“And if others were less charitable than you?”
“I wouldn’t presume to read the intentions of others.”
Evan noticed that Hughes was getting agitated.
“On the afternoon that Randy Wunderlich vanished—can you account for your movements?”
“I can. I was out and about, wandering over the property, looking for the perfect site for our ceremony on the First of May. There must be oak trees, you know, and enough space for a bonfire and a large circle. I expect a good crowd.”
“Did you see anyone?”
“If you mean did anyone see me, the answer is probably no. Although I did hear somebody or something.”
Hughes looked up from his notes.
“Some large presence was moving through the woods, out of my range of vision. It could have been an animal, of course—a large dog—but it could have been a person in a hurry.”
“About what time was this?”
“I have no idea. After lunch and before dark. I have little idea of time when I’m contemplating.”
“Thank you.” Hughes got to his feet. “You’ve been most helpful.”
“I should say I’ve probably been most unhelpful, but I’ve told you all I know. Randy Wunderlich invited his own death, you know. The universe will not be mocked. The Goddess especially will not be mocked. Good day to you.”
They had been dismissed.
“Well, that about rounds out the principal players, doesn’t it, Evans?” Hughes asked as they climbed the stairs. “What a strange woman. It’s amazing how odd some unmarried women get after fifty, isn’t it?”
Evan decided that Hughes would never win a medal for tact. It was amazing that a similar comment hadn’t managed to offend someone of importance on his way up the promotion ladder. Lucky that the chief constable wasn’t a woman.
Hughes checked his watch. “They should have the staff assembled by now. I’ll give them a little speech and then you can take their statements after I’ve gone. I have a luncheon appointment in an hour, so I’m in a bit of a rush. We just need to find out what they remember about the afternoon Wunderlich disappeared, whether they noticed anything unusual, and whether anybody saw him after two-thirty. See if you can pick up any gossip as they talk to you. I’d be interested to know whether Annabel adored her husband as much as she claims. Just let them chat, Evans. They’ll probably feel comfortable with you. They might even want to speak Welsh and I know that’s your forte … .”
“Very good, sir,” Evan said. Again he wondered how Hughes could have risen so easily through the ranks when even his compliments managed to turn into insults. He attacked the flight of steps at a good pace. He noticed that Hughes was huffing and puffing by the time they reached the top.
“Where have they assembled the staff, do you suppose?” Hughes managed to gasp when the front doors were swung open and Emmy Court came striding out to meet them.
“How much longer exactly am I to be kept waiting?” she demanded. “I’ve got a flight to catch, you know, on a nonrefundable ticket. Do you guys plan to buy me a new ticket if I miss the plane?”
“And we have a possible murder investigation to conduct,” Hughes said. “We’ll let you know when you are at liberty to leave the area.”
“Murder?” The bluster left her and for once she looked as young as the image she tried to project.
Hughes nodded. “So we’ll need to ask you a few questions.”
“Hey, wait a second.” Emmy’s eyes darted nervously. “What has this got to do with me? I hardly knew the man. I only came to the place a couple of times, you know, and I had Betsy with me. Ask her. She can tell you.”
“We have already questioned her, and everyone else,” Hughes said. “There are just a couple of points I’d like to check on.” He went to usher her back into the building.
“We can talk out here,” Emmy said. “I hate being cooped up inside.”
“As you wish.” Hughes nodded. “Your name is Emmy Court, is that correct?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Do I take it that is an affirmative?” Hughes asked dryly.
“Yes.” She looked away.
“And you are a student?”
“I’m a Ph.D. candidate—paranormal psychology. University of Pennsylvania. My thesis is on second sight among the Celtic populations. Which is why I came here to do my research.”
“And what is your connection to the Sacred Grove?”
“I read about it when it opened last year. Randy Wunderlich had a great reputation, so I thought I’d use him to verify my findings if I came up with a truly psychic person. Betsy seemed to have strong psychic potential, so I called Mr. Wunderlich and asked if he’d test her independently. He agreed to do so. I took her down to the center. We met with him once for testing. He was impressed and wanted to work with her … and then he vanished. End of story.”
Evan detected a veiled bitterness in her voice. Was she annoyed that her potential thesis material had been ruined?
It was past one o’clock when Evan finished interviewing the staff. His stomach reminded him that it was a long time since breakfast. He found himself longing for the meals at Mrs. Williams’s house. He had complained that she was overfeeding him, but right now he would have given anything for a
