knows he can't lose.'
'Do you think they did a deal and split the payout?'
'You can see it in his eyes as he says the opposite, guv. I suggested to him that Blacker did the dirty on him over his own manuscript and there was a glimmer of agreement about that, but not enough to pin the murder on him.'
'He can feel safe about any deal they did now Blacker is dead.'
'Yes, but Blacker wouldn't ever have admitted to the fraud. I don't think that's enough for a motive.'
Hen turned back to Andy Humphreys. 'Who did you see first — Mrs Warmington-Smith?'
He reddened at the memory. 'We got off to a bad start. She seemed to think I was attacking her for living in a house owned by the church. When we got round to her movements on the two nights in question she admitted she goes for late-night walks.'
'How late?'
'After midnight sometimes. She's a poor sleeper. The walks are just in the cathedral area. She also owns an old car that runs on leaded. I asked if she ever uses it at night and she says she doesn't.'
'She would, wouldn't she?'
'Maybe, but she didn't have to tell me about the walks.'
'Agreed. What do you make of her personality? How does she shape up as a potential arsonist?'
Humphreys drew in a long breath. 'She came out with some weird stuff. Gets signs and that, like Joan of Arc, she said.'
'What, heavenly voices?'
He nodded. 'She told me God was in the interview room with us.'
'Only place he can get a smoke,' said Shilling, and got another laugh.
'She said some stuff about the journey of the soul.'
'Are you saying she's strange enough to go to the top of our list?'
'Don't know about that. She wasn't bitter about Blacker or Miss Snow. I don't think she hated either of them.'
'Okay, there's a question mark over Warmington-Smith. That leaves us with Thomasine O'Loughlin, Bob Naylor and one other.'
'Dagmar Bumstead,' Shilling said. 'The one you can easily forget. I interviewed her. She keeps a low profile, even though she was one of the founders of the circle. Very discreet about everybody. Works for a solicitor.'
'She doesn't leap to mind as a suspect, I agree,' Hen said. 'Remind me what she writes.'
'Romances. That's the surprise. She's got them stacked up at home, all unpublished.'
'That's how she gets her rocks off,' Humphreys said. 'Writing about it.'
'And some people get theirs off talking about it,' Stella said with a glare.
Shilling said, 'It's easy to overlook Dagmar, but she's close to the centre of things. A friend of McDade, the chairman, and of Thomasine O'Loughlin. She and Thomasine were the most active trying to get McDade released from custody.'
'But what had she got against our two murder victims?'
'Blacker showed some interest in her script and then dropped her like a hot brick when he heard she'd had so many rejections. That must have hurt.'
'But why would she have wanted to kill Miss Snow?'
Shilling was silent for a moment, then came out with a profound remark. 'Why would anyone want to kill Miss Snow? On the face of it she was a harmless little lady, but she had a few secrets, didn't she? She was an accountant, so she probably knew if anyone in the circle had money problems. She was secretary and treasurer of the circle.'
'Worked in a charity shop,'Johnny chimed in. 'Knew who bought their clothes secondhand.'
'Are you saying Dagmar was strapped for cash and didn't want anyone to know it?'
Shilling shook his head. 'I can't be certain of that, guv.'
'But worth a thought. All right. That leaves Tommy and Tuppence.'
This got some blank looks.
Hen was shaking her head, disappointed in her squad. 'You're not with it, are you? Agatha Christie's amateur detectives. I've got all the tapes.'
Nobody said a word.
She went on, 'I'm referring to Bob Naylor and Thomasine O'Loughlin. Stella, you spoke to Naylor. What do you make of him?'
'Bright guy. Popular. They all seem to trust him.'
'Too good to be true?'
'If he is, it's a good act, guv. He makes you smile, too. Mind, he's pushy. Give him another week and he'd take over that circle completely. He makes all the other guys look like extra baggage.'
'Capable of murder?'
'Well capable. But I can't see why.'
'Unless there's something in his background we don't know about.' Hen sighed and said in a voice already thinking of other things, 'There's still plenty to be discovered about all of them. So what's new on Thomasine O'Loughlin?'
You could almost see Johnny Cherry pump himself up for this. 'I interviewed her and it was pretty sensational. She admitted that she met Maurice McDade in Chichester on the afternoon before Blacker was killed.'
'What for?'
'It wasn't prearranged. It was chance. She was out with her schoolkids doing a survey. But the point is that McDade told her how Blacker had ripped him off. Thomasine knew about it, guv. And she told Dagmar.' He folded his arms. In Johnny's view, no more needed to be said.
Thomasine finished her second G amp;T. 'It's been a long day.'
'One for the road?'
She shook her head. 'Tired.'
'I'll call a taxi.'
She placed her hand over Bob's. 'I was wrong earlier. I take it all back.'
'Take what back?'
'About you being ungentlemanly. You're a perfect gent.'
'Not all the time.'
'No?'
Their eyes met and hers had an invitation.
He said, 'But tonight I have to get back.'
'Something on TV?'
'Ouch,' he said. 'That's below the belt'
In the taxi, halfway there, he said, 'It wouldn't be a bad idea to put a block on your letterbox at nights.'
'And how would I do that?'
'Have you got a screwdriver and some screws? I'll do it for you.'
'Now?'
'But I do have to get back after.'
She leaned her head on his shoulder. 'Just like Cinderella.'
21
EOD
