Seated on the sofa between her husband and Ryan, Elizabeth with her golden-haired, boyish cut, looking remarkably like a delicate version of her son. Edward, Ryan’s father, a tall pepper-and-salt-haired man with spectacles and a mild air about him, held her hand as they waited nervously for the inspector to begin.
‘Mrs Ford, we now know that you did not betray Senara Cardiubarn,’ Trelawney assured her. ‘In spite of, no doubt, your best efforts, you were seen entering the cottage on the beach where she was staying.’
‘But I was so careful,’ Elizabeth protested.
‘There was a couple in the bus shelter. It was unlit, they were in deep shadow. The girl, the young woman, saw Mrs Cadabra open the door to you.’
‘Who was this young woman?’
‘She was Bezzie, Lady Flamgoyne’s maid. She relayed what she had seen to either her mistress or her mistress’s son.’
‘Oh … I’m so glad … and I really didn’t know what those … letters were. I was just given a stack of sealed envelopes by Mr Flamgoyne,’ Elizabeth explained anxiously, ‘each with a post-it note with the address on. I just had to print out each address and stick it onto each envelope, add a stamp and then post them all.’
‘Thank you for explaining that, Mrs Ford. I assure you once again, that your name will not appear in my report, except in passing.’
‘We truly appreciate that,’ said her husband. ‘There is just one thing.’ He and his wife looked at Amanda. Elizabeth spoke.
‘I took the payment from your grandmother in good faith, Miss Cadabra, but I did not carry out her instructions. It was a great deal of money, even then, and we would like to pay it back to you.’
‘Oh Mrs Ford, I wouldn’t hear of it,’ responded Amanda warmly. ‘For I am sure you have paid many times over, in all of these years of watching and waiting and … and I promise you, I know for certain, that my grandmother bears you no grudge whatsoever and wants — would want you to keep the money.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes,’ declared Amanda with certainty. ‘And if you’ve got some savings, I know what Granny would say.’
They looked at her expectantly.
‘Exactly what my grandparents did: go on a cruise!’
They laughed. ‘Perhaps we shall.’
***
‘There was something I forgot to tell you,’ said Amanda, back at the cottage, putting Trelawney’s plate of shortcake on the table before him.
‘Oh?’
‘The Oracle. It was something she said. Only it was half in Cornish or old British, and I couldn’t really understand it. I just remembered the sounds and tried to make sense of it with the dictionary later.’
‘But you think it was important?’
‘I know it was. She said, “Go and do not return,’ and then it was something like unless you solve or answer the riddle or question or puzzle of the place above or she might even have said sinking crazy – you know, Sunken Madley.’
‘Let’s go with “Solve the riddle of Sunken Madley”. Any idea what she meant?’
‘No. Let’s face it, all f – three cases you have investigated in the village were quite separate. At least, I thought so.’
‘How can we say without more information? So far, yes, they have all been I would say unconnected incidents. That is, all of the ones I know of,’ Trelawney added with the merest trace of acerbity.
‘Hm. Well … I just thought I’d tell you.’
‘Yes. Good. Well … thank you for the tea and shortcake, Miss Cadabra,’ said Trelawney, putting his mug down on the table. ‘Perfect as always. But … I must be going now.’
So this is it, thought Amanda. It’s finished.
‘Of course,’ she replied. ‘Admin to do. Now it’s all over.’
‘Thank you for your part and your grandparents’ part in bringing the Cardiubarn case to a conclusion.’
‘My pleasure. Truly. Although I didn’t do very much.’
‘Well, I doubt Mr and Mrs Cadabra would have talked to me without you.’
‘Possibly not,’ she agreed.
‘Yes …’ he stood up.
‘You’ll always be welcome, you know,’ said Amanda hurriedly, suddenly not wanting him to go. ‘Both here and in the village.’
‘I know.’
‘You’ll come to the Equinox Ball, won’t you?’
‘Yes … yes, why not?’
‘I know it’s not on any official duty here now, but … well, you’ll still be visiting your mother and Amelia and you could pop in and … see us all.’
‘Of course. Well … thank you again … for everything.’
They shook hands. Somehow it was feeling all wrong.
Thomas looked around the cosy sitting-room … surely he’d see it again… sit here by the fire with tea and …
Surely, thought Amanda, this isn’t the last time we’ll sit here together, chatting and working things out, having revelations and …
And now suddenly they were at the door. Thomas found himself walking down the path, getting into his car, winding down the windows. Amanda was on the doorstep … the sound of the engine ... the Mondeo moving inexorably away … a last wave.
Amanda returned to the sitting-room and briskly fluffed up all of the cushions on the three-piece suite.
‘Good,’ she said to Tempest, with a decisive nod. ‘Now we can get back to normal. There’s so much to do at The Grange before the ball, and I’m sure I’ve got a backlog building up in the workshop.’ She took up the tea tray. ‘Yes … back to normal.’
She marched herself out to the kitchen, watched by Tempest who had observed Amanda’s brave-face performance with amusement. He was not in the least fooled.
***
Trelawney, back at his mother’s house to collect his belongings, sent a text to Mike telling him what Amanda had said about the Oracle’s words. Later that day, the inspector returned to Cornwall. For the length of the journey he attempted to keep his mind on the wording of his official report. Thomas’s thoughts showed an alarming tendency to stray back to the sitting-room of the cottage and the person … the witness, of course … that
