Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths by Holly Bell (best love novels of all time txt) 📕

Mr Jonathan Sheppard said anyone could have known about the hiding place, taken it and replaced it at some point. People remember the door being open at times when Mrs Pagely and Mr Sheppard were going up and down, bringing up extra chairs and tables and so on, and being closed at others.’

‘That’s a relief.’ Amanda went off to the kitchen while, under the unnerving gaze of Tempest, Trelawney encouraged the fire into renewed vigour. She returned presently with the tea tray.

‘Thank you, Miss Cadabra. Yes, as you say, people were mingling. No one can testify with certainty to anyone’s whereabouts throughout the entire afternoon. Can you?’

Amanda became very still as a memory played out. Observing her, Trelawney asked,

‘What? Miss Cadabra? Have you recalled something?’

‘Yes … there was a moment … I felt something … a sort of tremor … I think that must have been the moment when the shelves fell in the stacks.’

‘And at that moment whom do remember seeing?’

‘Only Jonathan Sheppard. Yes … and then Amir … then, as he and I walked toward the children’s section, Amir’s grandmother … then I found John.’

‘But that was a few minutes later?’

‘Yes … then Ryan waved to me … then I wandered off towards a space behind the counter just to recover a bit and have some quiet. And that was when Mrs Entwhistle came up.’

‘And when you looked around for the staff to help her?’

‘I don’t remember whom I saw only that I didn’t see either Mrs Pagely or Jonathan.’

‘Hm …’ Trelawney lapsed into silence.

‘Sorry,’ Amanda offered.

‘Hm? No, it’s fine. You’ve done very well.’

He got out his laptop.

‘If Jonathan corroborates your story about the “tremor” — if that was the moment of death — then it means that you both have an alibi. However, that depends on whether that precise moment of death can be pinpointed.’

‘I understand.’

‘So if we discount you, Jonathan and, er Amir, of course. Bright as he is, I doubt he could have got the key, opened the door and pulled a shelf down.’

Amanda laughed.

‘Indeed. Any idea as to cause of death?’

‘A preliminary offering by the coroner is repeated blows to the head, although no defensive wounds, which makes it immediately suspicious. I presume the blows were from the books. Naturally she refused to speculate. The next stop is to interview the residents across the street from the library to see if anyone that looked suspicious was observed coming in or out.’

‘Of course.’

He put aside his laptop and took out his notebook.

‘Samantha Gibbs. Was she a regular visitor to the library?’

‘Samantha? I’d certainly never seen her there before. I can’t imagine her borrowing a book, or indeed re—’ Amanda stopped herself. As Grandpa always advised her, ‘If you can’t say something good about someone, best not to say anything at all.’ ‘That is to say,’ Amanda continued diplomatically, ‘she’s more the sort who would buy a book. And of course, she’s not a resident of Sunken Madley, so I can’t imagine why she’d come there except for a smart party.’

‘Hm. The question then is … what was Samantha Gibbs doing in the stacks?’ He waited for her response. ‘Any thoughts, Miss Cadabra?’

Amanda had been gazing absent-mindedly at the fire, considering the perplexing mystery.

‘Well,’ she said slowly. ‘I can’t imagine that she would have been looking for anything that’s kept down there. So maybe she was having an assignation. That would be consistent with what I know of her.’

‘Who are the candidates, in your opinion, for such a rendezvous?’

‘The eligible men … and not necessarily available ones but … I think she did rather like Ryan … and I expect … John? Erm … the tutor she came down here with, Simon Lawley. But why not just see him at The Grange, where they were both staying?’

Trelawney was checking off a list in his police notebook.

‘Anyone else?’

‘You mean any other single attractive or reasonably attractive men in the vicinity? Yes?’

‘Please.’

‘Hm … There’s Dale Hilland, the florist, and Ashlyn Seedwell, the captain of our cricket team. You know him, of course.’

‘Yes.’ Trelawney had been recruited as an honorary member during the winter.

Amanda was mentally running through the personable gentlemen of Sunken Madley.

‘Dilip Patel, the son of the doctors’ but Samantha wouldn’t stand a chance with him. He’s devoted to his wife and Amir … Erm … there’s the fiancé of Penny, the doctor’s receptionist, but he’s away at the moment. There’s Erik, the solicitor … though I’m not sure if he was there. No. That’s it. That’s everyone I can think of.’

He closed his book but kept it handy, and commented,

‘On the other hand, it might not be a man at all.’

‘You mean, it could have been a jealous admirer of one these men?’

‘For example?’

‘I wish I could suggest one, but I don’t know who fancies whom. It’s not the sort of thing I … Although …’

‘Yes?’

‘I suppose … yes … it doesn’t seem fair to mention her … but … Pamela, erm, Hillers and Humpy’s granddaughter. She did seem rather smitten with Simon Lawley.’

‘Hillers and Humpy? Ah, the delightful duo are back, are they?’

Amanda chuckled. ‘Large as life, yes. Up at The Grange.’

‘So … we have Pamela. Anyone else?’

Amanda wracked her brains.

‘Who are the single women in the village who were present at the party?’ Trelawney prompted gently. ‘That you can remember?’

‘Madeleine Fleetfoot. She’s on the team, as you know. Penny, the receptionist at the doctors’ but she’s engaged, as I say. I think Penny brought a friend but she’s not Village. Most people would have been at work on a Thursday afternoon, you see. One or two of the school children came later. Ruth Reiser and Kieran …’

‘Ah yes, I know, the solicitor’s son. Please continue.’

‘Of course, there’s Esta Reiser, Ruth’s mother. She’s single and … Claire.’

‘Ah yes, how is Claire? She left early?’

‘Oh she’s very well, bubbly as ever. Yes, she had a phone call and left. But I can’t imagine she’d have any interest in most of the men I’ve listed. She