Murder to Music

‘Not by the look of the gravestones.’ Fran moved forward and tried to clear the nearest. ‘Look, there’s nothing on it. Not even a faint mark.’

‘How do we know they’re gravestones, then?’

‘The shape, for a start, although some of them just look like boulders, don’t they? I just know they are.’

Libby looked round the garden. ‘I wonder how long it took for it to get this overgrown?’

‘Not long,’ said Fran, moving to another of the stones. ‘But the stones have been here for a long time.’

‘Not that long.’ Libby’s voice was muffled. ‘Look over here.’

Fran joined her standing over a cleared patch of stubbly grass.

‘This has been cleared quite recently.’ Libby bent and dug a finger at the ground. ‘Although not that recently. It almost looks as though it’s been dug over.’

Fran looked up suddenly. ‘Listen.’

‘What?’ Libby glanced warily over her shoulder.

‘That music.’ Fran looked back at Libby. ‘Piano music.’

‘I can’t hear anything.’ Libby frowned. ‘It’s just you.’

‘No, no, listen. Clear as anything.’ Fran moved back towards the house.

‘Oh, God.’ Libby backed away towards the gate. ‘I can hear it. There’s someone in there playing the piano.’

Fran walked cautiously towards the long window and peered round the edge. Then she looked back at Libby.

‘No,’ she said. ‘There isn’t.’

Chapter Five

THEY STARED AT EACH other.

‘That’s it,’ said Libby. ‘We’re getting out.’ She turned, squeezed through the gate and almost ran down the side of the house. Fran followed more slowly, thoughtfully rubbing at the scratches on her bare legs.

‘That was no ghost,’ she said, as she caught Libby up at the car. ‘That was real music. Someone knew we were there.’

‘All the more reason to get out quick,’ said Libby, turning the key in the ignition.

‘It was to scare us off,’ said Fran, peering over her shoulder at White Lodge as Libby turned the car round. ‘I wonder if that’s what scared off prospective purchasers? Not to mention the estate agents.’

‘Surely he’d have mentioned it?’

‘Not necessarily. Remember he was almost eager for us to see it. He wants to get rid of it, and if he really thought we were bona fide viewers he wouldn’t tell us anything to put us off.’

‘But he did. He told me on the phone it was a monstrosity and about people being spooked. Why not tell us about the piano as well?’

‘Perhaps he thought it would be over-egging the pudding?’

‘Maybe. But it’s odd. In fact, it’s more than bloody odd,’ said Libby, ‘it’s terrifying. If that disturbed part of the garden is a recent grave it isn’t a legal one.’

‘Murder.’ Fran stared at her friend.

‘Oh, bloody hell, not again,’ said Libby.

They took the keys back to Riley’s, which was just about to close. A young woman took Libby’s credit card and refunded the deposit.

‘Have a nice day,’ she said, as she locked the door behind them.

Fran and Libby looked at each other in surprise.

‘She didn’t ask us anything about it,’ said Libby. ‘Why not?’

‘They’re obviously used to people not wanting the place after they’ve seen it. It must be a regular thing for them to let viewers go on their own.’

‘But not recently. It doesn’t come up on their website, remember. They’re hardly advertising it.’ Libby looked thoughtful as they turned back down the high street. ‘And you’d have thought they would be pushing it to get rid of it. I wonder if they’ve told the police?’

‘If they’ve heard the piano music, they should have done.’

‘No, I meant about the grave.’

‘If no one’s been to view they wouldn’t know. It hasn’t been there long.’

‘Well, do we tell the police, then?’

‘Would they listen?’ Fran looked dubious.

‘Ian might.’

‘Oh, poor Ian.’ Fran laughed. ‘We can’t do it to him again.’

‘He’s our pet policeman,’ said Libby. ‘We can just ask him a question.’

‘He isn’t our pet policeman. He’s a friend.’

‘Poor bugger. But he was – and still is – a policeman first. He only became a friend because he fancied you.’

‘Well, yes, I suppose so. But he wouldn’t be able to do anything. I would imagine White Lodge is out of his jurisdiction. He’s still working out of Nethergate.’

‘We could just ask him a question, as I said. Hypothetically.’

‘And he would immediately ask why we wanted to know.’

‘I don’t care. I’ll ask him if you won’t.’ They stopped outside Coastguard Cottage. ‘I’ll ring him tonight. Better if I do it, anyway. Then Guy won’t be jealous.’

‘Don’t be daft,’ said Fran. ‘Guy never gets jealous.’

‘Hmm.’ Libby unlocked the car. ‘Well, anyway. I’ll ring you later and tell you what he says.’

It occurred to Libby that she ought to ring Ben, having been far longer than she had expected that afternoon.

‘It’s all right,’ he sighed. ‘I guessed you were out on the trail with Fran. Find anything?’

‘Well, sort of,’ said Libby. ‘I’ll tell you when I get back. And,’ she added as an afterthought, ‘get your advice.’

She arrived back at Allhallow’s Lane to find Ben preparing his signature stir fry, a glass of red wine already poured for her.

‘Rice is on,’ he said, ‘so come and sit down and tell me all about it.’

So Libby told him. ‘And what I want to know,’ she finished, ‘is should I phone Ian to tell him?’

Ben frowned. ‘If you heard that music then it isn’t, as Fran said, anything paranormal. So someone’s there. And if that is a grave, then you must tell the police.’

‘Fran thought they wouldn’t listen to us.’

‘That’s why you wanted to tell Ian.’ Ben nodded. ‘I think you should.’

Libby sighed and drained her glass. ‘I’ll do it after dinner, then.’

An hour later, she rang Detective Inspector Connell’s mobile number.

‘Libby? Is this a nice surprise or a nasty one?’

‘I’m sorry, Ian. Am I disturbing you in the middle of something important?’ asked Libby as sweetly as she could.

‘Only the first night off I’ve had to myself.’

‘Oh.’ Libby was genuinely regretful. ‘In that case, I really am sorry.’

‘That means you weren’t before. Come on, what is it? You only call me when you want something.’

Guiltily, Libby acknowledged this. ‘But honestly, Ian, I really think I ought to tell you, and so does Ben.’

Ian’s voice sharpened. ‘Ben does? All right, what is it?’

Libby outlined the facts as succinctly as she was able. ‘And we don’t know that it was a grave, just that it had been cleared comparatively recently.’

‘And that was the only patch like that?’

‘I’m afraid we didn’t look any further. We were spooked by the piano music.’