantomime of reluctant agreement.
    â€˜It’s the ritual as much as anything,’ I explained, when he brought them back to the table. I stripped off the cellophane and shook a cigarette out of the packet.
    â€˜Helps me get my thoughts in order.’
    He nodded and pocketed the packet. I lit up and took a deep drag. We sat in thought for a few minutes.
    â€˜I’m supposed to be seeing her on Monday. She’ll have had a chance to calm down by then. I’ll try and find out exactly what she meant. If she turns up.’
    â€˜She might well be regretting it already. Remember that Tom Lehrer song?’ Stephen grinned. ‘“Plagiarize, plagiarize, let no one else’s work evade your eyes”? You know what amazes me? That she had the chutzpah to crib from your own book!’
    I wasn’t enjoying my cigarette as much as I’d expected. I stubbed it out without finishing it.
    â€˜It’s happened before,’ I said. ‘At least she didn’t produce a copy of my book from her bag and ask me to autograph it for her! One student that I was ticking off for something similar actually did that.’ I looked at my watch. ‘Better be getting back to college.’
    â€˜Wait a moment,’ Stephen put his hand on my arm. He reached into his briefcase and brought out something wrapped in tissue-paper.
    â€˜I saw this in the antique shop opposite the museum.’
    From the way he handed it to me, I could tell it was fragile. It was a shallow, saucer-shaped porcelain bowl decorated with a grainy monochrome print in grey, a little crude but full of charm. A kneeling woman in an empire-line dress that exposed one breast was putting the yoke of a miniature chariot around her neck. The small boy in the chariot was brandishing a toy whip.
    Stephen was watching my face.
    â€˜It’s lovely,’ I said.
    â€˜I could see it was like the others you’ve got. “Maternal recreation” you said those prints are called?’
    I leant forward and kissed him lightly. He put an arm round me and gave me a longer, firmer kiss. I felt a passionate response that took me be surprise.
    â€˜I’ve got to go back to work,’ I said, pulling back and laughing.
    *   *   *
    As soon as I saw Merfyn I knew that something was wrong. Cathy had let him into my office and he was slumped in one of the armchairs waiting for me. He looked like a schoolboy called up before the headmaster. One leg was twisted round the other and his hands were tucked defensively under his thighs. When I caught his eye, he immediately looked away.
    He said, ‘I might as well tell you straightaway, Cass, that I haven’t got anything more to show