‘In other words, she meant to spend the day in some way that Edward James – if his story about spending the day studying is true – wasn’t supposed to hear about at second hand,’ said Laura. ‘That sounds to me like a clandestine assignation.’
‘Quite so, Mrs Gavin. But, if there was a man involved, we haven’t found hide or hair of him yet. As for James’s alibi, well, Dame Beatrice might like to have a word with the school caretaker. Mansfield is his name. He’s not much good to us, though, I’m afraid. As the school was closed, he had a long lie-in and wasn’t breakfasting until ten, so if James claims to have been in the school library from nine o’clock onwards, Mansfield isn’t any good as a witness either for or against him.’
‘I see no point, at present, in contacting the caretaker,’ said Dame Beatrice, ‘but I shall speak to the two young women and should be grateful for Mr James’s address. At what time did he return there on the day of the murder, I wonder?’
‘He went back for his tea at five. He had told his landlady that, as there would be no school dinner that day, he would get some lunch in the town. There are only two places where he could have done that. One is a pub which does snacks at the bar but no set lunch; the other is the Rosebud Café. I’ve made enquiries at both, but with no useful result. The pub is always three deep round the bar counter at midday, so they’re not prepared to swear to anybody, and although they agree they might have noticed someone who wasn’t one of their regulars, they don’t remember anybody in particular. The café is in the same boat – always full for lunch, and two out of their three waitresses are newcomers. I even tried the local fish and chip place, but you can guess what the answer was there! Queues all down the street from a quarter to twelve until two o’clock! They couldn’t swear to anybody.’
‘Well, we’d better get weaving,’ said Laura, when she and Dame Beatrice were on their way home, ‘and the best of British luck to us, say I!’
This pious wish lived up to its ironic nature. The visits produced nothing helpful whatsoever, and Edward James was left with an alibi which he was unable to prove and which the Superintendent was equally unable to break. Miss Schumann had possessed her own car and had been alone when she took it out of the lock-up on the morning in question. It had not been returned, and was later found abandoned, after a police search, among other parked cars on the edge of Rhinefield, just outside Brockenhurst.
‘From there,’ said Laura disgustedly, ‘all the murderer had to do was to walk to Brockenhurst Station.’
‘A description of Edward James was given at the ticket office there, and to the porters, but with no result. His landlady said he was wearing the dark suit in which he habitually went to school, but she did not actually see him leave the house because she was having her own breakfast when she heard him close the front door, so, of course, he could have changed his clothes before he went out,’ said Dame Beatrice.
‘Taking a chance, wasn’t he?’
‘No. The Superintendent found out that the landlady always has breakfast in the back room basement, so she never sees Mr James leave the house when he goes to school.’
‘So we’re no further forward. Oh, well, it will soon be Christmas. Hamish breaks up at school tomorrow, and Gavin says he can take a few days’ leave. If you can spare me, I think I’ll take them both to see my parents. What did you think of doing?’
‘I am still considering which of three invitations I shall accept, so make your plans. What does Hamish want for Christmas?’
‘To have Fergus to sleep in his room.’
‘Fergus,’ said Dame Beatrice, ‘knows the murderer.’
Laura looked startled.
‘He’s actually seen him, you think?’
‘I am sure of it.’
Laura shook her head.
‘As always, you speak in riddles,’ she said, ‘and yet I can see that you’re serious. Anyway, may Hamish have Fergus in his bedroom while he’s here?’
‘Why not? Will Hamish wear a kilt, if you’re going to Scotland?’
‘He hasn’t got one.’
‘He is tall for his age, and of pleasing build. He would set one off, I think. It shall be my Christmas present to him if he would like that.’
‘I should think he’d adore it, and he’s just about the right colouring to wear the Menzies white and red. You’ll have to spring him a sgian-dubh to stick in his stocking, and a crest brooch for his bonnet. Great gosh! He’ll be insufferable! I can just see him swanking around!’
CHAPTER TWO
Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind
‘Farewell and adieu, all you fine Spanish ladies,
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain,
For we’ve received orders for to sail to old England,
But we hope in a short time to see you again.’
(1)
‘Well, I’m damned! He’s done it again!’ said Gavin. He and his wife had spent Christmas and Hogmanay with Laura’s people, and then, leaving their son with his maternal grandparents, they had gone on to Skye to spend the last few days of Gavin’s leave together and without encumbrances.
They were staying in a small hotel on the north-east coast of the island and so were avoiding the seasonable snow which had fallen heavily on
