It had not been possible then, of course, with absolutely no spare money in the family. No, he’d been thinking, and had changed his mind. “Has Auntie Betty been speaking to you?” asked Prue, wondering if her father had, for once, gone for a pint, and been got at by her aunt. When Prue had mentioned it to her, she’d been all for it. “Go for it, gel,” she’d said.
But Mr Betts shook his head. “Good gracious me, no,” he said. “I don’t discuss family affairs with my sister. No, I’ve just been thinking, that’s all. I shall give you all the help I can, and with luck some financial assistance, too. We must have a meeting of everybody concerned – the other young people and their parents, perhaps? – and get the ball rolling.”
Mrs Betts was apprehensive when they both came in for lunch after what seemed like hours in the study. She had been very curious about what he was saying to Prue, and had stooped to listening silently outside the door. But the old doors were heavy, and soundproof, and she could only hear the odd word.
“It’s on, Mum!” Prue had burst out, grinning from ear to ear. Mr Betts was more dignified, but smiling, and he put his arm around his wife’s waist. “It’ll be just us after September,” he said. “A dear old couple, you and I, slipping into quiet obscurity in the remote Highlands of Scotland.”
Mrs Betts was not sure she liked the sound of that.
¦
Sheila Stratford heard the telephone ringing, and ran in from pegging out her husband’s shirts on the line. There was a good blow this morning, and she hoped the rain threatened by the weather forecast would keep off until the washing dried. She was due at the schoolhouse this afternoon, and made a mental note to check before she left.
“Hello? Oh, Lois, hello. Nothing wrong, I hope?”
Lois assured her all was well. “I’ve had an emergency call from Ringford. They need someone at once, before hoards of guests arrive this evening. It would be quite a good contact…local new rich at the old rectory…so I thought you’d be the person to impress them!”
“But what about the Betts’s?”
“I’ll come over and do them. They won’t mind, I’m sure. Mrs Betts seems so grateful to get help.”
Sheila was flattered, as Lois had meant her to be, and agreed to be over at Ringford at two o’clock sharp. Lois asked if there was anything she should know about the Betts job. She was perfectly confident that the schoolhouse would not present any difficulties. She had plotted this exchange carefully, meaning to keep her eyes and ears open. The more she thought about the deaths, the more certain she was that the theatre was the common denominator, including Mr Betts. All of them were involved, except perhaps Dick. As far as she knew, Dick Reading had had no connection with the theatre. She could just hear him scoffing: “You won’t catch me anywhere near a load of poofs!” But she was absolutely sure that the two deaths were linked, and the theatre was at the core of it all. Time for a spot more culture.
After settling the details with Sheila, she put down the telephone and picked up the local newspaper, turning to the ‘Attractions’ column. She glanced down the list of fetes and car boot sales, and found what she wanted. A larger advertisement announced the latest production at the Tresham theatre: ‘LIBEL’, it said in large bold type. “An old favourite with an exciting twist!” Lois had never heard of it, but thought she could probably sit through it. She noticed that it was playing for three weeks, and resolved to ask Derek. If he dug in his toes, perhaps she could persuade her mother to come with her. In fact, it might be better to take Gran anyway, leaving Derek to stay with the kids. She could sell it to her as a treat, a reward for all her hard work in helping out.
This reminded her that some decision would soon be necessary about her mother’s bungalow in Tresham. Originally council property, her parents had bought it when her father had retired. Now it was wholly her mother’s, and not doing any good standing empty most of the time. She would bring up the subject tactfully. How did she feel about it herself? It had just been a short-term thing, a stopgap, but having Gran there, a solid reassuring presence for the kids, gave Lois a great deal more freedom to run the business more efficiently. She was not bound by school times, and in the holidays there was no problem about children being left alone in the house. On the whole, although there was a small difficulty about privacy, times when she and Derek wanted to be left alone to have a good row…or something nicer…Gran was an unmixed blessing. Derek was extremely fond of her, always had been, and seemed to have accepted her as a permanent fixture.
She tidied her papers and left her office. Gran was busy in the kitchen, and Lois walked in with a big smile. “Mum,” she said, “how would you like to go to the theatre with me?”
Her mother looked up from the pastry board. “Me? Why don’t you take Derek? I can sit with the kids.”
“No, I want you to come,” persisted Lois. “Sort of thank you for all you’ve done to help us.”
Her mother looked alarmed. “Here,” she said quickly, “you’re not chucking me out, are you? Because if you are, you’d better say so straight away, before I put the bungalow on the market. I’d just decided.”
So there it was, thought Lois. No need to broach the subject tactfully. Mum had decided, and now she was sure it was the best thing for all of them. “Phew,” she said, laughing, “that’s a relief! I hadn’t liked to mention it, but we’d hoped you’d want to stay.” She walked round the table and gave her mother a smacking kiss on her floury face.
“Right then,” said Gran, “now go and do something useful while I finish this pastry.”
? Terror on Tuesday ?
Forty-One
Lois arrived at the schoolhouse a few minutes early, and knocked gently at the door. Almost immediately it was opened sharply, and Mr Betts stood there, unsmiling.
“Yes?” he said.
Lois was disconcerted for a second or two, then said pleasantly, “Good afternoon, Mr Betts, I’ve come instead of Mrs Stratford. We had an emergency, and had to do some reorganizing. I hope that’s OK with Mrs Betts?”
She watched him closely, and thought for one moment that he was going to say that no, it was not OK, and shut the door on her. Definitely not pleased to see me, she noted.
“Who is it, darling?” Mrs Betts came up behind him, and he withdrew. Lois explained again, and this time was welcomed in. “I’m so pleased with Sheila,” Mrs Betts enthused, “but I expect from the boss we shall get an even better clean up!”
“Mm,” said Lois. “Could you just tell me where the things are, and I’ll make a start. Anything special you need doing?”
Mrs Betts shook her head. She went over Sheila’s routine, and added, “My husband is in his study at the moment, but he’ll be getting back to the school shortly. He likes everything to be left as it is on his desk. Just dust around the heaps!”
After half an hour or so, when Lois was upstairs cleaning the bathroom, Mrs Betts called up that she was going out. “I’m meeting Prue in Tresham,” she said. “She went in on the bus, and I promised to bring her back.” She had reached the top of the stairs, and smiled broadly at Lois. “No doubt she’ll lure me into dress shops, and my purse will be much lighter when we come back. But then, you have a teenage daughter, too? You’ll know exactly what I mean!”
Lois nodded. “They don’t get any cheaper, do they,” she said. “Still, your Prue does work at the pub, doesn’t she…Josie’s too young for that yet.”
“Yes, well,” said Mrs Betts. “If you take my advice, Mrs Meade, you’ll keep her away from pubs. I know all the girls do it, but – as my husband says – it can be a very corrupting influence.”
The study door opened, and Mr Betts came to the bottom of the stairs. “If you’re going, Mother, you’d better go!” he said sharply. “Don’t keep the cleaner gossiping. We’re paying good money, don’t forget,” and he marched back.
“Sorry,” mouthed Mrs Betts. “Well, I’d better be off. Do make yourself a cup of tea when you’re ready. I’ve left all the things on the kitchen table.” She hesitated, and then added in a whisper, “Don’t take any notice of Mr Betts. He’s not been too well lately.”
Lois carried on in the now silent house. She wondered what Mr Betts was doing in his study when he should have been teaching a class in school. Preparing for his move away? Perhaps he was going to stay in there until she
