“But that’s not local,” the woman said. “Where are you?”
“At the Hearth and Heath,” Judith informed her.
“Then come along,” the woman said. “We’re next door to the east.”
Judith rang off and stood up. “We’re going to see the doctor.”
When the cousins exited the garden through the gate facing the road, they saw what they presumed was the last of the media vehicles pulling away. Only a couple of onlookers lingered by the inn.
“Luckily,” Judith said, “we don’t look important.”
“We’re not,” Renie asserted as they approached the small whitewashed one-story building that housed the surgery. “How could the cops have missed that jacket if Davey was wearing it?”
“Because,” Judith said, ringing the bell, “I don’t think Davey was wearing it when the cops got there. That’s what we’re going to find out.”
A slim blonde about forty-odd opened the door. “You’re Americans,” she said. “I figured it out after I studied your cell phone number. Not traveler’s tummy, is it? The water’s perfectly safe here.”
“No,” Judith said as an elderly man shuffled into the waiting room from another direction. “Till next time,” he said. “Always a next time.” He went out the front door.
“Poor Mr. Murchison,” the blonde said. “Old age is painful.”
Dr. Carmichael appeared from the same part of the surgery Mr. Murchison had just left. “Susan told me you’d called,” he said, nodding at a woman with a toddler who’d just been admitted by the blonde. The doctor nodded at the mother and child. “I assumed it was you ladies. Let’s go into my office.”
“We won’t keep you,” Judith assured him as they left the waiting room. “In fact, we can do this right here.” She held out the jacket. “Do you recognize this?”
The doctor frowned. “No. It’s a bit of a wreck, isn’t it?”
Judith quickly explained about the hamster, the thrift shop, and her suspicions about bloodstains. Dr. Carmichael took the jacket from her and examined it more closely.
“Davey Piazza wasn’t wearing a jacket when I saw him. Odd, I remember thinking, because it was a chilly night.”
“Did you see it anywhere at the scene?” Judith asked.
“Why…” The doctor tapped his cheek several times. “No, I don’t think so. I discovered Patrick Cameron lying nearby, but I didn’t notice a jacket. It was dark and misty, of course.” He shook his head. “And now Patrick’s been arrested. Such a dreadful past few days.”
“Yes,” Judith agreed sympathetically. “Are those stains blood?”
The doctor looked again. “Very likely, but I’d have to make a more thorough examination.”
Judith nodded. “Thank you. We’ll leave you to your patients.”
Outside under the encroaching gray clouds, Renie poked Judith’s arm. “You have a theory. Let’s hear it.”
Before Judith could respond, Constables Glen and Adamson came out of the inn, heading for their patrol car parked at the road’s edge. Seeing Judith and Renie, they stopped.
“We’re off to Morton’s,” Glen called. “Don’t fret, we’ll get your husbands back to you safely.”
“Thanks! Good luck! Be careful!” Judith’s words followed the policemen into their vehicle.
“Shall we wait at the inn?” Renie asked.
Judith thought about it for a moment. “No. I trust the cops. Doing nothing would make me even more nervous than I am right now. Let’s take the bus.”
“What bus?” Renie asked, mystified.
“That bus,” she said, “coming this way.” She pointed to her left. “We’ll flag it down. We’re going to Hollywood.”
The driver was the same one who had given the cousins a free ride from Cummings House. Judith insisted on paying him for the previous ride and added a tip. If the man behind the wheel was surprised, he didn’t show it, but thanked them in a grumpy manner.
It took five minutes to reach their destination. Judith and Renie had remained silent during the brief journey. As expected, Fergus responded on the intercom. He didn’t sound pleased when Judith identified herself, but he opened the iron gates anyway.
“Madam is in her boudoir,” he said. “She’ll see you now.”
“Thanks, ol’ buddy,” Renie said. “You’re a sport.”
Fergus looked affronted.
Judith was relieved to see that Moira was alone, lying in bed and looking almost as pitiful as when the cousins had last seen her.
“I’m so sorry to be such a poor hostess,” she apologized, “but I’m still very ill. I wouldn’t have let you call on me if I didn’t think you had news of those silly emails.”
Judith couldn’t hide her surprise. “Who told you that?”
“Elise,” Moira said. Her face fell. “You do know what happened to them, don’t you?”
“We know they were stolen from my room at Grimloch along with the case,” Judith said. “We haven’t heard if they’ve been recovered.”
