Me: ‘Her name?’
CI: ‘I’ve been trying to remember … Elizabeth … I’m pretty sure I’m right about that. Elizabeth … and her surname … a Cornish word. Stret? Street? Hyns … path … Road, no … Perhaps it’ll come back to me.’
Trelawney closed the book and looked hopefully at Amanda.
‘How strange,’ she mused. ‘That Nans Breha business has shaken something loose in my mind … Would you please read all that again?’
He obliged, then waited in silence to let Amanda think. After a few moments, she spoke ponderingly,
‘Hair … sunshine … Stret, hyns … road …. Oh!’ She gasped and looked at him with eyes round with surprise.
‘Yes?’
‘I think I know … I think …. And it starts to make sense …’
‘Please do go on, Miss Cadabra.’
‘The first time I met him, I noticed his hair. It was a fine day, and I thought he had sunny locks, sunshine hair …’
‘Who? Blond? That’s not so unusual, surely?’
‘No, but coupled with the name … and knowing how the Flamgoynes and the Cardiubarns operated …’
‘The name?’ asked Trelawney.
‘It was there all along. Your informant actually said it.’
‘Yes?’
‘Road. The Cornish word for road is … fordh!’ explained Amanda.
‘Fordh. Ford. Elizabeth Ford. Had a husband and a baby. Yes, I see: blackmail. If Flamgoyne held her to ransom over the safety of her child, she would surely have felt compelled to comply with whatever he required of her.’
‘Exactly.’ Amanda shuddered. ‘More blackmail. It seems to be wherever we look at the moment. And then … what if it worked both ways?’
‘They held the child, now grown up, to ransom over the safety of his parents?’
‘Makes sense. Ryan said he grew up on the coast — although I’m sure Mr French said he was born in Portsmouth. But he did say he and his parents moved around a lot. Perhaps they were on the run from the Flamgoynes,’ suggested Amanda.
‘We need to know exactly what Elizabeth Ford’s role was. If she did indeed swap in those poisonous letters, she would be an accessory to multiple murders.’
‘Unless she didn’t know they were dangerous, and she was acting under duress surely? And if so, is it fair to pin it all on her just because she’s the last person alive who was involved at the time?’ Amanda appealed.
‘Hm, duress is a borderline plea when it comes to murder. I need to take advice before proceeding on this one.’ Trelawney got out his phone. ‘But well done, Miss Cadabra, well done. It’s pretty much speculation, though, until we can interview the Fords — excuse me. — Hello, Mike? Yes, a shaft of daylight on the cold case. Miss Cadabra remembered the Cornish word for road … in conjunction with the significance of blonde hair, and a family that moved around a lot.’
‘Ah … Missing link?’
‘Yes. First name, monarch,’ Trelawney added.
‘Got it. Yes, a consultation is in order. This needs to be in person,’ said Mike. ‘Right. Amelia’s, 8 o’clock.’
Chapter 44
Getting Closer
‘I’ve been on a secure line to Maxwell, among others,’ said Hogarth. ‘Thank you,’ he added to Amelia, who was placing a cup of tea at his elbow. ‘Assuming that it was Elizabeth Ford who is the missing link, it has been decided to do no more than confirm her involvement. The essential thing is that a case where the instrument of death was magical does not come to court.’
Amelia distributed the rest of the refreshments to Amanda and Trelawney, before sitting down with them, at the round table. Mike Hogarth continued,
‘A plea of ignorance regarding what was in the letters that she sent out to the Cardiubarns and that she acted under duress, would likely excuse Mrs Ford’s participation. Given the character of the Flamgoynes especially, it is unlikely that their threats against her child were idle.
‘Therefore Thomas, you have two jobs: to confirm Elizabeth Ford is actually Elizabeth Fordh and the missing link and, vitally, to construct your report in such a way that magic plays no part in it whatsoever.’
Trelawney thought for a moment. ‘If I substituted enchanted ink and paper with carbon monoxide, would I be able to get backup from the evidence?’ he asked.
‘I’m sure the post-mortem findings could be somehow … reinterpreted.’
‘All right. The official story, then, will be: the van carrying the Cardiubarns was sabotaged, by person or persons unknown, routing the carbon monoxide into the interior of the vehicle. On paper, that removes Mrs Ford entirely.’
‘Good enough. Off the record though, I still want the truth, Thomas,’ Mike said firmly. ‘Use whatever resources you have to get it.’
‘Ah. Understood.’
‘You’ll have to tread your way carefully to Elizabeth,’ Hogarth cautioned. The Fords are a couple who are good at disappearing.’
‘Where are they now?’
‘Oldbury. Midlands’
‘Hm … yes … softly, softly, it is. Very well. I shall begin with one of my resources. Or rather,’ Trelawney added, looking at Amanda, ‘one of yours.’
‘They’ve been clammed up until now,’ she answered, ‘but they might be more forthcoming since we’ve got this far.’
‘We need to know exactly what Elizabeth Fordh’s role was. So … time to see some dead people —’
‘Tra—,’ began Amanda.
‘Sorry … transitioned!’
***
Amanda had set them up with tea and saffron cake, just like her grandparents’ other-dimensional treat. Alex from The Big Tease had made the Cornish delicacy to Perran’s family recipe.
The Cadabras senior were seated in the armchairs opposite the sofa. They were stirring milk and sugar into their tea, when Trelawney arrived.
‘Always such a pleasure,’ said Senara, mischievously. ‘But I can see you’re champing at the bit, so enough of the small talk. Fire away, Inspector.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Cadabra. Please could you tell us, who, or rather what, was Elizabeth Fordh?’
‘The solicitor I used. But you already know that she was a solicitor, of course.’
‘You said the solicitor was a man.’
‘I said no such thing,’ riposted Senara with a measure of glee. ‘You called him a “man of business”. And you a twenty-first century male. Tut, tut.’
‘You didn’t correct me,’ Trelawney pointed out.
‘You wouldn’t
